Arizona Cardinals: Realistic Expectations for 2011

The Arizona Cardinals made a huge move in acquiring Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles in a trade that sent Pro Bowl corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick to Philadelphia.

The trade almost seemed a bit heavy especially since Rodgers-Cromartie is one of the best young corners in the NFL. Not only that, Kolb isn't exactly proven just yet, but he is full of potential.

The Cardinals don't exactly have an easy road ahead of them either. They will have tough matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelrs, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. Then there's the division schedule against the St. Louis Rams, a team that showed dramatic improvements last season.

Arizona will have their work cut out for them and while many believe Kolb will be a success, it might be too much of a stretch to expect them to make another magical run.

The Cardinals Will Not Win the Division

Sam Bradford was great in his rookie season. He led the Rams to an 7-9 record and showed that they are heading in the right direction.

The Rams are the team to beat in the NFC West. They have a lot of nice pieces in place with a lot of young players who are biting at the bit to show they are a team on the rise.

The Cardinals, however, aren't in the same position they were in a few years ago. Kurt Warner is gone as well as Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. The Cardinals still have Larry Fitzgerald, but that might not be enough.

They will compete in the division, but the St. Louis Rams will ultimately win it.

Kevin Kolb Will Resurrect the Offense

It's amazing that Larry Fitzgerald managed to have another 1,000-yard receiving season. The three quarterbacks that the Cardinals had could barely get the ball to him. It's a real testament to just how good of a receiver Fitzgerald is.

That being said, Fitzgerald will have a quarterback that can actually get him the ball now. I know that John Skelton showed promise last season and he very well could end up competing with Kolb, but in the meantime this is Kolb's offense.

Kolb is a solid passer and while he had more weapons in Philadelphia, he's never had one quite like Fitzgerald.

Kolb will give the offense an identity again and he may just lead the offense back to respectability.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Will Be Greatly Missed

The Cardinals had to pull the trigger on Kevin Kolb, but sending Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie might very well come back and bite them, especially when they play the Eagles in Week 10. Rodgers-Cromartie could end up being the key factor in that game and could end up causing the Cardinals to regret shipping him out.

Rodgers-Cromartie was supposed to be teaming with Patrick Peterson to form one of the best young corner tandems in the NFL. Isn't that why they drafted Peterson? Add in Kerry Rhodes and Adrian Wilson and that's a solid secondary.

Now Patrick Peterson is left to be the star at corner and he's one of the best corners to ever enter the league, but will he be able to handle everything on his own in his first year?

Rodgers-Cromartie will be greatly missed, whether the Cardinals want to admit that or not, but they needed a quarterback and that's what they got, hopefully it's not going to be a terrible move years down the road.

Ryan Williams Will Be Great, but Not in 2012

Ryan Williams has all the makings to be a great running back in the NFL. He's got the speed, he's got the power; he's the total package, but in 2012, he won't be a star just yet.

The rookie will be competing with Chris "Beanie" Wells for playing time, but he'll also be competing to be the starter.

Ryan Williams is the answer at running back for the Cardinals, but the offensive line still needs to mesh and get better. Adding Darryn College was a huge move and that's going to pay off in the long run. In 2012 Williams will have a good year, but he won't be great yet.

Arizona Will Win 6 Games

The Arizona Cardinals won five games in 2011 and they will improve on that total in 2012, but not by much. They begin their season against the Carolina Panthers, which could be an easy win, but it could also be a loss. A pair of games against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams each could result in either a winning division record or a losing one, but all three teams provide different challenges.

Games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals will be extremely tough, and games against the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants won't be cakewalks either.

Arizona has a very tough schedule and unfortunately, it won't work out in their favor. The Cardinals will compete, but they won't have a winning record.