Offensive Tackle

Levi Brown and Brandon Keith have been awful at offensive tackle for forever. This season, Levi Brown allowed 11 sacks and 40 pressure, while committing 6 penalties. At right tackle, Brandon Keith, combined with Jeremy Bridges, to allow 12 sacks, 40 pressures, and commit 5 penalties. I have no idea why they’ve never bothered to upgrade them. Maybe with a big money quarterback under center in Kevin Kolb (or maybe even Peyton Manning), they’ll see the need to upgrade this crucial position. Maybe Levi Brown, a first round pick in 2007, can have his career salvaged by a move to right tackle (if they can agree to a restructured contract), but either way they at least need a new left tackle. Jonathan Martin won’t fall past them at 13.

Middle Linebacker

They signed Stewart Bradley to a 5 year deal in the offseason, despite the fact that he was coming off a season ending injury, to be the long term solution inside next to Daryl Washington. However, Bradley really struggled and barely saw the field by mid October. Veteran stopgap Paris Lenon stepped in for him, but he’s a 34 year old career journeyman so they still need a long term solution inside next to Washington.

Cornerback

Patrick Peterson struggled in coverage as the 5^th overall pick in last April’s draft, but he was so good on special teams that it might not have even mattered. Besides, cornerbacks always take a year or so to develop. However, after him on the depth chart, Richard Marshall is a free agent and Al Jefferson struggled in coverage. They could use one more cornerback in the mix.

 

Wide Receiver

Larry Fitzgerald has said on multiple occasions that he misses having someone like Anquan Boldin opposite him drawing the coverage away from him (at one point he even offered to take a paycut for the Cardinals to resign him, but they still traded Boldin). Neither Andre Roberts nor Early Doucet have been able to fill Boldin’s void. The Cardinals listened to Fitzgerald’s desires when he said they should trade for Kevin Kolb and then they paid him 120 million over 8 years so why wouldn’t they bring in another receiver opposite him. This is a strong wide receiver class in free agency and receivers like Kendall Wright, Alshon Jeffery, and Michael Floyd will be in consideration at 13.

Guard

Offensive tackle isn’t the only position on the offensive line that can be upgraded. Right guard Rex Hadnot could be upgraded too. They could take a guard if the value makes sense, which it might with David DeCastro at 13.

Rush Linebacker

Clark Haggans and Joey Porter seem done. They have used 4^th round picks on rush linebackers in each of the last two drafts, O’Brien Schofield and Sam Acho. Both were solid last year, but they might want another player in the mix.

3-4 Defensive End

Calais Campbell is their best defensive player. Aside from Ray McDonald and Justin Smith in San Francisco, no team has a better 3-4 defensive end duo than the Cardinals with Campbell and Darnell Dockett. However, Campbell is a free agent. He’ll need to be resigned and the Cardinals have already said they’ll use their franchise tag on him so I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Depth might be nice though. Top reserve Nick Eason was awful last year.

Quarterback

I expect the Cardinals to sign Peyton Manning this offseason. It might seem stupid for the Cardinals to release Kolb just one year after trading Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and a 2^nd round pick for him, but it’s even stupider to overpay Kolb when you could have had Peyton Manning.