For each of the past few season, the Arizona Cardinals have been the off-season darlings of the NFL media. For the past few season they have disappointed. Like Big Brown faltering down the stretch at the Belmont, the Cardinals have vanished from the NFL playoff picture prematurely every year since 1998.
Since departing for the desert from St. Louis following the 1987 season the Cards have made exactly one playoff appearance. However a new stadium and big names on the offensive side of the ball have led to high expectations, something the team has failed to deliver. “I don’t see it right now,” said XTRA Sports 910 radio host Mike Jurecki, in an interview I conducted with him during my radio show (The Mike Gill Show, 3-6pm, ESPN Radio 1450, Atlantic City).
Offensively, the Cardinals have plenty of talent. With wide-receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald they may have the best stable of wide-outs in the NFL. The problem is, if they don’t win with this duo this season they may never be able to get it done.
Fitzgerald just signed a a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Arizona following a 100 receptions, 1,409 yard and 10 touchdowns last season.
As for Boldin, he has instructed his agent Drew Rosenhaus to cut of negotiations with the team and could be playing in a new uniform next season. “I can’t see them paying two wide-outs, $9-to-$10 million per season,” said Jurecki.
Add in quarterback Matt Leinhert and running back Edgerian James, and the Cards should be able to score points. “Edge hasn’t been the problem,” according to Jurecki. The Cards woeful offensive line has been. Meanwhile back to Leinhert, he gained some press clippings for the wrong reasons this off-season, appearing at a party with young co-eds was not the image the Cardinals were hoping for from their franchise quarterback. There is at least one person in Arizona who doesn’t think the former Trojan is a sure-bet to be under-center September 7th in San Francisco. According to Jurecki who spoke to Kurt Warner, who is currently the number two man in Arizona, “Kurt thinks it’s an open competition.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Adrian Wilson is having a great camp and is the leader of their underrated defense that according tro jurecki “will be improved.” Antrell Rolle is playing better, Bertrand Berry is a force and if Travis LaBoy can get some pressure on the quarterback, they might be pretty decent.
The Cardinals have a new stadium and a second year coach who is moving this team in the right direction, but unless they start winning on the field, the stands may again resemble their playing days at Sun Devil Stadium, when they were playing in front of plenty of empty seats. Is this a playoff team? Not according to Jurecki who is covering the team from it’s Flagstaff camp, “I think they can win nine games, but I wouldn’t say this is a playoff team.”
Up next : Miami Dolphins
This is a series called “2-A-Days” that will preview two teams per day every day this month, where Mike Gill will interview a beat writer or radio personality who covers the team on “The Mike Gill Show” on ESPN Radio 1450 , weekdays from 3-6pm
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