How Close Are The Cardinals?

[82CardsGrad]

I think we are pretty far away. It is easy to go from 6-10 to 10-6. It is difficult to go from 11/5 to Super Bowl. Point being, are we closer to the Cincinnati Bengals or the New England Patriots/Seahawks?

Yep... We're not close to the Pats or Hawks... Largely because of the QB position. However, the linebacker position, RB position and the lack of ability to control the point of attack on offense are also glaring gaps...

 

[82CardsGrad]

Excellent summary, 82.

I question whether Palmer is good enough to win a Super Bowl. Like you said, if he has a full compliment around him, his chances are greater. There is just something missing about the guy---can't put a finger on it---while he has an excellent work ethic, and he is tough physically, he doesn't seem like the kind of player teammates rally around. It looks like he's a brooder and a self-engrossed kind of player. There's something very ho-hum about him.

As good a QB as he was coming out of USC, he's played in what?: 2 playoff games his entire career? At Cincy they did surround him with talent---and that still wasn't good enough for him. The Raiders' players didn't seem too broken up about seeing him move on.

I can't really argue those points Mitch. Though, I do believe Palmer is a likeable leader on the field - there were many instances this season where a fellow player offered very favorable/supportive comments about Carson and his on-field leadership. He even asked to have Smokey's locker next to his so he can talk to him more/mentor him more...
But, given all he's been through and his age, the window of oppty for him to win it all may very well have passed him by.

Honestly, it wouldn't much matter if we had someone else at the helm as we have so many major issues to fix. Like Joe said, we are much closer to the Bengals than we are to the Hawks/Pats - and it's not just because of the QB position...

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think we are pretty far away. It is easy to go from 6-10 to 10-6. It is difficult to go from 11/5 to Super Bowl. Point being, are we closer to the Cincinnati Bengals or the New England Patriots/Seahawks?

I feel like this is where we're at right now. Playoff contender but Super Bowl pretender. I think we'll need a great off-season and complete return to health to be a bona-fide contender next year. Hoping we're able to achieve both of those.

I just see such major holes on the team to consider us Super Bowl contenders. ILB is really weak, RB is a big concern and the O-line still can't run block effectively.

 

[BIGDADDY_REDBIRD]

I think, cardpa, that the Packers gave the Cardinals a blueprint yesterday in the first half as to how to crack their defense:

Playing very physical up front in the running game---behind 2 BIG RBs in Lacy and Starks---hitting the TE over the middle---and running crossing patterns to the 2 receiver side.

As for BA---he loves calling the plays and won't want to give that up. The question is---will he finally see how QB unfriendly his system is and take measured steps to amend it. I would like to think he would, but BA seems very set in his ways, which means more 0 back sets on third and 8. Notice that when the Packers did that yesterday, they had trouble converting.

That's the thing that bothers me about Arian's system. He spoke about the benefits of teams hiring seasoned coaches because of the multiple systems coaches have coached in, and the ability to make adjustments scheme wise, and the knowledge of dealing with changes in personnel. However he was reluctant to change or modify his system, knowing that Stanton was Green.
which QB could we have acquired ? Terrell Pryor? or anybody available to go with a more run heavy, read option & play action pass attack. K Williams and S. Taylor showed some life in the run game. Of course none of this would have guaranteed a win vs Carolina, but it would have given them something different that what they saw on film.

 

[cardpa]

I almost feel like Cinderella and the clock just struck midnight. There are so many holes weaknesses it seems in this team right now. QB is a question, as is RB and ILB is non-existent. OLB needs to be beefed up and if Fitz departs then WR is no longer strong and deep. We lost our DC and it sounds like Cro is a goner. The Guards are pedestrian at the moment and the Dline has some questions. TE is full of questions.

Looking at the final 4 teams GB, Seattle, NE and Indy, none of them has the number of questions this team has. They all have solid run games sans Indy and there is no question at their QB position. The middle of their defenses are at least solid. At TE they are pretty set or at least much better than the Cardinals. Is there enough money to throw at FAs and enough talent in the draft to resolve at least half of these spots?

