The Cardinals obviously felt they were a quarterback away from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender because they spent a 2^nd round pick and a starting cornerback to get Kevin Kolb. However, Kevin Kolb is not Kurt Warner and their supporting cast is not the supporting cast it was in 2009 when they won the division and made the playoffs.

Kevin Kolb has had average stats in Philadelphia in his career and is just a former 2^nd round pick from 4 years ago. Andy Reid has made many quarterbacks look better than they were before (Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, AJ Feeley). However, he’s still a huge upgrade over Derek Anderson/Max Hall/John Skelton and they somehow won 5 games with those quarterbacks.

That doesn’t mean they can’t win the division. In case you haven’t noticed, this division isn’t very good. They have the 2^nd best quarterback in the division and a much easier schedule than Sam Bradford and the Rams. They play four playoff teams from 2010, Seattle, a “playoff team” twice, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. They also have games against the Giants, the Cowboys, and two against the Rams that could be hard, but this is the easiest schedule in the league and if they can win 5 games, albeit with a point differential of minus 145, 2^nd worst behind Carolina, last year with that terrible trio at quarterback, they can certainly win 8 games this year.

Kolb’s #1 receiver is Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was the one who specifically requested the Cardinals bring in Kevin Kolb. That’s why the Eagles got so much for him. They knew Fitzgerald wanted him and could leave in a year without the possibility that the Cardinals could slap him with the franchise tag. They had the Cardinals by the balls.

Fitzgerald has been working out with Kolb all offseason and the two are very good friends. That continuity will help them coming out of a lockout. Fitzgerald seems primed to have a bounce back season after a “down” year of 90 catches for 1137 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2010. Opposite him, 2010 3^rd round pick Andre Roberts and 2008 3^rd round pick Early Doucet will battle for the starting job with Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston gone (technically Boldin was gone last offseason, but this just shows how they’ve lost wide receiver depth in the last 2 years). The loser of that competition will line up in the slot. Roberts seems to have the upper hand right now over Doucet, who has disappointed in 3 seasons in the league. Roberts had 5 catches for 110 yards and a score week 16 last season.

The Cardinals have not had good pass catching tight ends over the years. However, they signed Todd Heap, a declining, but still decent player in the offseason. Heap will be a solid stopgap for Rob Housler, a rookie 3^rd round pick who will come in on 2 tight end sets. Both will have an impact this season and the Cardinals envision Housler like the Patriots’ Aaron Hernandez.

The Cardinals quarterbacks took 50 sacks last season. In 2009, Kurt Warner took 24 sacks. Given that, it remains to be seen if the reason behind the 50 sacks allowed in 2010 was poor offensive line play or simply just poor quarterback play. One thing is for sure. Levi Brown sucks. He allowed 10 sacks and 50 quarterback pressures in 2010, but he also allowed 9 sacks in 2009, and committed 11 penalties. In 2008, he allowed 11 sacks and committed 8 penalties. I don’t know why Ken Whisenhunt continues to defend Brown. Brown will once again line up on the left side and “protect” Kevin Kolb’s blindside.

On the right side, Brandon Keith is a mediocre player who allowed 6 sacks in 2010, his first year as a starter. He was still an upgrade over Mike Gandy, their right tackle in 2009 who allowed 9 sacks and committed 8 penalties. Incumbent left guard Alan Faneca retired. They signed Daryn Colledge to replace him. He was a mediocre guard for the Packers last season and won’t be much better next season.

Deuce Lutui was their right guard last year (and according to Derek Anderson, he was quite the jokester). He signed a 2 year deal with the Bengals, but failed a physical when he showed up at 381 pounds. He then resigned with the Cardinals. Looks like someone didn’t stay in shape during the lockout. He’ll have to earn his starting job back from Pork Chop Womack, who isn’t very good. Center Lyle Sendlein has outgrown his days of frequently stepping on Kurt Warner’s foot and botching snaps. He’s now, somehow, their best offensive lineman.

The Cardinals spent a 2^nd round pick on Ryan Williams just 2 years after spending a first round pick on Chris Wells. Wells has dealt with injury problems in his 2 seasons in the league. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry as a rookie and showed promise, but that number dropped to 3.4 yards per carry in 2010. A lot of that has to do with how bad their quarterback situation was.

