Already a commercial success, Leinart starts over

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, July 25, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Matt Leinart had his moments as a rookie, and they earned him a lot of national exposure during the offseason. But as training camp begins this week, he'll have to prove it all over again.

As a rookie in Dennis Green's pass-first offense, Leinart set a franchise record with 2,547 aerial yards and also set an NFL rookie record with 405 yards passing in a game in Minnesota.

All of that earned Leinart a place in the marketing world, including a commercial for the new NCAA football video game, a DirecTV ad with Peyton Manning and his family and a promotional spot with Terry Bradshaw for FOX's pre-game show.

But Leinart must forget all of that because, with Ken Whisenhunt replacing Green as the Cardinals' coach, the quarterback has to learn an entirely new offense -- Leinart's third in three years. Unlike Green's spread "Air Coryell" offense, Whisenhunt's scheme is the old Erhardt-Perkins style that features a power running game.

Leinart reportedly was not sharp in his first workouts with the new staff, but that might have been thanks to the fact that he suffered a sprained left shoulder in the penultimate game last season. Leinart did not need surgery and is expected to be ready to go when camp starts. But he will have to adjust to a revamped offensive line and a new blocking scheme that includes a fullback.

While many are expecting Leinart to take the supposedly natural step in his second season, it's certainly no guarantee.

As Darren Urban of the East Valley Tribune recently wrote, "I believe that everyone -- inside the organization, fans and media, too -- not only has high expectations for No. 7 but [thinks] that he won't have any trouble reaching that level. Not a lot of second-year quarterbacks can hit that target. Thinking Leinart will light it up, especially in a new system, may be unfair."

But Leinart has drawn the praise of Whisenhunt. The coach pointed out that Leinart seemed more comfortable in the offense the second time through and had taken a leadership role in workouts all offseason. Leinart has won over his teammates, who appear to believe he is ready to master not only a third offense in three years, but NFL defenses as well.

"Leinart himself believes it," Urban wrote. "And his confidence is palpable when you are around him. His teammates have to sense that, and that can only help."

As camp begins this week, Leinart is ready to prove it all over again. And if he does, he'll receive even more national exposure next offseason.

Original Arizona Cardinals insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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