Sports360AZ
Right now, the Cardinals have five quarterbacks – Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, Brian Hoyer and Drew Stanton – on their roster.
That could drop to four, maybe three depending on if the team and Kolb work things out or not, and if Hoyer, who’s a restricted free agent, stays or is taken by a club.
The Cardinals had, without a doubt, the worst quarterbacking situation in the league last season. The troubles at that position were directly responsible for where they ended up last season, at 5-11.
Stanton – who backed up Andrew Luck in Indianapolis last season – says he’s ready to step up and be a solution to that problem this season.
“They need to find answers at this position,” Stanton said during his introductory press conference on Wednesday. “I want to be that answer. I’m gonna do everything in my power to be that answer, and given that opportunity, I feel like I can.”
In Indianapolis last season, Stanton saw first hand how Bruce Arians’ offense thrived and how Arians went about his daily routine in getting his players and his offense ready for battle week in and week out.
That level of preparation on Arians part is what attracted Stanton to the Cardinals.
“I really felt like that’s something I wanted to be a part of for the long term,” Stanton said. “When this opportunity presented itself, it was one I knew I had to take.”
Stanton and Hoyer go back to their days together at Michigan State. They spent three years together in East Lansing, Mich., and now they’re reunited with the Cardinals.
Should Hoyer remain on the roster, there will no doubt be a competition between the two (and the remaining QBs as well) for the starting nod this coming season.
Stanton says just because he and Hoyer have a past, doesn’t mean he won’t fight him for that No. 1 spot.
“It’s not gonna be any different than if I was competing against anybody else,” Stanton said. “There’s a respect factor there, we’ve all made it to this point. From my standpoint, I’m gonna do everything I possibly can to get on the football field on Sundays.”
Stanton says it’s all about business when it comes to playing football. He says he and Hoyer can go back to being friends when they walk off the field together.
“There’s a competitive edge there, at the same time, I’m not sitting there wishing ill will on him by any means, but I want my play to be able to speak for itself,” Stanton said.
