A new week brings a shift to the defensive side of the ball as we continue to break down roster, position by position. We've already look at the entire offensive side of the ball and if you missed any of them you still have time to catch up (TE, WR, RB, FB, QB, OT, OG & C). In a 3-4 defense it all starts up front so we'll do the same and look at the defensive/nose tackle first. The nose tackle doesn't have to be a dynamic player to be successful but he does have to be able to absorb a double team and keep blockers off of his linebackers. The Cardinals have stocked their defensive tackle position by selecting a couple of former Michigan Wolverines the past two drafts but are they ready to step up and dominate the middle?

Gabe Watson: A fourth round pick in 2006, Watson is outplaying his draft status so far. He's entering his third season and coming off his first season as a starter. He's already started over 20 games and he's yet to turn 25. Watson is currently rehabbing a broken kneecap suffered from a accident on a treadmill earlier in the offseason. He won't be ready to go by the start of training camp but he should be 100% by the beginning of the season. He's not much of a threat in pass rush situations but he's a force against the run. He's big enough (6'3 332) to demand a double team and has the strength to fight through some of them. Watson has greatly improved from his rookie season to his sophomore season by doubling his tackles and he knocked down a couple of passes as well. Only time will tell if Watson will be able to hold off Branch in the next couple of seasons but either way he'll be a solid member of the defensive line rotation.

Alan Branch: Branch, a second round pick in 2007, didn't have a stellar rookie
season but that doesn't mean that the coaching staff wasn't impressed. The Cards traded up to pick him and even though a broken bone in his hand slowed his progression he's still rumored to give Watson some serious competition for the starter's job. He's nearly the exact same size (6'5 332) as Watson, but he's stronger and more athletic. Branch has benefited from Watson's injury so far by getting reps with the first team and he may remain in that spot if Watson isn't in 'game shape' quick enough. If he doesn't win the job by the start of the season he'll still get considerable playing time especially in passing situations, considering he's a better pass rusher. He'll eventually take over for Watson and he's got the tools to be one of the best nose tackles in the league if he can continue to grow as a player and stay healthy.

Bryan Robinson: Robinson was signed in the offseason to provide depth and veteran leadership to the defensive line. He's versatile enough to play either tackle or end and can be productive in a limited role. His contributions to the defense probably won't be measured by his stat lines but instead by his presence in the locker room. He's an eleven year veteran who has experience in the 3-4 and should be able to help Watson and Branch pick up the finer points of the game. His previous stops in this league have included Cincinnati, Miami, Chicago and St. Louis.

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The anchors of the defensive line are largely forgotten when the praise gets handed out but a 3-4 defense will fail if there isn't a nose tackle who can stand his ground and occupy multiple blockers. While Watson and Branch may never be Jamal Williams or Casey Hampton, they both have the potential to become solid and productive tackles. Having both guys and Robinson in the mix should ensure that everyone stays fresh throughout games, which is always a problem for guys with that much size.

• Darren Urban, at the Cardinals official site, identifies five players who are poised for a breakout season, including Levi Brown, Antrel Rolle, Steve Breaston, Matt Leinart and Alan Branch. Needless to say, if his list is correct an those five do step up and have career years, this team is playoff bound.
• The official site also took a look at Fitzgerald's off season travels and needless to say with his pocket book he can go just about anywhere he pleases, including Brazil, Peru, New Zealand, Australia and is planning trips to Africa and Morocco. I hope his future plans also include taking this team to the promise land as well.
  
• The Cardinals are keeping an open mind as to which players could make an impact on special teams in the upcoming season. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked several kicks in college and he could be a candidate as well as Leonard Pope Calais Campbell, both of who are 6'8.
  
• While every sports cast that I've seen the past week has centered around Favre's possible return to the NFL, I didn't expect to see Kurt Warner's take on it, but he offers his opinion to STL Today. He adds that he plans to play three more years before seriously considering retirement, but also said that he understands Favre's predicament.
  
• The Cardinals and Karlos Dansby aren't any closer to agreeing to a long term contract and both sides seem to have conceded that a deal won't get done before the July 15th deadline. Dansby wants $9 million a season, while the Cardinals are trying to stick much closer to Lofa Tatupa and Lance Briggs' contracts.

