Kurt Warner, here after the Cards' "Monday Night Football" game in 2008, reiterated Friday he wants to remain in Arizona.
The biggest news generated about the Cardinals Friday came from their currently-without-a-contract quarterback, who spent the day doing a host of national interviews explaining both why he wanted more money than the Cards were offering and that he still wanted to stay in Arizona.
Kurt Warner?s foray into the media aside, day one of NFL free agency was quiet for the NFC Champions.
General manager Rod Graves was unavailable to comment, but the weekend apparently will remain quiet, unless Warner and the team come to an agreement.
Free agent cornerback Bryant McFadden is reportedly due in for a visit Sunday, although the Cards have not said as much. The team has been open about free-agent visits but usually waits until the player is definitely coming before announcing them. If McFadden does arrive as reported, his tour of the team facility would likely come Monday.
There is still no official news of the reported signing of safety Keith Lewis. Third-string quarterback Brian St. Pierre also reportedly agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract Friday, but that too has not been officially announced.
The Cards did lose a player Friday, when running back J.J. Arrington signed a four-year contract with the Denver Broncos to ostensibly be in the same role he had in Arizona. Defensive end Antonio Smith is also headed to a visit with Houston and possibly other teams such as Philadelphia.
For the Cards, though, the focus remains on Warner, who did national radio interviews with ?The Mike and Mike Show? and ?The Dan Patrick Show? and also appeared on ESPN?s ?NFL Live.?
Warner said early in the day he had received a call from an ?NFC team,? although Warner?s agent told the Arizona Republic later in the day a second team had made contact. ESPN reported Friday night one of the teams that had contacted Warner was NFC West rival San Francisco.
Nevertheless, Warner isn?t ready to solicit offers from those teams because he still wants a deal done in Arizona and has made that clear.
?We haven?t seen eye-to-eye on the market that?s out there,? Warner said on Patrick?s show. ?So I think my agent and the Cardinals are sometimes looking at apples and oranges and just have to get on the same page and hopefully something can be worked out.
?My whole goal is to be compensated fairly for what I have done. Exactly what that number is what I am trying to figure out.?
The Cardinals are offering about $20 million for two years. Warner is apparently looking for a few million more, along with better guarantees. Warner did say he felt ?underpaid? the past couple of seasons.
Nevertheless, Warner did not sound angry at the team despite the circumstances.
The NFL had a host of first-day signings, including the big one right away ? the Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a $100 million contract, although the more important number is the $41 million in guarantees. Linebacker Bart Scott went from Baltimore to the Jets; safety Brian Dawkins is expected to flee the Eagles to go to the Broncos.
How long the money flows is the question in the current economy. Warner was even asked if he was worried about being seen as greedy given the financial climate for everyday people.
?(Players) understand when you look at it in the big picture and especially with what is going on in this economy that that is going to be looked at in that way ? ?Come on, 9, 10, 11 million dollars, are you kidding me? That?s ridiculous,? ? Warner said. ?At the same time, we are in a market and you want to be compensated fairly for your job. Anyone out there would want to do the same thing.?
Contact Darren Urban at askdarren@cardinals.nfl.net. Posted 2/27/09. Updated 2/27/09.
