Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner will be in a duel for the starting QB job in 2008.  Based on the QBs play the last two years it shouldn’t be that hard of a decision.  If the Cardinals are smart they will start the cagey veteran…..Kurt Warner.  Warner took over for the injured Matt Leinart last season and the Cardinals’ offense took flight.  Sure, Warner does throw quite a few pickoffs but he nullified those by racking up many more TD passes.  He still has enough arm to make all of the throws needed in the Cardinals’ offense but he often looks like a statue in the pocket.  Warner played in 14 games (11 starts) for the Cardinals last season and he completed 281 of 451 passes (62.3%) for 3,417 yards with 27 TD passes and 17 interceptions (89.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 17 times for 15 yards (0.9 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Warner has come a long way since packing groceries before the Rams called him all of those years ago and he has very impressive career numbers that he should add to this season.  Warner has now played in 93 games (85 starts) and he has completed 1,926 of 2,959 passes (65.1%) for 24,008 yards with 152 TD passes and 100 interceptions (93.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 134 times for 278 yards (2.1 ypc) with 3 TD runs.

Matt Leinart was supposed to be the savior of the Arizona Cardinals when they drafted him out of USC two years ago but he has not improved one bit as a football player.  He has a strong enough arm to succeed but he often holds the ball too long and throws it into spaces that he shouldn’t resulting in turnovers.  Leinart also doesn’t have much mobility in the pocket making him often a sitting duck.  Leinart will have a hard time beating out Kurt Warner unless he really improves in training camp.   He played in 5 games (all starts) last season for the Cardinals and he completed 60 of 112 passes (53.6%) for 647 yards with 2 TD passes and 4 interceptions (71.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 11 times for 42 yards (3.8 ypc).  Leinart’s career numbers look awful and it will be interesting to see if he can improve on them this season.  Leinart has now played in 17 games (16 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 274 of 489 passes (56%) for 3,194 yards with 13 TD passes and 16 interceptions (71.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 33 times for 91 yards (2.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs.

Brian St. Pierre will be the #3 QB for the Cardinals this season and he has ties to Ken Whisenhunt’s days in Pittsburgh so he knows the offense.  He doesn’t have a strong arm and the Cardinals would likely have to take some plays out of the playbook if St. Pierre were forced into the starting lineup.   He only has played in 1 game (0 starts) in his NFL career and he has thrown 1 incomplete pass and he has carried the ball 4 times for -3 yards (-0.8 ypc).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B-