 

[thephoenixson28]

Not sure? But the new rule for 1st time offense with domestic violence is a automatic 6 games. Or is it more?

 

[Catfish]

Thank you Mitch. Right now, we have two VERY good threads on the board concerning the state of the Cardinals after the 2014 season. This is one of them, and the other was posted by Rugby Muffin, and is very much in tune with this one. Both threads aptly point out shortfalls in the Cardinals roster, which if not addressed, will relegate the Cards to the bottom of the NFC West.

In my opinion, the most immediate problem to address is that of the Co-ordinators. We have lost Todd Bowles at DC, and he needs to be replaced with a quality person. It would appear the Dick LeBeau is coming in, (but whether or not he will be the DC is not yet defined), therefore we may not yet have addressed the DC position. So far as OC is concerned, I know that Arians loves calling his own plays, but like Mitch, I am somewhat skeptical of coaches who do this. I tend to be of the school who believes that a HC needs to be free during game time to oversee ALL the aspects of operation, and that by getting overly involved in play calling, one can short his perspective on the other aspects of the game as it goes on. This CAN be harmful, in that attention diverted too heavily toward one aspect can allow for lack of quality play in other aspects to go un-attended. I believe that the poor quality of our punt and kick return game is possibly a result of not being in tune with what is actually happening in game time, as opposed to what the HC BELIEVES is happening.

Running game. We now have TE's who can, and do, run block very well. I would like to see us get a 'Hammer' back and utilize the run to set up the pass better than we have to date. That would also give adequate rest to Ellington, which would keep him healthier and more in position to take advantage of his many attributes. It would also help control the clock, and help keep our defense on the side lines to a greater degree, allowing for much needed recovery time for that unit. It would especially pay dividends as a long season winds down, to have a fresher defense coming off the bench when the other team has the ball. In this division, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS, and the differences between top and bottom of the division are not going to be great.

Like Mitch, I believe that Michael Bidwill has done a remarkable job of transforming this ownership into an 'Elite' one. I believe that Arians has formed a magnificent staff, and continues to work on it. The biggest question this year will be, how the GM will manage to handle the roster needs, (while dealing with CAP problems at the same time). It is no secret that the previous regime left us in CAP deprivation, (if not CAP Hell). No matter what, that problem must be addressed before this franchise can proceed to develop its roster needs any further. This will not come easily I suspect, and could have very long term repercussions for roster development in the long run. Thus far, Steve Keim has been up to the task at hand, but this will be unusually tough for him to negotiate, as the CAP will hamstring him nearly every step along the way this upcoming season. Thus far, I have truly enjoyed watching Keim negotiate the troubled waters as he fielded a roster, but he has not had to deal with two huge conundrums such as Fitzgerald and Washington, with all their implications. I really look forward to seeing how Keim manages to deal with this.

 

[BigRedRage]

Not sure? But the new rule for 1st time offense with domestic violence is a automatic 6 games. Or is it more?

I think he will get that, appeal it based on when it happened and have it reduced to a 2-4 game suspension.

 

[Catfish]

As I was completing my previous post on this thread, I was interrupted and I failed to mention just how necessary it would be to address the interior OL when addressing the RB situation. That IS what made the Cowboys a top contender this past year, and it is what must happen here if we are to get to that level too.

 

[BurqueCardFan]

I think he will get that, appeal it based on when it happened and have it reduced to a 2-4 game suspension.

This is also what I think will happen

 

[cardfaninfl]

I'd say we are

1 or 2 O-line
1 power RB (fix the run game and so many other things will improve)
2 LBs
1 DB
1 TE
and somebody... anybody with speed, guts, and a brain to return kicks

away from being a contender. Very manageable.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

How close??

A whole lot closer than the "super-sucky" George Boone/Rod Graves days that's for sure. Honestly, and I don't mean this in a concede-st ("new" word?) way, ALL I ask of my teams is to be competitive. Do I want to win it all? ABSOLUTELY! But..at the very least...entertain me for awhile with possibilities.

