REGAINING THE EDGE
by Adam Lefkoe


A Pro Bowl-caliber Edge will go a long way
toward getting the Cards more than 5 wins

It’s tough to get overly excited about a team who’s most consistent trait in the past few years has been inconsistency.  Averaging only five wins the past five seasons, Bill Bidwell and the Cardinals’ brass are hoping Ken Whisenhunt can bring both the offensive gameplan and philosophy he established in Pittsburgh as a coordinator (the Steelers went 39-15 during Whisenhunt’s tenure).  Whisenhunt showed with the Steelers that his strategy is exceedingly creative and he plans to use absolute stud receiver Anquan Boldin in a similar role to that of Hines Ward (lots of YAC).  Whisenhunt’s run-first philosophy should help the Cardinals establish their offense and hopefully toughen up an often times porous offensive line.  The Cardinals job was one of the most promising head coaching vacancies in the off-season, now the pressure is on Whisenhunt to wake this supposed sleeping giant.

Whisenhunt is used to having a promising young quarterback at the helm (see: Ben Roethlisberger) and he hopes to take Matt Leinart to that next level.  Leinart showed a lot of promise at the end of the season, winning three of his last four starts all, in fact, against divisional opponents.  Whether it’s because of the immense amount of time he spends in the spotlight or the weapons available to him, the expectations for Matt Leinart have gotten lofty.  He has the receivers, the running back, and hopefully enough experience to get it done.

It’s tough to find anyone who feels as though Edgerrin James’ 2006 campaign wasn’t a disappointment.  His 3.6 yds/carry was pathetic, but after further review, it might not be so bad.  Before the week 9 bye, Edge’s average was 2.8 yds/carry (wow), but after the bye he averaged a very solid 4.2 yds/carry.  In addition, 4 of the Cardinals 5 wins came after the bye.  Many feel as though Edge began to get comfortable with his teammates as the season wore on, and if he is able to carry his late season success into 2007, the Edge could be back.  One thing to keep in mind however is how Whisenhunt’s running game clashes with Edge’s style.  Wishenhunt always has his tailback run behind a fullback, something that Edge hasn’t done much of in his career.

Possibly the most important thing Whisenhunt brought along with him is assistant head coach and offensive line guru Russ Grimm.  Grimm, a future head coach, has been working with the lineman’s quickness in an attempt to make them more mobile.  The unit, as a whole, improved greatly as the season wore on with Reggie Wells leading the way.  Wells played the best football of his career last year, even after having to play some tackle in place of the struggling Oliver Ross.  With the addition of Levi Brown, Wells can return to his guard position and severely improve the running game from the inside.  The most promising member of the line is young guard Deuce Lutui, who has the perfect build for the position.  Al Johnson and Mike Gandy are both pretty solid starters who will need to keep up with the rest of the group.

The Cardinals D seems to be going in a new direction, one where they might not be prepared.  Whisenhunt and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast plan to utilize the 3-4 defense to bring added pressure on the quarterback, but have some questions regarding personnel.  Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor will undoubtedly be able to get to the quarterback as OLBs, but if they are expected to drop back in coverage it could be scary.  In addition, their lack of depth and experience at nose tackle and end doesn’t seem too promising.  It’s a lack of speed that has constantly troubled Arizona defensively, something essential to run the 3-4.  Pendergast is known for his creativity, and he will have to be in order to mask these front seven flaws.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO:
Everything clicks.  The offense finally reaches close to its potential, the return of a healthy Bertrand Berry and the 3-4 take pressure of the secondary, and the Cardinals finally reach the playoffs.  It’s absolutely possible.  Offensively it all comes down to the play of Leinart.  If he continues to improve this team is set for big things.  A solid transition from the end of the year for Edge would make everyone better.  On the defense, I am a huge fan of the secondary.  Adrian Wilson is one of my favorite players to watch. and I think the addition of Roderick Hood should provide experience to a very young group.  If the 3-4 works out and their limited defensive starters can remain healthy, the Cards should easily improve upon their horrible defensive ranking from last year.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO:
Another season at five wins.  The offensive line continues to break down, Edge has another slow start and teams continue to confuse the defense.  Stability in the NFL usually leads to success, so a coaching change is usually accompanied by hard times.  With a greatly improved NFC West, if the team isn’t able to adopt the new philosophies and game plans, a slow start could lead to a rough first season for Whisenhunt.