2001 CARDINALS
	This could be a make or break season for Jake Plummer.
	Head coach: Dave McGinnis (2nd year). 2000 record: 3-13. NFC East finish: 5th. 2001 preseason: 2-1. Season opener: Sept. 16 at Redskins. Schedule | Depth chart

While most of the NFL's weaker teams believe that the start of a new season brings eternal optimism and a chance to win big in a league loaded with parity, the Arizona Cardinals are more realistic. Dave McGinnis enters his first full season as head man in the desert and is the first to admit his team is in a rebuilding mode. Expectations are not high for a team that finished 3-13 last season and will be one of the youngest teams in the league.

Nonetheless, the Cardinals believe they have solidified the offensive side of the ball and have the pieces in place to be a dominant running team. And they just may be on the right track. By adding offensive guard Pete Kendall through free agency and selecting offensive guard Leonard Davis with the second overall pick in the draft, the Cardinals will have the biggest offensive line in the NFL. That should bode well for last year's first-round pick, running back Thomas Jones, who has surprised even his coaches with his ability to hit the holes quickly.

After rushing for only 79.9 yards a game last year, the Cardinals hired offensive coordinator Rich Olson to help solidify the running game. Olson comes with a good track record, as he has worked under the likes of Norv Turner and Dennis Erickson. Olson's motto for this Cardinals offense is: "low risk, high percentage." This means he wants to have a power running game to take pressure off quarterback Jake Plummer, who has struggled mightily the past two seasons, throwing 45 interceptions and just 22 touchdown passes. In order to help get Plummer back on track, the Cardinals have brought back quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst to rekindle the success the quarterback had in 1998.

While Arizona hopes to surprise some people and improve on last season's record, it still has major questions on defense after losing Simeon Rice, Andre Wadsworth, Mark Smith and Aeneas Williams. But McGinnis has seen enough of second-round pick defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, third-round pick Adrian Wilson and fifth-round defensive tackle Marcus Bell to believe that the foundation for a solid defense is in place.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Plummer finds himself at a pivotal point in his career. In order for him to be successful, he must learn how to read defenses and make better decisions with the ball. But more importantly, he has to realize he has play makers around him. As Plummer enters his fifth season, he has shown that he can bring his team from behind, as was the case during the first two years of his career. Plummer is under contract through 2002 but likely won't be around if he has another unsuccessful year. Dave Brown, who may be better-suited for this offense because of his strong arm and his ability to read defenses, makes a decent backup. However, he doesn't have the intangibles of Plummer. Chris Greisen is the third-string quarterback.
Grade: C.

Running backs: After a disappointing rookie season, Jones is looking for some redemption. Jones has been known as a slow starter and had trouble picking up the offense. He has showed tendencies to dance around the backfield. However, he has been much quicker during this year's camp while learning a new system, hitting the holes quicker and staying on his feet longer. He could be the first 1,000-yard rusher in Arizona since 1998. After a troubled offseason, Michael Pittman finds himself suspended for one game by the league. He had a breakout season last year with 73 receptions and 719 yards rushing yards with six touchdowns. Pittman is more of a collision runner with a blue-collar attitude, while Jones has the ability to make tacklers miss. Fullback Joel Makovicka, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury, is scheduled to play a role in this new offense.
Grade: C-plus.

Receivers: This year the tight ends are expected to be utilized more, but in the past, their role has been more "lip service." Veteran Terry Hardy and second-year wide receiver-turned-tight end Tywan Mitchell both are sufficient receivers, but they could improve their blocking skills. The Cardinals feel they haven't had this much talent in years at the wide receiver position, starting with former first-round pick David Boston, who spent a lot of time in the desert during the offseason working on route running, concentration level and footwork. Boston eventually worked his weight up to a chiseled 222 pounds. After 71 receptions for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns last year, he is expected to be the go-to guy in this passing attack. Rob Moore missed the entire 2000 season with a knee injury. He appears to be fully recovered and is Plummer's favorite target. At 33, Moore still has deep-threat ability and is in phenomenal shape. Frank Sanders now becomes the Redbirds' possession receiver. He has tendencies to drop passes, but he worked during the offseason to improve his concentration level. Sanders doesn't get the credit, but he's the only Cardinal receiver who goes over the middle. Rounding out the group, the fastest player on the team is special-teams ace MarTay Jenkins. He gives the Cardinals another deep threat.
Grade: B-minus.

