SB Nation - Elton Brown

The Steve Keim Scorecard

John Morgan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:50:25 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Seattle Seahawks fans are unused to repeat failure. Perhaps a Cardinals suit can make them more familiar with the feeling.

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Adam Schefter reports that Steve Keim is among Seattle's ten general manager candidates. This is a quick and dirty attempt to review his performance in Arizona.

Organization: Arizona Cardinals

Position(s): Player Personnel Director (May 2008), College Scouting Director (June 2006), Regional Scout (1999)

Curious that perhaps the most defamed team in the NFC, bad from when the Lions and Rams were good, is now auditioning personnel for promotion to other teams. Thus is the fickle world of the NFL. I don't like it, and I don't like Keim's boss Rod Graves. Graves has served with Arizona since 1997, and few franchises in any sport can claim a longer period of losing, instability and apathy from their fans. But, by all means, let's break off a piece of that talent factory.

Keim scouted the east for Arizona, and, undoubtedly, the southeast specifically. Let us first look at the players we can be most confident Keim had a hand in scouting. I singled out picks made from Keim's particular scouting area, and listed the round, overall pick, name and college.

2000

1) 7 Thomas Jones RB Virginia

2) 41 Raynoch Thompson OLB Tennessee

3) 71 Darwin Walker DT Tennessee

Jones is still around but was a huge bust for Arizona. He split time with Michael Pittman, never averaged more than 3.7 yards per carry and was traded before the end of his rookie contract.

Raynoch Thompson sort of speaks for himself: Who is Raynoch Thompson? He was an undersized Vol linebacker that was out of the league by 2004. He is still only 32, meaning he was cut in his prime.

Darwin Walker played for that same undefeated Tennessee team as Thompson. He didn't play for the Cardinals, who cut him before a single start and after only one regular season game. Walker was claimed by the Eagles off waivers and became a productive five-year starter for some stout Eagles defenses.

2001

2) 54 Michael Stone DB Memphis

3) 64 Adrian Wilson DB North Carolina State

4) 98 Bill Gramatica K South Florida

4) 123 Marcus Bell DT Memphis

Stone never broke through with the Cardinals and is now out of the league.

Adrian Wilson is an unconditional success. Wilson and Keim share an alma mater. He is now considered among the best safeties in the NFL. This is exploiting a hometown connection to pick an absolute steal in the third. Too bad, I guess, that NC State is hardly a talent factory.

Kicker in the fourth. Kicker in the fourth. Kicker in the fourth.

Marcus Bell is out of the league after three seasons with Arizona and three seasons with Detroit.

2002

2) 49 Levar Fisher LB North Carolina State

Fisher is the only member of the 2002 class we can be pretty sure Keim had a significant say in drafting. Fisher was a standout at NC State, but lost his career to knee injuries. Fisher has knee problems in college, so this failure falls on Keim.

2003

1) 17 Bryant Johnson WR Penn State

1) 18 Calvin Pace DE Wake Forest

2) 54 Anquan Boldin WR Florida State

Johnson has been a disappointment since entering the league. He was surpassed by Boldin in their respective rookie seasons and is now a minor player for the Detroit Lions.

Arizona selected Pace with its next pick and he was a bust before Ken Whisenhunt switched him to outside linebacker in 2007. No credit is given Keim.

Boldin was a win for all involved, if, perhaps, a crapshoot win. Boldin was a quarterback and wide receiver at Florida State that suffered serious knee injuries in college and then ran a 4.71 forty. I respect Keim for seeing the potential in Boldin, but I do not think anyone expected Boldin to be so good. His health has never improved and he still regularly misses time because of injury.

2004

2) 33 Karlos Dansby OLB Auburn

3) 64 Darnell Dockett DT Florida State

Maybe this is Keim picking up speed and proving his potential. Dansby has been solid since being signed and still starts for Arizona. Of course, that's to be expected from a linebacker selected with the first pick of the second round.

Dockett has been a starter since his rookie season and a lynchpin on the Cardinals ever-in-flux defensive line. Over the past three seasons, he's been one of the best defensive linemen in football. He was considered a first-round talent, but also an underachiever and a major risk because of his battles with coaches, troubles with the law, and, specifically, his conviction for misdemeanor theft.

2005

1) 8 Antrel Rolle DB Miami (Florida)

3) 75 Eric Green DB Virginia Tech

3) 95 Darryl Blackstock LB Virginia

4) 111 Elton Brown G Virginia

Rolle is a corner bust since shifted to safety. He has played decent at safety, but credit for that goes to the person who made the move: Whisenhunt.

Green was an intermittent starter, mostly between injuries, that is now out of the league.

Blackstock is now out of the league. He played sparingly for Arizona before being signed by the Bengals -- another well run organization.

Brown was a seldom starter for the often very bad Cardinals offensive line that is now playing in the USFL.

2006

3) 72 Leonard Pope TE Georgia

6) 177 Jonathan Lewis DT Virginia Tech

Pope is a situational tight end and among the worst players at his position in the NFL.

Lewis participated in four games in 2006 and never again played in the NFL.

At this point, Keim was promoted to Director of College Scouting and can be debited or credited for the Cardinals entire draft class.

2007

1 5 Levi Brown OT Penn State

2 33 Alan Branch DT Michigan

3 69 Buster Davis LB Florida State

5 142 Steve Breaston WR Michigan

7 215 Ben Patrick TE Delaware

Brown is a middling power right tackle that isn't significantly better than Ray Willis. Bust.

Branch is a pretty typical Keim pick: Highly touted prospect, thought of as a top ten pick before a nasty run of belligerence and bad effort knocked him off most draft boards. Branch is three years into his professional career, still every bit the monster he was in college, and still a rotational player buried on the Cardinals depth chart.

Buster Davis was a terrible pick when made. Davis was an undersized, see: 5'9", linebacker completely unfit for Whisenhunt's preferred 3-4 alignment. He was cut before his rookie season, has since bounced around and is now out of the league.

Breaston was a return monster at Michigan State that has developed into a very good slot receiver. Keim must be credited for, first, securing a good returner in the sixth, and moreover, seeing that Breaston was turning the corner as a receiver. A big win for Keim, on a pick I was very skeptical about.

Patrick is the Cardinals starting tight end, but largely an afterthought in the team's offense. Patrick was a toolsy sleeper that's produced some, but is mostly a starter by default, and still more H-back than tight end.

2008

1) 16 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State

2) 50 Calais Campbell DE Miami (Fla.)

