Read More: Landon Cohen (DE – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals continue to sign more free agents. The newest one for Arizona is Landon Cohen. Here’s more info about Cohen from the Cardinals press release.

Cohen (6-3, 300) has played 25 career games, starting five games and compiling 31 tackles, 21 of them solos. He played one game with the New England Patriots in 2011, managing to put up one tackle after playing in two games with the Patriots in 2010 (one of them in a starting role).

Cohen was drafted by Detroit as a seventh round selection (216th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft out of the University Ohio. Cohen spent his first two seasons with the Detroit Lions (2009-09) and appeared in 20 games with four starts. He then played in two games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010 before he ended up joining New England.

To talk about Cohen with Cardinals fans, head on over to Revenge of the Birds.

The Arizona Cardinals are a step closer to suing cash-strapped Glendale over the loss of about 3,200 parking spots near the NFL stadium that workers demolished to build an outlet mall.

The Cardinals and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, which operates University of Phoenix Stadium, on Wednesday delivered a notice of claim to the city seeking up to $66.7 million to replace the lost parking with garages, unless an acceptable solution is found.

The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, follows two April letters to the city that laid out the team’s and sports authority’s concerns that parking demolished in February to build the 38-acre Tanger Factory Outlets complex could not be replaced. They gave Glendale a Tuesday deadline to provide assurances that parking spaces at Westgate City Center would be replaced.

The city never responded, according to the claim.

The Cardinals began playing at the Glendale stadium in 2006. An agreement signed four years earlier required Glendale to provide 6,000 spots for football games and other stadium events at Westgate, the restaurant and entertainment complex near the stadium.

A possible short-term solution the city presented in March did not comply with the parking agreement because the spots were outside Westgate, according to the team’s and sports authority’s April 9 letter to the city.

City Attorney Craig Tindall, whose city faces a $35 million deficit in next year’s budget, said the franchise “jumped the gun” with its notice of claim.

Tindall said the parking agreement requires the 6,000 spots be available only about two months before the first football game. The first Cardinals game is set for Aug. 17, and the city is working to have an answer for the Cardinals within weeks, the city attorney said.

City Manager Ed Beasley said Glendale transportation staffers are working to find spots and are likely to provide responses to the Cardinals soon.

The city manager acknowledged March meetings with the Cardinals and the sports authority, but he could not say whether there had been discussions since or provide details on possible plans.

Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton said Glendale never responded to April letters, which were also signed by representatives from the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, the Fiesta Bowl and the NFL.

“Today, the city doesn’t own or control enough land at Westgate to perform the contract, and under these unique circumstances, we have a legal right to assurances they have the ability to perform that obligation,” Dalton said.

The parking woes are further complicated by Westgate’s troubles. The 6-year-old complex fell into foreclosure last year.

This year’s announcement that Tanger would open an outlet mall there, along Loop 101 just south of Glendale Avenue, was a sliver of good news for the complex that is now partly owned by two separate lenders.

The city attorney said any new development at Westgate would impact stadium parking plans, but he said there has long been an understanding that parking could be shuffled.

“We haven’t violated any agreements,” Tindall said. “We don’t intend to violate any agreements. We are working on a solution.”

If one exists, sports-authority President Tom Sadler said he would like to see it soon.

“I think we’re prepared to sit down and fully vet any solutions (Glendale) may have, but meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward game day,” he said.

Heading in to the 2012 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals brought in obvious needs at the offensive line and quarterback positions. If Arizona is going to compete for an NFC West crown, these glaring weaknesses have to be shored up immediately. As curious and surprising as it was to take a wide receiver with their first pick in the draft, it appears they were able to get good value throughout, addressing most of their concerns.

Bulking up the secondary and offensive line seemed to be the focus for the Cardinals. After all was said and done; it looks as though the Cardinals will be giving Kevin Kolb and John Skelton one last shot to take the reigns of this team. Arizona and Coach Ken Whisenhunt have added some weapons to their roster and now it’s time to put it all together.

