Saw this today on ESPN http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/21523/standing-up-for-cardinals-alan-faneca By Mike Sando Nine-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca's addition to the Arizona Cardinals gives their offensive line more of an identity. Rumblings about Faneca's supposedly declining level of play have persisted nonetheless. Some of those rumblings have rumbled right here on the NFC West blog, as when Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. had this to say during a discussion on which team has the best line in the division: "Alan Faneca is more or less washed up, but his toughness, leadership and intelligence will help all the linemen in general. Having a full-blown leader to look to in the huddle and the meeting room helps. The other guys can learn how to prepare as a professional. You can ask Faneca anything. But he is a declining player that cannot protect very well." But what if Faneca isn't really more or less washed up? Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt addressed the subject Tuesday, noting that he "hasn't really seen that" even though Faneca has occasionally lost camp battles in one-on-one pass-rush drills. About those drills: I've seen lots of veteran offensive linemen look silly in them, only to play effectively most of the time during the regular season. One-on-one drills simulate worst-case scenarios for interior offensive linemen in particular. The drills afford them no help from the center or guards, unlike a game situation, and the quarterback cannot elude the rush because he's not part of the drill. It one man charging forward against another usually less athletic man who is trying to hold his ground. What does Faneca have left? The Cardinals will find out beginning Sept. 12 in St. Louis.
When we first got Faneca, the Steeler boards were filled with posts about him already being being washed-up as a pass protector. I don't think that releasing him was as tough a decision for the Jets as some people think. With the maturation of our young guys on the line, his value as a leader here was no longer paramount.