3) 81 Early Doucet WR Louisiana State

4) 116 Kenny Iwebema DE Iowa

5) 149 Tim Hightower RB Richmond

6) 185 Chris Harrington LB Texas A&M

7) 225 Brandon Keith T Northern Iowa

This is the draft that made Keim a general manager candidate and his fingerprints are all over it. DRC was a tools messiah that shot up boards during the pre-draft process. He never faced top competition in college, and many, including myself, questioned his ability to cover NFL talent. Well, that question is yet unanswered. Cromartie certainly looks amazing-sometimes, but he is also regularly criticized for being out of position, burned and, well, not being able to cover NFL talent. The Cardinals, noteworthy in this case, are the second worst team in the NFL at defending #1 receivers and were 27^th in 2008. DRC is the unchallenged #1 corner in Arizona. He is only 23, and cover skills are slow to grow. Best to give this pick an "Incomplete". It's possible DRC puts it together and taps into his tremendous talent, and it's possible his flashy play hides a bad player.

Campbell was a slamdunk and is proving so in his second season. He is toolsy, growing into those tools, scheme correct and straight beastly.

I liked the Doucet pick at the time and still think he has a bright future. It's tough to measure his performance because he is buried on the Cardinals depth chart. Doucet suffered a lot of injuries in college and that might have sapped his speed.

Iwebama has proven to be a solid member of a good defensive line rotation. He was, and this will shock everyone that's read this far, a toolsy player that was knocked down boards because injury and off-field problems. His performance declined his senior season, something that hurt Campbell and Doucet's stock, too.

Hightower has proven himself a valuable receiver, but, then, who defends Tim Hightower when Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are on the field. He has since been de-emphasized in favor of Chris Wells. Hightower is a modest success.

Harrington is now a Jaguar.

Keith is still on Arizona's roster and has played in one game this season.

It's a little too early to make much of the 2009 draft, but it further supports the basic Keim profile. In brief: His preferred scouting area is the American South East. He likes toolsy players and does not bat a lash at character concerns. Keim swings for the fences and has a high whiff rate. The 2008 draft has produced solid players, but let's be clear: The Cardinals are finishing their third decade of terrible football. They made the Super Bowl last season, but were only 9-7 in the regular season. The team changed when it signed Ken Whisenhunt, and its recent success has been built off smart leadership, a weak division, years and years of early round picks, and Kurt Warner. Warner has recovered from a mid-career funk to make a case for the Hall of Fame. That's mighty lucky. Warner joined the Cardinals in 2005 and I do not see how Keim could be credited with his signing.

Maybe he interviews well. Maybe his most recent drafts, his most successful drafts, speak more clearly of his own abilities and potential, but I don't like his method, I am not impressed with his results and I don't want to sign a person that's been an integral part of one of the worst run franchises in sports history. For every one diamond in the rough, there's acres and acres more rough. And, right or wrong, executives must be judged both by the decisions they make and the company they keep.

Are the Cardinals Dealing with the Penalty Bug Already?

Andrew602 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner walks off the field after losing to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16 Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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After their first week, the Arizona Cardinals now find out that they've been hit with the penalty bug. It's a contagious little thing that goes around from player to player, causing them to act out during games, in ways that they're normally not accustomed to. The only way to cure the bug is hard discipline, and the fear of losing your job. In all seriousness, after one week, the Cardinals are already the worst team in the league with 12 penalties. Ken Whisenhunt wants a disciplined team, and will strive to make them that way. When talking to a local radio station on Monday, Whisenhunt blatantly said players need to focus, or he'll find somebody else to do their job. If that's not a wake up call, then I don't know what is. Penalties can be the downfall for any team, and the Cardinals were lucky enough last year to not let it ruin their season. Let's take a look at some statistics of the Cardinals recent struggles:

Last year the Cardinals were 28th in the league with 108 penaties(6.75/game) for 781 yards(48.8/Game), which was 21st in the league.
Do penalties really have an affect on the outcome of a game? Last year, in the Cardinals wins, they averaged 7.1 penalties a game, for 55.2 yards. In their losses, they averaged 5.1 a game, for 40.5 yards.
Through week 11 of last year, the Cardinals averaged 8 penalties a game, for 50 yards. From week 12 - 17, they averaged 4.5 a game for 40.1 yards. Clearly, Ken Whisenhunt was able to make something happen at that point in the season.
Have penalties always been a problem for the Cardinals? Think again. Starting in 2001 the Cardinals have slowly become one of the worst penalized teams, going from 5th('01), 2nd('02), 10th('03), 28th('04), 31st('05), 31st('06), 32nd(07), and 28th last year.

Looking at the third point, I can't help but wonder if Whisenhunt will use whatever tactics he used last year to improve the penalty problems that have already begun. One player that I'd like to point out is Deuce Lutui. He was often at the end of some harsh criticism(including from myself) for often committing penalties last year. He was facing heat from back up Elton Brown, and it seemed that we would eventually see the end of Lutui. If and whatever Whisenhunt did, must of worked, because after that week 11 win, Lutui was composed for the remainder of the season. Perhaps job security is the only way for Whisenhunt to get the message through to players. With that being said, let's take a look a some key drives from yesterday that were affected by penalties.

Example #1

1st and 10 at ARZ 29 - (10:25) T.Hightower up the middle to ARZ 30 for 1 yard (M.Lawson).
2nd and 9 at ARZ 30 - (9:43) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short left to L.Fitzgerald to SF 49 for 21 yards (D.Goldson).
> PENALTY on ARZ-L.Fitzgerald, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at ARZ 30 - No Play.
2nd and 19 at ARZ 20 - (9:13) PENALTY on ARZ-M.Gandy, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at ARZ 20 - No Play.
2nd and 24 at ARZ 15 - (8:54) T.Hightower up the middle to ARZ 21 for 6 yards (R.McDonald).
3rd and 18 at ARZ 21 - (8:14) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass deep right intended for J.Urban INTERCEPTED by P.Willis at ARZ 40. P.Willis to ARZ 36 for 4 yards (T.Hightower).

The drive looks to be promising, as we see a vintage Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald play. Unfortunately, a pass interference call on Fitz, results in 2nd and long. On the very next play, Mike Gandy is blown for a false start, putting them in worse field position. After a short Hightower run, Warner is picked off by Patrick Willis. It's Warner's fault for throwing the pick, but he wouldn't have needed to make that throw had it not been for the penalties.

Example #2

1st Quarter
1st and 10 at SF 44 - (3:44) S.Hill pass short left to D.Walker to ARZ 39 for 17 yards (B.McFadden).
1st and 10 at ARZ 39 - (2:55) S.Hill pass incomplete deep left to V.Davis (A.Wilson).
> PENALTY on ARZ-A.Wilson, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at ARZ 39 - No Play.
1st and 10 at ARZ 24 - (2:49) F.Gore up the middle to ARZ 24 for no gain (C.Campbell, C.Haggans).
2nd and 10 at ARZ 24 - (2:02) S.Hill pass incomplete short left to J.Morgan [C.Campbell].
3rd and 10 at ARZ 24 - (1:57) (Shotgun) S.Hill sacked at ARZ 32 for -8 yards (C.Okeafor).
4th and 18 at ARZ 32 - (1:28) J.Nedney 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Jennings, Holder-A.Lee.

