(My Sportsbook) - Even though it didn't have the perfect ending, the Arizona Cardinals' 2008 season had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. The one-time superstar quarterback, whose best days were thought to be long behind him, resurrects his career and leads a team renowned for its losing ways within an eyelash of seizing the NFL's ultimate prize.

Now the question for Kurt Warner and the defending NFC champion Cardinals becomes whether or not there will be a sequel.

Arizona finally ended what seemed to be an eternity of futility with a magical four-week postseason march that nearly culminated in the franchise's first world title in more than 60 years. And while the Cardinals came up just short in their 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, they gained a measure of respectability that had been missing long before the team packed its bags for the Arizona desert some two decades ago.

Last season's exploits haven't only changed the perception of the organization, they've put the Cardinals in the very unfamiliar role of being a marked team. Arizona enters the 2009 as a heavy favorite to capture a second straight NFC West crown, a notable achievement in itself considering the team hasn't reached the playoffs in back-to-back years since 1974 and 1975.

There's no denying Arizona has the horses to break that dubious streak, however. The Cardinals boast one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses, with a two-time league MVP in Warner at the controls of a quick-strike aerial attack that features the game's premier 1-2 receiver combo in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. A defense that showed a few chinks in the armor during the regular season was dominant at times during last year's playoffs, and sports a host of impact performers such as safety Adrian Wilson, linebacker Karlos Dansby, lineman Darnell Dockett and emerging corner Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie.

That strong and talented nucleus, combined with the anticipated contributions from what appears to be a quality incoming draft class, has Arizona believing it can make a repeat run at a Super Bowl in 2009. Such a notion doesn't seem so far-fetched any more, although the team's window of opportunity may be a short one.

Warner turned 38 in June and underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip, while Boldin's name repeatedly came up in trade rumors throughout the spring because of a lingering squabble with the front office about a contract extension. The Cardinals have also encountered roadblocks in working out a long-term agreement with Dansby, who's had the dreaded franchise tag placed upon him for two straight years.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2009 edition of the Arizona Cardinals, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2008 RECORD: 9-7 (1st, NFC West)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2008, lost to Pittsburgh, 27-23, in Super Bowl

COACH (RECORD): Ken Whisenhunt (17-15 in two seasons with Cardinals, 17-15 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: none

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Billy Davis

OFFENSIVE STAR: Larry Fitzgerald, WR (96 receptions, 1431 yards, 12 TD)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Adrian Wilson, S (75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 32nd rushing, 2nd passing, 4th scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 16th rushing, 22nd passing, 28th scoring

KEY ADDITIONS: RB Chris "Beanie" Wells (1st Round, Ohio State), RB Jason Wright (from Browns), FB Dan Kreider (from Rams), TE Anthony Becht (from Rams), TE Dominique Byrd (from Rams), T Oliver Ross (from Patriots), DT Rodney Leisle (from Saints), CB Bryant McFadden (from Steelers), S Keith Lewis (from 49ers), S Rashad Johnson (3rd Round, Alabama), LS Mike Leach (from Broncos)

KEY DEPARTURES: RB Edgerrin James (to Seahawks), RB J.J. Arrington (released), FB Terrelle Smith (to Lions), G Scott Peters (not tendered), DE Travis LaBoy (released), DE Antonio Smith (to Texans), DE/OLB Cody Brown (out for season/injured), LB Monty Beisel (to Chiefs), CB Roderick Hood (to Browns), CB Eric Green (to Dolphins), LS Nathan Hodel (released)

QB: Warner (4583 passing yards, 30 TD, 14 INT in '08) has never been capable of outrunning defenders, but he proved last season he's winning the race with father time. The affable veteran ranked second in the NFL in passing yards and third in touchdown throws while completing over 67 percent of his attempts last season, and was sensational during Arizona's postseason run. The Cardinals re-signed the four-time Pro Bowler to a two-year deal in March, meaning slow-developing former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart (264 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) is slated for another year of backup duty. Brian St. Pierre, a favorite of head coach Ken Whisenhunt from the latter's days as a Steelers assistant, was also brought back to reprise his role as the seldom- used No. 3 quarterback.