Here’s a breakdown of the Arizona Cardinals five most intriguing draft picks of 2012.

Michael Floyd WR – At 6’3″ 224 lbs, Floyd has outstanding size and strength along with above average speed. These qualities make him reminiscent, to some, of former Cardinal, Anquan Boldin. Coupled with Larry Fitzgerald, this dynamic duo will put constant pressure on any defense they match up against and should help to bolster a lackluster passing offense from a year ago.

Jamell Fleming CB – With Patrick Peterson anchoring one side of the secondary, Fleming will have an opportunity to make an impact immediately. What could be the makings of an outstanding secondary will get tested early as teams will stay away from Peterson and attack Fleming from the start. We’ll find out very quickly if Fleming is the real deal.

Bobby Massie OT – One of the most intriguing cases in the draft, Massie was rated by some as a potential late first round pick. Due to some questions concerning his mental and physical toughness, Massie dropped to the 4^th round. If Massie can play up to his potential, he could turn out to be the steal of the draft and a massive upgrade at tackle for the Cardinals.

Senio Kelemete OG – Standing at 6’4″ and weighing in at a robust 301 lbs, this offensive guard out of the University of Washington has a proven ability to run block at the highest level. However, his inability to pass block on a consistent basis and lack of experience caused him to drop to the 5^th round. The upside is there and Kelemete could be a long term answer for a struggling offensive line.

Ryan Lindley QB – I’m sure Cardinals fans throughout the world thought one word: “Who?” The most concerning issue heading in to the offseason was at quarterback and it wasn’t until the 6^th round that the position was addressed, despite this draft being so quarterback rich. If you check out Lindley’s film, his big time arm jumps off the screen. The guy can chuck it and could turn out to be a solid NFL quarterback. Stay tuned.

2012 Arizona Cardinals Draft Summary

RD PK(OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

1 13 (13) Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame

3 17 (80) Jamell Fleming CB Oklahoma

4 17 (112) Bobby Massie OT Mississippi

5 16 (151) Senio Kelemete OG Washington

6 7 (177) Justin Bethel S Presbyterian

6 15 (185) Ryan Lindley QB San Diego State

7 14 (221) Nate Potter OT Boise State

After having one of the most unimpressive careers in the history of college football, Adam took to the film room to study X’s and O’s and is now using his knowledge to evaluate talent and root for the best players football has to offer. A lover of all things NFL, he has a hard time not being in awe of Larry Fitzgerald and his freakish ability. Follow Adam on Twitter @SportsWorldAdam.

The Cardinals obviously liked cornerback Patrick Peterson when they drafted him with the fifth overall pick last season.

They liked him a little more when he told them on the phone that day: “I’m going to come in and I’m going to help you guys.” And when he backed it up, starting 16 games and returning four punts for touchdowns, he established a high standard for first overall picks.

Expecting that much from this year’s No. 1 pick is unrealistic, but it never hurts to ask.

“He was very convicted about what he was going to do,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “You get different emotional responses from different players. There is a lot of work to be done once that call is finished, but at that particular moment with these young men, it’s good for all of us.”

That moment for the Cardinals is likely to come around 6:30 Thursday night during the first round of the draft, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. If the Cardinals stay at No. 13, they will likely will select somewhere between 6-7 p.m.

“I think we’ve got a fairly good idea of who maybe the first 12 to 15 players will be,” General Manager Rod Graves said. “We just don’t have an idea about who is going to select them.”

Predicting what the Cardinals will do is far more difficult than in 2011, when a 5-11 regular-season record gave them the fifth overall pick. An apparently strong draft class, led by Peterson, was about the only good thing that came out of that season.

At No. 13, the Cardinals have options. They have made bolstering the offensive line an off-season priority and a starting tackle’s job is open. Iowa’s Riley Reiff could be there, as could Stanford guard David DeCastro, regarded as much of a sure thing as there is in this draft.

