As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of the game
being in constant change, conventional wisdom suggests that players
from different eras cannot be compared. However, I have decided to defy
that notion.
Considering that the Arizona Cardinals were founded in 1920, the task
becomes enormously challenging. Today, I have taken on the daunting
task of compiling an All-Time Cardinals team. The Cardinals legacy
accounts for three marketplaces (Chicago, St. Louis, Phoenix) and four
cities if you include Glendale, AZ. The franchise played in Chicago from
1920-1959 and St. Louis from 1960-1987. They moved to Phoenix in
1988 and were rebranded as the Arizona Cardinals in 1994. The Cardinals
have been to the playoffs only ten times, won seven division titles and
have one Super Bowl appearance. They reached the Super Bowl in 2008,
losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-23.
OK, Cardinal fans, I’ve tortured you enough and have come up with my
version of the Cardinals Dream Team.
There are some rigid criteria in making this team. First of all, the player
needed to have played for the Cardinals for a minimum of four seasons.
Since the free agency era began 30 years ago, that standard needs to be
in place. Two-year rentals don’t make this list. Personality or legal flaws
are not a deterrent to making this team. This is football, not the Boy
Scouts. Being in the Hall of Fame is the first consideration coupled with
impact on the franchise. The number of All-Pro seasons are a top
consideration with longevity also helping immensely. While I understand
it is hard to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute this discussion.
Generational reminders
All eras matter. Being on the Browns during a season of being a contender
does not get you a hall pass on this team. Winning or losing eras, all
high-level performers get considered.
To further the challenge, we are constructing the roster in two-deep format,
which means some worthy players get left off the list. So, if you want to
make a case for a player being on the team, don’t just tell me he should be
there and why, tell me who you would remove. Before you make a case to
put someone on the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list at that
position?”
OFFENSE
QB -- First team: Jim Hart. Honorable mention: Kurt Warner.
Hart’s 18-year career (1966-1983) spanned three decades. He remains the
franchise’s all-time leading passer. Hart was a four-time Pro Bowler and
second-team All pro in 1974. From 1974 to 1976, he guided the Cardinals
to three straight ten-plus-win seasons along with back-to-back division
crowns in 1974 and 1975, leading the "Cardiac Cards" to ten game-
winning drives during that three-year span. The easy choice for honorable
mention would be Neil Lomax but it’s hard to ignore Warner leading the
team to the doorstep of winning the Super Bowl. Warner is in the Hall of
Fame and played four years (2005-2009) as Cardinal. Under Warner’s
guidance, he took two franchises (the St. Louis Rams and Cardinals)
from being irrelevant to respected.
RB -- First team: Charlie Trippi, Ollie Matson. Honorable mention:
Marshall Goldberg, Otis Anderson.
Trippi and Goldberg were part of the “Dream Backfield” that also included
Paul Christman, Pat Harder and later Elmer Angsman. Trippi played
mostly at running back but also at quarterback for two seasons (1951-
1952). His career spanned from 1947-1955, compiling 4,837 yards from
scrimmage and 34 touchdowns on the way to a Hall of Fame career. Trippi
was a two-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro (one as a first-teamer).
Matson played from 1952-1958 but missed the ‘53 season because of
military service. Matson amassed 3,331 yards rushing and 2,150 more
receiving and 40 total touchdowns on the way to a Hall of Fame career.
He was a six-time Pro Bowler as a Cardinal. Goldberg had two stints
with the Cardinals (1939-1943; 1946-1948). In between, he served in the
US Navy. Goldberg returned and helped deliver an NFL championship
in 1947. Goldberg was a four-time All Pro and compiled 3.562 all-
purpose yards. Anderson is best known for his role in leading the 1990
New York Giants to a Super Bowl championship but from 1979-1986,
he became the Cardinals’ all-time leading rusher. Anderson was a two-
time Pro Bowler and All Pro (one as a first-teamer). He was the NFL
Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1979.
FB -- First team: Jim Otis. Honorable mention: Larry Centers.
Otis spent his last six NFL seasons as a Cardinal from 1973-1978. He
remains the third all-time leading rusher in Cardinal history. Otis’ best
season was a Pro Bowl campaign in 1975. That season, Otis rushed for
an NFC-leading 1,076 yards, edging out Minnesota’s Chuck Foreman
by six yards, thus preventing Foreman (who led the NFC in touchdowns
and receptions that year) from achieving a rare Triple Crown. Centers
spent nine of his 14 NFL seasons as a Cardinal (1990-1998). In that
span, Centers was a Pro Bowler twice and an All-Pro once. Though he
played on disappointing teams, Centers was an excellent lead blocker
and pass-catcher. He is the Cardinals No. 3 all-time pass catcher with
535 receptions, including a 99-catch campaign in 1996.
