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Go-To Guy | Weakest Link | Burning Question | Offseason Movement

Glance Head coach: Dave McGinnis 2001: Results 2002: Draft picks Training camp: July 25 at Northern Ariz. Univ. in Flagstaff, Ariz.  2002 Schedule Date  Vs.  Time  Sept. 8  at Was.  1 p.m.  Sept. 15  at Sea.  4:05 p.m.  Sept. 22  S.D.  4:05 p.m.  Sept. 29  NYG  4:05 p.m.  Oct. 6  at Car.  1 p.m.  Oct. 13  Open     Oct. 20  DAL.  4:15 p.m.  Oct. 27  at S.F.  4:05 p.m.  Nov. 3  STL.  4:15 p.m.  Nov. 10  SEA.  4:05 p.m.  Nov. 17  at Phi.  1 p.m.  Nov. 24  OAK.  4:05 p.m.  Dec. 1  at K.C.  1 p.m.  Dec. 8  DET.  4:05 p.m.  Dec. 15  at StL.  8:30 p.m.  Dec. 21  S.F.  5 p.m.  Dec. 29  at Den.  4:15 p.m.

By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com

Rarely is a tight end considered a major offseason acquisition, but Freddie Jones may prove to be just that this season for the Arizona Cardinals.

Sure, the desert birds also landed the best cornerback on the free-agent market, Duane Starks, but Jones could be the safety valve that sixth-year quarterback Jake Plummer needs to complete his maturation process.

"He's looking a lot like what he was lauded to be -- one of the best tight ends in the game," Plummer said. "It's hard to tell until you put the pads on and actually seeing him firsthand on the field, but I'm looking forward to that moment."

Jones had 35 catches for 388 yards last season with San Diego. His "off" year was one reception less and 113 yards more than Arizona's TEs -- Tywan Mitchell and Terry Hardy -- had combined. Moreover, Jones has 260 catches for 2,931 yards since 1997. Tony Gonzalez, Frank Wycheck and Shannon Sharpe are the only tight ends with better numbers during the same period.

"I looked at this team as an up-and-coming team," Starks said. "This is a good opportuniy for me to play right away and do a great job."

However, if the Cardinals expect to keep pace with the rest of the NFC West, third-year running back Thomas Jones will have to play an expanded role.

"It's his time, and he's fully ready for it," head coach Dave McGinnis said of Thomas Jones stepping into the starter's role in place of departed Michael Pittman. "He's done everything in preparation this year to take the thing over. He had a whole offseason to get ready to work this year, and that's helping him. He didn't have anything affecting his offseason workouts, so he's been able to lift. TJ looks in tremendous condition to me."

The same cannot be said for Arizona's defense. The Cards were 28th overall last season (24th against the run, 26th againsts the pass), and drafted for need with defensive tackle Wendell Bryant in the first round. But when it came to minicamp, well ... let's just say Bryant didn't make the impression Arizona's brass was banking on.

Following the advice of agent Neil Cornrich, Bryant did not sign an injury waiver because of the disparity between a first-round rookie's market value and injury compensation offered by the team. As the No. 12 pick this year, Bryant is in line for a bonus of about $6 million when he comes to terms, and he wanted that kind of money guaranteed beforehand. The Cardinals' injury waiver offer was $225,000 -- the minimum salary for a rookie.

But even that wasn't the strangest thing to happen in Arizona this offseason. Safety Pat Tillman enlisted with Uncle Sam. Tillman, 25, felt his hand was forced by the military's age restriction on entry in special-forces units, agent Frank Bauer said, adding Tillman hopes to resume his NFL career when his enlistment is up.

Fact David Boston's 98 receptions last season were the most for a Cardinals wide receiver in team history. Running back Larry Centers holds the top two single-season franchise marks with 101 catches in 1995 and 99 in '96.

David Boston, WR -- How's this for the offseason following a breakout season (98 catches, 1,598 yards, eight TDs): Arrested for drug charges.