This time the penalty on defense was the difference. As you can see, the 49ers were driving, before Adrian Wilson decided to lead with his helmet and proceed to lay out Vernon Davis. Now, I did get some satisfaction out of the hit and the fact that it was Davis at the receiving end, but Wilson should know by now not to lead with his helmet. The 15 yard penalty gives the Niners better position and are able to hit a 50 yard field goal, which would've been out of range without the penalty.

Example #3

4th Quarter
1st and 10 at SF 38 - (3:11) PENALTY on ARZ-S.Spach, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at SF 38 - No Play.
1st and 15 at SF 43 - (3:11) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete short left to J.Urban.
> PENALTY on ARZ-M.Gandy, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at SF 43 - No Play.
1st and 25 at ARZ 47 - (3:06) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short right to T.Hightower to SF 46 for 7 yards (S.Spencer).
2nd and 18 at SF 46 - (2:34) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short middle to J.Urban to SF 33 for 13 yards (S.Spencer).
3rd and 5 at SF 33 - (2:01) K.Warner pass incomplete deep right to J.Urban.
Two-Minute Warning
4th and 5 at SF 33 - (1:55) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass incomplete short left to T.Hightower [J.Smith].

The last example, and clearly the killer of the game, was in the fourth quarter. After a hard fought punt return by Antrel Rolle, everything was starting to fall into place for the Cardinals. A game winning touchdown was close, until the penalties happened. After a false start by Stephen Spach, and a hold on Gandy, the Cardinals finally began their drive with 1st and 25. After two passes to Hightower and one to Jerheme Urban, the Cardinals turn the ball over on downs. It's clear that without the penalties, the game may have been won.

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It's obvious that penalties effected these drives, so how can Whisenhunt change something as simple as a penalty. We already know that job security is a key factor, but positional drills and practice are what's going to have the main affect. Staying consistent to fix these problems is a must, and the teams need to individually work out the kinks. The Cardinals need to emphasize the importance of not committing penalties, then put them to the test. Whether it be running certain drills over and over again, or extensively watching game footage.

It's important for the Cardinals to establish an identity of a smart, disciplined football team, and committing 12 penalties a game is not a great start. Penalties are drive-killers, and the way the offense is playing, they need all the help they can get. I don't imagine that Whisenhunt will make any drastic depth chart moves, but you can't underestimate how far he's willing to go.

Arizona Cardinals Finalize Practice Squad and Add Veteran Offensive Tackle

Hawkwind — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:59:46 -0000

When the Arizona Cardinals cut their roster down to 53 players, head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that there could still be some 'tweaking' once the dust settled from other team's cuts and it didn't take long for him to take action. The Red Birds added veteran offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges, a former Cardinal who played here in 2004 and 2005. Bridges, a 29 year old former sixth round pick, has also played for the Eagles (who drafted him), Panthers and spent the summer and past couple of months with the Redskins. Over the past three seasons he started 28 games over the past three seasons at both guard and tackle (although not at the same time obviously). He was signed by the Redskins and expected to compete for the starting right tackle job but when he lost the job, he also lost a roster spot. Bridges gives the Cardinals much improved depth at offensive tackle and some flexibility should either Mike Gandy or Levi Brown suffer some type of injury. To make room for Bridges the Cardinals cut Elton Brown.

That wasn't the only move the Cardinals made yesterday though because they also filled out their eight man practice squad, finally. Almost immediately they added four players of their own, Ed Gant (WR), Trevor Canfield (G/C) and Alex Field (DE) and Keilen Dykes (DT/DE) and the team finally announced the remaining four players yesterday, OLB/DE Chris Harrington (cut by the Bengals), FB Fui Vakapuna (cut by the Bengals), ILB Lee Robinson (cut by the Broncos) and CB Rashad Barksdale (cut by the Jets). We should all be familiar with Chris Harrington as he was the Cardinals sixth round pick in 2008 and he quickly became an ROTB favorite (here and here). We'll have more on each of the new faces after the jump.....

Fui Vakapuna - Vakapuna was a seventh round pick of the Bengals this season after coming out of BYU where he split time as a power running back and a lead blocking fullback. By all accounts the Bengals were absolutely enamored with Vakapuna leading up to the draft and it was a surprise to some when he was cut. The 5-11, 250 pound fullback is considered to be a powerful lead blocker and an adequate pass catcher out of the backfield. He also has the athleticism to contribute on special teams.

Lee Robinson - Robinson is an undrafted rookie who spent the entire training camp and preseason with the Broncos, which means that he did play in the preseason finale against the Cards (2 tackles). The official site is listing Robinson as an inside linebacker and the Broncos did use him on the inside but most scouts projected him as a outside pass rush linebacker coming out of the draft so he has some versatility. He has good size (6-3, 245) and was a very productive four year starter at Alcorn State. Here is one very complimentary video discussing Robinson's potential.

Rashad Barksdale - Barksdale, a former 6th round pick of the Eagles in 2007, has good size (6-0, 208) and has actually appeared in six NFL games for the Chiefs back in 2007. In the past two seasons he's been a member of the Eagles, Chiefs, Giants and most recently the Jets, although his stop in Kansas City was his only time spent on the 53 man roster.

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Now that the practice squad is finalized we can see that they've got two defensive lineman and two linebackers comprising half of the eight man squad. It's pretty clear where the team sees themselves lacking depth. I'm still a bit surprised that the Cards would carry another wide receiver on their practice squad even though they already have seven on the active roster but these things can still be tweaked. Thoughts?

NFC West Breakdown: Arizona Cardinals

Pyromnc — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells (26) breaks a tackle against Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins on his way to a touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL preseason game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Key Additions: TE Dominique Byrd (Rams), LB Reggie Walker (Undrafted FA), TE Anthony Becht (Rams), RB Jason Wright (Browns), DB Bryant McFadden (Steelers).

Key Losses: RB Edgerrin James (Seahawks), DE Antonio Smith (Texans), RB J.J. Arrington (Broncos, now FA), FB Terrelle Smith (Lions), LB Monty Beisel (Chiefs), TE Leonard Pope (Cut), S Aaron Francisco (Cut), LB Victor Hobson (Cut), FB Tim Castille (Cut).

Draft: RB Chris Wells (1st), DE/LB Cody Brown (2nd), S Rashad Johnson (3rd), CB Greg Toler (4th), OT Herman Johnson (5th), DE/LB Will Davis (6th), RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (7th), OG Trevor Canfield (7th).