RB: The Cardinals ranked dead last in the league in rushing offense (73.6 ypg) during the 2008 regular season, partly because they were so good at airing it out but also due to the fact that former All-Pro Edgerrin James' skills deteriorated noticeably over his three-year tenure with the club. He was released in April after Arizona selected Ohio State's Chris Wells in the first round of the draft. The 225-pound ex-Buckeye offers a tantalizing mix of power and speed that Whisenhunt has been clamoring for out of his lead back, but spent a great deal of training camp slowed by a sprained ankle and fell behind sophomore Tim Hightower (399 rushing yards, 10 TD, 34 receptions) on the depth chart. While Wells will likely take over the featured role at some point this season, the promise Hightower showed in short-yardage situations and as a receiver during his rookie year should garner the University of Richmond product plenty of time as a situational back. Whisenhunt would like the Cards to be a more balanced and physical team on offense, which explains the offseason signing of fullback Dan Kreider, another former Steeler who's carved out a nine-year NFL career based on his ability to lead-block. Arizona also brought in Jason Wright (85 rushing yards, 22 receptions, 1 TD) from Cleveland to serve as the third running back, although he'll have a fight on his hands from diminutive rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling, a seventh-round draft choice who's turned heads as a return man in the preseason.

WR/TE: The 2008 Cardinals became only the fifth team in league history to produce three players with over 1,000 receiving yards in a single year, with Steve Breaston (77 receptions, 1006 yards, 3 TD) complementing the dynamic duo of Pro Bowlers Fitzgerald (96 receptions, 1421 yards, 12 TD) and Boldin (89 receptions, 1038 yards, 11 TD) and adding another big-play option to an offense that averaged nearly 300 net passing yards per game. Arizona got far less production out of the tight end position, though, as top targets Leonard Pope (9 receptions) and Ben Patrick (11 receptions) combined for a paltry 20 catches and zero touchdowns, while Stephen Spach (2 receptions) and veteran free-agent pickup Anthony Becht (6 receptions with St. Louis) are known more as blocking specialists. Patrick probably has the most upside of the bunch, but he'll have to sit out the season's first four games for testing positive for a banned substance. Since the Cardinals utilize a lot of four-receiver looks, the unsung Jerheme Urban (33 receptions, 4 TD) and second-year talent Early Doucet (14 receptions) both figure to have opportunities to contribute.

OL: The five-man crew of tackles Mike Gandy and Levi Brown, guards Reggie Wells and Deuce Lutui and center Lyle Sendlein returns intact in 2009 and started every game of last year's regular season and playoffs. The group provided solid protection for the hardly-mobile Warner, who was sacked only 26 times over the 16-game schedule and just five more in four postseason tilts. Right tackle Brown, the fifth overall pick of the 2007 draft who's yet to fully realize his considerable potential, and left guard Wells are regarded as the best run-blockers of the unit, while left tackle Gandy is a proven guardian in the passing game with 98 career starts (including playoffs) under his belt. The versatile Elton Brown will be back as the line's primary reserve after re-signing in the offseason, and the Cardinals brought in veteran Melvin Fowler, a former starting center in Buffalo, to push Sendlein at the pivot. The team also chose the massive Herman Johnson in the fifth round of April's draft, with the 6-foot-7, 382-pound ex-LSU Tiger to be groomed as a possible future starter at right tackle.

DL: The Cardinals utilize a three-man front in their base defense highlighted by the energetic Dockett (49 tackles, 4 sacks), an undersized interior player with exceptional quickness who showcased his disruptive skills by sacking Ben Roethlisberger three times in the Super Bowl. The 28-year-old was a Pro Bowl honoree in 2007 after leading all NFL tackles with nine sacks that year. End Antonio Smith, a key contributor to the defense's stark improvement during the playoffs, left for Houston via free agency in the offseason, but the team feels it has a worthy replacement in Calais Campbell (28 tackles), a second- round draft choice last year who possesses a huge 6-foot-7, 290-pound frame and upside to match. Thirteen-year veteran Bryan Robinson (20 tackles, 1 sack) did a credible job playing the nose in 2008 and is back for another year. The 35-year-old figures to rotate with the younger Gabe Watson (20 tackles, 1 sack), a 332-pound space eater who was limited by a knee injury last season. Third-year tackle Alan Branch (6 tackles), a second-round pick in 2007 who's been labeled an underachiever, and sophomore end Kenny Iwebema (3 tackles) return to provide depth.

