Arizona Cardinals 2016 Season Preview

(photo credit: azcentral.com)

The Arizona Cardinals were Super Bowl contenders last season, and are expected to be again this season. With that in mind, the Cardinals added Evan Mathis to an already great offensive line, while re-signing running back Chris Johnson to maintain their depth at the running back position. They also brought in safety Tyvon Branch to help sure up their secondary that has seen its share of injuries. The Cardinals did lose linebacker LaMarr Woodley and Sean Weatherspoon however. So in the off-season, they acquired pass-rusher Chandler Jones from the New England Patriots.

Arizona's quarterback, Carson Palmer, was simply outstanding last season, posting the highest QB rating of his 12-year career, as well as throwing career highs in touchdowns and passing yards. Palmer will turn 37-years-old before the season ends, and critics will be watching closely to see if there is any decline in his production. If the Cardinals star quarterback plays up to his production of last season, then they should be a handful for all their opponents.

Just like his quarterback, the 32-year-old Larry Fitzgerald seems to have gotten better with age. Fitzgerald had his first 100-reception season in his career, and the nine-time Pro Bowl will look to duplicate his performance of 2015. The Cardinals will, however, need to find a long-term replacement for Fitzgerald, but at least for now they can still count on him.

The Cardinals defense is definitely worth watching, even if it's to see if Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson can come back healthy, and to see what kind of an impact their new linebacker, Jones will have. The x-factor on defense could be rookie Nkemdiche. If he can make an immediate impact, it'll help take some of the pressure off their linebackers and secondary.