The health of John Brown will be one of the bigger storylines in 2017. Quarterback Carson Palmer has labeled him the "X-Factor" of the offense, and if Brown is limited or unavailable during the season, the passing game will be hampered.
Brown – whose 2016 season was derailed by sickle-cell trait complications and a cyst on his back -- is practicing but still dealing with a quadriceps injury, and seems frustrated that another soft tissue injury continues to linger.
How likely is it that Brown is affected by injuries during the regular season? It's impossible to know exactly, but a group of scientists are wagering a guess. The website Sports Injury Predictor has applied an algorithm to a database of NFL player injuries to come up with predictions heading into the season.
Based on prior history, the group believes Brown has a 62.1 percent chance of getting injured this year, which is ninth-highest among wide receivers. The Cardinals no longer have Michael Floyd on the roster, and the unit's effectiveness could certainly become an issue if Brown does get hurt.
A couple other injury predictions of note: The site places Palmer among the bigger injury risks at quarterback, but he plays a position that isn't hit as hard as some others, so the probability is only 24.9 percent.
Running back David Johnson sits in the middle of the pack among running backs, but his injury probability is at 52.3 percent because it is such a dangerous position. Johnson is young and has shown to be durable, but it underscores why the Cardinals added Chris Johnson before training camp – depth is always important at the position.
