Wednesday, July 5, 2006
2006 NFL Preview: Arizona Cardinals
Last Year
Followers of the Arizona Cardinals were as optimistic as the makers of the Da Vinci Code movie heading into the 2005 season, but then similarly fell way short of expectations. Dennis Green's Mona Lisa smile was quickly wiped off his face as his team was bludgeoned by a score of 96-43 in the first three weeks. After another losing season, an impressive draft, and a decent showing in free agency, the Cardinals are once again being lauded as an up-and-comer, but if the praises are not accurate, this may be Dennis Green's last supper in the desert.
What We Learned From Last Year
There is a reason why the Arizona Cardinals have had the lowest attendance since the start of the new millennium: they have only produced one winning season in the last 21 years.
2005 was no different — attendance or record wise — and an offseason of positive indoctrination and Anthony Robbins tapes were tossed out the window after week one.
Dennis Green did not have much trouble rewiring a young team and convincing them that their direction was up. The problem with such an inexperienced group is that if early wins don't accompany the optimism, then buying into that rosy outlook becomes an arduous task.
Finally equipped with a competent quarterback, Kurt Warner's Cards were high on life heading into Giant Stadium to face his former team in Week 1. They carried the momentum through to half-time, along with a six-point lead, but then, in typical lovable-loser fashion, allowed the Giants to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown (first time in 50 years that has happened) en route to a 42-19 loss.
From there, a fickle team's confidence only decreased as they trudged into their bye week with a 1-4 record.
One of the team's biggest failures was their inability to run the ball with any sort of consistency. Marcel Shipp, who was on the mend from a leg injury, and highly-touted rookie JJ Arrington were the ineffective culprits. Shipp's typical blue collar-like performances were nowhere to be found while Arrington, the 2004 NCAA rushing leader, struggled to adjust to the professional game. The tandem combined for a measly 821 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, the Cards racked up the second-worst NFL rushing total since the 1970 merger.
While the rushing game labored, the passing game did not reciprocate. Anquan Boldin thanked the team for his contract extension by catching 102 passes in 14 games and his tag-team partner Larry Fitzgerald, although overshadowed by breakout seasons from Santana Moss and Steve Smith, blossomed among the NFL's elite wide receivers with 1,409 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and a Pro Bowl appearance.
The success of the passing game further perplexed pundits as to why the running game was stuck in first gear.
The blame fell squarely on the shoulder of an offensive line that was ravaged by injuries and chemistry problems. Guard Reggie Wells and center Alex Stepanovich only started nine games while tackle Oliver Ross only appeared in 12. With so many personnel shortages on the line, the Cardinals seemingly had more starting front fives than Larry Brown's New York Knicks.
Without a cohesive unit up front, the Cardinals were atrocious in short-yardage situations, particularly on third-down and in the red-zone, where they tallied the second-worst scoring efficiency.
The lack of punch inside the opponent's 20-yard-line benefited the emergence of kicker Neil Rackers, who was simply outstanding last year and deservedly received an extension.
The defensive line also succumbed to an exorbitant amount of injuries, as well, helping the Cardinals lead the league in "the players placed on injured reserve" category (with 15).
The front four lacked depth to begin with, so it wasn't a surprise that the Cardinals wore down as games progressed. The middle of the line lacked bulk and was consistently exploited. It was not a surprise that the rushing defense allowed a league-worst 22 rushing touchdowns.
Furthermore, long-term injuries to vital contributors such as defensive end Bertrand Berry and cornerback Antrel Rolle crippled an already shorthanded defense. Even so, outside linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Adrian Wilson were consistently shining and borderline Pro Bowl selections.
The bottom line was that without any semblance of a rushing attack, the Cardinals were unable to keep possession of the football and limit the amount of time a developing defensive unit had to spend on the field.
The signing of running back Edgerrin James is projected to address exactly that, which, once again, is raising expectations for a talented offense and a growing defense.
This Year
If there is one lesson the Cards took forward into their 2006 offseason, it is that you can't build a house on a shaky foundation. Credit VP of Football Operations Rod Graves for coordinating a strong offseason where he diagnosed and addressed team needs at several positions, including the offensive line.
