With training camp looming we'll continue to break down position by position. Last week we looked the tight ends and today brings us the wide recievers. The top two spots are as solid as they can be in this league in Fitzgerald and Boldin, but behind them is plenty of unproven talent. The Cardinals have made it a point to solidify themselves at the position by drafting seven wide receivers in the draft since 2003. The picks have experienced varying levels of success but one thing is for sure, this group is dangerous, deep and talented.

 Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin: I won't waste our time breaking down either of these guys, simply because they're two of the most talented young recievers in the game today. When they're both on the field and healthy, they're truly a special duo.

Steve Breaston: Outside of the 'QB question,' the second biggest story has been the surprising progress that Breaston has made since his rookie season. He only caught eight passes last season and spent most of his time staring on the return units. He's made it clear though that he isn't content with just being a returner. By all accounts he spent the offseason adding weight to his slender frame and working on all of the finer points of recieving (route running, hands, film study). His speed and ability to stretch a defense could end up giving him an edge over Early Doucet in the battle for the #3 job.

Early Doucet: The rookie brings even more toughness to a position that is already more physical than most recieving units. He's polished for a rookie and should contribute early on, especially with Boldin tutoring him. Doucet's game should flourish in the slot where he can make the tough catches over the middle and made a defender miss. He won't run by many corners but if he can run precise, sharp routes, he'll be able to seperate with his quickness and could become another set of reliable hands. Docuet's also a decent, willing blocker who could become an asset in three wide sets when the Cardinals try to run.

The rest of the group has more questions and less upside but still a good mix of experience and potential:

  Jamaica Rector: He's not exactly young (26) for a guy still waiting to make his NFL reception, but he's still still got some intirguing aspects to his game. First, Todd Haley likes him enough that he brought him with him from Dallas. He might also be fastest receiver on the roster but he's still got to develop quite a bit to become a NFL receiver. He could have an outside shot as a kickoff returner teaming with Breaston.

Sean Morey: The veteran (32) was never much of a reciever but he's stuck around in this league by being a tremendous team leader and a stand out special teams player. He's only missed two games in the past five seasons but even that consistency has only led to 11 receptions in his career (8 of which came in 2007). He's a Whisenhunt guy and a veteran leader on an otherwise young recieving corps.

Jerheme Urban: Urban's first season in Arizona was his third team in three years and his 2007 totals were more than his previous four seasons combined. He, like Rector, followed Haley from Dallas and Haley rewarded him with 22 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns. Urban's never going to be a starting reciever but he's a quality depth guy and also happens to be one of the tallest wide outs (6'3) on the team.

Ahmad Merritt: Merritt is another former Cowboy who made the move with Haley but his stay in the NFL could be in danger this season. He'll have to prove that his age (31) and inability to stay healthy  won't keep him from being productive. He hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2003 and even then was used mainly as a kickoff returner and on special teams coverage units. He's got superior athleticism but he'll have to make a significant impact on special teams in order to stick around in 2008.

Lance Long: The undrafted rookie is a long shot to make the roster but his athleticism and heart could open some eyes in camp. He'll likely have to spend a year or two on the practice squad before he makes the roster but he's got the tools to be a special teams ace in the future (think Sean Morey).

Jemalle Cornelius: Cornelius is an interesting prospect who spent time on the Bills and Colts practice squads in 2007. He was undrafted last season after three years  at Florida. He's another small receiver (5'11 185) with above average speed and agility, but he seems destined for another season on the practice squad. He could make a name for himself in the near future though either on special teams or as a legitimate wide receiver.

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Overall it's hard not to be excited with the mix of proven talent (Q and Fitz) and untapped potential (Breaston and Doucet) and as the season progresses the top four receivers could prove to be a lethal combination for opposing secondaries. The biggest battle in camp will be between Breaston and Doucet for the third spot but the bottom of the depth chart could be one of the most interesting battles in camp. Merritt, Urban, Morey and Rector should all be battling for the final one or two spots on the roster and it'll be a tug-of-war between proven veterans and younger potential. Thoughts/observations? Where would you rank this receiving corps amongst others in the NFL? For what it's worth, ESPN ranks the Cardinals group as the 2nd best in the NFL, but if you factor in age I might have to give the edge to Arizona. Agree/Disagree?