But this draft supposedly is deep in offensive linemen, especially centers and guards. The Cardinals could try to trade down, acquiring an additional pick or two, which would come in handy since they traded their second-round selection to the Eagles last summer for Kevin Kolb.

The Cardinals have no compensatory picks, awarded based on losses and gains in free agency.

“It’s not a simple process, and there are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration,” Graves said of draft-day trading, “and those considerations have to be made quickly. We’ve got a pretty good idea of what we would need to move back a certain number of spots, and how we would feel moving back based on the talent level that could be there.

“We’ve gone through those exercises. If we met with those circumstances, we’d be prepared.”

Or, the Cardinals could just stick at 13 and take the proverbial best player available. That could be Reiff, Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd, or perhaps South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram.

“It’s an inexact science,” Whisenhunt said of the draft. “You never know whether injury or transition to the NFL could be something that would cause a player not to reach the potential that you have for them. Every team in the league has had players that haven’t worked out for them.”

The Cardinals have had their shares of busts, such as linebackers Cody Brown (second round, 2009) and Buster Davis (third round, 2007). Others haven’t played up to their lofty draft status, such as tackle Levi Brown (fifth overall, 2007). And others have developed slower than the team had hoped, such as nose tackle Dan Williams (first round, 2010).

But early returns suggest the Cardinals had one of their better draft classes in 2011. Three of the eight picks became regular starters on a team that went 8-8.

Two more played key backup roles. Another, running back Ryan Williams (second round), missed the entire season with injuries and is expected to be healthy this year.

Another class like that would bode well for the Cardinals’ future. It would lessen the need to acquire free agents in years to come, help with salary-cap management and add to locker room chemistry.

One key, Whisenhunt said, is evaluating talent as well as character.

“You look at (defensive end) Calais Campbell, and what he’s done in the community, as well as what he’s done on the football field,” Whisenhunt said. “Larry Fitzgerald … and you can sit here and name a bunch of these guys.

“That’s what’s important because when times are tough and when things aren’t going right, those guys have to pull together for you. That’s what we saw a little bit of last year with our team winning seven of our last nine.”

Tracking the draft

Round 1 only is Thursday night; Rounds 2-3 are Friday and Rounds 4-7 are Saturday.

TV: NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN 2 will televise all three days.

Time: Thursday at 5 p.m. The 13th selection, which the Cardinals currently hold, is likely to come between 6-7 p.m., probably close to 6:30 p.m.

NFL draft

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 4 p.m.

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 9 a.m.

TV: NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN 2.

The Cardinals are holding a draft party today on the Great Lawn at University of Phoenix Stadium from 4-9 p.m. It is in conjunction with the second annual Big Red Rib and Music Festival. General admission is free. Some Cardinals players and coaches will be there, as well as the team’s cheerleaders.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals could be thinking big in this year’s draft.

That’s big as in some mountainous offensive lineman to fill the team’s biggest need.

The Cardinals need someone to play right tackle, or at least right guard, and conventional wisdom has them going in that direction with the 13th overall pick on Thursday night.

Yet it’s no foregone conclusion, with the team still searching for a reliable No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald. That could tempt Arizona to go for Notre Dame‘s Michael Floyd.

”He’s a good young player,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. ”We got the chance to sit down and meet him and talk with him. That’s probably one of the most rejuvenating parts of this whole process is to talk to them about their challenges, what they’ve gone through, how they’ve progressed in their careers, and we really enjoyed our time with him.”

Floyd’s stock has risen steadily since the college season ended, with strong showings at the NFL combine and in his pro day workout.

At 6-foot-2, Floyd says he wants to model his play after Fitzgerald. The two, both from the Minneapolis area, are friends and reportedly plan to work out together this offseason. A question Floyd has had to deal with is about off-field issues.

A year ago, he was suspended from the Notre Dame team after a drunken-driving arrest on campus but was reinstated after he met the conditions set by the university and by coach Brian Kelly for his return. Floyd says he has learned from the situation and has taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

As always, much depends on what happens before the Cardinals get their pick.

