Arizona Cardinals Training Camp Preview: The Offensive Line Will Be Relied Upon To Perform

Besides the quarterback, there has seemingly always been one position that the Arizona Cardinals have struggled to fill with competent players. The offensive line has struggled in years past and the team, after taking a long hiatus from spending draft picks on players, finally brought some fresh talent into the fold during the offseason.

They added Adam Snyder via free agency and drafted three more players that figure to fit in on the line at some point or another. Let's see what the line is likely to look like in 2012 and what the expectations will be for them after the jump.

Aside from signing Snyder to a five year deal, the Cards drafted Bobby Massie in the fourth round, Senio Kelemete in the fifth and Nate Potter in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Massie figures to come in and compete right away for the starting right tackle job with Jeremy Bridges.

Kelemete is a bit of a project, but could become a solid NFL guard for the Cardinals, despite having played tackle in college at the University of Washington. Potter, on the other hand, protected the left side for Kellen Moore at Boise State, but is still considered to be a raw player.

The line is expected to include Levi Brown at left tackle, who was cut and re-signed in the offseason. Much of what the Cardinals are able to achieve on offense will come down to his ability to protect either Kevin Kolb or John Skelton. Right next to him will be Daryn Colledge, a solid guard and possibly the most talented player on the entire line.

In the center, Lyle Sendlein will be making his return and probably will earn the role of team captain once again. Adam Snyder figures to plug in at right guard after coming over from the 49ers.

As backups, the team has some projects and veterans at their disposal. D.J. Young, Scott Wedige, D'Anthony Batiste and some other camp bodies will all have to fight for roster spots.

The offensive line has always been pretty decent at run blocking, but it is their pass protection that must improve. If it does not, the Cardinals could be in for another long season. To me, this is also a make or break year for Russ Grimm, the offensive line and assistant head coach.

What do you think about all of this? What are your expectations for the Cards' o-line going into 2012?

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