Since the Arizona Cardinals have several players who want new deals, I thought it would be a good idea to look ahead to the 2009 offseason to see just how much work the front office will have in front of them.

Kurt Warner - As we've already mentioned, the team is already working on an extension. It's reportedly to be a two year extension, which isn't too bad as long as the cap number isn't too exorbitant.

JJ Arrington - He's never lived up to his second round draft status and with the emergence of Steve Breaston on kickoff returns, his role was reduced in 2007. As a running back he's pedestrian at best with less than 1,000 combined yards in three seasons and a career yards per carry of 3.1. Arrington's is still young, but he's not anything more than a situational role player who can contribute on special teams.

Tim Castille - If he does end up beating out Terrelle Smith for the starting fullback job, he'll likely get an extension sometime during the season. Since he's was undrafted out of Alabama, he'll be cheap and he's a restricted free agent anyways.

Terrelle Smith - Smith's day in Arizona are likely numbered. Teams rarely carry two fullbacks and Castille seems to have a leg up in the early competition. If Smith does make it through camp without being cut, it will certainly be his final season in the desert.

Ahmad Merritt - Merritt signed a one year deal since he was restricted free agent heading into this offseason. He turned 31 earlier this year and hasn't had a reception in the NFL since 2003, but Merritt has stuck around because he's a decent special teams player. I can't imagine they'd resign him again after this season. At some point a 32 year old special teams player seems like a waste.

Ben Patrick -The seventh round pick just one season ago ended up starting several games at the end of the year and he'll only be a restricted free agent. He'll be back in 2009, even it's only on a one year deal.

Leonard Pope - The incumbent starter at tight end, will be a restricted free agent if he isn't extended before the end of the season. Pope still has some areas of his game that need improvement, most importantly blocking, but the Cardinals finally utilized his size in the red zone in 2007 and this season should see an expansion of his role in the passing game.

Elton Brown - He's been an admirable backup (14 starts in 3 season) since being a 4th round pick out of Virginia. Whether or not he returns depends on several things: do the Cardinals view him as a future starter and is Brown willing to wait until a spot opens up?

Lyle Sendlein - The previously undrafted free agent will be an exclusive rights free agent after 2008, so he'll be back in 2009. The backup center made two starts in 2007.

Bertrand Berry - Berry restructured his contract in order to give the Cardinals some cap relief and lessen the chance of being cut. The 32 year old is trying to play his first full season since 2003 when he had 14.5 sacks. At his age it'll be interesting to see if there's a market for his services after this season.

Antonio Smith - Smith should be a big name in the free agent market after this season. He had his best season as a pro in 2007 totaling over 40 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his first season as a starter. I can't imagine that he's in the Cardinals future plans considering that they drafted Campbell in the second and another DE in the fourth round.

Clark Haggans - The former Steeler signed a one year contract this offseason but he'll be 32 after this season. He should provide some veteran depth but I wouldn't think that they'd be very interested in bringing him back next season.

Monty Beisel -  Beisel's a decent backup linebacker who's performed well in spot starts but his age may be the biggest factor in him not being brought back after this season. He'll be 31 before the start of the 2009 season.

Karlos Dansby - The man playing for big money this season is Dansby. He was franchised this offseason and as much as the Cardinals have tried to work out a long term deal, he seems content with testing the market. He's in his prime and I'd expect nothing less than his best season as a pro in the expectations of breaking the bank.

Eric Green -  This is quite possibly a make or break season for the fourth year pro. Green struggled in his first season as a starter and if he's beaten out early in the season by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie it'll be interesting to see if how the rest of the NFL sees him. I'm still wondering if he'd be a decent nickel back, but I'm not sure he'd accept a backup role.

Obviously it looks like the biggest question marks next offseason will be on the defensive side of the ball. Is there any way that Dansby can be signed to a long term deal? Will Campbell be ready to step in at defensive end position or will the Cards have to franchise Smith? Replacing Dansby, if a deal can't be worked out, could be the biggest problem facing the next season, but there are some concerns about depth at running back and outside linebacker. So what concerns you the most about next offseason and who would you most like to see resigned?

