2012 NFL Offseason Prospectus: Arizona Cardinals

Arizona went all in on Kevin Kolb heading into last season and while Kolb struggled, the Cardinals are far from giving up on the former Eagles second round pick.

To be fair to Kolb, outside of Larry Fitzgerald, the cupboard was pretty bare from he arrived in the desert. Early Doucet is a nice compliment to Fitzgerald, but the running game is below average and the offensive line isn't very good either.

Despite all of that, the Cardinals made a charge last year and nearly squeaked into the playoffs, thanks to some offensive improvements and their rookie corner/kick returner Patrick Peterson.

Peterson was last year what Devin Hester was as a rookie and Hester didn't do it multiple times to win games for his time.

Peterson is still working on learning how to play corner in the league, but no one since Hester has ever taken the league by storm like Peterson did returning kicks. Playing in Arizona on a mediocre team prevented him from getting the recognition he deserved.

Arizona does have some franchise players on both sides of the ball and with an improvement to the offensive front and at the skill positions, we will get a better feel for just how good Kevin Kolb can be.

Without that talent infusion, it may be another lost year in the development of Kolb and for this team. 

Offense
Arizona did a good job this offseason signing their own free agents, guys like Levi Brown and Early Doucet. That being said, neither Brown nor Doucet is anything to write home about, so getting better in both spots is important.

Adam Snyder was signed to fill Deuce Lutui's guard spot from San Francisco. Snyder started 13 gamesfor the 49ers last year and at the very least will give the Cardinals the same level of play.

But the same level probably isn't good enough for an offense that finished 24th in the league, 17th throwing the ball.


The Cardinals didn't have their franchise quarterback most of the year, but when Kolb was in, he was nothing special. It's certainly too soon to write him off because when Kolb was in Philly with all of those big play receivers, he was impressive in spot duty for the Eagles.

In fact, he acquitted himself nicely in a shoot out with Drew Brees, even though the Eagles lost.

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best, if not the best wide receiver in the game, but he desperately needs help. This offense was at its best with Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin with Steve Breaston in the slot.

Getting a wide receiver to pair with Fitzgerald, as well as an offensive lineman, could do wonders for Kolb's development.

Key Free Agents: D'Anthony Batiste (re-signed w/ Cardinals), Levi Brown (re-signed w/ Cardinals), Early Doucet WR (re-signed w/ Cardinals), Deuce Lutui G (signed w/ Seahawks), LaRod Stephens-Howling RB, Chester Taylor RB, Stephen Williams (re-signed w/ Cardinals), Floyd Womack G, 

Defense
Arizona has a somewhat odd statistical season defensively. They were the best in the league stopping teams on third down, finishing the season allowing just a 31% success rate.

But they also gave up the eighth most total first downs in the league, finished 19th in total yards and 17th in points allowed. 

In other words, Arizona's first and second down defense was among the worst in the league. On the other hand, when they got teams in predictable passing situations, they were able to stop opponents, and finished tied for seventh in the league in sacks.

Part of the problems is a lack of talent in the secondary. Williams Gay was signed from Pittsburgh to mitigate the lost of starting corner Richard Marshall to Miami. That's probably an upgrade for the Cardinals and as long as Peterson progresses, they should be better this year in the secondary.


One of the reasons Arizona was so effective on third down is because they have one of the best three man fronts in football. Calais Campbell and Darnell Docket form easily the best tandem of 3-4 ends in the game and both are extremely disruptive.

Losing Cark Haggans and Joey Porter makes this linebacker group even most suspect than it already was, so finding an upgrade there will be important to maintaining the kind of sack rate the Cards had last year.

There are some studs on this defense with Campbell, Docket, Peterson and Adrian Wilson. Adding one at outside linebacker could take this defense from great at times, to consistently dominant.

Key Free Agents:Sean Considine DB (signed w/ Ravens), Clark Haggans OLB, Vonnie Holliday DE, Rashad Johnson FS, Richard Marshall CB (signed w/ Dolphins), Joey Porter OLB, Greg Toler (re-signed w/ Cardinals), Reggie Walker LB (re-signed w/ Cardinals), 

Draft Targets

Needs: OL,OLB,WR,DB,RB


Round 1 (Pick 13): Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame (Pos. Rank: 2, Overall Rank: 13)

This would be an interesting pick because Floyd has a similar game to Larry Fitzgerald. Neither will blow you away with their speed, but they will run by you. Both have extremely strong frames and catch the ball well in traffic. Floyd could be the Anquan Boldin for this offense, running those crossing routes to clear space. Floyd also adds another threat in the red zone so teams can't roll their coverage to Fitzgerald's side without being left vulnerable on the other. The Cards could be tempted to snag Dre Kirkpatrick if he's here, but having spent a top 5 pick on Peterson last year and signing Gay this offseason, Floyd makes more sense. If they're in love with one of the outside linebackers like Nick Young or Whitney Mercilus, they could reach here as well for one of those players.


Round 2 (Pick 51): Traded to Eagles for Kevin Kolb

Round 3 (Pick 80): Jonathan Massoquoi OLB Troy (Pos. Rank: 6, Overall Rank: 78)

This is a little bit of a boom or bust pick, but in the third round the Cardinals can afford to take a little bit of a risk. Massoquoi doesn't have great pass rush technique, but physically he's powerful as well as agile. He moves well laterally and his solid burst in close. He'll need to learn how to use his hands better and develop a go-to pass rush move, but those kinds of things can be taught. DeMarcus Ware, another former Troy stand-out, wasn't a finished product coming out of college either (He was ahead of Massoquoi however). With such a dominating front, Massoquoi wouldn't have pressure on him to produce right away and would have time to learn better technique. If he can, Massoquoi could be a big-time sleeper in this draft.


Overall

In terms of on-field talent, Floyd is one of the surest bets in this draft. At worst, he's a solid #2 receiver and at best, he's the future Larry Fitzgerald. Massoquoi is somewhat the opposite. If he never refines his technique, he may just be another athletic outside linebacker who occasionally gets a sack. On the other hand, he could also become a terror off the edge if he's willing to put in the work. Without a second round pick, the Cards won't be able to fully address their key needs in the first three rounds, but going 2/3 is pretty good. Given the trade, we have to somehow include Kolb in the equation and if Kolb improves - with the help of Michael Floyd - it will be well worth what 'Zona gave up to get him. This has the potential to be a great draft for the Cards.

Final Thought

There were plenty of media types who picked the Cardinals to make the playoffs last season. I think they'd agree they were premature in deciding Kevin Kolb was indeed a franchise player. Kolb though, was hurt much of the season because he was getting killed behind a porous offensive line. If that line can improve and a few weapons can be put around him, the offense should be much more along the lines some thought it could be last year. The defense appears ahead of schedule and Patrick Peterson is going to give the offense plenty of field position. If the defense doesn't regress and the offense can improve, there's reason to believe that the Cardinals could be a threat to make the playoffs, particularly in the weak NFC West.