Arizona Cardinals: Breaking down the Quarterbacks
May 14, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) looks on during organized team activities at the Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Starter Carson Palmer: Acquired from Oakland via trade Palmer was brought in to start. His stats and highlights were enough to convince GM Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians that he had a lot left in the tank. Palmer has a cannon for a arm and enough accuracy to get it in Larry Fitzgerald’s vicinity, which is all you need to do; Fitzgerald will take care of the rest. Expect Palmer to have better numbers than last year. His final line should be around 28 Touchdowns, 12 Interceptions, and 4,100 yards.
Backup: Drew Stanton was signed as a free agent because of his familiarity with Arians system. At first was anointed the starter until the Cardinals found out Palmer was available. There isn’t much tape on Stanton because he only has twelve games under his belt. In those games he has 1,158 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, and while coach Arians had enough faith in him to be the Cardinals starting quarterback I’m glad Palmer is here. Nothing against Stanton, but the Arizona Cardinals have had quarterback problems for the past three years and they didn’t want to make it four. Final line zeros across the board if Palmer stays healthy all year.
3rd string: Ryan Lindley the second year quarterback out of SDSU had a forgettable rookie year. Drafted as development project Lindley wasn’t supposed to see the field last year but injuries and terrible quarterback play from his counterparts gave him his first shot. In six games he threw for 752 yards, zero touchdowns, and seven interceptions. While his line didn’t do a very good job of protecting him there is no excuse for completely missing your running back on a screen pass when he’s wide open. Lindley showed some promise which is why he’s on the roster, but he needs to work on his accuracy and footwork badly. He will probably be put on the inactive list; maybe with some coaching he’s the guy for the future.