Arizona Cardinals Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - For a disgusted and ever-dwindling Arizona Cardinals fan base, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The franchise that has seemed content to project a Mickey Mouse, minor league image in its 17 seasons in Phoenix, is set to move to the big time in 2006. Cardinals Stadium, a state-of-the-art, retractable-roof venue that will seat 65,000, will replace antiquated Sun Devil Stadium as the team's home field next year. Finally, Phoenix-area fans will have a source of pride when it comes to their existence as an NFL city. What's more, the team itself looks ready to turn the page on an embarrassing chapter that has seen the franchise make one playoff appearance and sport just as many winning seasons since 1984, when the club was nearing the end of its run in St. Louis. Arizona was just 6-10 in its first season under Dennis Green last year, but it lost four games by three points each and gave every indication that it was a team on the rise.

Noting Green's record of molding formerly marginal teams into winners, and taking into account the relative weakness of the NFC West, some NFL prognosticators are foretelling the Cardinals' return to the playoffs in 2005. Indeed, if Arizona can enter its new stadium on a winning high and with some re-converted fans in tow, it would be a bit of good timing that has rarely found its way to Cardinals headquarters in the past two decades. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the Arizona Cardinals, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Basically every tailback to wear a Cardinals uniform last year is gone, as Emmitt Smith (937 rushing yards, 9 TD) retired and Troy Hambrick (283 yards, 1 TD), Josh Scobey (89 rushing yards, 18 receptions) and Larry Croom (76 rushing yards) were all released. The backfield focus is now upon second-round draft choice J.J. Arrington, who averaged seven yards per carry and rushed for over 2,000 yards as a senior at Cal. Arrington's backup will likely be Marcel Shipp, who rushed for over 800 yards in both 2002 and 2003 but missed all of last year with a broken leg. The third running back figures to be either one- time Browns starter James Jackson (81 rushing yards, 6 receptions with Cleveland) or Damien Anderson, who has 43 carries in three seasons as a Cardinal. Arizona is deep at fullback, with Obafemi Ayanbadejo (122 rushing yards, 19 receptions, 4 TD) holding down the starting job, former starter James Hodgins back after missing all of 2004 with a shoulder injury, and veteran Harold Morrow widely considered one of the best special teams players in the game.

WR/TE: The Cardinals' low number of touchdown passes in 2004 was a surprise in light of the talent of the team's receiving corps. Larry Fitzgerald (58 receptions, 8 TD) had a productive enough rookie year, but Anquan Boldin (56 receptions, 1 TD) took a step back during an injury-plagued season and Bryant Johnson (49 receptions, 1 TD) failed to emerge as the first-rate threat the team envisioned when it used a first-round pick on him in 2003. Dennis Green will need that collective trio to be more consistent in its second year together. Vying for the fourth receiver job will be former Buccaneer Charles Lee (15 receptions with the Buccaneers) and holdover Reggie Newhouse (1 reception), with rookie LeRon McCoy (7th Round, Indiana (PA)) trying to break through as a punt returner. At tight end, Freddie Jones (45 receptions, 2 TD) is gone, meaning unheralded Eric Edwards (5 receptions) will inherit the starting job there if he can overcome a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him during training camp. Undrafted rookie Adam Bergen (Lehigh) and former Chiefs practice squad member Aaron Golliday were behind Edwards on the training camp depth chart and could contribute immediately.

OL: Dennis Green took plenty of chances with this unit a year ago, cutting well-regarded center Pete Kendall on the eve of training camp, demoting former first-round pick and tackle L.J. Shelton to second-team status, and moving Leonard Davis from guard to the all-important left tackle position. The beneficiary of Kendall's release was rookie center Alex Stepanovich, who started all 16 games after being selected in the fourth round out of Ohio State. Stepanovich was expected to miss the entire preseason with a broken hand. The team's major free agent acquisition along the line in 2005 was right tackle Oliver Ross, who started 16 games with the Steelers last year but was limited by a knee injury in training camp. If Ross can't recover, the team could be forced to go with part-time 2004 starter Jeremy Bridges or converted defensive end Fred Wakefield at the position. Fourth-round draft choice Elton Brown (Virginia) will compete for the starting nod at right guard. On the left side, Davis looks to be coming into his own at tackle and Reggie Wells was a 15-game starter at guard a year ago. Backups will include some combination of the odd men out in the right guard and right tackle battles, free agent pickups Adam Haayer (1 start with Vikings last year) and Ian Allen (4 games as a reserve with Eagles) and 2004 sixth-round pick Nick Leckey.

