Are the Arizona Cardinals expected to do well in 2023? No.
They are expected to be worse than their 4-13 season last year
They were named by USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz as one of five teams taking steps back in 2023 rather than making progress forward and improving their roster.
How does a team that went 4-13 take a step back? Just look to the bleeding of what little premium talent existed on this roster. J.J. Watt’s retirement and Zach Allen’s move to the Denver Broncos leave the pass rush without a player who recorded more than four sacks last year. On the back end of the defense, top cornerback Byron Murphy bolted for the Minnesota Vikings, and five-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker has requested a trade. And in late May, Arizona released No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins with nothing to show for the decision besides a bit more cap space and a $22.6 million dead-money hit for the upcoming season.
The focus of the next few months, however, will be on quarterback Kyler Murray’s recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last December. New coach Jonathan Gannon said in May that Murray is “a long way away, but we don’t play for a long time, either.” If the former No. 1 pick misses time at the start of the season, things could get especially ugly for the Cardinals as Colt McCoy once again fills in behind center.
This is hard to argue.
They have a rookie GM, rookie head coach and rookie offensive and defensive coordinators.
Four of their best players (Hopkins, Murphy, Allen and Watt) are no longer on the roster. Two of their best players (Murray and Zach Ertz) are returning from ACL injuries.
They have the lowest projected win total in the NFL.
The Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams are the other teams named as having taken steps back rather than forward.
It isn’t exciting and they could be a tough team to watch this coming season, but the roster teardown is needed to allow GM Monti Ossenfort to build the roster the way he wants it.
Did they take a step back? Perhaps. Is it to be able to take bigger steps forward in coming seasons? Yes.
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