With GM Monti Ossenfort likely done making major roster moves, it’s time to take stock of the overall roster. We’ll take a look at each position group on the offense today, with defense coming next week.
The free agent frenzy is over, the draft is in the rearview, and the Arizona Cardinals roster you see now is very similar to the one they will enter the regular season with in just a few short months.
It’s been a good offseason for the Redbirds. GM Monti Ossenfort addressed several roster holes in free agency without breaking the bank and, by all accounts, aced his second draft in a row. Our roster is looking much better than it did when last season ended, both for 2024 and beyond. Isn’t it a great feeling to have a GM who seems to know how to actually build a team?
With most major roster moves behind us, it’s a good time to take stock of the overall roster. I want to look at each position group through a few different lenses: starters, depth, and future outlook. I’ll use the following scale for rating purposes:
- All Set: We have all the players we need, whether for 2024 or future seasons. Monti is done adding here for the foreseeable future. (There will be very few of these.)
- In Good Shape: We’re looking good but are still a player or two away from All Set. Monti will be looking for small upgrades here and there.
- Work In Progress: Things are very unsettled—we’re multiple players away from In Good Shape and All Set is just a dream. Monti will be looking for major upgrades.
This is just a quick, back-of-the-envelope exercise, but it’ll help paint a picture of how the roster is looking overall. We’ll tackle the offense today and defense and special teams next week. Let’s dive in.
Quarterbacks
Starter: Kyler Murray
All Set: By the time the season starts, Kyler will be almost two years removed from his ACL injury and will have had his first full offseason in OC Drew Petzing’s system. He looked rusty but solid in his 8 starts last season, and his supporting cast is massively improved. Entering his age-27 season, he’ll try to return to Pro Bowl form, if not make a leap into the truly elite tier of NFL QBs. There may be debate about his ranking among all NFL QBs, but he’s a proven commodity.
Depth: Desmond Ridder, Clayton Tune
All Set: Ridder was a bit miscast as a starter in Atlanta but he should fill the backup QB role well here in the desert, giving us our best backup since we had a healthy Colt McCoy. Tune is actually older than Ridder and has seen the team trade for two backup QBs since drafting him, which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence. But you could do worse than him for a #3, I suppose. But these guys should capably hold down the backup QB fort this year.
Future Outlook: All Set
We have our franchise QB signed for another 5 years, Ridder for another 2 years, and Tune for 3 years (if he lasts that long). Maybe Ossenfort takes a shot on another developmental QB in another couple years, but you don’t figure he’ll be making any major moves here anytime soon.
Running Backs
Starter: James Conner
All Set: Conner is about as perfect a fit as you could hope for this team: he’s a rugged, team-first leader who leaves it all on the field every Sunday. He made the Pro Bowl three years ago but has played even better the past two seasons, seeing his yards and YPC increase even as his touchdown total has fallen to more normal levels than the 18 he scored in 2021. He’s also played a career-high 13 games in each of the past two seasons. Conner is locked and loaded here.
Depth: Trey Benson, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado
All Set: Okay, I know I said there would be very few instances of All Set, but, really, does anyone think the team needs to add at QB/RB at this point? Trey Benson was a gift in Round 3, a talented back who should contribute right away and figures to be Conner’s heir apparent. Carter and Demercado were both solid when they saw the field last season and should make the roster. The RB room is looking just fine.
Future Outlook: In Good Shape
Adding Benson was such a smart move by Monti, as Conner is 29, which is about 53 years old in running back years. This season could very well be his last as a productive starter. You hope not, but history is not on his side. Either way, Benson should be ready to take over next season. Adding another rotational back at that point probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either, depending on Demercado’s development. But RB is one of the easiest positions to find anymore, so Monti shouldn’t have to look too hard.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Starters: Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Trey McBride
In Good Shape: If everyone plays up to their potential, we’d be All Set here. We have all the pieces: alpha WR1; big, dynamic WR2; solid slot guy; rapidly ascending TE. It’s just a matter of each of them putting it all together. Will there be any learning curve for MHJ? Is Wilson ready to be a WR2? Can Dortch be a full-time player? Can McBride take his place among the game’s elite? This is an exciting group; now, let’s see them live up to the hype.
