When the 2012 NFL Draft started on Thursday, most believed that the Arizona Cardinals would be most focused on addressing the offensive line. But when Thursday passed and no lineman was taken and the Friday passed and still lineman taken.
It was starting to look like the previous drafts under Ken Whisenhunt.
Since Whisenhunt was named head coach, he drafted Levi Brown fifth overall in 2007 and then used two seventh round picks in 2008 and 2009 to draft Trevor Canfield and Brandon Keith. Those were the only offensive linemen they drafted.
Enter this offseason. The team tried to woo Peyton Manning, but did so unsuccessfully. They made the promise of addressing the line. Yet all they did was re-sign Levi Brown and sign Adam Snyder.
It had to be the draft.
It took until Saturday, but the Cardinals selected three linemen. The first, tackle Bobbie Massie, was hoped by many fans to have been drafted in the third round. Much to their surprise, Massie as still around when the Cards had their fourth round pick and they swooped him up.
They they drafted Senio Kelemete in the fifth round and then tackle Nate Potter in the seventh round.
So they drafted as many linemen as they had in the last five drafts.
Russ Grimm had to have been smiling.
How that will translate onto the field has yet to be seen, but it took long enough for the team to start addressing the offensive line in the first place. Maybe the line will no longer be a joke.
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