Pieces Cardinals Can Add To Become A True Super Bowl Contender

Dec 1, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Ben Tate (44) celebrates with injured running back Arian Foster in the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

After a surprising ten win season for the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 there is much to be debated as to who they should ad and subtract sense the season ended. The Combine has come and gone and in my opinion the Cards picking at number 20 won’t yield a right away impact player.

But the Cardinals have a roster that is maybe a few major and a few minor pieces away from a Championship contender, this assuming they have found a way to keep linebacker Karlos Dansby around, and with not much out there on the market in their spending limit who could they bring in that would push them into the playoffs and a true Super Bowl contender.

The first thing they need is to protect quarterback Carson Palmer and i don’t see why not use the bulk of your money to get a top left tackle in place for a long period of time. Brandon Albert is clearly that guy for this team, a top left tackle in the league does not come available often and the Cards need not to let Albert leave the Valley at visit time should they bring him in. Manager Steve Kiem and Coach Bruce Arians have a pretty good method of getting guys to make up their minds fast with their sign today only method. Getting Albert would give this team more time to get the ball down field to two big outside guys that may be one of the best two receivers tandem in the league next year.

The next piece is very interesting to me, according to a Bleach Report writer the Cardinals should go after running back Ben Tate. I love this move and it would be a fabulous back field to have with the combination of speed with Andre Ellington and Power of course with Tate.

This move would boost the birds in a category of contender and another ten win season as this solid running game would allow for flexibility that can be dangerous for defenses and with the blocking scheme Arians runs Tate seems to fit a lot better than Rashard Mendenhall, especially in the durability department.

The next piece that would be crucial to building a contender for the Cardinals is to ad and subtract at kicker, yes Jay Feely has kicked his last kick in a redbird uniform in my opinion and its time to get a sure winner when its time to beat the 49ers or Seahawks in a close game,and that kicker is Graham Gano of the Carolina Panthers.

The Cardinals special teams was suppose to be one of the best last year in the category of returns and that did not go as well, but to add crucial missed field goals that cost them a game or two that is part the reason your not playing in the post season. Gano will give this team the kicking game it needs to win close games.

Building a contender has to have pass rushing and the Cardinals did a decent job with the current roster picking up 47 sacks last year, but to be s SuperBowl contender that number needs to increase. The list for rushers gets slim but the Cardinals usually don’t bring in big names in this department other than John Abraham last year, and in a similar fashion one name  could be Demarcus Ware to put the team in a category of instant contender.

Ware is in the same situation that Abraham was in last year, a past 30 speed rusher not getting paid from his former team and I would think that Ware would sit out most of training camp awaiting until a team that will give him a 1 or 2 year prove it deal comes along.

Ware is only 32 and has some years left in the tank and is still versatile enough to play in Todd Bowles system especially when his only job would be come off that edge and get the quarterback, along with Dockett and Campbell and Abraham that would make for a very ferocious rush group.

Receivers and corners can be added but they may or may not make the deference seeing they are stacked with players  to give a chance to win those jobs that made an impact last year. But these players on this list could make the Cardinals a serious contender next year and of course the salary department will play a major factor in these type of players.

If the Cards play their cards right (no pun intended) these moves would strike fear in the opponents in the division and around the league it would also say this team is serious about staying a winning team.