It’s no sin to cheer on the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 (even if you live in Tampa Bay) and you have to give them some credit for at least improving on their record from 5-11 in 2006. They finished the season 8-8 last year. ; Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt may be doing something right. Whisenhunt began coaching in 2007 and turned the team around working with relatively little to start with. The team’s offense improved, and that’s not a surprise since Whisenhunt is known for his successful offensive strategies that he pioneered for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One question left for the 2008 season would be the NFL Draft. The team had plenty of holes to fill, including a top athlete at offensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback positions. Even before Whisenhunt jumped aboard this sinking ship, only to reroute it on course, the team had historically been very adept at picking its draft picks over the past four years. How did the team do this year?
Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was well received by fans and critical media. Pundits speculate that his great performance in the Senior Bowl probably moved him up a few points in the draft, even if he hasn’t been tested yet. Calais Campbell was also questioned, as he doesn’t quite fit in with the defensive mentality of the rest of the team. Few would go so far as to say that Arizona chose poorly; these are promising young athletes. The consensus is simply that they will have to work with them at a faster pace than usual if Arizona is going to see any substantive change. The lack of great playmakers in the draft continues to be a concern, especially as Arizona is still going through a period of increasing and difficult pain.
What do you think? Will Whisenhunt reunite the team for a more competitive season, or has the rebuilding process begun yet? The last few years have seen amazing growth in the talent pool of this franchise. With veterans like Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald and third-year superstar Anquan Boldin, you’d think they’d have all the necessary tools to compete. It looks promising that this year they could break their 8th and 8th place finish last year and be a playoff contender.