Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals: Grading 2016 position by position

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:39 p.m. ET

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Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) celebrates with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals had failed expectations in 2016 but all is not lost as preparation for 2017 begins

The Arizona Cardinals may have not made the playoffs. They may have excelled at certain positions. However they also are going to need some help at others as they prepare for the 2017 season.

The offense generated 418 points, fourth-most in franchise history. They managed to get 20 touchdowns from their top running back.

The Cardinals also managed to get 16 players on injured reserve this season. One of them, safety Tyvon Branch, went on injured reserve twice. He came off and after one game, went right back on back in December.

The defense had its moments. They finished second in the NFL if you can believe that. They gave up 48 to the New Orleans Saints at home but on the slip side, three to the New York Jets, six to the Seattle Seahawks, and seven to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The special teams? Well we know the story there. The Cardinals need to look at all involved with special teams from punter to kicker to the return teams. They all need to be scrutinized. It should start with the coaching. We’ll see how that turns out after coach Bruce Arians gave special teams coach Amos Jones a vote of confidence in December.

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter during a NFL football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

Starting quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t quite have the season he had in 2015. He had indecisiveness at times. He finished with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

After 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2015, clearly there was a little dropoff. Now the big question is will he return in 2017? It appears so far that answer is yes.

Backup quarterback Drew Stanton started one game in Palmer’s absence due to concussion. It was against a struggling San Francisco 49ers team.

However Stanton didn’t look like the guy that was ready to take the place of Palmer once he retired. Stanton again showed that in the finale against the Los Angeles Rams. Too many off-target throws.

The Cardinals brought in Zac Dysert. They signed him to the practice squad and then ultimately to the active roster. He never played a down though.

While Palmer should be starter, look for Stanton to possibly depart. The Cardinals are going to go looking for their future quarterback in the offseason. That may come in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Who will be return in 2017?

Yes: Carson Palmer

Maybe: Drew Stanton, Zac Dysert

2016 grade: B

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Wide receiver

What once looked like one of the deepest positions on the team turned into one of turmoil for much of the season. The Cardinals leading receiver was Larry Fitzgerald with 107 receptions and he could retire.

The second-leading receiver wasn’t a receiver. It was running back David Johnson with 80 receptions.

The Cardinals lost Michael Floyd after cutting him following a DUI arrest. He subsequently was picked up by the New England Patriots and had a touchdown catch for them this past week against the Miami Dolphins.

They also lost Jaron Brown. He tore an ACL in October against the Seattle Seahawks. John Brown was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Trait.

The most-effective receiver outside Fitz was J.J. Nelson. He’s fast but he struggled the first half of the season, dropping passes. He really caught fire in December though. The question is with his size, how long can he last?

Who will return in 2017?

Yes: J.J. Nelson, John Brown, Jaron Brown

Maybe: Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Hall (future contract), Chris Hubert (future contract), Aaron Dobson (future contract)

No: Brittan Golden, Jeremy Ross, Marquis Bundy

2016 grade: C+

Dec 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) rushes for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks free safety Steven Terrell (23) during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Running back

The running back position starts and ends with David Johnson. Johnson finished with 2,118-yards from scrimmage in 2016.

Although he did get hurt in the season finale, he dodged a bullet with a sprained MCL and is only going to be out for about six weeks before he can resume activity. He will be the starter in 2017.

The questions are with who else are they going to keep after that? Andre Ellington is a free agent, as is Stepfan Taylor. The Cardinals also have Kerwynn Williams.

Williams has been on and off the roster for the last two plus seasons. He certainly has been able to fill the void at backup running back. The problem is with special teams.

Williams is not very good at special teams and in fact missed a block last Sunday during a punt and the Los Angeles Rams blocked the punt because of it. Taylor meanwhile is a very good special teams player.

Ellington has the versatility that Johnson has. Despite his injuries in the past, although he played 2016 injury-free, he is still a consideration to bring back.

Both Ellington and Taylor, mainstays since being drafted by the Cardinals in 2013, could find themselves looking for new jobs. The Cardinals can only re-sign so many and despite the special teams performance, they may move in a different direction for more solid backup for Johnson.

Who will be back in 2017:

Yes: David Johnson

Maybe: Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams, Elijhaa Penny (future contract)

No: Stepfan Taylor, Chris Johnson

Grade: A-

Aug 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (74) guard Evan Mathis (69) and quarterback Carson Palmer (3) walk to the line against the San Diego Chargers during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive line

The offensive line was going to look a little different coming into the 2016 season. We knew that with some departures. However, we didn’t expect to see what ended up happening.

