Arizona Cardinals awards - 2014 NFL season

The Cardinals don't hold an end-of-the-season awards banquet. That's for high schools and colleges.

In the NFL, players clean out their lockers, sign jerseys, footballs and helmets for each other and then head to vehicles that are backed into parking spots, valet-style. That's how the season ends.

But before everyone gets too far down the road from the 2014 season, it's worth taking a look back at the accomplishments and disappointments.

Most valuable player

Left tackle Jared Veldheer: The Cardinals haven't had an elite left tackle since Lomas Brown left after the 1998 season. Veldheer changed that. He was the top priority in free agency, and his signing gave coach Bruce Arians a lot less to worry about.

According to profootballfocus.com (PFF), Veldheer allowed one sack all season. The few left tackles who preceded Veldheer in Arizona seemed to give up sacks running out of the tunnel before the game. PFF rated Veldheer as the ninth best tackle in the NFL, and he didn't miss a snap.

Contenders: Defensive end Calais Campbell had a productive season and was unblockable in some games. But he missed two games with a knee sprain and was limited in a couple of others. Safety Rashad Johnson's impact on the defense can't be told through statistics alone, although he was second on the team in tackles and first in interceptions. Johnson is smart and devotes considerable time to film study. He directed traffic in the secondary and played consistently well all season.

Rookie of the year

Kicker Chandler Catanzaro: The Cardinals assumed some risk when they kept Catanzaro over Jay Feely and it paid off. A rookie free agent, Catanzaro made 29 of 33 field-goal tries, and his kickoffs were consistently high and deep. He was mentally tough enough to pull out of a slump that saw him miss four of 10 field-goal attempts in one stretch. He made the next seven.

Contenders: Safety Deone Bucannon, the first-round pick, played well as the mike linebacker in nickel and dime packages. A physical player, Bucannon gave the Cardinals speed at the position, something they needed after losing Daryl Washington. Bucannon faded toward the end of the year, but overall, it was a promising season for him. Receiver John Brown made dynamic plays but he also dropped too many passes.

Biggest disappointment

Guard Jonathan Cooper: It was obvious in training camp that Cooper was still affected by the broken leg suffered as a rookie in 2013. Ted Larsen beat him out for the job, and Cooper continued to deal with injuries (knee, toe). He started two games late in the year when Paul Fanaika was out with a knee injury and started to show flashes of why the Cardinals took him seventh overall. But he suffered a fractured wrist and didn't play again. At this point, we don't know if Cooper can play because he hasn't stayed healthy.

Contenders: Ted Ginn Jr., who signed a three-year deal that included a $2.25 million signing bonus, was the fifth receiver most of the season. He was awful as a kick returner, although that wasn't all his fault. The blocking was poor, too. Tight end John Carlson dropped more than his share of passes and his playing time decreased. Linebacker Kevin Minter (pectoral) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (knee, thumb), the second- and third-round picks in 2013, didn't contribute much, either.

Most electrifying play

John Brown, 75-yard touchdown reception against the Eagles. Down 20-17 with less than two minutes left, the Cardinals faced third and 5. Seeing a safety ready to blitz, quarterback Carson Palmer decided to go deep, even though it was third down. Brown made an over-the-shoulder catch for the score. The Cardinals held on for a 24-20 victory.

Contenders: Brown, again, against the Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. Palmer suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the fourth quarter, and Drew Stanton entered with the Cardinals trailing 14-10. On his first series, Stanton threw deep to Brown, who made a diving catch for a 48-yard touchdown.

Comeback player

Right tackle Bobby Massie: He made so many mental errors in 2013 training camp that coaches were afraid to play him. So they didn't. This year, Massie looked like a different player. He made few mental mistakes and he played every snap.

Contenders: Outside linebacker Alex Okafor. He missed most of 2013, his rookie year, with a torn biceps tendon. He impressed during off-season workouts and improved steadily throughout the season, finishing with eight sacks to lead the team.