Reilly Reif, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound tackle from Iowa, could still be on the board, although there is a considerable school of thought that he will be taken by the Buffalo Bills at No. 10. Guard-tackle Cordy Glenn of Georgia, 6-5 and 345 pounds, also is a possible choice, with Buffalo again a possibility. If the team decides to go with a guard, though, Stanford’s David DeCastro, 6-5, 316, has drawn raves. For that reason, he could be gone by No. 13, too.

Any other offensive lineman might be a reach at No. 13. The Cardinals have studiously avoided such moves in Whisenhunt‘s years with the team.

”What we don’t want to do is draft a lineman just to draft a lineman because that’s what you think you have to do,” Whisenhunt said. ”You’ve got to trust your process and you’ve got to pick the best player available that fits your team.”

Complicating matters is the absence of a second-round pick. That was sent to Philadelphia as part of the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Arizona would consider a trade to move down in the draft, and perhaps get a second-round selection, but it seems a good share of the teams ahead of the Cardinals are willing to do so as well.

‘We would certainly like to be able to have multiple picks beyond the ordinary seven rounds, and this year we’re minus a second,” general manager Rod Graves said, ”but we’ll see what happens. We may end up getting back into a second, but if not then we’ll work with what we have and try to optimize it the best we can.”

The Cardinals addressed some of the line issues in free agency, re-signing left tackle Levi Brown and signing free agent and former San Francisco 49er Adam Snyder. Snyder can play both guard and tackle but the Cardinals probably would rather slide him in at guard.

”Obviously, getting Levi and Adam was big for us,” Whisenhunt said. ”We made no bones about the fact that we wanted to address our line. To think that you were going to be able to get three or four guys in free agency, that’s just not going to happen. However it came out, we felt like we made two strong additions in getting Levi back and getting Adam.”

Unless there’s some kind of trade, Arizona’s second pick won’t come until the third round, the 80th selection overall.

But the Cardinals have been known to find success in the later rounds.

Last year’s draft, considered to be a highly successful one for the team, had cornerback-punt returner Patrick Peterson as the no-brainer top of the list at No. 5 overall. But the Cardinals love their second-round pick, running back Ryan Williams, despite losing him to injury for the entire season. Fourth-round pick Sam Acho became the team’s starting outside linebacker and led the team in sacks with seven. The third-round pick, tight end Rob Housler, and sixth-round pick, nose tackle David Carter, became significant contributors.

”The teams that have been the most successful have had a history of strong drafts,” Graves said, ”back to back drafts, and a record of having historical success in drafting. That’s certainly what we’re working for.”

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals could be thinking big in this year’s draft.

That’s big as in some mountainous offensive lineman to fill the team’s biggest need.

The Cardinals need someone to play right tackle, or at least right guard, and conventional wisdom has them going in that direction with the 13th overall pick on Thursday night.

Yet it’s no foregone conclusion, with the team still searching for a reliable No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald. That could tempt Arizona to go for Notre Dame‘s Michael Floyd.

“He’s a good young player,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We got the chance to sit down and meet him and talk with him. That’s probably one of the most rejuvenating parts of this whole process is to talk to them about their challenges, what they’ve gone through, how they’ve progressed in their careers, and we really enjoyed our time with him.”

Floyd’s stock has risen steadily since the college season ended, with strong showings at the NFL combine and in his pro day workout.

At 6-foot-2, Floyd says he wants to model his play after Fitzgerald. The two, both from the Minneapolis area, are friends and reportedly plan to work out together this off-season. A question Floyd has had to deal with is about off-field issues.

A year ago, he was suspended from the Notre Dame team after a drunken-driving arrest on campus but was reinstated after he met the conditions set by the university and by coach Brian Kelly for his return. Floyd says he has learned from the situation and has taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

As always, much depends on what happens before the Cardinals get their pick.

