Cards are a legit "sleeper" team...IMHO

[NeverSayDieFan]

I realize that the experts are not going to give us much chance this year to do anything worthwhile. But, if I understand the definition of a "sleeper" team, it's the one no one is really paying much attention to.

I have been watching this "new" mgmt. team in-action and smiling as I note each move. Some big, some small, but all seem to have a purpose of some kind. I imagine this is how you successfully build a house. Step-by-step. One day at a time.

One thing I do find particularly telling. We're gathering "leaders." Guys that DO NOT accept losing. They're not used to it and they're not going to put up with it. As a direct result of bringing these types of players into the mix, I'm expecting a team of "fighters" to emerge.

So, heads up NFL, because this team is going to fight you tooth-n-nail for a full 60 minutes!! ...And maybe even beyond that.

GO CARDS!

Mark in SC

 

[vince56]

This division is really tough, but one of the top 2 teams will fall off a bit IMO. We'll see. The Rams and Cardinals will be very improved. It's put up or shut up time for Sam Bradford as well. Should be a really fun year

 

[Goldfield]

I think Sleeper is a good term to use when talking about the Cardinals. I feel we made by far the most improvment in the off-season. We took a step back at FS. But improved every other spot other than TE. IMO.

QB huge upgrade, biggest impact
RB Mendenhal, Taylor, Ellington. Upgrade IMO
WR mostly same, added Speed in Swope. Adding Palmer makes this an upgrade.
Oline added Cooper, and Watford, cut Snyder. Upgrade.
Dline added quality depth, scheme perfect for Dockett and Campbell, big upgrade.
LBs Washington needs to pull his head out. Adding Dansby Is huge. Added Okafor & Minted, upgrade.
CB added Cason, Powers, lost Gay and Toler. Wash.
Safety we lost both starters for cap reasons, added Bell and ? SS is a wash imo, FS huge drop off.

 

[Duckjake]

I don't see a new management team anywhere. Keim and Michael Bidwill have been with the Cards for years. And Bill Bidwill is still CEO.

A native of Chicago, Bill Bidwill presides over the oldest continuously-operated professional football franchise

From the Cards own website.

On the other hand just having the new QB, I forget his name, will make the Cards a sleeper team. How much fun is it going to be watching a QB who can complete more than 50% of his passes, or throw more TDs than INTs, or not get sacked every 9th time he drops back to pass while getting progressively worse every game?

 

[kerouac9]

IMO, Carolina is the sleeper team in the NFC. They had some terrible luck in close games last year.

In the AFC, the sleeper team candidates are San Diego (bad breaks last year, still have a quarterback), Kansas City (better coaching staff in place, have talent on both sides of the ball)--both teams play in a weak division, and Miami (weak division, may have a QB now).

The problem with the NFC is that it's just a loaded conference. Both the Giants and the Saints missed the playoffs. I guess if by "sleeper team" you mean "could surprise and win three additional games", but I have a hard time seeing a path to the playoffs unless the 49ers fall apart defensively due to injuries or one of the NFC North teams collapses.

 

[Garthshort]

I know I'm a Kool-Aider, but it seems to me that our 90 man roster is the best we've ever had. There's a lot to be excited about. JMO.

 

[BigRedRage]

i dunno about best roster we have ever had - I am full of koolaid but not narcotic laced koolaid.

 

[Duckjake]

i dunno about best roster we have ever had - I am full of koolaid but not narcotic laced koolaid.

I agree. This roster is nowhere near as loaded as the 2009 roster was. That year we had talented, veteran players with several years working together who had just won an NFC Championship. Now we have a roster of who knows what they will do veterans who haven't even been working together for a few days.

Let's just hope if these guys are successful the Cards don't lose them all like they did in 2010.

 

[Chopper0080]

IMO, Carolina is the sleeper team in the NFC. They had some terrible luck in close games last year.

In the AFC, the sleeper team candidates are San Diego (bad breaks last year, still have a quarterback), Kansas City (better coaching staff in place, have talent on both sides of the ball)--both teams play in a weak division, and Miami (weak division, may have a QB now).

