2015 Team Preview: Arizona Cardinals

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Updated on June 22, 2015 5:30PM EST

STATE OF THE FRANCHISE

After anointing the Bruce Arians-Carson Palmer partnership with a 10-6 record in 2013, including victories in seven of the last nine contests, the Cardinals continued their winning ways en route to a 9-1 start last season. However, Palmer sustained a torn ACL in his left knee during the final win of that run in Week 10, joining a group of key players to spend time on the sideline. As the regular season wound on, Arizona endured replacement-level or worse QB play and an increasingly yielding defense, finishing 11-5 for a spot in Wild-Card weekend. The preceding trends came to a head in an embarrassing defeat at Carolina in which the offense set the record for fewest total yards in a postseason game.

STATE OF THE FRANCHISE

In retrospect, such a scintillating start camouflaged a pair of early-season ailments to offensive mainstays. Heading into the season opener, Andre Ellington was diagnosed with a tendon concern in his left foot, which afflicted him until he was placed on injured reserve after Week 13 in order to undergo hernia surgery. Moreover, the Cardinals lacked a consistent complementary piece after Jonathan Dwyer's two-game stint ended due to his arrest, forcing Arians into a patchwork ground game that scratched and clawed to a league-worst 3.3 YPC. The arrival of David Johnson in this year's draft could shore up this deficiency, but with such a fickle rushing attack from game to game in 2014, the quarterback situation needed a reliable hand, which was tested when Palmer tended to "nerve issues" in his right shoulder in Weeks 2, 3 and 5. During Palmer's absences, Drew Stanton took the reins of the offense and sustained a semblance of a passing threat, but a knee injury ended his season in Week 15. Despite Ryan Lindley-helmed offenses engineering three defeats in a row thereafter, the Cardinals' QB carousel produced 238 passing yards per game in 2014, which ranked 14th in the league.

Because the offense exhibited far less potency, the defense was required to compensate sans Pro Bowlers Darnell Dockett (torn ACL) and Daryl Washington (suspension) for the entire season. Relying on the strength of the secondary as a result of faults in the front seven, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles cobbled together gameplans with an emphasis on bend-but-don't-break concepts, as evidenced by surrendering the fourth-most passing yards (259.5 per game) but ringing in as the fifth-best scoring outfit (18.7 points allowed per contest). While Bowles departed for a head-coaching job with the Jets, the defense will be without Dockett, Antonio Cromartie and second-leading tackler Larry Foote this season. With further development of young talent and strategic additions to bolster depth, new coordinator James Bettcher is nonetheless poised to keep the Cardinals' defense a respectable unit.

OFFSEASON MOVES

Key Acquisitions

David Johnson - RB, Northern Iowa (ROUND 3, 86th Overall)
The well-built rookie provides another receiving threat out of the backfield.

J.J. Nelson - WR, UAB (ROUND 5, 159th Overall)
His slight stature likely contains the wideout to return duty as a rookie.

Mike Iupati - G, 49ers
Arrives to shore up a running game that ranked second-worst in the NFL last season.

Sean Weatherspoon - LB, Falcons
Injury-prone and coming off a torn Achilles, he's already making the defensive calls.

Key Losses

John Carlson – TE, Retired
Along with the departure of Rob Housler, Carlson's retirement leaves unknowns at TE.

Antonio Cromartie - CB, Jets
After one season in the desert, he yields a starting gig to Jerraud Powers.

Darnell Dockett - DE, 49ers
Split amicably with the Cardinals following a season erased by a torn ACL.

Larry Foote - LB, FA
Currently coaching Arizona's ILB unit, there's a chance that he plays in 2015.

TEAM NOTES

PALMER: THE CARDINALS' ONLY HOPE?
Providing a stability unseen since Kurt Warner hung up his cleats in January of 2010, Carson Palmer's arrival in Arizona prior to the 2013 season paved the way for a 10-6 campaign, but the team fell short of a playoff berth. Expectations were elevated for contention last year, even in the smashmouth NFC West, but Palmer was diagnosed with "nerve issues" in his right shoulder after Week 1, yielding quarterback duties to Drew Stanton for three games. Upon receiving clearance to return in Week 6, Palmer proceeded to toss multiple touchdowns in four consecutive contests, but just when the Cardinals were clicking on all cylinders, he suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Sitting at 8-1, an offense guided by Stanton and Ryan Lindley stumbled to an 11-5 mark, with a wild-card defeat at Carolina mixed in for good measure. As the offseason program continues, reports surrounding Palmer describe him as ahead of schedule, and he's expected to receive the all-clear in advance of training camp, which would be music to the ears of wideouts Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

ELLINGTON AIMING TO SIDESTEP INJURY
Andre Ellington's injury history precipitated his fall to the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he subsequently played second fiddle to Rashard Mendenhall. Staggered reps aided in a relatively injury-free rookie campaign, in which Ellington averaged a league-best 5.5 YPC and caught 39 balls across 15 games. After Mendenhall opted to retire last offseason, Ellington entered the fall as Arizona's unquestioned No. 1 back, but a tendon issue in his left foot leading up to Week 1 curtailed his effectiveness throughout the year. To make matters worse, he sustained a hip pointer and sports hernia, the latter of which required surgery and brought his sophomore season to a close after Week 13. The selection of David Johnson in May is expected to reduce Ellington's workload, meaning the Clemson product is primed to recover from 2014's dreadful clip of 3.3 YPC.

THE ARIZONA TE QUANDARY
Coach Bruce Arians expects the tight ends in his offense to be adept as both blockers and receivers, with an emphasis on the former. During the offseason, the corps suffered the loss of Rob Housler via free agency, but when John Carlson announced his decision to retire after a practice in early May, the cupboard was left bare of an established presence. While 29-year-old former professional basketball player Darren Fells acts as the most experienced hand with 10 career appearances, 2014 second-round pick Troy Niklas will seek to rebound from a rookie season beset by a high left ankle sprain, which eventually resulted in his placement on injured reserve before Week 12.

VALUE METER

Rising: A second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Troy Niklas holds a certain pedigree, and the retirement of John Carlson places a portion of the tight-end burden on his shoulders.

Declining: Along with Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor was a late-round flier in the 2013 NFL Draft, but two dismal campaigns will likely balloon to three following the addition of David Johnson.

Sleeper: In search of an imposing running back to complement Andre Ellington, the Cardinals mined David Johnson in this year's draft to act as a change-of-pace option and receiver out of the backfield.

Supersleeper:John Brown's rookie year was far more productive with Carson Palmer (knee) under center – a 20/315/3 line in six games – meaning additional seasoning should yield fruit.

IDP WATCH

Tyrann Mathieu - S
Finally healthy, he's aiming to harken back to his playmaking rookie campaign.

Calais Campbell - DE
Wreaking havoc along the defensive front, he'll contribute immensely to IDP pursuits.

Sean Weatherspoon - LB
Fills the shoes of Larry Foote, who accrued the second-most tackles on the Cardinals last season.