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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - Arizona Cardinals

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Levi Brown
Left Guard: Alan Faneca
Center: Lyle Sendlein
Right Guard: Deuce Lutui / Reggie Wells
Right Tackle: Brandon Keith / Jeremy Bridges

2009 Injuries:
T Mike Gandy: Weeks 13, 15-17

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
The Arizona Cardinals defended their NFC Championship with pride in 2010 by qualifying for the playoffs and defeating the Green Bay Packers in their first round game. The Cardinals made the playoffs for two straight years since the 1974 and 1975 seasons as the St. Louis Cardinals. Their running game was much better in the second half of the 2009 season which could be a good sign for this season.

Starting at left tackle will be 2007 first round pick Levi Brown who started all 32 regular season games at right tackle in the past two years. Brown is extremely strong at 6’5” and 325 lbs and was an excellent run blocker from day one. He is however not very quick on his feet and has been very inconsistent in pass protection over the past three years. He finished in the bottom three in sacks allowed for right tackles in each of the past two years which explains the move to the left side this season. With the retirement of Kurt Warner, left-handed Matt Leinart will become the new starting quarterback and the Cardinals didn’t want Brown protecting his blindside. The battle for that job will be between seventh round pick in 2008, Brandon Keith, and seventh-year veteran Jeremy Bridges. Keith has not started a single game since being drafted two years ago but he has been very impressive in practice. The Cardinals knew that Keith was very strong and agile for a 6’5” and 340 lbs lineman but he has surprised them with his work ethic and has shown great improvement to his technique. Bridges started four regular season games and two playoff games at left tackle last year after Mike Gandy suffered a season-ending injury. Bridges allowed three sacks in those six games and looked average at best as a run blocker but could still be a decent starter if Keith isn’t ready to start yet.

The Cardinals signed the 33-year old Alan Faneca to a one-year deal to start at left guard in 2010. Faneca will reunite with Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm who coached him in Pittsburgh where he was a seven-time Pro Bowler. Despite being names to the Pro Bowl in both of his season with the Jets, he wasn’t nearly as good as before, allowing 13 sacks in two seasons and somewhat struggling as a run blocker. It’s hard to say if Faneca has slowed down at 33 years old or if the Jets scheme simply didn’t fit him. His best years are behind him but we still believe Faneca can be an above average guard in the NFL, especially as a run blocker. Former starting left guard Reggie Wells will now move to right guard and compete with last year’s starter Deuce Lutui. Wells is the most athletic lineman on the line and also has the ability to play the tackle position because of his quick feet. For a guard, Wells is not very big at only 310 lbs but the coaching staff likes to have him pull to the outside to run block. He has great technique which makes him a decent pass protector but unfortunately it will remain difficult for the Cardinals to run behind him because of his lack of strength. The 6’4 and 340 lbs Deuce Lutui is quite the opposite. The 2006 second round pick out of USC had his best season last year and should be the starter in week one. He struggled in pass protection in his first few games in 2009 but showed great improvement to his technique and didn’t allow a single sack in his final 12 games. Lutui’s strength allows him to create big holes in the running game and should continue to improve in his fourth full season as a starter. 2009 fifth round pick Herman Johnson adds depth.

Lyle Sendlein will be the starting center for the third straight season. He has started every game in the past two years at center and was much improved in 2009. He allowed only one sack as opposed to three in 2008 and also improved his run blocking. The former undrafted free agent will likely remain a slightly below average starting center but Faneca’s experience could help him improve in 2010.

2010 Outlook:
Last year, the Cardinals running game averaged over 4.0 yards per carry for the first time since 2003 and things could be even better in 2010. In the final nine games last year, the running game averaged 4.6 yards per carry and the quarterbacks were sacked only 12 times. Five of the six players who started last year are back and the one who isn’t, Mike Gandy, was probably the worst of the group. Bridges or Keith should be an upgrade over Gandy and the other worst starter, Reggie Wells, will be replaced by the nine-time Pro Bowler Alan Faneca. In other words, the Cardinals have upgraded their two worst offensive linemen and have two backups who could step into a starting spot without any problems. It will be hard to decrease the number of sacks since Warner had the ability to get rid of the ball very quickly but, as strange as this might sound, this running game could be amongst the league’s best in 2010.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles