The Arizona Cardinals will have to weather an early-season challenge as wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss the first six games, having been suspended for PED use.
We know the end of last season did not go well without Hopkins after he went down with a knee injury. The passing game production dropped, as Antoine Wesley understandably was unable to produce at the same level as Hopkins and, because of changes in opposing coverages not needing to focus on Hopkins, the production of both Christian Kirk and A.J. Green also declined.
However, they are better prepared to play without Hopkins.
Their starting trio of wideouts will now be Green, newly acquired Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore. In addition, they have veteran tight end Zach Ertz and rookie Trey McBride, selected in the second round.
When Hopkins went down, head coach Kliff Kingsbury simply slid Wesley into the ‘X’ spot and did not change the roles of Green or Kirk. It made sense in that sense.
With time and reps in the offseason, it probably makes sense to adjust positions. Green can play the ‘X’, Brown can play the ‘Z’ and Moore play in the slot.
By getting offseason and training camp reps to Green at ‘X’ and ‘Z’ and Brown both at the ‘Z’ and in the slot, they will be prepared to perform well before and after Hopkins returns.
That trio is much more solid than last year’s adjustments, and if you factor in Ertz and even McBride, the Cardinals’ passing game should be fine.
They should still be able to move the ball easily in the passing game.
And the fact that the loss is coming at the start of the season and they know about it months in advance, they are in a position to handle it without it being a disaster.
And when he returns, the offense will get a boost and be in position to avoid the late-season problems they had the last two seasons.
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