MARK

ALWAYS enjoy your write-ups, my friend.

 

[HeavyB3]

I think he will get that, appeal it based on when it happened and have it reduced to a 2-4 game suspension.

Yeah I was gonna ask why he already figured he was likely to get a whole year. I think DWash plays for the Cardinals again.

 

[D-Dogg]

We are the Cards. We are what we are. Having an outside chance on rare occassion is probably the best we will ever see. That is just who we are.

 

[40yearfan]

Concise but correct. Bidwill is not Kraft or some of the other owners who have a burning need to win. The record of the Big Red documents that fact. New England before being bought by Kraft were like the Cardinals. They were nothing special. The mismanagement of QB once Stanton was injured was pure Bidwill. Instead of going after a vet QB he goes cheap and does not care if the product on the field is an embarrassment to its fans. The games in which Lindley played were so bad that they they were cringe worthy. No matter to Bidwill there will be another season and fans will be back.

It is as if Bidwill going back to his Dad thinks injuries are a player weakness or a coaching failure and if encouraged by the owner will be a regular occurrence. Who was last big regular season upgrade added to make up for an injury?

Bidwill failures:

'07 not paying Warner his passing percentage completion bonus of 500K over missing it by amount to right of decimal point

'09 letting FA Warner talk to SF after taking Big Red to only Super Bowl. ESPN raked Bidwill over the coals for falling back into old ways in very public way

Whiz had signed Anderson and scrubs to play QB. Anderson was bust and Big Red going cheap on backups resulted in most embarrassing QB play prior to Lindley. Bulger bacame available after Anderson had been signed and Bidwill said no for financial reasons according to AZ Republic.

Bidwells (misspelling intentional)are cheap. They don't want to win. They hate us fans. Mike B. beats his children and his dog.

When will this broken record wake up and realize this isn't their father's Cardinals? Anyone who doesn't understand how injuries affected this team this past season has their heads in the sand and refuse to accept reality. 21 wins in the past two seasons, core players retained and one of the biggest and highly paid coaching staffs in the NFL and the Bidwells are still cheap. Unbelievable.

 

[LarryStalling]

I wish that the team could solve their special teams problems. Ginn seems like the worst kr specialist I have seen in a long time. I think the blocking is bad could be partially to blame. The need certainly could be there for a new special teams coach.

 

[TimTheToolmanTebow]

Bidwells (misspelling intentional)are cheap. They don't want to win. They hate us fans. Mike B. beats his children and his dog.

When will this broken record wake up and realize this isn't their father's Cardinals? Anyone who doesn't understand how injuries affected this team this past season has their heads in the sand and refuse to accept reality. 21 wins in the past two seasons, core players retained and one of the biggest and highly paid coaching staffs in the NFL and the Bidwells are still cheap. Unbelievable.

zero playoff wins

that is the reality

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I think we are pretty close. Most people are saying that we need to upgrade RB, OG, and ILB and that is correct. However, those are probably the 3 easiest positions on the team to find upgrades. The thing, I think, that is keeping the Cards from being elite is a dynamic pass rusher and those are hard to find. When Okafor is your best pass rusher, that's not good. He'd be an excellent secondary rusher but the Cards have needed a force getting after the QB for awhile now. The good thing is Keim and Arians both have acknowledged as much and reportedly try to swing a deal to acquire promising Anthony Barr last year. That's why I would be very pleased if the Cards traded up to get Shane Ray this year. Sitting at 24 and hoping an elite pass rusher falls into your lap is risky at best and almost has zero chance of happening. I would even trade all the way up to 3, in Jacksonville's spot, who are in a great position to trade down, and grab Ray. In fact, I'll work on that from the Jax end of things .

Needs:
Pass Rusher- Ray, check
ILB- Washington returns, Minter develops, check
OG- Cooper gets in shape plays like a top 10 pick, check
RB- strong RB draft class, draft one like Yeldon, check

Those are not unrealistic scenarios. Minter, Cooper, and even Watford can be huge to Cards success/struggles next year.

