Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals began making moves early and cut wide receiver/kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. as well as defensive end Darnell Dockett.
Two other names that stand out are Antonio Cromartie who is expected to find a new home this year in Free Agency, and John Abraham who is an aging player with not too many years left in him. Ryan Lindley is scheduled for Free Agency, but could be looking for a new home after not being able to keep the Cardinals season alive when he was called upon. Lindley came into the season as the 3rd string QB, so he could get a pass and be able to come back due to his familiarity with the team.
Cardinals Needs:
The Arizona Cardinals had an outstanding season in 2014, but fell short due to injuries. These were injuries at important positions, but depth has to be a concern. Losing two QBs in the regular season is difficult to overcome, but that just leads into one of the Cardinals biggest needs, QB. Carson Palmer is now 35 years old, which means he won’t be around much longer. Drew Stanton did enough for the Cardinals when Palmer went out to win some games, but he was far from being the reason they were winning games. Quarterback has to be an area of concern when looking into the future of this franchise. Carson Palmer was a pleasant surprise and has recently looked like he did when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals, but only has a few more seasons left in his arm.
With Darnell Dockett leaving, this does create a need. Dockett missed the 2014 season due to injury, but is still a good player, even at the age of 33. The Cardinal’s defense was certainly a reason for much success last season, but will need to be tended to. Antonio Cromartie is also likely to be on the move and will open up a starting cornerback position opposite of Patrick Peterson. This defense, while talented, is full of a lot of veterans. I expect these needs to be targeted more in the draft rather than free agency.
If the Cardinals want to continue their success, they will need to start somewhat of a youth movement to have some sustainability in their product.
