Have Cardinals Done Enough to Contend in 2025?

The Arizona Cardinals have not shied away from spending larger dollar amounts on top free agents this offseason. Though they did miss out on some targets, they also made two marquee additions to their defensive line, as well as plenty of positive depth signings.

With the 2025 NFL Draft growing closer with each passing day, there's also the potential for GM Monti Ossenfort to add a legitimate impact player at 16 overall. But there's no guarantee that player will become an immediate x factor.

The Cardinals do have to ensure their incoming rookie class will be set up for success, rather than expected to save the day on thin units. Solid depth and a top layer of elite talent are necessary for building a competitive roster.

And the Cardinals are beyond the stage at which they should be building with the distant future in mind. Now, the Cardinals have to focus on the 2025 season - contending now, and in the future.

But have the Cardinals done enough to warrant contention in the 2025 season? Or will they be doomed to a similar record to the 8-9 that saw them sitting on the outside looking in on the 2024 playoff bracket.

The moves to spend big on edge rusher Josh Sweat and DT Dalvin Tomlinson were necessary, needle-moving acquisitions. Those alone raise both the floor and ceiling of Arizona's defense by a significant margin.

They also brought back players like LJ Collier and Baron Browning. On paper, Arizona's DL should be deeper and more talented, but having only two premier players in the group is a bit too thin to be a serious threat to other teams.

The Cardinals aren't going to spend big on another free agent most likely, and no major trades appear to be imminent. They'll need to hit on a first-round defender and hope for a major second-year leap by DL Darius Robinson if their front seven are to withstand potential injuries and deliver consistent results.

And while Arizona's offense appears set, there is a definitive need for a speedy WR, perhaps one that plays the slot, to take the attention away from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride and aid QB Kyler Murray in resurrecting Arizona's downfield passing attack.

From where it stands right now, the Cardinals should be in better shape in 2025. But their additions - while positive - might not be enough to elevate this team to a 10-plus-win season. Regardless of how the NFC West might look this offseason, it's inevitable that all four teams will fight to contend.

The Cardinals have to find a way to put themselves far above their competition if they're serious about a 2025 playoff berth. It's well within reach, but it doesn't feel as if the current roster should be in its final state if that is Ossenfort's true goal.

Development across the board is expected, and a better year for Murray is also critical. But ultimately, Arizona could stand to add at least one more impact DL (preferably a run-stopper) and a WR to take the top off defenses before this writer is willing to deem them a playoff team.