Reilly Reif, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound tackle from Iowa, could still be on the board, although there is a considerable school of thought that he will be taken by the Buffalo Bills at No. 10. Guard-tackle Cordy Glenn of Georgia, 6-5 and 345 pounds, also is a possible choice, with Buffalo again a possibility. If the team decides to go with a guard, though, Stanford’s David DeCastro, 6-5, 316, has drawn raves. For that reason, he could be gone by No. 13, too.

Any other offensive lineman might be a reach at No. 13. The Cardinals have studiously avoided such moves in Whisenhunt‘s years with the team.

“What we don’t want to do is draft a lineman just to draft a lineman because that’s what you think you have to do,” Whisenhunt said. “You’ve got to trust your process and you’ve got to pick the best player available that fits your team.”

Complicating matters is the absence of a second-round pick. That was sent to Philadelphia as part of the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Arizona would consider a trade to move down in the draft, and perhaps get a second-round selection, but it seems a good share of the teams ahead of the Cardinals are willing to do so as well.

‘We would certainly like to be able to have multiple picks beyond the ordinary seven rounds, and this year we’re minus a second,” general manager Rod Graves said, “but we’ll see what happens. We may end up getting back into a second, but if not then we’ll work with what we have and try to optimize it the best we can.”

The Cardinals addressed some of the line issues in free agency, re-signing left tackle Levi Brown and signing free agent and former San Francisco 49er Adam Snyder. Snyder can play both guard and tackle but the Cardinals probably would rather slide him in at guard.

“Obviously, getting Levi and Adam was big for us,” Whisenhunt said. “We made no bones about the fact that we wanted to address our line. To think that you were going to be able to get three or four guys in free agency, that’s just not going to happen. However it came out, we felt like we made two strong additions in getting Levi back and getting Adam.”

Unless there’s some kind of trade, Arizona’s second pick won’t come until the third round, the 80th selection overall.

But the Cardinals have been known to find success in the later rounds.

Last year’s draft, considered to be a highly successful one for the team, had cornerback-punt returner Patrick Peterson as the no-brainer top of the list at No. 5 overall. But the Cardinals love their second-round pick, running back Ryan Williams, despite losing him to injury for the entire season. Fourth-round pick Sam Acho became the team’s starting outside linebacker and led the team in sacks with seven. The third-round pick, tight end Rob Housler, and sixth-round pick, nose tackle David Carter, became significant contributors.

“The teams that have been the most successful have had a history of strong drafts,” Graves said, “back to back drafts, and a record of having historical success in drafting. That’s certainly what we’re working for.”

Sunday | 2:15 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 10 (Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu).

Noteworthy: The Cardinals and Seahawks meet for the 26th
time, with Arizona holding a 13-12 advantage in the all-time series. … Arizona enters this week’s contest looking to end a three-game losing streak to their division foe. … The Cardinals hold a 7-4 record at home against the Seahawks all-time, having won four of the past five games at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Arizona Republic

Each week, The Republic spotlights a Cardinals player for a series of on-the-spot, off-beat questions.

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NFL power rankings – Week 17 | This week’s games | Standings: NFC | AFC

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Today: Sam Acho, linebacker.

Question: Let me just ask you this off the top. Do you like Skittles?

Answer: Do I like Skittles? I’m not the biggest Skittles fan. I haven’t had Skittles in probably like a couple years.

Q: You know who does like them?

A: (Laughs) Marshawn Lynch.

Q: That’s right and you guys play him and the Seahawks this week in the final game of the year. What are you going to do to stop him from eating Skittles and gaining yards on you?

A: Well, Marshawn Lynch is a really good back so obviously it’s got to be a team effort. Everybody’s got to be coming together and he’s a guy you’ve got to gang tackle so you have to make sure he’s down.

Q: So, do you have a favorite candy?

A: Um, I’m a huge fan of Twix. Yeah, I like Twix.

Q: Not bad, I agree. Hey, you’ve got six sacks. If you had the chance to have gotten more playing time earlier, you might have had the chance to finish with 12 or more. What do you think?

A: No, I wouldn’t say that. Even in the time I played, I missed out on like three or four sacks, so regardless of playing time, I’ve got to get those.

