Analyst: Cardinals’ Roberts possible breakout WR
Jan 20, 2012, 9:31 PM | Updated: 10:40 pm
It’s no secret the Arizona Cardinals would greatly benefit from having a solid No. 2 wide receiver opposite the explosive Larry Fitzgerald.
While a lot of people believe the Cardinals need to find a second receiver elsewhere — either in the NFL draft or via free agency — ESPN Insider Chris Sprow thinks the team already has that guy, if the quarterback play improves.
Andre Roberts, Cardinals: It may not happen, but Roberts has the ceiling of a legit No. 2 to work across from Fitzgerald. If the QB situation clears up, Roberts could get 110-plus targets next season. Question: From Kevin Kolb?
Whether Kolb is the right guy to be running the Cardinals offense remains to be seen, but for Roberts to begin to reach his unfulfilled potential, he’ll need to find chemistry early with his quarterback.
Roberts sputtered out of the gate last season, which was disappointing considering he ended the 2010-11 season with such promise. Still, if the Cardinals’ quarterbacks weren’t marred by injuries and mediocrity, maybe the season would have shaped up differently for him.
The potential for Roberts has never been questioned, what’s to be determined is if the quarterback was truly the hindering force behind his struggles.
Sprow seems to believe the 24-year-old’s 2011 season — in which he finished with 51 receptions for 586 yards and two touchdowns — could have been an aberration. So while Cardinals’ nation may be clamoring for a big offseason splash, the answer to their wide out wishes may very well be in-house.