Cocaine and marijuana were found in Boston's system the night of March 13 after a man tailed his car and called 911 to report alleged erratic driving. Officers arrested Boston at home and took him in for blood tests, then said they found two bags of cocaine in the back seat of the patrol car.

No possession charges were pressed because there were no fingerprints on the bags or other evidence to link Boston to them.

After earning his first Pro Bowl berth last season, in which he had nine 100-yard receiving games, Boston said he wasn't worried about the long-range effects of the incident on his career. "My athletic ability on the field will [determine] how my contract is," said Boston, who will be a free agent next year. "I just want to help the Cardinals any way I can to get to the Super Bowl."

A factor in that will be Plummer, who also will be a free agent.

Plummer was one of only two NFL quarterbacks who took every snap last season. He completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,653 yards, threw for a career-high 18 TDs and a career-low 14 interceptions. It was the first time in his five NFL seasons that he threw more touchdown passes than interceptions. In the two previous seasons, he had 22 TDs and 45 picks.

Fact Pat Tillman and Ronald McKinnon are the only Cardinals duo to have 200 tackles in the same season (2000). Tillman had a franchise-record 224, while McKinnon had 208.

Defensive line -- Bryant and the return of Kyle Vanden Bosch, a second-round pick last year, from a season-ending knee injury should boost the unit. Toss in third-round pick Dennis Johnson and the league's worst pass rush should improve on its 19 sacks.

Then again, we've seen this before with Arizona. Remember their high hopes for Andre Wadsworth, Eric Swann, Simeon Rice?

The Cardinals were 7-9 last season, but were blown out of only two games, their season-opening losses to Denver and Atlanta. The other sevens losses were by 52 points combined (7.4 points per game) -- and two of those losses were 14-pointers in which the offense scored 10 points total.

Still, the secondary is solid, not spectacular with Starks and safety Kwamie Lassiter, who was second in the NFC with nine INTs. The rest of the DBs combined for eight picks. And the linebackers are productive: Ronald McKinnon (190 tackles), Rob Fredrickson (144) and Raynoch Thompson (118).

So, it comes down to the guys in the trenches. Vanden Bosch had surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament, but during the operation it was also found that the more important anterior cruciate ligament was damaged. However, coaches have been impressed with his rehab.

With Bryant, McGinnis said: "We got a very intelligent, very talented football player. What we liked about him is that he's extremely verstaile. He played every position along the defensive line this year. [Defensive line coach] Joe Greene went up there and worked him out on an individual basis and he's a football player that is going to bring what we want to this defense."

Will Thomas Jones elevate his game and be a frontline RB?

Fact As a junior at Powell Valley High in Big Stone Gap, Va., Thomas Jones rushed for 462 yards against J.I. Burton High in 1994.

Jones is now the team's full-time feature back with the departure of Pittman. A former first-round pick, Jones will have to prove his worth in training camp, and if he's not capable of handling the job, the Cardinals will be in trouble.

But Jones insists he's the answer to the team's rushing woes. Arizona was 27th last season with 90.6 yards per game -- one of only five teams not to average 100 yards per game.

Jones, the No. 7 pick in the 2000 draft, had an edge on the larger Pittman in speed, but health problems and inexperience kept him from showcasing the moves that helped him set career rushing records at Virginia (3,998 yards) and in the Atlantic Coast Conference (six 200-yard games).

"I'm the kind of back, I need to have the ball 20 or 25 times a game to be as effective as I can, and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity this year," Jones said.

To show he's serious about making good on the Cardinals' initial investment, Jones bulked up during the offseason. At 5-foot-10, he weighed 211 pounds last year, but this year he's up to a sculpted 221.

"I really anticipate Thomas having an exciting season," wide receiver Frank Sanders said. "I hope he stays healthy, because he has a chance to do what he's been trying to do -- be a starter. He's bigger, he's more defined. He definitely put in some hours on the weights.

"He's always had the quickness and good hands. Now he's got the offensive line to do it, and it's a really good opportunity."