LB: Dansby (119 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 INT), a Pro Bowl alternate last year, is one of the league's more active linebackers and headlines a seasoned four-man corps. The former college safety is blessed with tremendous speed and range and is also adept in coverage, making him a good complement to fellow inside backer Gerald Hayes (88 tackles, 0.5 sacks), a more physical and downhill player whose strength is defending the run. On the outside, veterans Bertrand Berry (22 tackles, 5 sacks) and Chike Okeafor (60 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT) are both converted ends whose speciality is pressuring the quarterback. Clark Haggans (19 tackles, 1 sack), a former starter in Pittsburgh who spent last year's postseason on injured reserve with a sprained foot, will probably sub in for Berry on early downs. Victor Hobson, who also has starting experience in a 3-4 dating to his days with the Jets, was signed in December to be the primary interior backup, while the Cardinals drafted a pair of outside players with pass-rush potential in Cody Brown (2nd round, Connecticut) and Will Davis (6th, Illinois). Brown, however, suffered a broken wrist during the preseason and will spend his rookie year on IR.

DB: Arizona finished the regular season a lowly 30th in the league in pass efficiency defense, but did improve in that area once the gifted Rodgers- Cromartie (42 tackles, 4 INT, 19 PD) was inserted into the starting lineup midway through the year. Including the playoffs, the 23-year-old snared six interceptions over the final 11 games and displayed the size and speed to become a lock-down cornerback. He'll team up with free-agent pickup Bryant McFadden (41 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack), yet another ex-Steeler who should be an upgrade over 2008 starter Roderick Hood, whom the Cardinals released in April. Journeyman Ralph Brown (23 tackles, 1 INT), who picked off two passes in the postseason and was serviceable as the team's nickel back, was re-signed in the spring to lend a measure of experience. Arizona also hammered out a new five- year contract in the offseason to Wilson (75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT), a two-time All-Pro and team captain who may be the defense's most valuable asset. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder's exceptional size and athleticism make him a force near the line of scrimmage. Free safety Antrel Rolle (89 tackles, 1 INT) is a converted cornerback with good coverage skills and a knack for the big play, as evidenced by the former first-round selection's five touchdowns over the past two years. Reserve safeties Aaron Francisco (56 tackles) and Matt Ware's (21 tackles) primary contributions come on special teams, an area in which projected fourth cornerback Michael Adams (8 tackles) and former 49er safety Keith Lewis (19 tackles) are strong as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Cardinals possess a quality kicker in Neil Rackers, who drilled 25-of-28 field goal attempts last season and has connected on 16 three-pointers from beyond 50 yards during his six-year tenure with the club. The team also thought enough of punter Ben Graham (42.5 avg.) after signing the 35-year-old Aussie last December that he was retained with a two-year deal during the spring. The team will have new blood at both the long snapper, where 10th-year pro Mike Leach was signed in March after being discarded by the new regime in Denver, and kick returner spots after opting not to re-sign backup running back J.J. Arrington. Stephens-Howling appears to have the inside track for Arrington's old spot after breaking off a couple of long runs in the preseason. Arizona wasn't thrilled with Breaston's 7.5 yards per return average on punts last season and has given Rolle a look there during camp, while upgrading coverage units that were below average a year ago was another offseason focus. Reserve wideout Sean Morey was an exception, as the Brown University graduate made the Pro Bowl after leading the Cards with 22 special- teams stops and also blocked a punt in the regular season.

PROGNOSIS: Last year's remarkable postseason performance guarantees that the Cardinals won't be sneaking up on anybody this time around, and how the team handles its new-found status as a contender will go a long way in determining whether or not it can make a similar run in 2009. While Arizona's rather ordinary showing during the regular season raises somewhat of a red flag, its overall talent level and track record makes Whisenhunt's squad the clear-cut favorites of an NFC West division that was one of the league's softest last season. If Warner can stay healthy all year and the Cardinals establish greater balance on offense, this is a team certainly capable of surpassing last's year nine-win total during the regular season.