Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim: We need to get Larry Fitzgerald ‘more involved’

The 2013 Arizona Cardinals have some issues offensively.

There’s the lack of a running game. There are all kinds of offensive line problems. Quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown the second-most interceptions in the league.

It all leads to the Cardinals being 23rd in the league in total offense and 25th in scoring offense through seven games.

But there’s another issue that has people scratching their heads…why is Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald not more involved in the offense?

Arizona general manager Steve Keim says there are a lot of reasons.

“I think people are bracketing him, I think they’re trying to do some things defensively to take him out of the game, whether it’s getting up in his face and pressing him or putting a safety over the top,” Keim told Doug and Wolf Monday on Arizona Sports 620. “But that’s something I know Bruce (Arians) and the staff are trying to do a good job of is to move him around and try to put him in a position to succeed.”

Fitzgerald is coming off a 2012 season that saw his production fall substantially, but the bulk of that was chalked up to bad quarterback play.

This season, with veteran Carson Palmer at the controls, Fitzgerald’s numbers have dipped again. Through the first seven games of 2012, Fitzgerald was targeted 71 times, had 40 receptions for 459 yards and three touchdowns. This season through the same number of games, the 10-year veteran has been targeted 58 times, and has only 32 catches for 422 yards and four touchdowns.

“There’s a combination of things, whether it’s the protection breaking down on a play where Larry is open or Carson makes a different decision and goes to another receiver, I think it’s a number of things,” Keim said. “He’s obviously a guy, being our playmaker and the leader of our team that we need to get more involved.”

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