PFT pre-camp power rankings: Cards at 32

kerouac9

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Someone has to be last. Whom else would you replace there?

We were historically bad last season, especially on offense.

I think you're splitting hairs if you're like, "We're not the WORST team in the NFL, we're fourth-worst. FAIL, PFT!"
 

ARZCardinals

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Going into this season I'm expecting the worst but hoping for the best

The Cards have 'potential' like no other

They're trying to reinvent the game - and they've got the coach and players to do it on offense

On Defense Vance J knows his stuff and he's got some horses ...other than losing PP for awhile. Cards will be MUCH better at LB.

It could be a spectacular season...but no matter what there's no way it'll be worse than last season.

Till they do it...they have to be ranked 32nd - and the pendants are right to do so till the season starts.
 

kerouac9

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Going into this season I'm expecting the worst but hoping for the best

The Cards have 'potential' like no other

They're trying to reinvent the game - and they've got the coach and players to do it on offense

On Defense Vance J knows his stuff and he's got some horses ...other than losing PP for awhile. Cards will be MUCH better at LB.


It could be a spectacular season...but no matter what there's no way it can't be worse than last season.

Till they do it...they have to be ranked 32nd - and the pendants are right to do so till the season starts.

This is an assertion not in evidence. Vance Joseph took a Denver team that was Top 10 in scoring defense for 5 straight years and turned them into a below-average group almost immediately.

In his one season as Defensive Coordinator in Miami, the Dolphins defense was equally sub-average.
 

Solar7

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Until I see different, this is how I feel. Let's hope they're wrong!

Last year I kept calling all of the Power Rankings silly, and had to admit that the pundits must know more than I do.
 

devilalum

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Why would the team that just finished dead last not be picked #32?


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Krangodnzr

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The worst team in the NFL had the top pick.

Nothing wrong with ranking the Cardinals last because.....they were in fact the worst team in the NFL at the end of the season.


I expect the team to take a jump to closer to the middle this year, but they 100% deserve to be rated the worst right now.

Who do I think will be bad this year:

1. Dolphins. I expect them to be the worst team because they have 1) An awful offensive line. 2) Bad defense. 3) Horrible skill players. 4) Bad QBs.
2. Lions. I don't buy what the Patriots Ex's are selling. That team is going to suck. Stafford doesn't elevate that team and is the ultimate stat stuffer.
3. Bengals. The Cardinals have been panned for bringing in K2, but the Bengals for some reason haven't been for hiring Taylor. Very little to no playcalling experience.
4. Giants. Dave G just doesn't understand the modern trends of football. Some of his moves worked for Carolina in the past, but the brand of football he is building doesn't work.
5. Jaguars. I don't trust Nick Foles outside of the Pederson bubble. This is a bad football team if Foles isn't really good.
6. Panthers. The Panthers go as far as Newton can take them. If Newton isn't good, the Panthers aren't good. They lack receivers, have a weak o line, and are transitioning on D.
7. Ravens. Another year removed from Ozzie Newsome's brilliance. Lots of defensive turnover with few outside replacements. Lack good WRs. Lamar Jackson is a great athlete, sub par QB.


Other teams that COULD suck?

