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2009 Team Report: Arizona Cardinals

Quarterbacks

Starter: Kurt Warner
Backup(s): Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre

Starting QB: After a Pro Bowl season in which he led the team to its first Super Bowl, long-in-the-tooth veteran Kurt Warner looks to return as the Cardinals' starter in 2009, but don't be fooled by his age. Warner still makes quick reads and strong, accurate throws, and he is blessed with the best receiving tandem in the league. That said, there is reason to be concerned about his hip injury. Warner is taking it slow right now, but his recovery will need to be 100 percent for him to be as effective as last year. The two main concerns with Warner outside of his hip injury are the offensive line and the potential departure of WR Anquan Boldin. Warner's quick release hid many of the OL issues in 2008. If the OL does not improve in every facet of pass protection and run blocking, there may be too much pressure on Warner to perform. Without improved OL play, injury and turnovers are as likely as a repeat of his phenomenal 2008. On the flip side, if the line improves, Warner should have another Top 5 fantasy finish.

Backup QB: Over the last two years, Matt Leinart has played his way out of a starting role. It is highly unlikely he will steal the role back from Warner. Absent injury, he is not likely to see much playing time this year. If pressed into action, however, he would be blessed by a trio of potent receivers in their prime. And, if he is the clear starter at any point this year, he should be considered a decent to solid QB2. Brian St. Pierre is an afterthought at this point but could hold minimal value in dynasty leagues, especially if the owner envisions an open competition after Warner retires.

Running Backs

Starter: Tim Hightower
Backup(s): Chris Wells [R], Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling [R]
Fullback(s): Dan Kreider

Starting RB: The Cardinals did not get rid of Edgerrin James without a significant level of confidence in Tim Hightower. Despite drafting Chris Wells in the first round, Hightower will begin the camps as the team's starting running back. He made a big name for himself in 2008 with his short yardage and goal line proficiency. On third or fourth and less than two yards, he averaged 2.6 YPC. That means that most of the time he got the first down. Moreover, nine of his 10 rushing TDs came from inside the five-yard line. Hightower was also proficient in two areas that are difficult for rookie RBs to master -- blocking and receiving. Those two skills alone should insure Hightower the inside track on starting. That said, the offensive line is atrocious, and Hightower will likely be embroiled in a committee with Wells, especially while the team drives between the 20s. As a triple threat (blocking, catching, running), Hightower is simply too important to the team's goal line package to consider Wells a superior fantasy force, but Hightower is, at best, a solid RB2 with the threat of Wells stealing carries.

Backup RBs: The Cardinals jettisoned all their running backs from last year except Tim Hightower. Marcel Shipp and J.J. Arrington are gone, replaced by rookies Chris Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling and mildly talented Jason Wright. Wells is obviously the best prospect. At 6'3 and 230 pounds, Wells is built to take the pounding of a starting RB. Even though he is blessed with a nice burst through the line and a power RB body, until we see him play against NFL defenses, we do not know if he is Jerome Bettis or Ron Dayne. Right now, he could be either. Wells will be hurt a bit by the NFL rule stating a player may not participate in minicamps (other than the rookie camp) until his college is finished with classes. That means he'll miss most of the May OTAs. Wright was a moderate talent with Cleveland. He had some flashes and has good hands, but is not a serious threat as anything more than a change of pace back. LaRod Stephens-Howling is another body who could be transitioned to the practice squad if roster room becomes tight.

Fullback: Dan Kreider provides a traditional battering ram for the tailbacks, but is limited offensively beyond that.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
Backups: Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Jerheme Urban

Starting WRs: There are insufficient superlatives to describe WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They are a better pairing than Warner enjoyed with Holt/Bruce and probably better than Manning enjoyed with Harrison/Wayne in their prime. Fitzgerald is the franchise. He is young, insanely talented, tough, coachable, a solid character, happy and paid. Boldin is the same outside of the last two adjectives. After another offseason of trade speculation, expect the team to satisfy Boldin with a new contract rather than trade him or let him hold out into the season. Simply put, the team needs Boldin in uniform this season, and that's what will happen. The guy sacrificed his body and his contract to the team for a year, and the team will probably recognize that by the time the season draws near. Boldin proved he can miss significant time and come back and play at a high level. Steve Breaston is an excellent third receiver. He is not a Pro Bowl player, but he is capable of turning in a handful of nice games.

