ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-13)
OPEN CAMP: July 23, Glendale, Ariz.
LAST YEAR: When Kyler Murray walked back into the huddle following recovery from a torn ACL, the Arizona Cardinals went from nail to hammer — at least in mindset. The presence of the franchise quarterback, who missed the first nine games of the season, completed the vision of head coach Jonathan Gannon and peers fed off of Murray’s playmaking ability, confidence and energy. First-round pick Paris Johnson, the first offensive tackle drafted in 2023, had a rough start and didn’t grade above the middle of the pack in any area last season. With big changes on both sides of the ball — eight picks in the top 104 in the 2024 draft — the Cardinals are eager to compete with a young roster building toward contention.
KEY ADDITIONS: RB Trey Benson, C Evan Brown, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB DeeJay Dallas, WR Marvin Harrison Jr., WR Zay Jones, CB Max Melton, DT Bilal Nichols, TE Tip Reiman, DL Darius Robinson
KEY LOSSES: WR Marquise Brown, DL Leki Fotu, OT D.J. Humphries, WR Rondale Moore
CAMP CHECKLIST: Murray and Harrison already are the talk of the team. Harrison is the weapon the offense lacked last season, although Brown had his moments before Murray returned from injury. No doubt, Harrison is going to be one of the top targets in the Cardinals’ offense along with breakout TE Trey McBride. But will Murray hand the ball off to rookie Trey Benson or James Conner? There’s a timeshare expected, but even Conner said the offense can work best when it has a pecking order in the backfield.
2024 EXPECTATIONS: Fixing the defense sets up as a must in the loaded NFC West. Gannon’s group was inconsistent and rarely generated enough pressure on the quarterback to finish last season with 33 total sacks while giving up 26.8 points per game. Arizona had five losses in one-possession games, including the 21-20 season finale against the Seahawks.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE:
vs. New Orleans Saints, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 10
at Indianapolis Colts, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17
at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, Aug. 25