Linebackers are the star players in a 3-4 defense with inside backers racking up tackles and the outside backers putting constant pressure on the quarterback. That should be the case with the Cardinals as well with the OLB depth chart filled with accomplished pass rushers. There will be some transition period since most of the group are former defensive ends but there is a veteran presence to help bring the younger guys along. So are these guys ready to keep pressure on opposing offenses and carry the defense?

Chike Okeafor: Okeafor is looking to bounce back from an injury that caused him to miss considerable time for the first time in his career. He was drawing rave reviews from the coaching staff during the camp last year before a triceps injury derailed his season before it even got started. He's the ideal size (6'5 265) for an OLB and has the pure athleticism to stand up and drop into coverage as well as put pressure on the quarterback off the edge. Chike has averaged over 7.5 sacks a season since he became a starter (2002) in this league and there's no reason that he shouldn't be able to better that number this season. He is 32 years old but by all accounts, he's looked great in workouts so far this off season. I wouldn't be surprised at all if his 2008 season was very similar to Greg Ellis' 2007 considering that they are comparable players in terms of age, size and production who both moved from defensive end to OLB.

Bertrand Berry: Berry is a similar player to Okeafor being that he's about the same age (about to be 33) and close to the same size (6'3 264), but Berry's athleticism isn't comparable. His injury history is something else to worry about (missed 21 games in past three seasons) and the combination of everything above led Berry to sign a restructed deal in the off seaon so that he'd have a lower cap value. For now, Darren Urban is still projecting Berry to win the starting job on the outside, but time will tell if he can handle the position. One thing that's not questionable though is Berry's ability to rush the passer and even if he can't drop back in coverage, he'll still have a role in pass rush situations.

Travis LaBoy: LaBoy signed a 5 year 22 million dollar deal in the offseason and will be Berry's biggest competition during camp. He'll have to learn the position pretty quickly though if he's going to give Berry a serious run for his money. LaBoy has never played in a 3-4, even though most scouts thinks that he's best suited for it. He's constantly compared to the recently departed Calvin Pace and should have no problem posting similar numbers if he's wins the starting job. LaBoy's an outstanding pass rusher and is relentless in his pursuit to the quarterback. Even if he doesn't start, he'll have some role that capitalizes on his pass rush prowess.

Clark Haggans: The Cardinals brought in Haggans from the Steelers in an effort to have at least one seasoned veteran with extensive experience in the 3-4. He's started the past four seasons in Pittsburgh and even though his best days are behind him, he can be productive with a limited number of snaps. He'll be one of the smallest OLB's (6'4 243) on the roster and the Cardinals will likely use his athleticism and experience in pass coverage. His greatest contribution will likely come off the field as he helps the younger guys pick up the finer points of the position.

Chris Harrington: Harrington, a sixth round pick out of Texas A&M, will look to make the transition from college defensive end to a stand up OLB with the Cardinals. His transition should be easier than most though considering that he played with his hand off the ground about 20% of the time with the Aggies. At 6'5 264 he's got the size to play the position and even though some question his athletic ability, there are no questions about his motor. He's plays to the whistle, has great instincts and is an intelligent player. He has dropped some weight since the draft and has never felt as quick as he does right now.

David Holloway: Hollaway was an undrafted free agent out of Maryland last year and he spent nearly the entire season on the practice squad (activated for last game but didn't play). He's undersized (6'2 230) but athletic (4.72 forty, 32 bench reps) and could push for a roster spot this year. He's got experience playing on the inside and outside but his pass rush skills are best suited for the outside. He's had a full season to learn Pendergast's system and could have a leg up on Harrington in camp.

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Overall this group of outside linebackers has plenty of talent and the real question could come down to, can the talent overcome a lack of experience? Berry and Okeafor have had a season to learn Pendergast's system and Haggans should pick it up quickly, but LaBoy and Harrington will be hard pressed to learn all of the ins-and-outs during camp. If Berry and Okeafor can stay healthy, this unit could be really good, but if they have to depend on Haggans for a considerable amount of snaps or if LaBoy has to 'learn on the job,' it could put the rest of the defense in a bind. Thoughts? Are you confident or cautious with this group?