We looked at Ali Highsmith's future a couple of weeks ago and I figured we'd take a look at each undrafted free agent and their chances of making the squad this year or sometime in the future. First up today is West Virginia's Keilen Dykes, who was a four year starter for the Mountaineers and was the definition of consistency. During his four seasons he played in 50 games and averaged 32 1/2 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks per season. He was not only a team captain and first team All-Big East team but also received the 2007 Iron Mountaineer Award as the top performer in their winter workout program and a NSCA Strength All-American first team. Dykes was a defensive tackle at West Virginia but his size (6'3 306) is better suited to play on the end in a  3-4. Dykes wasn't invited to the Combine but he had an impressive Pro Day (which can be seen below) running 5.08 forty and performing 33 bench reps. So, does Keilen Dykes make the Arizona Cardinals roster?

Why He has a Chance in 2008: He's got several things working in his favor including his versatility, a solid work ethic and a non-stop motor. He should come into camp with a huge chip on his shoulder and his 'blue collar'  work ethic will earn him some praise during camp and the preseason. His versatility will allow him to slide inside to defensive tackle when the Cardinals shift to a four-man line in pass rush situations (something to keep an eye on in the preseason). His best chance to make the roster this year is to prove to the coaching staff he's a younger, cheaper version of Bryan Robinson. Robinson was signed to back up both defensive end and tackle but he's never been an particulary dynamic player and they're virtually the exact same size. Dykes could also see more playing time at tackle during camp since Watson will be limited in practice until the start of the season.

Why He Doesn't have a Chance in 2008: First of all, it's worth stating that's is very hard for an undrafted free agent to make the squad as a rookie, especially for a defensive linemen because they normally can't contribute on special teams coverage. That's where most late round picks and undrafted free agents make their mark for the first couple of seasons. The depth chart at defensive end is also stacked right now with Dockett, Smith, Campbell, Iwebema and the veteran Bryan Robinson ahead of him at the moment. Dykes would have to be amazing in camp to unseat any of these guys and it would likely take an injury to give him a legitimate chance. At nose tackle the top two spots are nearly set in stone with Gabe Watson and Alan Branch, but the injury to Watson is worth keeping an eye on.

In the end, Dykes will face an uphill battle to make the 53 man roster in 2008 and will likely have to spend at least a season on the practice squad.  He's a player though and if he's patient and continues to work and improve his game, he'll be a decent defender in the near future. His future could be on the 2009 squad as Antonio Smith will be an unrestricted free agent and Bryan Robinson will be a 35 year old, in the final year of his deal. Either way, it'll be worth keeping an eye on him during the preseason. So what do you think, does he have a shot and how do you see his career playing out? Any West Virginia fans out there that have seen his abilities first hand?

The Arizona Cardinals would enter the 2006 draft with the tenth overall pick after a 5-11 season. It would be Dennis Green's last draft to oversee.

First Round: Matt Leinart QB – USC

Two seasons into Leinart’s career he’s started a combined 16 games and while his stats aren’t eye popping by any means they’re not terrible for basically a season. With nearly 3,200 yards, 13 TDs, 16 INTs, a 56.0 % completion percentage and a QB rating of 71.2, he didn’t immediately become the Cardinals’ savior as we’d all hoped but he’s still young and it’ll be his second season in the same offense. He struggled in 2007 with a change in the coaching staff which isn’t all that uncommon for a young quarterback. Hopefully some consistency in the coaching staff  and offensive system will help him reach a full potential not to mention his mix of explosive weapons.

Other possible picks: Jay Cutler, Haloti Ngata, Antonio Cromartie

Second Round: Deuce Lutui OG – USC

 Lutui came has started 24 of the 30 games he's played over the past two seasons and goes into camp looking to improve on his first full season as a starter. He's got to work on his consistency and having the same starting five for the second year in a row should help out quite a bit. Lutui looks to have a solid future ahead of him and some consider him the best member of the Cards offensive line. Whether or not he's the best or not, the right side of the line seems set for the next several years with Lutui and Levi Brown.