Q: You’re known as a very smart man. I mean, you were a member of the prestigious Friar Society at Texas and you won awards such as the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is known as the academic version of the Heisman. How much does that mean to you, that you’re not just a football player but a complete kind of guy?

A: Well, it means a lot, as far as academically, to be able to have done well in college and succeed off the field. It’s very important to me and my family. It’s been paying off on the field as well.

Q: So this Campbell Trophy, where is it?

A: It’s in my house in Dallas, my parents’ house in Dallas.

Q: What’s it look like?

A: I guess it’s similar to the Heisman. The guy is posing like the Heisman sort of. Yeah, it’s cool. I’ve never seen the Heisman in person and got to hold it, so I don’t know how big it is exactly compared to the Heisman. But like I said, it’s cool.

Q: You also won the Arthur Ashe Award in college, and in back-to-back years, no less. How cool was that?

A: Yeah, the Arthur Ashe Award is something real cool and special because it represents something bigger as far as being an African-American athlete succeeding on and off the field and community service and everything, so that meant a lot to me.

Q: Tell me about your parents, who obviously instilled so much in you. They are from Nigeria and I understand they actually started a church a while back?

A: I can’t speak enough about my parents. My mom is actually out here with me now for Christmas and it’s been awesome. My dad actually started the church. It’s called the Living Hope Bible Fellowship Church and he started it about five, six years ago in Dallas. He was a pastor at a larger church and he started his own.

Q: Where is he at the moment?

A: He’s actually in Nigeria right now for a couple of weeks setting things up for the trip that we take there every year, the medical mission trip we take in the summertime. Yeah, my parents are wonderful. You can say they instilled work ethic, humility. They’re just great parents.

Q: How cool is it to come back from those trips and remember what you did for the people there?

A: Oh, it’s awesome. You know, living here you tend to get caught up in your everyday life and you can get so frustrated. You’re worrying about having to go get gas and this and that and there’s traffic and all these little minuscule things. But you go to a place like Nigeria and you see people that don’t even have a way to get around, who don’t have anything to eat, nothing to wear. So yeah, it really humbles you.

Q: Your brother, Emmanuel, is a senior linebacker at the University of Texas. Is he going to join you in the NFL next year?

A: By God’s grace he will. He’s one of the top inside linebackers in the nation, so hopefully, he will.

Q: Dude, you almost seem too good to be true and I know you are, but didn’t you ever get into trouble — at least when you were a kid like the rest of us?

A: (Laughs) Oh, yeah. Seriously, though, I was kind of scared because I never wanted to get in trouble at home. Obviously, though, we make mistakes all the time. I think I’ve probably cheated on a test or gotten into arguments at school, stuff like that.

Q: Ever ditch a class?

A: Um, growing up I didn’t want to. I was too scared to do it. In college, I may have skipped a couple classes, though.

Q: Well that doesn’t count. So what was your Wonderlic test score at the NFL combine?

A: I honestly don’t even remember. What’s the highest, like a 40-something? I think I was in the thirties, the high thirties. I don’t remember, honestly.

Q: What would finishing 8-8 mean to you guys?

A: After starting out 1-6, it would mean a lot. And it would be a huge stepping stone for next year.

Q: Can you name me one teammate on both sides of the ball that you think will step up and have a huge game on Sunday against Seattle?

A: I think everybody’s going to step up, I really do. There are so many guys. We all know we have to step our game up. … It’s hard to say one guy. I just can’t do it. It’s going to be all of us stepping up. That’s the way it’s got to be.

Q: You know, that seems like the type of answer you’d give me, doesn’t it?

A: (Laughs) Well, I guess you know me then.

Q: We do now. Thanks for participating, OK?

A: You got it.

Sunday | 2:15 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 5 (Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu).

