So, before it's time to take leave for a bit, we come to the second part of the "for what it's worth" posts. Yesterday, it was the defense. Today, the offense, which starts with a healthy Carson Palmer, always a good thing. This team should be in a better place offensively this season, if for no other reason than the system is set and the offensive line should be better than it's been overall in a long time. Of course, the Cards have to show it. And Palmer needs to stay on the field.
QB -- Carson Palmer.Whatever else the Cardinals might have done on the field this offseason, just having Palmer back and working in 11-on-11 by the end would deem it a success. We'll see how it plays out in camp -- and more importantly, the first preseason game he takes part in -- but it's important that he is on track to be the starter.
RB -- Andre Ellington.Rookie David Johnson should end up playing a role and could end up as a key on offense. But right now, all things still figure to go through Ellington to begin with. The entire running back situation is an interesting one. Will the offensive line upgrade trickle down to help this position? How might Kerwynn Williams fit in? The Cards just want Ellington to stay healthy, and see what that means.
WR -- Larry Fitzgerald. It's easy to lose sight of the fact, after another year under 1,000 yards, that Fitz was really clicking with Palmer before Palmer got hurt. If the two vets can play together, I'm curious to see what Fitz's numbers can be, even in this system when not one receiver figures to dominate the stat sheet.
WR -- Michael Floyd.It's a big year for Floyd. The quarterback situation did not help last season, but there were times even when Palmer played where, for whatever reason, Floyd didn't produce. Sometimes, that was a lack of targets. The Cards certainly have other options too. But the former No. 1 draft pick needs to make a greater impact.
WR -- John Brown.In this setup, the Cards go three wide receivers (I'll hit the tight ends in a minute.) Brown has added a little muscle and had strong self-awareness of what happened to him last season, including wearing out at the end of the season. Palmer can't say enough good things about Brown, with whom he developed a strong bond with last summer. Smokey will get his chances.
TE -- Darren Fells. Troy Niklas is going to be in this mix and when the Cards go two tight ends on running downs, Niklas will likely join Fells. But right now, with Niklas still trying to get healthy, it is Fells who as emerged out of a very inexperienced tight end room. One caveat: Can't exclude the possibility of the Cards signing a veteran at the position, which could change this dynamic.
RT -- Bobby Massie. D.J. Humphries is making strides, but as of now, it's hard to see Humphries surpassing Massie. Things could change when the pads go on. Another possibility is if Humphries makes enough strides, maybe Massie is a guy who the Cards would consider trading, especially if another team loses a tackle in injury in camp. But if Massie is around for the first game, I think he starts.
RG -- Jonathan Cooper. He's in great shape. He doesn't have any of the issues left from a broken leg or turf toe or any of the other problems he might have had. If Cooper is going to become the player the Cardinals hope he can be, this is the season he needs to do it. His confidence clearly has never been higher, and he comes across as a different player than he was at this time last year. A big, big camp awaits.
C -- A.Q. Shipley. This is an interesting spot. Shipley and Ted Larsen will battle in camp. OTAs and minicamp are what they are, but Shipley was the one getting more first-unit snaps by the end and he has history with both Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin. This will come down to how Shipley and Larsen perform in games. (And if they both struggle, I wouldn't completely write off the idea of a Lyle Sendlein return either, as long as he remains a free agent.)
LG -- Mike Iupati. For a second straight year, the big free-agent purchase was an offensive lineman. Iupati's reputation is that of excellent run blocker and a guy who needs to work on his pass blocking. Iupati certainly looks the part, and it will be fun to watch him in pads during camp and see what collisions develop.
LT -- Jared Veldheer. The Cardinals wanted a left tackle and after one season, it looks like they have gotten a pretty good one.
