As we come to the end of June (and the beginning of a little time off), it's time for my annual pre-vacation pair of posts — the ones in which I take a stab at who will be in the starting lineup on opening day, which in this case will be Monday night against the Chargers. Some picks are obvious. Some are not. We'll defense today, offense tomorrow. And then we'll wait to see what training camp brings.
DE — Darnell Dockett. There are a lot of questions, given Dockett's age and 2015 salary, about what his situation will be next season. But this season, Dockett will be right where he always is — in the starting lineup. The Cards do like to rotate on the line. It's necessary for good defenses to stay effective. And rookies Kareem Martin and Ed Stinson will get some time.
NT — Dan Williams. It's a big year for Williams, who goes into the last year of his contract. He might have been pushed by Alameda Ta'amu, but Ta'amu is coming off knee surgery. Ta'amu will return early in the season, and the one-two combination will help. It has to start with Williams, though.
DE — Calais Campbell. He's deserved Pro Bowl consideration the last couple of years, even if he hasn't gotten it. When the Cardinals' braintrust say they hope Martin turns into another Campbell, that says something.
ROLB — John Abraham. Abraham turned into a real find last year. He was supposed to be a part-time pass rusher and proved to be much more. He's ahead of Sam Acho these days, but at some point, Acho (who's in the last year of his contract) or someone has to step forward to provide a future.
ILB — Kevin Minter. He was going to be a starter as soon as Karlos Dansby left. Now, with Daryl Washington absent, there is a lot on the second-year man.
ILB — Larry Foote. There is a chance Lorenzo Alexander could win this job, but I think Alexander will end up filling multiple depth roles and Foote will get the starts. His signing has proved to be fortuitous given Washington's situation. What will be interesting to watch will be where someone like Kenny Demens fits in — with Washington out, there's an opportunity for someone.
LOLB — Matt Shaughnessy. The Cardinals had the best run defense in the NFL last season in large part because Shaughnessy was so solid. It's what you'd expect when you have a former defensive end playing outside in the 3-4. The Cardinals are hoping Alex Okafor develops down the road, but his inexperience leaves him a question mark for now.
CB — Patrick Peterson. Forget the criticisms (yes, he needs to get better, like everyone) and forget the chatter of who is the best, which is really meaningless anyway. He's an anchor, and he'll be an anchor for a long time.
CB — Antonio Cromartie. He looked healthy in the offseason and that's a good sign. If he can regain the consistent level of play he's had in the past, the Cardinals will be in great shape for their coverage.
FS — Rashad Johnson. With Tyrann Mathieu on the mend, Johnson is the natural choice. He's a vet who won't make mistakes. Tony Jefferson has been playing strong safety in offseason work, but Jefferson should be in the mix when dime packages are used.
SS — Deone Bucannon. The aforementioned Jefferson was running first unit in the offseason but the Cardinals are going to play their first-round pick if he shows anything in camp. I expect that to happen and Bucannon will get his shot as the season begins.
Tomorrow, we'll have the offense.