The Cardinals suffered injuries and were constantly shifting guys along the line. The Cardinals gave up 40 sacks this season. They only gave up 25 in 2015.

Left tackle Jared Veldheer was injured in October and was lost for the season. D.J. Humphries moved from right to left after John Wetzel was ineffective.

Humphries played well but now the Cardinals may have a competition for left tackle in 2017. Both Veldheer and Humphries prefer the left side.

At center, A.Q. Shipley had to play most of the season as the starter. Rookie Evan Boehm never materialized the Cardinals had envisioned when they drafted him.

Mike Iupati had what many would consider a down year but he is still an important part of the line. Another rookie, Cole Toner, also was not ready to fill the void at guard.

The Cardinals are going to lose Evan Mathis to retirement. They lost him a lot earlier than that however with an injury and only ended up playing in four games.

Who will be back in 2017:

Yes: D.J. Humphries, Jared Veldheer, A.Q. Shipley, Evan Boehm, Mike Iupati

Maybe: Earl Watford, Cole Toner, Taylor Boggs, Ulrick John, Kaleb Johnson (future contract)

No: Evan Mathis (retiring), Givens Price, John Wetzel

Grade: D

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Darren Fells (85) scores a touchdown as Los Angeles Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree (52) attempts to tackle during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End

It was an interesting year for the tight ends. In preseason it appeared that Troy Niklas could be the man after starting out hot. Of course he got hurt and missed most of the season on injured reserve.

Then last year’s surprise Darren Fells had a rough preseason. He got into Arians’ doghouse committing silly penalties. That left Jermaine Gresham, Ifeanyi Momah, and Hakeem Valles.

Gresham re-signed for one year. That was a little bit of a surprise given that he didn’t play very well in 2015. He surprised and had a nice season in 2016.

The problem with Gresham is his temper. While some saw his temper as a positive thing trying to pump his team up, it hurt his team against Seattle on Christmas Eve. He cost his team field position and a chance to kick a field goal.

The Cardinals may still bring him back though. He understands Palmer well and usually catches balls that come his way.

Fells dropped a bit in production this season. He finally found the end zone in week 17 against the Rams.

Who will be back in 2017?

Yes: Darren Fells, Troy Niklas

Maybe: Jermaine Gresham, Ifeanyi Momah

No: Hakeem Valles

Grade: C+

January 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is brought down by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell (93) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line

The Arizona Cardinals had more defensive tackles than they knew what to do with this season. For that reason there were always two or three of them inactive from week to week.

The man who had the biggest season was Calais Campbell. He had eight sacks on the season along with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also had his first-career touchdown on a fumble return.

The question lingering with Campbell is where will he play in 2017? He is a free-agent and will likely garner much interest on the market. There will be someone willing to pay him more than the Cardinals will. It could come down to paying Campbell or linebacker Chandler Jones.

Rodney Gunter also had a nice season, his second in the NFL. He was a beast on special teams.

The one guy we are waiting on to blossom is defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. He spent much of the season inactive. He only played in five games.

Nkemdiche had issues on and off the field. Mainly it had to do with his maturity. While he struggled on the practice field and had an ankle injury he dealt with, he also had issues being professional off the field. He showed up for the pane on a road trip not properly dressed. That is inexcusable.

Who will be back in 2017?

Yes: Rodney Gunter, Robert Nkemdiche, Frostee Rucker, Josh Mauro

Maybe: Calais Campbell, Xavier Williams, Ed Stinson, Corey Peters

No: Olsen Pierre

Grade: B-

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones (55) celebrates after a Cardinals fumble recovery during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers

The Cardinals sure liked what they saw out of Chandler Jones and why wouldn’t they? He had 11 sacks this past season. He had 12.5 in 2015 with the New England Patriots, the team that traded Jones to the Cardinals last March.

Arians this week indicated that Jones wasn’t going anywhere. It sounds as if the Cardinals will do anything to keep him and that may mean putting the franchise tag on him.

Marcus Golden had a fantastic sophomore season in the NFL. He went from four sacks in his rookie season in 2015 to 12.5 sacks, leading the Cardinals, in 2016. He was the biggest reason why the Cardinals led the NFL in sacks in 2016.

Kevin Minter had three and a half sacks from his inside linebacker position. That is by far his best output since joining the Cardinals in 2013.

