Tag: arizona cardinals news

Cardinals expected to stand firm and select Marvin Harrison Jr. 4th overall

The Cardinals have received numerous serious inquiries from teams looking to move up in the draft, but they will almost certainly pick

The Arizona Cardinals have been subject to rampant draft rumors the last few weeks leading up to Thursday’s 2024 NFL draft. At first, they were certain to stick and pick the best player with the 4th overall selection — which was a miracle (or was it) granted by Matt Prater in the team’s finale against the Seattle Seahawks.

Then, reports circled about them being a lock to move down with the Minnesota Vikings. When those rumors dwindled, talks about trades with the New York Giants and even the Chicago Bears became popular.

Despite all of the speculation, the Cardinals held firm on the fourth overall selection. The rumor mill even ran into Monday, where reports came out how the Cardinals won’t move down until they are on the clock, heightening the pre-draft excitement and nerves of all Cardinals fans.

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General manager Monti Ossenfort has undoubedtly done his due diligence into what his highly-coveted 4th overall pick could return, but there has always been a player atop their draft boards, one they’ve had keen eyes on for two years now.

Barring a late offer the team cannot refuse, the Arizona Cardinals likely will select Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick.

Harrison Jr. is the best wide receiver prospect in years and many believe him to be the top player in the last two draft classes. He’s a near-perfect prospect for his abilities, but also his off-the-field character and maturity, traits Ossenfort highly covets.

Last season, the Cardinals were motivated to move down, as Ossenfort knew he was staring a multi-year rebuild in the face and needed as many picks as possible to expedite the process. He also had two top prospects — those being Paris Johnson Jr. and Will Anderson, who he thought highly of.

This year, however, Ossenfort will not budge from the rights to draft Harrison Jr. unless the offer is akin to what the San Francisco 49ers once mortgaged to select Trey Lance back in 2021. Teams aren’t overly jumping at the thought to give up that haul for the consensus fourth-best quarterback prospect in the draft.

The Cardinals have actively scouted and had heavy interest in Harrison Jr. for two years now. The dominos leading to their incoming selection of Harrison began with the release of All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins a year and a half ago. Even current-Cardinal Paris Johnson Jr. has spoken to reporters about his conversations about Harrison to the desert dating back to 2022.

The Cardinals also were not aggressive in their negotiations with Hollywood Brown and traded Rondale Moore to the Falcons. They’ve been preparing to build the roster with Harrison headlining their receiving corps since January.

Could Ossenfort look to move down and right back up for Harrison this year? Some have speculated he could look to replicate this move from last year, and while that is certainly possible, the team is certainly not going to do anything without knowing they can still get their guy.

While most of the draft speculation has been surrounding the fourth overall pick, the Cardinals also have No. 27 from the Houston Texans. They may look to move up from that spot for one of the top three edge rushers, should one fall into striking distance. Those three are Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Florida’s Jared Verse and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu.

It makes sense, given the Cardinals have the most draft capital this year and have a glaring hole at edge rusher. Should they walk away with the top receiver prospect and one of the best three edge rushers, the Cardinals will be in much better shape to make a playoff push in 2024.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Cardinals likely to have choice of top two NFL draft prospects

The Cardinals could have their choice of stud defenders Will Anderson or Jalen Carter.

For as miserable as the 2022 season was for the Arizona Cardinals and their fans, there is certainly a consolation prize following the series of Week 18 events that granted the team the No. 3 overall pick.

Currently, the Chicago Bears own the No. 1 overall pick followed by the Texans at No. 2. The Texans are almost certain to take a quarterback, but the Bears remain a mystery and could end up benefiting the Cardinals.

With Chicago already having an ascending young quarterback in Justin Fields, the team could look to take a top defensive player at No. 1, or they could trade the pick for a king’s ransom to rebuild a depleted roster.

Many betting sites currently have the Bears as favored to trade the pick, which would make a ton of sense for an organization that needs an influx of talent on both sides of the ball.

Chicago could move back only a few spots for a quarterback-needy team like the Colts, or they could get a huge haul from a team farther back in the draft order. Either way, it certainly is an option that will be heavily considered by the Bears.

For the Cardinals, this scenario would almost certainly net them the choice of the top two prospects in Alabama’s Will Anderson and Georgia’s Jalen Carter. Both are the 1A and 1B of top prospects in the draft and having the choice of the two would be an absolute luxury.

Should the Bears opt to take one of the two with the first pick, the Cardinals would still be left with the other with the Texans set to draft a quarterback.

