NFC West... snooze

The Arizona Cardinals offensive line is straying away from everything they've known... ever. The standard for most offensive lines in the NFL is the short set. It involves a shorter step backwards, and getting your hands on the pass rusher as quickly as you can, keeping your hips low and your helmet in the defender's chest plate. Well, former Hog Russ Grimm, a guy with four rings, probably a Hall of Famer one day says different. He teaches the Cardinals O-line to drop deeper and do everything they can to get the guy blocked, no matter what. This simplifies the playbook and creates a deep pocket, but defenders get more speed before the first contact, and sacks happen more easily this way. With three Pro Bowlers in Pittsburgh (Faneca, Hartings, Marvel Smith)to do this well for Grimm in years past, he might be setting a poor O-line up for failure. We'll see how many times a DE or OLB gets to Matt Leinart this year.

On the other hand, Leinart is already impressed with the Cardinals offensive line so far in camp. So I guess its good that the Cardinals O-line can block the Cardinals D-line. But can they block a real team's defense? We'll see, Mr. Whisenhunt. We'll see on September 30th in Glendale. Bitch.

Former Seattle Seahawk and Hall of Famer Warren Moon plead guilty to negligent driving recently. He was fined $350 and sentenced to 40 hours of community service. I want to see the 15 year old kid that got caught with pot and is cleaning up the highway and looks up to see Warren Moon picking up cigarette butts. Classic!

Apparently Mike Holmgren is a real demigod. He knows things no one should know, even NFL head coaches. Seneca Wallace couldn't even get the play calls right in camp two years ago, and now he looks like a legitimate long term replacement for Matt Hasselbeck when he is ready to retire and get a hairpiece. Holmgren has held on to his talent and it is finally showing its head.

49ers NT Aubrayo Franklin will miss the entire preseason with a sprained MCL. Franklin is the centerpeice of Mike Nolan's new 3-4 defense, and a two-gap tackle in todays NFL is tough to find. Good news that it wasn't torn, but bad newz that he will miss so much practice.

Vernon Davis has a hot head, enough that he decided to go head to head with LT Larry Allen after a play in camp last week. It worries Mike Nolan, who does not want the referee's flags to fly when the season comes. Beat reporters in the Bay Area are asking questions like: "Is Vernon Davis a distracting diva or an emotional lynchpin?"
A lot of fans are wondering if he is the next TO without the TDs or receptions. I hope not...

Now to the Rams. WR Torry Holt is recovering nicely from his offseason knee scope. He had the common procedure done to clean up some scar tissue in his knee that had been bothering him for some time. The last time he had the procedure done, he had a monster season, racking up 1,700 yards and 12 TDs. Maybe the trend will continue.