Are the Arizona Cardinals the NFC's Most Overlooked Team?

One, two, the Arizona Cardinals are coming for you. Three, four, the NFC West better lock its doors. 

Bruce Arians' squad was left for dead and buried at the end of the 2014 season. Numerous injuries seriously stunted the team's effectiveness by the time the Cardinals faced the Carolina Panthers in the playoffs. The result was an embarrassingly awful offensive performance.

Some may have forgotten just how good the Cardinals were before that point.

Surely, the rest of the league didn't.

The team showed enough potential last season, along with more additions to the roster during the offseason and improved health, to overtake the Seattle Seahawks and develop into one of NFC's top teams this fall. 

Seven months ago, the Cardinals held an 8-1 record and were flying high as the NFC's best team. Unfortunately, quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a Nov. 9 contest against the St. Louis.  

Palmer's injury only solidified the importance of the quarterback position in the NFL—and specifically Arians' offensive system.

With the former No. 1 overall pick behind center—he also missed three games during Weeks 2-4 with a nerve problem in his shoulder—the Cardinals finished 6-0.  

Games	Record	Passing YPG	Rushing YPG	PPG
1,5-9	6-0	275.3	84.5	25.8
2-4, 10-16	5-5	215.6	80.1	15.5

After Palmer tore the ACL for a second time—the first occurred in 2006 when he was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals—he openly questioned whether he would return to the Cardinals for another season, per USA Today's Jim Corbett: 

"

I don't know what the future holds. There's a lot of unknown, millions of unknown questions. And I'm going to play football again. I hope it's here. ... I'm going to do what's best for this organization.

I know it, I understand it. And I agree with it. I hope I'm part of the equation.

"

Drew Stanton proved to be a capable backup, but the seven-year veteran is far removed from the days when it was believed he could develop into a legitimate starter.

Stanton's inability to carry an offense showed as the 2014 campaign progressed. During the first three games Palmer missed, Stanton steadied the boat and helped lead the team to a pair of wins despite an atrocious 48.9 completion percentage.

However, the backup signal-caller played much better during his second starting stretch, and even passed for more than 290 yards twice. His season also ended on injured reserve after suffering an MCL sprain and subsequent infection. 

The Ryan Lindley experiment then became an unmitigated disaster once he took over the reins at the end of the season, including the playoff contest. 

As the months passed, Palmer went from being unsure of his future in the desert to the franchise's born-again savior. 

When the quarterback tore the ligament, the team believed he could return by June or July. Palmer is right on track with his rehabilitation, and may be slightly ahead of schedule. 

Palmer started taking first-team repetitions in May during the team's offseason conditioning program. He increased his participation and level of play throughout each step of the process to the point where he has the Cardinals brass excited about his performance at the start of mandatory minicamp. 

“Carson has been on fire,” general manager Steve Keim said Thursday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (via ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss). “It’s been amazing to watch his rehab process. And he’s a guy that is locked in as much as I’ve seen any player locked in."

While it certainly wasn't viewed this way at the time, the injury actually proved to be a blessing in disguise for Palmer, who studied and rebuilt his throwing motion during his downtime. 

The Palmer previously seen during his stint in Arizona won't be the same one on the field this fall. He discussed those offseason changes in his mechanics with MMQB's Jenny Vrentas: 

"

Going back to the foundation and starting from the ground up has paid dividends for me, mechanically. I’ve gotten back to the basics, some of the things I was really good at as a younger quarterback, and may have not spent enough time on over the years. It’s something you don’t typically do in the offseason.

It will help my completion percentage, it will help with my accuracy and it will also help us as a unit, because I won’t be making my left tackle’s job as difficult. In turn, I’ll be able to step into more throws. As I’m getting to my second and third and fourth read, I’m holding onto the ball a little bit longer and that pocket is getting slowly smaller, so it will give me more room to work with inside the pocket because I will be more centrally located.

"

Better quarterback play should equate to better overall team play during the upcoming season.

No player on Arizona's roster better understands his importance to the team and his part in the team's downfall last season, albeit indirectly and unavoidably, than the quarterback coming off major knee surgery. 

“[It’s] as big of a feeling of unfinished business as you could have,” Palmer told Vrentas. “That’s the main thing. We were 9-1, and things ended for me, and we just didn’t finish the year strong, and it left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths—no more than mine.”

A fully healthy Palmer is absolutely crucial for the Cardinals to overtake the Seahawks in the NFC West and become legitimate contenders in the conference. But the quarterback's status isn't the only one worth noting. 

The team's health issues extended beyond Palmer's ravaged knee. Specifically, cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and guard Jonathan Cooper struggled to live up to expectations last season. 

After an outstanding rookie campaign that ended with a trip to injured reserve, Mathieu required ample time to heal after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Honey Badger dealt with injuries throughout the 2014 season and never looked like the same player during his sophomore campaign. 

Cooper, meanwhile, only started two games last season after missing all of his rookie campaign due to a broken fibula he suffered during training camp. 

