TEMPE, Ariz. (April 25, 2005) -- Wide receiver Anquan Boldin skipped the first voluntary on-field workout because of the Arizona Cardinals' failure to extend his contract.
Boldin was the 2003 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being chosen in the second round, and believes he deserves first-round money.
"I think the significance is that he feels that he should have a new contract," coach Dennis Green said. "And we feel that he should have a new contract extension, too, so that hasn't changed.
"We said it a long time ago, so it's been over a year since we said it, and it's just unfortunate that we haven't been able to reach an agreement on it."
Green wasn't sure if Boldin would attend the post-draft minicamp that begins April 29.
Also, the Cardinals released offensive tackle Anthony Clement and signed four veteran free agents.
Offensive tackles Ian Allen and Adam Haayer were brought in to strengthen the line. The team also signed kicker Matt Fordyce and cornerback Raymond Walls.
Cornerback David Macklin, signed last year, wound up as a starter, and Green believes free agency has helped the team again.
"We were fortunate enough to get him last year," Green said. "He, along with (fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo ) and Bertrand Berry were a big part of us making a move last year, and now we've added eight more guys that were free agents."
The 6-foot-8 Clement was one of the tallest players drafted by the Cardinals when he was picked in the second round in 1998, but never achieved the dominance on the line of scrimmage that the team expected.
He started 70 of 81 games, but made only four starts at right tackle last year before Green replaced him with L.J. Shelton. Clement started the last three games after Shelton was injured.
Allen, signed by Kansas City in 2001, spent last year with Philadelphia. He played in four games but was inactive in 10 others and in the Eagles' three postseason games.
He went to Kansas City's training camp in 2001 and 2002, but spent 2001 on Atlanta's practice squad. Signed by the New York Giants in 2002, he played in four games that year and 11 the next.
Haayer, another four-year veteran, was Tennessee's sixth-round pick in 2001. He has appeared in nine NFL games, making his first career start for Minnesota on Sept. 26 against Chicago.
Fordyce signed with the Cardinals last year but was released during training camp. He earned all-Patriot League honors for Fordham in 2002, when he made 18 of 26 field goals.
Wells played 16 games with Baltimore last season, getting his first career start at New England on Nov. 28. A fifth-round pick by Indianapolis in the 2001 draft, he played for the Colts that year, Cleveland in 2002 and Baltimore in 2003-04, seeing action mostly on special teams.
The Cardinals also signed record-breaking quarterback Tim Chang of Hawaii and wide receiver Carlyle Holiday of Notre Dame as undrafted free agents.
Chang set NCAA Division I career passing and total offense records as a four-year starter with the Warriors. Holiday began his career as a quarterback with the Fighting Irish before switching to receiver.
