Cardinals' Rod Graves Says Arizona Will Keep Larry Fitzgerald, Karlos Dansby

Notes on a trip to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves made it as clear as he possibly could today that wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald isn't going anywhere, despite an enormous contract that will be a strain on the team's salary cap.

Speaking to the media at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine, Graves said he would like to renegotiate the contract that calls for Fitzgerald to earn a base salary of $16.5 million this year, but that if he can't, the team is prepared to carry Fitzgerald, even at that number. Graves referred to Fitgerald as a "core player" that the team wouldn't even think of releasing.

As for the decision to place the franchise tag on linebacker Karlos Dansby, Graves said that was mostly just a matter of giving both sides to work out a long-term deal.

"I still anticipate that we will get a long-term deal in place with Karlos. That's still our intention," Graves said. "The franchise tag is more or less a tool to allow you to negotiate over a longer period of time."

The Fitzgerald and Dansby contract situations could handcuff the Cardinals as they try to sign other free agents, but Graves pronounced the team in good shape heading into the free agency period.