Arizona Cardinals' 2009 Exit Physical, Roster Analysis—Offense

Let's take a look at the roster health of individual players and positions for the Arizona Cardinals offense, less than a week into their off-season.

The discussion begins with Kurt Warner's decision, will he or won't he retire? Many of the other moves will be contingent on that.

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

7 Matt Leinart QB 26 6-5 232 4 USC Matt Leinart sits firmly on the fence. There are valid concerns about his ability to lead the team and make all the necessary throws, but if Kurt Warner retires Leinart is first in line to get his shot.

There is too much invested in him to stop the experiment at this point, unless the Cardinals find themselves in position to snag a sure bet veteran or draft pick.

Quarterback

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

2 Brian St. Pierre QB 30 6-3 224 7 Boston College A career back-up that will only get a chance to play if everyone else is injured. He knows the system which is always a plus, but may get some competition for a roster spot.

13 Kurt Warner QB 38 6-2 214 12 Northern Iowa All Cardinals fans are pacing the proverbial room, waiting on Warner's retirement decision. If he stays, Arizona is an instant contender in the NFC next season, but if he retires a drop-off is realistic.

There will be a movie made about Warner's rags to riches story one day, he simply came out of nowhere to become one of the best field generals ever.

Running Back

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

34 Tim Hightower RB 23 6-0 222 2 Richmond Hightower built on his rookie campaign in which he was already an integral part of the offense, by improving in several areas. He became the team's best pass protection RB, at times delivering devastating blocks, and tweaked his bad running habits behind the line of scrimmage to improve his YPC to a respectable 4.2.

He was a viable pass catching threat out of the backfield, and answered critics who said he didn't have the speed to be a home run threat by breaking off several long runs, most notably the 70-yard TD run against the Saints in the playoffs.

36 LaRod Stephens-Howling RB 22 5-7 180 R Pittsburgh "The Hyphen" battled for a roster spot and won. It is a good thing because he became an essential special teams player in coverage and the return game.

Howling also showed a lot of versatility on offense, and his role will likely increase next season as a third down and change-of-pace back.

26 Beanie Wells RB 21 6-1 228 R Ohio State Brace yourselves NFL fans, Wells just gave us a preview of his immense potential. Beanie has Earl Campbell-like skills, quick to the hole with speed, power and a brutal stiff-arm. If Warner retires, Wells could become the focal point of the offense.

31 Jason Wright RB 27 5-10 212 5 Northwestern The former Cleveland Brown was a solid special teams contributor and an occasional offensive threat, scoring twice on receptions.

Wide Receiver

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

81 Anquan Boldin WR 29 6-1 217 7 Florida State It is likely Boldin has played his last game as a Cardinal. Arizona has enough needs at other positions that it would make sense to get what they can for Anquan and address those rather than keep him at a position they are deepest in.

15 Steve Breaston WR 26 6-0 189 3 Michigan Breaston's role may increase next season. He had another good year but was absolutely money in the postseason against Green Bay, accounting for over 150 total yards of offense and making several highlight reel catches.

80 Early Doucet WR 24 6-0 212 2 Louisiana State For two seasons Doucet fought through injuries and waited his turn, but once he got his opportunity he opened some eyes to his potential. At times No.80 could have been mistaken for vintage No.81, and left no doubts that he is ready to spell Anquan Boldin permanently if the Cardinals do elect to trade him.

11 Larry Fitzgerald WR 26 6-3 217 6 Pittsburgh After last year's postseason performance by Fitz, the whole world expected him to dominate. That didn't happen, but he still earned another Pro Bowl and another 1,000-yard season.

87 Sean Morey WR 33 5-11 193 8 Brown With concussion awareness being at an all-time high and ST veteran Morey having suffered another one this season, you'd have to think that at age 33 he may be contemplating hanging up the cleats. It would be a blow to the Cardinals to lose this Pro Bowl-level special teamer.

85 Jerheme Urban WR 29 6-3 207 6 Trinity (Tex.) Don't expect Urban to be on the roster next season. Despite his track speed and 6'3" frame, Urban hasn't been able to fully capitalize on his opportunities, and the fumble in the Saints game will likely serve as his final chance.

Tight End

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

84 Anthony Becht TE 32 6-6 270 10 West Virginia A serviceable veteran, but nothing more.

89 Ben Patrick TE 25 6-3 264 3 Delaware Has improved but still has trouble staying healthy. He has played well on the big stage though, and has a good shot to be the No.1 TE going into 2010.

83 Stephen Spach TE 27 6-4 260 4 Fresno State Has also had trouble staying healthy, but is essentially a younger version of Becht.

O-Line

NO. NAME POS AGE HT WT EXP COLLEGE ANALYSIS

82 Mike Leach C 33 6-2 238 10 William & Mary I don't recall a bad snap all season. When you are talking about the team's long snapper then that is a good thing.

63 Lyle Sendlein C 25 6-3 305 3 Texas A solid player but not dominating.

73 Jeremy Bridges G 29 6-4 326 6 Southern Mississippi Bridges played the game of his life versus the Vikings when he helped shut down Jared Allen in the Cardinals' most convincing victory of the season. He is a versatile veteran that can play several positions on the O-line. That alone will keep him on the roster.

67 Herman Johnson G 24 6-7 382 R Louisiana State Not much can be said until Herman sees the field. He is a work in progress, but his size is scary.

76 Deuce Lutui G 26 6-4 338 4 USC Lutui has improved yearly.

74 Reggie Wells G 29 6-4 312 7 Clarion Wells may be the Cardinals' most consistent offensive linemen.

75 Levi Brown OT 25 6-5 324 3 Penn State Although Brown was named a Pro Bowl alternate, he has been a disappointment so far in his young career. He commits too many penalties and is inconsistent. There has been talk of moving him to his college position of left tackle for next year, especially if Mike Gandy is released.

69 Mike Gandy OT 31 6-4 316 9 Notre Dame Battled injuries this year before being placed on IR at the end of December. Gandy will probably be released after three serviceable seasons in Arizona.

72 Brandon Keith OT 25 6-5 338 2 Northern Iowa Keith, like Johnson, will presumably have a larger role next season. He reportedly moves well for a big man, but we haven't seen him on the field enough to give a more thorough analysis.