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ASFN Lifer
First and 10 with the Cardinals
Questions arise for this season as Cards travel north for camp
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 30, 2006 12:00 AM
FLAGSTAFF - It takes a small fleet of trucks to move the Cardinals north for training camp at Northern Arizona University. Packed along with the blocking sleds, weights and equipment is a healthy load of questions.
Here are 10 of them. The answers will determine how the Cardinals will fare this season.
1. Can the Cardinals handle prosperity? advertisement
They've added an elite running back in Edgerrin James and a quarterback with a bright future in rookie Matt Leinart. They're moving into a new stadium, and tickets are hotter than a steering wheel in Phoenix in July.
The level of excitement is unprecedented for the Cardinals, who in the past few years have struggled to draw 30,000 fans to a game
But the club has had high expectations before. They were the trendy pick to win the NFC West last year and finished 5-11.
2.Can Dennis Green still coach?
Two years ago, the Cardinals hired a proven winner in Green, who had taken Minnesota to eight playoff appearances in 10 years. When Green was hired, he pointed to his career NFL record of 97-62, a .610 winning percentage, as proof that he knew how to turn around a program.
But the Cardinals are 11-21 the past two years, and Green's winning percentage has dropped to .565.
There aren't many coaches who stay employed after three consecutive seasons with double-digit losses.
3.Is Green comfortable with his coaching staff?
In two years, Green has fired five assistants and another one retired. But there are signs of stability.
Offensive coordinator Keith Rowen is back for a second consecutive season. That's not unusual in the NFL, but it's the first time since 2002 that the Cardinals have had the same guy calling plays two straight years. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is in his third year with the team, and Green hired two veteran, well-regarded position coaches: offensive line coach Steve Loney and defensive line coach Larry Brooks.
4.How well did the club address its needs?
James should help give the running game, and the locker room, some life. Nose tackle Kendrick Clancy, another free-agent signing, is a stout run defender and fills an immediate need. Leinart gives the team a brighter future.
Green and team management decided that wholesale changes on the offensive line were unneeded. They think improvement will come through Loney's tutelage and the return of several players from injuries.
The team didn't add a veteran backup, however, and the depth at tackle is scary.
On defense, the linebacker and cornerback positions are thinner than plastic wrap. The team needed veteran help at both spots and didn't get it, despite having ample salary-cap space.
5.Can they run the ball?
Running backs spent too much of last season struggling just to get back to the line of scrimmage as defenders roamed the backfield.
With so many threats in the passing game, the Cardinals don't have to be a great at running the ball. Mediocrity would be a huge improvement; cutting down on negative plays and penalties should be the top priority.
The challenge for Loney is to get more from his players than they've shown in the past.
The addition of James should help - as long as he's making defenders miss downfield and not in his own backfield.
6.Can quarterback Kurt Warner last a season?
He hasn't played a full year since 2001, but in fairness he wasn't hurt in 2004 in New York. The Giants just benched him at midyear in favor of Eli Manning.
Warner turned 35 in June and missed games last year because of knee and groin injuries. Odds are he'll miss games this year, too.
His health will be critical because neither of his backups is proven. John Navarre, entering his third year, hasn't shown he can lead a team to victory, and the hope is that Leinart doesn't even have to play this year.
7.Is there trouble around the corner?
Antrel Rolle, the eighth overall pick last year, has undergone two knee surgeries in the past year but is expected to be ready for the start of camp. If he encounters more problems, the Cardinals are in deep trouble at cornerback because they are swimming in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to depth.
Coaches would like Eric Green, another rookie last year, to compete with David Macklin for the right cornerback job.
The club failed to sign a veteran in free agency, so if any of the top three cornerbacks go out, it could have a dramatic impact on the season.
8.Are there enough impact players at linebacker?
Outside linebacker Karlos Dansby is a rising star, but after him the talent level thins. That's part of the reason Calvin Pace was moved from defensive end to linebacker this past spring.
Gerald Hayes, expected to start in the middle, was out last year with a knee injury, and no one knows for sure if he can play the position at the NFL level.
The team spent part of the off-season trying, unsuccessfully, to find a veteran to compete with Orlando Huff, the other outside linebacker.
Most of the backups, with the exception of James Darling, are young and unproven.
9.Will the defensive line rotation work?
Green likes lighter, faster defensive linemen, and the scheme calls for them to penetrate instead of reading and reacting. Playing that style, however, requires depth. It's just too hard to maintain the pace for a full game.
It appears the team has enough depth to do it, but that's what everyone said last year, too. Then the whole thing fell apart because of injuries to Russell Davis, Kenny King, Bertrand Berry and Pace.
10.Can they get off a fast start?
The Cardinals are scheduled to open at home for the first time since moving to Arizona in 1988. Their first three games are against NFC West opponents, including two at home. So starting quickly is imperative this season.
