In our continued breakdown of each and every position heading into camp, we round out the offense today by previewing the interior of the offensive line. If you missed any previous breakdowns you can catch up on the tight ends, wide receivers, running backs, full backs, quarterbacks and offensive tackle. The interior of the offensive line is the bread and butter of the offense because most of the running plays (especially with Edge at RB) will be between the tackles. They're also responsible for keeping pressure out of the quarterbacks' face and with two rather immobile quarterbacks, that can be critical. The good news is that the starters are projected to return for 2008 and with another year of experience and continuity this group will have a chance to gel and help the offense excel.

Al Johnson (C): Johnson anchors the middle of the offensive line and while he's not specatular, he is productive and most importantly he's consistent. He signed a four year $17.5 million contract before last season and played up to his contract in the first year. His second season could be even better considering that he was having to learn a new system and play with a group of guys for the first time. He's a leader on the line (45 career starts) and could be the key to this line becoming great.

Lyle Sendlein (C): Sendlein had a great rookie season, especially considering he was undrafted out of the University of Texas. He appeared in 14 games and even more impressively started two games (weeks two and three). During Sendlein's two starts Edge averaged 5.44 yards per carry and the line only gave up one sack. That'll certainly open some eyes especially considering that the opponents were the Seahawks and the Ravens. The coaching staff raves about Sendlein and he could seriously push Johnson for playing time next year, if not this season.

Deuce Lutui (OG): Deuce played well in his first full season as a starter and even though he'll have to improve his consistency, he looks like he'll be a solid starter for years to come. He's a mauler who at times doesn't play under control but the coaching staff really likes his aggressive style of play. Another season of starting experience combined with the tutelage of Russ Grimm, could have Lutui step up as one of the most productive and consistent lineman for the Cardinals.

Reggie Wells (OG): Wells is a small school success story and he just keeps getting better. The 27 year old out of Clarion University has been the full-time starter for the Cardinals for the past four seasons and has almost 60 games as a starter. Despite Wells starting experience, there is still hope that he can improve in 2008 since he bounced between guard and tackle in previous seasons but this will be the first time that he's spend two consecutive seasons at left guard. He signed a five year contract last year and should be a Cardinal through 2010.

Elton Brown (OG & OT): Brown's the top backup at every position on the line except center. He's a versatile player but has problems staying healthy. If he could stay healthy some scouts think that he could push either guard for playing time. He's on a one year contract though so this could be a make or break year for him. He's got a good initial punch at the point of attack but at times plays with poor leverage and can overextend. Brown's the second in line at both guards and tackles so he'll see playing time during the season.

Scott Peters: Peters can play either guard or center but hasn't appeared in a NFL game since 2003 when he started four games for the Giants. The Cardinals are his fifth team since 2002 but it will be the first time in his career that he's spent two consecutive seasons with the same organization. He spent the 2007 season on their practice squad, but he'll have to perform well enough in camp to earn a roster spot if he wants to stick around. The Cardinals have too many young lineman to use a practice squad spot on a guy who'll turn 30 years old during the season.

Hercules Satele: Satele's an interesting prospect even though he's a bit small (6'2 308) for a guard. At Hawaii's pro day he put up 40 reps on the bench (Jake Long led all OL at the combine with 37) and he started the last 25 games for the Warriors high flying offense. He ended his senior season with a 1st Team All-WAC honor and second team FWAA All-American Team. He'll likely have to gain a little bit of weight or he could also seem an eventual move to center. Either way though, he'll likely see at least one season on the practice squad.

Carlton Medder: Medder started two seasons at RT for the Florida Gators but his lack of quickness kept him from being drafted. In the post-season Texas vs. the Nation game he showed that he didn't have the foot quickness to handle speed rushers. Still though he started 26 straight games for the Gators and earned second team All-SEC honors his senior season. The Cardinals list him as a guard so they must think that he'll be able to use his size (6'5 316) to engulf opponents while masking his lack of speed by allowing him to play inside. Regardless of where he lines up, he most likely destined to the practice squad for at least a season especially if he's learning a new position.

