Arizona Cardinals: Deciphering their Offensive Juggernaut

The Arizona Cardinals have too much talent on offense, a problem every NFL team would love to have. We debate and decipher who ultimately starts for one of the league’s hottest offenses.

Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

This is a good problem to have. It’s one of the reasons Arizona is going to challenge for a Super Bowl berth in 2016. What should the Arizona Cardinals do with their offensive skill players? They have too many good ones to set a starting lineup!

Obviously, beyond being a good problem to have, Arizona is also free to unleash as many four- and five-wide-receiver sets, two-tight-end packages, etc. it wishes to get all these guys on the field at the same time. It can also constantly rotate running backs in and out like hockey lines if Bruce Arians wishes to go that route. There is no death sentence for starting the wrong guys in this scenario, but it’s still fascinating to debate.

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Last year, the Cardinals’ passing attack was led by veteran Larry Fitzgerald. It was a renaissance season for Fitzgerald, who many thought was on his way out of the league. Instead, it turned out, all he needed was some consistency at quarterback. He went over 1,000 yards for the first time since 2011, and his 109 receptions were a new career high for the future Hall of Famer. It was a splendid year.

But Fitz wasn’t alone in his success in the Arizona offense. Minuscule slot man John Brown topped 1,000 yards as well; Michael Floyd caught over 50 balls; we also saw some bright spots from youngsters J.J. Nelson and Jaron Brown.

Tight ends also played a crucial role. Darren Fells looked pretty good in his chances; Jermaine Gresham is an elite blocker who adds a different dimension. Plus the team has 2014 second-round pick Troy Niklas who has yet to get a real crack at playing time.

Then there is the running back position. Who knows what to do here! Chris Johnson was amazing before going down with a season-ending injury. Rookie David Johnson came in and was just as amazing. The team also has the versatile Andre Ellington, who actually started 2015 as the lead back.

Outside of other depth and substitutes, we already have listed 11 skill players that need to get playing time. If you hadn’t forgotten, Arizona will also likely be starting an offensive line and a quarterback! So that’s 11 guys for five slots.

As I said, numerous packages can be used throughout a game, but it still feels like this is a little too much depth to bring to the table. How can everyone be kept happy and fresh? How will the younger guys develop when the vets in front of them are so good? Where will Carson Palmer throw the football??

I would love to have the top three wide receivers on the field at all times, with one of the tight ends, but that leaves two of those three game-changing backs on the sideline. I’m finding it very hard to pin down what Arizona’s best use of resources will be for the 2016 NFL season.

DAN:

This is an excellent problem, but one that still must be solved for the Arizona Cardinals. I’m particularly partial to playing the hot hand at the skill positions, and using last season as a barometer is where I’ll begin. Screw letting your younger players develop when you’ve got a championship caliber team with veterans playing at a higher level.

Its true that no NFL team can simply ignore their youth, but training behind a major talent and being ready to jump in for a play or a game is incredibly important as well. This is how I’d align the Cardinals’ offense.

Last season, Chris Johnson led the team with 814 yards rushing. Assuming he returns healthy and just as fast, he gets the starting job at running back. Or at least he gets the bulk of the carries. I’d let Chris Johnson rush as much as his legs will carry him, because the guys behind him are really good too. Play the hot hand and employ the two back mentality, never running any one player into the ground, so to speak.

The tight end position is a bit trickier. While Arizona was second in the league in passing last season and 2nd in scoring, their two tight ends barely topped 500 yards combined. Fells saw fewer targets, but averaged more yards per catch and notched more touchdowns. I’d lean towards the stronger blocking option here, because the Cardinals are so stacked at wide receiver and running back. That means Gresham is my primary tight end. Yet I’m also partial to two tight end sets, especially for some power running and play action. This allows the other two guys to find time on the field as well.

must read: Are Expectations Too High for Cardinals?

Wide receiver is where the real fun begins. Carson Palmer is going to have another monster season with this arsenal of targets at his disposal. While Fitzgerald may have led the team last season, I expect both Brown and Floyd to overtake him this year. Floyd in particular averaged almost five extra yards per catch than Fitz and should see his targets go up accordingly.

I expect multiple five receiver packages to confuse defenses and utilize all this talent. But ultimately its Fitzgerald’s dominance that will determine if the young guys see the field. Fitz may take a step back once and for all, with his targets going to Floyd on down. Or he could easily put up another 900 to 1000 plus yards, continuing to teach his teammates how the game is played at its highest level.