Depth: Chris Moore, Zach Pascal, Tejjaun Palmer, Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman
Work In Progress: I’m much (MUCH) less confident in our depth here. Moore is a proven vet who has flashed here and there, but he’s also already 30. Pascal barely saw barely saw the field last year and is no lock to make the roster. Palmer is a 6th-round rookie. Maybe he or UDFA Xavier Weaver flashes in camp? There are also several intriguing-ish guys behind them (Andre Baccellia, Daniel Arias, Jeff Smith, et al.). At TE, Higgins looked decent last year and Reiman is a 3rd-round rookie. So tons of journeymen and young guys. Let’s squeeze the last out of the old guys and hope the young guys develop quickly.
Future Outlook: In Good Shape
MHJ and McBride by themselves are enough to earn this rating, but there is plenty of upside here besides them. Maybe Wilson is the Tee Higgins to MHJ’s Ja’Marr Chase. Maybe Dortch becomes a Wes Welker/Julian Edelman-type slot guy. Maybe Higgins or Reiman becomes, uh, another good TE to McBride’s Gronk. This is wishcasting, of course, but this group has been remade in a hurry and Cardinals fans have to be optimistic, even if there is still work to be done (WR depth especially).
Offensive Line
Starters: Paris Johnson Jr., Elijah Wilkinson, Hjalte Froholdt, Will Hernandez, Jonah Williams
In Good Shape: The O-line was surprisingly solid last season, paving the way for the league’s 4th-best rushing attack and hovering around the middle of the pack for sacks given up. This unit would probably be regarded a bit better if we had had stronger QB play the first half of the season while Kyler was out. PJJ and Williams should be strong bookends (especially with hoped/expected development from PJJ) and the interior should be solid if not spectacular. This group doesn’t figure to be a major worry, which is about all you can ask at this point. (Note that one guard spot is up in the air; I just went with Wilkinson since he started the most last year.)
Depth: Kelvin Beachum, Evan Brown, Trysan Colon, Isaiah Adams, Christian Jones
In Good Shape: The depth seems solid as well. Beachum is a stalwart backup tackle, Brown has a ton of starting experience and could easily overtake Wilkinson, Colon started several games last season, and Adams and Jones are both midround picks with plenty of upside. There are also other familiar names like Jackson Barton and Jon Gaines II hanging around as well. Monti has done a great job remaking the O-line, with only Hernandez and Beachum as holdovers from the final Kliff/Keim season.
Future Outlook: Work In Progress
That said, I’m not sure how many long-term pieces are on the current roster aside from PJJ (who, it must be said, did not exactly have a dominant rookie season even though he played every snap). Hernandez, Froholdt, and Williams are all still relatively young (ranging from 26-28) but seem more like bridge players to me than foundational pieces. Adams and Jones give this unit some much-needed long-term upside, but we don’t know what we have in either of them yet. I’d expect O-line to be at the top of Monti’s list next offseason.
Final Thoughts
If I were to give the offense and overall rating, it would be In Good Shape. I think all the pieces are there for this unit to be in the top half of the league. If Kyler can return to Pro Bowl form with an improved supporting cast and a solid line in front of him, this team should score a lot more points and be a lot more fun to watch than it was last season. I think we’re probably a year away from challenging for the top-10, but that might very well be in the top end of our range of outcomes this year.
Moving forward, Monti needs to continue rebuilding the O-line. The unit he has now should get the job done, but it’s still another premium player or two (whether added through free agency or the draft) from becoming the kind of dominant unit you know he and HC Jonathan Gannon want. From there, adding quality WR and RB depth should be his next priorities.
I’ll tackle defense next week. Spoiler: Things aren’t looking nearly as rosy on that side of the ball.
But it’s your turn to talk offense for now. What do you think, Cardinals fans? How is the offense looking to you? Vote in the poll below and give us your evaluation in the comments.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login