The Biggest Issues Facing the Arizona Cardinals with OTAs Wrapped
The Arizona Cardinals wrapped up this year's edition of organized team activities (OTAs) on June 4 and held a brief minicamp that ended June 10 (a day early). The Cardinals won't be back on the field until training camp.
The general consensus is that OTAs and minicamps have been good to the Cardinals this offseason.
"We got a lot accomplished as a football team, in every phase—special teams, offense, defense. Everybody got better," head coach Bruce Arians told Bob Baum of the Associated Press (via the Washington Post).
The task for the coaching staff between now and training camp is to identify what still needs to be done. Even the most fruitful offseason is going to leave questions that need to be answered before the team is fully prepared for the regular season.
Over the next few pages, we will examine the biggest issues still remaining for Arizona as training camp approaches.
Adjusting to James Bettcher as Defensive Coordinator
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In many ways, the Cardinals look very much like the team that went 11-5 a season ago. One obvious difference is at defensive coordinator.
For the past two seasons, the Cardinals defensive coordinator has been Todd Bowles. In Bowles' first season, the Cardinals defense ranked seventh in points allowed (20.2 per game). In 2014, that ranking improved to fifth (18.7 points per game).
Now, of course, Bowles is the head coach of the New York Jets.
Outside linebackers coach James Bettcher was picked to take over for Bowles, and the defense is expected to see few changes in terms of scheme and terminology.
"I did not want our players to walk in and not know what they were doing the first day," Arians said shortly after Bettcher was promoted, via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. "No new language. It's the same defense, the same philosophy."
Though the defense may be similar overall, Bettcher is sure to have his own ideas and philosophies that he will want to implement, and the players are going to have to adjust to having a new voice leading the defense.
Finding the Right Balance Between Caution and Preparations with Carson Palmer
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The biggest issue the Cardinals faced last season was that of injuries, specifically at the quarterback position.
When starter Carson Palmer was lost for the year with a torn ACL in Week 11, Arizona was 9-1 and looking like one of the best overall teams in the entire league. Palmer finished the season with 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 95.6.
Though the 35-year-old Palmer's best years may be behind him (he was rated just 17th overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus in 2014), it should be clear why his return brings optimism to Arizona.
“There’s nothing changed about him,” wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said recently, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “He throws a great, accurate ball. He’s made a lot of plays throughout this minicamp already and we’re looking forward to many more during training camp.”
The trick for the Cardinals' coaching staff is to figure out how to work Palmer back onto the field without putting his surgically repaired knee at unnecessary risk.
Keeping Palmer away from contact in camp and limiting his exposure in the preseason should keep him healthy. However, there is no substitution for game action and no telling how Palmer will respond to his first big hit.
In a way, this is a good issue for the Cardinals to have, because it means they are getting their primary passer back for another run.
Who Will Handle the Starting Job at Tight End?
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While the Cardinals have no questions about who their starting quarterback will be in 2015, they can't be so sure about who will man the tight end position.
Last year's starter, John Carlson, retired during the offseason. Four-year veteran Rob Housler signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent.
The Cardinals have plenty of young tight ends on the roster, but they also have little experience. Only two—Darren Fells and 2014 second-round pick Troy Niklas—have seen action in an NFL game. Other tight ends on the roster include seventh-round draft pick Gerald Christian and Ted Bolser, a seventh-round pick of the Washington Redskins in 2014.
As a former second-round pick, Niklas would seem like the obvious choice as the team's first option. However, Niklas dealt with injuries throughout his rookie season and recently underwent minor ankle surgery, according to Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com:
"TE Troy Niklas set for minor surgery tomorrow on the ankle which bothered him last year. Expected to be ready for training camp.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) June 10, 2015"
Niklas may be back in time for camp, but his latest injury could also hamper his preparation for the regular season. This could open the door for a guy like Fells or Christian to step up and claim the starting gig.
One thing is certain: Tight end is a position that the Cardinals need to get figured out before the regular season kicks off in September.
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Finding a Replacement for Antonio Cromartie
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The Cardinals have a clear answer at one starting cornerback spot in four-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson.
The other starting spot will likely be a work in progress leading up to the regular season.
Last year's other starter, Antonio Cromartie, returned to the New York Jets during the offseason. He was ranked 45th overall among cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus for the season and saw a whopping 1,012 defensive snaps.
Only 16 cornerbacks played more downs than Cromartie last season.
For the Cardinals, it would seem the next-man-up philosophy would apply here. The team has a number of talented defensive backs on the roster, including Jerraud Powers, Justin Bethel and Tyrann Mathieu.
Peterson recently said the following of the situation, per Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com: "We got Jerraud Powers coming back with us for his third season, which I thought he had an awesome season last year. Got Justin Bethel, who had an awesome offseason last year who I thought was going to push for that starting position in the 2014-15 season."
Finding the right cornerback or combination of defensive backs to replace Cromartie has to be a top defensive priority between now and the start of meaningful games.
What Will the Backfield Rotation Look Like?
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Injuries created problems at the quarterback position in 2014, but the running game was out of sync even before injuries began to cause issues.
Injuries limited starter Andre Ellington to just 12 games and hampered him for much of the season. He never looked like the 2013 version of himself, however, and averaged just 3.3 yards per carry (he averaged 5.5 the season before).
Thirteen players carried the football for Arizona in the 2014 regular season. Only one, Kerwynn Williams, averaged more than 3.3 yards per carry. As a team, the Cardinals ranked 30th in rushing offense, according to Pro Football Focus.
Blocking obviously had to play a factor in Arizona's rushing struggles last season, which is why the team brought in Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati in free agency.
However, the team must still figure out which combination of running backs will put the Cardinals in the best position to succeed in 2015. That group now includes Ellington, Williams, Stepfan Taylor and rookie third-round pick David Johnson.
Based on his performance in 2013 (652 yards on just 118 carries), Ellington should have the inside track to start. He knows he will have to fight to earn carries in the regular season, however.
"Every day I'm busting my (butt) trying to get better, not taking those days off where I'm feeling lazy and don't want to do some things," Ellington said recently, per Kevin Zimmerman of Fox Sports Arizona. "I just kind of push myself to use it as motivation more than anything."
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