Arizona Cardinals 2009: A Pre-Draft Offseason Recap

Now that free agency has slowed, it’s time to take a look at where the Arizona Cardinals stand prior to the 2009 draft.

As expected of a team which made a Super Bowl appearance the year before, the team has remained largely the same and is hoping to capitalize on the cohesion and experience of their current players.

But hey, who couldn’t use a little help, right? Let’s start by recapping the Cards' offseason transactions.

Coaching Changes

The most significant changes to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason have come in the form of coaching changes.

Less than a week after losing the heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cardinals fired defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast after a season in which the team gave up too many points and fell apart on the final drive of the most important game in the team’s history.

Although the defense played well during the Cardinal’s playoff run, they finished the regular season ranked 22nd against the pass, 16th against the run, and 19th in overall defense giving up 331.5 yards per game.

2008 offensive coordinator, Todd Haley was named the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs leaving Arizona with two huge coaching vacancies.

Arizona promoted linebacker coach Bill Davis to defensive coordinator after 17 NFL seasons as an assistant.  Receivers coach Mike Miller was promoted to passing game coordinator and assistant head coach Russ Grimm to running game coordinator but Ken Whisenhunt will still call the shots for the Cardinals offense in 2009.

Who’s Out

The organization parted ways with CB Eric Green who quickly found a home in Miami competing for the starting job opposite Will Allen. Green was initially the starter in 2008 but lost time to talented rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Roderick Hood down the stretch.

Antonio Smith cashed in by signing a five year $35 million contract with the Houston Texans. The team also lost KR/RB J.J. Arrington who went to get lost on the depth charts in Denver and also lost linebackers Matt Stewart and Monty Beisel to the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs respectively.

Who’s In

Undoubtedly, the biggest acquisition for the Cardinals this offseason was bringing in former Pittsburgh Steeler cornerback, Bryant McFadden, signing the free agent to a two-year, $10 million contract. 

McFadden is expected to compete with Roderick Hood for the starting position opposite of first round draft pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

The combination of McFadden, Hood, Rogers-Cromartie, and Ralph Brown will provide a slight improvement over 2008’s cornerback crew that saw its trouble in nickel and dime situations, with the most significant improvement coming in the form of experience for rising star DRC.

Other additions this offseason include: Anthony Becht an experienced tight end from St. Louis, added DL depth signing Rodney Leslie (NYG), deep snapper Mike Leach (DEN), added to a thin RB crew with addition Jason Wright (CLE), singed safety Keith Lewis (SF), and added backup help on the OL in the form of practice squad center Donovan Raiola (SEA).

Who’s Back

Kurt Warner resigned with the club...THANK GOD! With Kurt Warner at the helm, AZ seems posed for another playoff push and possibly another fantastic post season performance in 2009. 

The Cards placed the Franchise Tag on linebacker Karlos Dansby, arguably the organization’s greatest asset and brought back DE Bertrand Berry on a one-year, $1 million agreement.  Berry took a paycutt in 2007 to stay with the team after tearing both of his triceps in the seasons before.

Other players resigned: Elton Brown (OG), Clark Haggans (LB), Leonard Pope (TE), Gabe Watson (DL), Ben Graham (P), Ralph Brown (CB), and Brian St. Pierre (QB).

Lingering Questions

The organization still has some issues to sort out.  With the draft approaching, many speculate that the Card’s will select a running back with their first round pick and give declining Edgerrin James his walking papers.

That move would save the club $5 million in cap space in 2009. 

Experts are also skeptical about the return of Anquan Boldin because of the compensation he will demand and the probability of an ugly holdout come training camp. Analysts suggest teams such as the Eagles, Titans, or New York Giants would love to get their hands on the Pro Bowl receiver.

In my opinion, as stated in my last article “Why the Cards Can’t Part Ways with Anquan Boldin”, Arizona must find a way to convince Boldin to play if they want to repeat in the NFC West.

The front office promised both Adrian Wilson and Karlos Dansby that they would work on contract extensions in the offseason but talks have yet to take place.

Free Agents Still on the Market

Since every team could use some help, here are some free agents still on the market that could have an excellent impact for the Cards in 2009. Torry Holt is the biggest name available and probably the most talented free agent left. 

In my opinion, the organization should focus on bringing back No. 81; he’s younger, more talented, and has been with the organization his entire career making him popular among the diehards in AZ.

One free agent that would provide an upgrade to the defense is veteran and perennial Pro Bowler Derrick Brooks. He would bring experience, discipline, leadership, and an upgrade over outside linebacker Chike Okeafor and give depth to a thin group of linebackers.

Jason Taylor is still on the market, but I would rather see Calais Campbell and Travis LaBoy competing for the starting position in Antonio Smith’s absence.

Calais Campbell, drafted last year in the second round, is expected to produce for the organization in the long term and could benefit greatly from the opportunity to play a larger role in the defense.

What to Expect in 2009

With much of the same crew intact, fans should expect to see another good year from the Cards. The offensive line will determine whether the offense takes a more balanced approach next season. 

Things didn’t really click for the running game until the playoffs when someone must have informed the OL there is this thing called run blocking, and it is probably a good idea to learn how to do it. 

Steve Breaston should continue playing a larger role in the offense, but things get tricky if Boldin finds a new home. DRC should be an exciting player to watch as he grows with time and experience.

Arizona fans are hoping to see the opportunistic playoff defense to show up anchored by Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson, Gerald Hayes, and Karlos Dansby.

The time for the Cardinals to make another push for a championship is now. Kurt Warner has proven himself more than capable of leading the team through the regular season, playing at a Pro Bowl level, and performing in big games having put up one of the best performances in Super Bowl history. 

The Cards have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL so I feel they should make the Anquan Bolding resigning a priority and take advantage of a weak NFC West.

I would have liked to have seen the club bring in some more talent on the defensive side of the ball but there weren’t many players in free agency that provided that opportunity. All in all, you can’t blame an organization for keeping a Super Bowl roster intact and I see no reason why the Arizona Cardinals won’t repeat as NFC West Champions in 2009.