In case you missed it over the weekend, the Arizona Cardinals official site posted a Q&A session with linebackers coach, Bill Davis. Davis is entering his second season with the Cardinals but has been coaching in the NFL for 16 seasons. He's been all over the NFL with stops in Carolina, Cleveland, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, New York (Giants) and spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator for San Francisco. If you're interested in submitting you're own questions to the coaching staff, there is a link at the bottom of this page where you can submit questions to Ken Whisenhunt. Here's a couple of the questions that were interesting:

Cards Fan Matt asked: Do you look for different skills in outside linebackers and inside linebackers? 

“There is a big difference, especially in a 3-4 defense. The outside linebackers are pass rushers first and they have to be bigger and taller to play the tight ends and tackles. On the inside, it’s a whole different animal. Those guys have to have more coverage and pass drop skills and still be big enough in a 3-4 to take on the guards. It’s a hybrid athlete inside that plays more pass coverage.”

 

Brandon from Mesa asked: What did the defensive coaching staff see in Karlos Dansby last year that made you want to move him to an inside backer and are you happy with the decision?

“I think it was a great move we made. He is not the edge pass rusher like say, a Chike Okeafor or a Bertrand Berry are, and that is why he doesn’t fit as well on the edge as he fits inside. He’s one of the best pass coverage linebackers and athletes I’ve been around and I’ve been around some good ones. He has a great sense of route recognition and play recognition so both on the run and with the pass Karlos has a great feel for the game. He’s a good pass rusher on backs on the interior. He has a good feel for getting through to where they are. We’ve got him in a position to make more plays because he plays inside very well.”

 

Mike from Chandler asked: Why do you think Chike Okeafor had such a smooth transition to play linebacker when he has played defensive end his entire career?

“Chike, to me, and I’ve told him this before, should’ve been playing his whole career as a 3-4 outside backer because of his body type, his skills and the things he does the best -- like rush the passer on the edge. He’s athletic enough to cover. When you’re his size and you go down to play end, you take a beating from those big offensive tackles. That is 16 games of fighting someone who is 50 pounds heavier than you are and it’s hard on the body. It’s a great testament to Chike that he has done so well, but now you move him out one more man and he’s matched up against more tight ends and backs and at his size, now he has the advantage. He’s the bigger of the two. I was real disappointed when he got hurt last year and I think if he stays healthy this year we’ll have a big year out of Chike.”

 

Christopher from Phoenix asked: Are you looking forward to having a full complement of linebackers this year with the return of Chike, Bertrand and the additions of some of the new free agents and draft picks?

“I’m real excited. I think this is one of the best groups of linebackers I’ve had in my career. In Carolina, three out of the four started in the Pro Bowl, so that is kind of tough to top. But this group has the talent to be there. We’re as deep as ever. We’re going to be able to stay fresh, run them in and out, keep the offense tired, and make plays. It’s amazing what the personnel department did in the linebacker spot this offseason because they loaded us up. We’ve got veterans now and a couple young guys that are promising but we have a group of veterans that have played a lot of NFL football.”

 

Bill from Glendale asked: Is there a newcomer that you are most excited to work with?

“Ali Highsmith and Chris Harrington. Ali is obviously an undrafted guy that I think is a steal. Most teams we talked to had him in the third or fourth round, but he ran a bad 40 at the Combine and he fell off. But the kid can play. Chris Harrington has been an end at Texas A&M but falls into that tweener category and I think he is going to be a good outside backer. He is going to struggle to make the team because he’ll have to beat out some of the vets but the kid has a chance. Both of those guys have a good chance.”

• It definitely sounds like he think this linebacking core has what it takes to shut down the run and get after the quarterback. Since Davis has experience converting defensive ends to outside linebackers, it's encouraging to hear his optimism.
  
• I really love the mention of Highsmith as well and I still maintain that if an undrafted free agent makes the roster it'll be this kid.

Also in case you missed the Cardinals on NFL Network, here are a couple of links to a video session with offensive coordinator Todd Haley and a tour of the facilities with Al Johnson.