Wells had all but been assured the lead back job even with Williams coming in and that was before Williams went down with a season ending injury. Tim Hightower was recently traded to Washington for a late pick and a veteran defensive lineman, so Wells is all they really have at the position. LaRod Stephens-Howling figures to be the #2 back, coming in on clear passing downs, unless they can find someone in free agency. Either way, Wells figures to get a lion’s share of the load.

With a better quarterback, it’s very possible Wells could have a very good season. Joseph Addai had a big season after the Colts selected Donald Brown in the first round. DeAngelo Williams had a big season after the Panthers selected Jonathan Stewart in the first round. Thomas Jones had a big season after the Bears selected Cedric Benson. The Williams selection could have been the motivation he needed to get his career back on track.

Quite possibly the biggest difference between the supporting cast of the 2009 Cardinals and the 2011 Cardinals is the rush linebackers. They had 43 sacks in 2009, but 33 sacks in 2010. Their starting rush linebackers are Joey Porter and Clark Haggans are 34 years old and on their last legs. They drafted Sam Acho in the 4^th round this year, a steal, and they drafted O’Brien Schofield in the 4^th last year. Schofield only fell because he was hurt. He’s healthy now and the organization is high on him. Acho, however, won’t have a huge impact as a rookie because of the lockout. Acho and Schofield are the rush linebackers of the future, but as for the present, their pass rush won’t be great.

Given that, it’s very possible that Calais Campbell, who led the team in sacks last year with 6, could lead the team in sacks once again this season. Campbell is not just a great pass rusher. The talented 3-4 defensive end is also a stud against the run. He plays alongside former Pro Bowler Darnell Dockett and 2010 1^st round pick Dan Williams. Dockett had 5 sacks last season, but Williams is reportedly out of shape. He’s still a starter, but he might not have the breakout 2^nd season that everyone was predicting from him because he’s out of shape. He was called a “disappointment” by his coaching staff. If he struggles, he could even be benched for Nick Eason, a mediocre nose tackle and career backup.

At middle linebacker, Daryl Washington, a 2^nd round pick in 2010, looks poised for a breakout year. At the very least, he should have more of an impact than he had last year. He wasn’t bad or anything. In fact, he was far from that. He was very good, but he wasn’t a starter until late in the season. Next to him, free agent acquisition Stewart Bradley should be an upgrade over Paris Lenon. However, Bradley has missed 20 games in the last 2 seasons. If he misses any games this season, the very mediocre Paris Lenon would step in again.

The Cardinals drafted Patrick Peterson 5^th overall in April’s draft. He’ll be hurt by the lockout and cornerbacks tend to struggle as rookies anyway, but he’s so talented that that might not matter. He is my pick for defensive rookie of the year. I was intrigued to see Peterson and Dominique Rodgers Cromatie play opposite each other.

DRC struggled last season, but he was a Pro Bowler in 2009 and he’s still just 25. He could have easily had a bounce back year with a more talented cornerback opposite him, with a little bit better of a pass rush in front of him, and a better overall team. He lacked motivation last season on a terrible 5-11 team. Assuming this team was in contention this year, he probably would have tried much harder and had a great season. However, the Cardinals traded him to Philadelphia in the Kolb deal. I think they gave up on him too soon.

To replace DRC, the Cardinals signed Richard Marshall in free agency. Marshall had a down year last year, allowing 75.3% completions and 4 touchdowns to 3 interceptions on an overall terrible team in Carolina, but he’s been better in the past. He should be a capable #2 opposite Peterson. He’ll definitely be an upgrade over Greg Toler, their #2 cornerback last year.

At strong safety, Adrian Wilson is an above average player who will miss at least the start of the season with a torn bicep. The Cardinals are hoping that they can get him back at some point this season, but you never know with things like this. Starting in his place will be veteran journeyman Matt Ware, obviously a huge downgrade. Free safety Kerry Rhodes is a very overrated player. There’s a reason the Cardinals were able to get him for so cheap last offseason from the Jets, who didn’t appear to miss him. He was solid in coverage, but terrible against the run, totaling the 2^nd most missed tackles in the league last year with 14.

The Cardinals might not be the best team in the NFC West, but that might not matter given their ridiculous easy schedule. They have enough talent to blow through that easy schedule at 9-7 or 10-6 and I think that wins this division. This division won’t be as bad as it was last year when Seattle won it with 7, but I think the only competition for the division title that Arizona has is St. Louis, who has a much tougher schedule.

