Arizona Cardinals Coach Whisenhunt
January 20th, 2009 Filed Under Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl
Coach Ken Whisenhunt Leads Cardinals in the Super Bowl
2008 Arizona Cardinals Draft Report
By Whitney Alen
The Arizona Cardinals will play their 89th season in 2008, and will be attempting to improve upon their 8-8 record from last year. Not impressive per say, but definitely an improvement from their gloomy 5-11 record from two years ago. This will also be Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s second year in leading the team. The head coach didn’t do so bad in transforming an underachieving team into formidable competition, all stats considered. Whisenhunt’s strategy is to focus on offense, so one can’t help but closely analyze the 2008 NFL Draft for the Arizona Cardinals.
The team chose seven players this season, starting with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Tennessee State. Next, there was defensive end Calais Campbell from Miami-Florida, wide receiver Early Doucet from Louisiana State University, defensive end Kenny Iwebema from Iowa, running back Tim Hightower from Richmond, defensive end Chris Harrington from Texas A&M and offensive tackle Brandon Keith from Northern Iowa. Since the team was hoping to fill some key positions like offensive tackle and cornerback, structurally speaking, the draft was a success. Whisenhunt hoped that the 2008 draft would be seen as positively as the past four drafts of the Cardinals, which were rated as excellent by most NFL experts.
What was the reaction from the media this year round? The reaction to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was mixed, though no one denies the great performance he gave at the Senior Bowl. Others question whether or not Rodgers-Cromartie had any true competition at that game, while others claim he wasn’t yet fully developed for a major league career. Campbell was also questioned by many as a player who doesn’t seem to fit in with Arizona’s defensive team. Campbell, Iwebema, and Harrington have certainly impressed the right people in college, but didn’t seem to stand out when compared to other draft choices this year. The most popular players were actually the later round picks, such as Doucet and Hightower. Some considered Doucet to be one of the top five wide receiver prospects for the 2008 Draft. The fact that he scored 57 receptions, 525 yards, and 5 touchdowns is statistically enough to have put him in the top three.
A few names withstanding, the Arizona Cardinals draft left some fans feeling uneasy. One potential problem with is that there were no sure-thing playmakers this time around. Instead of a fantastic first round pick, the team seemed content with several developmental-stage players. This could be taken as bad news or a sign of confidence coming from a team with an already beaming roster. Experts remain doubtful that the status quo can carry the team to another successful season. It looks like the draft pick players will have to be introduced quickly and developed quickly if they hope to survive in a competitive season.
Don’t count Whisenhunt out however. In fact, in 2007 the Cardinals’ 8-8 score was actually their best record since 1998. Things are looking up for the Cardinals and the team-reinforcing draft may be a sign of a broader strategy unfolding.
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