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Last season, the team showed signs of righting the ship under new head coach Ken Wisenhunt. For the first time in five years, the Cardinals do not own a top ten pick. Could this be the year they step up and make the playoffs?
ARIZONA CARDINALS
2007 Record: 8 – 8
2008 Draft Selection: # 16
2008 Adjusted Salary Cap Number: 116.73M
Prominent Player Departures:
LB/DE – Calvin Pace, OG – Keydrick Vincent, WR – Bryant Johnson
Areas of Need This Off Season:
Cornerback, Running Back, Safety
Free Agents Potentially on the Cardinals’ Radar:
CB – Jerametrius Butler, Andre Dyson, B. J. Sams
RB – Ron Dayne, Kevin Jones, Vernand Morency
S - Hamza Abdullah, Idrees Bashir, Deke Cooper, Kenoy Kennedy
Summary:
Once again the Arizona Cardinals were the sweetheart pick of experts to contend in the NFC. The Cardinals did eke out a .500 season, but fell way short of expectations. Granted, there was some turnover both on the sidelines and in the locker room leading up to last season. First year coach Ken Whisenhunt brought a new attitude to the desert that has many feeling that he has this team on the right path. Offensively, the Cardinals boast one of the top receiving units in the NFL with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Boldin has a big frame and is a huge target for quarterback Matt Leinart when he needs the tough yards. If Boldin is the key route runner, then Fitzgerald is the speedy playmaker. Both players are capable of taking it the distance on any given play and opposing defenses have headaches trying to game plan to stop these two stars. As for Leinart, the former Trojan is looking to bounce back after a year of injuries and off-the-field distractions. Leinart’s extra curricular activities are not the typical problems encountered in today’s’ NFL in which there’s gun toting, domestic disturbances or drug possession. Rather, his is more getting caught up in the entertainment paparazzi and which “it” girl or model he’s been spending his spare time with. Luckily for the Cardinals front office, this is more or less an issue of getting a young talented athlete to focus on football and cut back the scenester lifestyle, not the blue lights and court dates that have plagued so many teams of late. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, the Redbirds backfield is somewhat of a question mark. Eight year veteran Edgerrin James remains the starter, but he is entering the period where production starts to drop off. James is more than capable of carrying the rock, and whereas there is no dire need in 2008 for another back, a replacement will be needed soon. In free agency, the Cardinals would be looking for a young back and the only one that stands out is Kevin Jones. Jones was recently run out of Motown by Matt Millen and is still young enough to catch on somewhere else. The former Virginia Tech Hokie has proven to be effective, but never has climbed into the upper echelon of NFL running backs. Flipping over to the defensive side of things, you will find the Cardinals’ biggest areas of concern. Cornerback is probably number one on their list of needs but there is not a whole lot to choose from in free agency. Jeremitrius Butler, Andre Dyson, and B. J. Sams are the cream of the crop and none of these three will provide Arizona with that number one corner they need. Look for Arizona to address this void in the draft with their 16th pick. Names that could be available include South Florida’s Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib from Kansas, Tennessee State’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, or Troy’s Leodis McKelvin. Odds are that DRC and McKelvin will be off the board, but you never know on draft day. Jenkins and Talib are speedy, physical shutdown corners that would look great opposite Antrell Rolle for the next decade. Safety is another area of concern for the Cardinals. Adrian Wilson is the anchorman, but a competent partner would be huge. Situational guys are what remains in the free agency pool and could be temporary fixes in the Cardinals’ secondary. Players like Kenoy Kennedy, Deke Cooper and Idrees Bashir. There is a local product that could be available for Arizona in the second round of the draft if they decide to go secondary with their first two picks. Arizona State’s Josh Barrett has blazing speed for a safety, is a heavy hitter and has great football knowledge.
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