A Look Ahead to the 2012 Arizona Cardinals: Offensive Line
By Scott Allen
To say the Arizona Cardinals offensive line needs help is like saying the Indianapolis Colts missed Peyton Manning this year. Yeah, it’s worse. The Cards offensive line was offensive for the most part and after a 2011 season that left the Cards quarterbacks scrambling for their lives at times, 2012 can only get better. It has to get better and quick. Especially if the aforementioned Manning is to entertain any thoughts of coming to Arizona if the Colts decide not to pick up his 2012 option.
The more and more the Cardinals carry Levi Brown the shorter and shorter the life span of the Cards quarterbacks get. When he was drafted in the first round over Adrian Peterson, many rolled their eyes at the Cards then and clearly if they weren’t then, they are now. Levi is a piece of the line that has seen better days, if he ever had any in the first place.
He is not the only piece of the puzzle that needs replacing however. The blame can be spread throughout the line. It has been pretty much a makeshift line over the past couple of years. It is a position that has seen its share of injuries. It is also a position largely ignored by the Cards in the past couple of drafts. That all may change this year.
Many people have projected the Cards to take an offensive lineman in the first round of this year’s draft, possibly Jonathan Martin from Stanford. It would be a smart pick for the Cards, however I’m not sure the Cards are committed to taking an OL in the first round. Wide receiver is also a huge need for the Cards. We’ll see what happens in April.
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