Cardinals Offseason Moves Praised in NFL Rankings
The Arizona Cardinals were never favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into 2023, especially after finishing 4-13 the year prior with Kyler Murray going down late in the season with a torn ACL.
The day after the 2022 season concluded, the Cardinals were without head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim - leading fans into an offseason full of unknowns from top to bottom.
Months later down the road, Arizona fans feel much more comfortable about the future direction of the franchise with new GM Monti Ossenfort in the mix.
Ossenfort strung together an impressive offseason that featured tearing down the building blocks of the roster and building from the ground up. The Cardinals have multiple first-round picks in 2024 with plenty of cap space anticipated.
CBS Sports placed the Cardinals at No. 12 in their 2023 NFL offseason rankings:
"The Arizona Cardinals landing this high in the offseason rankings has more to do with who they removed from their franchise and how they set themselves up for 2024. The franchise kicked head Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim to the curb, replacing them with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and former Tennessee Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort," wrote Garrett Podell.
"The new regime was left a crumbling foundation with the Cardinals coming off a 4-13 season in which face-of-the-franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, whose game thrives off of his otherworldly athleticism, tore his ACL. Murray could even miss the start of the upcoming season while recovering from the knee injury. Arizona did well to parlay moving back in the draft in a trade with the Houston Texans into possession of their 2024 first- and third-round picks.
"That move positions Arizona to potentially have multiple top-five picks next year when generational talents at quarterback, 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and USC's Caleb Williams, and wide receiver, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., will be draft-eligible. Eventually landing Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. sixth overall is a nice way to establish a foundation along the offensive line.
"However, it would have been nice to see Arizona get something for DeAndre Hopkins instead of releasing him outright. The move does help the team's unsaid pursuit to race to the top of the 2024 draft, though. What they decided to do with five-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker, who demanded a trade in the event the team decides not to make him the new highest-paid player at his position, will be an interesting storyline to follow. Their decision will reveal if they're willing to take an even deep dive into the depths of their rebuilding process."
Well, the Cardinals are currently in negotiations with Baker's camp to ensure the 27-year-old safety remains in the fold. There's hope that the rebuild in Arizona can be flipped faster than anticipated, which could still feature Baker as a key part of the defense if they're competing sooner rather than later.
It wasn't a pretty offseason in the desert, though it was a necessary one.
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