Arizona Cardinals Could Easily Catch Justin Fever

Published: 15^th Apr 12 12:46 am

by Greg Archuleta
gregarchuleta

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Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

We at the Rant Sports’ Arizona Cardinals home page interrupt this mock draft season to bring you the following expression of shock over a statement we saw on the internet, where everything you read you should believe:

Justin Blackmon’s stock is falling.

The wide receiver who grabbed 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns for Oklahoma State last season? The player who amassed 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and 38 TDs the last two years – that guy?

First of all, let me say that if the Cleveland Browns don’t pull the trigger on Blackmon with the No. 4 pick, there’s no way the St. Louis Rams pass him up at No. 6. In fact, another internet rumor suggests the Rams, who traded down from No. 2, are exploring the option of moving back up to ensure Blackmon wears the blue and gold in September.

But if Santa Claus does exist, Elvis is still alive and Sean Payton really didn’t know about the New Orleans Saints’ bounty system, then it could be fathomable that Blackmon can still be around when the Cardinals are on the clock with the No. 13 pick.

So Arizona, which has added just one new face – guard Adam Snyder – to a unit that surrendered 54 sacks in 2011, could have an interesting dilemma.

The Cardinals need an offensive tackle. If Iowa’s Riley Reiff, Stanford’s Jonathan Martin or Ohio State’s Mike Adams is available, what does Arizona do? Some NFL writers, present company included, have indicated that Stanford guard David DeCastro should be the pick.

The knocks on Blackmon are that he is listed at 6 feet, 7/8 inches, that he ran only a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and that he is of similar character to another Oklahoma State alum, Dez Bryant. Bryant, a can’t-miss prospect, hasn’t exactly lit up the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys.

Blackmon was arrested for driving under the influence in October of 2010. Bryant was suspended for the entire 2009 season at Oklahoma State for lying to the NCAA about meeting with Deion Sanders. So people assume both are flakes.

Scouts Inc. also reports that Blackmon is “Considered one of the best practice players on the team. … Gives back to the community. Also developed a close relationship with Olivia Hamilton, a young girl with Leukemia.”

And the fact that he’s not 6-1 and he doesn’t run a 4-3 40? Why is it that measurements always seem to be more important than statistics? Blackmon was the most productive wide receiver in the Football Bowl Subdivision the last two years combined.

For the first time since the recession hit, a stock falling is a good thing – at least in Arizona. So if a choice is to be made … say no to DeCastro and yes to de Justin.

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