Backup WRs: This is a deep crew of receivers. The Cardinals intend to play a lot of spread offense, and Breaston showed last year he's more than capable of delivering when called upon. That also means the fourth and fifth receivers hold some value -- especially in leagues that require three starting WRs. Early Doucet did not impress much as a rookie, but he will have a chance to flash his speed and step into a supporting role. Tall and lanky veteran Jerheme Urban, on the other hand, had a few decent games while filling in for injuries to Anquan Boldin and looked fantastic in the preseason. He is an adequate fourth WR in this offense and a fantasy WR5 with upside in deeper leagues.

Tight Ends

Starters: Stephen Spach
Backups: Ben Patrick, Anthony Becht

The tight end has been an afterthought in the Cardinals offense and, given the lack of attention the team gave to the OL in the offseason, we can expect the TE to be closer to an additional lineman than a receiving threat in this offense. Leonard Pope was released and the Cardinals appear set on a committee approach this year. Stephen Spach will 'start' but be used interchangeably with Ben Patrick and Anthony Becht. No Arizona TE caught a touchdown in 2008, and it is likely no more than two or three scores emerge from the group.

Place Kicker

Neil Rackers : Last year the Cardinals edged up to 15th in kicker scoring, while Neil Rackers went 25 of 28 (89.3 percent) on field goals. In 2007 they had dropped to 17th, after having been 8th in 2006 and first in 2005. It's easy to remember that 2005 season when Rackers hit 95.2 percent on field goals, but also easy to forget that he has hit under 80 percent on six of his nine years in the league. Rackers has struggled from long range the last three years, hitting only 5 of 18 on 50+ yard field goals. He still has the range for the longer kicks, if not the accuracy, and still piles up touchbacks on kickoffs. The last two years saw a shift to more PATs and fewer FG attempts for Rackers, as the offense performed well under the Whisenhunt regime. Heading into 2009 the team is coming off a tough loss in the Super Bowl and has new coordinators on both offense and defense. A slight drop in Rackers' point production compared to 2008 is reasonable.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Steve Breaston, Jason Wright, Chris Wells, Early Doucet, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, LaRod Stephens-Howling

WR Steve Breaston, one of the fastest players in the 2007 draft class, served as the return specialist during his rookie year. He returned 62 kickoffs for 1389 yards (22.4 avg.). Last year, as his role on offense increased, he shared time on kickoffs (33 returns, 20.2 avg.) with the since departed RB J.J. Arrington. In 2009 the team would like to once again limit Breaston's role on kickoffs. Possible candidates to fill the Arrington role all have very limited experience. They include newly acquired RB Jason Wright, who returned five kickoffs during four years with Cleveland, and WR Sean Morey (2 returns, 11.5 avg.). First round draft choice RB Chris Wells from Ohio State will get a look despite not having any returns in college. Speedster WR Early Doucet averaged 16.9 yards on kickoff returns on limited touches at LSU, but did not have any returns as a rookie last year. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is another speedster that also ran on the track team for Tennessee State, where he averaged 23.9 yards on kickoffs during his college career. He is a last resort on kickoff returns given his importance on defense. Seventh round draft pick RB LaRod Stephens-Howling averaged 21.4 yards on kickoff returns during his senior year at Pitt and scored once during his freshman year. UDFA rookie WR Michael Ray Garvin was second in the nation last year with a 30.1 yard average on 22 kickoff returns for Florida State; however he is probably a long shot to make the final roster. Breaston could end up handling more kickoff returns than the team would like.

Punt Returners: Steve Breaston, Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Early Doucet

Steve Breaston handled every punt return for the Cardinals the last two years (42 returns and 9.4 avg. in 2007, 33 returns and 7.2 avg. last year). He scored once during his rookie year. With his combined KR and PR numbers, he was the 3rd ranked fantasy returner for 2007, but dropped to 22nd last year. Safety Antrel Rolle has not returned punts since his college days at Miami. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie averaged 7.3 yards on six college career punt returns. Early Doucet averaged only 5.0 yards on his four college career punt returns. The Cardinals have ranked 14th, 10th, and 14th in fantasy returns points the last three years.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Mike Gandy, LG Reggie Wells, C Lyle Sendlein, RG Deuce Lutui, RT Levi Brown
Key Backups: G Elton Brown, C Ben Claxton, OG Brandon Keith, OT Herman Johnson

The Cardinals offense continued to struggle running the football in 2008, finishing dead last in rushing yards. The Cardinals did manage to score 14 rushing touchdowns though. There is some debate whether the blame falls onto the scheme, the offensive line or ineffective running back play. This young offensive line is beginning to round into form. All five starters played in sixteen games last season, and all five return as starters this season. The pass blocking was sound in 2008, and the entire performance from this unit should be even better this season.

