Arizona Cardinals 2016 preview: Everything is in place for a title run
After knocking off the Packers in one of the greatest playoff games in modern history, the Cardinals ran into a buzzsaw in the NFC Championship game last season. Rather than hit the reset button, though, Arizona chose to run it back in 2016. The offensive core from last year's Super Bowl contender is mostly intact; meanwhile, the Cardinals added Evan Mathis to bolster an already outstanding offensive line, re-signed Chris Johnson for even more depth at running back, and brought safety Tyvon Branch on board to shore up a defensive secondary that's dealing with injuries across the board. On the other side of the ledger, Arizona lost linebacker LaMarr Woodley and Sean Weatherspoon, ushering in a youth movement in the heart of the defense. Acquiring pass rusher Chandler Jones from the Patriots will help, but with so many moving parts on defense, the Cardinals will need to learn on the job quickly to have any chance of another deep postseason run.
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Palmer was outstanding in 2015, posting the highest QB rating of his 12-year career (and career-highs in TDs and yards passing, as well). He'll be 37 before the season ends, so critics will be watching him for signs of regression. Maybe age catches up to Palmer in 2016, but if last season was any indication, the Arizona offense should be in good hands. FANTASY SPIN
Like his QB, the 32-year-old Fitzgerald seems to be getting better with age. 2015 was the first 100-reception season for the nine-time Pro Bowl selection since 2007. Eventually, Arizona is going to need to find a long-term replacement for Fitz at receiver. For at least one more season, though, he'll be an excellent No. 1 option. FANTASY SPIN
The Cardinals defense in general is worth keeping an eye on this year, as we watch to see if Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Patterson come back healthy and how big of an impact Jones will have at linebacker. Yet the rooke Nkemdiche could be the X-factor for Arizona's defense. He should make an immediate impact, helping take some of the pressure off of the Cards' linebackers and secondary.
Fitzgerald has the name recognition and Michael Floyd has a lot of the breakout hype, but don't sleep on John Brown finishing the year as Arizona's best receiver. Despite playing through injuries last season, Brown put up a 65-1,003-7 line in just his second year in the league. Now he's entering that magical third year for receivers, and with Fitzgerald almost certainly taking at least a small step back Brown's big-play ability and strong rapport with Palmer should serve him very well once again. There's enough fantasy goodness to go around in this offense.
(All lines courtesy of Bovada.com, as of 8/31)
Season win total over/under: 9.5 (over -230, under +190)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 11/1 This is borderline value for the Cardinals, who were just a win away from the Super Bowl last season. Other than maybe the secondary, which is dealing with some injury concerns, this team is solid from top to bottom. If you think Arizona will thrive despite a tough schedule, 11/1 is a solid price.
One thing we wish we could bet on: Arizona's turnover margin plummeting this season. The Cardinals were second in the league in takeaways in 2015, but with all the defensive questions, Arizona is due for a little regression in 2016.
September 11, vs. New England
Arizona is one of the lucky teams that gets to face the Patriots without Tom Brady, as the Cards open the season playing host to Bill Belichick's crew. A win over a Super Bowl contender would go a long way toward erasing the memories of last year's painful playoff end.
October 30, at Carolina
The Cardinals have an opportunity to exact revenge on the Panthers for last season's NFC Championship embarrassment, just one week before Arizona has its bye. By Week 8, most of our defensive questions should be answered, making this game a nice measuring stick for the Cards in their Super Bowl pursuit.
December 24, at Seattle
In the penultimate week of the season, the Cardinals travel to Seattle in a potential NFC Championship preview. A win over the Seahawks would give Arizona a nice bit of momentum headed into the postseason.
We say: 10-6, wild-card playoff loss
WhatIfSports simulation says: 11-5 Super Bowl champions
-- Andrew Lynch, D.J. Foster (fantasy)
