My Anquan Boldin Blog

It's not a sin to root for the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 (even if you live in Tampa Bay)-and one has to give them some credit for at least improving their 5-11 record in 2006. Last year they finished the season 8-8. What do you know; Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt may be doing something right. Whisenhunt started coaching in 2007 and turned the team around working with relatively little to start with. The team's offense improved, and that's no surprise since Whisenhunt is known for his successful offensive strategies that he pioneered over at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

One question that remained for the 2008 season would be the NFL Draft. The team had plenty of holes to replace, including a top caliber athlete in positions of offensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback. Even before Whisenhunt jumped aboard this sinking ship, only to redirect it on course, the team had historically been very adept at choosing their draft picks over the last four years. How did the team fare this year?

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a cornerback from Tennessee State, received a good reception from fans and media critics. Experts speculate that his grand performance at the Senior Bowl probably moved him up a few notches on the draft-even if he remains relatively untested. Calais Campbell was also questioned, as he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the team's defensive mindset. Few would go so far as to say that Arizona chose poorly; these are promising young athletes. The consensus is merely that they will have to be worked with at a faster pace than usual if Arizona is going to see a substantial change. The lack of big playmakers in the draft is still a concern, especially since Arizona is still going through a difficult growing pain stage.

What do you think? Will Whisenhunt bring the team together for a more competitive season or is the rebuilding process nowhere near started? The last couple of years have seen some amazing growth in the talent pool of this franchise. With veterans like Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald and third year superstar Anquan Boldin, you would think they would have all the necessary tools to compete. It looks promising that this year they could break their 8 and 8 finish of last year and be playoff contenders.