Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
In the midst of dubious off-season rankings that in some case have the Cardinals dropping to #22 and third place in the NFC West...and even bizarre prognostications that the Detroit Lions would have a good chance of winning the NFC West if they played in the division, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Arizona Cardinals will remain the class of the NFC West and it could be by a wider margin that anyone might care to imagine.
The potential gist of the matter is, this Cardinal team may be significantly stronger than last year's. Take a look at all the reasons why:
QB: The two smartest things the Cardinals have done this off-season is keep a potential starting QB in Matt Leinart who knows the system inside and out. The second is, the Cardinals have enough money in the cash register to either hope that Kurt Warner will get restless and opt to return for one more year, or the Cardinals can add another veteran QB to the mix to compete with Leinart and strong armed UFA signee Derek Anderson for the job.
What Coach Whiz and the Cardinals are counting on is that the pundits are making far too much of the QB change. What the pundits are ignoring is that the Cardinals under Whisenhunt know how to coach up QBs, and in the end, it may not even matter so much who is quarterbacking this team as long as the QB simply responds well to the coaching and does what is asked of him. No matter what, the Cardinals' QB this year is surrounded by first-rate talent, and after all, this is a team sport, and every player in this offense is responsible for making it click.
RB: Beanie Wells is a man on a mission...he's assimilated beautifully into John Lott's program and Wells has his feet on the ground, his stiffarm ready and his eyes on the stars. Along side of Beanie is a third year RB in Tim Hightower who playes every snap like he's on a mission. This guy has one gear and that's full throttle. In addition, the wild card here is LSH, the ST demon, who adds speed and quickness as a utility RB.
LT: Levi Brown is a monster in the running game and guess what? The Cardinals will pound his side like never before. The question is, will Brown be able to stifle the best speed rushers at RDE? From the left side his drop step will be more natural and quicker, and this guy is going to punish RDEs with his initial punch and square them off much better than he did from the right side.
LG: Alan Faneca is still and will always be an elite masher at the position. Talk about upgrades on a team that want s to run the ball more. And what's best about this is that his smashmouth mentality is going to galvanize the line and transform them into a pack of savage dogs, the likes we haven't seen since the days of Dan Dierdorf and Conrad Dobler.
C: Lyle Sendlein keeps getting stronger and more effective each year, and just in case the team wants more beef at times at the position, it added masher G/C Rex Hadnot.
RG: The competition here between Deuce Lutui, Rex Hadnot and Herman Johnson will make the position stronger and the deepest its ever been. Lutui has much to prove in a contract year and he's coming off his best year. Hadnot takes no sh%& from anyone and will be tough to beat out, and Johnson is a human Godzilla-type bulldozer.
RT: Brandon Keith is a star waiting to happen. He has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl caliber RT. He has the size, the strength, the arms, and the feet to be a dominant force. And better yet, he has the best offensive line coach in the game to groom him.
TE: The way Ben Patrick matured last season and started to thrive down the stretch as both a blocker and a receiver...and this year does not have to serve a 4 game suspsension...the Cardinals are already better off at TE than they were last year. Anthony Becht is very good at what he does and will be used even more regularly as one of the run blocking TEs. Other teams coveted Becht but he wanted to stay a Cardinal.
WR: Larry Fitzgerald was not a happy camper last year...because he felt as if he didn't play at the level he wanted to. He will be commanding the ball this year like he was in the playoffs two years ago, and with teams having to try to cope with a tough running attack, when they move a safety up, Fitz will be as wide eyed as an American college student in a Swedish disco. Steve Breaston is in a contract year and has already proven he's a very good #2. Early Doucet comes in this year with world of momentum and confidence as a slot #3 WR. And 3rd round gem Andre Roberts has the speed and hands to be a candidate for NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
NT: Bryan Robinson is right...if Dan Williams isn't playing over him, "he isn't doing his job." Williams recorded an unheard of 70 tackles as a DT at Tennessee last year, and not only that, this guy has a quick burst to the QB. He will start from day one. No holds barred.
DE: Is there anyone more motivated and psyched for this season than Darnell Dockett? He is going to love having Williams at NT and is going to show him how to wreak havoc on every offense they face. On the other side, Calais Campbell is coming off a great first year as starter and could well emerge as a Pro Bowl candidate in just his third year. This guy, if he shows he's learned how to finish tackles and sacks with greater explosion and efficency, is a potential superstar.
