Cardinals must keep the heat off Warner

Every offseason brings change in the NFL, not only in terms of players and coaches, but, by extension, new philosophies and schemes. NFL coaches and front offices do a great job of self evaluating, and many times they will tweak their schemes or philosophies to better fit their personnel, or simply to get better production. Let's take a look, team by team, at the philosophical changes heading into the 2005 season.

NFC: EAST | SOUTH | NORTH | WEST
AFC: EAST | SOUTH | NORTH | WEST

Arizona Cardinals

With an offensive scheme that actually is similar to that of the St. Louis Rams, head coach Dennis Green likely will use a three-receiver, one-back package as his staple offensive formation. And while he really would like to institute a vertical passing game, all three of his young receivers -- Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson -- lack deep speed. While they are great in their short to intermediate routes, this is not a group that is going to stretch the field, and that will make Green adjust his philosophy.

The Cardinals are talking about moving Boldin back to the slot in three-receiver sets, as he really struggled on the perimeter in 2004. When he plays inside, he can utilize his natural ability at finding hole in zones and soft coverages. He also is really good at making yards after the catch in the middle of the field.

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