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Arizona Cardinals: WR John Brown Ready for Year 2 Jump?

By Dan Schmelzer

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After one season, it appears that the Arizona Cardinals found one of the most undervalued players from the 2014 NFL Draft. Wide receiver John Brown was selected by the Cardinals with the 91st overall pick last year, out of little-known Division II program Pittsburg State in Kansas. Brown used his great speed and quickness to make an immediate impact as a rookie hauling in 48 receptions for 696 yards and five touchdowns.

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While undersized at 5-foot-10, 179 pounds, Brown proved to be a major deep threat for the Cardinals last season. His ability to shake defenders in pass coverage proved to be a major weapon for Brown as a rookie. He was able to get loose deep many times last season, making him a perfect fit for Bruce Arians’ vertical passing game.

Between Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Brown, the Cardinals have a very dangerous trio at the receiver position. Fitzgerald is the steady veteran who the Cardinals can rely on in any situation, but his upside in these latter stages of his career is certainly limited. Floyd is a former first-round pick who has seemingly all of the talent in the world. However, up until this point, Floyd’s production has been very inconsistent.

With the relative uncertainty surrounding Fitzgerald and Floyd, if Brown can make a natural second season jump, he could easily become the Cardinals’ leading receiver in 2015. With his rookie season under his belt, Brown should feel more comfortable in the offense. Good wide receivers typically start to establish themselves in that second NFL season, and a natural progression in production seems like a fair bet for Brown.

On top of being more comfortable in the offense and the NFL as a whole, the return of quarterback Carson Palmer should help Brown tremendously. He was much more productive before Palmer went down with a season ending knee injury. Palmer is a strong armed QB who has never been afraid of throwing deep. He is the perfect guy to get the ball to Brown as a deep threat, and if he remains healthy, it is going to help Brown’s career tremendously. While major knee injuries are always tricky, Palmer is expected to be ready to go at the start of the season.

Nov 9, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws during the second half against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

While the loss of Palmer could certainly be blamed, Brown really started to fade down the stretch last season. Right when the Cardinals needed him the most, Brown was unable to keep up his early season success. According to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, Brown is adding weight to his frame this off season, in hopes of being able to deal with the wear and tear of the NFL season better than he did as a rookie.

“It was kinda tough because like, at the end of the season, my body started going down and I started losing weight,” Brown told Weinfuss. “So, this year I’m trying to focus on being able to keep all this weight on as the season goes on.”

Brown has added 10 pounds of muscle this off season according to Weinfuss, and “He’s spent the offseason trying to get faster.” Adding bulk and strength to his frame would only help Brown become more stable as an NFL player. His speed, quickness and smooth route running ability cannot be questioned, but it is hard for such a small player to go through the grind of the NFL season. Any added weight that does not slow him down will help Brown tremendously.

The Cardinals are a team ready to make a run in the NFC. They are loaded with talent throughout the roster, and a big breakout performance from John Brown would go a long way towards making them legitimate contenders. Watch out for Brown this season, as he has a chance to be special.

Next: Arizona Cardinals' Top Five Position Battles

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