In 2008 the Arizona Cardinals shocked the world by winning their division, dominating in the playoffs, and coming within 2 minutes of winning the Super Bowl. Despite doubters who thought that the Cardinals were not a legitimate playoff team, the Red Birds put together three playoff victories and were within two minutes of winning Super Bowl 43. The same doubters are now describing last season, and especially last January, as a "fluke" or claiming that the Cardinals will be another team to fall victim to the dreaded "Super Bowl curse." These are the type of comments that the team thrived on in the playoffs and they hope they can use it to their advantage this season.

After the Super Bowl loss there were some key areas that the Cards hoped to address this off season that plagued them throughout the year last year. Anquan Boldin, Darnell Dockett (or Nine-0), Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, and Kurt Warner all wanted or needed new contracts. They took care of three of those five mentioned, Warner got a two year deal, Dansby was franchised, and Wilson got a five year deal. Q and Nine-0 were told they won't talk contract until they are in the final year of their deals. Other areas of need were upgrading were the rushing attack, the secondary, and special teams. They added to each group by drafting RB Beanie Wells, signing Jason Wright (a beast on special teams), and signing DB Bryant McFadden. They hope that these new additions will upgrade their respective units.

The 2008 offense that dominated so much returns with just a few changes this season and more experience. The team lost their most productive RB in a long time by cutting Edge and replacing him with Wells. Wells was a monster tail back for Ohio State and he hopes to have the same success in the NFL. So far though he has been injured but from the two games he has played in he has shown enough that Cardinals fans are already asking for him to start the opener against the Niners. That starting job will go to Tim Hightower who has lost body fat and put on more muscle to prove that he can be a reliable back in this league. This unit also replaced RB J.J. Arrington, our 3rd down back and kick returner, with Hyphen (Howling) whom they hope can be just as elusive and fast as JJ was on kick returns.

The rest of the offense is virtually the same with the exception of Anthony Becht, who was added to the tight ends mix, and receiver Lance Long. The starting 5 on the OL return and should be better having another year under Russ Grimm and backups like Brandon Keith and Elton Brown. Keith looking especially promising and could be a future starter. All in all this offense still has all the potential to look just as good as last year and if they all stay healthy they should be among the best again.

The defensive unit is loaded with talent, just like the offense, but their problem is actually doing their job every week on a consistent basis. One week the can get constant pressure on a QB, no matter how good the OL is, and they win the turnover battle. The next week they won't do either of those and allow several touchdowns. The problem is that they are already showing these problems again in preseason play, playing very well in the first two games and than doing the opposite in the last two. There is no doubt that if this team wants to continue the success they had last year the defense will have to perform as they did in January. They can't make stupid mistakes and they need to play hard every down, which some players have a hard time doing unless on a national stage game that puts them in the spotlight (Darnell Dockett).

The strength of this team on defense has to be the secondary with Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle manning the safety positions and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and newly acquired Byrant McFadden manning the corners. Although they have struggled in preseason this unit is considered by many to be one of the top secondaries in the league, something they were far from last season.

The weakest part of the defense has to be the front seven (LB and DL). They lack a whole lot of depth at these positions, which we need since Clark Haggans, Bertrand Berry, and Chike Okeafor are all over 30. Calais Campbell is trying to replace Antonio Smith, who was very important to this team in the playoffs. They have Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby at ILB but if one of them goes down we don't have a whole lot behind them to step in with udrafted rookie Reggie Walker and 2nd year player Ali Highsmith. The DT position doesn't have much depth either with Gabe Watson coming off of knee surgery, Bryan Robinson being over 30, and Alan Branch still not doing what the first pick in the 2nd round is supposed to be doing. Definitely tons of questions on the defense but still lots of promise if they can stay healthy and play hard.

This is definitely going to be an interesting year for the Cards coming off a season in which they had so much success. They will have an up hill battle again this season though as everyone thinks they are a one year wonder and will fall back into oblivion again this year. If the Cards want to prove those naysayers wrong they are going to have to be consistent on offense, consistent defense, and stay healthy. It's certainly shaping up to be an interesting year as the Cards look to "Shock the World" again.

Record for 2009: 10-6
Record Vs the NFC West: 5-1

Poll

Who Wins the NFC West this Season?

San Francisco 49ers

21 votes

St. Louis Rams

6 votes

Seattle Seahawks

32 votes

Arizona Cardinals

280 votes

339 votes | Poll has closed

53 Man Roster Predictions After the Arizona Cardinals Shutout Loss to the Broncos

Hawkwind — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:49:49 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt will have harder time cutting 22 players today than he did finding an offensive play that would work this preseason. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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Truth be told we won't dwell on another lackluster effort in the preseason. The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason without a win but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how ugly the past three and a half weeks have been. To give you a quick taste of how the past four games have gone, the Cardinals have been outscored 71-16 in the first half, Cardinals' quarterbacks have combined to throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (9 to 4) and the Cardinals' defenders have forced just one turnover. In conclusion this Cardinals team has looked like the one that played in December of 2008 instead of the team that took the field in January of 2009. Just for the record, historically teams that finish the preseason winless, also struggle in the regular season. Going back to 1989, 35 teams have finished the preseason without a win and 31 of those teams failed to make the playoff. To make matters worse, 21 of them finished with a losing record.

But we said we weren't going to dwell so we're moving on to the news that should come down today. Tomorrow is the deadline to cut down the rosters to 53 players, but most expect Ken Whisenhunt to break the news in an afternoon press conference. With that in mind, here's ROTB's last shot at nailing down the 53 man roster.

QB (3): Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre - Tyler Palko played his way out of any shot of making the roster with a poor performance last night. BSP hasn't shown much this preseason but Whiz is familiar enough with his abilities for him to stick.
RB (4): Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling - No one did much to either help or hurt their case for a roster spot last night.
FB (1): Dan Kreider - After the recent discussion about Kreider vs. Tim Castille, I kept a close eye on both players last night. To be honest neither did much to impress me and at this point I think Whiz would chose a veteran that he's familiar with over a younger player.
WR (6): Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet and Sean Morey - I, like most Cardinals fans I suspect, have been pulling for Lance Long but he's played a great deal in the past two preseason games and he hasn't done much with his opportunity (2 catches for 21 yards). I think it's fair to say that he's not ready and I'd be wiling to risk cutting him. The Chiefs may or may not claim him before we can stash him on the practice squad but he can't help this team right now.

TE (3): Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd - Truth to be told, I still don't know what we have at this position but I'm confident that Leonard Pope will be cut. He was the last tight end to take the field last night and that says enough about his future. I went back and forth on Byrd but his versatility in the H-back role won me over. The interesting thing about this spot is who gets released after week four when Ben Patrick comes back.

