How Have Arizona Cardinals Addressed Biggest Weaknesses from 2014?
In 2014, the Arizona Cardinals managed to produce an 11-5 regular-season record and make the playoffs, despite dealing with a number of significant injuries at key positions.
Starting quarterback Carson Palmer, backup quarterback Drew Stanton, running back Andre Ellington, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu and punter Dave Zastudil were among the injured players. But the team still had enough talent and depth to make it out of the brutal NFC West with a playoff spot.
In short, the team didn't have a ton of weaknesses last season.
Still, the fact that Arizona couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs tells us that there was room for improvement heading into this offseason. Even if they weren't glaring, there were issues to address.
Arizona's foray into free agency wasn't exactly flashy, but some interesting pieces were added. This has often been the case under general manager Steve Keim. The most immediate needs were addressed early in the 2015 draft.
Let's take a look at what the Cardinals have done to strengthen their biggest areas of weakness from the 2014 season.
Quarterback Depth
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For most teams, having a strong starter and a reliable backup means having adequate quarterback depth for a season. However, the Cardinals lost their top two quarterbacks in 2014, and the end results were not pretty.
Third-stringer Ryan Lindley was forced to start the final two games of the regular season after Palmer and Stanton were lost to injury. Both starts resulted in losses, and he finished the season with a quarterback rating of just 56.8.
Lindley also started the team's playoff game against the Carolina Panthers. He went just 16-of-28 for 82 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in that contest. The Cardinals lost 27-16.
With Palmer and Stanton both likely to be healthy at the start of the regular season, there wasn't a dire need to add to the quarterback room. However, the Cardinals have brought in 2012 "Mr. Irrelevant" Chandler Harnish and undrafted rookie Phillip Sims. Those two will likely compete with 2014 fourth-round selection Logan Thomas for the No. 3 job.
As a developmental mid-round pick, of course, Thomas should have an edge.
The Cardinals' biggest move here might be not bringing back a guy they know couldn't get the job done. Lindley is currently looking for work as a free agent.
Pass Protection
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The Cardinals allowed just 28 sacks over the course of the 2014, but the fact that this is a misleading statistic should be fairly obvious.
There is, after all, a reason the top two quarterbacks on the roster were both lost to injury.
According to Pro Football Focus, Arizona actually ranked 23rd in pass-blocking last season. This is why it made sense to use the 24th overall pick on Florida offensive tackle D.J. Humphries in this year's draft.
Humphries is an athletic tackle prospect who projects as an eventual starter on the blindside. Jared Veldheer currently holds down that position, so it will be interesting to see if he gets moved to the right side or if Humphries can overtake Bobby Massie.
For either to happen, Humphries will have to acclimate to the pro game before the start of the regular season.
"Sometimes it will take a year, but you'd like to see steady improvement in practice habits, work habits, weight room habits—all those things," head coach Bruce Arians said of Humphries, per Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com. "And he's doing that. He's figuring it out fast."
If Humphries can step in and improve one side of the offensive line as a rookie, it should go a long way toward keeping the Cardinals quarterbacks off the injury report.
Run Blocking
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Opening holes for the running backs also proved to be an issue for the Cardinals offensive line in 2014. While the team was not dead last in this category, Pro Football Focus did rank Arizona a disappointing 29th overall in run blocking last season.
The Cardinals averaged just 81.8 yards per game on the ground, 31st in the NFL.
This is a big reason why the Cardinals lured veteran guard Mike Iupati away from the San Francisco 49ers with a five-year, $40 million free-agent deal.
Iupati ranked second overall in run blocking last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He will likely replace Ted Larsen at left guard. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 25th in run blocking for the 2014 season.
The next step for the Cardinals will be to see if 2013 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper can regain the form he had before breaking his leg before the start of his rookie season. Cooper sat out much of the 2014 season, but he did manage to log a couple of starts before suffering a wrist injury.
"Man, definitely one of the tougher things I've had to deal with in my lifetime," Cooper said earlier this offseason, via the Associated Press. ''But it's a learning experience and I'm sure it will make this season that much better and more enjoyable and guarantee that I don't take anything for granted."
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Running Back Depth
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Subpar run blocking was not the only reason the Cardinals struggled to move the ball on the ground last season.
Starting running back Andre Ellington dealt with injuries throughout the season, ultimately landing on injured reserve with a sports hernia. His 3.3 yards per carry was a full 2.2 yards lower than his 2013 average. He did not record a single game with more than 100 yards.
His backup, Stepfan Taylor was no better (3.3 yards per carry), though Kerwynn Williams (4.6 yards per carry) did flash some potential.
Arizona added some depth to the mix by selecting Northern Iowa running back David Johnson in the third round of this year's draft.
At 6'1" and 224 pounds, Johnson is a big back with enough quickness (ran a 4.5-second 40 at the combine) to be a productive pro. He should be a nice complement to Ellington and should help to keep a fresh body in the backfield throughout the season.
Pass Rush
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Pressuring opposing quarterbacks on a consistent basis also proved difficult for the Cardinals in 2014.
As a team, the Cardinals ranked just 24th in sacks with 35 during the regular season. Linebacker Alex Okafor led the team with eight sacks. Defensive end Calais Campbell (seven sacks) was the only other player to notch more than five.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Cardinals 31st overall in pass rush for 2014.
This made pass-rushing talent and depth a need, and the team addressed it in the second round of the draft. There, the Cardinals selected former Missouri defensive end Markus Golden.
Golden is an athletic 6'2", 260-pound pass-rusher who may see a lot of time in defensive coordinator James Bettcher's hybrid 3-4 system. He racked up 10 sacks at Missouri last season, despite playing second fiddle to eventual first-round pick Shane Ray.
The trick for Golden will be trying to make a quick transition to the NFL, a challenge he seems to currently enjoy.
"Everything is going great out here, just learning the plays, having fun and competing, competing at a high level." Golden said recently, via Robby Baker of 12news.com. "Just learning from the older guys and I'm just trying to get better every day."
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