1. Niners. Garappolo is still NOT a proven commodity. He's been at best an Andy Dalton caliber QB. Their secondary was historically bad last year and they didn't add much. Still lack proven playmakers at WR.
2. Redskins. The Redskins are a solid team. Good offensive line. Good front seven. But Keenum is likely the starter at QB, and that WR corps is brutal. A few injuries and this team is playing for a top pick. And have you heard the "praise" of Haskins? It's pretty faint, and you know what it means to damn someone with faint praise.
3. Jets. They made splashy moves. But if those moves don't work out, this will be a BAD football team again.
4. Bucanneers. Yes we all love Arians, but we also know the problems with him as a head coach. What if Winston ISN'T the guy there? They have no running game. Lots of defensive turnover. Bad secondary. And they play in a fairly tough division with two teams that can be pretty good.
5. Titans. Mariota has been very ordinary. Has some turnover on defense. This could be a blah 7-9 team pretty easily.
6. Bills. I think the CAN be a playoff team, but this is banking on some improvement from Josh Allen. What happens if he regresses? He was bad last year, but if he's worse, he'll drag this team down.
7. Broncos. Joe Flacco. Nuff said.
8. Raiders. I've never been much of a believer in Gruden as a team leader. Good offensive designer and playcaller. But I wouldn't want him as a head coach. They made splashy moves to get better, and splashy moves have a tendency to fail. What happens if the Broncos are better than expected? The Raiders aren't better than the Chiefs or Chargers. That means like 3-4 losses from Chiefs/Chargers and maybe 2 more losses against the Broncos. 5-6 losses in your division usually means you are going to suck bad.

So that's 15 teams I've identified that could suck, but all of them deserve to rated ahead of the Cardinals.
 

Proximo

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Until I see different, this is how I feel. Let's hope they're wrong!

Last year I kept calling all of the Power Rankings silly, and had to admit that the pundits must know more than I do.

See I feel exactly the opposite. I had ominous feelings and felt we were getting too much credit last year.

This year we have to be better, and I think we will be much better than the worst team.
 

Solar7

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The worst team in the NFL had the top pick.

Nothing wrong with ranking the Cardinals last because.....they were in fact the worst team in the NFL at the end of the season.


I expect the team to take a jump to closer to the middle this year, but they 100% deserve to be rated the worst right now.

Who do I think will be bad this year:

1. Dolphins. I expect them to be the worst team because they have 1) An awful offensive line. 2) Bad defense. 3) Horrible skill players. 4) Bad QBs.
2. Lions. I don't buy what the Patriots Ex's are selling. That team is going to suck. Stafford doesn't elevate that team and is the ultimate stat stuffer.
3. Bengals. The Cardinals have been panned for bringing in K2, but the Bengals for some reason haven't been for hiring Taylor. Very little to no playcalling experience.
4. Giants. Dave G just doesn't understand the modern trends of football. Some of his moves worked for Carolina in the past, but the brand of football he is building doesn't work.
5. Jaguars. I don't trust Nick Foles outside of the Pederson bubble. This is a bad football team if Foles isn't really good.
6. Panthers. The Panthers go as far as Newton can take them. If Newton isn't good, the Panthers aren't good. They lack receivers, have a weak o line, and are transitioning on D.
7. Ravens. Another year removed from Ozzie Newsome's brilliance. Lots of defensive turnover with few outside replacements. Lack good WRs. Lamar Jackson is a great athlete, sub par QB.


Other teams that COULD suck?

1. Niners. Garappolo is still NOT a proven commodity. He's been at best an Andy Dalton caliber QB. Their secondary was historically bad last year and they didn't add much. Still lack proven playmakers at WR.
2. Redskins. The Redskins are a solid team. Good offensive line. Good front seven. But Keenum is likely the starter at QB, and that WR corps is brutal. A few injuries and this team is playing for a top pick. And have you heard the "praise" of Haskins? It's pretty faint, and you know what it means to damn someone with faint praise.
3. Jets. They made splashy moves. But if those moves don't work out, this will be a BAD football team again.
4. Bucanneers. Yes we all love Arians, but we also know the problems with him as a head coach. What if Winston ISN'T the guy there? They have no running game. Lots of defensive turnover. Bad secondary. And they play in a fairly tough division with two teams that can be pretty good.
5. Titans. Mariota has been very ordinary. Has some turnover on defense. This could be a blah 7-9 team pretty easily.
6. Bills. I think the CAN be a playoff team, but this is banking on some improvement from Josh Allen. What happens if he regresses? He was bad last year, but if he's worse, he'll drag this team down.
7. Broncos. Joe Flacco. Nuff said.
8. Raiders. I've never been much of a believer in Gruden as a team leader. Good offensive designer and playcaller. But I wouldn't want him as a head coach. They made splashy moves to get better, and splashy moves have a tendency to fail. What happens if the Broncos are better than expected? The Raiders aren't better than the Chiefs or Chargers. That means like 3-4 losses from Chiefs/Chargers and maybe 2 more losses against the Broncos. 5-6 losses in your division usually means you are going to suck bad.

