Jon Bloom filled in for Dave Burns.

A big trade was made today in NFL, but it did not involve Anquan Boldin.  But should the Cardinals have been involved in talks to acquire now Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez.  Bloomer thinks the Chiefs asking price was pretty low, one the Cardinals could have easily made, since their 2nd round pick in 2010 is not expected to be very low.

Speaking of the draft, it may be a long wait for the Cards on Sat and here’s a long list of things the Cardinals and their fans should be pulling for on draft day:

*Mark Sanchez going #4 to the Seahawks.  Helps the Cardinals in two ways:

1. It signifies the Seahawks are in rebuilding mode, and at the very least will not add a player (with their best pick) who will compete against the Cardinals next season.

It takes away the player the Jets may looking to draft, and may make them more prone to meet the Cardinals asking price for Boldin
*Knowshon Moreno going before 21, or going before the Eagles can move up and take him.  This may cause the Eagles to meet the Cardinals asking price for Boldin.

*Running backs slipping in the draft.  This might right counter to the previous item, but if RBs slip in this draft, the Cardinals would have a better shot at drafting the one that they want.  Whether that is Lesean McCoy, Donald Brown, or even Beanie Wells remains to be seen.  But if Moreno lasts all the way to #21, it may mean the Cards will have an opportunity to draft any of the previous three, or at the very least, either McCoy or Brown.

*Teams passing on pass rushers.  First sign may come at #9 with Green Bay.  If the Packers pass on drafting a pass rusher, it will give the Cards a better chance of one slipping all the way to #31.  Northern Illinois’ Larry English seems to be the popular choice.

*Wide receivers going early.  This may be the longest shot of the bunch, but if the Seahawks draft Michael Crabtree #4, and the Raiders (#7) and/or Jags (#8) fill their needs at WR, it could give the Cards a better chance at dealing with the Jets, Ravens or Giants in regards to Boldin.

A legend, an icon, and the most decorated athlete in Arizona sports history returns on Saturday, and yet few seem to even care that Randy Johnson will make his first ever start in Chase Field without a D-Backs jersey on.  On the grand scale of Arizona sports, Johnson is the king, and it might not even be close.  He’s got more championships than Barkley, more individual honors than Nash, and could be regarded as the greatest player ever at his position, something no other Arizona athlete could come close to matching.  So, if Johnson is #1, who is #2?  And how do the greatest athletes in Arizona sports history stack up:

1.    Randy Johnson:  One of the greatest, if not the greatest lefty of all-time.  2 more Cy Young’s than Steve Nash had MVP’s.  One more championship than Barkley had. Lock for Hall of Fame.  Most decorated athlete in Arizona history, bar none

2.    Charles Barkley:  First superstar athlete to play in Phoenix.  Captured the imagination of the Valley in 1992-3, and nearly captured Phoenix’s first NBA title.  Suns haven’t reached the NBA Finals since).

3.    Steve Nash:  One more MVP than Barkley, but one less NBA Finals trip.  Also a lock for the Hall of Fame, but was a great player in a less than great era, whereas Barkley was a great player in a great era.

4.    Jake Plummer:  Most popular football player in Arizona history.  Nearly led ASU to a national title, and the Cardinals to their first playoffs in AZ.

5.    Larry Fitzgerald:  Not ready yet for prime-time, but might challenge Randy’s mantle.  Arguably the best receiver in football, who delivered on the biggest stage in sports.

6.    Luis Gonzalez:  Arguably the most popular player in Arizona sports history.  Delivered the hit that won the World Series, and gave Arizona their first major championship in professional sports.  Still, he is a borderline Hall of Fame player at best.

7.    Kevin Johnson:  Suns most popular player prior to Barkley, and was a star in his own right before that.  Still, superstar doesn’t quite fit, and he does not have the championship resume of Gonzo.

8.    Danny White:  ASU’s most popular player prior to Plummer.  Was a collegiate star at a time when Phoenix had very few professional ones.