Jene Bramel
Footballguy
It’s hard core IDP time in the Forum. Since championships are won in the off-season and NFL free agency and the draft are just around the corner, I thought it’d be worthwhile to start taking a look at what we should be watching for from now until March. I’ll try to highlight at least one team for discussion each day.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals tabbed Steeler OC Ken Whisenhunt as head coach. Whisenhunt hasn’t committed to his defensive staff yet, but there’s been strong speculation that he’ll retain current DC Clancy Pendergast. Arizona has been steadily improving on the defensive side of the ball, especially up the middle, but there’s still work to be done.
The line looks solid, if unspectacular, with veterans Bert Berry and Chike Okeafor holding down the ends and a solid rotation at DT. While there aren’t likely to be any big splashes in free agency on the front four, the Cards could definitely use some depth at DE through the draft. Berry has missed fourteen games over the past two seasons and it’s a stretch to think Okeafor can repeat his 8.5 sack performance of 2006.
Things look to be more settled at LB than at any point in recent memory. Gerald Hayes was healthy all year and established himself as an every down player. The toe injury that dominated our off-season discussions about Karlos Dansby didn’t look to rob him of any speed. It’ll be interesting to see how this off-season goes. Dansby will be an UFA after 2007; an early extension would be reassuring that the toe injury isn’t the degenerative problem some suggested last off-season. A true, two-down SLB would improve this corps greatly and could give a boost to the value of both Dansby and Hayes.
The biggest off-season splash for this unit should come at corner. Antrel Rolle didn’t make huge strides in his second season but still has the all-around talent to become a more consistent IDP option. The other corner spot has been a mess with Eric Green and David Macklin swapping time as the starter. Green has been impressive in the boxscores at times but nothing special on the field. Adrian Wilson is Adrian Wilson. And while there’s probably not enough IDP production to go around, Aaron Francisco showed some talent as a nickel safety and was rewarded with a contract extension earlier in January. He’ll play in Robert Griffith’s spot next year.
Of course, all bets are off if Whisenhunt surprises and brings in a defensive coordinator who wants to install a major scheme change.
Worth watching
1. Will Whisenhunt keep Pendergast on as DC?
2. Will they pursue a pass rushing DE (and potential IDP sleeper) in the draft?
3. How aggressively will they address the relative weaknesses at CB and SLB?
4. Will they give Karlos Dansby a big vote of confidence with a juicy (and early) contract extension?
Thoughts?
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals tabbed Steeler OC Ken Whisenhunt as head coach. Whisenhunt hasn’t committed to his defensive staff yet, but there’s been strong speculation that he’ll retain current DC Clancy Pendergast. Arizona has been steadily improving on the defensive side of the ball, especially up the middle, but there’s still work to be done.
The line looks solid, if unspectacular, with veterans Bert Berry and Chike Okeafor holding down the ends and a solid rotation at DT. While there aren’t likely to be any big splashes in free agency on the front four, the Cards could definitely use some depth at DE through the draft. Berry has missed fourteen games over the past two seasons and it’s a stretch to think Okeafor can repeat his 8.5 sack performance of 2006.
Things look to be more settled at LB than at any point in recent memory. Gerald Hayes was healthy all year and established himself as an every down player. The toe injury that dominated our off-season discussions about Karlos Dansby didn’t look to rob him of any speed. It’ll be interesting to see how this off-season goes. Dansby will be an UFA after 2007; an early extension would be reassuring that the toe injury isn’t the degenerative problem some suggested last off-season. A true, two-down SLB would improve this corps greatly and could give a boost to the value of both Dansby and Hayes.
The biggest off-season splash for this unit should come at corner. Antrel Rolle didn’t make huge strides in his second season but still has the all-around talent to become a more consistent IDP option. The other corner spot has been a mess with Eric Green and David Macklin swapping time as the starter. Green has been impressive in the boxscores at times but nothing special on the field. Adrian Wilson is Adrian Wilson. And while there’s probably not enough IDP production to go around, Aaron Francisco showed some talent as a nickel safety and was rewarded with a contract extension earlier in January. He’ll play in Robert Griffith’s spot next year.
Of course, all bets are off if Whisenhunt surprises and brings in a defensive coordinator who wants to install a major scheme change.
Worth watching
1. Will Whisenhunt keep Pendergast on as DC?
2. Will they pursue a pass rushing DE (and potential IDP sleeper) in the draft?
3. How aggressively will they address the relative weaknesses at CB and SLB?
4. Will they give Karlos Dansby a big vote of confidence with a juicy (and early) contract extension?
Thoughts?
