Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Linebacker Calvin Pace left the Cardinals in free agency because ... because ... well, because the Jets were offering yoga, Pilates and a few square meals. That's what Pace told Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger, anyway. The story also includes revealing quotes from Bryan Thomas explaining why his play fell off last season. But the stuff from Pace might raise a few eyebrows in Arizona. Wrote Hutchinson:
Pace said it wasn't the money -- or the helicopter ride from Long Island to the team's new training complex in Florham Park during his recruiting visit -- that made him chose the Jets over the Dolphins. "It's the little things," said Pace, who spent his first five seasons in Arizona. "You don't need valet service. You just want people to show you it's all about trying to win. (The Jets) laid things out as far as yoga classes, the Pilates, training staff. Those are things I've never seen before in the NFL.
"Things like lunch and breakfast before you work out. I've never had that. (In Arizona), you had to eat before you came and it was your job to eat when you left."
The Cardinals have made strides in overcoming their image as a cheap organization. They play in a first-rate stadium. They have paid top dollar for key players such as Larry Fitzgerald. They helped Ken Whisenhunt put together a staff featuring Russ Grimm, Todd Haley and others who could have pursued opportunities elsewhere.
The $42 million contract Pace signed with the Jets was another factor in his decision. Arizona had some cap limitations early in free agency, and the organization wasn't going to pay that kind of money. Pace still has to prove he can be an impact player over several seasons.