The Redbirds enhanced the depth chart with guards Milford Brown (free agency) and Deuce Lutui (draft), but they are banking on intangibles such as chemistry, cohesiveness, and health to be the real difference on this year's front five.
Legitimate starters are present at both tackle positions with Leonard Davis and Oliver Ross. Guard Reggie Wells, when healthy, was very steady last seasons and Alex Stepanovich, who is an adequate starter right now, can develop into a premier center if he improves on his power. The right guard position will be filled by Milford Brown, but don't expect Will Shields. He was one of the reasons why the Houston Texans line consistently crumbled like a stale cookie last year.
With second-year guard Elton Brown, who had the opportunity to seize a starting job last season, but failed, and the rookie Lutui, there is depth at the interior positions, but the same cannot be said on the ends.
While there is speculation as to how the line will hold up, there should be no concerns about the skill players on the offense. Boldin and Fitzgerald can rival the best starting wideout tandems and Warner still has the outstanding accuracy that earned him two MVP awards.
The addition of Edgerrin James to the backfield should fix the bulk of the short-yardage difficulties from a season ago and will unquestionable provide the team with a proven pony. Marcel Shipp, JJ Arrington, and NFL Europe's rushing leader, Roger Robinson, will duke it out for the backup duties.
If rookie tight end Leonard Pope can contribute right away, it will be a nice touch to an offense that has sorely missed production from the position for a long time. One thing to note is that with James' sticky hands out of the backfield along with Pope and possibly an improved Bryant Johnson in the slot, Warner will not only have more options to pick out, but he will have the added feature of more short routes and more check downs in case of emergency.
On defense, the Cardinals have added a lot of bulk to a defensive line that sorely lacked it, but the question is how good is the quality?
Tackle Kendrick Clancy got a big payday after a career year in a contract year and he will have to duplicate his production to prove his worth. Fourth-round pick Gabe Watson has boundless potential as a space-eater, but his laziness dropped him three rounds because of it. Regardless, young stud Darnell Dockett should face less opposing attention, and so will the linebackers.
Rounding out the front seven, Karlos Dansby highlights the linebacking unit. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is experimenting with former first-rounder Calvin Pace at linebacker after he busted as a defensive end. If the move works out, Dansby will move into the middle. On the weak side, the defense will need much better production out of Orlando Huff this time around. He is entering the final year of his contract, which might help.
The secondary is steady at the back with Pro Bowl snub Adrian Wilson at strong safety and savvy vet Robert Griffith at free safety. Much of the cornerback play will bank on the return of 2005 first-round selection Antrel Rolle, who is still enduring lingering knee pains. Even with reliable play from sophomore Eric Green and David Macklin, the corners will need a lot of help from the defensive line. The team has flirted with the idea of injecting a veteran presence like Ty Law, but bad memories of Duane Starks and Dexter Jackson serve as a deterrent.
The Cardinals have been known as an NFL nobody for years, but the times are a changing. For starters, they are moving into a $455 million retractable roof stadium — its playing field will be moved outdoors for exposure to sunlight and rain and is the only American building to be named in BusinessWeek's top 10 sporting structures. More importantly, it is completely sold out for the 2006 season. The perception of the team has changed, and so has the roster and so have the goals.
They are now being talked about as somebody, now they just have to prove it.
Over/Under: 8
Injuries hampered what should have been a decent offensive line and they should prove that this year. As long as Warner and James stay healthy, expect the Cards to be quite competitive simply because of their offense. Even though the cornerbacks and the linebackers should be viewed with some trepidation, the Cards have the talent to be the second-best team in the NFC West. They play: SF, @SEA, STL, @ATL, KC, CHI, @OAK, @GB, DAL, DET, @MIN, @STL, SEA, DEN, @SF, and @SD.
Fantasy Sleeper
Amongst the many high fantasy draft picks on the Cardinals offense, leader Kurt Warner is likely the one who likely will be drafted in most fantasy leagues. He passed for 2,713 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games last season, but the offensive line was deplorable. Opposing defense's can no longer disrespect the rushing attack, which should translate into many more clear passing lanes. This has the makings of an explosive offense and everything will go through the quarterback.
This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].