No major surprises here as Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett were among the notable absences from today's opening day of organized team activities. Neither was really expected to show since they've both voiced complaints about their contract situation. Chike Okeafor was also absent but, according to Coach Whisenhunt, his absence was for a personal matter, of which the staff knew about ahead of time. Whis was very careful to throw the key word voluntary into his statement about Q and Dockett, even though everyone knows that every player if fully expected to be in attendance.

"I'm excited about the guys who are, (here)," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "I would be less than honest if I said if I wasn't disappointed that Anquan and Darnell weren't here. But once again, these are voluntary."

Of the players who were in attendance receiver Jerheme Urban (right foot), safety Adrian Wilson (heel), linebacker Monty Beisel (back), tight end Leonard Pope (ankle),  cornerback DeMario Minter (sports hernia), DE/OLB Bertrand Berry (triceps), and center Al Johnson (knee) did not practice. The only real surprise of the group is Johnson who recently had surgery to clear up some pain and swelling that he experienced during the off season. He will likely not practice during OTAs but should be back to 100% by training camp. Johnson's absence isn't a monumental loss in OTAs considering offensive and defensive linemen can't do much more than learn the play book since contact is prohibited.

Perhaps the surprise of the first day was that Edgerrin James was actually in attendance. He said that he's planning to attend the first and third weeks of organized team activities (there are four total).

Sure there are numerous training camp battles that need to play themselves out before we can start serious talks about a final 53 man roster, but where's the fun in that. Here's my 53:

QBs: (2) - Matt Lienart & Kurt Warner

I've never been a fan of keeping 3 QBs on the active roster, that's what the practice squad is for. St. Pierre's not eligible for the practice squad but undrafted rookie Anthony Morelli is so in essence he's your 3rd QB.

RBs: (3) - Edgerrin James, JJ Arrington, Tim Hightower

Arrington beats out Shipp because Arrington has value on special teams. Not to mention that Arrington's 4 years younger and Shipp hasn't averaged over 3 yards a carry since 2003.

FBs: (1) - Tim Castille

Castille beats out incumbent Terrelle Smith, former Brown, and the team does Smith a favor by letting him go instead of making him sit on the bench

WRs: (6) - Fitz, Q, Early Doucet, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Jamaica Rector

Sean Morey ends up being a surprise cut despite his track record for being a special teams standout and his familiarity with the coaching staff. Former Cowboy, Rector wins the job in preseason and camp by showing his improved ability to stretch defenses.

TEs: (3) - Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick, Jermane Tuman

No surprise here, tight end is quite possibly the most set position on the offensive depth chart. Pope and Patrick are the youth and future and Tuman, the former Steeler, is the veteran blocking tight end that Whiz covets.

OL: (9) - Levi Brown, Deuce Lutui, Al Johnson, Reggie Wells, Mike Gandy, Elton Brown, Lyle Sendlein, Brandon Keith, One veteran OT cut by another team

The ninth spot will depend a great deal on how Keith preforms in the preseason. If he does well enough that the coaching staff would feel comfortable giving him snaps at tackle, then they can only carry eight. I don't have that much faith in a rookie yet though. Otherwise Elton Brown is the only backup OT.

DT/NT: (2) - Gabe Watson & Alan Branch

If the Cards play much 4-3, then a couple defensive ends will have to slide down to tackle but Watson and Branch should be a great rotation as 3-4 nose tackles.

DE: (6) - Darnell Dockett, Antonio Smith, Bryan Robinson, Calais Campbell,  Kenny Iwebema, Bo Schobel

That's an awful lot of guys to fill just two positions but four of them (Dockett, Smith, Robinson and Campbell) can also slide down to DT when the Cardinals decides to roll out a 4-3. In the end it looks like a deep a talented unit where everyone should stay fresh.

OLB: (5) - Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry, Clark Haggans & Travis LaBoy

The outside backers are deep and talented and should make for a formidable rotation. Chris Harrington will end up on the practice squad as the conversion from college defensive end to NFL linebacker is too much to overcome in one offseason.