ILB: The hope is that Gerald Hayes will be fine and back to playing as he was in the first half of last year where he was gunning up the holes and squaring off to finish the RBs. Behind him there is a very intriguing option in Reggie Walker who is a physical and fundamental stop you in your tracks Mike. On the other side, Paris Lenon was signed for insurance but the real gem is rookie 2nd round pick Daryl Washington, who is a faster and quicker and more athletic WILB than Karlos Dansby. Like Dan Williams, expect Washington to start from the get-go. He's too athletic to hold back.
OLB: Finally the Cardinals got a fierce and quick edge ROLB in Joey Porter who will, like Alan Fancea with the offense, galvanize this defense and get them in the mindset of playing in attack mode at all times. On the other side, Clark Haggans is coming of a season at SOLB where he was the Cardinals' most consistent and reliable player. Haggans showed good pass rush ability and will be aided by spot substitutions by up-and-coming rushers Cody Brown, Will Davis, Mark Washington and Stevie Baggs. And when ready, 4th round pick with 1st round talent, O'Brien Schofield, will arrive and make his tenacity felt immediately.
CB: DRC is the man on the left side. Donnie Henderson will make him more savvy, less vulnerable to biting on fakes and stronger in all aspects of his craft. Expect a perennial trip to the Pro Bowl for this uniquely talented athlete. On the other side say hello to Greg Toler, who like DRC has the size and speed to run with and deny any WR on the planet. Also expect far greater and dynamic contributions from ST's star Michael Adams...who will thrive in Henderson's aggressive system.
S: What an All-Star combo in SS Adrian Wilson and FS Kerry Rhodes...wow...they will be shifting and moving about the defense like a couple of panthers in the night...you will never know what is coming...but both of them will be blitzing one minute, or locked up in tight man the next, or racing to intercept a forced ball the next after that. This is the most talented, versatile and aggressive safety tandem the Cardinals have ever had. It's quite possible that both of them will be the starting safeties in the Pro Bowl. Uh, nope, check that...in the Super Bowl...for the Pro Bowl will be played the week before.
ST: Jay Feely, Ben Graham and Mike Leach are like the Magi...they bring great gifts, myrrh and joy..and they too could be riding their way to Pro Bowl berths.
Whiz: He must savor and relish all the pundits' love for SF and SEA...because he is going to use those vibes to energize and motivate this team...and few coaches can do that better than Whiz.
The potential gist of the matter is, this Cardinal team may be significantly stronger than last year's. Take a look at all the reasons why:
QB: The two smartest things the Cardinals have done this off-season is keep a potential starting QB in Matt Leinart who knows the system inside and out. The second is, the Cardinals have enough money in the cash register to either hope that Kurt Warner will get restless and opt to return for one more year, or the Cardinals can add another veteran QB to the mix to compete with Leinart and strong armed UFA signee Derek Anderson for the job.
What Coach Whiz and the Cardinals are counting on is that the pundits are making far too much of the QB change. What the pundits are ignoring is that the Cardinals under Whisenhunt know how to coach up QBs, and in the end, it may not even matter so much who is quarterbacking this team as long as the QB simply responds well to the coaching and does what is asked of him. No matter what, the Cardinals' QB this year is surrounded by first-rate talent, and after all, this is a team sport, and every player in this offense is responsible for making it click.
RB: Beanie Wells is a man on a mission...he's assimilated beautifully into John Lott's program and Wells has his feet on the ground, his stiffarm ready and his eyes on the stars. Along side of Beanie is a third year RB in Tim Hightower who playes every snap like he's on a mission. This guy has one gear and that's full throttle. In addition, the wild card here is LSH, the ST demon, who adds speed and quickness as a utility RB.
LT: Levi Brown is a monster in the running game and guess what? The Cardinals will pound his side like never before. The question is, will Brown be able to stifle the best speed rushers at RDE? From the left side his drop step will be more natural and quicker, and this guy is going to punish RDEs with his initial punch and square them off much better than he did from the right side.
LG: Alan Faneca is still and will always be an elite masher at the position. Talk about upgrades on a team that want s to run the ball more. And what's best about this is that his smashmouth mentality is going to galvanize the line and transform them into a pack of savage dogs, the likes we haven't seen since the days of Dan Dierdorf and Conrad Dobler.
C: Lyle Sendlein keeps getting stronger and more effective each year, and just in case the team wants more beef at times at the position, it added masher G/C Rex Hadnot.
