Cardinals: Love and hate
Cardinals: Camp tour | RapidReports | Training camp tour | Bleacher Report
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Love/hate impressions from Arizona Cardinals camp.
Love
• Coach Ken Whisenhunt. He is one of the better coaches in the NFL. He knows the right buttons to push and his players seem to respond. He is also a very good play-caller, a coach who isn't afraid to take chances. He takes that over this season, which should help the offense.
• Defensive end/tackle Darnell Dockett is a force. He can push the pocket with his speed and power, but he's also strong against the run. He is a Pro Bowl player. But don't go to sleep on Calais Campbell, the other defensive end. He had his breakout season in 2009 and has a chance to become a Pro Bowl talent in his own right this season. When Antonio Smith left in free agency, Campbell stepped in and played better than Smith.
• Safety Adrian Wilson is one of the best at his position. He is an active blitzer who can also play in coverage. Wilson plays with a tenacity you want from the safety position and might be as prepared as any player in the NFL. He was underrated for a long time, but he now gets his due.
• What's not to like about receiver Larry Fitzgerald? He is big, strong and has great hands. If there is one knock on him, it's that his yards-per-catch numbers aren't what you would want from a No. 1 receiver. He averaged 11.3 per catch last season. That has to be more in the 15.0 range. Fitzgerald has been limited some in the preseason by a knee injury, but he will be ready opening day.
• Running back Beanie Wells is the power back in the mold that Whisenhunt loves. He isn't penciled in as the starter right now, but you can bet Wells will get most of the carries. This second-year player from Ohio State will be nice to have if the Cardinals are trying to hold onto a lead.
• The division. Let's be real. The NFC West is dreadful. The Cardinals are the defending champions and should repeat. The San Francisco 49ers are the chic pick by some to win it, and they should be better. But Seattle and St. Louis have a ways to go. Arizona is still the class of the division, even with quarterback issues.
Hate
• The quarterback uncertainty. When Kurt Warner retired, the Cardinals knew they would have problems replacing him. Matt Leinart was the guy most expected to take over. But he hasn't been great this offseason, which is why Derek Anderson will start Saturday's preseason game with the Bears. Leinart can still be the opening day starter, but he has to play well in a relief role against the Bears. No matter who starts, there will be a drop in ability at the most important position on the field. Neither Anderson nor Leinart is in the Warner class.
• The Cardinals offensive line is coached by one of the best in football in Russ Grimm. He has his work cut out for him to mold right tackle Brandon Keith into a good player this season. Keith has ability, but he has limited experience. He gets his chance because the Cardinals are moving Levi Brown from the right side to the left side. Keith is raw, but he is big at 6-feet-5, 335 pounds, and he has some athletic ability. He should be fine in the run game. It's how well he does against speed rushers that will show his development.
• The Cardinals have a young playmaking corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They think they might have another in Greg Toler, a second-year player. But Toler is raw. He will likely be the starter on opening day, so look for teams to go after him a lot. He has wonderful athletic ability, so it's just a matter of adjusting to the level of competition. After all, he played his college ball at Saint Paul's in Virginia.
• The Cardinals have lacked a big-factor tight end under Whisenhunt. They hope third-year player Ben Patrick can become more of a factor in the passing game, but we'll see. After him, it is veterans Anthony Becht and Stephen Spach. That doesn't exactly cut it in a division where the 49ers have Vernon Davis and the Seahawks have John Carlson.
• Clark Haggans and Joey Porter are the team's outside pass rushers. Weren't Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd available? Haggans and Porter played opposite each other in Pittsburgh from 2000 to 2006. That was a long time ago. Both are 33 now. Can they hold up for a season?