OTAs kicked off all around the yesterday so if you've been craving any form of football news, you're in luck today. All the news is of course nothing more than premature speculation since it is based on practices that prohibit contact but it is still football talk (and I've been dying for some of that). We mentioned yesterday the Q and Dockett were no shows yesterday and a handful of players were present but couldn't practice. If Boldin and DD weren't veterans who've been with the team for a number of seasons, I'd think this was a bigger deal, but the way it's working out right now is that younger guys are getting more reps. In practices like these I'd rather see youngsters like Doucet, Lance Long, Ahmad Merritt, Jerheme Urban, Jamaica Rector and all of the young defensive ends get as many snaps as possible. Merritt practiced for the first time since breaking his leg and ankle in the third pre-season game last year and according to Coach Whisenhunt was "rusty." So until they start missing mandatory meetings or practices, I'm not pushing any panic buttons.

Here are some quick hits from the Cardinals OTAs, as well as the other NFC West teams.

Cardinals

The word on Cardinals rookie DE Kenny Iwebema at the team’s early-May minicamp was that the fourth-round pick looked deceptively strong. Team insiders are already speculating that the presence of both Iwebema, who was coached by Cardinals D-line coach Ron Aiken at the University of Iowa, and fellow rookie DE Calais Campbell, who is also capable of moving inside, has increased the likelihood that Antonio Smith, who’ll be a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, could be playing elsewhere in ’09.

It appears that Tim Castille, who has put on 20 pounds and is a big favorite of Cardinals RB coach Maurice Carthon, could be positioned to take over the starting FB job from veteran Terrelle Smith. It wouldn’t be a shock to team insiders if Smith, who hasn’t been a regular at the Cardinals’ offseason conditioning workouts, were released — a move that would save the team a cool $1 million.

Rams

There are plenty of interesting rumblings regarding the Rams’ offensive line, which was a mess much of the time last season. Team insiders tell us that both rookies John Greco (third round) and Roy Schuening (fifth round) are considered future starters and could respectively push ORT Alex Barron and ORG Richie Incognito for playing time sooner than later. Speaking of Incognito, we hear he’s not being ruled out of the battle for the starting center job. Incognito played the position at Nebraska, and the only problem sources envision with him in that role is his shotgun snaps, which might need some work.

Regular Rams observers seem to unanimously agree that Scott Linehan has never looked more relaxed in his role as head coach. And word is the presence of new executive V.P. of player personnel Billy Devaney, who has removed the burden of worrying about personnel matters, and new offensive coordinator Al Saunders, who has an ironclad grip on the offense, has a lot to do with it.

Niners

Our Niners sources tell us that OLB Tully Banta-Cain appears to be in much better shape than he was a year ago, when he reported to the first minicamp tipping the scales at 290 pounds.

Niners minicamp observers say veteran Jeff Ulbrich appears to have the early edge on Brandon Moore and newcomer Dontarrious Thomas for the starting “Ted” LB role, based on the fact he was getting the majority of reps.

Seahawks

We hear Seahawks top draft pick Lawrence Jackson looked instantly comfortable at the team’s early-May minicamp, filling a number of roles on the defensive line (right end, left end, tackle in the nickel) with equal effectiveness.

Word is Seahawks sixth-round rookie LS Tyler Schmitt was right on the money with all his snaps in the team’s early-May minicamp. At 231 pounds, Schmitt is 15 pounds lighter than former LS J.P. Darche, who was let go, we hear, because he was too small. The upside, however, is that the lighter Schmitt might be more of a factor getting downfield to cover punts.

There are always positional battles in training camp and in early May there are just too many variables to figure it all out. But we can preview the positions heading into camp.

Quarterback: The top two spots are set. Leinart would have to lose the job in camp to not be the opening day starter, but Warner is ready and waiting should Matt experience any hiccups. The spot to watch though is the #3 job. If the Cardinals chose to carry a third QB on the 53 man rosters it'll be St. Pierre (some teams carry just two). If they chose to carry only two, St Pierre would have to be released because the former Steeler has too much service time to be relegated to the practice squad. In that case, undrafted free agent rookie, Anthony Morelli would be the third QB but wouldn't count against the 53 because he'd be on the practice squad.

