Three Players Cardinals Should Build Around

The Arizona Cardinals have undergone quite the rebuild over the last few months. Though 2023 likely won't yield bountiful results on the scoreboard, the Cardinals have positioned themselves well for the future in terms of acquiring top draft capital and generating cap space.

There's been a youth movement on the roster, as legends who once took the field at State Farm Stadium have either retired or moved on to other ventures.

Under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort, the Cardinals have a few different cornerstones to build around.

Pro Football Focus says Arizona needs to focus on Kyler Murray, Paris Johnson Jr. and Budda Baker.

"The Cardinals certainly aren’t the easiest team for which to identify building-block players, but they do have a few core pieces on either side of the ball. Most importantly, they have an extra first-round pick from the Houston Texans next season to, hopefully, land another franchise player," said PFF.

"Once Kyler Murray returns healthy, he’ll have first-round tackle Paris Johnson Jr. blocking in front of him. Fans are quick to forget that through Week 8 in 2021, before injuries, Murray’s 89.5 passing grade ranked fourth, his 9.0% big-time throw rate led the NFL and his 1.0% turnover-worthy play rate ranked second. Murray was also second in adjusted completion percentage over the span, at 81.4%, and his 8.9 yards per attempt ranked fourth."

Isaiah Simmons is another potential candidate the Cardinals could potentially build upon, though that's all dependent on how he plays in the final year of his contract under new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

The status of Murray moving forward will be interesting to monitor, especially with Caleb Williams talk lurking over his rehab from a torn ACL. Baker is also notable to watch with his contract situation, though that's expected to be resolved soon.

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