Caste Football Looks at the 2007 Arizona Cardinals

[color=red]pictured: Matt Leinart[/color]For the past dozen years, the Arizona Cardinals being a coal black football team has been as sure a bet as death and taxes. And despite beginning a new coaching era under Ken Whisenhunt, the 2007 Cardinals roster looks much the same as it does every year — overwhelmingly black.Perhaps the one ray of hope that things will begin to change under Whisenhunt occurred when the team picked up WR Jerheme Urban after he was cut by the Cowboys on Sept. 1. Urban is tall and fast and has averaged over 20 yards per reception in very limited NFL use over the past four seasons. But he was waived a good dozen times or so by Mike Holmgren while with Seattle, perhaps setting the all-time record in the most-kicked-around-white player category, which is always a fiercely contested on-going award in the NFL. According to media reports, Urban will be competing for the fourth receiver slot in Arizona. We’ll see.when Whisenhunt was hired from the Steelers organization, he brought over WR Sean Morey with him. Despite being fast and having great hands (not to mention an Ivy League education), Morey was used solely as a White Special Teams Demon by Pittsburgh. Whether Morey will fulfill that same role with the Cardinals or actually be allowed to play wide receiver remains to be seen. Still, the possibility of the Cardinals having two white receivers on the roster, albeit as backups, almost boggles the mind.Arizona has once again gone with its time-honored offensive line of obese blacks who occupy a lot of space but whose athleticism leaves much to be desired. Center Al Johnson is the only white starter. In fact, center and quarterback almost always are the only two positions where whites are allowed to start on the Cardinals. G Brad Badger is a backup.Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart took over from Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback last season and did very well for a rookie. He looks to be the team’s franchise player for years to come.Veteran Kurt Warner is Leinart’s backup and also unselfishly acts as Leinart’s mentor and supporter.Tim Euhus and Troy Bieneman are backup TEs.On defense the pickings are sparse as always. Ross Kolodziej out of Wisconsin again serves as a backup tackle, white sixth-year man Chris Cooper was very impressive during the preseason at the tackle position.Monty Beisel is a backup at linebacker. Aaron Francisco out of BYU, who is of Hawaiian and white descent, is a safety who plays quite a bit.NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 2APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 13GRADE: F-

2007-09-05