We'll round out the defense today today with this breakdown of the current crop of corner backs. Considering that the pass defense was among the worst in the league last season, an improvement from this group could be the difference between another mediocre season and the post season. The same starters return but all eyes will be on a promising first round pick. Is a year of added experience and a rookie enough to get this unit over the hump though?

Roderick Hood: Hood signed a five year, $15 million dollar deal to come to Arizona in 2007, after four seasons in Philly. The former undrafted free agent stepped into his first season as a starter and posted career highs in nearly every category including tackles, passes defended and interceptions. He was the sixth most targeted corner in the league last year and ranked as the 17th most successful, according to Pro Football Prospectus. He's got solid cover skills and is a good enough tackler to be adequate in run support. Hood has enough size (5'11 198), speed and quickness to match up with most receivers in the league and his instincts are improving. He'll turn 27 midway through the season but with less than 30 career starts, we still haven't seen his best football yet.

Eric Green: Green's first full season as a starter produced.....mixed results at best. He's been slowed by injuries throughout his career and 2007 was no different. He missed the final 5 games of the season with a torn groin. He possesses the physical skills to be a decent player but has yet to develop the football instincts or consistency necessary to remain a starter. He's only managed one interception in 24 career starts and his game didn't seem to improve in 2007. After averaging just over one pass defense per start in 2006 (9 PD in 8 starts), he struggled in 2007 with just 8 passes defended in 11 starts. Green knows the situation though, this could be his last chance to prove he's a quality starter. He'll be a free agent after this season and the Cardinals have already drafted his replacement so he'll have every motivation to have a career year. Considering that he just turned 26 and has less than 25 career starts, he could be on the verge of putting it all together.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: The good news for DRC is that he won't be pushed to start by opening day or even by mid-season. The goal from him this season is just to progress and gain as much experience as necessary. While he may have had the highest ceiling of any corner in the draft, he's not 'NFL ready' by any means. 
He's working to add bulk to his slender frame (6'1 184) but he'll also to get stronger in order to handle physical receivers. His athleticism is second to none though and if he can handle the physical demands of the game, he could be a star much quicker than expected. He'll likely start the season as the nickel corner but if Green's game doesn't improve, DRC could take over before long.

Ralph Brown: Brown is entering his ninth season, second with the Cardinals, and he's a decent backup. He lacks the athleticism that you normally look for in a corner but he's developed some veteran savvy. He has good body control and decent instincts when the balls in the air. He's also a willing tackler and capable of the big hit (second on the team with forced three fumbles in 2007). He's a force on special teams and is best suited in that role.

Michael Adams: Adams is a relatively unknown commodity. He's vastly undersized (5'8 178) and inconsistent, but that's not uncommon for an undrafted free agent in his second season. He's a competitor though and at just 23 years old, he could develop into an adequate backup and contribute on special teams. He played in 7 games last season after injuries ravaged the secondary and finished with 10 tackles and a pass defended.

Marcus Brown: Brown is another undrafted free agent from a small D-1AA school but that's pretty much where the similarities between him and Adams end. Brown's got the size (6'1 200) and athletic ability (4.42 forty, 43 1/2 inch vertical) to play in this league and is versatile enough to contribute in several different areas. He led McNeese State in interceptions his senior season and was also used on punt returns at times. With the lack of depth at corner, Brown might be able to make the opening day roster if he can outperform Adams.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The ultimate success or failure of the cornerback position could simply come down to health. If they can make it through the season with Hood, Green and DRC as the top 3 (in some order), then it has the potential to be a solid group, but injuries could cause major problems. Any significant injury to the top three could drag Antrel Rolle out of the free safety spot and the entire secondary would have to be reshuffled. Thoughts? Is this a solid group or just a house of cards that'll crumble eventually? How many games does DRC start, if any at all?

The secondary took plenty of heat in 2007 and by the end of the season, it was criticism well deserved. They finished the season ranked 27th in pass defense and ranked near the bottom of the league in touchdowns allowed. The secondary, as well as defense as a whole faltered terribly down the stretch. After playing the Buccaneers in week 9 the Cardinals were allowing, on average, 194.6 passing yards per game. Had they finished the season with that average, they'd have had the 8th best pass defense in the league. Instead though they tanked the next eight games allowing over 250 yards passing 6 times and over 300 yards three times (CIN, NO, ATL). They would finish the season allowing an average of 232.3 passing yards per game.

Much like the rest of the defense, the secondary suffered their share of injuries last season. The biggest loss was strong safety and leader of the defense,  Adrian Wilson, who missed missed the final seven games. He was joined on IR by starting corner back, Eric Green, who missed the final 5 games. They also lost top backup safety Aaron Francisco for five games in the middle of the season. The one good thing that came out of the 2007 injury riddled season though was the idea to move former first round pick Antrel Rolle to free safety. Here's how the secondary should shake out in 2008:

Corner Back: The starters should remain the same with Roderick Hood and Eric Green getting the nod for the second consecutive season. Hood had a decent season, his first in Arizona, starting all 16 games and recording five interceptions and 21 passes defended. He signed a 5 year, 15 million dollar deal to come to Arizona and if he can continue to be that productive, he'll be a great free agent addition. Green struggled though in first season as a starter breaking up just eight passes and failing to record an interception for the second consecutive season.
Green is back on a one year tender and unless his production improves dramatically they'll let him walk after 2008, although there is some hope that he'll be an adequate #3 corner when DRC is ready to step up. First round pick, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, isn't going to be pressured into starting from day one but it he'll likely be expected to win the job sometime during the season. His second-to-none athleticism should be an instant upgrade once he's able to add 10-15 pounds. The depth chart should be filled out by some combination of veterans Ralph Brown and Matt Ware and second year player Michael Adams. Only two of these guys will be able to make the cut though. Undrafted free agent Marcus Brown will have to make some noise in training camp in order to snag a roster spot.

Safety: Again the starting safeties are set. Adrian Wilson will be returning as the incumbent starter for the 6th consecutive season, but it will be his first season to prove that he's fully recovered for an injury that caused him to miss significant time. He be joined by Antrel Rolle, who'll be starting his first season as free safety. Prior to the 2007 season, the Cardinals added free agent Terrence Holt with a significant salary but a disappointing season has since seem him leave town for Carolina. Depth will come from Aaron Francisco and Oliver Celestin, both of whom are younger players who are stand outs on special teams. Dennis Keyes, another undrafted free agent, will likely get a spot on the practice squad.

The secondary as a whole looks like it should be improved and if they can stay healthy, they should be well above average. The wild-card will be how quickly DRC becomes a starter. Once he's firmly entrenched, the Cards will have three explosive play makers in the defensive backfield. So how good do you think the pass defense will be? Can Rolle succeed in his first season as a safety?