Arizona Cardinals: Ranking Remaining Offseason Priorities

Now that the 2015 NFL draft has come and gone, it's time for the Arizona Cardinals to evaluate the pieces they have and begin building a roster capable of winning in 2015.

Winning was a fairly regular occurrence last year, of course, as the team battled its way to an 11-5 regular-season record. However, the success wouldn't carry over into the postseason. The Cardinals dropped the Wild Card Game to the Carolina Panthers, 27-16.

Still, the 2014 Arizona season was an impressive one, especially when you consider the team dealt with injuries to guys like quarterback Carson Palmer, punter Dave Zastudil, tight end Troy Niklas, safety Tyrann Mathieu, running back Andre Ellington and backup quarterback Drew Stanton.

If the Cardinals can better prepare for significant injuries or manage to avoid them altogether in 2015, a deep playoff run should be a realistic possibility.

For now, the goal is to put together a roster capable of lasting through the regular season and beyond. With this in mind, let's take a look at Arizona's remaining post-draft priorities. 

5. Find the Right Backup Options Behind Carson Palmer

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The Cardinals got just six games out of quarterback Carson Palmer before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear. However, the team still managed to put together a playoff season.

The team survived with journeyman Drew Stanton (passer rating of 78.7 in nine appearances) under center for much of the season, going on to win 11 regular-season contests.

The problem for Arizona came when Stanton suffered a knee injury in a mid-December game against the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals were forced to turn to Ryan Lindley, who lost the final two games of the regular season and the playoff game against Carolina.

Stanton is back as Palmer's backup this year, along with Logan Thomas and Chandler Harnish. 

Hopefully, the Cardinals won't lose the top two quarterbacks on their depth chart to injury again this season. However, the team has to make sure its No. 3 option is capable of holding down the fort better than Lindley (three touchdowns, six interceptions in his three starts) did at the end of last season.

Signing a veteran like Matt Flynn or Michael Vick should remain a possibility if the position looks shaky at the onset of training camp.

4. Determine a No. 2 Tight End

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Even though he started just two games in 2014 (with seven total appearances), second-year pro Troy Niklas is likely to emerge as Arizona's top tight end in 2015.

This is because longtime veteran John Carlson announced his retirement after just one season as a Cardinal, and three-year veteran Rob Housler signed with the Cleveland Browns in free agency.

This means that even if Niklas steps up and grabs the starting job, there will still be a hole at the No. 2 tight end position.

That job may go to seventh-round draft pick Gerald Christian of Louisville. Christian is a 6'3", 244-pound pass-catcher who can provide a boost to the passing game by finding open space downfield. However, Christian is an incomplete prospect and may struggle as an in-line blocker early in his pro career.

For a run-blocking tight end, the Cardinals may have to turn to second-year pro Darren Fells. Fells ranked 17th overall in that category last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Other tight ends on the roster include Ted Bolser and Gannon Sinclair. 

3. Fill in Cornerback Depth Behind Patrick Peterson

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Even though the Cardinals fielded a very good overall defense in 2014 (ranked fifth, allowing just 18.7 points per game), the pass defense was an area of weakness.

Arizona allowed an average of 259.5 yards per game (29th in the league) through the air last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Arizona's pass coverage ranked just 25th in the NFL.

Arizona then watched No. 2 cornerback Antonio Cromartie sign with the New York Jets in free agency.

Though Pro Football Focus ranked him just 69th overall among cornerbacks in 2014, Patrick Peterson is likely to hold down a starting job this season. The goal for Arizona will be to figure out the depth chart behind him in time for the regular season.

Jerraud Powers may get the first chance to step into the role vacated by Cromartie. Other options include Justin Bethel, Damond Smith and Jimmy Legree. 

“Jerraud Powers played as well, maybe better than 'Cro' the year before,” Arians recently stated, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.

The Cardinals also recently claimed cornerback Alfonzo Dennard off waivers from the New England Patriots.

2. Determine the No. 1 Running Back

Injuries at the quarterback position certainly hampered the Cardinals in 2014, but the running back position was also cause for concern.

Pro Football Focus ranked Arizona 30th overall in rushing offense for the season. In terms of yardage (81.8 yards per game), the Cardinals ranked 31st.

Andre Ellington led the charge in 2014 and will likely get the first crack at the starting job in 2015. However, Ellington averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last season and missed four games due to injury.

Arizona might actually want to consider starting rookie third-round pick David Johnson out of Northern Iowa. 

Johnson is a big 6'1", 224-pound back with adequate speed, agility and ball-catching skills for the position. Though he currently projects as a complementary back, he should have an opportunity to move up the depth chart in training camp.

Other backs on the roster include Stepfan Taylor, Kerwynn Williams and Marion Grice. Williams was the only back on the roster to average more than 4.0 yards per carry during the regular season.

Finding a workhorse back or a functional rotation of backs has to be a top priority for Arizona.

1. Find a Consistent Pass Rush

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Defending the pass was an issue for Arizona in 2014, but attacking the quarterback on a consistent basis proved to be even more difficult. 

As a team, the Cardinals produced 35 sacks a season ago, 24th in the NFL. However, 15 of those sacks came from two players, outside linebacker Alex Okafor and defensive end Calais Campbell. No player logged more than eight sacks on the season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Arizona's pass rush was second worst in the league.

In order to bolster the pass rush, Arizona signed LaMarr Woodley in free agency and drafted former Missouri star Markus Golden in the second round of this year's draft.

Woodley started just five games for the Oakland Raiders last season, but he produced five sacks back in 2013 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Golden grabbed the Cardinals' attention while the team was studying an entirely different pass-rusher.

"When you start studying (fellow Missouri pass-rusher) Shane Ray, and you keep watching (and think), 'Who the hell is 33?'" Arians said, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. "I just love the way he plays."

If the Cardinals hope to truly love their defense in 2015, the team is going to have to find a way to produce a more effective and consistent pass rush.