Survivor I - Kurt Warner Commentary

NOTE: this draft was completed on 7/24

Recent Stats

YR	CMP	ATT	PYD	PTD	INT	RSH	RSHYD	RSHTD	FPT	RANK
2002	144	220	1431	3	11	8	33	0	75.8	40
2003	38	65	365	1	1	1	0	0	21.2	53
2004	174	277	2054	6	4	13	30	1	131.7	29

Positives - Perhaps the biggest positive for Kurt Warner is that he finally has a receiving corps similar to what he had in St. Louis. The Cardinals boast three capable receivers in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson. All three were first round picks, with the ironic exception of Boldin, who was a second round pick. Not many teams can say that about their receivers. Warner is obviously capable of doing great things on the football field, maybe all he needs is a strong receiving unit, like he had with the Rams?

Negatives - What caused Kurt Warner to fall from grace among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks? The only tangible setback was his injury to his finger. Since that injury, he has had trouble with snaps and holding onto the ball. He doesn’t get the same zip on downfield passes that he used to and thus his passes tend to have more air under them often resulting in an incompletion or an interception. This is a big negative, and could very well be the reason for Warner’s continued decline.

Draft Strategy - I needed a backup quarterback and in my opinion, Kurt Warner was the next best available. I focused on securing my key positions before grabbing a backup quarterback, hence the lack of talent still on the board. I don’t plan on starting Kurt Warner over Daunte Culpepper, so this is not really a pick of importance, but of need.