Both positions are needs for the team. Will Anderson is an elite edge rusher and Jalen Carter is a dominant interior defensive lineman. With the team losing both Chandler Jones and J.J. Watt in the last calendar year, both prospects fit a position of need.

Whether it be Anderson or Carter, the Cardinals are in a great spot.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

What’s new with the Buccaneers in 2022?

What’s new with the Bucs in 2022, the Cardinals’ Week 16 opponent?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are traveling to the desert to take on what’s left of a Cardinals roster that has disappointed mightily this season.

Tampa Bay was projected to be one of the top dogs in the NFC, but are anything but that with their 6-8 record. While they technically have the No. 4 seed based on how terrible the NFC South is, they have not looked like a Super Bowl contender this season.

The Bucs have been defeated by double-digits in each of their last two games, those being the 49ers and Bengals. Their most recent win was a late 13-point comeback against the New Orleans Saints at home, which is far from an impressive team to beat.

In the offseason, the Bucs had a scare with Tom Brady retiring for a few weeks. He ultimately returned to the team, which was followed by an influx of free agent signings and re-signings. It essentially prevented a rebuild, or at least postponed it another year.

In training camp and throughout their first few games, the Bucs suffered numerous key injuries to their offensive line, which has led to what is statistically the worst rushing offense in the NFL.

Despite having two talented backs in Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White, the Bucs cannot move the ball on the ground, which leads to unfavorable passing situations for Tom Brady. They aren’t particularly great at pass blocking either, which has contributed to their struggles.

The Bucs have three games to go, with the Panthers and Falcons on the schedule following their matchup with the Cardinals. This is a playoff-type game for them in terms of importance with the Panthers just one game behind them.

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4 Cardinals who have exceeded expectations in 2022

In what has been a very disappointing season for the Cardinals, let’s take a look at some of the players that have exceeded expectations on the season.

The Arizona Cardinals are in the midst of a terrible season with a current record of 4-8. They aren’t going to make the playoffs and are possibly going to go through major organizational change in the front office.

With that in mind, there are still a number of players who have exceeded expectations in 2022 and have been bright spots on the team. They are going to be foundational pieces moving forward for the team to turn things around in the future.

Let’s take a look at some of the positives on this season.

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3 Cardinals who have disappointed in 2022

Which Cardinals have stood out as players that have disappointed for the team in 2022?

Sitting at 4-8, there are obviously a number of players on the Arizona Cardinals who have had disappointing seasons in 2022. Whether a display of bad coaching or roster deficiencies, the Cardinals have taken a nose dive from last season.

For various reasons, some players stand out more than others in their contributions to the teams’ struggles. Let’s take a look at who those players might be.

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Sean Payton already has a past connection with the Cardinals

Sean Payton revealed Monday he used to work for the Cardinals organization amidst rumors that he may coach the team in the near future.

The Arizona Cardinals and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton are continuing to find themselves paired with one another on social media.

Last week, it was reported that Payton had his sights set on the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers, should either job become available.

The Cardinals are in the midst of a miserable season and coaching staff changes could be in the team’s future next month unless they show a drastic turnaround.

The four-win season to this point has led to speculation about Payton possibly coming to the Cardinals prior to these reports of his interest. On Monday, the Payton to Arizona momentum continued to build.

He joined Colin Cowherd’s The Herd on Monday to talk about the NFL weekend and began discussing the recent Cardinals-Chargers game. Payton mentioned he used to be a ball boy for the team when the team was with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Payton mentioned that he continued with the organization for a bit and became more involved during the days of Neil Lomax. He appeared to be very familiar with the Bidwill family.

“I think I know that family well enough,” Payton said of the Bidwill family.

It’s also worth noting that while he was very critical of other teams, he was non-committal when Cowherd asked negative questions about the Cardinals. He deferred to other teams’ struggles in the segment and did not say anything negative about the team on national radio.

Perhaps that’s reading too much into it, but there appears to be a connection between Payton and the Cardinals. There are many steps that need to happen for that pairing to become a reality, but it appears to be trending in the right direction.

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Cardinals’ loss to Chargers helps in potential pursuit of Sean Payton

If the Chargers keep winning and retain Brandon Staley, there is one less competitor for the Cardinals if they pursue Sean Payton.

While many had jokingly deemed Week 12’s Cardinals-Chargers matchup to be the Sean Payton Bowl, there may be a great deal of truth to that statement.

Earlier in the week, an ESPN report surfaced that the two teams Payton had his eyes on were the Chargers and Cardinals, mostly due to their stability at the quarterback position, unlike the other openings in the league.

