TEAM RANK: Defense (26th), Offense (27th)
Additions:
Free agents: DE Bertrand Berry (Broncos), QB Shaun King (Bucs), FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (Dolphins), CB David Macklin (Colts), WR Karl Williams (Bucs), LB Riall Johnson (Bengals)
Draft picks: 1. WR Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh), 2. LB Karlos Dansby (Auburn), 3. DT Darnell Dockett (Florida State), 4. C Alex Stepanovich (Ohio State), 5. DE Antonio Smith (Oklahoma State), 6. C Nick Leckey (Kansas State), 7. QB John Navarre (Michigan)
Subtractions:
QB Jeff Blake (released), CB David Barrett (Jets)
Analysis of Off-Season moves:
The story of the Arizona Cardinals off-season wasn’t the addition of a stud pass rushing defensive end, nor another solid draft on paper. It was going out and getting an accomplished coach with a proven track record of winning and turning around once-depleted programs. Dennis Green was an enormous addition to the Cardinals, and has the ability to pull off a turnaround rather quickly with what he sees as talented young players on his roster. Green has had only one season below the .500 mark (his last as a coach), and has reached the playoffs eight times in his ten seasons as the Minnesota Vikings coach. In fact, he has already gone out predicting a 10-6 record for the Cardinals and a playoff appearance.
After watching numerous high draft picks disappoint and fail to make an impact on the defensive line, Arizona felt that it was best to go out and get a proven veteran pass rusher to put pressure on the quarterback. The Cardinals did so with the addition of Bertrand Berry from the Broncos. Berry, 27, is a pure pass-rusher who tallied an impressive 12 sacks last season. He is expected to make an immediate impact on a team whose sack leader last season finished with a measly three sacks. Hopefully Berry can become the first Cardinals defensive lineman to finish the season with double-digit sacks since Simeon Rice did in 1999.
Shaun King should fight for the starting quarterback spot and will most likely have an open competition in training camp. It is the opinion of many that King’s efforts will end up short, however, because of Green’s confidence in current starting QB Josh McCown.
David Macklin was added to compete for the starting cornerback position, but if Duane Starks returns to his pre-injury form, Macklin could have difficulty beating out starter Renaldo Hill for the No. 2 cornerback spot.
Quarterbacks:
What seemed like an obvious weakness going into the off-season, now appears to be a stronger part of the team thanks to the confidence Dennis Green has instilled into starter Josh McCown. Known for his clutch performance eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs, McCown has proved to many that he has the uncanny ability to carry a team by himself and win.
But McCown didn’t just have one good game before being announced the starter. During his last 4 starts, Josh averaged a 86.6 QB rating, which ranked 10th among NFL starting Quarterbacks. Arizona really needs McCown and the passing game to be successful with Marcel Shipp going down this season.
Shaun King was signed in the off-season to provide depth and hold a clipboard, but King believes that he has done enough of that during his five previous seasons at Tampa Bay and wants to compete for a starting job. John Navarre, drafted in the seventh round, is a project out of the University of Michigan, which has yielded late-round quarterbacks that have gone on to be successful in the NFL.
Running Backs:
Due to the injury of Marcel Shipp this past week, this position looks to be potentially disastrous for the Cardinals this season. Emmitt Smith has become the definite starter on the team, no questions asked. The 35 year old Smith is well past his prime, as his yards-per-carry has consistently gone down the past five seasons from 4.2 in 1999, to 2.3 in 2003.
Battling injuries throughout the season, Smith missed plenty of action last year and never really got comfortable in the backfield. Green hopes that he can get the most out of Emmitt, who may not have much left in the tank, if anything.
Battling for the backup position are scanty backs Damien Anderson and Josh Scobey. Anderson saw limited time last season, with only 18 carries for 68 yards, whereas Scobey only returned kicks and didn’t carry the ball at all. Conventional wisdom says Anderson would get the job, but this is one of the preseason battles to watch.