Team Defense

As was the case in 2007, the Cardinals struggled to keep offenses from scoring and managed only middle of the league finishes in sacks and interceptions. However, they finished in the middle of most leagues' fantasy rankings on the strength of six combined defensive and special teams touchdowns. Despite their 2008 Super Bowl run, Arizona elected to shake up the defense by firing coordinator Clancy Pendergast. The new coaches don't plan on changing the team's aggressive approach. That's good news for those in leagues with scoring systems that favor big plays over stingy points and yardage numbers. The Cardinals are still flush with playmakers at every level. DE/DT Darnell Dockett, LB Karlos Dansby, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, FS Antrel Rolle and SS Adrian Wilson are all capable of generating big plays and defensive points. Consider this group a strong DST2 in leagues that heavily reward big plays.

Defensive Line

Starters: Bertrand Berry DE/OLB, Calais Campbell DE, Darnell Dockett DT/DE, Bryan Robinson DT
Backups: Kenny Iwebema DE, Gabe Watson DT, Alan Branch DT

Starting DL: Positional designations are almost arbitrary given Arizona's constantly morphing 3-4/4-3 looks. Berry was a coveted free agent acquisition on the strength of an 11.5 sack outburst with Denver in 2003. Upon retraining as a part time pass rushing 3-4 OLB in the Cards kaleidoscopic, multi-tasking scheme, he looked like an excellent signing after his inaugural 2004 campaign in Arizona, in which he set career highs in sacks (14.5) and FFs (4). Berry hasn't sniffed DD sacks in the four seasons since, missing 23 contests in that span. He took a pay cut to return in 2008, and turns 34 in the preseason. Campbell is slotted to replace departed former starter Antonio Smith. The 2008 2nd rounder is a requisitely behemoth 3-4 DE at 6'7" 280. While Campbell has impressive athleticism and quickness for such a large human, based on his rookie season (25 solos and 0 sacks in limited action), he will probably figure more prominently in the run game. In a recurring theme, Dockett has the rare constellation of traits (6'4" 285) and versatile skill set (an INT from 2004-2006) to be effective as a 4-3 UT and 3-4 DE. While playing 3-4 DE isn't conducive to generating huge numbers (more than 4 sacks just once in his five NFL seasons), the Cards realize his value to their system. Yet they are unlikey to cave in to his outspoken demands for a new contract, as core defenders Adrian Wilson and Karlos Dansby are next in line, as might be star WR Anquan Boldin. Robinson has less than ideal size (6'4" 305) for a NT, and the former UFA turns 35 before the season.

Backup DL: Iwebema is a 2008 4th rounder that lacks the elite agility and quickness to ever be a star, but he has pretty good size (6'4" 275) and power, plus an impressive motor to be an effective and useful wave player in the DL rotation. Fourth year player Watson has the size (6'3" 330) to be in the mix at NT, and perhaps start eventually. The Cards traded up to get Branch with the first pick in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft (scouts graded him out as a potential 1st rounder), but so far he has been an unmitigated bust.

Linebackers

Starters: Karlos Dansby OLB/ILB, Gerald Hayes MLB/ILB, Chike Okeafor OLB/DE
Backups: Cody Brown OLB [R], Clark Haggans OLB, Will Davis OLB [R], Ali Highsmith OLB, Pago Togafau MLB

Starting LBs: Dansby is one of the most talented LBs in the game. Playing in every regular season game in 2008 for the first time in his five year NFL career, the former Auburn 2nd rounder had perhaps his finest campaign (95 solos, 4 sacks, 2 INTs and 2 FFs). He is a physical freak and athletic phenom with the COD ability and ball skills one would expect from a former nationally recruited WR (before blowing up into LB dimensions). His rare combo of size (6'4" 250), strength, speed, explosiveness and agility enable him to effortlessly shuttle back and forth between 3-4 ILB and 4-3 OLB, making him a perfect scheme fit. Scarily for NFC West opponents, Dansby is just 27, appears to be getting better each season and could still have more upside. Arizona's designated franchise player, the front office has recently reported to be making more aggressive overtures to lock him up to a long term extension. Dansby would seem to have the leverage here, as he would be incredibly difficult to replace, and his multi-faceted array of skills would be highly in demand if he hits the open market. Hayes is a thumper, with good size (6'1" 250), athleticism and well rounded game (career highs of 3 INTs - 2006, 80+ solos and 4 sacks - 2007, 4 FFs - 2008) for the ILB/MLB role in the Cards system. The underrated 2003 Pitt 3rd rounder would probably have greater notoriety around the league if not for playing in the giant shadow cast by Dansby. Ex-49er/Seahawk Okeafor is similar to Berry in skill set, career arc... and age (33).

