• 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.

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?

With all of the talk this offseason about Anquan Boldin's contract situation it got me thinking about who would be the top two recievers several years down the road. First, I'll assume that Fitz's contract will keep him in the desert for at least the next four seasons (10 million a year should guarantee that). With that being said, that leaves two 'front-running' contenders in Steve Breaston and Early Doucet. A case could be made for each being that Breaston's speed would compliment Fitz and could stretch the defense on a regular basis. On the other hand, Doucet looks like he could be an younger version of Boldin and we all know how productive Boldin and Fitz have been together the past couple of years. There are some other candidates on the roster including the speedy Jamaica Rector and former Gator, Jemalle Cornelius. The Cardinals could also draft another reciever sometime in the next couple of seasons or they could open the purse strings and sign Boldin to a long term deal?

So I pose the question to you, who will be the top two recievers for the Cardinals three years from now? Also what would be the best combination for the Cardinals offensively and for the organization as a whole? Feel free to throw out an potential draft picks for upcoming seasons or potential free agents you'd like to see in the desert.......

The Cardinals have made a consistent habit of picking up former Pittsburgh Steelers since Coach Whisenhunt moved to Arizona from the Burgh. The list includes the likes of Sean Morey, Chukky Okobi, Brian St. Pierre, Clark Haggans and Jerame Tuman among others. Their dedication to becoming the 'Steelers of the West' could be tested with the Steelers most recent cuts though. The Steelers made news over the weekend when they cut backup running back Najeh Davenport, along with three other rarely used players. Since we've looked at nearly every other free agent running back, here's a quick look at whether or not Davenport would thrive in Arizona.

Why he'd be the right guy: Make no mistake about it, Najeh Davenport is the definition of a career backup. In six NFL seasons, he's started a total of 3 regular season games (one playoff game) and hasn't ever really even pushed a starter for playing time. He's almost a 'tweener' type of back because of his mix of size (nearly 250 pounds) and his speed (had at least one 40 yard carry in 5 of 6 seasons). During the 2007 season, he flourished as the Steelers change of pace back and short yardage/goal line specialist. He ended the season with a career highs in carries (107), yards (499), rushing  touchdowns (5), receptions (18), and receiving touchdowns (2). He also contributes on special teams and was even was the Steelers top kickoff returner in 2006. All of that and he's still not 30 years old (turned 29 in February). I'll grant you that nothing he does is spectacular but just consider that the backup duo of Shipp and Arrington have combined for 179 yards in 2007 & 2006 combined.

Why he'd be square peg in this round hole: Even though Davenport would be an upgrade over either Shipp or Arrington, the problem with him coming to the desert is that his game closely resembles both Edge and Hightower. He excels when running between the tackles and has the size to get two yards when you need one, but that's also what Edge and Hightower do well. Najeh excelled in Pittsburgh because he was a complimentary change of pace back to 'Fast' Willie Parker, but that wouldn't be his role here. The Cardinals may also want to keep away from Davenport because him coming in would take snaps away from Tim Hightower and at least to this point, they sound very encouraged by his abilities. 

In the end, I doubt that the Cardinals make a serious run at Davenport, but if they did it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Signing Davenport would mean that either Shipp or Arrington would simultaneously have to be cut (which I'd be all for), but I'd want his role to be clearly defined and somewhat limited. If they brought him in I'd hope that his role would be limited to kickoff returns (partnered with Breaston) and a third down back. That wouldn't cut into Hightower's development too much and would allow the Cardinals to upgrade their running back stable. So I pose the question to you, are you interested in yet another Steeler? Would he be a good fit here and where would rank on your 'wish list' of free agent backs?

The Cardinals official site continues their Coaches Corner series with head coach Ken Whisenhunt. It's a good time to get his thoughts considering he's entering his second training camp with what looks like, on paper anyways, as the best Cardinal team in quite some time. Here's a few of the questions that intrigued me:

Q: Brooke Georgetti asked, How do you feel Matt Leinart is progressing after missing most of last season?

