Levi Brown and Calais Campbell

I have been one of Levi's strongest critics over the years.  It started when they drafted him instead of Adrian Peterson because they couldn't get Cleveland to part with the pick that would land Joe Thomas (who just made this years 1st team All Pro at Tackle).  23 picks later the Niners grabbed Joe Staley (who just was announced to the 2nd team All Pro team at Tackle)  He has been moved from RT to LT and constantly ridiculed for his poor pass protection.  And 5 years after he was drafted he's about to be shown the door.  (At least that seems to be the way its going.) 

So I want to be the first to say, "I'm so sorry Levi."  I mean it.  I feel like this guy got the shaft from day one.  The poor guy comes out of an offense that is predicated on the run and falls into a franchise that has failed to understand how to run the football since years before the"ultimatum".   (In his rookie year, Edgerrin James runs behind him and the line for the best running back output in a LONG time, 1222 yards and 7 TDs.)  He never escaped the tag that he was the guy they took over A.P.  And he's thrust into the LT position in an offense that throws the ball more than Indi and N.O.  I truly feel like he landed in the wrong spot.  My advice to him is to have his agent call Oakland, Pittsburgh, or the Jets and get a look.  He needs to go some place that values running the football.  If he does I think he'll turn his career around.  And heap a pile of egg on the Cardinal's faces

So I'm not educated on all the ins and outs of signing players as it relates to the salary cap.  I mean I understand the basics of it, but I couldn't write a dissertation on it.  As it turns out, neither can the Cardinals front office.  They apparently could've signed Calais Campbell this year and placed some of that money under this years salary cap (which was $9 million below the cap).  Instead they failed signing him and now will have to hurt the team next year.  No, they won't let him go via free agency.  He will either sign here or they will franchise tag him.  But why did they wait?  Unless I missed something, they blew it by not signing him this year.