Cardinals camp report: It's Breaston's chance to seize the day
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Did you hear? They're filling a big spot in the Arizona Cardinals starting lineup, a spot that will be key to their offense, one that will be spotlighted all season long.
It's just not the position you might think. While the quarterback battle naturally gets all the attention, as Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson face off in a high-profile fight to take over for the retired Kurt Warner, it's the filling of the receiver spot left open when Anquan Boldin was traded that has drawn little interest.
"I guess they're all just talking about quarterback," receiver Steve Breaston said. "I get it."
Breaston is the man taking over for Boldin, replacing a player who was the epitome of toughness for the Cardinals, a receiver who happens to be the all-time leader in yards receiving per game. Yes, Anquan Boldin owns that record.
The Cardinals, who practiced at Vanderbilt University here this week after playing a preseason game against the Titans, traded Boldin to the Ravens for two reasons. One was that he was constantly squawking about his contract and had no plans to sign a new deal when his contract expired after the 2010 season.
The other reason was this: He didn't run by people. For all of his wonderful numbers, the Cardinals brass didn't think Boldin could win outside often enough against good defensive backs. He was a player who could turn short passes into big gains with his toughness, but he didn't run that well.
Breaston is the faster of the two, which is why the Cardinals were willing to let a player of Boldin's talents walk.
The truth is the Cardinals played better on offense the past two seasons with Breaston in the lineup than with Boldin starting. In the eight games that Breaston started for Boldin, the Cardinals went 6-2. The offense averaged 31.5 points in those games, while it averaged 24.5 in the 30 games Boldin played.
"We have confidence in [Breaston] because he's done it," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "He's not only done it in regular-season games, but he's also done it in the playoffs. He's a confident player."
That's evident after five minutes spent talking to him. He's a hardened player who comes from the tough streets outside of Pittsburgh. How tough? He has a poem dedicated to many of his fallen teammates from his Pop Warner football days, many who are now watching him from above.
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That toughness comes through loud and clear when speaking to Breaston. In a polite yet straightforward way, he isn't backing down from any challengers who think the Cardinals offense will fall off with him taking over for Boldin.
"Hey, Q [Boldin] was a great player, but he's gone now," Breaston said. "I've done a lot here when he wasn't on the field. It's not like I'm just getting on the field. I've had playing time. I feel like I've been preparing for this for a while."
With Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin ahead of him, Breaston was relegated to the third-receiver role most of his three years with the team. Breaston caught 77 passes for 1,006 yards in 2008, a year all three hit 1,000 yards. Last season, his numbers dipped to 55 catches for 712 yards. He has also been a top-notch return man.
Breaston's per-catch averages the past two seasons of 13.1 and 12.9 were better than Boldin's averages of 12.2 and 11.7. That's significant.
The knock on Breaston coming out of Michigan was whether he was big enough to handle the pounding receivers take in the NFL. At 6-feet, 189 pounds, he is a lean receiver. So far, it hasn't been a problem. But some preseason scouting reports have sentences that wonder if he could handle the corners now that he's the No. 2 receiver.
"I don't know where that toughness thing came from," Breaston said. "I've always mixed it up and gone over the middle without much worry."
As a punt-return man, he can't have any fear. That has to be one of the scariest moments on a football field, waiting for a punt to come down into your arms with a coverage team ready to blast you into the stands. It isn't for the tissue-soft player.
"That isn't for guys who aren't tough," Breaston said.
As Breaston chatted, longtime Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson walked by. He came with a message: "You're talking to our No. 1 receiver," Wilson said.
He was joking of course, especially with Fitzgerald arguably one of the top one or two receivers in the league. Yet it's a message that speaks volumes. Cardinals players believe in Breaston. The staff does as well.
"It's his time to play, which he has earned with a lot of hard work," Whisenhunt said.
Having Fitzgerald on one side will help Breaston. Coverage will always roll to Fitzgerald. That means single coverage for Breaston and No. 3 receiver Early Doucet. That can mean big plays and big numbers for Breaston.
Not bad for a player who was a fifth-round pick, considered by most as mainly a return man coming out of college.
"This is a chance for me to separate myself from all those who think I just put up numbers because I had Larry and Q out there with me," Breaston said. "This is my chance to come out of their shadows. I've waited for this. I've worked for this. And I won't change the way I do things because I am starting now. It's not like I haven't played in the past. I've been on the field. Now I'm just the No. 2 guy. There's a lot of change around here. But it's not like things are going to change just because Kurt and Q are gone."
With two weeks to go before the open of the regular season, let's just say that the Cardinals feel a lot better right now about Breaston filling the receiver void than they do about replacing Warner.
