So now it's becoming apparent – as if it wasn't already – that [Karlos Dansby isn't going to get an extension. I suppose a miracle could happen and Dansby could decide he'd prefer security, but it's been pretty clear for a while Dansby would like a chance to be a free agent and see what kind of money is out there, especially if 2010 is uncapped (whether an uncapped year really brings in a huge offer can be debated; he will be one of the most high-profile free agents but if the owners are in a battle with players about a new collective bargaining agreement, I don't know if owners are going to want a player to be able to wave a gigantic new contract around as proof the owners still have plenty of cash to spend).
Dansby has likely been swinging for the fences with his contract demands, which makes sense; if he is going to give up a shot at the open market, he probably wants to be money-whipped. But as GM Rod Graves said (and as he has said about most deals), "We're faced with a number of factors in putting this and other deals together and each one has to fit within the framework of our team objectives." In others words (as I translate a bit), it'd be tough to overpay for one player and throw everything out of whack.
What does this mean? Well, first the deadline has to officially hit next week, but that seems a fait accompli. Dansby is under contract for 2009 and incredibly motivated to play well given his probable free agency. I don't see how the Cards re-sign him before free agency after the season; it'd make no sense for Dansby to get that close and then not test the market. And if he hits the market, odds are some team will give him a crazy contract and he'll leave. Dansby isn't Adrian Wilson; I think he likes it here but I never got the sense he loves it, or that he wouldn't mind trying someplace new. We'll see. That's stuff to consider months from now – after DC Bill Davis, who loves Los – gets a chance to unleash him on opponents.
Finally, assuming Dansby's situation is out of the way (for now), Anquan Boldin should be next on the extension list. I think there was a good chance something could have happened on that front had/if Dansby signed an extension, because his cap number could have been lowered from the hefty $9.7 million. Instead, the Cards have to carry that number. It hamstrings any further work right now. I could see Boldin and the team talking (assuming Q still wants to talk contract) during the season, depending how the roster and the cap shake out.
In the meantime, we'll wait for Dansby's official deadline Wednesday. And the Cards know that, regardless of this outcome, Dansby will be an anchor of the 2009 defense.