WR -- First team: Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Green. Honorable mention:
Anquan Bolden, Pat Tilley.
Fitzgerald will enter his 17th NFL season this fall. Fitzgerald owns
numerous NFL and Cardinal franchise records. He is an 11-time Pro
Bowler and has been an All-Pro on three occasions (once as a first-
teamer). Fitzgerald was a member of the 2008 team but has also put up
these gigantic numbers despite not always having the best quality of
quarterback. For Fitzgerald, a trip to the Hall of Fame awaits after he
retires. Green spent 12 of his 14 seasons as a Cardinal (1979-1990). He
evolved from being a kick returner as a rookie to becoming the team's
go-to receiver, most notably in the Neil Lomax era. Green was a two-
time Pro Bowler and also an All-Pro twice. He held most of the
Cardinal receiving records until Fitzgerald eclipsed. Though Bolden
had some productive years as a Baltimore Raven and San Francisco
49er, his first Seven Seasons as a Cardinal were prosperous ones
alongside Fitzgerald. Bolden was a member of the 2008 team. He was
the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and a three-time Pro
Bowler. Bolden is the Cardinals No. 2 all-time leading receiver behind
Fitzgerald. Tilley's possession receiving skills were the perfect
complement to Green's downfield speed. Tilley spent 11 seasons as a
Cardinal and hauled in 468 passes. His lone Pro Bowl season was 1980.
TE -- First team: Jackie Smith. Honorable mention: Doug Marsh.
Smith deserves a better legacy than he receives. Smith is most well-known
for his dropped touchdown pass as a Dallas Cowboy in Super Bowl XIII
but he also enjoyed 15 productive seasons as a Cardinal. No tight end has
caught more passes in franchise history than Smith, who was a five-time
Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro. Marsh gets honorable
mention by default, starting 90 of the 92 games in which he played as a
Cardinal for seven seasons (1980-1986). In that span, Marsh caught 167
passes but was more noted as a blocker.
OT -- First team: Dan Dierdorf, Duke Slater. Honorable mention:
Luis Sharpe, Tootie Robbins.
Modern-day football fans know Dierdorf mostly as a color commentator
for National TV broadcasts. Dierdorf, however, spent all 13 of his NFL
seasons as a Cardinal on the way to a Hall of Fame career. Dierdorf was a
six-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro (five as a first-teamer). Slater
was a Chicago Cardinal for six seasons (1926-1931). Slater was a five-time
first-team All-Pro and in 1927 and 1929, he was the only black player in
the NFL on the way to a Hall of Fame career. Sharpe had two separate
stints as a cardinal (1982-1994). He also played for the USFL Memphis
Showboats in 1985. Sharpe was a three-time Pro Bowler. Robbins played
for the Cardinals for ten seasons (1982-1991). Though he never earned
any postseason accolades, Robbins was a reliable starter. He started 147
of the 159 games in which he played.
OG -- First team: Conrad Dobler, Ken Gray. Honorable mention:
Bob Young, Lance Smith.
Though Dobler is most widely known for being voted by Sports
Illustrated as Pro football's dirtiest player, he and Dierdorf were part of
some very good offensive lines. Dobler spent six of his ten seasons as a
Cardinal. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and a 1975 part of an offensive
line that gave up only eight sacks. Gray's 12-year career (1958-1969)
spanned the franchise’s era in both Chicago and St Louis. Gray was a
six-time Pro Bowler. Young spent eight of his 16 Seasons as a Cardinal
(1972-1979). His best seasons however were in St. Louis, where he
was a two-time Pro Bowler and was All-Pro once. Smith played nine
seasons as a Cardinal (1985-1993), overlapping the franchise’s era in
St. Louis and Phoenix. Smith was versatile enough to play both guard
and tackle.
C -- First team: Tom Banks. Honorable mention: Lyle Sendlein.
Banks played ten seasons (1971-1980) as a Cardinal, starting 110 of
the 116 games in which he played. Banks was a four-time Pro Bowler
and one-time All-Pro. Sendlein played nine Seasons as a Cardinal.
Though he never earned any postseason accolades, the fact that he made
the team as an undrafted free agent and had nearly a decade long career
counts for a lot.
DEFENSE
DE -- First team: Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones. Honorable
mention: Simeon Rice, Curtis Greer.