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The offensive line as a whole is a good mix of proven, established veterans and developing talent. If Lutui continues to grow as a player and the interior of the offensive line gels, this unit could help Edge revive his career and help Leinart stay comfortable in the pocket. Injuries to the starting five have the potential to be catastrophic though considering that Sendlein and Elton Brown are the only capable backups. Thoughts/Concerns? Any possible guys that you'd like to see the Cardinals take a look at for depth?

The Arizona Cardinals enter the 2008 season in a relatively unfamiliar position. They're not coming off a losing season (something only two other Cardinals' teams can say in the past 20 years), they're not looking to replace many starters, and expectations are much higher than in most seasons. In fact, it's conceivable there will only be two new starters on both sides of the ball combined (Calvin Pace and Terrence Holt). The group could benefit the most from a second consecutive season working together is the offensive line. In 2007 Ken Whisenhunt took over the reigns of this franchise and his choice for offensive line coach was the heralded Russ Grimm. Together Whiz and Grimm set out to revamp a unit that ranked 32nd and 30th in rushing the previous two seasons and revamp, they did.

By the time the 2007 got ready to kick off, the Cardinals had three new starters. Two of the new faces would come via free agency (Mike Gandy and Al Johnson) and the third was the 5th overall pick in the draft, Levi Brown. The results weren't necessarily  immediate or miraculous but they were no doubt a better unit than the Cardinals have had for quite some time. The Cardinals leading rushers had the highest yards per carry average since 2002 and gave up the least amount of sacks since before the turn of the century. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. They still ranked just 29th in the league in rushing but with a second season as a cohesive unit, they should improve quite a bit.

Levi Brown: The 5th overall pick just one year ago won the starting job from day one but  had an 'up and down' season. He missed 5 starts because of an ankle injury and according to some it hampered him the rest of the year. He looked like a great player at times and at other times, he looked like a rookie learning on the job. One thing that no one questions though is the kid's ability to play. He'll be a solid player for years to come and should end up on a Pro Bowl roster or two.

Deuce Lutui: Depending on what you read, Lutui's either the best member of the group or he's the most likely to be replaced by top backup, Elton Brown. If you're asking me, Lutui is a young player (just turned 25) who's getting better with every game and already is above average as a run blocker. He started his first full season in 2007 and goes into this season with 24 starts under his belt. I'd look for him to really benefit from the consistency of having the same guy on either side for the second consecutive season.

Al Johnson: Johnson (29) was a free agent signee after four seasons in Dallas, two of which he was the starter. Most consider him the weak link of the group, but even with that label, he's pretty solid. His contract runs through 2010 but the coaches rave about last season's undrafted rookie, Lyle Sendlein. Johnson will be the starting center for 2008 and expect another solid, yet unspectacular season, but look for Sendlein to make a push for the job in 2009.

Reggie Wells: The longest tenured member of the group is also the most consistent. Wells was the Cardinals' sixth round pick in 2003 and he's been a starter since his second season, totally 58 starts. At 6'4 305, he's not the biggest guard around but he gets the job done. Wells performed admirably last season considering he had two new faces around him and has now started 32 consecutive games.

Mike Gandy: Gandy's third stop in the NFL landed him in Arizona for the 2007 season. He previously played for the Bears and Bills but arguably his best season was this past one. Even though he's considered a natural guard, he's had considerable experience at both positions. His play in 2007 made most Cardinal fans forget, or at least easily block out the six seasons of unspectacular play by Leonard Davis. Gandy is signed through 2009 so the Cardinals may look to either draft a replacement or groom rookie Brandon Keith to take over after 2008.

Top Backups: Elton Brown and Lyle Sendlein are the top backups with Brandon Keith also in the mix. Brown's entering his fourth year and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. As much as the team would like to keep him, they'll probably have to have a starting spot for him in order to get him to come back. He's got the ability and some team will hand him a starting job, as well as starting money. Lyle Sendlein has future starter written all over him. It's not often that an undrafted free agent gets into a starting role during his rookie season but that's exactly what he did when Johnson went down with an injury. Is it a coincidence that Edge's averaged 5.44 yards carry during Sendlein's two starts, despite playing two of the top 12 rushing defenses? Keith is a massive rookie and he's raw but most agree that he has the tools to play in this league. It'll take him at least a year of development though.

So how confident are you that this offensive line can help lead this team to playoffs? Who's the strongest and weakest link and do you think the team should be looking for another backup tackle?

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?

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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