Bordow: Boldin mess could affect entire season

FLAGSTAFF - Even as you were listening to Anquan Boldin on Thursday, you couldn’t believe what he was saying.

This wasn’t some selfish prima donna spewing venom at the Cardinals.

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This was Boldin, the heart and soul of the team.

The man who said he was going to change the culture of the Cardinals organization.

The player who recruited Edgerrin James, was voted a captain by his teammates and did as much good in the community as he did on the field.

Yet there was Boldin, standing underneath a late afternoon sky, claiming he was lied to by general manager Rod Graves and saying that once his contract expires after the 2010 season, he’s done with the organization.

“I’m real disappointed,” Boldin said.

So are we, Anquan.

So are we.

How could this happen?

How could the relationship between Boldin and the Cardinals become so poisoned that when asked if the damage could be undone, Boldin simply said, “No.”

As is almost always the case, the dispute is about money.

Boldin said Graves promised him last year that the team would renegotiate his current deal — worth about $4 million annually — before the start of this season.

Who’s to blame?

Well, some folks will feel Boldin has no right to complain. The Cardinals reworked his contract in July of 2005, giving him a four-year, $22.75 million contract extension.

Boldin was only too happy to sign the deal then. Is Arizona somehow obligated to rework his contract again just because fellow wideout Larry Fitzgerald got a four-year, $40 million deal in the offseason? (Boldin, by the way, said the Fitzgerald contract has nothing to do with his desire for a new deal, which, of course, is laughable).

“My numbers speak for themselves,” Boldin said. “I don’t have to make a case to anybody as to why I’m deserving of a new contract. That’s self-explanatory.

“They (the Cardinals) even came out publicly and said I outplayed my contract.”

And therein lies the problem.

Graves, who wasn’t talking Thursday, shouldn’t have said that unless he was absolutely sure the Cardinals and Boldin could work things out. Whether it was a promise or an implied promise is irrelevant. Boldin took it to mean he would get a new contract.

And now that he hasn’t, he feels he’s been lied to.

Now, perhaps Boldin would be upset even if Graves hadn’t led him on. His comments notwithstanding, the Fitzgerald deal has to stick in his craw; he’s been just as productive as Fitzgerald, he’s a leader in the locker room and Fitz got more guaranteed money ($30 million) than Boldin’s entire deal is worth.

But at least Boldin couldn’t then claim he was lied to. And given the Cardinals’ reputation, guess who’s going to look like the bad guy here?

Don’t take too seriously, however, Boldin’s statement that he no longer wants a new deal. If the Cardinals meet his terms, you can bet he’ll take back his harsh words and profess his loyalty to the organization. Let’s not also ignore the possibility that his bluster could be a negotiating ploy to put pressure on the Bidwills.

But until a deal is worked out, Arizona has an Excedrin-sized headache.

Boldin will continue to play hard, but his unhappiness could infect the locker room. All he has to do is tell rookies Early Doucet and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie he feels betrayed, and their view of the Cardinals will be colored before they even have a chance to get to know the organization.

So what does Arizona do now?

Trading Boldin doesn’t make sense. He’s too important to the team, and the Cardinals won’t get near equal value in return.

No, Graves has to reach out to Rosenhaus. He has to try to see if common ground can still be found on a deal.

If not, well, the season just had a torpedo hit its bow.

And practice hasn’t even started.