Arizona Cardinals: 5 Players that need to break out in 2017
By Tyler Olson
The Arizona Cardinals are looking to get back to the top of the NFC West after a subpar 7-8-1 season in 2016. They’ll need the help from these five players.
General manager Steve Keim has to feel a sense of urgency with the Arizona Cardinals. On the brink of two stars retiring on offense with no legitimate pieces to replace them, it may be boom-or-bust in 2017.
The same goes for head coach Bruce Arians. At 64 years of age, Arians has struggled with health throughout his time as the Cardinals head coach, most recently undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff suffered when Larry Fitzgerald hugged him after defeating the Seattle Seahawks last season.
Subsequently, the time is now to make a run. To make that happen, these five players will have to step up in the 2017 season.
5. Rodney Gunter, DL
The Cardinals have a lot of youth talent that has yet to tap into their potential. Keim has done a great job getting the most out of his players, allowing the coaching staff to plug them into places they best see fit. They did that with Tyrann Mathieu as well as Deone Bucannon.
We all know where third-year player Rodney Gunter will line up once things kick off this fall. The former Delaware State Hornet is 6-5 and 305 pounds, but has started just 12 games in his first two seasons. Unfortunately, he’s come away with nothing but 2.5 sacks and 23 tackles to his name.
Gunter isn’t a lock to start come week on,e but he’ll have every opportunity to win the job on a relatively weak defensive line that currently consists of veterans Corey Peters and Frostee Rucker as well as Robert Nkemdiche, Josh Mauro and Ed Stinson.