The Cardinals never believed quarterback Kurt Warner would sign with another team. That's why they weren't concerned when he visited San Francisco after negotiations stalled with them.
Still, the Cardinals didn't take advantage of the situation. If a winner had to be picked in the situation with Warner, it has to be the quarterback.
Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, was asking for a two-year deal worth $28 million to $30 million and came down to $23 million. But $19 million of that deal is guaranteed, nearly double what the Cardinals were originally offering.
As is usually the case with these deals, fans don't care much about the financial terms, just that the deal gets done.
This will be the team's major free agency signing of the off-season, and it was too good of a fit for both sides for it not to happen.
In Warner, the Cardinals have a veteran quarterback who has seen everything defenses can throw at him. He played well last year, setting several franchise records for passing, and his leadership in the playoffs was invaluable.
The deal made a lot of sense for Warner, too. In Ken Whisenhunt, he has a coach that trusts and who has molded the offense to fit Warner's skills. Not many coaches would be flexible enough to allow Warner to call plays from spread formations, but Whisenhunt doesn't have a problem with that.
Warner also has a ton of talent around him with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and an offensive line that should return intact for a second consecutive year.