A: "It has been a very good spring for Matt. Physically he looks very good. He is strong and throwing the ball well. He is suffering no ill effects from his shoulder and I think he has worked diligently in the strength and conditioning program with John Lott so he is bigger, stronger and is moving around very well. I think from that standpoint he is much further along. I have also been very pleased with his mental preparation and his growth in that area. This started when he was injured last year and the amount of time he put in during the season. The thing I really like is you see confidence in him on the field because he is more comfortable with the system and when he steps into the huddle and calls the plays there is a different presence about him now. Now we still have to translate that into games but I’ve been very encouraged."

Q: Brad Jensen asked, What is the biggest change you see in your team this year, compared to last year at this time?

A: "Confidence. Confidence in the system but also in themselves. I think last year I felt like we had good players but didn’t know how they were going to respond in different situations. Another good example is how our team came back in games early in the season like Baltimore, like Washington, where we trailed and came back and had a chance at the end of the game. I think our team now believes, especially because of winning the last two at home and getting to 8-8, believes that we can win the way we are doing it."

These were my two favorites questions because obviously Leinart's progression as an NFL quarterback is a key not only to the Cardinals success in 2008 but also for the extended future. The second question also stood out because confidence seemed like something that was seriously lacking in 2007 and so far through off season workouts, that doesn't seem to be the case at all. Reports have been that practices were crisp and players seemed more comfortable with the coaches and drills. While talk doesn't mean much in June, it's encouraging to hear the head coach sound....well for lack of a better term, confident in his team. What did you think?

(To read more of the questions and answers, click below)

Continue reading this post »

If you've never checked out What if Sports, it's worth checking out and adding to your web-site rotation. Basically they've developed a 'sports simulator' in which they simulate a game 1,000 times to get an average result and then they use those projections to attempt to predict season results and fantasy rankings among other things. I may not always agree with their results but the content is worth a look, if nothing else for entertainment value. Today they posted their NFC West preview and it wasn't so pretty for your Arizona Cardinals. They projected the Cardinals to finish with a 6-10 record and offered this explanation on such a disappointing season:

It seems as though this team has already missed its window. Edgerrin James is clearly on the back end of his career. Matt Leinart and the once-promising defensive backfield have problems staying healthy. And the wide receiving corps lost Bryant Johnson and may see Anquan Boldin depart in the not-so-distant future. In 2008, after years of underachieving, the computer appears to have caught on and set the bar low for Arizona. The Cardinals average 21.4 points per game (#22) and allow 25.5 points (#22) against a schedule featuring six games against 2007 playoff teams.

There's some holes I could try and poke in that logic but we'll move on instead. They also listed several separate segments such as:

Most Significant Newcomer - Early Doucet - Sure that's an easy pick given the departure of Bryant Johnson and I'm actually surprised by his somewhat low projected totals of 29 receptions, 423 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Biggest Strength - Listed oddly as 'potential.' They list all of the high draft picks on the current roster and how they could have a big impact on this season depending on their health and teamwork.

Most Exploitable Weakness - Sadly their choice of the 'Arizona Cardinals' makes sense. They explain it as, every year some 'football experts' and pundits look at the rosters and project the Cardinals as a potential playoff team only to be disappointed with another losing season. Until Cardinals break out of the role as 'offseason sleepers' we'll likely get saddled with these kind expectations every year.

Possible Fantasy Sleeper - Steve Breaston - They acknowledge that Doucet is probably the better pick but they chose instead to bypass him and go with Breaston as a 'deep sleeper.' His improved workouts in the offseason have been making some noise and they agree that he's a dynamic force with the ball in his hands.

They also project the season game by game but with only six wins, I'll spare us from having to look at each game individually (although you can see it by clicking on the link above). So what do you think, agree/disagree? Are you surprised by such a low projection or have you become accustomed to such standards from a national perspective?

