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Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer Among Players to Watch During Week 1 Bout with Saints

By Shaun Church

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At long last, the Arizona Cardinals open the 2015 season with a Week 1 battle against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

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All through the offseason, everyone seemed to be waiting for the big injury that has plagued the team every summer in recent memory; Arizona nearly got through training camp unscathed, save for a few minor injuries, but then starting nose tackle Corey Peters tore an Achilles tendon and will miss all of 2015.

With that, a rookie fourth-round pick is set to start in place of the free-agent signee.

He is featured below, as are five other players to watch for the Cardinals as they take on a foe against which they have struggled since moving to Arizona—they are 4-9 against the Saints since 1988, playoffs included.

These are the players to watch.

John Brown, Wide Receiver

It is believed that a wide receiver’s second NFL season is when he becomes a true threat. The jump from being a rookie to being a sophomore is such that receivers become more prominent in their respective team’s offense.

In fact, since 2009, just 16 receivers have recorded 50-plus receptions as a rookie. That number jumps to 36 receivers in their second season.

Brown enters his second season poised to have a breakout year. After starting fast in 2014, he struggled down the stretch with second- and third-string quarterbacks Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley, respectively, behind center.

By all accounts this offseason, Brown appears to be the best receiver in Arizona’s locker room.

Look for quarterback Carson Palmer to target Brown early and often against New Orleans’ weak secondary. The former small-school standout should be open all afternoon.

Kevin Minter, Inside Linebacker

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2015 is a big year for Minter. He is the head of an inside linebacker group that has been ravaged by injury and suspension over the past year-plus, and it needs a leader.

Minter could be that leader.

He played through a torn pectoral muscle last season and probably should have missed some games to let it heal. But he played in all 16 games, starting five. His play showed he should not have been on the field, as the strap he was forced to wear on his shoulder hindered his game.

"Oh, my God, man, to be out of the strap? It’s ridiculous,” he told Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com. “It’s just being able to play free, play like I was, not worrying about [it]. I don’t even think about it out there, and that’s such a load off."

With the loss of tight end Jimmy Graham to an offseason trade, Minter won’t have as tough a task covering the short to intermediate routes. Always a stalwart in the run game, the inside linebacker should be able to focus on coming downhill to slow down the Saints’ three-headed rushing attack of Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and free-agent pickup C.J. Spiller.

Earl Watford, Right Tackle

Two seasons of backing up a slew of under-performing right guards had to get to Watford, a former fourth-round pick. When the Cardinals signed free-agent Pro Bowl left guard Mike Iupati this offseason, it meant former top-10 pick, guard Jonathan Cooper, would move to the right side.

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That meant Watford could be stuck behind a potential Pro Bowler or learn to play another position.

He learned to play tackle and, when starting right tackle Bobby Massie was suspended by the NFL stemming from a Super Bowl-weekend DUI arrest, won the job outright over Bradley Sowell as the preseason wound down.

His first NFL start comes against a front seven that allowed 4.8 yards per attempt a year ago, bad enough for 31st in the league. New Orleans lost one of its best pass-rusher this offseason when it released outside linebacker Junior Galette, but defensive end Cameron Jordon is a challenge no matter which side he rushes from.

Watford versus Jordon should be fun to watch.

Patrick Peterson, Cornerback

He came into the NFL as a phenomenal athlete with great upside at cornerback. We saw his athleticism as a rookie, as he tied a league record with four punt returns for a touchdown in 2011. But as a corner, he has not lived up to the billing for various reasons.

This season, Peterson has his diabetes under control, he’s down almost 20 pounds and he finally appears ready to be the dominant defensive back he is supposed to be.

Since his rookie season, Peterson is tied for second in the NFL with 15 interceptions, so it’s not as though he’s been horrible. But with advanced analytics these days, every reception and touchdown is scrutinized by wannabe experts simply because the information is available to them.

Peterson is ready to be a top cornerback in the league, and it starts Week 1 by covering Saints receiver Brandin Cooks.

Carson Palmer, Quarterback

Coming off a torn ACL is challenging by itself, but considering it’s his second such injury (to the same knee, mind you) and he will be playing just nine months removed from surgery, Palmer now seems more like Superman than a regular human being.

The 12-year veteran is ready to pick up where he left off last season when he went 6-0 as a starter while posting a 95.6 passer rating. Despite missing 10 games, Palmer still qualified for the league lead in passing statistics, finishing eighth in rating.

With the running game a question mark and the offensive line in limbo thanks to an injury to Iupati and the Massie suspension, the passing game will be leaned on a bit more early in the season. That begins and ends with Palmer and his weapons.

Watch for the former Heisman Trophy winner to pick apart New Orleans’ secondary.

Rodney Gunter, Nose Tackle

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim traded up in the fourth round to select Gunter 116th overall. Defensive line coach Brenston Buckner saw the 6’5”, 305-pound defensive lineman dominate his small-school opponents, giving the coach hope he could mold him into an important cog along Arizona’s talented and deep defensive line.

Little did Buckner know that day would come far sooner than later.

Gunter replaces Peters as the team’s starting nose tackle, and though the starter at NT typically does not see the field much outside of base—which the Cardinals play roughly 30 percent of the time—he is incredibly important in stopping the run and occupying offensive linemen to open gaps for the linebackers behind him to rush the passer.

His first real text is All-Pro center Max Unger, who came over from Seattle in the Graham trade this offseason. Unger, though he has been injured much of the past two seasons, presents a great opportunity for Gunter to earn his keep as a starter right off the bat.

Should he perform well, the rookie may cement his status as a starter and even earn playing time in nickel and dime packages as a defensive end (he has that versatility); struggle, and defensive coordinator James Bettcher may reconsider starting him in the future.

Next: Where Does Palmer Rank Among NFL's Best QBs?

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