OL (9): Mike Gandy, Reggie Wells, Lyle Sendlein, Deuce Lutui, Levi Brown, Herman Johnson, Brandon Keith and Elton Brown and Melvin Fowler - It's overkill keeping so many offensive lineman and I went back and forth on Elton Brown but his ability to play LT made the difference. Oliver Ross is a possibility but he just didn't impress me during the preseason. Elton Brown wasn't all that impressive either but at least this coaching staff has seen him step in at LT and play decently.

DL (6): Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema, Gabe Watson and Alan Branch - No real surprises here. Branch hasn't done much to warrant a spot but neither has anyone behind him. At least he can line up at DE now as well as DT, although his effectiveness remains about the same. Keilen Dykes doesn't make the cut but hopefully they can keep him on the practice squad thanks to another leg injury that cost him nearly the entire preseason.
LB (8): Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, Will Davis, Victor Hobson, Reggie Walker and Ali Highsmith - Bertrand Berry is the surprise cut on the roster after pulling a disappearing act during the preseason that would make David Copperfield jealous. Considering that the backups consist of two rookies, one sophomore UDFA and a guy that was signed off the streets before the regular season finale last year, I fully expect the Cardinals to scour the waiver wire for a veteran linebacker (inside or out).
CB (5): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Greg Toler and Michael Adams - I don't know what to make of this unit but these are the top five guys. DRC has struggled mightily the past two games, McFadden can't even get on the field and Brown is looking awful old and slow. Toler and Adams are two guys that we should all hope spend much more time on special teams than the regular defense.
S (5): Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson, Aaron Francisco and Matt Ware - Basically this is the same unit as last year, plus a third round pick. Francisco is still Francisco although Ware has caught my eye several times this preseason.
Specialists (3): Neil Rackers, Ben Graham and Mike Leach - No surprises.

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To be honest, when I first wrote all this down I ended up with 54 players and after scouring the two deep I ended up cutting a veteran, Bertrand Berry. I'm not sure why but I keep getting the feeling that some of the veterans who've been around this team throughout all of the bad times cause some apathy in the locker room sometimes that lead to performances like we've seen the past couple of weeks. Berry's absence over the course of OTA's and his indifferent excuse once training camp started is just a microcosm of how this team has played over the course of the preseason. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part for thinking that someone's head has to roll but so be it. Thoughts? Who makes your 53?

Arizona Cardinals Fight For 53: Examining the Bubble Players by Position

Hawkwind — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:52:26 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

3 months ago: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson, right, picks up an eight-yard gain as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Ralph Brown pulls him down during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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It's simply the nature of the NFL that 22 players who currently call themselves Arizona Cardinals, will be unemployed by the end of this coming weekend. The bad news will be given to hundreds of players across the NFL within the next week and many will be left hoping for a place on some team's practice squad or maybe the newly formed UFL. Before anyone has to worry about their new football home though, the bubble players will have one last shot to impress the coaching staff this Thursday when the Cardinals travel to Denver to take on the Broncos. Here's a quick list at the battles at various positions.

Kreider vs. Castille: With four running backs expected to make the final roster, thanks to LaRod Stephens-Howling's impressive play over the past month, the Cardinals are expected to carry just one fullback. That leaves three guys, Dan Kreider, Tim Castille and Reagan Maui'a, fighting for one spot, although truth be told it's really just a battle between Krieder and Castille. No one has really established themselves and each guy brings something different to the table. Krieder is hands down the better blocker and he's a "Whiz-guy" but Castille's versatility out of the backfield and prowess on special teams gives him a shot.

Long versus the Unknown: The only real question for the Cardinals to answer at wide receiver is how many they want to carry. Assuming that Early Doucet's recent rib injury won't effect his roster status, the teams top six wide outs are virtually set in stone (Fitz, Q, Breaston, Urban, Doucet and Morey). That leaves fan favorite Lance Long fighting for a spot that simply might not be there, but the team has carried seven wide receivers before. The injury risk of a couple of those guys and Long's ability to contribute on special teams leaves the door open. At this point Orea Jones, who's been impressive during the preseason, is simply showcasing himself to other teams or hoping for a practice squad job.

Brown vs. Ross: The offensive line is sort of the in the same predicament as the wide receiver spot considering that they've got quite a few semi-capable bodies but not enough roster spots for everyone. What we know is that Gandy, Wells, Sendlein, Lutui, Levi Brown, Keith and Johnson are all locks make the final 53. If you're counting that's seven bodies and most squads carry eight or nine (although the Cards have kept ten before). That leaves two or maybe three spots up for grabs. One of the spots will undoubtedly be filled by a center and that battle seems to have boiled down to Ben Claxton versus Melvin Fowler. Fowler has a huge edge in experience and would seem to be the front runner but don't count out Claxton's familiarity with the offense. Assuming that the backup center spot is filled by one of these two (but not both), that leaves eight guys with Elton Brown, Trevor Canfield, Carlton Medder and Oliver Ross on the outside looking with one or two spots to fill. Of these remaining four, I'd have to say the top two are Brown and Ross and they'd be battling for the final spot or could be the final two in, if the team decides to keep 10 offensive lineman.

Unknown at Tight End: As we stated yesterday the only thing we really know about the tight end spot is that we really don't know anything. The best bet right now is that Ben Patrick is essentially assured of the roster spot to start the season but that's only because he won't count against the 53 until his four game suspension is over. With that in mind, we'll set him aside and just look at the remainder. The Cardinals in the past have carried as few as two tight ends and as many as four so it's possible that Stephen Spach, Leonard Pope, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd could all make the opening day roster, but that's probably a stretch considering how little the tight end is used in the passing game. Our best bet is that three with make the opening day 53 (not counting Patrick remember) with either Pope or Byrd getting cut.

Branch vs. Dykes: This much we know on the defensive line, Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema and Gabe Watson are all locks, even though Watson looked terrible against the Packers. It's tough to look at the Caridnals historically to see how many defensive lineman they kept because the 3-4 defense requires less lineman and more linebackers, but we can be sure that Keilen Dykes, Alan Branch, Alex Field, Rodney Leisle are all at the very least on the bubble. I don't think there would be any debate to say that Dykes and Branch are the best of those four but it could come down to whether the Cardinals want to keep six or seven defensive lineman. If they chose to go with six DL, I think Branch would be the choice considering that Dykes has had serious problems stay healthy over the past two training camps. His inability to stay on the field probably means that the Cards could stash him on the practice squad for an eventful call up when someone gets hurt.

