DTLB58
03-13-2005, 04:58 PM
Okeafor Found What He Was Looking For in Arizona
Defensive end Chike Okeafor entered his second time around in free agency with clear expectations in mind. He let his agent know there were only a few teams he was interested in playing for and agreed to visits with only Denver and Arizona.
“I did my scouting last season watching teams, watching them play,” Okeafor revealed. “You see a lot of another team’s heart based on how they play as a unit. That is what football is, a unit. I had a pretty good idea it would be between a few teams. I know what I’m dedicating to a team for the next five years of my young life and I wanted that same respect back from my team.”
Although rumor has it that Okeafor received a similar financial offer from Seattle, he chose the Cardinals because he was looking for something special, and he found that in Arizona.
“I finally felt the love,” expressed Okeafor.
Even though Seattle made the playoffs last year, Okeafor said the attitude under Head Coach Dennis Green appealed to him more.
“It’s just in the attitude,” explained Okeafor. “There is a different attitude here. One thing over there (Seattle), I felt alone. Not surrounded by enough people who thought like me, felt like me, played like me on a day to day basis, and loved the game like me. I’ve been in search for that in some of my teammates and I found that here. Teammates and coaches, we are all in this together and that had the most to do with it.”
Okeafor joins Pro Bowl Bertrand Berry as bookends of a Cardinals defensive line that should create an imposing defensive pass rush threat. Okeafor led the Hawks with 8.5 sacks, while Berry finished second in the NFL with 14.5 last season.
“Chike has a great reputation for playing hard, hustling to the ball and playing the run and the pass,” observed Green. “We’ve tried to develop a very fast, a very quick and explosive defensive unit and Chike really takes us in that direction.”
Green said Okeafor’s versatility fits in well with the different schemes and fronts that defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast enjoys employing.
“I guess that’s why he wears number 56,” said Green. “He’s a little bit of a linebacker, a little bit of end, a little bit of strong safety, all of those things wrapped into one.”
Okeafor, and his wife Stephanie, plan on relocating quickly to Arizona so he can participate in the off-season program.
“That’s very important,” said Okeafor of working out with his teammates. “That’s how it happens on the field. It starts with sweating together in the weight room.”
Safety Robert Griffith also stopped by the Cardinals Training Facility on Wednesday to sign his two-year contract. A member of the NFL Players Association Executive Committee, Griffith talked to Arizona media via phone before his flight took off from Phoenix for meetings in Hawaii.
Originally drafted by Green in Minnesota, Griffith shared his excitement about re-joining his former head coach.
“My eyes lit up when they called,” Griffith stated. “It’s a good feeling to be back with somebody who believes in you and knows about you and I’m going to play hard for him.”
Griffith started at strong safety in all 16 games last year with Cleveland, but will make the switch to free safety since Adrian Wilson is at strong.
“It’ll allow me to get guys lined up in the right position,” said Griffith of the switch. “It’s been hard all these years trying to get guys lined up when I’m standing right next to them. I welcome the chance to get my hands on some more balls and be that dangerous threat from the back.”
Griffith also played under Pendergast in Cleveland and expects that the Cards defense will continue to improve.
“The defense is going to be very fast,” observed Griffith. “We are going to be aggressive. I have a great dialogue with Clancy, and Denny is not going to have any bullets in his gun that he’s not going to shoot.”
NoteCards:
Green said the Cardinals released quarterback Shaun King today in order to give him an opportunity to catch on with another team. With King’s release, the Cards have four quarterbacks on the roster: Chris Lewis, John Navarre, Josh McCown, and Kurt Warner. With the release of receiver/kick returner Karl Williams, Green said the team would take a look at Luke Powell and Fabian Davis for returning kicks. Green also said the team was still talking to free agent linebacker Edgerton Hartwell.
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
:hmmm: How much cap space do the cards have anyways???
Defensive end Chike Okeafor entered his second time around in free agency with clear expectations in mind. He let his agent know there were only a few teams he was interested in playing for and agreed to visits with only Denver and Arizona.
“I did my scouting last season watching teams, watching them play,” Okeafor revealed. “You see a lot of another team’s heart based on how they play as a unit. That is what football is, a unit. I had a pretty good idea it would be between a few teams. I know what I’m dedicating to a team for the next five years of my young life and I wanted that same respect back from my team.”
Although rumor has it that Okeafor received a similar financial offer from Seattle, he chose the Cardinals because he was looking for something special, and he found that in Arizona.
“I finally felt the love,” expressed Okeafor.
Even though Seattle made the playoffs last year, Okeafor said the attitude under Head Coach Dennis Green appealed to him more.
“It’s just in the attitude,” explained Okeafor. “There is a different attitude here. One thing over there (Seattle), I felt alone. Not surrounded by enough people who thought like me, felt like me, played like me on a day to day basis, and loved the game like me. I’ve been in search for that in some of my teammates and I found that here. Teammates and coaches, we are all in this together and that had the most to do with it.”
Okeafor joins Pro Bowl Bertrand Berry as bookends of a Cardinals defensive line that should create an imposing defensive pass rush threat. Okeafor led the Hawks with 8.5 sacks, while Berry finished second in the NFL with 14.5 last season.
“Chike has a great reputation for playing hard, hustling to the ball and playing the run and the pass,” observed Green. “We’ve tried to develop a very fast, a very quick and explosive defensive unit and Chike really takes us in that direction.”
Green said Okeafor’s versatility fits in well with the different schemes and fronts that defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast enjoys employing.
“I guess that’s why he wears number 56,” said Green. “He’s a little bit of a linebacker, a little bit of end, a little bit of strong safety, all of those things wrapped into one.”
Okeafor, and his wife Stephanie, plan on relocating quickly to Arizona so he can participate in the off-season program.
“That’s very important,” said Okeafor of working out with his teammates. “That’s how it happens on the field. It starts with sweating together in the weight room.”
Safety Robert Griffith also stopped by the Cardinals Training Facility on Wednesday to sign his two-year contract. A member of the NFL Players Association Executive Committee, Griffith talked to Arizona media via phone before his flight took off from Phoenix for meetings in Hawaii.
Originally drafted by Green in Minnesota, Griffith shared his excitement about re-joining his former head coach.
“My eyes lit up when they called,” Griffith stated. “It’s a good feeling to be back with somebody who believes in you and knows about you and I’m going to play hard for him.”
Griffith started at strong safety in all 16 games last year with Cleveland, but will make the switch to free safety since Adrian Wilson is at strong.
“It’ll allow me to get guys lined up in the right position,” said Griffith of the switch. “It’s been hard all these years trying to get guys lined up when I’m standing right next to them. I welcome the chance to get my hands on some more balls and be that dangerous threat from the back.”
Griffith also played under Pendergast in Cleveland and expects that the Cards defense will continue to improve.
“The defense is going to be very fast,” observed Griffith. “We are going to be aggressive. I have a great dialogue with Clancy, and Denny is not going to have any bullets in his gun that he’s not going to shoot.”
NoteCards:
Green said the Cardinals released quarterback Shaun King today in order to give him an opportunity to catch on with another team. With King’s release, the Cards have four quarterbacks on the roster: Chris Lewis, John Navarre, Josh McCown, and Kurt Warner. With the release of receiver/kick returner Karl Williams, Green said the team would take a look at Luke Powell and Fabian Davis for returning kicks. Green also said the team was still talking to free agent linebacker Edgerton Hartwell.
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
:hmmm: How much cap space do the cards have anyways???