The Arizona Cardinals clearly viewed the 2023 season to rebuild and lay the foundation for the future under new head coach Jonathan Gannon.
While the Cardinals will have two premium picks when the NFL Draft rolls around in April, this is a team that needs to fill multiple holes on both sides of the ball.
They close out the 2023 season against the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks, and while it’s possible to win one or both of those games, it’s highly unlikely based on how the Cardinals have played as of late.
Their 27-16 defeat to the Bears on Sunday wasn’t pretty, and shows you where the Arizona Cardinals stand in terms of talent. The collective performance was uninspired and unwatchable. Unlike some of their recent efforts, Week 16 delivered very little pride and promise for the future.
The Bears (6-9) aren’t exactly among the elite teams in the NFL. Yet they still dominated time of possession (34:32) and finished the game with 420 total yards on offense while converting 8-of-15 of their third down attempts and averaged 6.3 yards per play.
While the Cardinals’ offense certainly needs work, there are some bright spots on that side of the ball, First and foremost,
Kyler Murray is still finding his rhythm after returning on Nov. 12 from a serious ACL injury. The dynamic dual-threat QB has looked great at times, and struggled at others as he attempts to execute a new offense and trust that his knee is 100 percent healthy.
Despite reports of drama between Murray and the organization over the years, he’s their clear franchise QB moving forward.
Still, while Arizona has the No. 24 offense in the NFL, the Cardinals have found success on the ground averaging 129.4 rushing yards per game which ranks 9th in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals Have Some Offensive Pieces In Place
It’s safe to say the Cardinals place a heavy emphasis on defense in the offseason, through the draft and free agency.
The Cardinals currently have the No. 27 defense in the NFL, giving up 367 yards of offense to their opponents per game while allowing 48 opposing touchdowns on the season.
Jonathan Gannon is a defensive-minded head coach, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him utilize at least one of their high draft picks for an elite playmaker that can contribute on that side of the ball immediately.
Offensively, the Arizona Cardinals actually have a few pieces in place. With Kyler Murray’s current contract, it’s highly unlikely he will be traded or released so Arizona is committed to him for at least 2024.
James Conner missed four games and still has 717 rushing yards, good for 12th best in the NFC. He’s averaging 5.0 yards per carry which is just behind Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers (5.3 yards per carry).
One of the biggest bright spots for the Cardinals offense has been tight end Trey McBride, who has developed clear chemistry with Murray. McBride leads all NFL tight ends in receptions 38) and receiving yards (425) since Kyler Murray made his season debut in Week 10.
Here’s where McBride currently stands among NFC Tight Ends:
- T.J. Hockenson —- 902 yards, 9.9 ave., 5 TDs
- George Kittle —- 865 yards, 15.7 ave., 6 TDs
- Sam LaPorta —- 758 yards, 10.7 ave., 9 TDs
- Trey McBride —- 712 yards, 10.8 ave., 2 TDs
Finally, while it isn’t a glamorous position, the Cardinals have one of the best guards in the NFL in WIll Hernandez.
He finds himself in good company PFF grade-wise with the leading vote getters at guard in the AFC and NFC:
- Zack Martin DAL —- 71.1
- Kevin Zeitler BAL —- 69 7
- Will Hernandez ARI —- 69.6
Trade Proposal For Stefon Diggs Would Drastically Help Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray has played his best football when he has a true dynamic No.1 threat at WR.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Arizona Cardinals parted ways with star WR DeAndre Hopkins, who developed a clear rapport with Murray and they had success during their time together.
Hopkins took part in 35 regular season games during his three-year run with Arizona, where he hauled in 221 receptions for 2,696 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches. He earned one Pro Bowl nod while with the NFC West side.
This season, the Cardinals lack a true No. 1 WR. Marquise Brown attempted to fill the void left by Hopkins but hasn’t surpassed 100 yards in a single game this season and has been injured since the matchup vs. the Steelers on Dec. 3.
Bleacher Report put together a list of 6 shocking offseason trades that could shake up the NFL offseason and they have Arizona trading for Buffalo Bills star WR Stefan Diggs. Not only do they have a trade for Diggs as a possibility, they predict the Cardinals will select Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. with their top three pick. That combination would instantly be one of the top wide receiver duos in all of the NFL.
Here’s what they propose:
Bills Receive: 2024 first-round pick (via Houston), 2025 third-round pick
Cardinals Receive: WR Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs made the ESPN list and has been the focus of trade speculation going back to last offseason. The receiver isn’t shy about letting people know when he’s frustrated and there’s a reason he’s had to address his relationship with the team on multiple occasions.
As Dan Graziano noted, how the Bills season ends could have a lot to do with whether the trade speculation picks up again.
Diggs’ production recently could lead to more frustration even though it has come in Bills victories. He’s been held under 50 yards in four of the last five games after hitting that benchmark in each of the team’s first nine contests.
If things have truly gone south, then the Cardinals would be an interesting team to come calling. They have two first-round picks, which would allow them to use theirs and deal the one they got from Houston last year.
However, the Texans pick is trending toward the middle of the draft order, which would still allow the Bills to continue getting younger as they build around Allen in his second contract.
Jonathan Gannon and the Cards should be looking to show signs of drastic improvement in 2024. Kyler Murray’s absence was a built-in reason to struggle this year. Now Gannon has to prove he can thrive The Cardinals have $56.1 million in 2024 cap space, per Spotrac. And potentially outfitting Murray with Stefon Diggs and Marvin Harrison Jr. immediately makes them one of the league’s most intriguing offenses.