The players have been gone for a couple of weeks. The coaches are on vacation. Now is the time for them to not think about football, since football will dominate lives when the end of July arrives.
In the meantime, it is the perfect time to speculate and predict.
As I have done for a number of years, here are my picks, in late June, of who will be the starters for the Cardinals when they begin the regular season Sept. 11 against the Patriots on "Sunday Night Football." They are the best guesses for a team that has yet to take part in training camp, yet to absorb any of the inevitable camp injuries, yet to sign anyone late as a Steve Keim blue light special.
While the Cardinals often are in some sort of sub-package, for this post we are going with the base defense. I'll post my thoughts on the offense tomorrow (and here they are):
DT — Calais Campbell. Going into the last year of his contract, Campbell's future with the Cardinals is fuzzy. But the Pro Bowler has played well, and the addition of Chandler Jones figures to make him better, and in a year where the Cards are going to push for a Super Bowl, he'll be a key piece.
NT — Corey Peters. The Cards like Rodney Gunter, who was solid as a rookie. But Peters was impressing coaches before his Achilles injury last season, and I expect him to make a similar push to get back into the starting lineup by the time the season starts. Other than Campbell, the defensive line starter positions are a) up for grabs and b) part of a rotation, anyway. One caveat: This is assuming Peters is indeed all the way healthy, but coach Bruce Arians said Peters would be ready to go come camp.
DT — Frostee Rucker. Rucker missed offseason work with a foot injury, and he may not be ready right when camp opens. But assuming he doesn't miss too much time, he figures to find his way into the lineup again. He's been solid the last couple of seasons, and while there is youth available (Gunter, Nkemdiche, Stinson) Rucker still leads the way.
OLB — Chandler Jones. He was penciled into the lineup the day he arrived in a trade. He'll be a three-down player.
ILB — Deone Bucannon. Last year at this time I picked Bucannon to be the starting strong safety. It was, after all, where he spent the entire 2015 offseason working. Then, when camp began, Buc was back at dollar linebacker. The Cards don't even pretend he is anything but anymore.
ILB — Kevin Minter. He got his chance to show he could be a starter last year, and he made it work. He'll be back in place again as he goes into the last year of his contract.
OLB — Markus Golden. When it comes to outside linebackers, Jones is the star, Alex Okafor is the former starter on the comeback trail after his dicey exit to 2015, and Dwight Freeney is the still-available free agent. Meanwhile, Golden, who was solid as a rookie, will slide into the starting spot opposite Jones. He'll have the chance to be a nice bookend.
CB — Patrick Peterson. Yes, 2014 was mostly forgettable. Peterson couldn't have made 2015 more memorable. That was the stud cornerback he could be, and the one the Cards are counting on going forward.
CB — Justin Bethel. There is competition, not from someone unsigned, but from the rookies. If Bethel is going to grab this job, he has to hold off raw rookie Brandon Williams. He should be able to do that.
FS — Tyrann Mathieu. In the end, I think Mathieu finds a way to be ready by "Sunday Night Football" to open the season. If not, Tyvon Branch — who will get a lot of playing time anyway — is around. The Cards need a healthy and productive Mathieu.
SS — Tony Jefferson. Branch will be in the mix too, and D.J. Swearinger will make a push, but in the end I think Jefferson finds his way on to the field first, as the Cards once again mix-and-match often their secondary. (Would I be surprised if Branch starts? Not at all.)
