Optimism regarding the Arizona Cardinals' chances of flying over both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks to claim the NFC West title rests heavily in a revamped offensive line.
The hopefulness stems from a belief that the addition of underrated left tackle Jared Veldheer and the return of guard Jonathan Cooper -- the No. 7 overall pick in 2013 who missed all of his rookie season with a broken leg -- would solidify the sieve in front of Carson Palmer.
So far coach Bruce Arians isn't thrilled with Cooper's comeback.
"I'm a little disappointed with where Coop is at right now," Arians said, per the team's official website. "I'd hope he come a little faster."
The coach admitted that some of the guard's struggles are due to rustiness but added that backup Earl Watford, a 2013 fourth-round pick, has been pushing Cooper for playing time.
"To get back into the speed of the game, he needs to pick it up," Arians said, per KGME-AM's Mike Jurecki. "We need to see that special player we drafted last year."
The Cardinals were one of the NFL's best teams down the stretch last season in part because the offense began picking up steam. If Arizona is to improve upon that success, it needs better blocking, and that starts with getting the real Jonathan Cooper to shed the rust casing.
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