Arizona Cardinals Will Be the Surprise Super Bowl Contenders in 2015

Arizona finished the 2014 regular season 11-5 and lost in the first round of the NFL playoffs, but the Cardinals will shape up to be Super Bowl contenders in 2015.

The NFC West runner-ups jumped out to a hot start, winning nine of their first 10 games, but then the wheels fell off as injuries began to mount up.

The quarterback position suffered the most devastating injuries, as Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton both missed valuable time. Palmer missed three games early in the season due to nerve damage, and then he tore his ACL upon his return, landing him on season-ending injured reserve. Stanton injured his knee in Week 15 against St. Louis.

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Star running back Andre Ellington also landed on injured reserve after requiring surgery to repair a hernia he suffered against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

With injuries piling up, the Cardinals lost four of their last six games, before losing 27-16 against the Carolina Panthers in the playoffs.

The Cardinals will naturally be in better standing entering next season, assuming they do not have the same luck with injuries. Defensive lineman Corey Peters recognized the potential in Arizona and decided to sign with the Cardinals this offseason.

“I think they’re building something special,” Peters said (via Adam Green's ArizonaSports.com article). “Of course, they had a very good year last year until injuries kicked in. Honestly, I just feel like they’re right there. They’re going to make some things happen, and I look forward to being a part of that process.” 

The Cardinals appointed Bruce Arians as head coach after a successful stint as the interim head coach for the Colts following Chuck Pagano’s leukemia diagnosis in 2012. Arians earned AP Coach of the Year honors for his job steadying the ship in Indianapolis that season.

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Arizona finished with only five wins in the 2012 season. Arians quickly turned the franchise around, winning 10 and 11 games in his first two seasons in the NFC West. The new head coach provides stability to the franchise while showing improvement every season.

“Having won 21 regular-season games over the last years, they are not viewed as a fluke who is destined to take a step back,” per Green, writing for ArizonaSports.com. “Instead, they are looked at as a team ready to get to the next level.”

On the back of two successful seasons, Arizona can attract established veterans in free agency like linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and Mike Iupati. The Cardinals lured Iupati away from their division rivals, San Francisco 49ers, where he earned three Pro Bowl selections in his first five seasons.

Arizona also drafted D.J. Humphries with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. With the selection of the tackle from the University of Florida and the signing of Iupati, bolstering the offensive line was clearly a point of emphasis for general manager Steve Keim. And per his comments, courtesy of the Cardinals' official Twitter feed, he feels positive regarding the OL's success, especially as it relates to Humphries:

Palmer showed he still has gas in the tank in his first season with the Cardinals, and an improved offensive line should help the 35-year-old quarterback stay on his feet this season. The Fresno, California, native threw for 4,274 yards and 24 touchdowns, while playing in all 16 games in the 2013 regular season.

An improved offensive line should also help open up more running lanes for Ellington this season. On top of that, Arizona found the second piece of a possible two-headed monster in David Johnson from the University of Northern Iowa.

The third-round selection provides a bigger running back for Arizona, as Johnson measures at 6’1” and 225 pounds. The Northern Iowa product also provides versatility, as he began his college career as a wide receiver. Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports reported that the Cardinals want to find a way to play both running backs at the same time:

The addition of another runner in the backfield should take pressure off Ellington, as he returns from injury. In his rookie season, Ellington gained 1,023 yards from scrimmage, but the Clemson University product split carries with Rashard Mendenhall.

Without a running partner this past season, Ellington’s yards-per-rush average dropped from 5.53 yards to just 3.3 yards. The increased workload following Mendenhall’s retirement also took a toll on the 26-year-old running back's body as he suffered from foot and hernia injuries.

Ellington fully welcomes Johnson into the backfield this season, according Kent Somers of azcentral.com.

“I don’t see why not,” Ellington said when asked if he would be helped by the addition of Johnson, according to Somers. “It allows me to have more rest time, and it should keep the offense upbeat.”

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NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks gave the Arizona Cardinals a “B+” grade for their draft this year and said Humphries and Johnson will be able to hit the ground running this season.

“Each displays the core athletic attributes needed to shine at their respective position, while also showing the polish to make immediate contributions as rookies,” Brooks wrote. “Humphries and Johnson, in particular, upgrade an offense that should click with veteran quarterback Carson Palmer healthy again and back at the helm.”

The downside for the Cardinals includes the departures of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and franchise figure Darnell Dockett. The New York Jets named Bowles as their new head coach. Defensive end Dockett signed with San Francisco in free agency as well.

The Cardinals addressed Dockett’s departure by selecting Markus Golden from Missouri in the second round and Shaquille Riddick from West Virginia in the fifth round.

Heading into the 2015 season, the Cardinals should return to full health and be better suited to limit the wear and tear on both Palmer and Ellington.

While hopefully avoiding the injury bug, the Cardinals now possess the necessary depth to challenge the Seattle Seahawks and other contenders for opportunity to appear in their first Super Bowl since 2008.