2008 Arizona Cardinals Season Preview

2008 Arizona Cardinals preview from MadduxSports.com. The NFC West could be one of the best divisions or one of the very worst's. There are a lot of unanswered questions for all 4 teams so having an expert like Maddux that can forecast winners with their NFL spread picks can mean a very profitable football season for the client. So what are you waiting for?

2008 Arizona Cardinals Predictions
By Adam Barone

Rundown
Once again the average football fan will go into the season thinking that the Cardinals, with all their flashy talent on offense, will have to be one of the better teams in the NFL. If you think that, take $35, go to a vet, and have yourself put down. You’re stealing oxygen from the rest of us.

Especially with the advancement of the passing game, the NFL is a quarterback-dominated league. Matt Leinart will need to prove that he can be a starter in this league before the Cardinals will go anywhere. He’ll split time with Kurt Warner, who’s already proved that he’s just old.

Last season Leinart averaged 129.4 yards per game through the air, and had a rating of 61.9. Maybe he should get $35 together too…

The Cardinals ranked 29th in the league last season with just 90.0 yards per game on the ground. Edgerrin James ran for over 1200 yards, but had close to no help from Marcel Shipp or J.J. Arrington. James will be 30 this season. Someone will need to step up and help him out.

The team’s second and fourth leading tacklers Calvin Pace and Terrance Holt both left via free agency. Virtually no one was added to replace them.

Arizona ranked 28th last season against the pass. They tied for 13th in the league with 36 total sacks, so their lack of depth in the secondary was likely suspect. First round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is extremely athletic and should play a key role in solving that problem.

Improvement on both lines is a necessity if the Cardinals want to have any chance at making the post season.

Draft Analysis
The Cards seem to be one of the few teams that directly addressed their specific team needs through the draft. Cornerback, defensive end, and receiver were at the top of the list.

Rodgers-Cromartie out of Tennessee St. is tall and extremely athletic. He has the speed to be a playmaker in the NFL. Likely to be the guy who’ll draw the opponent’s best receiver, he’ll improve Arizona’s secondary considerably.

Third round pick wide receiver Early Doucet out of LSU replaces the departed Bryant Johnson.

Defensive ends Calais Campbell from Miami (Fla.), Kenny Iwebema from Iowa, and Chris Harrington from Texas A&M (the second, fourth, and sixth round picks respectively) will help improve head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s pass rush.

Now that you know about the 2008 Arizona Cardinals football team see how they stack up against the rest of the NFC West division rivals Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers.

Related Pages:
Cardinals Official Site
NFL Free Picks