How the Arizona Cardinals can win the NFC West

2. Fix the offensive line

While there’s plenty of discussion on the kind of impact that rookie quarterback Kyler Murray could have in his debut season in the league, the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner certainly can’t do it all by himself. And the team must get a much better performance from an offensive front that was just not up to the task a year ago.

Along with the aforementioned shortcomings in terms of yards gained in all facets, the Cardinals allowed a whopping 52 sacks. This past season, starting quarterbacks Sam Bradford and eventually Josh Rosen were under duress throughout the year and combined for 13 fumbles and lost seven of those miscues.

The veteran additions this offseason when it comes to this group include veteran right tackle Marcus Gilbert — obtained via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers — as well as free-agent guards Max Garcia (Denver Broncos) and J.R. Sweezy (Seattle Seahawks).

As for the incumbents, center Mason Cole was a 16-game starter a year ago but had his issues with pass protection. Meanwhile, left tackle D.J. Humphries and right guard Justin Pugh (in his first year with the Cardinals) saw their 2018 seasons cut short by injuries. It’s safe to say that there’s some work to do here in terms of molding a solid unit but it’s essential that the club show improvement here.