Arizona Cardinals Season Recap

NFC West	Finished 2nd in Division
Overall Record: 7-8-1 (4-1-1 in division)	Draft Position: 13th
Head Coach: Bruce Arians	GM: Steve Keim

Pro Bowlers

• WR Larry Fitzgerald
• RB David Johnson
• CB Patrick Peterson

2016 Rankings

	Yards/Game	Points/Game	Passing Yards/Game	Rushing Yards/Game
Offense	9th	6th	9th	18th	TDs – T-3rd
Defense	2nd	14th	4th	9th	Sacks – 1st	INTs – T-12th

Top Passers

Name	Games Started	CMP. PCT.	Yards	TDs	INTs	Passer Rating	QBR
Carson Palmer	15	61.0	4,233	26	14	87.2	58.8
Drew Stanton	1	39.6	192	2	3	39.6	26.9

Top Rushers

Name	Rushing Yards	Y/A	TDs
David Johnson	1,239	4.2	16
Kerwynn Williams	157	8.7	2

Top Pass Catchers

Name	Receptions	Yards	Y/C	TDs
Larry Fitzgerald	107	1,023	9.6	6
David Johnson	80	879	11.0	4

Top Defensive Players

• S Tony Jefferson - 96 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
• LB Deone Bucannon - 91 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss
• LB Markus Golden - 51 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles
• CB Marcus Cooper - 69 total tackles, 4 INTs

Impending Free Agents

• DE Calais Campbell
• TE Jermaine Gresham
• DT Frostee Rucker
• OLB Chandler Jones
• SS Tony Jefferson
• SS D.J. Swearinger
• RB Chris Johnson
• ILB Kevin Minter
• CB Mike Jenkins
• C A.Q Shipley
• ILB Sio Moore
• WR Jeremy Ross
• OLB Alex Okafor
• T Earl Watford
• RB Stepfan Taylor
• RB Andre Ellington
• CB Marcus Cooper

What I Said About Them Before the Season

• I actually thought that the Cardinals would win their division and the conference, representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.  I believed that their offense was going to be just as strong as last season and that their defense was going to continue its development as an elite group.  I wrote that the team already had an excellent defense last season and was upgraded last offseason through the draft and trades, furthering strengthening them.

Success/Failure

• Failure - Arizona had aspirations of making it back to the playoffs this season and should have been a Super Bowl contender, but instead had a losing record.  They actually ranked high in most metrics on both sides of the ball, indicating that they were a better team than their record shows.  One reason for this was quarterback Carson Palmer, who had one of the worst seasons of his career.  His down season was not able to be overcome by the rest of the roster, despite an MVP-caliber season from running back David Johnson.  The Cardinals were also on the losing side of several close games and lost to some bad teams, including the Rams and Bills.

Offseason Needs

• The good news for the Cardinals is that they should be a good team once again in 2017.  They will return most of their roster, especially at key positions.  Their returning players, plus additions through the draft and any free agents, should help the Cardinals be a favorite again to get to the Super Bowl.  At the upcoming draft, the Cardinals need to address their quarterback situation behind Palmer.  He is now 37 and could be seeing his career coming to an end, so addressing the future of the position could be an important move.  They also need help in the middle of their defense, so drafting a true playmaker linebacker would be smart.  In addition, Arizona needs another piece in their secondary where they have struggled with consistency in recent seasons. With the players that should be available when they pick at 14, the Cardinals should have the opportunity to pick among numerous secondary options.  Fox Sports' mock draft has them taking cornerback Quincy Wilson out of Florida, a pick that would greatly strengthen this group.

*All stats and information come from espn.com, nfl.com, pro-football-reference.com, rosterresource.com, spotrac.com, overthecap.com, and cbssports.com