Questions arise for this season as Cards travel north for camp
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 30, 2006 12:00 AM
FLAGSTAFF - It takes a small fleet of trucks to move the Cardinals north for training camp at Northern Arizona University. Packed along with the blocking sleds, weights and equipment is a healthy load of questions.
Here are 10 of them. The answers will determine how the Cardinals will fare this season.
1. Can the Cardinals handle prosperity? advertisement
They've added an elite running back in Edgerrin James and a quarterback with a bright future in rookie Matt Leinart. They're moving into a new stadium, and tickets are hotter than a steering wheel in Phoenix in July.
The level of excitement is unprecedented for the Cardinals, who in the past few years have struggled to draw 30,000 fans to a game
But the club has had high expectations before. They were the trendy pick to win the NFC West last year and finished 5-11.
2.Can Dennis Green still coach?
Two years ago, the Cardinals hired a proven winner in Green, who had taken Minnesota to eight playoff appearances in 10 years. When Green was hired, he pointed to his career NFL record of 97-62, a .610 winning percentage, as proof that he knew how to turn around a program.
But the Cardinals are 11-21 the past two years, and Green's winning percentage has dropped to .565.
There aren't many coaches who stay employed after three consecutive seasons with double-digit losses.
3.Is Green comfortable with his coaching staff?
In two years, Green has fired five assistants and another one retired. But there are signs of stability.
Offensive coordinator Keith Rowen is back for a second consecutive season. That's not unusual in the NFL, but it's the first time since 2002 that the Cardinals have had the same guy calling plays two straight years. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is in his third year with the team, and Green hired two veteran, well-regarded position coaches: offensive line coach Steve Loney and defensive line coach Larry Brooks.
4.How well did the club address its needs?
James should help give the running game, and the locker room, some life. Nose tackle Kendrick Clancy, another free-agent signing, is a stout run defender and fills an immediate need. Leinart gives the team a brighter future.
Green and team management decided that wholesale changes on the offensive line were unneeded. They think improvement will come through Loney's tutelage and the return of several players from injuries.
The team didn't add a veteran backup, however, and the depth at tackle is scary.
On defense, the linebacker and cornerback positions are thinner than plastic wrap. The team needed veteran help at both spots and didn't get it, despite having ample salary-cap space.
5.Can they run the ball?
Running backs spent too much of last season struggling just to get back to the line of scrimmage as defenders roamed the backfield.
With so many threats in the passing game, the Cardinals don't have to be a great at running the ball. Mediocrity would be a huge improvement; cutting down on negative plays and penalties should be the top priority.
The challenge for Loney is to get more from his players than they've shown in the past.
The addition of James should help - as long as he's making defenders miss downfield and not in his own backfield.
6.Can quarterback Kurt Warner last a season?
He hasn't played a full year since 2001, but in fairness he wasn't hurt in 2004 in New York. The Giants just benched him at midyear in favor of Eli Manning.
Warner turned 35 in June and missed games last year because of knee and groin injuries. Odds are he'll miss games this year, too.
His health will be critical because neither of his backups is proven. John Navarre, entering his third year, hasn't shown he can lead a team to victory, and the hope is that Leinart doesn't even have to play this year.
7.Is there trouble around the corner?
Antrel Rolle, the eighth overall pick last year, has undergone two knee surgeries in the past year but is expected to be ready for the start of camp. If he encounters more problems, the Cardinals are in deep trouble at cornerback because they are swimming in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to depth.
Coaches would like Eric Green, another rookie last year, to compete with David Macklin for the right cornerback job.
The club failed to sign a veteran in free agency, so if any of the top three cornerbacks go out, it could have a dramatic impact on the season.
8.Are there enough impact players at linebacker?
Outside linebacker Karlos Dansby is a rising star, but after him the talent level thins. That's part of the reason Calvin Pace was moved from defensive end to linebacker this past spring.
Gerald Hayes, expected to start in the middle, was out last year with a knee injury, and no one knows for sure if he can play the position at the NFL level.
The team spent part of the off-season trying, unsuccessfully, to find a veteran to compete with Orlando Huff, the other outside linebacker.
Most of the backups, with the exception of James Darling, are young and unproven.
9.Will the defensive line rotation work?
Green likes lighter, faster defensive linemen, and the scheme calls for them to penetrate instead of reading and reacting. Playing that style, however, requires depth. It's just too hard to maintain the pace for a full game.
It appears the team has enough depth to do it, but that's what everyone said last year, too. Then the whole thing fell apart because of injuries to Russell Davis, Kenny King, Bertrand Berry and Pace.
10.Can they get off a fast start?
The Cardinals are scheduled to open at home for the first time since moving to Arizona in 1988. Their first three games are against NFC West opponents, including two at home. So starting quickly is imperative this season.