Had the Chargers lost their game, it may have spelled doom for current head coach Brandon Staley, who has been the subject of much criticism in recent weeks. Instead, he made a gusty call to go for the win and it worked on a two-point conversion to Gerald Everett.

Los Angeles now has a potential path to a postseason birth, which would likely mean Staley is retained. That is a big domino for the Cardinals should they opt to fire Kliff Kingsbury and pursue Payton.

The other remaining job openings are the Colts, Panthers and perhaps the Broncos. While Denver does present the opportunity to coach Russell Wilson, that is far from the appeal it once had.

If the Cardinals end up pursuing Payton and the Chargers are not in the market for a new head coach, they have a very attractive offense for the mastermind behind a decade of offensive success in New Orleans.

The Cardinals can offer Payton a starting lineup of Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz, which is far better than anything the other job openings have to offer.

That changes if the Chargers are in the coaching mix, as they also have a dynamic offense. Should the Cardinals be in the Payton market, let’s hope the Chargers are not in it as well.

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Cardinals drop 5 spots in new Touchdown Wire power rankings

The Cardinals dropped five spots in the TouchdownWire power rankings following their heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Arizona Cardinals are reaching the end of a miserable season. They currently sit at 4-8 and just suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on a last-minute two-point conversion.

In the latest power rankings from Touchdown Wire’s Mark Lane, the Cardinals dropped five spots and are now listed as the 26th-ranked team in the NFL.

Things continue to spiral out of control for the Cardinals. Toss in Kyler Murray criticizing the offensive scheme against the Los Angeles Chargers, and it’s a recipe that could result in a coaching change at the end of the year.

Kyler Murray’s comments about being “schematically (expletive)” on a fourth-down attempt have since gone viral. Many are reading it as a blatant jab at head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

There was a report from Ian Rapoport on Sunday morning that Kingsbury and Murray had met on several occasions in the previous two weeks in an attempt to mend what had been a tense relationship this season.

While Murray downplayed the report and said there was no tension between the two, the report raised a number of eyebrows, particularly after Murray’s comments on the fourth-down play.

The Cardinals have completely fallen off after being one of the best teams in the NFL at this time last year. They appear on their way to a dramatic change in the team’s leadership if they don’t show some signs of positivity in the coming weeks.

The team is on a bye this week and will return to action on Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots in Week 14 at State Farm Stadium.

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Studs and duds in the Cardinals’ 25-24 loss to Chargers

Check out our studs and duds from Week 12’s home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Sitting at 4-8 on the season, the Arizona Cardinals will not be making the postseason and are in the beginning stages of major change.

While there were little to no hopes to begin with, the Cards needed to win this game to have an outside shot at a playoff birth. The remaining schedule is pretty light, so there was still a small chance.

Instead, the Cards choked away a game they were winning by 7 for most of the fourth quarter. Chargers QB Justin Herbert found Austin Ekeler for a touchdown late and then tight end Gerald Everett for the game-winning two-point conversion.

There were a couple of studs in the game for Arizona, but there were more duds.

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Cardinals to have both star receivers together for 1st time in 2022

For the first time all season, the Cardinals will have both DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown on the field with their star quarterback, Kyler Murray.

When the Arizona Cardinals sent the 2022 No. 23 overall pick for Ravens star receiver Marquise Brown, the front office had high hopes for him and DeAndre Hopkins on the field following Hopkins’ six-game PED suspension.

While the move was certainly intended to be insurance for the suspension to Hopkins, the idea was to have one of the top receiving duos in the league in Week 7 when he returned.

On the last offensive play of the game in Week 6, Brown suffered a foot injury that has kept him out for over a month. It was days before Hopkins was set to make his return to the lineup.

While it’s all but too late to make a playoff push in 2022, the Cardinals will finally have their receiver duo on the field at the same time this Sunday against the Chargers.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed Brown will see action on the field, albeit on a snap count.

Beyond Brown being a much-needed receiving threat for the team, the concept was to add a player with elite speed next to Hopkins. It would draw coverage away from the intermediate passing attack, which is D-Hop’s specialty.

Should an opposing defense double Hopkins, Brown would be left one-on-one and become a big-play threat. On the contrary, defenses playing back to eliminate the threat of a deep passing touchdown for Brown would leave Hopkins open in the middle of the field.

Perhaps the Cardinals can show enough offensively to provide some optimism for 2023. It will certainly help their chances of having both star receivers on the field.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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