The offensive lineman, who was drafted seventh overall in the 2013 draft, said he thought he felt better last season, but he can now see the difference in his play at right guard. 

"Mentally last year I thought I felt better, but now I'm getting confirmation from coaches and outsiders and that's really boosted my confidence," Cooper told ArizonaSports.com's Mary Kate Lau.

With Cooper solidifying the offensive line and Mathieu converting to cornerback, the team sees a big difference in both this year when compared to last season. 

Keim discussed those differences with Weinfuss:

"

(They) never looked right last year to me. They both drug their legs, they both favored that injury. And this offseason, both of them seem to have cleared that hurdle mentally and physically.

(Mathieu) looks leaner and to me looks every bit as good as he did prior to the injury in terms of movement skills, explosiveness, making plays on the ball. 

(Cooper's) natural bend and athleticism was always his strength. You finally see that now on tape again. The question remains for both of them, is they have to stay healthy.

"

The NFL is often described as a "100-percent injury league." The key for team success is avoiding major injuries to the roster's core players. Palmer, Mathieu and Cooper certainly fall into that category for Arizona.

Improved health is only one factor in the Cardinals' potential success this fall. 

Arizona's defense is one of the most physically overwhelming and talented units in the league and features two of the league's best players at their respective positions in Patrick Peterson and Calais Campbell. 

Last season, the unit was the epitome of a "bend but don't break" defense. The Cardinals finished 24th in total defense, 29th against the run and 13th against the pass. Yet, an opponent's ability to move the ball doesn't always equate to success. Arizona was fifth in points allowed, and that's what truly matters. 

Potential upgrades were also made with a handful of offseason acquisitions. 

The Cardinals defense relied heavily on veteran Larry Foote during the previous season due to the continued disappointment of Daryl Washington and his inability to remain on the field. Foote provided a veteran presence and leadership, but the team upgraded athletically with the acquisition of Sean Weatherspoon during free agency. 

Weatherspoon is also coming off a season-ending injury after he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training camp. When healthy, though, the Missouri product is a legitimate three-down linebacker. Plus, he can also be a vocal leader. 

The linebacker expects to immediately start at inside linebacker and become a team leader alongside Kevin Minter, per ArizonaSports.com: 

"

I'm a natural-born leader. That's just what I've always done. I'm not going to sit back and somebody else take the initiative. I'm going to step up and be that guy that's going to let everybody know what the play is, and he we should be doing it. I'm going to talk that talk and walk that walk. 

"

The Cardinals also lost defensive linemen Darnell Dockett and Dan Williams during free agency. 

Dockett was another team leader and one the organization's top players for years, but he didn't play last season after tearing an ACL in August. Williams, on the other hand, was one of the NFL's top two-down nose tackles. 

Corey Peters and Cory Redding were signed to offset those losses.

Peters, in particular, is projected to start at nose tackle despite being a 4-3 defensive tackle and 3-4 defensive end throughout his career. The former member of the Atlanta Falcons won't be as stout at the point of attack as Williams, but he provides more scheme flexibility with his ability to get into the backfield and disrupt plays. 

Redding will join the defensive line rotation alongside Campbell, Frostee Rucker, Ed Stinson and Kareem Martin. 

There will certainly be obstacles along the way with continuity, or lack thereof, being chief among them. The aforementioned losses on defense don't tell the entire story.

Last year's defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, is now the head coach for the New York Jets. His aggressive play-calling helped mold the Cardinals into one of the NFL's best defenses.

James Bettcher was promoted from outside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator after Bowles' departure. Bettcher is a first-time coordinator who has yet to call plays at the NFL level. An adjustment period should be expected. 

“Bettcher has been in the system for three years now,” Peterson told AZCardinals.com's Darren Urban. "He knows the expectations."

The same can be said for the Cardinals offensive line. Three new starters up front could grace Arizona's opening-day lineup. 

Mike Iupati was the crown jewel of the Cardinals' offseason acquisitions after the team signed the three-time Pro Bowl guard to a five-year, $40 million contract. He's already been inserted at left guard. The previously mentioned Cooper should become a full-time starter at right guard. And there is currently a competition at right tackle between incumbent Bobby Massie and this year's first-round selection, D.J. Humphries. 

It's a very talented group, but one that must come together quickly to protect Palmer so the offense can realize its full potential. 

While the Cardinals are getting healthy, upgrading certain positions and possibly jelling at the right time, the rest of the NFC West has questions marks. 

The Seattle Seahawks suffered multiple injuries to their secondary during last year's playoff run, and a Super Bowl hangover could be looming. The St. Louis Rams are betting on Nick Foles developing into a franchise quarterback, while their offensive line is being completely rebuilt. And the San Francisco 49ers are hemorrhaging talent and restarting with a new coaching staff. 

An opportunity is in front of the Cardinals to take over their division and move into the NFC's elite. The talent is in place to do so. A total team effort this fall with minimal injuries makes last year's 9-1 start much more realistic than its 2-5 finish. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.