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Are the Arizona Cardinals the NFC’s most improved team?

By Russell S. Baxter

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 22: Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals have a conversation in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 22: Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals have a conversation in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Are the Arizona Cardinals primed to make some serious noise in 2020?

They wound up with one of the best wide receivers in the league. And they may have gotten the most versatile defensive player in April’s NFL Draft. So after a pair of last-place finishes in the NFC West, are the Arizona Cardinals ready to make a move perhaps challenge for a spot in the league’s new expanded playoff format?

In 2018, the team finished with only three wins and were the first franchise to finish dead last in the NFL in total offense, rushing yards and passing yards since the 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Head coach Steve Wilks lasted only one year and last offseason, general manager Steve Keim opted for former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury. And both he and Keim opted for 2018 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in 2019. The team finished 5-10-1 a year ago but was playing solid football by season’s end.

Big changes everywhere for the Arizona Cardinals

This offseason (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com), the club dealt for Houston Texans’ All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

Teamed with Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona passing attack could be primed for a big year. Running back Kenyan Drake proved to be an excellent pickup during the 2019 season and he and Murray (the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year) were big reasons the Cardinals finished 10th in the NFL in rushing.

On the other side of the ball, free agency brought defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (Bills) and linebackers Devon Kennard (Lions) and De’Vondre Campbell (Falcons). The latter has had some nice words for rookie Isaiah Simmons, the eighth overall pick in April. “He’s very intelligent,” said Campbell (via Jess Root of USA Today). “He’s picking up on the defense pretty fast.”

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Moving up in the NFC West much less the conference won’t be easy. This is a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoff since reaching the conference title game in 2015. But the Arizona Cardinals appear to be trending upwards. And as the division-rival San Francisco 49ers can attest to, one-year turnarounds are far from unusual in this league.

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