Can Cardinals Make the Postseason Next Year? Bleacher Report Says Not a Chance
It's been years since the Arizona Cardinals have won a playoff game, something GM Monti Ossenfort and (insert your favorite coach who won't get hired) will look to change moving forward.
"We are going to turn over every stone to find the right players for this team. We are not just collecting talent, we're going to build a team," said Ossenfort in his opening press conference.
"We're going to look for the right type of players. Ego will not be tolerated in this organization. We are going to look for focused, driven people that are willing to put the team first at every step of the way. No one here is happy about the results of last year, but it's not too long ago that this team was in very good position. I was a witness to it firsthand two years ago when this organization came into Tennessee at Nissan Stadium and ran all over us.
"That's what we're going to get back to. Our goal here is to win, to build a team that can win the NFC West, to advance in the playoffs, and ultimately for everyone in this organization to enjoy in what it feels like to hold that Lombardi Trophy."
Ambitious goals for sure, but the right things to say nonetheless.
Some believe that turnaround - if it happens at all - won't be next season.
Bleacher Report recently went through and graded each division's worst team on a scale of 1-10 on how likely they were to make the playoffs.
Teams such as the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns were projected playoff teams. The Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears are expected to see improvement while the Washington Commanders, Houston Texans and Cardinals are expected to remain at the bottom of the basement again.
"Center Rodney Hudson may retire, while right tackle Kelvin Beachum and versatile offensive lineman Justin Pugh have expiring contracts. Though Hudson and Pugh only played in nine games combined in 2022, the Cardinals would need some depth in the trenches if they don't re-sign the veteran offensive linemen.
"Before the Cardinals fired Kingsbury, he said that Murray will "probably" miss the start of the 2023 campaign. Arizona can roll with Colt McCoy, who turns 37 years old in September, or sign a veteran to fill in for its dynamic signal-caller. Either way, the new coaching staff faces a suboptimal situation on offense with Murray on the mend.
"Arizona could struggle through the first month of the season, and Murray may not be able to make defenders miss on foot in his first few games back from a serious knee injury.
"Assuming the Los Angeles Rams bounce back from an injury-riddled 2022 campaign with quarterback Matthew Stafford, wideout Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald healthy, the Cardinals have a tough path to the playoffs in a difficult division. The San Francisco 49ers remain in contention for a Super Bowl with quarterback Brock Purdy, and the Seattle Seahawks will look to load up a playoff roster with two top-20 draft picks."
The Cardinals were given a solid 2 on the scale, only being outdone by the Texans/Commanders who received 1's for grades.
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