Linebackers Help: Outside of the starters at linebacker, Dansby, Hayes, Haggans and Okeafor, I'm not sure that anyone is assured of a roster spot. Bertrand Berry would seem like a lock but he's done a complete disappearing act so far during the preseason. Victor Hobson, Will Davis and perhaps even Reggie Walker would seem like the next closest thing to locks. Hobson has experience in a 3-4 and can play inside and out while Davis and Walker have been impressive over the past couple of games. There's also Ali Highsmith who's failed to produce the same kind of buzz that he did last year. Chase Bullock and David Holloway round out the rest of the roster but neither of them have done much to warrant a roster spot. If the Cards had to decide today, I'm thinking that they'd keep the starters plus Berry, Hobson, Davis and Walker although this could be one position that gets an upgrade once other teams make their cuts.

Ware vs. Adams: There will be some tough decisions made in the secondary where it would seem that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson and Ralph Brown are all locks to make the squad. Brown has struggled in the preseason but so has the depth behind him so it's highly doubtful that his spot is in jeopardy. With six locks that leaves Aaron Francisco, Greg Toler, Matt Ware, Michael Adams, Jameel Dowling and Wilrey Fontenot fighting for what will probably end up being eight or nine spots. Francisco and Toler are certainly the front-runners of the bubble group so the real battle comes down to Ware versus Adams. It's possible that the team could keep all ten members of the secondary, they've done it before, but nine is a more manageable number. Ware has much more experience with the regular defense and is probably the more talented player but Adams' standout performances on special teams give him a shot.

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Thoughts? Who wins these battles and who makes your final 53?

Steelers Topple the Arizona Cardinals 20-10: First Impressions

Hawkwind — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:40:41 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Pittsburgh Steelers' James Harrison (92) pressures Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart (7), forcing an incomplete pass during the second quarter of a pre-season football game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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The Arizona Cardinals took the field for the first time since the Super Bowl and they performed about like you'd expect them to in the first preseason game of the year. Some guys looked rusty. Some guys looked sloppy. Some guys looked like they never took a break during the off season and the result was a game completely controlled by both team's defensive units until the fourth quarter. Outside of a key turnover that set the Steelers up inside the Cardinals' five yard line, the Red Birds almost dominated the reigning Super Bowl champs, but the preseason experience can't be measured in the box score or the score board. It's more or less about how the individuals played against whatever level of competition they were facing. There were certainly some guys who impressed and there were others who were disappointing to say the least. Here's how we saw it....

The Good

Michael Ray Garvin: I had to start with Garvin because by the end of game I was sitting on the edge of my seat every time the Steelers either punted or kicked off. He handed most of the return duties last night and was about as good as you could expect, averaging 30 yards per kick return and ten yards per punt return. When he hits top speed he's clearly the fastest person on the field and his ability to sift through traffic and make people miss is better than I expected. He also got some snaps as a receiver, catching one ball for 15 yards, but he also dropped a pass that was thrown slightly behind him that ended up being intercepted. I'll look past his shortcomings as a receiver because if he makes this roster it won't as a wide out, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets quite few more looks as a returner.
Calais Campbell: One tackle and one assist might not look like much in the box score but Campbell had quite game considering he only played the first half. In the base defense he lined up at end before shifting down to tackle on passing downs but where ever he lined up, he made plays. He should have had a sack and a safety on Ben Roethlisberger but Big Ben broke out of the tackle and Campbell put pressure on Ben a couple of other times. Where he was most impressive though was against the run. Campbell not only held his ground more often than not, but his ability to shed blocks was most impressive. He was facing Max Starks for most of the night (a guy the Steelers gave a big contract to this off season) and Campbell threw him around like a rag doll. If last night was any indication of how well Campbell plays, the Cardinals won't miss Antonio Smith.
Michael Adams: I came away with two thoughts about Adams after last night. First, we should all hope that he never has to take a single snap as a starting corner back and secondly, I absolutely want him on this team. His' height, or lack thereof, is a complete liability when he's lined up at corner and that was never more evident than on a deep ball against Limas Sweed. With eight inches of height advantage, Sweed barely jumped and while Adams had trouble locating the ball, it wouldn't really have mattered. He also broke up a deep pass (almost intercepted it really) but he only caught up to the pass because it the ball was underthrown. So why was he impressive then? No other defensive player on the field last night, first string all the way to fourth string, was more aggressive and willing to throw his body at the ball carrier than Adams. He routinely cut down Steelers' ball carriers just as you thought they were about to make it around the corner. Adams plays "balls to the wall" every second he's on the field and that's exactly what makes him a good special teams player and valuable to this team.
Tyler Palko: If someone watched last nights game and had no idea of who the quarterbacks were or how the depth chart was supposed to line up, they probably came away thinking that Palko was the Cardinals best quarterback. Granted he was playing against guys who will most likely end up on a practice squad somewhere (at best), but he still flashed some qualities that make you think he'll land on a 53 man roster somewhere this season. He's got a strong arm, escapability and a certain knack for making me inch closer to the edge of my seat every time he drops back. His final line (8 of 15 for 103 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT) is a decent line but even that doesn't do justice to how well he played because the lone interception was a dropped pass by Garvin. If you missed the game you absolutely have to go back and watch the highlights to see Palko scramble out of the pocket and try to hurdle a defender in order to reach the sidelines.

The Bad

Alan Branch: I re-watched every single play that Branch was on the field and came away with thinking that his "light bulb," as Whiz referred to it last year, still has some faulty wiring. Branch played with the third string facing the Steelers' 7th round rookie center, AQ Shipley, most of the night and he was absolutely dominated. Branch was able to get a step or two into the backfield a couple of time but more often that not Shipley had his way with him. For whatever reason Branch likes to try and spin, or just flat out turn his back to a defender, when he's getting driven back and it just results in him getting pancaked or pushed out of the play even faster. Towards the very end of the game it looked like Branch was lining up at defensive end but the Cardinals defensive fronts were getting pretty goofy by the end of the game so it was hard to tell. Either way though Branch didn't do anything to change the perception that most of us already have of him.
Levi Brown and Mike Gandy: It's tough to say that they had a bad game so I'll just say that I'm very glad we don't play Pittsburgh on a regular basis because neither Brown or Gandy can handle the Steelers' OLBs. LaMarr Woodley blew by Levi Brown to nail Warner, in what Jon Gruden called a coverage sack, but it looked awful quick to my eyes. James Harrison didn't register a sack but he put Gandy on skates a couple of times and it was pretty evident who was the superior player.
Defensive Management: Bill Davis had a rough start to his tenure as the Cardinals defensive coordinator and twice while the first team defense was on the field they had to burn timeouts because they either had to many men on the field or weren't aware of the down and distance. The first time it was pretty understandable because what looked like a Steelers' first down was actually ruled a third and short so the Cardinals burned time out just the third play from scrimmage. The second time though it looked like there were 15 Cardinals' defenders on the field and there were more coming in from the sidelines.

