Anquan Boldin: Why Is a Top-10 Talent Not Getting Respect?

Anquan Boldin is getting little respect these days.  I believe that it has something to do with him being disgruntled over his contract rather than his play.  Let’s remember that Boldin did fire his agent and has backed off on his contract demands.  The Cardinals have said that they will address a new contract for him after taking care of Karlos Dansby. 

As for on the field Boldin is without question one of the toughest WRs in the game today.  Watching him week in and week out he is a beast when he gets the ball. Fitzgerald is the NFL’s best WR but Boldin is at least in the top-10. 

Boldin had 89 catches 1,038 yards 11 Tds in 2008.  Those stats were better than Steve Smith, and TO who many generally think are “better” WRs.  Add to the fact that Boldin missed four games last year he had a fantastic year. 

Here are some more Boldin stats from azcardinals.com

• Became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 400 career receptions when he hit the milestone vs. Atlanta (12/23/07) in his 67th career game, five games faster than the previous record holder—Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr.

• Boldin’s 413 catches in his first 68 career games are the most ever by an NFL receiver in that span.

• Reached 5,004 receiving yards at Cincinnati on 11/18/07 in his 63rd career game, tying him with Torry Holt as the fifth fastest receiver in NFL history to reach the 5,000-yard mark. Only Lance Alworth (who did it in 52 games), Charley Henningan (59), Randy Moss (59) and Jerry Rice (61) accomplished the feat in less games than Boldin and Holt.

• Established a new single-season high with nine touchdown receptions in 2007 despite only playing in 12 games.

• Caught a career-high 14 passes for 181 yards in Baltimore on 9/23/07; his 14 receptions rank as the second-highest single game total in franchise history (Sonny Randle 16, 11/4/62 @ NYG).

• His two 100-yard receiving games in 2007 gave him 21 for his career, good for second on the Cardinals all-time list, one short of tying Jackie Smith (22) for first place.

• Selected as one of five team captains (offense) by his teammates prior to the 2007 season.

• Earned his second Pro Bowl selection in 2006, and is one of only five Cardinal receivers to garner multiple Pro Bowl nods: Larry Fitzgerald (2005, 2007), Roy Green (1983-84), Mel Gray (1974-77) and Sonny Randle (1960-62, 1965).

• Reached the 4,000-yard receiving mark in his 48th career game and became the third fastest player in NFL history to reach the milestone behind Lance Alworth (42) and Randy Moss (47); Charley Hennigan and Jerry Rice also did it in 48 games.

• Owns three of the ten best receiving yardage seasons in Cardinals history.

• Eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in 2006, the third time he had done so in his first four years in the NFL (2003, ‘05, ‘06). RB Edgerrin James topped 1,000 yards rushing to give the Cards a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver in the same season for just the fifth time ever and first time since 1998 (RB Adrian Murrell & WR Frank Sanders).

• Despite missing two games in the middle of the 2005 season, caught 102 passes, breaking his previous personal best and franchise record of 101 (2003). Only surpassed by Larry Fitzgerald who caught 103 passes in 2005.

• Set a new franchise mark in 2005 with five consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving.

• In 2005, Boldin and Fitzgerald became only the second tandem in NFL history to top 100 receptions and 1,400 receiving yards in the same season (Detroit’s Herman Moore and Brett Perriman in 1995).

• Boldin and Fitzgerald eclipsed the franchise record for 100-yard receiving games in a season, combining for 15 in 2005, the previous record was 11 (2001).

• In 2003, set NFL rookie records for most pass receptions (101); most receiving yards—first NFL game (217); and the Cardinals single-season receptions record (101) en route to Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year honors that season.

A second-round draft choice and the sixth receiver taken in the 2003 NFL Draft, Boldin became the most prolific rookie receiver in league annals with 101 receptions, which broke the previous NFL record of 90 (New England’s Terry Glenn, 1996). The only rookie selected to the Pro Bowl in 2003, Boldin recorded five 100-yard games in his rookie year.

 

The stats and production does not lie.  If you haven’t payed much attention to Anquan Boldin watch him in 2009.  If you are playing fantasy and want a No. 2 WR that produces like a No. 1 draft him.

Raiders Quarterbacks:Charlie Frye Addition Now Makes 6 on Roster

Let me start off by saying I am not a Raiders fan. I do have friends who are Raiders fans and I’m intrigued by how die-hard they are even if their team is going nowhere fast every year. 

As I was scanning the NFL transactions, I let out a chuckle when I saw that the Raiders have now brought on another quarterback. 

Okay, Raiders fans. Count them out with me: JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia, Bruce Gradkowski, Andrew Walter, Danny Southwick, and Charlie Frye are all now on the roster.

Does this show you how little faith the team has in their No. 1 overall pick, JaMarcus Russell?

If Russell wasn’t a No. 1 overall pick, he would be in jeopardy of getting cut. One just has to look at his wildly inaccurate throws in the OTAs to see all the skill that he possesses, which, my friends, is none—no skill at all.

Many teams will only carry two QBs on their roster, while some may carry three. Let’s say three players get cut. Russell and Garcia are locks to make the final roster.

To make the final spot, I would give the upper hand to Walter since he has been with the team a few years. Seeing him play at ASU, I really do feel that he is being unfairly buried on the depth chart.

But realistically, Walter, Southwick (who?), and Frye will get the boot come September, leaving the Raiders’ season in the good hands of Russell, Garcia, and Gradkowski.

Yikes!

Anyone want to jump on the Cardinals band wagon?

 

NFL: Where Is My 18-Game Season?

Where is my 18-game NFL season?  Who wouldn’t want to watch more of those star players that we pay to see rather than some undrafted rookies that are going to get cut?  

Since before Roger Goodell was in change of the greatest sports league in the world, the idea of an 18-game schedule has been tossed around by NFL execs. 

So where is it?  Goodell has said he was hopeful for a proposal for a expansion of the regular season to 17 or 18 games and dropping two preseason games. This would keep the 20-game format intact, although it will probably not happen until 2011 or so.

Turning four preseason games into two preseason and two regular season games would put money in the owner’s pocket as well as give the fans something that they want.  The customer is always right, right? 

I can’t imagine the owners not wanting this, but a few question arise.

Can the NFL sell the 18-game schedule to the TV execs who would have to dish out more money?

Will the NFLPA want more money for the players since they are playing an 18-game schedule?

These are the key questions, and I don’t know that they will be answered anytime soon.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010