Its put up or shutup for Cards’ Pace in ‘06

By Krupka  |   Monday, June 05, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
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When thinking of busts from the 2003 NFL Draft, many people key on wide receiver Charles Rogers, quarterback Kyle Boller and defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan. One name that gets lost in the shuffle, mainly because he's been so horrid that it's hard to believe he was a first-round pick, is Calvin Pace of the Arizona Cardinals.

It's really hard to fathom what the Cardinals were thinking. They possessed back to back picks in the first-round, 17 and 18 respectively. With the 17th pick they selected wide receiver Bryant Johnson, who has turned out to be a solid slot receiver. However, with the 18th pick they took defensive end Calvin Pace, out of Wake Forest. It should also be mentioned that Arizona found the steal of the draft in the second round, taking superstar receiver Anquan Boldin.

Pace, a Wake Forest product, has disappointed so far in his three seasons in the league. The 6-4, 270-pounder's stats don't look too hot, either. He's missed 13 games in three seasons, and has only tallied 55 total tackles and 6 1/2 sacks. To say he has underachieved is sugarcoating it. The man has been a mystery that even Scooby Doo would have trouble solving.

In an attempt to revive, or just start anew, the Cardinals have moved Pace to the strongside linebacker position. The other reason for the move is the depth issues the team had at the position, and the defensive ends are locked down by solid performers Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry. The hope is that Pace's raw skills will help make the transition easy. He has the speed and smarts to be able to position himself well and run down ball-carriers.

If he puts up another lackluster season or is beat out by challenger Darryl Blackstock, his days as a member of the Cardinals will be numbered. Indeed, 2006 is put up or shut up time for Pace.

Get more Arizona Cardinals info at Realfootball365.com

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com
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