The Arizona Cardinals will be the “pop” team in the 2020 NFL season, bouncing back from their 5-10-1 record in 2019. Kyler Murray was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and with second-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury, he’s ready to take a giant leap forward.
Make sure to check out all of our other NFL team previews.
Offseason Recap
The Cardinals’ offseason has placed them in a position to double their win total in 2020. Their biggest acquisition was the trade for three-time First-Team All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans received running back David Johnson and a second-round pick in exchange for Hopkins and a fourth. Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.
On defense, they added linebackers De’Vondre Kennard and Devon Kennard via free agency. They combined for nine sacks in 2019. They also signed defensive lineman Jordan Phillips, who had a career year in Buffalo last season with 9.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
The draft is where the Cardinals shined in April. They landed the best linebacker/safety in the draft in Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson. His presence will secure a few holes on that defense. They also improved their offensive line in the third round by drafting tackle Josh Jones out of Houston. He was given a late first-, early second-round grade by many draft analysts. They capped off the draft by selecting hometown running back Eno Benjamin from Arizona State University.
Offense
This is the shining jewel of the team. They were the most improved offensive team in 2019 after being ranked dead last in 2018. The credit for that improvement is equally split by Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray.
The passing game has the potential to finish in the top 10. Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, and Christian Kirk could all finish with 1,000 receiving yards apiece.
The running game was great in 2019, finishing second only to the Baltimore Ravens with 5.03 yards per rush. Kenyan Drake had some breakout games after being traded by Miami before the deadline last year and he will continue to be productive in 2020. Chase Edmonds also impressed when David Johnson was injured.
Defense
The Cardinals have a quiet, good defense. Their pass rush is led by Chandler Jones, who had 19 sacks in 2019. He will continue to put up big numbers.
They just extended safety Budda Baker on a four-year $59 million contract, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. He has zero career interceptions but has a knack for making big plays for this team. The secondary outside of Baker is loaded. They still have Patrick Peterson and Jalen Thompson, and they signed Dre Kirkpatrick this offseason.
Arizona is making Budda Baker the highest-paid safety in NFL history, giving him a four-year, $59 million contract extension, per @AdamSchefter.
Baker's career grades/rank:
🔹 74.6 PFF Grade (37th)
🔹 88.7 RunD Grade (6th)
🔹 85.3 Pass-Rush Grade (T-6th) pic.twitter.com/4QlthL5HD1— PFF (@PFF) August 25, 2020
The NFC West is loaded with offensive talent, so don’t expect crazy defensive numbers for the Cardinals, but they will be better than the numbers portray.
Predicting the 53 Man Roster
QB (3) – Kyler Murray, Brett Hundley, Chris Streveler
This is Murray’s team. Hundley has proven to be a reliable backup and can step in and make plays when needed. Streveler is a fringe player, but he’s been seeing action on special teams so he’ll make the cut.
RB (3) – Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmonds, Eno Benjamin
Benjamin could be the steal of the draft for the Cardinals. He plays fast and has the upside to be a threat on third down. He can also play on special teams, which gives him the edge over D.J. Foster, who may end up on the practice squad.
WR (6) – DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella, KeeSean Johnson, Trent Sherfield
The top three receivers are all Pro Bowl-caliber players. Isabella, Johnson, and Sherrifield have made progress on their abilities in training camp and the coaching staff has praised them to the media. Last year’s fourth-round pick, Hakeem Butler, hasn’t been talked about much and could miss the cut.
TE (3) – Maxx Williams, Dan Arnold, Darrell Daniels
Arnold is the breakout player that fantasy players and opposing teams need to look out for. At 6-foot-6, he became the favorite red zone target of Murray near the end of 2019. Plus, his blocking ability is underrated.
OL (10) – D.J. Humphries, Justin Pugh, Mason Cole, J.R. Sweezy, Kelvin Beachum, Justin Murray, Josh Jones, Max Garcia, Lamont Gaillard, Joshua Miles
Marcus Gilbert opted out, which is a devastating blow for this line. They will need Jones to develop quickly into a starting-caliber right tackle. The only questionable pick here is Miles, but it depends on whether or not they want nine or 10 linemen.
DL (6) – Jordan Phillips, Corey Peters, Zach Allen, Jonathan Bullard, Leki Fotu, Rashard Lawrence
Phillips, Peters, and Allen will be great this year at getting after the quarterback. They might keep a seventh defensive lineman, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been adamant that they will be using three inside linebackers at once in many sets.
EDGE (5) – Chandler Jones, Devon Kennard, Kylie Fitts, Haason Reddick, Dennis Gardeck
Jones and Kennard are the highlights of the front seven. Gardeck is making an impact in camp, earning the praise of Joseph on numerous occasions. He will be great as a situational edge rusher and on special teams.
LB (5) – Jordan Hicks, De’Vondre Campbell, Isaiah Simmons, Evan Weaver, Ezekiel Turner
Simmons is listed at linebacker, but he provides versatility at all three levels of the defense. Weaver was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Cal and is believed to be a future starting linebacker in the league.
CB (5) – Patrick Peterson, Dre Kirkpatrick, Byron Murphy, B.W. Webb, Chris Jones
Murphy and Jones are great additions to this team and they add depth. Arizona also inked a deal with Ken Crawley this offseason, but the recent signing of Kirkpatrick makes him expendable on this roster.
SAF (4) – Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Deionte Thompson, Chris Banjo
There is only room for four safeties with this construction, so Deionte Thompson and Banjo will make the cut over Charles Washington. They both provide more freedom for this defense.
ST (3) – Zane Gonzalez, Andy Lee, Aaron Brewer
Lee is an impending free agent, so it’s tough to leave punter Ryan Winslow off the roster. He will end up on the practice squad and be their guy in 2021 if they don’t re-sign Lee.
COVID (1) – Marcus Gilbert
2020 Outlook
This team is on the rise and will be in contention for a playoff spot. The offense will need to finish in the top 10 in order for them to be a playoff team. The defense will make some strides this year, but the numbers aren’t likely to show that because they have the eighth toughest schedule.
Season Prediction: 10-6 (Wild Card spot)
My boom player this year is Kyler Murray and my boom team is the @AZCardinals
Full NFC Division Breakdowns @Twitch : https://t.co/AB7cQQ6T0q pic.twitter.com/tu47X0EasM
— Jordan Spurgeon (@spurge_) August 26, 2020
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