Other possible picks: LenDale White, Marcus McNeil, Kellen Clemens

Third Round: Leonard Pope TE – Georgia

Pope is a mountain of man at nearly 6'8 260 pounds and even though he's yet to stay healthy for a full season, he showed flashes of a dynamic red zone target with 5 touchdowns in 2007. His biggest weakness so far in his career has been an inconsistency in the running game but with former Steeler, Russ Grimm, instructing the offensive line, there's hope that he'll improve in that area and become a complete player. Together Pope and Ben Patrick should be a fairly versatile and effective one-two punch at the tight end position, if they can manage to stay healthy.

Other possible picks: Jerious Norwood, Anthony Smith, Brodie Croyle

Fourth Round: Gabe Watson DT – Michigan

 Watson became a full-time starter in 2007 and the results were somewhat mixed. On one hand, with the increased 3-4 defense his stats don't look as impressive as they were his rookie season. Nose tackles in the 3-4 rarely rack up good stats though since they basically asked to hold their ground and occupy as many blockers as possible. Most of the time a 3-4 nose tackle is the key to the front seven's ability to stop the run, so considering the Cards ranked in the top 10 in run defense they can't be too unhappy with his performance. Watson and Alan Branch should team up to be formidable duo and give opposing centers fits every game.

Other possible picks: Leon Washington, Brandon Marshall, Willie Colon

Fifth Round: Brandon Johnson LB – Louisville

 Johnson was an undersized but athletic outside linebacker who didn't get much of an opportunity in Arizona but didn't do much with his limited playing time. In 9 career games he had just 4 tackles after being known as a standout-special teams player during his days at Louisville. He was a free agent this offseason and signed with Cincinnati in March.

Other possible picks: Dawan Landry, Brad Butler

Sixth Round: Jonathan Lewis DT – Virginia Tech

Lewis would play in four games during his rookie season but would be cut during in August of 2007. Since then he ended the 2007 season on the Oakland Raiders' practice squad but wasn't resigned and has since signed with and been cut by the Seahawks.  Shortly after being cut by the 'Hawks he signed a one year deal with the Lions.

Other possible picks: Lawrence Vickers, Antoine Bethea

Seventh Round: Todd Watkins WR – BYU

Watkins would spend most of the 2006 season on the practice squad after being a 'toolsy' prospect in the '06 draft. The 6'3 receiver had sub 4.4 speed but has yet to put it all together. He's bounced around from the Cardinals to the Falcons and was recently signed by the Raiders and he's yet to appear in an NFL game.

Other possible picks: DJ Shockley, Rodrique Wright

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Looking back it's hard to be too disappointed in a draft that has produced 4 players who've combined to start 78 games over the course of two seasons. Watson and Pope could eventually end up losing their jobs to but both are at the very least quality players who will help this team win in the future. Leinart and Lutui should both be solid starters and possibly Pro Bowl caliber players in the future and will be cornerstones for the offense for years to come. The continued progression of Leinart is critical to not only the Cardinals success in the future but also to the perceived view of this draft class. For now I'd have to give it a B.

Going into the 2007 draft the Cardinals were coming off a 5-11 season but believe it or not there at least some promise that the team was headed in the right direction. The team won four of the last seven games and rookie QB Matt Leinart had a decent first season finishing with a 74 QB rating and throwing 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Arizona Cardinals held the 5th pick in the draft and would have a new coaching staff running their first draft.

First Round Pick: Levi Brown OT - Penn State

Levi Brown was the second tackle selected and the Penn State product ended up playing in 13 games, starting 11 of them at right tackle. The offensive line as a whole greatly improved in 2007 going from allowing 35 sacks in 2006 to just 24, despite the second most passing attempts. Brown's first season was about what you'd expect from a rookie starter, spotty at times (allowed 3 sacks to Patrick Kerney in Week 14) but overall he showed the power and agility that made him a top 5 pick. Brown missed several games with a high ankle sprain and there was an indication that he was missed. Edge averaged 78.7 yards per game with Brown in the starting lineup but just 68.2 in games that he didn't. Brown will have to become a more consistent player and I'm sure at some point he'll be moved over to left tackle but for now he seems to be on track to becoming a productive player.

