Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals Mock Draft: Full 7-Round Team Predictions
With the NFL combine only days away, the free-agency chatter around the league is picking up. The first major signing of the league took place when defensive back Stanford Routt signed a $20 million, three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. That will be the first of hundreds of moves this offseason.
One of the biggest events of the offseason is the NFL draft. In April, each team will attempt to rejuvenate its forces and bring in the best talent from the college ranks.
When the Arizona Cardinals take control of the clock, they’ll have to reinforce their offensive line, find help at wide receiver and look to add to one of the fiercest defenses in the league.
Let’s see which players will be best suited for playing in the desert to fulfill these needs.
Arizona Cardinals: 2011 Report Card
Now that the 2011 NFL season has concluded, it is time to take a look back at how the year went for the Arizona Cardinals.
Although the team fell short of its ultimate goal, the players improved both individually and as a team over the course of the year.
The report cards are in, and over the next few slides, you will be able to see how the Cardinals graded out in 2011.
Why Arizona Cardinals Must Trust QB Kevin Kolb in 2012
It would be fair to say that Kevin Kolb, in his first year with the Arizona Cardinals, did not live up to his preseason expectations. The former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback got off to a decent start but was hampered by injuries throughout the season. Down the stretch of the schedule, the Cardinals began playing better in all three phases, and they were able to pull off some impressive results against teams competing for the postseason.
However, the NFL is often described as the “Not For Long” League for a reason, and there are those who are already questioning Kolb’s place in the team for next year. Kolb’s backup, John Skelton, was a viable backup and showed potential in the second half of the season. Combine this with the sizable contract Kolb is currently under and there has been some uncertainty surrounding the confidence in Kolb heading in to training camp.
Although he has not gotten off to the most desirable start for the Arizona Cardinals, it is important they trust their high-priced signal-caller heading into next season
He had one rough season, but there is still potential. After all, they did trade Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick for him. They were impressed by what they saw from him when backing up Michael Vick in Philadelphia. He did also show some bright spots in his first season under center for coach Ken Whisenhunt, most notably the opening game of the season against the Carolina Panthers, where he passed for 309 yards and two touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 130.0.
With the lockout drama lingering well into the summer, he was not given a fair chance to learn the offensive system during a full training camp. It’s difficult enough for a backup learning a new system in the first place, but after a wondering whether he would even get the opportunity to suit up, he was not nearly as prepared as he could have been.
Once the offensive and defensive units become more in sync and rehearsed, it was evident they improved their level of play. This just happened to coincide with the timing of Kolb’s injury, which perhaps gave off the impression the team was simply better with out him taking the snaps. And the comeback victory in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys is probably remembered more for Jason Garrett’s awful coaching decision rather than Kolb’s steady play after being sidelined for several weeks.
There should be reason for optimism in the desert heading in to the 2012 season. The Cardinals have a great defense and special teams, which steadily improved as the year went on. In reality, Kolb may not need to be spectacular under center. He may just need to manage the game well and limit his mistakes. If he can develop a good offseason relationship with Larry Fitzgerald, they may very well become a dangerous deep threat for defences to concern themselves with. If he can also utilize tight ends Todd Heap and Jeff King as reliable short options, the Cardinals can establish a balanced offense next season as long as Beanie Wells can emerge as a consistent running back.
Skelton’s success from last season may actually help Kolb in the long run. The pressure on Kolb will cause him to compete harder during the offseason in order to prove beyond a doubt he deserves to be the starter. Knowing his job is not guaranteed may potentially motivate Kolb to establish himself early on in training camp.
One of the factors that is underplayed in the NFL is how teams carry momentum from the end of a season in to the following season. The Detroit Lions are a perfect case and point. The Cardinals may very well be this year’s version of the team that carries over their high-intensity play in to week one. Their hard-fought victories over the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the latter weeks revealed the potential this unit has and the competitive edge it can display.
One of the extremely optimistic rumours that has been swirling is the potential, although unlikely, move of Peyton Manning to the University of Phoenix Stadium. Although there are a handful of teams where Manning could wind up, the chances of him in a Cardinal’s uniform are very low. While it may be natural for Cardinals fans to daydream of this scenario, it will likely remain just a dream. Don’t get your hopes up.
They are in a division that is certainly winnable, but it will be much better than last season. In the NFC West, San Francisco will field a tough defence again, and Seattle may very well win eight or nine games if it improves its offense. While the St. Louis Rams are still not a playoff team, they probably will not just roll over like they did this past year, especially with a healthy Sam Bradford and a second overall draft pick, which will pay instant dividends. The Cardinals do have the potential to compete for the division title if they play consistently at home and win some of their key divisional games.
By drafting an offensive lineman in this April’s draft, the Cardinals will give Kevin Kolb more time in the pocket and prevent a multi-injury season from reoccurring. Much of the Cardinals’ success will be a result of all three phases of the team, but there is certainly mounting pressure on the back of Kolb. While the conversation of his departure is ridiculous and premature, the criticism will re-emerge even louder if he gets off to a slow start. Developing a rhythm and relationship with his offense during the summer months will prove critical for the Cardinal’s quarterback.
He must play up to his potential in order to permanently earn the trust of the organization going forward.
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NFL Mock Draft 2012: Who Should the Arizona Cardinals Draft in Round 1?
Believe it or not, but the Arizona Cardinals are not far off from being a playoff team in 2012.
Despite getting a more consistent play out of their starting quarterback, the Cardinals don’t have too many holes to fill heading into 2012.
For starters, Arizona certainly needs help at left tackle, outside linebacker, wide receiver, cornerback and inside linebacker.
Taking all of those needs into consideration, here are five players that the Cardinals should target with their 13th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Peyton Manning Trade Rumors: Why Developing Cardinals Shouldn’t Pursue Star QB
The Arizona Cardinals have been rumored as one of the teams in the Peyton Manning Sweepstakes.
It would be a shame if they signed him.
The Cardinals have a decision to make with starting quarterback Kevin Kolb. He played poorly in 2011 and is due a $7 million signing bonus on March 17.
Cardinals general manager Rod Graves said in an interview on KTAR-AM on Thursday, via NFL.com:
There’s no reason to think at this particular point that we wouldn’t proceed with…seeing the contract through, but things change as we go down the road.
“Things change is we go down the road.” That right there shows me Graves isn’t sold on Kolb as his starting quarterback and could make a run at Manning.
Of course, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay would have to make a decision on Manning before March 17.
Either way, the Cardinals should not sign Manning.
First of all, it wasn’t all Kolb’s fault in 2011. The Cardinals’ offensive line gave up 54 sacks, second-most in the NFL. The unit also allowed 86 quarterback hits, sixth-most in the league.
There’s also the fact that the Cardinals are a young team that still has a ways to go collectively before being a title contender. Adding Manning isn’t going to make them the favorites, or even NFC West champs, in 2012. The Cardinals improved defensively as last season wore on, but they still gave up 21.8 points per game, in the middle of the league.
Sure, Manning would drive up your ticket sales, but it’s not going to position the Cardinals for a serious playoff push.
You add in the fact that Manning has reportedly had four neck surgeries in the past two years, and he’s also an injury liability.
Manning makes no sense for the Cardinals at this stage of their development. It’s better to see what they have with Kolb (possibly with a new offensive tackle via the draft) and go from there.
If the Cardinals give up on Kolb this soon and try to make a run at the title with Manning, they actually risk hurting themselves down the road.
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