Offseason Preview: Arizona Cardinals

February 9, 2010 7:30am CST

Arizona Cardinals
2009 record: 10-6
2010 first-round pick: No. 25
Head coach: Ken Whisenhunt

Areas of Need: The Cardinals fell short in their quest to repeat as NFC Champs and now must move forward without star quarterback Kurt Warner, who retired in January. Matt Leinart takes over as the starter but questions abound about whether he's capable of maintaining Arizona's offensive excellence given the shortcomings and lack of ability he has shown so far in his career. Leinart has thrown only 14 touchdowns in his first four seasons compared to 20 interceptions. With the shaky Leinart now under center, the Cardinals will need to improve their depth at quarterback. Signing a stable veteran would be a wise investment in the offseason.

The skill positions are the strength of this team. Chris Wells and Tim Hightower form a strong 1-2 punch in the backfield. Wells is a dynamic talent who rushed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. Look for his role to grow in his second season. The only question at wide receiver is whether Anquan Boldin will return. Boldin's contract will expire after next season and he's expected to be made available via trade this offseason. Several teams are reportedly interested with the Dolphins and Ravens arguably his most ardent suitors. Even if Boldin is dealt, the Cardinals are loaded at wide receiver. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the top-three receivers in the game and there is plenty of quality talent and depth around him, led by Steve Breaston, Early Doucet and Jerheme Urban. If Boldin departs, Breaston will move into the starting lineup opposite Fitzgerald. The biggest issue in the passing game is the lack of talent at tight end. Arizona tight ends caught a meager 23 passes last season, led by Ben Patrick's 12. This is a position the Cardinals need to shore up.

Arizona has some work to do on the offensive line - especially with the savvy Warner no longer under center. Tackles Mike Gandy and Levi Brown allowed 75 percent of the 24 sacks on Warner last season, while Brown was also the seventh-most penalized offensive tackle in the league. Considering that the Cardinals passed on Adrian Peterson to select Brown, his shortcomings are a major issue so far. Reggie Wells and Deuce Lutui were solid as run blockers but also struggled at times in terms of pass protection. Center Lyle Sendlein had a solid season and looks like a keeper.

Defensively, the Cardinals were all over the map. They ranked 20th in total yards and allowed 20.3 points per game. Their highs and lows were perfectly illustrated in the playoff win over Green Bay when they surrendered a staggering 45 points to the Packers, but came up with the game-winning defensive touchdown in overtime.

There is some fine individual talent here, led by safety Adrian Wilson, linebacker Karlos Dansby, defensive end Darnell Dockett and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Dockett, Wilson and Rodgers-Cromartie all made the Pro Bowl. Defensive end Calais Campbell flashed plenty of talent in his first season as a starter, tying for the team lead in sacks with seven and leading the team in quarterback pressures with 28. The biggest need on defense is at cornerback opposite Rodgers-Cromartie where Bryant McFadden had a disappointing campaign. McFadden failed to record an interception last season and allowed the fifth-most receiving yardage in the league. His tenure in Arizona may end this offseason. If free safety Antrel Rolle departs as a free agent, the Cardinals will need to address this position as well.

Finding Help: The Cardinals have 13 of their top contributors headed for free agency. They are: linebacker Karlos Dansby, nose tackle Bryan Robinson, linebacker Chike Okeafor, linebacker Bertrand Berry, tackle Mike Gandy, kicker Neil Rackers, tight end Anthony Becht, fullback Dan Kreider, safety Matt Ware, tight end Ben Patrick, guard Deuce Lutui, center Lyle Sendlein and wide receiver Steve Breaston.

With such a heavy list of their own free agents to work on, it's unlikely the Cardinals will be major players in terms of trying to sign outside free agents. So they are must make the draft count in terms of adding quality talent and depth.

The Cardinals could look to address their glaring need at tight end with their first-round pick in the April draft. Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham is expected to be on the board and he possesses a fine combination of speed, height and receiving skills. In time, he could become another potent weapon in the Cardinals' offensive arsenal.

Offensive tackle is another are of need so the Cardinals could target Maryland's Bruce Campbell if he is still on the board. Charles Brown of USC is another possible option. Other possibilities the Cardinals could consider late in the first round are linebackers Eric Norwood of South Carolina and Koa Misi of Utah and cornerback Cam Thomas from North Carolina.

In addition to solving the Boldin dilemma, the Cardinals also face a potentially difficult offseason with Darnell Dockett. His contract expires after 2011 and he wants an extension finalized before the 2010 season. That situation bears watching and could result in the Cardinals addressing the defensive line as protection in the draft.

With the shaky Leinart now starting, finding a veteran backup quarterback is a must. Among the possible options for Arizona to pursue this offseason are Chad Pennington, Chris Redman and Jon Kitna.

2010 Fantasy Outlook: The Cardinals are loaded with potential fantasy impact players but it all depends on what Leinart can deliver at quarterback. If he falters, the offensive production will suffer a major hit. If he can at least be average, the chances for fantasy greatness awaits.

It all starts with Larry Fitzgerald, one of the game's elite receivers. Fitzgerald has been a top-five fantasy receiver in four of the past five seasons, and has topped 95 receptions each of the past three. Obviously, his value hinges heavily on Leinart so there is some risk attached to Fitzgerald for the first time in quite awhile. If Boldin is traded as expected, Steve Breaston becomes a starter and will carry WR2 potential. Breaston has caught 132 passes the past two seasons while working primarily as the team's No. 3 receiver. For those in deeper leagues, Early Doucet is a worthy end game sleeper if he moves into the No. 3 role. Doucet flashed signs of his potential in the playoffs, catching 14 passes and two touchdowns in a pair of games.

Beanie Wells had a strong finish to the 2009 season and should garner a larger role in the offense in 2010. Wells topped 65 yards rushing in six of his final eight games despite being in a timeshare with Tim Hightower. He also enjoyed a productive run during the fantasy playoffs, scoring three touchdowns during Weeks 14-16. He isn't a smooth receiver at this time, so look for Hightower (who caught 63 passes in 2009) to continue to see action as the third-down running back. But it would be a major surprise if Wells didn't emerge as the starter next season and get 15-20 carries a game. The only question with Beanie is durability. But if he can stay healthy, he has RB1 upside - even if Hightower remains in the mix.