Other possible picks: LaRon Landry, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis

Second Round Pick: Alan Branch DT - Michigan

The second round saw the Cardinals trade their second and fourth round selection in order to move up five spots so that they could select former Wolverine, Alan Branch. Branch was considered by some to be a mid-to-late first round selection and given the Cardinals desire to move to a 3-4 defense, it's not hard to understand what they saw in the 6'6 330 pound defensive tackle. Branch ended up playing in the final 11 games totaling 9 tackles as part of the defensive line rotation. Branch should see an increase in playing time in 2008, with a permanent switch to the 3-4 and in time he should push Gabe Watson for the starting nose tackle spot.

Other possible picks: Paul Posluszny, Chris Houston, LaMarr Woodley

Third Round Pick: Buster Davis MLB - Florida State

Buster Davis was supposed to be a athletic middle linebacker who had great instincts, a non-stop motor and an unquestionable leader on the field. His biggest knock of course was a lack of size (5'9 240) which would prevent him from shedding blocks or being able to see in the backfield. He went through a rough camp and saw his playing time diminish in the preseason as he became less and less effective. Eventually he was cut on September 1st. The story didn't end there though because after not a single team picked him up through waivers, Davis refused to go to the practice squad. After he refused, GM Rod Graves questioned his attitude and commitment to the game. He'd end up on the Lion's practice squad for most of the season although he appeared in one game without registering a tackle.

Other possible picks: Jacoby Jones, Yamon Figurs, Matt Spaeth

Fourth Round Pick: Traded to Oakland

As stated before the Cardinals traded their second round pick and this pick to the Raiders in order to move up to select Alan Branch.

Possible picks without the trade:  Antonio Pittman, Paul Soliai

Fifth Round Pick: Steve Breaston WR - Michigan 

Breaston was billed as a marginal reciever who had upside as a returner and he didn't disappoint in his rookie season. Breaston would win the kick and punt return job during the preseason and never relinquished the job. He'd end up with nearly 1,800 return yards and would average 22.4 yards on kickoff returns and 9.4 yards on punt returns. The best part though is that he didn't have a single fumble. Breaston's reportedly work very hard in the off season on his route running and added some muscle to his slender frame. For now though, as long as he continues to be an above average returner, the Cardinals got great value out of a fifth round pick.

Other possible picks: Kolby Smith, Tarell Brown

Sixth Round Pick: Traded to New England

The Cardinals traded for an offensive tackle Brandon Gorin in August of 2006. In exchange the Patriots got a conditional pick which ended up being this selection. Gorin would be on the Cardinals roster for basically one year before being cut in August of 2007.

Possible picks without the trade: Kasey Studdard, Trey Lewis

Seventh Round Pick: Ben Patrick TE - Delaware

The former Fighting Blue Hen had been described as guy who did many things well without doing any one thing great. He was considered a solid athlete who had the quickness to get into his routes and the size (6'7 270) to be a good blocker but he lacked the top end speed to separate from defenders. In his rookie year, Patrick ended up starting three of the final six games after Pope went down with an ankle inury and was able to haul in 7 passes for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. He'll need to improve his blocking and get more consistent to overtake Pope, but for now he played well enough to guarantee that he'll be on the field more in 2008.

Other possible picks: Trumaine McBride, CJ Wilson

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Overall there's two different ways to look at this draft. On one hand, the players that did make the team, all contributed and each seem to have a solid future with the team. Each player could conceivably become, or already is, a starter. On the other hand, they had a third round pick that didn't even make the roster and traded another pick away on a guy who never stepped on the field for them. They also traded another pick away to move up five spots and only time will tell if Branch ends up becoming a player worthing of costing the team another pick. I'm somewhere between an optimist and a realist so even though I can see the potential for this draft producing a Pro Bowl LT, a solid starting NT, a really good returner, and a future starter at TE, I can also see the missed opportunities from two wasted picks. In the end it's grade can't be higher than a B minus.

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?

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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