So that's 15 teams I've identified that could suck, but all of them deserve to rated ahead of the Cardinals.

Man, it is wild how much you and I don't see eye-to-eye, haha.

I agree about the Dolphins, but the Lions will contend to win that division.
The Bengals won't be great, but with AJ Green, Andy Dalton, and Joe Mixon, they'll be in most games. They'll probably beat us when AJ Green punks our DBs. Giants, I agree. But the Jaguars still have a great defense, and while I don't trust Foles, even slightly competent QB play will have them in contention for a playoff run. Panthers will contend for the division. The Ravens will win with solid coaching and just getting by.

I think more of your teams in the "could suck" section belong up with the bad.

I also think your assertion that Haskins isn't getting praise is silly. His teammates have no idea who is going to be the main guy yet. Speaking out too much about how well he's been doing does them no good if Keenum is the starter, or Alex Smith comes back to play one day. Intense praise for a rookie who has plenty of time to sit and learn is silly when you'd be throwing your starter under the bus to do it.
 

Krangodnzr

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Man, it is wild how much you and I don't see eye-to-eye, haha.

I agree about the Dolphins, but the Lions will contend to win that division.

The Lions are better than the Packers? No.
The Lions are better than the Bears? No.
Is Matt Patricia even a good defensive coordinator, let alone a good head coach? I don't know.
Do you know the 100% guaranteed way to build a championship contender? Drafting at Tight End with a high pick. Idiotic.

The Bengals won't be great, but with AJ Green, Andy Dalton, and Joe Mixon, they'll be in most games.
They'll probably beat us when AJ Green punks our DBs.

Green was hurt last year and receivers tend to go from great to doo-doo overnight. He is getting older. Their offensive line was bad last year and hasn't gotten better. And to assume Zac Taylor is going to be any good is a huge stretch. Bad secondary too.

Lastly, They are likely 3rd best or 4th best in their division. That generally means losing record.

But the Jaguars still have a great defense, and while I don't trust Foles, even slightly competent QB play will have them in contention for a playoff run.

That's assuming you see the Foles from the Eagles. Not the Foles from the Rams. Foles has only excelled in select circumstances, with really good offensive coaches. He's not getting that with the Jaguars. And who is he throwing to? Who is running the ball? How good is that offensive line? Let's just say all three are shaky. Few teams win with defense alone. A good defense with a bad offense usually has a losing record. And again....are they going to be better than the Colts and Texans? I don't think so. And are they going to be better than the Titans? Maybe but unlikely.

Panthers will contend for the division.

Likely third best team. How are they contending? Newton looks like he is on the decline. Their offensive line is pretty shaky. And they are making a transition on defense. WILL contend? Yeah....will contend for 4th place with the Bucanneers.

The Ravens will win with solid coaching and just getting by.

How? They lost the majority of their pass rush and replaced them with......

Lamar Jackson is a horrible passer. The Chargers built the blue print for beating him. Drop everyone into zone and dare him to throw.

Are they better than the Steelers? The Browns?

I also think your assertion that Haskins isn't getting praise is silly. His teammates have no idea who is going to be the main guy yet. Speaking out too much about how well he's been doing does them no good if Keenum is the starter, or Alex Smith comes back to play one day. Intense praise for a rookie who has plenty of time to sit and learn is silly when you'd be throwing your starter under the bus to do it.

You don't have to throw your starter under the bus to say something nice about the kid. Even his head coach has talked about how he is struggling. The same thing is being said about Daniel Jones and Drew Lock too.
 

