"The friggin' Cardinals are going to be the trendy, out-of-nowhere, bad-to-great, feel-good story of 2005-06. Are you serious? Do you really expect me to believe in a team with one - count it, ONE - winning season in the last 17 years?"
- Robert Ferringo, 7/27/05

That's right. Exactly one year ago yesterday I was telling you to stay away from Arizona. I'm not exactly Nostradamus for seeing that one coming. After all, they're the Cardinals. That being said, I still saw a lot of folks with the birds pegged for the playoffs. Instead, they fared about as well as Nicky Santoro out in the desert.

It didn't work out for the Cards last season, but 2006 could be their breakthrough year. The worst rushing team in the NFL got significantly better with the additions of Edgerrin James and guard Milford Brown. They both need to live up to the hype, because before Arizona can make The Leap they need to learn to control the clock and the tempo with the running game.

James is still a primetime player, but he may be the third-most talented skill position guy on the roster. Arizona had the league's best pass offense in 2005 due to the top pair of young receivers in the game: Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Their presence on the outside will deter teams from stacking the box against the Cardinals' new gold-toothed grinder.

Where would you guess that Arizona finished in total defense last year? Give up? They were eighth. They yielded the eighth-fewest yards per game (294.6) and were in the top 10 in rush defense, third-down defense, and defensive penalties. That's what gives them hope for this year. However, they were 27th in scoring defense, surrendering 24.2 points per game.

The addition of hulking tackle Kendrick Clancy, along with the return of injured starters Bertrand Berry (DE) and Gerald Hayes (MLB) should bolster the front seven. Arizona also boasts two of the best young defensive players in the game: linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Adrian Wilson. If their unit has some luck on the injury front and the young guys contribute right away this unit could become one of the top dozen in the league.

Here's Doc's 2006 Arizona Cardinals Preview:

2005 Record: 5-11 (3-5 home, 2-6 road)
2005 Rankings: 8th offense (1 pass, 32 rush); 8th defense (10 rush, 12 rush)
2005 Against the Spread: 6-10 (3-5 home, 3-5 road); 10-6 vs. total (4-4 h, 6-2 r)
2006 Odds: 33/1 to win Super Bowl, 12/1 to win NFC, 3.5/1 to win NFC West, 8 as wins O/U
2006 Strength of Schedule: 19th (.500 opponents 2005 win %)
Returning starters: 20 (10 offense, 10 defense)
Key stat: Arizona averaged 3.2 yards per carry and just 71.1 rushing yards per game last year.

Key acquisitions: Edgerrin James, RB (from Indy); Kendrick Clancy, DT (from NYG); Milford Brown, OG (from Houston); Leonard Pope, TE (draft); Matt Leinart, QB (draft).
Key departures: Josh McCown, QB; Russell Davis, DT; Ian Allen, OT.

Offense: It's all about the offensive line, which will have three new starters. Boldin, James and Fitzgerald can't do much if Kurt Warner can't get them the ball. Keep an eye on who wins the starting center job between Alex Stepanovich and Reggie Wells. Regardless, putting up points shouldn't be a problem for this high-flying crew.
Defense:Arizona's pass defense was 12th in the league in yards last season, but they were 25th in opponent's completion percentage. With Seattle and St. Louis in the division that must improve. Antrelle Rolle held out and then was injured last year. He needs to be worth the wait.
X-factor: Dennis Green and Warner. Neither Green nor Warner have been surrounded by this much talent since their glory days of about five years ago. They need to lead. Because this team definitely has the skill but I don't know if it has the will.
Outlook: With a shiny new stadium and some big-time playmakers, the Cardinals appear to be headed in the right direction. But some stars with injury problems and some behind-the-scenes front office tension is still looming over these traditional losers.

Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com or check out his Insider Page here.