DL: One move that undoubtedly paid off for the Cardinals last season was the acquisition of end Bertrand Berry (49 tackles, 14.5 sacks), who led the NFC in sacks and was named to his first career Pro Bowl. Berry will have some help on the other side this season, as the team acquired Chike Okeafor (53 tackles, 8.5 sacks with Seattle), who led the Seahawks in last season, to start at right end. On the interior, Russell Davis (49 tackles, 1 sack) and Darnell Dockett (39 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT) both played well as starters a year ago, but the Cardinals have little depth behind that duo. Ross Kolodziej (7 tackles, 1 sack) started four games at tackle and end last season, but would not be a long-term solution if either Davis or Dockett went down. The top reserve at end will be Calvin Pace (12 tackles, 4.5 sacks), who has been a disappointment after being selected in the first round of the 2003 draft, but represents a decent situational pass rusher. Antonio Smith, who appeared in two games with Arizona last season, could stick around to add depth.

LB: The Cardinals made some changes here, dispensing with three former starters in Raynoch Thompson (34 tackles, 1 sack), Ronald McKinnon (74 tackles) and LeVar Woods (23 tackles) and bringing in free agent Orlando Huff (51 tackles, 1 sack with Seattle) and third-round draft choice Darryl Blackstock (Virginia) to compete for their jobs. Huff should be the starter on the weak side, and Blackstock is expected to open as the backup to Karlos Dansby on the strong side. Dansby (60 tackles, 5 INT, 1 sacks), who played well as a rookie, will be looked to for leadership in his sophomore season in the desert. James Darling (93 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) should man the middle, but his job could be in doubt when Gerald Hayes (24 tackles) returns in the second half. Hayes sustained a knee injury early in camp, and will probably begin the year on the physically unable to perform list. Adding depth at linebacker will be former Raider and Falcon Eric Johnson (8 tackles with Atlanta), who is also a valuable special teams contributor. Fifth-round draft choice Lance Mitchell (Oklahoma) will probably see most of his time on special teams as well.

DB: Arizona used its first-round draft choice on cornerback Antrel Rolle (Miami (FL)), who is expected to immediately become the shutdown presence the team has lacked. With former starters Duane Starks (58 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) and Renaldo Hill (44 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack) both gone, Rolle will have the left side to himself. On the right side, David Macklin (74 tackles, 4 INT) led the Cardinals in picks last year but will face a challenge from third-round draft choice Eric Green (Virginia Tech). Green and holdover Robert Tate (15 tackles) will probably begin the year as the top corner reserves. Another change in the Arizona secondary will come at free safety, where Robert Griffith (118 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT with Cleveland) takes over for Ifeanyi Ohalete (70 tackles), who was released. The leader in the secondary is strong safety Adrian Wilson (102 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack), who led the Cardinals in stops during 2004. Quentin Harris (35 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) will again be a primary backup at safety, and holdover Adrian Mayes could make it in a reserve role as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Cardinals are set in the kicking game, where punter Scott Player (43.2 avg.) was solid a year ago and kicker Neil Rackers (22-29 FG, 28-28 XP) has one of the best long-range legs in the league. Arizona does not have a player on the current roster who had a punt return as a Cardinal last year, but wideout Charles Lee does have eight NFL returns to his credit. The team is also minus its top two kickoff returners from last year, but Bryant Johnson (22.5 avg.) had six attempts there last year.

PROGNOSIS: Arizona is a trendy pick to rise up and win the NFC West, but the prediction has more to do with the weakness of the division than the actual strength of the Cardinal roster. The problem is the massive turnover that the lineup has undertaken. There are major changes at quarterback, running back, on the offensive line, at linebacker, in the secondary, and on special teams, and while many of those shifts represent upgrades, it could take a while for this team to begin playing as a cohesive unit. If, like last year, no one emerges to take control of the NFC West, then the Cardinals should enter the final couple of weeks with a shot at the postseason. But if the Seahawks play up to their potential or the Rams revert to their previous championship form, Arizona will finish out of the playoff money yet again.