Alex Okafor played better in 2016 as well. He had three and a half sacks without starting a single game. He had two sacks in 2015 and had eight in 2014 but he started 12 games that season.

Even Sio Moore was active in just four games with the team in 2016. He had 35 tackles and one pass defensed in his short time played with the Cardinals.

Overall, this was the strongest unit from top to bottom on the defense. You may not see very many changes to this core in 2017.

Who will be back in 2017?

Yes: Chandler Jones, Markus Golden, Alex Okafor, Kevin Minter, Kareem Martin, Deone Bucannon, Gabe Martin

Maybe: Sio Moore, Scooby Wright, Zavier Gooden, Alani Fua, Cap Capi (future contract),

Grade: A

Nov 27, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) waves to fans before their game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerbacks

Patrick Peterson has his usual decent season. He had three interceptions and a fumble recovery. He had 51 tackles. He was called for a number of pass interference and holding penalties. Those will need to decrease next season.

The problem is on the opposite side of the field. The Cardinals had difficulty getting someone to play consistently there.

The Cardinals started with rookie Brandon Williams. He clearly wasn’t ready to be a starter. Enter Marcus Cooper.

Cooper had some nice games but also struggled at times. He also had issues with injury down the stretch. He had four interceptions but two of them came early in the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Justin Bethel was deemed a “failure in progress” in December by Arians. He even struggled on special teams at times but that may be his saving grace for being an NFL player going forward.

Rookie Harlan Miller finally showed some promise last week against the Rams. He played very well and could be a guy that ultimately wins out a starting job next season. Look for the Cardinals to add here though in the offseason.

Who will be back in 2017?

Yes: Patrick Peterson, Harlan Miller

Maybe: Marcus Cooper, Mike Jenkins, Justin Bethel, Brandon Williams, Ronald Zamort (future contract), Brian Dixon

No: Elie Bouka

Grade: C

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) celebrates a play against the New Orleans Saints at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Safety

We all know the struggles that Tyrann Mathieu had with injury in 2016. He was never 100 percent. First he was coming off an ACL injury suffered at the end of the 2015 season. Then he had a shoulder injury that ultimately ended his 2016 season early.

D.J Swearinger played well for the most part. He had 66 tackles with three interceptions and eight passes defensed. Tony Jefferson played well before getting hurt in the week 16 game at Seattle.

Many fans would love to see Jefferson back. Do the Cardinals agree? We will have to wait and see with that. He had 96 tackles and five passes defensed. Despite no interceptions many felt he was a Pro Bowl snub.

Tyvon Branch had a tough season too. He got hurt in the first Rams game in Glendale. He suffered a groin injury and went on injured reserve. By the time December rolled around, he was designated to return. He did and after one game, immediately went back on re-injuring himself.

This too may be a position where some change happens. Even if Mathieu is healthy and Jefferson returns, it was still a position of scrutiny in 2016.

Who will be back in 2017?

Yes: Tyrann Mathieu, D.J. Swearinger, Tyvon Branch

Maybe: Tony Jefferson, Trevon Hartfield, Christian Bryant

Grade: C-

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals placekicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) attempts a field goal as punter Matt Wile (6) holds the ball during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Special teams

This was the unit that in the end was the biggest factor in the Cardinals not returning to the postseason in 2016. Every phase of special teams struggled at times.

From kicking, punting, long-snapping, punt returns, and kick returns, the Cardinals can point to at least five games that contributed to their end result.

Kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed seven field goals and four extra points in 2016. He missed game-winners against the Patriots, the Seahawks, and a late fourth-quarter game-tying attempt in Miami. Then he made a game-winner in Seattle two weeks later.

Catanzaro needs to have competition in camp next season. He needs someone to push him. He didn’t have that in camp in 2016.

Punting was a disaster as well. They went through three punters (Drew Butler twice) and just signed a fourth on Thursday. That guy is Richie Leone. He averaged 49-yards a punt over the last two seasons for the BC Lions of the CFL. Maybe there is hope there?

The Cardinals had field goals and punts blocked. They had one blocked just last Sunday in Los Angeles. If special teams coach Amos Jones isn’t going anywhere then someone needs to come in and help.

In addition they need to find better long-snappers as well. Aaron Brewer struggled at times after the rookie issues they had to start the season. There has been no indication though the Cardinals will be looking to replace Brewer. We’ll see.

Who will be back in 2017?

Maybe: Chandler Catanzaro, Matt Wile, Richie Leone, Aaron Brewer

Grade: D-