Arizona Cardinals named 8th most talented team

Do the Arizona Cardinals really only have the 8th best roster in the league?

In a recent article published last week on NFL.com, the Arizona Cardinals were named the 8th most talented team. Ahead of the NFC East’s New York Giants (9) and Dallas Cowboys (10), and behind the Kansas City Chiefs (6) and the Cincinnati Bengals (7).

The top five teams on the list were the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings. The writer of the article, Bucky Brooks, was a former scout for both the Seahawks and the Panthers so one could argue for the presence of bias in these rankings.

Here is what was said about the Cardinals:

"Credit Steve Keim and Bruce Arians for unleashing a talented cast of playmakers on the NFC West. While most of the attention goes to the Cardinals’ offense — due to the resurgence of Palmer as an elite quarterback — it is the team’s defensive personnel that sets it apart from most others in the NFC. The acquisition of Jones gives the Cardinals a legitimate sack artist to partner with Calais Campbell along the defensive line. This will help Bucannon deliver splash plays on the second level. Peterson and Mathieu are aggressive ballhawks with superb instincts and playmaking skills on the perimeter. (Mathieu still has to get right, though, health-wise.) In an aggressive blitz scheme that challenges marquee defenders to live up to their reputation as blue-chip players, the Cardinals’ raw talent has lifted Arians’ squad to the top tier of the NFC."

While what is said is true, I don’t think the Cardinals deserve to be ranked this low. Arizona is getting younger at every position, with the exception of quarterback, and have play makers at every positions. The Cardinals are arguably the most complete team in the NFL and should be ranked in the top three, if not ranked as the most talented team.

While these rankings will have no weight on the field, it is still seems that the Cardinals are being taken for granted and are being overlooked in favor of other teams. The Cardinals know what they have in their team and will be sure to pick up where they left with the talent on their roster.