Backup LBs: Brown (6'2" 245) was selected near the end of the 2008 2nd round. The former hand on the ground DE comes from perennial basketball powerhouse and suddenly burgeoning football factory UConn, and faces the challenging and uncertain transition to stand up 3-4 OLB, navigated with mixed success by conversion predecessors Berry and Okeafor. With so many front seven pass rushers like Berry, Okeafor and Haggans approaching their mid-thirties, the Cards need to start reloading, especially since that transition can sometimes be several years in development (3-4 rush backers par excellance Joey Porter and James Harrison didn't emerge overnight with fully formed skills). After losing OLBs Calvin Pace and Daryl Blackstock in the 2008 free agency period, HC Ken Whisenhunt brought in a familiar face in ex-Steeler Haggans. He failed to register many impact plays, with just a lone sack last season. Somewhat of a late bloomer that was a never a star to begin with, the 32 year old Haggans best days are almost certainly behind him. The Cards reportedly like former LSU UFA Ali Highsmith, but he suffered a knee injury-abbreviated rookie season.

Defensive Backs

Starters: Adrian Wilson SS, Antrel Rolle FS, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB, Bryant McFadden CB
Backups: Aaron Francisco SS, Rashad Johnson FS [R], Matt Ware FS, Ralph Brown CB, Michael Adams CB, Greg Toler CB [R]

Starting DBs: Wilson is one of the top safeties in the league. Similar to Dansby, he is a ridiculously freakish, positional prototype-exploding athlete. Also like Dansby, Wilson is looking for a new contract, where he is expecting to be among the highest paid defenders in the game. His embodiment of rarely juxtaposed MLB size (6'3" 230), CB speed and the range and ball skills of a safety contribute to what makes him such a special player, but he also has outstanding instincts in run support and timing on the blitz... he owns the NFL record for sacks by a DB with 8, set in 2005 (a year in which he also had 93 solos, 1 INT and 1 FF, in what had to be one of the greatest seasons overall by a DB, EVER). Rolle was a top 10 pick in 2005 who has had a roller coaster career in Arizona. He responded to bust rumblings with a 5 INT, 3 TD coming out party in 2007, after which he made a seamless transition from nickle CB to starting FS last season (a defensive Achilles heel for years). Many scouts predicted this would ultimately prove to be the most natural and best fit for his skill set at the next level. Antonio Cromartie's cousin and fellow prodigy Dominique made a name for himself with an electrifying rookie season (4 INTs starting part time). The former Tennessee State standout allayed level of competition concerns by rapidly ascending from nickle CB to starting in the Super Bowl. DRC is EASILY the franchise's best CB since Aeneas Williams, and has massive, serial Pro Bowl upside. After giving up a league-worst 36 passing TDs, the Cards dumped former starting CBs Eric Green and Rod Hood, snatching up another ex-Steeler in free agency, Bryant McFadden, who comprises a big upgrade in talent.

Backup DBs: Francisco provides veteran depth and is an adequate reserve with starting experience, but with limited pass coverage and ball skills (which are handy for a safety). Former Alabama 3rd rounder Johnson was one of the more highly regarded free safeties in the class of 2009, and could be groomed as Rolle's successor if the front office and coaching staff opt to not retain him in the future (his salary could escalate by $5 million in 2010). Far from the prototype in pedigree or measurables, the ex-walk on isn't particularly fast and reportedly played at a CB-like 185-190 lbs. last year (though weighing in at the Combine with a more robust 200+ lbs.). But HC and secondary cognoscenti Nick Saban raved about his football IQ, which, amplifying his superior instincts and aerial skills, allowed him to find the ball 11 times in the past two years combined. He was the QB and leader of a very good Crimson Tide stop unit. Former UCLA standout and Eagle discard Ware is a gifted athlete entering his fourth year in the desert. Brown is undersized but scrappy.

Last modified: 2009-09-06 14:45:29