Campbell recently became a Baltimore Raven after three seasons as a
Jacksonville Jaguar. Campbell's nine seasons (2008-2016) as a
Cardinal, however were quite impactful. He made the Pro Bowl twice
in that span and is No. 3 in franchise history with 56.5 career sacks.
Jones spent his first four NFL seasons as a New England Patriot and is
going to enter his fifth season as a Cardinal. Jones has made the Pro Bowl
twice with Arizona and has been first-team All-Pro on two occasions.
He led the NFL in sacks in 2017 and is No. 2 in franchise history with
60 sacks in his career. Jones has also forced 17 fumbles, broken up 15
passes and recovered six fumbles. The fact that race is not in the Hall
of Fame is a glaring omission. Although he is most widely known for
his impact with some legendary Tampa Bay Buccaneer defenses, Rice’s
five seasons as a Cardinal we're also impactful. Rice was the NFL
Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1999. He is fourth in franchise history
with 51.5 sacks. Greer played all eight of his NFL seasons (1980-
1987) as a Cardinal. He was second-team All-Pro in 1984 and is fourth
in franchise history with 50.5 career sacks. That number, however, is
deflated because sacks were not deemed an official statistic until 1982.
DT -- First team: Darnell Dockett, Eric Swann. Honorable mention:
David Galloway, Bob Rowe.
Despite playing a position that is not the most stat friendly, Dockett and
Swann each put up outstanding numbers. Dockett played 11 years (2004-
2014) as a Cardinal. He made the Pro Bowl three times and was second-
team All-Pro in 2009 along with being a member of the 2008 team.
Dockett recorded 90 tackles for loss, 40.5 sacks, 113 quarterback hits,
18 passes broken up and 14 forced fumbles. Swann played 10 seasons
(1991-1999) as a Cardinal. In that span, he made the Pro Bowl twice
and recorded 46.5 career sacks. He was also an All Pro on two occasions.
Galloway played eight seasons (1982-1989) with the Cardinals,
overlapping the franchise's move from St Louis to Phoenix. Galloway
recorded 38 career sacks and recovered five fumbles. Rowe played nine
seasons (1967-1975) as a Cardinal with his best season coming in 1968,
when he made the Pro Bowl.
OLB -- First team: Freddie Joe Nunn, Karlos Dansby. Honorable
mention: Larry Stallings, Ken Harvey.
Nunn could make this team either as a 3-4 linebacker or 4-3 end. Nunn
played nine seasons as a Cardinal, overlapping the franchise’s move
from St. Louis to Phoenix. He is the franchise's all-time leader with 66.5
career sacks. Dansby had three different stints (2004-2009; 2013; 2017)
as a Cardinal. In that span, Dansby recorded 33 sacks, 12 interceptions
and recovered 11 fumbles. He made the NFL's All Rookie team in 2004
and was second-team All-Pro in 2013. Longevity alone puts Stallings on
this list. He was a career Cardinal for 14 seasons (1963-1976). Stallings’
best season was 1970, when he made the Pro Bowl. Though Harvey's
best seasons came as a Washington Redskin, he enjoyed six productive
campaigns (1988-1993) with the Cardinals. In that span, Harvey
recorded 47.5 career sacks and recovered five fumbles.
ILB -- First team: Eric Hill, E.J. Junior. Honorable mention: Ronald
McKinnon, Dale Meinert.
Hill played ten seasons (1989-1998) with the Cardinals and surpassed
the 100 tackle mark on five occasions. He never earned any postseason
accolades but was a very consistent performer. Junior played nine
seasons (1981-1988) with the Cardinals with his best coming in 1984-
1985 when he made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back seasons. Junior
intercepted 12 passes and recovered six fumbles. McKinnon spent nine
seasons (1996-2004) with the Cardinals, making the team as an
undrafted free agent. McKinnon was consistent and reliable, surpassing
the 100 tackle mark in five seasons. McKinnon also broke up 15 passes,
forced 12 fumbles and recovered seven more. Meinert played ten
seasons (1958-1967) with the Cardinals, overlapping the Chicago and
St. Louis eras. He was a Pro Bowler three times.
CB -- First team: Aeneas Williams, Roger Wehrli. Honorable
mention: Dick “Night Train” Lane, Patrick Peterson.
