Cards Balance Offense, Deepen Defense

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Assuming the loss of last year's offensive coordinator Todd Haley -- and also assuming they keep Anquan Boldin around and happy -- doesn't prove catastrophic, the Arizona Cardinals have built one juggernaut of an offense. Along with Kurt Warner, two of the league's best wideouts, a quality slot receiver and Tim Hightower, the Cardinals have now added an NFL-ready every down back for good balance. Edgerrin James was on his last legs in 2008, and Hightower isn't suited to handle a full load. Enter: Chris "Beanie" Wells.

With the addition of Wells, the Cardinals have released James. They now have two good young running backs which should help take a little attention off the prolific passing offense in the desert. I mentioned last week Knowshon Moreno would have provided a better fit for the Cardinals, but they didn't need to trade up that high for him. Wells at 31 is good value and he'll fit in with the offense. If the durability issues -- which is why many think he fell so far -- are real, the Cardinals can limit his workload to about 20 touches a game and give Hightower 10.

In addition to shoring up the rushing offense, the Cardinals needed to fill the pass rushing hole left by Antonio Smith -- who signed with Houston this offseason -- and to add some depth behind an aging defensive line. Defensive ends Cody Brown and Will Davis fit the bill just fine.

I didn't foresee corner as a position of need, but the Cardinals drafted Gregory Toler in the fourth round. They then turned around and released Roderick Hood, in a cost-saving measure. Considering the Cardinals are now $8.7 million under the salary cap, one could surmise that cutting Hood and Travis LaBoy -- as the Cardinals did Tuesday -- was done to free up funding for Boldin. It's possible the Cards decided to grab a second defensive end (LaBoy's position) and a corner after realizing they couldn't trade Boldin before the draft for reasonable returns. If this really was the plan, it was very astute.

The Cardinals also added two offensive lineman, a safety and a running back. All look to be depth moves.

Draft Picks
1 (31) Wells, RB, Ohio State
2 (63) Brown, DE, Connecticut
3 (95) Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama
4 (131) Toler, CB, St. Paul's College
5 (167) Herman Johnson, OT, LSU
6 (204) Davis, DE, Illinois
7 (240) LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, Pittsburgh
7 (254) Trevor Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

GRADE: B+. They didn't hit any home runs, but fulfilled several needs and bettered their team. If memory serves correctly, a "B" means "above average." Considering they didn't really have a shot at a home run, though, we'll throw a plus on the end of the grade.