The Ehhh

Quarterback Play (not including Palko): Warner was ok but he still didn't look like Warner. He looks stiff on the field and his passes just didn't seem to have the same zip on them. Matt Leinart had a shaky start (1 for 4) but once he settled down, he actually got into a decent rhythm and led the Cardinals on their best drive of the night. On the drive, an 85 yarder that ended on downs at the Pittsburgh seven, Leinart was six of nine for 69 yards. His stat line was saved though by a phantom pass interference call at the end of first half when he bombed a pass Sean Morey that was picked off. The pick was overturned by a defensive pass interference call (even though the PA should have gone against Morey) but Leinart was just throwing it deep at the end a half. Finally Brian St. Pierre had the worst night of any Cardinals' QB completing just four of ten passes for 42 yards and an interception, but I can't help but think that it was a 'hard luck' night. One pass was dropped and another dinked off the helmet of Elton Brown but the interception was just a poor read and a bad decision. He was also done in by some really poor pass protection considering that he was the only QB to sacked more than once (he went down three times). Still though he certainly didn't do anything tonight to put pressure on Matt Leinart.
Pass Rush: The Cardinals didn't record a sack last night, although they had decent pressure for most of the night. Campbell broke free a couple of times, almost getting a sack once and laying a decent hit on Ben another time. Adrian Wilson and Keith Lewis both had unblocked paths to the QB on safety blitzes but the QB's got rid of the ball. Will Davis showed a decent speed move late in the game and just missed a sack and forced fumble when Dennis Dixon shuffled up in the pocket. Karlos Dansby also broke through the line of scrimmage once and would have at least pressured Ben if not for a hold, or at least it should have been called a hold. On a good and bad note, Bill Davis obviously likes to blitz and I think if tonight was any indication we'll see more blitzing this year, but he also loves the 'line stunts' where the end and tackle twist. The line stunts didn't seem to have any effect last night and just make Cody Brown and other reserves look lost.
Backup Running Backs: First it's worth mentioning that if you were worried about Whisenhunt calling a more conservative game based around the running game, according to last night you shouldn't be. The Cardinals ran the ball just 16 times (versus 49 pass attempts) and one of those runs was a scramble by Palko. LaRod Stephens-Holwing and Jason Wright both had similar games in my mind. They both looked skittish and danced a bit but then settled down to have decent showing. LSH had six rushes for 24 yards, most of which came on a 13 yard scamper, but also showed that while he's a willing pass protector, he doesn't have enough sand in his shorts to hold off a rushing linebacker. He looked like child trying to trip a bulldozer at one point. Wright only carried the ball three times for eleven yards but he showed his value as a pass protector a couple of times and that's where he'll make his mark.

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Overall I'd say that this is kind of what we should have expected from the first preseason game but at least it wasn't too terriblly sloppy (just four penalties). What stood out to you and what needs to be improved upon the most?

Arizona Cardinals versus Steelers: Ten Things to Watch (Part I)

Hawkwind — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:37:06 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

4 months ago: Arizona Cardinals rookie linebacker Cody Brown runs drills during NFL football training camp Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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When the Arizona Cardinals take the field, just over 24 hours from now, against the Pittsburgh Steelers much less will be on the line then the last time these two teams met. Thursday night's contest won't end with a trophy presentation, it won't grant the winner a trip to the playoffs, in fact in a month or so no one will even care who won or lost, but I wouldn't go as far to say that this game is meaningless. Granted for some players this is just a glorified practice and their only goal is to emerge without serious injury but for some this game is the first chance to prove that they are NFL caliber players. The Cardinals don't have as many question marks heading into the 2009 as in years past but there are still answers that be provided before the 49ers come to town on September 13th. Will all of those answers, or any of the answers for that matter, be provided or proven tomorrow night? Certainly not, but it'll be the first opportunity for us to get some insight into whether the Cardinals will resemble this January's NFC Champion team or simply the same ole Cardinals.

First and foremost with any preseason game we hope that both teams avoid injuries because there is nothing more defeating that losing a significant player in a preseason game. With that in mind here are the first five things worth watching tomorrow night.....

Defensive Alignment: Ever since Clancy Pendergast was sent packing we've heard that the defense will be much closer to a 3-4 than in previous seasons but so far both Bill Davis and Ken Whisenhunt has stopped short of committing to a 'true 3-4' defense. Maybe it's just a case of semantics but it'll be interesting to see if there are still some hybrid aspects to the defense. This will also be our first chance to see Davis' new blitz packages, although I'm sure he won't show too much given the circumstances, especially on third downs where 3-4 defenses tend to get awful creative.
Tight End Competition: So far the Cardinals haven't had a tight end step forward and claim the starting job but they've got four guys who could become the starter by week one and a fifth guy who could become the starter once his suspension is over. The veteran Anthony Becht won't play tom morrow night but Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick, Stephen Spach and Dominique Byrd will all get a chance to prove that they deserve a place on this roster. Pope needs to prove that he can keep his head in the game and that his blocking has improved. Patrick needs to prove that he's worthy of becoming the starter despite a four game suspension looming over his head. Spach needs to prove that he's healthy just seven months after tearing his ACL in the playoff victory over the Panthers. Byrd not only has to show that he's a adequate blocker but most importantly he has to prove that he's even worthy of being on a NFL roster after being out of the NFL last year.
Hightower's Happy Feet: One of the biggest complaints about Tim Hightower's game last year was that he'd tip toe in the backfield waiting for a hole to open up instead of attacking the line of scrimmage. He ran more aggressive closer to the goal line but for the most part his happy feet led to quite a few negative plays where most thought that other backs would at least gain positive yardage. One of Hightower's goals this season, along with showing up slimmer and quicker to camp, was to cut down on his happy feet and run more aggressively. With Chris Wells not playing tomorrow night, Hightower should get a couple of extra opportunities to prove that he's ready to become the workhorse back.
Offensive Line Depth: Ken Whisenhunt has already stated that his starting offensive line won't get near as many snaps as they did last preseason, thanks to the lack of a starting QB competition. The good news with that revelation is that guys like Brandon Keith, Elton Brown and Herman Johnson will get more snaps and thus we'll get a better opportunity to evaluate their play.
Young Outside Linebackers: We've heard good and bad things from Cody Brown and Will Davis so far in training camp but this will be the first opportunity to see how they perform in game situations. Can they rush the passer? Can they turn and cover a back or tight end? One game certainly won't make or break their career but for a team that desperately needs some youth at outside linebacker, it'll be worth watching how they perform.

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What will you be watching tomorrow night? How do you think these will turn out?

Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Steelers: Examining the Initial Depth Chart

Hawkwind — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:41:06 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Bill Davis, left, talks with Darnell Dockett during morning practice at Cardinals training camp Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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The first preseason game of the year doesn't mean very much to the football world outside of a select few of crazed fans who have been salivating over the thought of real football for going on six months. One of the things that the first preseason game of the year does provide though is the first look at an 'official' depth chart and the Arizona Cardinals put out their first chart yesterday. Now word to the wise, Whisenhunt doesn't like to tweak the chart prior to the first game so he basically inserts each rookie's name at the bottom and leaves most of the rest unchanged. Thanks to a change in defensive philosophy though (or at least a continued shift towards a 3-4), there are some changes on the defensive side of the ball. With a quick look at how this current roster plays out on paper, here's a quick analysis of the depth chart.

Offense

QB -- Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Tyler Palko

RB -- Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Chris Vincent

FB -- Dan Kreider, Tim Castille, Reagan Maui'a

WR -- Larry Fitzgerald, Jerheme Urban, Sean Morey, Onrea Jones, Ed Gant

WR -- Anquan Boldin. Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Lance Long, Michael Ray Garvin

TE -- Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick, Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht, Dominique Byrd

LT -- Mike Gandy, Elliot Vallejo, Brandon Pearce

LG -- Reggie Wells, Elton Brown, Carlton Medder

C -- Lyle Sendlein, Ben Claxton, Melvin Fowler

RG -- Deuce Lutui, Brandon Keith, Trevor Canfield

RT -- Levi Brown, Oliver Ross, Herman Johnson

Overall there aren't really any surprises on the offensive side of the ball, unless you didn't think Pope would be listed atop the tight end spot. There has been some shake-up on the offensive line with the injury to Vallejo though with Oliver Ross swinging over to left tackle and Brandon Keith taking snaps at right tackle.

Defense

DE -- Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema, Alex Field

NT -- Bryan Robinson, Gabe Watson, Alan Branch

DT -- Darnell Dockett, Keilen Dykes, Rodney Leisle

ROLB -- Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry, Will Davis

ILB -- Karlos Dansby, Victor Hobson, Pago Togafau

ILB -- Gerald Hayes, Ali Highsmith, Reggie Walker

LOLB -- Clark Haggans, Cody Brown, Chase Bullock

RCB -- Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Wilrey Fontenot, Jameel Dowling

LCB -- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Michael Adams, Greg Toler

SS -- Adrian Wilson, Aaron Francisco, Keith Lewis

FS -- Antrel Rolle, Matt Ware, Dennis Keyes, Rashad Johnson

The interesting thing about the defensive chart is how they chose to describe their defensive line (yes that's not a typo). They've chosen to list only one defensive end, a nose tackle and a defensive tackle for some unknown reason. This is nothing more than a conspiracy theory on my part but if the organization cares at all about "NINE-O" (Dockett) making the Pro Bowl, it would make sense to list him as a tackle instead of an end. There aren't any major surprises at linebacker but it's interesting to see that Hobson is listed on the inside and Bullock is listed on the outside (after he worked primarily on the inside during OTA's). In the secondary, I wouldn't get worried about Toler and Rashad Johnson being listed at the bottom of the depth chart. As we said above, this is the "Whiz way" of handling rookies and we'll see how the chart get's tweaked as the preseason plays out.

Specialists

KR -- Steve Breaston, Michael Ray Garvin, LaRod Stephens-Howling

PR -- Steve Breaston, Antrel Rolle, Michael Ray Garvin

K -- Neil Rackers

P -- Ben Graham

LS -- Mike Leach

H -- Ben Graham, Sean Morey

There aren't really any suprises in the specialist department either. Garvin is clearly a return specialist and if he ends up on the final squad it'll be because he won the kick and/or punt return job.

Arizona Cardinals Pre-Training Camp Roster Projections: Offensive Tackle

Hawkwind — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:30 -0000

After breaking down the centers and guards, we finally finish off the offensive line with a look at the Arizona Cardinals offensive tackles. These big uglies take the brunt of criticism from fans because they are the most visible on game days but it's also a very demanding position. The tackles are most often matched up against a team's best pass rushers and the Cardinals wide-open offense normally leaves these guys facing one on one battles. The Cardinals projected starters at offensive tackle have started 31 of the last 36 games, including the playoffs, but their flirtation with free agent Levi Jones has raised some eye brows. There is quite a bit of young talent in the mix here and we'll try to straighten all of the guard/tackle combos on this current squad.

Locks

Levi Brown, Elliot Vallejo, Herman Johnson

On the Bubble

Mike Gandy, Oliver Ross

No Chance

Brandon Pearce

For anyone that's wondering, Brandon Keith and Elton Brown were both included in our discussion at guard, so that's why they're not included in this breakdown even though they are both likely to figure into the mix. The biggest head scratcher here though is Mike Gandy's status, which we'll explain below. We also listed Johnson as a tackle because that's where he currently practicing although it's quite possible that he could end up at guard before the dust settles. Also Pearce is the only guy on this list who is eligible for the practice squad.

Mike Gandy: A week and a half ago Gandy would have been an unquestioned lock, but the teams recent interest in Levi Jones changes that considerably. When healthy Jones has more talent then Gandy and he's younger, not to mention that there's a good chance he'd be cheaper. If by some crazy turn of events, Jones were to come into camp and win the starting job, the Cardinals would not be able to keep Gandy as a backup at his price tag (roughly $5 million). All of this in contigent on Jones being signed though which is still a long shot. If he isn't signed, Gandy would jump back into the lock section and be the starter coming out of training camp.

Oliver Ross: My gut says that Ross has no chance of making the roster but the coaching staff had to have some reason for signing the soon to be 35 year old tackle. He hasn't played in the league since 2006, when started five games for the Cardinals, but an injury kept him on IR for the 2007 and he spent part of the 2008 season with the Patriots although he never appeared in a game. He has ties to Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm from his days as a Steeler (2000-2004) and he's versatile enough to play either guard or tackle so maybe that helps his chances.

Brandon Pearce: Most of what we've heard about Pearce so far has been promising, but there's just too much depth at the position for him to make a serious play at the roster. With a year or two of develop though he could be a name to remember. Pearce is an undersized tackle (6-6, 290) but he played in a pass happy system at Memphis and he rarely gave up sacks. There are reports that he's added as much as 20 pounds but a year on the practice squad to add some strength and improve as an in-line blocker should be beneficial.

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Regardless of whether the Cardinals sign Levi Jones or just roll with the guys they've got right now, the team has depth and youth at offensive tackle. Guys like Vallejo, Keith and Johnson ensure that the Cardinals should have success keeping thier quarterbacks clean for years to come. What do you think about the talent at tackle? Should the Cardinals sign Jones, if the price is right, and does that make Gandy expendable?