 

[oaken1]

we all have our opinions...some are about gut feelings, emotions for the team, and occasionally some football experience tossed in for good measure................ you ask, "How close are the Cardinals'..

I have no idea how close they are....but I know how close they were.

2014 was our year...we were rolling...playing well on the road as well as at home.....all for a chance to go to the big dance right in our own house. A chance to make NFL history....
From a lifetime of competition and coaching one thing I can say with certainty is that there is no force in sport as powerful as internal motivation................ had this team hit the playoffs with home field advantage and a healthy roster it was over...hands down...smack yer granny.

but how close are they??..hell I dunno.....players will change,...coaches will change,...chemistry will change..... we might be back to 5-11 next year

 

[cardpa]

I think there are 3 players on the current roster that can have a huge impact on the direction the team will go. If Cooper, Watford and Minter can develop into quality starters then that goes a long way to fixing two large problems the team has now. It also addresses some of the run game problems and to an extent the passing game. On defense it can help to solidify the middle of the defense. These are big ifs.

From here addressing the other needs becomes easier through FA and the draft. It's very possible to find a WR and possibly a RB via FA. Then address an OLB and CB in the draft. The QB position is what it is and isn't going to change save for a trade for Glennon or Foles with a long shot of getting Dalton. I think the coaching staff can fix any problems/shortcomings any of these QBs have.

 

[slinslin]

The offense has questionmarks all over the field.

1. No TE production
2. No more standout WR (Fitzgerald declining, Floyd soso)
3. No consistent RB production
4. Health of Palmer

Maybe offensive line is the least of their problems.

Cards are not close at all right now, next year is back to square one. They could have another very good season or be terrible.

It really depends on Palmer.

 

[az240zz]

Everyone keeps complaining about the punting. Remember Butler was brought in because our regular punter was injured. I think we will be okay next year, when Zastadul [sp] comes back.

 

[kerouac9]

I think we are pretty far away. It is easy to go from 6-10 to 10-6. It is difficult to go from 11/5 to Super Bowl. Point being, are we closer to the Cincinnati Bengals or the New England Patriots/Seahawks?

I agree with this. I don't think that it's actually that difficult to go from 11-5 to the Super Bowl--it's not that difficult to go from 10-6 to the Super Bowl, if the path breaks the right way. The Giants twice won the Super Bowl from that perspective, and the Packers won it once.

The problem is that we're not good enough to beat the Seahawks. We're just not. There's not much we can do right now to change that, unless Seattle decides to tear that all apart.

I'm confident that we have a chance to beat every other team in the NFC, at home or on the road, with Carson Palmer under center. But right now I don't think we stand a 1-20 chance against Seattle, either at home or on the road.

And with maybe three seasons of Carson Palmer left, that's a real problem, IMO.

 

[Chopper0080]

I think we are pretty far away. It is easy to go from 6-10 to 10-6. It is difficult to go from 11/5 to Super Bowl. Point being, are we closer to the Cincinnati Bengals or the New England Patriots/Seahawks?

Agreed. We don't do anything, besides stop the run, at a Super Bowl level. Our offense is bad. That needs to be fixed, because we don't dictate anything on offense. We need to get more athletic on defense at the linebacker position, and play more agressively in the secondary. We need to be able to generate a pass rush with a 4 man rush even if we prefer to blitz.

Seattle has proven you don't need an elite offense to get to the Super Bowl, but you need one who can move the ball, and convert when necessary. I think that can be done with Palmer at QB, but he is going to need a ton of help.

I like that we are a playoff team, but I would like it more if we were a serious contender. Keim and Arians have work to do.

 

[slinslin]

Seattle has proven you don't need an elite offense to get to the Super Bowl, but you need one who can move the ball, and convert when necessary. I think that can be done with Palmer at QB, but he is going to need a ton of help.

They have an elite QB and an elite RB and a good offensive line.

Compared to the Cards they have an elite offense.