Arizona Cardinals Roster Update

The Cardinals faded down the stretch, losing four of their last five regular-season games before falling to their division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs. The Cardinals allowed 30.8 points in those five losses so that will need to change.

Something of note for those who bet online: In the last 16 games of the 2021 season the Cardinals covered in every game they won and failed to cover in each of the losses.

The Cardinals (+325) are third in the current odds to win the NFC West Division title. According to the NFL predictions, Arizona (+2800) is sixth among NFC teams in the odds to win the Super Bowl.

• 2021 record: 11-6 (second in NFC West)
• Playoff result: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 34-11 in the Wild Card round.
• Season opener: vs Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 11, 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Playoff teams on 2022 schedule: HOME – Kansas City, Los Angeles Rams, New England, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa Bay; AWAY – Las Vegas, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco
• Key newcomers: WR Marquise Brown, RB Darrel Williams, OL Will Hernandez, DE Kingsley Keke, TE Trey McBride (second-round pick), LB-DE Cameron Thomas (third-round pick), LB Myjai Sanders (third-round pick).
• Key losses: RB Chase Edmonds, WR Christian Kirk, LB Chandler Jones, LB Jordan Hicks, CB Robert Alford, DT Corey Peters, OL Max Garcia.
• Award candidates: Kyler Murray, +2500 in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds; Trey McBride, +4000 in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds; Cameron Thomas, +6000 in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds; Myjai Sanders, +7500 in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds; Marquise Brown, +8000 in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds; James Conner, +8000 in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds; DeAndre Hopkins, +8000 in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds; Budda Baker, +10000 in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds.

Offensive Breakdown

There could be some struggles early on while star receiver DeAndre Hopkins serves a six-game suspension after testing positive for a drug on the banned list by the NFL. Once he is back, though, the passing offense could be downright frightening with the addition of speedy wideout Brown. Rondale Moore was taken in the second round in the 2021 draft and was one of the most productive rookie receivers. Veteran A.J. Green returns for another run with the Cardinals. Trey McBride was drafted and he will join a group of tight ends, including Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams.

Murray has been an unhappy camper in the offseason, but all signs point to the differences being resolved and Murray moving forward as Arizona’s QB of the future.

For Murray to take the next step, consistency will be crucial. In nine wins a season ago, Murray completed 72.8 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. His numbers drop to a 64.4 percent completion mark with three TD passes and five interceptions in the five losses.

With Chase Edmonds off to Miami, former Kansas City running back Darrel Williams was signed to go with James Conner and Eno Benjamin. Arizona finished tied for third in the NFL with 23 rushing touchdowns and ranked 10th in rushing yards. Some of that was a result of Murray’s running ability. Conner will need to improve his mark of 3.7 yards per carry last season.

The offensive line got good news with the decision of veteran center Rodney Hudson to return for a 12th NFL season.

Man In The Middle. pic.twitter.com/YsIEzfqqnw

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 18, 2022

Former New York Giants guard Will Hernandez was signed in the offseason. There are questions at tackle with D.J. Humphries, Kelvin Beachum and Josh Jones forming a merely average position group.

Defensive Breakdown

Arizona is coming off a season when it finished 11th in total defense and scoring defense. Those numbers are good enough for the Cardinals to be a Super Bowl contender with how explosive the offense should be.

Is this the season when defensive end Zach Allen becomes a force as a pass rusher? Kingsley Keke, who had 6½ sacks in the last two seasons with Green Bay, was signed in the offseason. Arizona had no first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft due to the trade for Brown. However, the defensive end/outside linebacker position was addressed with Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders drafted in the third round.

Playing in a division with Matthew Stafford and former top-three pick Trey Lance, having a dominant pass rush will be crucial. It will be worth watching how much the Cardinals miss Chandler Jones’ ability to get to the quarterback.

2022 Cardinals Outlook

There was a time last year when Arizona looked like the class of the NFC West before the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams took control. Now, the San Francisco 49ers are ahead of the Cardinals in the odds to win the NFC West as well.

The offense could be something special. However, there are questions whether some high draft picks who have yet to live up to their potential are ready to make the next step.

The NFL betting lines have the expected regular-season win total of 8½, with the odds almost equal for going either under or over that total. An eight- or nine-win season would put Arizona in the position of having to go on the road in its playoff opener and that is a dangerous way to proceed for a team with championship aspirations.

Opening the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams will be no easy task. There will be another three-game stretch against the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How the Cardinals fare in those six games could go a long way in determining whether the team will be a player in the race for the NFC West title.

The Cardinals haven’t won the division since 2015. Something of note is that the winner of the NFC West has played in the Super Bowl in three of the last four seasons.