• Steve Breaston continues to impress in camp. His added weight and dedication to becoming a solid receiver is showing so far. His speed would be a nice asset out of the slot.
• Every where you look there's story about how the starting QB's job is Leinart's to lose. Both QBs have looked good so far according to reports but Matt's going to falter before Warner can take over.
• Edge and Dansby should be back at OTA's next week but there isn't any news on when the team expects Boldin and Dockett. Neither are expected to be back for any voluntary workouts/practices.
• Coach Whisenhunt is encouraged by the progress  that is evident already early in his second year. The biggest change has come on offense where Whiz plans to expand the playbook and open things up.
• There's an interview with the Arizona Cardinals undrafted rookie guard, Hercules Satele. Although his chances of making the opening 53 man roster are slim, there's still plenty of reason to think that he could spend a season on the practice squad and develop into a legitimate NFL player. Satele talks about his goals for the upcoming season, his influences both on and off the field and what he can bring to the Cardinals.

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.

The first week of organized team activities concluded this afternoon in Arizona and the good news is that there aren't any new injuries and there weren't any surprise absences. The reports that come out of OTAs need to be taken with a grain of salt but I'll pass them along anyways.

• Steve Breaston seems to be the shining star so far after three practices. He'd carried the momentum from a solid mini-camp shortly after the draft. After a rookie season in which he made a name for himself as a returner he definitely made it a point this off season to improve as a receiver. He's making sure that  Early Doucet will have to do more than simply show up to get the #3 job.
• Coach Whisenhunt stated that he has been in contact with both Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett but that he doesn't expect them in for OTAs anytime soon. This isn't as bad as it sounds though. Sure it would be nice to have two veteran players in town, mentoring the youngsters but with them gone right now, Doucet and Calais Campbell are getting considerably more snaps than they would have. Doucet is taking snaps with the second group and Campbell is taking snaps with the first and second defense.
  
• Offensive line coach Russ Grimm found an interesting way to get around the NFL's 'no contact' policy for OTAs by doing one on one offensive lineman drills with a tackling dummy between the guys. Not sure if he did this during his days with the Steelers but it's definitely a way to keep things from getting monotonous.
  



• There's also a 'feel good' article on Antrel Rolle's new job at free safety and how he's moving to a more natural position for his skill set. The good news for Rolle is that he's following up Terrence Holt, who did a great job of underwhelming everyone last year, so the bar is set pretty low. There's an odd about Rolle possibly playing safety on first and second down then switching to corner back to cover slot receivers in the nickel defense. I don't really see the point in 'flip-flopping' him like this because he can't focus on being a great safety if he's playing a third of his time at corner. Oh well, there's still a couple of months before we'll see if that'll work. Hopefully DRC can step up and lock down the #3 job with a close eye on Eric Green's job.
  
• There's also an encouraging story from the Cardinals official site about rookie Tim Hightower. It's encouraging in that the coaching staff has relatively high expectations of him for a guy who was a fifth round pick and is supposedly buried on the depth chart (4th in line). It sounds like they expect him to move up the depth chart and have a legit role for this team in 2008. That could be bad news for veterans Marcel Shipp and JJ Arrington.
  
• The streak of seven practices without a turnover ended today though as a pass from Matt Leinart was tipped by Gerald Hayes and intercepted by Clark Haggans. Coach Whisenhunt has said a couple times though that Leinart looks much better now than he did this time last year, which is great news for the Cardinals. Hopefully a full season and off season under the new system will make light years of difference for Matt.
  

All in all, not a bad first week. We've heard good things about several of the young guys, both quarterbacks have looked good and the team as a whole looked sharp which led to crisp practices. It's way too early for any of this to mean much, but it's still good to hear that is sounds like the Arizona Cardinals are buying into what Whisenhunt is preaching. Thoughts? Has anyone been able to watch any practices?

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?