DVontel

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If we lose to the Bengals, I legitimately think we’ll finish with the #1 pick again. I don’t care if it’s without PP & on the road. I think they’ll be the worst team in the league. Even worse than Miami.
 

DVontel

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Also, I disagree with Krang on the Panthers. That is, if Cam’s shoulder is good to go. With their draft, I think they’ll be really good on defense. Damn near great. Their OLine isn’t bad, they got a top offensive talent in CMC. I think Curtis Samuel will break out for them & DJ Moore to play better. Not to mention, they’re always good when it’s an odd year funny enough. The offense really hinges on Cam’s shoulder, tho.

One of the Saints or Falcons will fall off. Saints due to Bree’s shoulder finally falling off or Atlanta due to their lack of pass rush & suspect CBS.
 

Cheesebeef

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This is an assertion not in evidence. Vance Joseph took a Denver team that was Top 10 in scoring defense for 5 straight years and turned them into a below-average group almost immediately.

In his one season as Defensive Coordinator in Miami, the Dolphins defense was equally sub-average.

yeah... I don't really see where all the love for Johnson comes from.
 

Krangodnzr

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Also, I disagree with Krang on the Panthers. That is, if Cam’s shoulder is good to go. With their draft, I think they’ll be really good on defense. Damn near great. Their OLine isn’t bad, they got a top offensive talent in CMC. I think Curtis Samuel will break out for them & DJ Moore to play better. Not to mention, they’re always good when it’s an odd year funny enough. The offense really hinges on Cam’s shoulder, tho.

One of the Saints or Falcons will fall off. Saints due to Bree’s shoulder finally falling off or Atlanta due to their lack of pass rush & suspect CBS.

I think my point is that the Panthers are really reliant on Newton's health.

As far as the defense goes, they are moving to a 3-4 and there are almost always growing pains from a move like that....and they are relying on Bruce Irvin (BRUCE IRVIN!) and Brian Burns to be their pass rush. I like Burns, but Irvin has been doo-doo most of his career.

CMC is a great talent and I like Moore, but Samuel hasn't been healthy much and they don't have a ton talent after that. And Olsen is like what? 84 years old?
 

kerouac9

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I think my point is that the Panthers are really reliant on Newton's health.

As far as the defense goes, they are moving to a 3-4 and there are almost always growing pains from a move like that....and they are relying on Bruce Irvin (BRUCE IRVIN!) and Brian Burns to be their pass rush. I like Burns, but Irvin has been doo-doo most of his career.

CMC is a great talent and I like Moore, but Samuel hasn't been healthy much and they don't have a ton talent after that. And Olsen is like what? 84 years old?

And the Cards aren't reliant on Murray's health? Gimme a break. Carolina is us with a winning pedigree.
 

PACardsFan

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Why would the team that just finished dead last not be picked #32?


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Yep. Exactly. Until proven otherwise, they have to go off last years results. Do I think we'll be better than that? Absolutely. But, for now, dead last sounds perfect.
 

kerouac9

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We are. What break do you need?

LOL you are ridiculous sometimes.

You can say that about any contender in the league. The teams that aren't dependent on the health of their QB are, like, the Giants and Washington, who don't have QBs.

The Panthers were 6-2 until someone ripped Cam's arm out of his shoulder in a hit the refs probably didn't even see. Now, he's apparently better.

Details about the Panthers' transition to a 3-4 are pretty sketchy, but they have Gerald McCoy and Kawann Short on DL with Dontari Poe. I think they're going to be fine — even on the outside with Brian Burns, Mario Addison, and Bruce Irvin. Their secondary is a bit of a dumpster fire, though.
 

football karma

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this I don't care about. Last year was so terrible on so many dimensions that a competitive 6-10 is going to seem like making the playoffs in comparison.

last year the Browns went 7-8-1, but answered a bunch of key questions in doing so ( and then "won" the offseason to boot).

I would be thrilled with something similar: competitive in nearly every game, Murray/ Kingsbury look like the real deal, a base of younger talent is established that the team can build off of.
 
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