By Kevin Bonneville

Players are set to report to camp in Flagstaff beginning tomorrow night, which means that I need to finish up Examining The Roster.  Next up, the offensive line, which should be a much improved unit for the upcoming year over years past.

Tackles

Levi Brown: Many people were disappointed when the Cardinals took Brown over Adrian Peterson back in the 2007 draft, but with how bad Arizona’s line was at the time, it was hard to argue against the pick.  Plus, Brown has been pretty good for his first three years in the league.  He will be making the change over to the left side of the line this coming year where he will be playing against top ends week in and week out.  With having a left-handed quarterback though, left tackle isn’t as important if Arizona were starting a righty QB.  Brown should be solid with the change though.

Brandon Keith: With Mike Gandy and Brown starting on the left side, Keith should be the starter at right tackle once the season starts.  He has been the starter throughout the off-season workouts and has played well.  Even though he wasn’t a top pick, the coaching staff has been high on Keith since he was drafted back in 2008 out of Northern Iowa.  Keith’s play and protecting Matt Leinart’s backside will be a major key to this offense having continued success.  Hopefully Keith will be up for the challenge.

Depth guys: Behind Brown and Keith, the guy with the most experience will be Jeremy Bridges.  He started four games last year when injuries hit the line pretty hard.  The 30-year-old can play at both guard and at tackle.  Versatility is always an important quality in an offensive line and Bridges fits right into that mold.  Herman Johnson is another guy that the coaching staff is real high because of how big and strong he is, but he doesn’t have the ideal athleticism to play at tackle.  He could be a heck of a run blocker down the line because the dude is a mammoth.  Jonathan Palmer and Casey Knips will also be in the mix.

Guards

Alan Faneca: The Cards were quick the snatch up Faneca after he was released back in April by the Jets and rightfully so, he is still pretty darn good for his age.  Even though he is nearing 34, he is still playing close to his Pro Bowl level and that is an upgrade over what this line has had at the same spot in recent years.  Faneca has been the starter at left guard since Day One when he signed on the dotted line and there is no reason to think otherwise.

Reggie Wells: Wells was on the left side last season, but with Faneca being on the left side for years now, Wells will be moved over to the right side.  Wells is solid both in run and pass protection and has been one of the Cards most consistent o-linemen over the last couple of years.  Probably the most important thing of all, he can help out Keith, who will need all the help that he can get.

Depth guys: I have talked about Deuce Lutui frequently throughout this off-season because with him wanting a new contract and his suddenly increased body weight.  Lutui has his work cut out for him and it is hard to imagine him starting over Wells because of how he acted over the off-season and how much he will be overweight coming into camp.  You would have to think that the coaching staff isn’t too thrilled with him.  Rex Hadnot was brought over from Cleveland during the off-season and has had several starts over the years.  He will provide nice depth at both guard spots and even at center if need be.

Lyle Sendlein: An undrafted rookie out of Texas, not much was expected out of Sendlein coming out of college, but Russ Grimm changed that.  Sendlein has been the starter at center at three years now and has been the only guy on the line that hasn’t switched positions at one point.  He earned the respect of many after it was learned during the 2009 off-season that he played with a very serious shoulder injury throughout the 2008 season.  Even though he is undersized and gets bullied at times by nose tackles, the former Longhorn has been much better than expected and continues to be the rock on the line.

Depth Guys: Ben Claxton and David Moosman are in the mix for a roster spot, but both are long shots to make it simply because Hadnot can move over and be effective at center if Sendlein gets hurt.