Williams spent ten seasons (1991-2000) as a Cardinal and four more
as a St Louis Ram. Williams was an incredibly versatile player. He was
an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (four as a first-teamer)
on the way to a Hall of Fame career. He is No. 2 in franchise history
with 46 interceptions. Williams also scored eight defensive touchdowns
and recovered 14 fumbles. Wehrli's 14-year career spanned three
decades (1969-1982). Wehrli was a shutdown corner before the term
became popular. On the way to a Hall of Fame career, he intercepted
40 passes and recovered 22 fumbles. Wehrli was a seven-time Pro
Bowler and six-time All-Pro (five as a first-team choice). On the way
to a Hall of Fame career that included six seasons with the Chicago
Cardinals (1954-1959), Lane was an All-Pro in two of those seasons
and Pro Bowler in four. Lane led the NFL in interceptions in 1954
and recorded 30 picks as a Cardinal. Peterson will enter his tenth season
as a Cardinal and remains one of the best in the business. He has made
the Pro Bowl and eight of those seasons and has been first-team All-Pro
and three of them. Peterson has 25 interceptions but that number is
deflated because many teams avoid throwing at him.
S -- First team: Larry Wilson, Adrian Wilson. Honorable mention:
Tim McDonald, Pat Tillman.
Larry Wilson makes this list as much because of impact on the game
of football as well as his performance. On the way to a Hall of Fame
career that spanned 13 seasons (1960-1972), Larry Wilson was the
creator of the term safety blitz. Larry Wilson was an eight-time Pro
Bowler and seven-time All-Pro (six as a first-teamer). He was Defensive
Player of the Year in 1966 also leading the league in interceptions.
Larry Wilson still holds the franchise record for 52 interceptions. He
also scored five defensive touchdowns. Adrian Wilson played 12
seasons (2001-2012) as a Cardinal, including being a member of the
2008 team. Adrian Wilson was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time
All-Pro (one as a first-teamer). He recorded 25.5 career sacks, 27
interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and four
defensive touchdowns. McDonald spent six seasons each with the
Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. As a Cardinal, he was a three-
time Pro Bowler and All-Pro (two as a first-teamer). In a sense,
Tillman can be viewed as a sentimental choice to be on this team
because of serving In the US Army and tragically dying. Tillman,
however, was a pretty solid football player for four seasons (1998-
2001). He recorded 340 tackles, three interceptions, three forced
fumbles, and 2.5 sacks. Tillman will be forever a hero.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K -- First team: Jim Bakken. Honorable mention: Neil Rackers.
Bakken played all 17 of his NFL seasons (1962-1978) as a Cardinal
and remains the franchise's leader with 1,380 points scored. Bakken
was a four-time Pro Bowler and surpassed the 100-point mark three
times. He initially set a record with seven field goals in a game which
three others tied and Tennessee's Rob Bironas broke with eight in a
single game in 2007. Rackers spent seven seasons (2003-2009) as a
Cardinal. That span included being part of the 2008 team. Rackers
made the Pro Bowl and was All Pro in 2005.
P -- First team: Rich Camarillo. Honorable mention: Dave
Zastudil.
Camarillo spent five of his 16 NFL seasons with the Cardinals (1989-
1993). That period of time included four Pro Bowl appearances.
Zastudil spent four seasons (2011-2014) as a Cardinal. He set an NFL
record with 5,209 net punting yards in a single season. Zastudil also
had 46 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, setting an NFL record.
RETURN -- First team: Terry Metcalf. Honorable mention: Vai
Sikahema.
Metcalf spent four seasons (1973-1977) as a cardinal. He averaged 11.5
yards on punt returns and 26.2 on kickoff returns. Metcalf scored three
special teams touchdowns. Metcalf made the Pro Bowl three times.
Sikahema was a career-long special teams standout, with five of those
seasons taking place as a Cardinal (1986-1990). In that span, Sikahema
made the Pro Bowl twice and averaged 11.2 yards per punt, three of
which went for touchdowns.
HEAD COACH -- First team: Bruce Arians. Honorable mention:
Ken Whisenhunt.
Arians is the winningest coach in franchise history with a record of
49-30-1. The 2015 season was the high water mark. The Cardinals
advanced to the NFC Championship game before losing to a Carolina
Panthers team that went 15-1. Arians’ coaching philosophy was such
that he was not afraid to be a risk taker. His coaching model was, “No
risk it, no biscuit.” Arians, who is now the head coach of the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers, was the NFL coach of the year on two occasions in
his time with the Cardinals. The Whisenhunt teams were 45-51 in his
six years, his finest hour came in 2008. The Cardinals went 9-7 but
advanced all the way to the Super Bowl before narrowly losing to
the Steelers. Whisenhunt guided the Cardinals two back-to-back NFC
West titles in 2007-2008.
TEAM -- 1947. The Cardinals won their second NFL championship,
defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. The team was led by its
“Million Dollar Backfield” of Elmer Angsman, Trippi, Christman
and Harder. The Cardinals went 9-3 nine during the regular season
and had four All Pro players.