RG: The competition here between Deuce Lutui, Rex Hadnot and Herman Johnson will make the position stronger and the deepest its ever been. Lutui has much to prove in a contract year and he's coming off his best year. Hadnot takes no sh%& from anyone and will be tough to beat out, and Johnson is a human Godzilla-type bulldozer.
RT: Brandon Keith is a star waiting to happen. He has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl caliber RT. He has the size, the strength, the arms, and the feet to be a dominant force. And better yet, he has the best offensive line coach in the game to groom him.
TE: The way Ben Patrick matured last season and started to thrive down the stretch as both a blocker and a receiver...and this year does not have to serve a 4 game suspsension...the Cardinals are already better off at TE than they were last year. Anthony Becht is very good at what he does and will be used even more regularly as one of the run blocking TEs. Other teams coveted Becht but he wanted to stay a Cardinal.
WR: Larry Fitzgerald was not a happy camper last year...because he felt as if he didn't play at the level he wanted to. He will be commanding the ball this year like he was in the playoffs two years ago, and with teams having to try to cope with a tough running attack, when they move a safety up, Fitz will be as wide eyed as an American college student in a Swedish disco. Steve Breaston is in a contract year and has already proven he's a very good #2. Early Doucet comes in this year with world of momentum and confidence as a slot #3 WR. And 3rd round gem Andre Roberts has the speed and hands to be a candidate for NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
NT: Bryan Robinson is right...if Dan Williams isn't playing over him, "he isn't doing his job." Williams recorded an unheard of 70 tackles as a DT at Tennessee last year, and not only that, this guy has a quick burst to the QB. He will start from day one. No holds barred.
DE: Is there anyone more motivated and psyched for this season than Darnell Dockett? He is going to love having Williams at NT and is going to show him how to wreak havoc on every offense they face. On the other side, Calais Campbell is coming off a great first year as starter and could well emerge as a Pro Bowl candidate in just his third year. This guy, if he shows he's learned how to finish tackles and sacks with greater explosion and efficency, is a potential superstar.
ILB: The hope is that Gerald Hayes will be fine and back to playing as he was in the first half of last year where he was gunning up the holes and squaring off to finish the RBs. Behind him there is a very intriguing option in Reggie Walker who is a physical and fundamental stop you in your tracks Mike. On the other side, Paris Lenon was signed for insurance but the real gem is rookie 2nd round pick Daryl Washington, who is a faster and quicker and more athletic WILB than Karlos Dansby. Like Dan Williams, expect Washington to start from the get-go. He's too athletic to hold back.
OLB: Finally the Cardinals got a fierce and quick edge ROLB in Joey Porter who will, like Alan Fancea with the offense, galvanize this defense and get them in the mindset of playing in attack mode at all times. On the other side, Clark Haggans is coming of a season at SOLB where he was the Cardinals' most consistent and reliable player. Haggans showed good pass rush ability and will be aided by spot substitutions by up-and-coming rushers Cody Brown, Will Davis, Mark Washington and Stevie Baggs. And when ready, 4th round pick with 1st round talent, O'Brien Schofield, will arrive and make his tenacity felt immediately.
CB: DRC is the man on the left side. Donnie Henderson will make him more savvy, less vulnerable to biting on fakes and stronger in all aspects of his craft. Expect a perennial trip to the Pro Bowl for this uniquely talented athlete. On the other side say hello to Greg Toler, who like DRC has the size and speed to run with and deny any WR on the planet. Also expect far greater and dynamic contributions from ST's star Michael Adams...who will thrive in Henderson's aggressive system.
S: What an All-Star combo in SS Adrian Wilson and FS Kerry Rhodes...wow...they will be shifting and moving about the defense like a couple of panthers in the night...you will never know what is coming...but both of them will be blitzing one minute, or locked up in tight man the next, or racing to intercept a forced ball the next after that. This is the most talented, versatile and aggressive safety tandem the Cardinals have ever had. It's quite possible that both of them will be the starting safeties in the Pro Bowl. Uh, nope, check that...in the Super Bowl...for the Pro Bowl will be played the week before.
ST: Jay Feely, Ben Graham and Mike Leach are like the Magi...they bring great gifts, myrrh and joy..and they too could be riding their way to Pro Bowl berths.
Whiz: He must savor and relish all the pundits' love for SF and SEA...because he is going to use those vibes to energize and motivate this team...and few coaches can do that better than Whiz.
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Hope you "HIT ON THE HEAD", Mitch!
Funny stuff WMitch. While you evals are slightly over optomistic, why not this time of year. The potential is there. Our secondary needs to play steady. Some added pressure will help.
