Young Diamondbacks look to continue on success of last year. The Arizona Diamondbacks surprised a great number of people last year as they struck out of nowhere to claim the National League West division title. The Diamondbacks return most of their young prospects and added big names in order to take that next step in the playoffs.

Bats. This Diamondbacks team is simply loaded with young offensive talent. There really isn’t any other way to put it. The offense will rely on the young bats the likes of Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, and Chris Young. All four of these guys proved that they belong in the bigs, and all of them are destined for great careers. The fact that they are all starting out in the same place at the same time is a testament to how well this organization has been run. In addition the Diamondbacks have Eric Byrnes, who will look to repeat his career year form last year, and hopefully avoid any announcing booths this fall. Mark Reynolds at third base is another young stud who had a good year in somewhat limited duties last year. Besides Byrnes the only real veteran of note is Orlando Hudson who will be about as consistent as you could ask for at second base hitting a solid .280 and hitting anywhere between 10-15 home runs and being solid defensively. This line is filled with talent, and the scariest part for the rest of the National League is that they’re all so very young, and that could be a concern for the Diamondbacks as well. What happens if all of these guys hit a sophomore slump? Fortunately for them it doesn’t appear as if that will happen, and really there isn’t a weak spot in this lineup. Read the rest of this entry »

For the entire month of August, the Sportable Staff will look at one National Football League team a day. We?ll look at their offense, defense and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the NFC East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

Can Whisenhunt Change Arizona’s Culture of Losing?
There’s a few things in Arizona that are a given: Heat, cactus, a city that’s spread out far too much and a shitty NFL team. For the last few years, we’ve been hearing that the Arizona Cardinals are the team that will break out and win the NFC West. Although there’s been a better product on the field, not much has changed in Arizona. In the last five years, the Cardinals haven’t won more than six games in a season. But things could be changing with the hiring of former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisehunt, who becomes the 8th head coach in Arizona since 1988. Will things be any different?

Offense
It’s been a gradual build but the Arizona Cardinals look like a team set to be very tough on offense. In 2006, rookie quarterback Matt Leinart started 11 games and showed why he won a Heisman Trophy at USC. And he’s in a great situation. Leinart should blossom under the tutelage of Whisehunt, who helped turn Ben Roethlisberger into a Super Bowl winner. Leinart sits ahead of veteran Kurt Warner on the depth chart. Warner has been as supportive of Leinart and appears willing to play the role of mentor. Leinart threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his rookie season.

Much like his time at USC, Leinart is blessed with a number of weapons. Veteran running back Edgerrin James had a disappointing first year with the Cardinals. However, look for him to find his feet during his second year in the NFC. James ran for 1150 yards and six touchdowns but gained just 3.4 yards a carry. He didn’t have a run over 20 yards all year. Look for that to change in 2007. Whisehunt shitcanned a good number of Cardinal linemen from 2006. He even used the 5th overall pick on a lineman, offensive tackle Levi Brown. The Cardinals also signed center Al Johnson and Bills lineman Mike Gandy. Unlike most teams’ infatuation with the left tackle, the Cardinals’ pivotal position will be right tackle because of their lefty quarterback.

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