		The Cardinals have struggled on defense and with the running game. The defense has added rookie Kyle Vanden Bosch, who will step in at defensive end. But the Cardinals don't have much size on the defense. The offensive line, however, does have a lot of size. Are the Cardinals finally going to have an offensive line? Jake Plummer has gotten killed over the last few years because he has been forced to do everything himself. He's been like a human pinata. Now, can they get the running game going? They need Thomas Jones to hide behind their big guys up front and make some yards to set up short-yardage situations for Plummer. The Cardinals will put their earth movers out front to try and move the ball, something they haven't been able to do in recent history.

Offensive linemen: This is supposed to be an area of strength. The Cards want to control the football and melt the clock with a much-improved running game. "The Big Red Line" is the biggest offensive line on paper in the league, starting with their two huge, young tackles, L.J. Shelton and Anthony Clement. They both need to be seasoned and show a tougher side if they are going to be among the elite. Arizona needed to upgrade its guards from last year, and the team got a tough, smart, born leader in Pete Kendall, a former Seahawk. In addition, with the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, the Cardinals selected Davis, who played left tackle in college but will be taking on the task of learning the right guard position. The guards in this offense will be asked to pull with a lot of counters and power sweeps. Going into camp, center was a question mark with Mike Gruttadauria's neck injury causing him to miss eight games last year. Gruttadauria has worked very hard to get back on the field. If he does not suffer any setbacks, he should solidify the line. The two top backups are fifth-year guard/center Chris Dishman and third-year guard Yusuf Scott.
Grade: B.

Defense
Defensive linemen: This unit has gone through a major facelift. The Cardinals used their second-round pick on Vanden Bosch, who has been penciled in as the defensive right end. Vanden Bosch is intelligent, tough and intense. Veteran Brad Ottis and rookie free-agent Fred Wakefield could share time at defensive left end. Russell Davis and Barron Tanner are listed as the starting defensive tackles. However, at some point, it's possible that rookies Marcus Bell and Mario Fatafehi could be moved into the starting lineup. Bell and Fatafehi both should help the run defense. Second-year players Mao Tosi and Jabari Issa should see significant playing time. Line coach Joe Green is going into this season with the idea of using a seven- to eight-man rotation.
Grade: D-plus.

Linebackers: Underrated outside linebacker Rob Fredrickson brings professionalism to the team. As the leader of this defense, Fredrickson is a solid open-field tackler. Undersized middle linebacker Ronald McKinnon continues to make plays and had 208 tackles last year. However, when the defensive tackles are getting pushed around, most of McKinnon's tackles happen five-six yards past the line of scrimmage. But he continues to improve every year. Outside linebacker Ray Thompson isn't of ideal size, but he has a nose for the ball. Thompson likes to come off the edge. Johnny Rutledge, Sékou Sanyika and Zack Walz are expected to fill backup roles.
Grade: C.

Defensive backs: The Cardinals have huge shoes to fill with the departure of Pro Bowl cornerback Williams. Former first-round pick Tom Knight has the skills to be a top-flight corner, but his durability is still in question. Knight is coming off his best camp since being drafted. Fourth-year pro Corey Chavous was hampered last year with a knee injury. He is athletic, has a great work ethic and is a student of the game. The Cardinals selected two corners in the draft this year, including second-round pick Michael Stone, who is fast and physical but raw. Seventh-round pick Renaldo Hill does not have great speed but has good cover skills. David Barrett and Coby Rhinehart could be part of the nickel packages. Last year's leading tackler, Pat Tillman (224 tackles), gives the Cardinals an extra guy in the box vs. the run. Free safety Kwamie Lassiter gives the secondary veteran experience, but he and his fellow defensive backs need to force more turnovers. Rookie Adrian Wilson and first-year player Deke Cooper have ideal size for the safety position, but they may not be ready yet.
Grade: C.

Special teams
Punter Scott Player is coming off a Pro Bowl season and continues to get better and prove he belongs in this league. The Cardinals used their fourth-round pick on placekicker Bill Gramatica, who has a strong leg but appears to be erratic. One of the areas the Redbirds will benefit will be from his kickoffs. Jenkins set a league record for kickoff-return yards (2,186 yards), averaging 26.7 yards per touch. The Cardinals envisioned sixth-round pick Bobby Newcombe as the team's punt returner, but that hasn't happened. At an area of concern at presstime, Barrett has been getting the majority of the reps.
Grade: C-plus. Mike Jurecki covers the Cardinals for XTRA Sports 910 AM in Phoenix.

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