Running Back/Fullback: The drafting of Hightower and the projection of Castille (spent last season on the practice squad) means at least one of the current players has to go, if not two. At RB, the group includes Edge, Arrington, Shipp and Hightower. It is possible that the team could keep all four but it would be odd. Arrington offers something in the return game not to mention that he's younger (25) and cheaper than Shipp (30 years old). If the team decides to keep just three running backs, Shipp would look like the lowest on the totem pole. At fullback, Castille is a second year, undrafted free agent who's been praised by the coaching staff for bulking up in the off season. The coaching staff could have a difficult decision on their hands if it comes down to cutting veteran Terrelle Smith in favor of Castille. Smith hit 30 years old this year and he's considerably more expensive his counterpart. I'd look for Shipp and Smith to cut released before the start of the season.

Wide Reciever: We've already talked about the battle for the #3 WR job, but the competition will likely stretch all the way to the #5 job as well. The guys that stick around will have to contribute on special teams. Steve Breaston's roster spot should be safe considering he was one of the best punt returners in the league in 2007. Jerheme Urban is the most accomplished receiver outside of Fitz and Q, and he'll have to show continued improvement to keep his job. The group of Sean Morey (special teams standout), Ahmad Merritt (missed all of 2007 with injury), Jamaica Rector (speedster from Dallas), and undrafted free agent rookie, Lance Long will have to stand out above the rest in order to stick around. Obviously Fitz, Q, and Doucet's jobs are safe, so that leaves probably three other jobs among the six. Breaston will have fall on his face in order to not make the roster and Urban would have to prove he doesn't belong. That really leaves just one spot for the Morey, Merritt, Rector, and Long.

Picture via azcardinals.com

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The top 3 names on the wide receiver depth chart has been the same since 2004, but that all changed when Bryant Johnson signed with division-rival San Fransisco. The hole at the #3 spot seemed to be filled when Arizona took Early Doucet in the third round of the draft, but receivers coach Mike Miller is quick to say, not so fast. Doucet won't be handed anything and there's quite a list of guys competing for roster spots at receiver. The list includes the likes of second year Steve Breaston, veteran Jerheme Urban and a couple of other guys, if you believe the coaching staff (Sean Morey, Ahmad Merritt and Jamaica Rector).

Steve Breaston - He didn't provide much in terms of receiving in 2007, but he was one of the better return men in the league. Breaston averaged 9.4 yards per return and took one back for a score, not bad for a rookie drafted in the 5th round. According to reports, Breaston used the off season work on his receiving skills and seems dedicated to becoming more than a return specialist.

Jerheme Urban - The most accomplished of the candidates for #3, Urban grabbed 22 passes in 2007 for 329 yards. Last season was by far his best in the league, after two seasons in Seattle. He was un-drafted in 2004.

Sean Morey - Morey hangs his hat on special teams and is one of many former Steelers on the current roster. Morey is an unaccomplished receiver but does a bit of everything, returning kicks and playing special teams.

Ahmad Merritt - He missed all of 2007, his first year with the Cardinals, after dislocating his ankle in the pre-season. Merritt hasn't had an NFL reception since 2003, but the highlight of his career was a 47 yard run for a touchdown on a reverse for the Bears in a playoff loss to the Eagles. It was the last offensive touchdown scored in the old Soldier Field (yea you can win a ton of bets at your local bar with that little known fact).

Jamaica Rector - A speedster who has yet to record his first NFL reception. Rector was with Dallas for the previous two seasons, as was offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Granted, it would be a significant surprise if Doucet doesn't win the #3 job, but competition always brings the best out of players and that seems to be the case with Early:

“That’s why you come to the NFL and play football, is to get a chance to get on the field,” Doucet said. “I don’t expect them to give me that third-receiver spot but I want to show I am capable of being that third guy.”

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Also if you're looking for some sunshine this weekend, check out Bleacher Report and see why they think the Cardinals will win the NFC West.