ILB: (5) - Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Monty Beisel, Matt Stewart, Ali Highsmith

Call me crazy but somehow I just think Highsmith, the undrafted free agent, will do too much in the preseason to not make the 53. He'll have to keep his motor in high gear especially on special teams. He'll take his lumps but he's a player.

CBs: (5) - Roderick Hood, Eric Green, DRC, Matt Ware & Micheal Adams

Youth and athleticism rule the secondary as Ware and Adams beat out veteran Ralph Brown. DRC won't win the starting job for week 1, but he'll take over for Green before mid-season.

FS/SS: (4) - Adrian Wilson, Antrel Role, Aaron Francisco & Oliver Celestin

The starting two are solid and as long as they're healthy, the secondary will be solid. Francisco and Celestin are adequate backups but we have to hope that they're role players behind Wilson and Role instead of fill-in starters in case of injury.

Specialists: (3) - Neil Rackers, Dirk Johnson & Nathan Hodel

If Rackers is even decent this unit is above average. If he has another season like 2007, they need to find another kicker mid-season.

Thoughts? What tweaks would you make?

Last week we looked at the offensive depth chart and potential positional battles. The defensive side of the ball has far more question marks than the offense though. The Cardinals employed a 'hybrid 3-4' defense in 2007 and it should become a bigger part of the base defense in 2008. The big question though is what does the transition mean to the players that are currently here? Normally a team will go through a one or two year transition period in which they start adding players that fit the new scheme. The Cardinals seem to be doing that when you look at their free agent additions and draft picks. Their additions include, Clark Haggans former Titan defensive end, Travis LaBoy, Calais Campbell (2nd round) Kenny Iwebema (4th round), (6'4 267) and Chris Harrington (6th round). Here's how the front seven currently looks in a 3-4:

Defensive Line: The cornerstone of every successful 3-4 defense is a wide-bodied nose tackle who is stout against the run and can consume multiple blockers. The Cardinals have two young, promising guys who fit that role very well in 24 year old, Gabe Watson (6'3 332) and 23 year old, Alan Branch (6'5 332). With fire plugs like these two and a successful rotation, these two should be able to clog up the middle of the field. At defensive end the left side is a lock with Pro Bowler and former defensive tackle Darnell Dockett sliding over. He's young (26) and has the right size (6'4 285) and athleticism to excel on the outside (9 sacks in 2007). The other end should be in place this year with 26 year old, Antonio Smith (6'4 282). He's only on a one year deal though so the drafting of Campbell could signal that Smith needs use this season to raise his free agent value. They also have former Bengal Bryan Robinson (6'4 304). Robinson is a veteran player (33) that can play anywhere on the line and can be a solid member of the rotation, but will need limited snaps to be effective. The remainder of depth should come from rookies, Campbell and Iwebema.

Outside Line Backers: This group will be responsible for pressuring the quarterback and they again should have plenty of depth to keep everyone fresh. They have four guys with starting experience competing for two spots in Bertrand Berry (6' 264), Chike Okeafor (6'5 265), Clark Haggans (6'4 243), and Travis LaBoy (6'3 260). Berry's a very good player when he's healthy but he missed 21 games the past three seasons and he's in the final year of his current contract. At 32 years old and a $2 million dollar price tag, he'll have to prove he's healthy and can be productive in a switch from DE to OLB in order to make an impact on the team. Okeafor (32), another veteran DE who'll be moved to outside line backer, is a dynamic pass rusher who's averaged over 7.5 sacks the past six seasons, not counting 2007 when he missed the entire season due to an injury in preseason. Haggans is the only true outside linebacker of the bunch and yet another former Steeler on the roster. Haggans (31) has been a starter for the past four seasons and has averaged over 50 tackles and 6 sacks a season during that span. He's better when his snaps are limited so the depth around him will be key. Free agent signee, Travis LaBoy is the future of this group (26 years old) and another defensive end who'll be making a transition to outside linebacker. LaBoy had a a breakout season in 2007 when he recorded 6 sacks despite not starting a single game. Harrington will compete for a roster spot but could up on the practice squad so that he'll have a year to adjust to the position change.

