The Arizona Cardinals off-season has been seemingly painful from a personnel perspective. Hall of Famer to be QB Kurt Warner called it a career, S Antrel Rolle went on to greener pastures in New York, perennial all-pro WR Anquan Boldin was traded for basically a 4th round draft pick, DE Bertrand Berry retired, CB Bryant McFadden was traded back to Pittsburgh, and LB Karlos Dansby moved on to Miami. The turnover has been substantial with nearly 30% of the team turning over.

The Cardinals luckily retained their most important asset for the 2010. No, I am not talking about Adrian Wilson or Larry Fitzgerald, rather I am referring to Ken Whisenhunt. Ever since his arrival, the losing mentality of the old Arizona Cardinals went out the window. In his three years with the Cardinals, thus far he is 27-21 (.563), accompanied with a 4-2 playoff record and a thrilling NFC Championship in 2008. To put this in perspective, they were 16-32 (.333) the previous 3 years under Dennis Green with no playoff appearances. Whisenhunt instantly brought a sense of competition and vigor to the Cardinals players that wasn’t there previously.This is of how Kurt Warner ultimately won the starting job over Matt Leinart. Coming from a winning organization such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Whisenhunt came in and simply expected to win. He clearly is an excellent motivator of players as Larry Fitzgerald has evolved into a top receiver in the NFL; veteran players such as Clark Haggans, Bryan Robinson and Bertrand Berry performed above and beyond their age, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is quickly becoming a top CB in the league.

Despite the fact Whisenhunt is such as great coach, he still needs some personnel to work with. Troubled former Jets S Kerry Rhodes replaces Antrel Rolle and there is some belief that second-round pick Daryl Washington can eventually replace Dansby. In terms of WR the Cardinals will likely not miss a beat. Steve Breaston and Early Doucet have both proved themselves as viable NFL receivers.

The main question that is of concern to most Cardinal fans is Matt Leinart. Leinart was a former number 10 pick in the draft and may be getting his last chance to grab the reigns as a Cardinals starter. Leinart has spent the better part of 4 years learning the pro game, and he inherits an offense stacked with talent and explosiveness. Leinart isn’t expected necessarily to fill Warner’s shoes. Whisenhunt likely will revert the offense to more of a smash mouth, run-the-ball-down-your-throat style that the Steelers displayed with Jerome Bettis over the years. Beanie Wells is poised for breakout season, and, along with Tim Hightower, they make up one of the most potent backfields in the NFL. The acquisition of strong-armed-but-erratic Derek Anderson from Cleveland indicates that Leinart may be on a short leash this season.

Many pundits expect the Cardinals to take a step back this season in comparison to the Pete Carroll-led Seahawks team as well as the 49ers. However, I have a feeling that Ken Whisenhunt finds a way to win this division for a 3rd season in a row.