Noteworthy: The Cardinals and Browns played 40 games between 1950-1969, but since 1974 they’ve met only eight times. Arizona won the previous meeting, 27-21, in 2007. … Larry Fitzgerald was inactive for that ’07 game, and following Sunday’s game, he will have played against every NFL team (except, of course, the Cardinals). Since missing the ’07 game, Fitzgerald has played in 65 consecutive regular-season outings. … Ken Whisenhunt was Cleveland’s special-teams coach in 1999.

The Arizona Republic

Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, 4:15 p.m. in University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Record: 6-7.

Last game: Beat 49ers, 21-19, Dec. 12 in Glendale.

Coach: Ken Whisenhunt, 41-41, fifth year.

Series record: Browns lead, 33-12-3.

Last meeting: Cardinals won, 27-21, Dec. 2, 2007, in Glendale.

League rankings: Offense is 22nd overall (23rd rushing, 20th passing), defense is 21st (19th rushing, 23rd passing) and turnover differential is minus-11.

Offensive overview: Ken Whisenhunt seeks to run a derivative of the Don Coryell West Coast offense, which uses a power running game to set up vertical throws to tight ends and receivers. When fully healthy, they want to play off the hard running of Beanie Wells and get the ball to receiver Larry Fitzgerald and tight ends Todd Heap and Jeff King. But injuries have beset quarterback Kevin Kolb, Wells and Heap. Just as Kolb was finding some rhythm after missing four games with a foot injury, he suffered a concussion. Backup John Skelton has functioned OK, but he is less experienced, less mobile and less accurate. Wells has played through a knee injury and effectively shed the label of lack of toughness. Fitzgerald is fighting through excessive attention on the field. Whisenhunt has tinkered a little with cornerback Patrick Peterson on offense, but he hasn’t been able to lessen coverage on Fitzgerald.

Defensive overview: New coordinator Ray Horton is trying to duplicate Dick LeBeau’s zone-blitz Steelers scheme. The team’s recent resurgence is a result of the defense getting comfortable after adjusting to the 3-4 scheme. All the pieces might not be in place just yet, but the front seven has been formidable of late. Rookie outside linebacker Sam Acho has come on and displaced former starter Joey Porter. Ex-Steeler Clark Haggans is the other rush linebacker. End Calais Campbell and tackle Darnell Dockery have been very good. The areas of pressure have been unpredictable. The last two games they have had five sacks, each time from different players. First-round pick Patrick Peterson has had a learning experience at cornerback. Adrian Wilson is one of the league’s unknown good safeties.

Special teams overview: Peterson leads the NFL with four punt returns for touchdowns and is second in average at 16.3 yards. The kick return game is not as explosive. Kicker Jay Feely is 13 of 18 in field goals with a long of 51 yards. He is 29th with 14 touchbacks. Punter Dave Zastudil is 13th in gross average (45.7 yards) and 23rd in net (37.4). Calais Campbell has two field goal blocks.

Players to watch:

• Cornerback-returner Patrick Peterson: The rookie joined three other players for the most punt returns for touchdowns in a season. He has scored from 89, 82, 99 and 80 yards. He’s added two interceptions and a sack at cornerback.

• Receiver Larry Fitzgerald: One of the league’s consistent playmakers will be making his first career appearance against the Browns. He already is over 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth straight season and has his best yards per catch average (17.6) of his career.

• Defensive end Calais Campbell: He has posted unusual numbers for a 3-4 defensive end — seven sacks, 13 quarterback hits, one interception, six passes defensed. Not to mention the two blocked field goals.

Injury report: QB Kevin Kolb (concussion) had to leave the last game. Beanie Wells (knee) will be limited. OT Brandon Keith (ankle) left the last game.

Small world: Former Browns include receiver Chansi Stuckey, safety Hamza Abdullah, defensive tackle Nick Eason, quarterback Richard Bartel, guard Rex Hadnot and punter and Bay native Dave Zastudil. … Running back Beanie Wells is an Akron native and played at Ohio State. … Head coach Ken Whisenhunt was Browns special teams coordinator in 1999. … Director of pro personnel T.J. McCreight is from Willoughby and was Browns personnel director (2005-08). … Strength coach John Lott had same position with Browns (2005-06). … Special teams coordinator Kevin Spencer was Browns assistant coach (1991-94).