The problem with the NFC is that it's just a loaded conference. Both the Giants and the Saints missed the playoffs. I guess if by "sleeper team" you mean "could surprise and win three additional games", but I have a hard time seeing a path to the playoffs unless the 49ers fall apart defensively due to injuries or one of the NFC North teams collapses.

The NFC is very tough right now but there are a couple spots that could open up. If I had to rank them right now, it would probably be...

San Francisco
Seattle
Atlanta
New York
New Orleans
Green Bay
Dallas
Chicago
Tampa Bay
Washington
Arizona
Minnesota
Carolina
Detroit
St. Louis
Philadelphia

That being said, I could see almost any of these teams rising up the rankings due to certain factors.

The two hardest divisions to break through should be the South and the West. The 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons and Saints all have really good rosters and the Saints didn't even make the playoffs last year. Tampa, Carolina, Arizona and St. Louis all need something to get them over the hump, but I see the potential in all four of those teams. It will all probably depend on the production they get from Freeman, Newton, Palmer and Bradford.

 

[Duckjake]

There are a couple of sleeper teams every year. Seattle for instance hadn't had a winning season since 2007. Same for the Redskins. The Vikings were 3-13 in 2011 and in the playoffs in 2012. The 2008 Cards hadn't had a winning season in 10 years!

No reason the 2013 Cards can't do it too. Of course the odds are greater that they'll finish 5-11.

Note: the Broncos and Colts don't count because of the Peyton factor.

 

[kerouac9]

The NFC is very tough right now but there are a couple spots that could open up. If I had to rank them right now, it would probably be...

San Francisco(*)
Seattle(*)
Atlanta(*)
New York
New Orleans
Green Bay(*)
Dallas
Chicago
Tampa Bay
Washington (*)
Arizona
Minnesota(*)
Carolina
Detroit
St. Louis
Philadelphia

That being said, I could see almost any of these teams rising up the rankings due to certain factors.

The two hardest divisions to break through should be the South and the West. The 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons and Saints all have really good rosters and the Saints didn't even make the playoffs last year. Tampa, Carolina, Arizona and St. Louis all need something to get them over the hump, but I see the potential in all four of those teams. It will all probably depend on the production they get from Freeman, Newton, Palmer and Bradford.

I put astricies by the playoff teams from 2012. I think we can all agree that Washington and Minnesota are the two most likely teams to drop out of the playoffs in 2013, but for the Cards to shoulder their way in, they'll have to climb over quire a few teams to make the playoffs.

I guess the good news is that the NFC North is playing the NFC East, which hopefully will lead to those teams beating each other up. The problem is that the NFC West plays the NFC South, and so the Cards could make a big move by beating both Tampa and Carolina, and those teams should get beaten up by playing each other.

 

[Garthshort]

Duckjake, the 2009 team? I think you're referring to the final 53. No? As for BigRedRage, which year did you like better? And while I'm not sure, my opinion might be based on all the info that Mitch has provided. I do like ALL of our draft picks and free agents, but realize that only time will tell.

 

[BigRedRage]

Duckjake, the 2009 team? I think you're referring to the final 53. No? As for BigRedRage, which year did you like better? And while I'm not sure, my opinion might be based on all the info that Mitch has provided. I do like ALL of our draft picks and free agents, but realize that only time will tell.

our super bowl years.

1998 team.

We are SLIM at safety, RB is has one proven injury prone, one unproven injury prone and two rookies.

The WR core has been far better throughout many years.

I dunno, I just dont see it either way as being far better than prior rosters.

Just commenting though, keep your opinion intact, its not FAR away.

 

[desertdawg]

It was all about not being worst in the worst division, now it's about being the best from the best division. Tough thing to do, but I like what we are doing.

 

[Duckjake]

Duckjake, the 2009 team? I think you're referring to the final 53. No? As for BigRedRage, which year did you like better? And while I'm not sure, my opinion might be based on all the info that Mitch has provided. I do like ALL of our draft picks and free agents, but realize that only time will tell.

Yes the final 53. That team was loaded. Warner, Fitz, Boldin, Dockett, Wilson,Rolle, DRC, all pro bowl players at one time or another.

