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AP: 85d18da1-3293-4db6-a12c-c78b7461ad66
Arizona Cardinals tight end Jeff King (87) breaks the tackle of Detroit Lions middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch (55) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
The Arizona Cardinals led the NFL in sacks allowed in 2012 with a total of 58.

That's not good.

The team's much-maligned offensive line suffered a rash of injuries as well as ineffectiveness, and it led to the team struggling in both the running and passing games.

As such, conventional wisdom says the Cardinals should address the shortcomings via the NFL Draft, perhaps even with their first round pick.

Cardinals tight end Jeff King, though, thinks the solution to the woes on the offensive line may already be on the roster.

"I don't think our offensive line is as far off as people think with the emergence of Nate Potter and Bobby Massie," he said while co-hosting Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Wednesday.

Potter, a seventh round pick out of Boise State, and Massie, a fourth round selection out of Mississippi, both got significant playing time as rookies. Massie started at right tackle from day one, while Potter was insterted into the lineup Week 9 against Green Bay.

Each had varying levels of success, with Massie making notable improvement as the season wore on.

"If you go back and look at the way Bobby Massie played against Chris Long the first time we played St. Louis at St. Louis on that Thursday night, and then we played them a couple weeks later here in Arizona, two different players," King said. "He grew so much and had so much thrown at him through 16 games against some really good players that you can't help but to get better."

King said he believes Massie will turn out to be a good player, but his highest praise may have been for Potter.

"Nate Potter reminds me a lot of Jordan Gross," he said.

Gross was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the eighth pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He's a two-time Pro Bowler and was a teammate of King's for five seasons.

"Just about the way that he's a technician and the way he goes about it," King said of the similarities. "Obviously he's got a lot of growing to do, a lot of growing to do."

Given that, should the Cardinals look to April's draft as a way to fix the line?

"In my opinion, no," King said. "Just by watching those guys play, the improvement that I saw, knowing how they prepared," he said.

But King did offer one caveat.

"Do we all need to play better up front," he said. "Absolutely, there's no doubt about that."

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    SurpriseMe wrote...
    OL is 5 payers away
    what? OL didnt open any holes for RB to run. Look at MINN Peterson has huge holes to run. OL makes a RB great, avg, or suck and they are making Wells look really bad. no wonder Wells doesnt try.
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    FitzIsMyHero wrote...
    ^agreed^
    couldnt say it better myself.
  • Abuse
    AZSPORTFAN wrote...
    Jeff
    What are you thinking? Yes, Potter & Massie improved tremendously, but not to upgrade the o-line would be totally foolish. Look at the draft candidates this year ... You've been hanging around Grimm & Miller to long.
  • Abuse
    Sect113rw10 wrote...
    King not ready for GM, yet
    I know King is looking to sit with the brass when he retires from playing, but this comments seems reflective of not being able to see the forest through the trees. There is a tremendous amount of OL/DL talent available in this draft. Grabbing a top 5 OL in this draft gives us instant depth; something we desperately need.
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    theuglytruth wrote...
    The Oline is better
    let's not compare Adrian Peterson to Beanie Wells or anyone on this squad. AP knows how to read offensive line movement and how to hit holes...our RB's do not. To many times our RB's look lost, miss open holes and are completely lost. Just watch the games again if you have them saved on the DVR. Holes aren't suppose to look big in the NFL, just big enough.
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    sundevil7901 wrote...
    Sleeves
    Anyone know why King always wears sleeves? It's been bugging me.
  • Abuse
    sundevil7901 wrote...
    Potter and Massie
    will be fine. Getting Levi back healthy will help some. Still, Cards need to go O-line 1st in this draft. Let someone else reach on a QB in the first round.
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    OldHog wrote...
    Ain't all on the line
    The backs need to hit the holes. There was too much hesitation on plays hitting holes. There was zero push on run plays by the line. The interior line allowed too much of a push on pass pro. Technique and fundamentals were poor. They were not maintaining leverage at point of attack. Much needs to be done by the backs and line.
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