Read More: Kerry Rhodes (S – ARI), Chansi Stuckey (WR – ARI), Joey Porter (LB – ARI), Moran Norris (FB – SFX), D’Anthony Batiste (OT – ARI), Patrick Willis (LB – SFX), Jaymar Johnson (WR – ARI), Daniel Kilgore (G – SFX), Ian Williams (DT – SFX), Mike Person (G – SFX), Scott Tolzien (QB – SFX), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams

As the Arizona Cardinals get set to host their division rival San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium, they will be without the services of a couple of important pieces to their defense in Kerry Rhodes and Joey Porter. 

The Cardinals will be without a few players this week, highlighted by linebacker Joey Porter and safety Kerry Rhodes, who both made their return to practice this week dealing with knee and foot injuries respectfully. Wide receivers Chansi Stuckey Bartel, Stephen Williams and Jaymar Johnson will not be suiting up for Arizona either,  neither will offensive tackle D’Anthony Batiste.

For the 49ers, they will be without All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis who suffered a hamtrain strain early in their last game against the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco will also be without  QB Scott Tolzien, WR Brett Swain, FB Moran Norris,  offensive guards Daniel Kilgore and Mike Person and defensive tackle Ian Williams. 

For more in depth discussion and analysis on the Cardinals, head over to Revenge of the Birds to get your fix. 

Nov. 20, 2011 – San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) is pressured by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Nick Eason.

More on this topic

Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13 (OT) | Box score

UP NEXT: 49ers (10-2) at Cardinals (5-7)
When: Sunday @ 2:05 p.m. | Full 2011 schedule | Fans
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale
TV: Channel 10 (Dick Stockton, John Lynch)
Radio KTAR 92.3 (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley)
Spanish: KBMB 710 AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolandu Cantu)
Roof hotline: 623-433-ROOF (7663)
Notes: The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 23-7 on Nov. 20 in San Francisco… the 49ers have clinched NFC West Division, as they lead by five games with four games to play… since 2004, one of these teams has swept the season series. In 2004, ’07, ’09, ’10, in was the 49ers who swept the Cardinals; in 2005, ’06, ’08, it was the Cardinals who swept.

More Cardinals with Kent Somers

NFL power rankings – Week 14

Read More: Frank Gore (RB – SFX), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers

As the San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium this Sunday, running back Frank Gore looks to earn his fifth 1,000 yard rushing season, sitting only 18 yards share of the mark coming into the game. Numberfire.com projects him to earn a lot more than 18 yards this week, and should be a start in most fantasy leagues this weekend. 

Frank the Tank is projected to earn around 78 yards on 13 carries for San Francisco, including 1 reception for 11 yards and 0.72 touchdowns for a total of around 13.38 points. Gore ran the ball 24 times for 88 yards last time against the Cards, though didn’t score a touchdown. Hopefully Frank can break the plane in Arizona, the place where he suffered a fracture in his hip last season. 

If the Niners can get Gore going early, then watch out the rest of the way. 

Read More: Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals have been playing very well as of late, winners of four of their last five matchups who now host the division leading San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix stadium. Unfortunately the the Cards the Niners were there last loss, and according to Numberfire.com, quarterback Kevin Kolb likely won’t be leading the charge against them this Sunday for Arizona. 

Kolb is projected to scored a shade under 12 points at 11.94, throwing 1.02 touchdowns, 0.76 INT’s and 187 yards passing, nothing to write home to Mommy about that’s for sure. THe 49ers defense has been stifling to most this season, holding Arizona to only seven points their last time out. They do give up a decent amount of yards in the air, currently ranking 29th in the league in that regard, but are filled with ball-hawks and have racked up 16 interceptions already this season. 

If you have no one else, than Kolb is your guy, but another option would probably be a good idea. Here’s a look at how the rest of the notable Cardinals will fare.