Plus Dansby, Okeafor, Berry, Breaston and Lutui all who had been with AZ for at least 3 years and were top line players as well as Haggans and Campbell.

Backup and special team players like Toler, Rashad Johnson, LSH, Sean Morey, and Money Mike Adams.

Also Beanie Wells at RB who averaged 4.5 yards per carry that season and had a huge game vs Green Bay in the playoffs along with Tim Hightower who caught 63 passes.

The current group has a lot to prove to equal those guys. Especially since several of them are guys their former team didn't even think were worth keeping on low cost one year contracts.

 

[DoTheDew]

We are definitely in a position to pull off a lot of upsets this year if things go our way. Optimistically, our defense might be about as good as it was last year. Our offense in almost any scenario will be better. Optimistically it will go from a bottom 5 offense to somewhere in the middle of the pack.

 

[Sam Wise]

Honestly here is our biggest issues... WE ARE GOING TO GIVE UP BUCKETS OF YARDS AND POINTS. Our defense is horrible, at least they look that way right now. We really didn't address it in FA or the draft. We will probably score about 25-27 pts a game, but we may give up between 30-33. The best division in football will be the NFC South this year, call it a hunch but their worst team may be 8-8.

Now there are some things we could do to make us a "Sleeper" team. We need to address the safety position first and foremost. Honestly though not sure who could help us, maybe Charles Woodson. There is more we can do, but there really aren't allot of OLB still there. I thiink if we play our cars right we could be one of the beneficiaries of the veterans released in July.

 

[Duckjake]

Honestly here is our biggest issues... WE ARE GOING TO GIVE UP BUCKETS OF YARDS AND POINTS. Our defense is horrible, at least they look that way right now. We really didn't address it in FA or the draft. We will probably score about 25-27 pts a game, but we may give up between 30-33. The best division in football will be the NFC South this year, call it a hunch but their worst team may be 8-8.

Now there are some things we could do to make us a "Sleeper" team. We need to address the safety position first and foremost. Honestly though not sure who could help us, maybe Charles Woodson. There is more we can do, but there really aren't allot of OLB still there. I thiink if we play our cars right we could be one of the beneficiaries of the veterans released in July.

Hard to argue with the potentialy severe problem at safety and there really aren't any FA available who could help. However the Cards had a rather salty Defense last season with the OLBs we do still have so I'm not as concerned as some are about that position. I am concerned about the return to the old D that Dockett loves because they were so bad then.

 

[kerouac9]

Honestly here is our biggest issues... WE ARE GOING TO GIVE UP BUCKETS OF YARDS AND POINTS. Our defense is horrible, at least they look that way right now. We really didn't address it in FA or the draft. We will probably score about 25-27 pts a game, but we may give up between 30-33. The best division in football will be the NFC South this year, call it a hunch but their worst team may be 8-8.

Now there are some things we could do to make us a "Sleeper" team. We need to address the safety position first and foremost. Honestly though not sure who could help us, maybe Charles Woodson. There is more we can do, but there really aren't allot of OLB still there. I thiink if we play our cars right we could be one of the beneficiaries of the veterans released in July.

That would be a TD or more per game on average. That's a lot of points to fall just because the safety position got worse. I'm not really seeing it.

As Duck said, the team manage to put an effective pass rush together with the front seven personnel that we had last year, and we've only added talent to that unit (Okafor).

Our 17th-ranked scoring D is a little warped by the 58-point shellacking that Seattle laid down. Take that game out and we gave up an average of just 19.9 ppg in 15 outings. That would have made us a Top 10 scoring defense.

If we don't have that kind of blowout in 2013, it could be that we end up a better statistical defense even if we're not as successful on the field. I think that we'll allow more in the 24-28 ppg range, which would put us in a conversation for 8-8.

 

[HotSauce]

I think the team could be a game or two better, but that's about it. IMO, the offense improves while the defense takes a step or two back with Bowles.

 

[BigRedRage]

I think the team could be a game or two better, but that's about it. IMO, the offense improves while the defense takes a step or two back with Bowles.

i dunno, that might makes bowles irritable.