Quarterback: C+

Running backs: C

Offensive line: D

Receiving corps: B-

Run defense: B

Pass rush: C-

Pass coverage: B-

Coaching: B

Projection: 9-7 2nd in NFC West

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.

Free agency priorities

Quarterback

Kyle Orton, Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger all 5 of those guys have been mentioned as potential starters in 2011 more than incumbent John Skelton. They didn’t draft a quarterback because they’re not a new regime so they’ll find a veteran in free agency.

Offensive Tackle

They allowed 50 sacks last year. Some of that blame can fall on the quarterbacks, but they really need to improve their offensive front to protect whoever the quarterback is next year, especially if it’s Marc Bulger, who might start having Vietnam flashbacks if he takes any more sacks. I’m not sure why they didn’t address this position through the draft.

Guard

Another offensive line position that should have been addressed through the draft. Deuce Lutui can be resigned, but Alan Faneca is done.

Draft Needs 

Quarterback

Kurt Warner’s 2009 Stats: 339-513 (66.1%) 3753 yards (7.3 YPA) 26 TDs 14 INTs 93.2 QB Rating

Derek Anderson/Max Hall/John Skelton/Richard Bartel’s 2010 Stats: 284-559 (50.8%) 3247 yards (5.8 YPA) 10 TDs 19 INTs 60.4 QB Rating

Somewhere Larry Fitzgerald is crying.

If Ken Whisenhunt feels that he’s on the hot seat, he’ll try to add a veteran like Kyle Orton, Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb, or Vince Young. If he feels he’s safe and has time to develop a rookie, he’ll draft one at 5.

Offensive Tackle

It’s amazing how much better Kurt Warner made this offensive line look. With pretty much the same group of guys, their offensive line gave up 50 sacks this season, whereas they gave up 26 sacks in 2009. Former 1^st round pick Levi Brown should not be starting at left tackle anymore and should be moved to right tackle, where Brandon Keith should be benched. They don’t want whoever their quarterback is next season to be under pressure all the time, especially if it’s a rookie.

Cornerback

They traded Bryant McFadden back to the Steelers last offseason because he didn’t fit the scheme, but they didn’t really replace him. Greg Toler can be upgraded, as they need a new cornerback opposite Domonique Rodgers Cromartie to upgrade their 25^th ranked cornerback.

Rush Linebacker

The Cardinals only managed 33 sacks last season and most of their top rush linebackers are 34 or older. They like O’Brien Schofield a lot, but they need a rush linebacker of the future across from him.

Guard

When you give up 50 sacks, it’s not just the fault of the offensive tackles. They need at least one, if not two upgrades inside.

Middle Linebacker

They drafted Daryl Washington in the 2^nd round last year, but I don’t think he’s a good fit for their 3-4 scheme and he did struggle as a rookie. Paris Lenon next to him will be 34 in November, so they may want to add some true 3-4 middle linebacker depth.

Center

Lyle Sendlein can be upgraded so if a center they like falls to them, they could pull the trigger.

Safety

Now I see why Kerry Rhodes was given away for so cheap last offseason. He’s not very good. They might be looking for an upgrade this offseason.

Tight End

I know they don’t like pass catching tight ends, but if they add a rookie quarterback, they might want to get him a true pass catching tight end. Pass catching tight ends are a rookie quarterback’s best friend.

CB Omar Bolden (Arizona State)

3-4 DE Ronnie Cameron (Old Dominion)

3-4 DE Matt Conrath (Virginia)

WR Juron Criner (Arizona)

OLB Ryan Davis (Bethune-Cookman)

WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

CB Chris Greenwood (Albion)

CB Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech)

S George Iloka (Boise State)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

OT Dennis Kelly (Purdue)

QB Brock Osweiler (Arizona State)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)

2010 Record: 5-11

Draft Position: 5

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: None

2010 Posts 

Examining The Roster: D-Line, Six down, one to go, Examining the roster: O-Line, Schofield locked up  

Quarterback

Auburn

6-5 244

Draft board overall prospect rank: #21

Draft board overall quarterback rank: #1

Overall rating: 84 (late 1st)

40 time: 4.58

3/27/11: I hate this year’s quarterback class. I don’t have a single straight first round grade on a quarterback. Cam Newton is, by default, my top quarterback. He’s certainly a very polarizing quarterback. I’ve heard “Cam Newton is going to be the best quarterback in the NFL” as many times as I’ve heard “Cam Newton is the Vince Young and/or JaMarcus Russell.”

