Arizona Cardinals Week 15 Stock Report
By Matthew Gay
Jul 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; (L to R) Former Pitt football all-american Larry Fitzgerald, Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher, ACC commissioner John Swofford, Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim, Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer and Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey before the NASDAQ stock market closing bell ceremony after the ACC press conference at the NASDAQ Marketsite. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
One of the more entertaining aspects of watching NFL football is the week by week anomaly of how will each player or team actually perform. Even Vegas utilizes streaks or hot hands when creating their sport book lines and have no actual idea what will happen. This is a similar excitement to the stock market. I’ve analyzed the Arizona Cardinals last two games just like I do the stocks I own. (My portfolio is up every year which leads me to believe the system works.) Now, I’m not a guru, as I didn’t see Jamaal Charles huge day as a receiver but every week I “Buy” on Tony Romo to bottom out.
BUY
Darnell Dockett: He may have had an average or lackluster week 14 against a top offensive line. He is always to be noted of by the opposing offense. Week 15 gave him a boost in credibility where he had 6 tackles and 2 of those for a loss. If he isn’t feasting due to double teams allowing Karlos Dansby and John Abraham to have the seasons they are, he feasts as the linebackers get the respect they deserve.
Offensive Line: Surprising, I know. Stemming off their solid pass performance last week against the Rams aggressive defense their stock still is valuable after giving up 3 sacks and a botched snap this week. How can I validate this? The offense flourishes off the run which this week provided 145 yards and I saw these guys push the scrimmage line back 3 yards on 8 separate occasions BEFORE the back got the hand-off.
Rashard Mendenhall: This is admittedly influenced by the two touchdowns this week. None the less he averages 3 yards a run and has three touchdowns in two weeks. He showed a few glimmers of a pro bowl back each week and seems to me to be the type to need a few carries in succession to get hot. None the less he showed this week he’s good for goal-line touchdowns which is a standard tool for every team.
SELL
Jerraud Powers: I wasn’t the most thrilled back in week one to have this acquisition, In turn I never bought this stock. He may be in the top five for team tackles but that also should concern you as from what I have seen, he is always chasing his assignment. This would give a good reason he has high tackles if he allows the receiver to catch anything.
Javier Arenas: I understand his stock may have risen due to the need but I aim to suggest another stock instead of this one. He has done nothing in the return game and is a situational player on defense. I suggested a few weeks ago before it was too late like it is now that the Cardinals play Britton Goldon or Jaron Brown at returner and get Nnamdi Asomugha (Late season/cheap acquisition who could have flourished better in Coach Bowles’ system with our front seven versus the Eagles last year)
HOLD
Antoine Cason: Wait…you didn’t buy him back in week 1? Well, I did and haven’t been able to relish the fruits of my opinion until this week, sadly at the loss of Tyrann Mathieu. He has been a ball hawk since he was drafted and a better defender than Powers since pre-season, he just needed playing time to show it.
Michael Floyd: Many bought this stock a few weeks back with no surprise. He has become a poor mans Anquan Boldin mixed with Cris Carter as he is our 3rd down go to guy. He may not have had around 100 yards receiving the last two weeks versus the three weeks before that, but again his first down catches help lead to scoring drives and take pressure off of Larry Fitzgerald.
Andre Ellington: I think he hit the hot stock list back in week five. If you bought the stock then, congrats! If your late to the party, there’s still profit to be made as he is a young star that the Cardinals got late in the draft and has the other 31 teams scratching their head as to why he was available in the 6th round. His stock increased a good five points this week with his ability to play slot receiver and look like a veteran.
Summary: I’ll be the first to admit I under-bid on the team as I predicted they would finish 8-8. I wasn’t off by much but I look back and wonder how much better the Cardinals would have been this season if Coach Arians didn’t have to do his due-diligence and see how each player would perform.(I.e. Arenas lack of production could have been sourced out to receivers and getting a better defender and utilizing Ellington earlier.) Not to mention the depressingly slow start for the offense in the beginning weeks. The Cardinals stock is where buyers want it to be who aren’t greedy. The year before their Super Bowl appearance they were 8-8, 9-7 for the Super Bowl run and 10-7 the year after to loose in the division title game. The ONLY concern I have for this team/stock is the division they reside in. It may be the reason it never fully matures.