CBS Sports’ Prisco: Carson Palmer looks better than before, Arizona Cardinals an 11-win team
Aug 5, 2015, 10:22 AM | Updated: 5:37 pm
Carson Palmer prepares to throw during Cardinals training camp. (Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
(Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
The Arizona Cardinals are a good team. Winners of 11 games last season and 10 the year before, it’s really hard to argue the claim.
However, no matter how good they may be, it stands to reason they will only go as far as Carson Palmer’s right arm — or left knee — can carry them.
The Cardinals were 6-0 in games Palmer started last season, as the veteran passer showed an even greater understanding of head coach Bruce Arians’ offense while completing 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,626 yards and 11 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
Palmer has looked healthy early in training camp, which is a good sign according to CBS NFL columnist Pete Prisco, who visited Cardinals camp this week.
“Palmer, to me, looked like he was better than he was before he got hurt,” Prisco told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday morning. “And by that I mean he’s stronger, he’s worked on his mechanics. The ball comes out better. I think if there’s any concern whatsoever about Carson Palmer, there shouldn’t be, because he looked like the same guy he was.”
Prisco pointed out that the Cardinals were on their way toward having a great season, one that potentially could have led to an NFC West title and homefield advantage in the postseason, before Palmer was lost to a torn ACL in Week 10.
But Palmer’s return to the field is not the only thing Prisco took away from his visit to Glendale.
“The offensive and defensive lines, for the first time in a long time, have a ton of depth,” he said. “You’re going to cut some good football players on that team.”
Prisco said the defensive line, especially, is light on stars but deep in quality talent.
“There’s a lot of good, big, physical guys in there and I think there’s some good young guys that are emerging,” he said.
So really, the question for the Cardinals going forward is just how good they can be. And, more than that, will they be good enough to unseat the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West?
Prisco said he’s not ready to say who he thinks is better, but admitted he thinks it’s really close between the teams, especially given how much offensive line talent the defending NFC champions lost in the offseason.
“So to me, that’s a major concern for Seattle moving forward, I want to see how that plays out,” he said. “I think Arizona is right there with them. I think the Cardinals are an 11-win team.”
