It took a while, but it’s finished.

Per a league source, the Arizona Cardinals have finally wrapped up their new contract with receiver Larry Fitzgerald, more than ten days after it was announced that a deal was done.  The extension reportedly is worth $40 million over four years.

The inability of the Cardinals to reduce Fitzgerald’s gigantic cap number has hampered their ability to sign other players.  Most recently, the Cards apparently didn’t have the cash to sign linebacker Brandon Chillar, who reportedly wanted to come to Arizona but instead landed in Green Bay.

Recently, Darren Urban of the Cardinals’ official web site explained that the delay was the result of the looming uncapped year in 2010.  Though Urban’s item deftly suggests that the team shouldn’t be blamed for the situation (likely in order to avoid embarrassing the entity that signs his checks), it’s shocking to us that any NFL team wouldn’t have had the deal structured when first negotiated to comply with the niceties of the CBA as it relates to the possibility of an uncapped year in 2010.

It’s even more shocking that it took 10 full days to fix the problem, especially at a time when the money was desperately needed to allow the team to do business.

Have we mentioned that this franchise has won only one postseason game since Harry Truman lived in the White House?