Inside Line Backer: The starting inside linebackers are as close to set in stone as they can be in mid-May with Gerald Hayes (6'1 249) and Karlos Dansby (6'4 250). Hayes (27) is coming off his second solid season as a starter and despite not being a dynamic player, he could register his first 100 tackle season of his career in 2008. Dansby (26) is as close to a star as there is in this linebacking core. He's recorded over 20 sacks and over 300 tackles during his first four seasons and 2007 was his best year to date. The franchise tag kept him in Arizona for one more season, but make no mistake about it, he's playing for a pay day after the season. Behind them are veterans Monty Beisel (6'3 240) and Matt Stewart (6'3 239), both of whom are under 30 years old and have starting experience. Also keep an eye out for undrafted free agent signee Ali Highsmith. It was a surprise that he wasn't drafted but his non-stop motor should keep in the running for a roster spot.

Looking back at this front seven, I come to this conclusion: If the outside linebackers can assimilate their new positions, this unit can be really good. The defensive line should be able to stuff the run and they have some dynamic pass rushers to pressure the quarterback. Hayes and Dansby have the experience and ability to make plays all over field. If the foursome of Berry, Okeafor, Haggans, and LaBoy can put pressure on the quarterback and do a decent job in pass coverage, they'd go a long way to helping out a secondary that really struggled in 2007. Anyone else see this kind of potential or have I been drinking too much Red Kool-Aid?

The Cardinals defense took much of the blame for faltering down the stretch in 2007 and while it was deserved, they had a decent excuse. Injuries ravaged the entire defense including Adrian Wilson (final 7 games), Bertrand Berry (final 7 games), Eric Green (final 5 games), and Chike Okeafor (entire season). The injuries were finally to much to overcome and even the guys that were healthy started to wear down. Guys like Pro Bowler, Darnell Dockett, who started the season with 35 tackles and 8 sacks in the first eight games but just 23 tackles and 1 sack in the final eight. The defense as a whole suffered as well allowing 29.1 points per game over the final seven games. That's a far cry from the respectable 21.7 that they averaged over the first nine games. That's a fairly important difference considering that two of their three losses during that stretch were by 7 points or less. Needless to say, the Cardinals entered the off season with a need to add depth, if nothing else, to a defense that finished 27th in points allowed and 28th in passing yards allowed.

The first day of the draft saw the Cardinals take a big corner exuding athleticism and a huge defensive end and the second day brought some much needed depth to the defensive line and line backing corps. The first mini-camp practice already had Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie practicing with the first string, thanks to the strained groin of Rod Hood. Mini-camps also brought the questions about where exactly Calais Campbell would line up. Coach Whisenhunt said it's too early to tell at this point but he'll likely get work at both defensive end (in 3-4 alignments) and defensive tackle (in 4-3 and pass rush situations). At this point Campbell is just going with the flow and working hard to improve his technique. Either way it works out the defense seems to be in a better position heading into 2008. Thoughts?

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Before we start hearing about rookie contracts, I thought we'd take a look at where the Cardinals stand in terms of cap space. The salary cap is kind of like rocket science in that you have to be near genius in order to understand it all. Since I'm no where near that level, I'll defer to the experts on these numbers. This, from what I understand, is a very conservative estimate in that every possible bonus is included, even if it possibly won't count against the cap. Hat tip to joeschmo, resident capologist at azsportsfans for this comprehensive look at the Cardinals' cap for 2008. Here's a couple of things that jump out at me before we get down to the raw numbers.

• Matt Leinart has to step up and show signs of becoming the franchise QB in 2008. Having nearly $10 million tied up in two quarterbacks won't work much longer. Warner's contract ends after 2008 and they need Leinart to be firmly entrenched as the starting and productive QB.
• The offensive line is in better shape than I thought. The entire starting five are signed through at least 2009. Considering that they were at the very least average in 2007 and they were breaking in three new starters, I like the idea of those five guys growing more cohesive. A steady dependable OL will go a long way to helping Leinart develop and help Edge live out his contract.
  

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