I don’t think assuming he’ll bust because he had some minor character concerns in college and because he’s athletic, black, and raw is smart. However, neither is assuming he’ll dominate the NFL the way he did at Auburn. He dominated Auburn because he was the fastest player on the field at all times, because he had a strong arm, and because Auburn’s one read and go offense catered to his strengths and didn’t expose his weaknesses.

He won’t be the fastest player on the field at all times in the NFL, the way Michael Vick is. He’s a notch slower than Vick so while he’ll really, really fast for a quarterback, he’s not going to be able to rely on that nearly as much as he did in college. Having a strong arm alone isn’t going to cut in the NFL, as we’ve seen so many times, and no team in their right mind would run the offense Auburn ran last year in the NFL, because it wouldn’t work. NFL defensive players are too fast, too athletic, too big and too smart, not to mention how smart most of the minds behind these defenses are.

Newton didn’t run a traditional spread in college. It’s not so much the fact that he’s never taken snaps under center, it’s the simplicity of the offense. Auburn’s offense was essentially, make your first read, if your first option isn’t open, use your natural athleticism to improvise. It was one read and run and then from the run, he’d decide what to do, whether to be pitch it, throw it on the run, or, more often than not, to run it himself.

Newton’s footwork looked very advanced for this stage of his development at his Pro Day. He had a few problems in terms of his footwork and his eventually accuracy on his throws, but for the most part, he impressed me at his Pro Day with his ability to take a snap, drop back, and deliver an accurate, easily catchable ball for the receiver.

I don’t put too much stock into his Combine performance. All he proved at his Combine is that he isn’t very good at developing chemistry with receivers he’s never met before. Some guys can, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s never going to be in a situation like that in the NFL at all. If he had problems at his Pro Day following his Combine, I would have been worried, but he didn’t.

His “character concerns” are blown a bit out of proportion. He got arrested for stealing a laptop at Florida and was eventually kicked out for academic reasons. Then there was the whole “dadgate” scandal where his dad, allegedly without Newton knowing, tried to sell Newton off to the highest bidder when it came time for him to choose a new school. I think to say he is definitely going to bust in the NFL for those reasons is absurd.

Newton has great intangibles and leadership qualities. He doesn’t appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed off the field, but he wins and his teammates can’t say enough about him. First he won a championship in his community college and then he came to Auburn and won one in his only season there. Auburn was not even supposed to come close to competing for a National Championship this year. They weren’t exactly stacked with offensive talent, but he still led them to an undefeated record and a National Championship. Winning in community college isn’t that impressive, but at the same time, it doesn’t hurt and it’s a nice little resume padder for Newton.

Lack of experience is another issue with Newton. Newton has only started 14 games in his college career, 2 less than Mark Sanchez, who currently holds the record for least NCAA starts for a quarterback drafted in the first round. 3^rd place on that list, Alex Smith with 22.

It’s clear, given his lack of experience, and the type of offense he came out of, that this guy is a project. This draft is full of projects and if I was drafting early in the first round, I’d feel fine with passing on one project in Newton for a different project in the 2^nd round, a guy like Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, or Colin Kaepernick.

Normally, I say take a quarterback in the first if you need one, because 2^nd round quarterbacks rarely pan out, but that’s only the case when said quarterback has a first round grade. Newton has a late first round grade in my book and I don’t think taking him, or any quarterback this year, in the top 10 is a smart idea. It really does suck to need a quarterback this year.

Newton would be best off somewhere where he wouldn’t be forced into too much action in 2011. He’s already raw and inexperienced and the amount of time he would have to work out this offseason could be cut short by a lockout.

Unfortunately, of all the teams that need quarterbacks and are looking at quarterbacks, the Bills might be the only ones who have a quarterback on their roster they be comfortable throwing out there in 2011. Add the Dolphins with Chad Henne to that list, but I doubt Newton lasts to 15.

