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Frequently teams that lose the Super Bowl have a letdown the next season, struggling through personnel losses due to free agency and injury, missing the playoffs entirely a year later. With Arizona, perhaps it just waited a year.
So far, 2010 doesn't look like it will be a good season for the Cardinals. Arizona's poor offseason continued when the team's major free agent signing, linebacker Joey Porter, was arrested on suspicion if drunken driving and assaulting a police officer yesterday.
Kurt Warner retired. That wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was a blow. It's not clear if the team is entirely sold on Matt Leinart, after it signed Derek Anderson to a pretty sizable contract as insurance. Leinart should beat out Anderson, but if he plays poorly there will be a controversy -- and Anderson is no Warner.
Anquan Boldin was traded; Jerheme Urban signed with Kansas City. The team's once-deep receiving corps will be counting on Steve Breaston (who had some injury concerns last year) and Early Doucet (who played well in the postseason but is still largely unproven) to keep the passing game performing at a high level. At least one step backward is likely.
The picture is uglier on the defensive side of the ball. Karlos Dansby, the team's franchise linebacker, signed with Miami, and safety Antrel Rolle, another of the team's best defensive starters, signed with the Giants. In their place the Cardinals added Kerry Rhodes -- who the Jets benched last season and were eager to get rid of -- and Porter. Both look like steps back for the team's defense.
Porter signed a three-year, $24.5 million deal earlier this month, $17.5 million of which is guaranteed. It seems likely that Porter won't be playing 16 games for the team this season; no matter what happens with his arrest, he'll be in line for a suspension under the league's personal conduct policy.
On the bright side, the Cardinals play in a division where a 9-7 record might well earn them their 3rd straight division championship. Still, it's been a pretty ugly offseason thus far.
--Andy Richardson
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Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | Mar. 28 at 12:46 AM
I like Anderson more than Leinart. He throws the ball more like warner than Leinart. He'll have a much better O line thanhe had in Cleveland, and Fitzgerald won't drop the ball like Edwards. The Cards depleted D will necessitate more passing in a D poor division. Anderson is a sleeper in my book.
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | Mar. 28 at 01:25 AM
I agree Anderson will start at some point this year, if not at the start of the season. But, I think he's getting an awful lot of mileage out of his one decent season in 2007. His receivers are miles better, no question, in Arizona. But I haven't seen anything out of him the last two seasons that suggests he can recapture his good year even with a better team around him. That said, it is an awfully poor division.