ESPN Scoopmaster Chris Mortensen is reporting that the Cardinals are going to enter the 2008 season with Kurt Warner as their starting quarterback ... not Matt Leinart. Obviously, Leinart's case for backup QB last night was part of the decision (if the decision has been made, we all know that sometimes Mort likes to throw stories up before anyone else), but not the sole reason:
The source said Leinart's training-camp performance has been uneven, and the Cardinals are concerned about his arm strength and consistency.I, for one, really thought the Cards were going to give the job to Leinart at least for the few first regular season games, as the line has been constructed for a left-handed QB and Warner's not going to be around forever. On the flip-side, if Warner gives them a better chance to win, they should definitely head into the season with him as the starter. It's a clean slate for every team in the first week of September, and the NFC West isn't exactly a beastly division.
Fantasy Spin*:
Horrible news for owners that were counting on Leinart as their backup QB, but great news for those that got Warner later in drafts. The Arizona offense will produce very solid numbers through the air, so Warner is a superb backup QB moving forward and should be ranked around 15 at his position. The values of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald aren't really changed, as either QB would heavily lean on them.
*This is all assuming Mort's nabbed a trustworthy source this time.