Newton probably won’t even fall out of the top 3. The Bills really seem to like him. He’s a perfect fit for them, as they have Fitzpatrick for 2011 and can afford to ease Newton into action. He fits their scheme very well and has the arm strength necessary to survive in windy Buffalo in the winter. They are desperate for a face of the franchise and a franchise quarterback to carry them to the playoffs for the first time in a really, really long time. He, could, of course, also go #1 to the Panthers.

NFL Comparison: Daunte Culpepper (not a perfect comparison, but I had to put something here, and this is close enough)

3-4 Defensive End/Defensive Tackle/Defensive End

Ohio State

6-5 295

Draft board overall prospect rank: #35

Draft board overall 3-4 defensive end rank: #5

Overall rating: 80 (early 2^nd)

40 time: 4.95

4/17/11: Heyward finally got a chance to work out after elbow surgery. He ran a 4.95 at 6-5 295 pounds, which was to be expected, but it’s definitely a plus that he is healthy and was cleared to do everything, including bench, though he opted against benching. The Chargers at 18 will consider him and he probably won’t drop into the 2^nd. 

3/29/11: Had Cameron Heyward declared in 2010 as a junior, he probably would have been a top 15 pick, with the potential to rise late like Tyson Jackson. However, he chose to return and a down year, combined with the fact that this is probably the strongest defensive line class in years, especially at his primary positions, 3-4 end and 4-3 defensive tackle, have made him a possible 2^nd round pick.

He probably would have been a lock to fall into the 2^nd round if it wasn’t for a strong game in his bowl game, but that’s just his problem, at least this year. He’s great sometimes, but he’s so inconsistent. He’ll also have to prove the health of his reconstructed elbow at his private Pro Day on March 30^th.

Word is, his elbow checks out just fine so his draft range could go as high as 18^th to San Diego. However, guys like JJ Watt, Cameron Jordan, Muhammed Wilkerson, Adrian Clayborn, Corey Liuget, and Stephen Paea could all go higher than him at his position, which could still drop him into the 2^nd round. With him, it’s all a case of do teams think they can coach him up. At his best, he’s pretty good. At his worst though, he’s almost invisible. He’s got the size, the strength, and the bloodlines, but not the necessary consistency and work ethic.

NFL Comparison: Tyson Jackson

I’m going to say about this deal exactly what I said about Larry Fitzgerald’s deal last year. Yes, it’s a lot of money (7 years, 132 million, 60 million guaranteed). In fact, Johnson’s deal is actually bigger than Fitzgerald’s deal was last offseason. On principle, I don’t agree with giving this much money to a non-quarterback. In fact, because of this giant deal, it’ll actually be harder for the Lions to resign Matt Stafford when his time comes because Stafford will want more than Megatron and that’ll leave the Lions in a messy cap situation.

But what choice did they have? On principle, I don’t like the signing, but I would have done the same thing. Maybe he doesn’t quite deserve this much money, but he’s arguably the best wide receiver in the league and doesn’t turn 27 until September. Last season he caught 96 passes for 1681 yards and 16 touchdowns. Insane. What were they supposed to do? Let him walk after the season? Besides, this deal actually frees up a good amount of cap space for the Lions this season, important because they were backed up against the cap and need to resign linebacker Stephen Tulloch or someone like Curtis Lofton or Dan Connor to replace him.

Grade: A

Spotlight #1: California OT Mitchell Schwartz

Spotlight #2: California DE Trevor Guyton 

1^st quarter

13:52: Guyton bites on play action, goes inside towards the back, Luck rolls out to the side where Guyton previously was.

11:44: Schwartz with a poor cut block.

9:31: Schwartz out of a two point stance, run blocking on the outside, run goes nowhere.

8:31: Schwartz knocks a guy off the line.

7:49: Schwartz has been matched up with Chase Thomas pretty often early, dominates him here with a run block.

7:03: Guyton gets pressure with a bull rush, pass is incomplete.

6:44: Guyton wins his first matchup with Jonathan Martin.

6:36: Schwartz with a nice pull block on the outside.

5:09: Guyton pancaked, leaves field with an injury.

2:58: Mychal Kendricks with a sack.

0:35: Schwartz with a good 2^nd level block.

2^nd quarter

9:30: Guyton back and healthy, drops in coverage and hits the pass catcher after a gain of a few for a tackle.

8:37: Guyton gets into the backfield, but Luck rolls away from him.