For years the Arizona Cardinals have been good for one thing--taking up space. Their best season came back in 2001 when they won seven games. Last season they were a paltry 5-11. Could this season really be any different? Since the Cardinals had money to spend this off-season, they went out and picked up running back Edgerrin James. Will this move be enough to propel the hapless Arizona Cardinals into a possible playoff scenario?
Quarterback
It's hard to believe that Kurt Warner is still around. He had some great years, but he's highly injury prone. When Warner is healthy and on his game he can toss 300 yard games with the best of them. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often. If Warner goes down, the Arizona Cardinals have no viable replacement. It's really going to come down to the offense line protecting their quarterback. Perhaps the addition of a superstar running back will help some.
Running Back
Anyone that's been watching the NFL for a least one year knows the name Edgerrin James. He's a former cog in the wheel of the Indianapolis Colts high-powered offense. Now he comes to the desert hoping to revive a struggling offense. The Cardinals had been lacking a good rushing attack. Now that James is in camp, that problem looks to be solved. Practically overnight the Arizona Cardinals go from having a nonexistent running game to being one of the best in the NFC.
Receivers
There's little to argue about when it comes to the receiving unit for the Arizona Cardinals. First, you have Larry Fitzgerald who's a big-play receiver. He made the Pro Bowl last season, and he should play very well again. Next, there's Anquan Boldin. While he's not going to burn cornerbacks down the field, he's a solid possession receiver. Finally, there's Leonard Pope. He's a rookie out of Georgia who's fast and athletic. He could be the next good tight end in the NFL. All of these guys have one thing in common--they're young.
Defense and Special Teams
The defense of the Arizona Cardinals is lacking. It's a mix of aging veterans, inexperienced starters and injury prone players. The defensive unit really needs the offense to step it up, because they're not going to stop anyone. The secondary of the Arizona Cardinals is pretty bad and the team didn't draft anyone to help fill the gaps. The Cardinals have a pretty decent special teams unit, which is anchored by a Pro Bowl kicker Neil Rackers and former Pro Bowl punter Scott player. During the preseason, the Arizona Cardinals will be looking for a solid return man.
2006 Prediction
While Arizona Cardinals fans are extremely optimistic thanks partly to the addition of Edgerrin James, they should temper their hope a bit. It's been quite a while since the Arizona Cardinals have won over seven games and this doesn't seem to be the year they will do it. Their schedule is fairly meaty with a healthy dose of better teams. If the Cardinals can beat the weaker teams, like San Francisco, Oakland and Detroit, they might get to six or seven wins this season. In the end, it should be another losing season.
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