1. The secondary is looking to be a lot better. Patrick Peterson has a big new contract and teammates and coaches have been praising him for his improvement out on the field. For the first time in his NFL career he's being restricted to only playing on defense. Antonio Cromartie has been solid as a new addition and a starter from last year, Jerraud Powers, has been having a heck of a training camp and preseason as the nickel corner. Deone Bucannon, the Cards first rounder has been up and down, he'll likely be somewhat penalty prone for his hitting but he's certainly done well in upping the intimidation factor for the defense. Very much similar to Dashon Goldson in positive and negative ways. Tyrann Mathieu has returned from injury and there's an outside chance that he plays in the final preseason game as well. Overall they have a pretty good looking secondary.
2. John Brown appears to be legit. The rookie receiver from Pittsburg State has drawn praise from coaches, teammates and media. He's has had some terrific preseason performances including an amazing diving grab for a touchdown in the last game versus the Bengals.
Incredibly explosive, he's a true deep threat but it remains to be seen whether or not his performances will carry through into the regular season.
3. Their ILB situation is screwed. Kevin Minter is dealing with a pectoral tear that has kept him out of games and practices at various times and Larry Foote is way up there in years. Gone are Karlos Dansby(FA) and Daryl Washington(suspension), key contributors that played a huge role in the defense playing as well as it did last season. A wounded Minter and an aging Foote are a massive downgrade from the guys they are replacing. Throw in the loss of Darnell Dockett, whose performance can be mostly offset by Frostee Rucker but not his leadership on the field and the Cards could have some struggles defending the run.
4. The offensive line has improved substantially. They've strongly upgraded at left tackle with the signing of Jared Veldheer(thanks Oakland) and Bobby Massie has really locked down the right tackle spot as well. The major question is Jonathan Cooper, the early first rounder from last season who has struggled with a turf toe injury and questions about his effort level and dedication. There seems to be questions as to his toughness and whether or not he has been malingering. In anycase, he has not provided the impact that one might expect from a guard that was chosen with one of the first ten picks of the draft.
5. Andre Ellington has buffed up. Bruce's cousin looks to take over the starting role at RB and Bruce Arians has been promising a lot of touches for the second year RB who averaged 5.5 yards a carry during his rookie season. He looks ready to take on the bigger role, if the OL continues to play well, he'll be primed for a big season, even playing in the NFC West. His speed and quickness are outstanding and he is a threat as both a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield.
[ Edited by Phoenix49ers on Aug 26, 2014 at 12:08 PM ]
