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Arizona Cardinals Writers
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Team Philosophy
Adam Harstad
Offensive Players
James Brimacombe
Kickers
Sigmund Bloom
Returners
Adam Harstad
Want to see how the Footballguys staff see the Team Mood and Players We're In or Out On?
Team Philosophy
Kliff Kingsbury was originally hired by Arizona to bring a modern college-inspired spread offense to the NFL, and he's done so. Last year six Cardinals averaged at least 4.4 targets per game-- four receivers, a tight end, and a backup running back.
Quarterbacks
Starter
Key Backups
Kyler Murray and the entire Cardinals team started off 2021 with a bang offensively but in the middle of the season an injury happened to Murray and the team seemed to stagger after that. Murray started the season with seven passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns in the first three games. He looked like he was going to be on pace for one of the best seasons of his career. Murray has finished as the QB9, QB2, and QB11 through the first three seasons of his career. The early offseason has been up and down for Murray thus far as he has shown some frustrations with the way the team has handled his contract. The team lost Christian Kirk to the Jaguars in free agency, but during the draft, the Cardinals looked to get back on Murray's good side with the trade for Marquise Brown. Murray will have all the tools to succeed in 2022 and to take the next step forward as a locked-in top-five quarterback.
We know what Colt McCoy is in this league already, he is a reliable backup who can keep a team competitive when the starting quarterback goes down. McCoy started three games in 2021, posting 674 passing yards and three touchdowns. The hope is that Kyler Murray will stay healthy all season and McCoy will just be a leader on the sidelines. Trace McSorley will be battling for the third-string duties and will likely only see action during the preseason.
Running Backs
Starter
Key Backups
What a season from James Conner in 2021, he quietly scored 15 rushing touchdowns in 15 games played and also scored three receiving touchdowns. He finished as the fifth-best fantasy running back in 2021, and entering 2022, his path to production is even higher with Chase Edmonds now in Miami. Conner saw all the goal-line work and although he only rushed for 752 yards his 15 touchdowns can't go overlooked. He also caught 37 of 39 targets for 375 yards and was the centerpiece of the Cardinals offense for most of 2021. With only Eno Benjamin and rookie Keaontay Ingram behind him, he is set up nicely for another big season ahead.
The big news here for the running back group is that Chase Edmonds is now out of town and the RB2 role behind James Conner is up for grabs. Eno Benjamin is the first man up for the role from the returning backs. He saw limited work in 2021 touching the ball a total of 40 times for 160 total yards and a touchdown over seven games. The Cardinals won't be able to give Conner all the work so they will need another back to step up and Benjamin looks to be the guy that has that opportunity staring him in the face, that was until the team signed Darrel Williams. Williams is a good all-around back who can function in the passing game and running inside, so Benjamin will have to muster a strong summer to beat him out for the backup role. As far as the third-string running back goes, the Cardinals paid a sixth-round pick for Keaontay Ingram to give them more depth at the position. Ingram will likely have a role as he looks to be locked in as the third guy on the depth chart at running back.
Wide Receivers
Starters
Key Backups
With Christian Kirk out of town and star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins now suspended for the first six games, the Cardinals receiver core has quickly changed this offseason. We were excited to see the possible rise of Rondale Moore entering his second season and the Cardinals quickly resigned A.J. Green for another season. During the draft, the team also traded for Marquise Brown and now he sits atop of the depth chart to start the season. It has been a rotating room during the offseason but now that the dust has settled the Cardinals are set to open the season with Brown, Moore, and Green while they wait until Hopkins can return in Week 7. Green and Moore both caught 54 passes each in 2021 with Green going for 848 and three touchdowns. Moore finished with 435 and a touchdown and also manufactured 76 rushing yards on 18 attempts. Hopkins himself only played 10 games and posted a 42/572/8 stat line. The touchdowns remain there for Hopkins but the overall receptions and yardage took a slight hit last season. Marquise Brown is now entering his fourth season in the league and is coming off his best overall season with a 91/1008/6 line in 16 games.
It is rather thin behind the starters at wide receiver for the Cardinals to start out the season. The one name that saw some production in 2021 was Antoine Wesley who appeared in eight games and saw 32 targets for a 19//208/3 stat line in those games. Both Andy Isabella and Greg Dortch are the only others that saw the field and they combined for a total of four catches in three games. With Hopkins suspended to start the season it will be Wesley's time to step up into a top-four role and help contribute in the passing game.
Tight Ends
Starter
Key Backups
- Trey McBride [R], Maxx Williams, Stephen Anderson, David Wells, Deon Yelder, Alex Ellis, Bernhard Seikovits
The Cardinals traded for Zach Ertz in the middle of last season after Maxx Williams whent down with an injury. Ertz quickly became a favorite target for Kyler Murray and the two showed chemistry together as they ended the season. In the final four games Ertz was targeted 43 times, catching 28 of those passes for 253 yards. Ertz finished the season with a 74/763/5 line between the Eagles and the Cardinals. With the Cardinals having to deal with Hopkins suspended the first six games, Ertz is going to see a steady amount of targets his way to open up the season. The team also resigned Maxx Williams in the offseason and made a splash in the draft with drafting Trey McBride at 55th overall. The draft capital that they invested in him suggests that he will have a role from the start and that role might have increased even more with Hopkins now suspended.
Offensive Linemen
Starters
- LT D.J. Humphries
- LG Justin Pugh
- C Rodney Hudson
- RG Will Hernandez
- RT Kelvin Beachum
Key Backups
- Josh Jones, Justin Murray, Sean Harlow
Led by Pro Bowl reserve left tackle D.J Humphries and former All-Pro center Rodney Hudson, this Cardinals' line grades out inside the top ten. Veteran guards Justin Pugh and Will Hernandez (FA from NYG) should be pushed by rookies Lecitus Smith (Fifth round, Virginia Tech) and Marquis Hayes (Seventh round, Oklahoma). Entering his eleventh season, right tackle Kelvin Beachum provides steady play. Overall, this is an underrated group, with veteran starters and interesting depth.
Kickers
Prater made good on the two-year, $6.5 million year deal the Cardinals gave him to lure him away from Detroit. He finished tied for fourth in points, and he had the second most 50+ yard field goals in the league, with seven on ten attempts. Curiously, he only attempted five kicks from 40-49 and made three, and he also missed two kicks from 30-39, so there are a few cracks showing. He's worth a pick as your Week 1 kicker, but don't reach for Prater on the basis of last year's numbers.
Returners
Kickoff Returners
Rondale Moore is explosive with the football in his hands and the Cardinals committed to getting him involved in the return game as a rookie. Behind him was receiver Greg Dortch, though his hold on the job is not ironclad.
Punt Returners
Rondale Moore is explosive with the football in his hands and the Cardinals committed to getting him involved in the return game as a rookie. Behind him was receiver Greg Dortch, though his hold on the job is not ironclad.
Team Defense
The Cardinals were hit and miss as a fantasy defense last year, opening the season with a huge game against the Titans and posting good results against the Jaguars, Browns, Texans, and Bears before fading along with the rest of the team in the last third of the season. Arizona lost Chandler Jones in free agency and will field one of the worst cornerback group in the league. They need J.J. Watt to return to form and first-round linebackers Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins to give the defense an identity, which is a big ask with the Chiefs, Raiders, and Rams up to open the season. They should be left on the waiver wire to open the season and stay there until they face the Seahawks in Week 6.
Defensive Linemen
Starters
- DE J.J. Watt, NT Leki Fotu, DE Zach Allen, EDGE Markus Golden
Key Backups
- EDGE Cameron Thomas [R], EDGE Myjai Sanders, EDGE Devon Kennard, DL Rashard Lawrence
The Arizona Cardinals defensive line is a jumbled mess going into 2022, with JJ Watt and Markus Golden being the only sure things. The Cards don't strictly play a 3-4 defense. On some downs, they have an odd front, while on others, they have an even front. This means that the interior defensive linemen will shift their positioning depending on which front the defense shows. For JJ Watt, this is especially true. While he was limited due to injury in 2021, Watt spent time in the B gap, over the offensive tackle, and outside the offensive tackle in about equal portions. Heading into 2022, we should expect Watt to be used similarly, which may limit his efficiency relative to what the market likely expects from him given his big name. Alongside Watt, Markus Golden and Zach Allen return to the team and are joined by third-round rookies Myjai Sanders and Cameron Thomas. On the outside of Watt, Markus Golden should be a mainstay at outside linebacker, with either Myjai Sanders or Devon Kennard securing the OLB spot opposite him. Cameron Thomas split time on the edge and as an interior defensive lineman in college and should continue that trend in the NFL. He should compete for snaps with Zach Allen as they play opposite JJ Watt on the interior in odd fronts, and on the edge in even fronts.
Once we get an idea of which players will see the majority of snaps at their respective positions, the backup options will just be whoever is on the losing end of each battle. In the preseason, keep your eyes on the matchup between Devon Kennard and Myjai Sanders for the OLB role, as well as Zach Allen and Cameron Thomas for the hybrid role. The players that end up seeing the majority of snaps should be fantasy relevant, thus relegating their counterparts to a rotational role barring an injury to the starters. There remains a possibility that the Cardinals elect to run a heavy rotation between these pairings and if that occurs, expect all players involved to take a massive hit to their IDP value.
Linebackers
Starters
- ILB Isaiah Simmons, ILB Zaven Collins
Key Backups
- ILB Nick Vigil
Thankfully, the linebacker situation for the Cardinals is a lot less messy than their defensive line. Isaiah Simmons is locked in as a starter for this team, but he didn't even see the most snaps at linebacker last season. Jordan Hicks - who has since departed for Minnesota - led the team in snaps at linebacker last season. Should Simmons retain his hybrid role from 2021, we should expect him to see about a 60/40 split between inside linebacker and edge/slot hybrid, respectively. The Jordan Hicks role seems like it will almost certainly be filled by former first-round pick Zaven Collins, who struggled a bit in limited work last season. If he does secure that role, he should produce as the top IDP linebacker on the team. However, the Cardinals have shown they are willing to throw a wrench in our plans, so be on your toes.
Nick Vigil is a journeyman veteran that joined the team this past offseason. Don't expect him to take the starting inside linebacker job, but there IS a nonzero chance that it happens. He should be at the top of the list should one of the two starters get injured, but if he doesn't take over the role, you shouldn't expect much from him.
Defensive Backs
Starters
- CB Byron Murphy, CB Marco Wilson, S Budda Baker, S Jalen Thompson
Key Backups
- S Deionte Thompson, CB Antonio Hamilton
Budda Baker is an IDP favorite at safety and is likely to be drafted and valued highly by most. Jalen Thompson surprised managers in 2021 when he outscored Baker in most formats and will be significantly more expensive heading into the 2022 season. How were they used in 2021 and what matters going forward? Buckle up. In 2021, Budda Baker saw 4% of his snaps on the DL, 27% in the box, 11% in the slot, 2% out wide, and 52% at free safety. When determining safety value in IDP, you want to look for safeties that play a higher % of snaps in the 'sweet spot' (on the DL, in the box, or in the slot). On the season, Baker saw 42% of his snaps in the sweet spot. Jalen Thompson saw 0% of snaps on the DL, 34% in the box, 15% in the slot, 5% out wide, and 46% at free safety. That makes for 49% of his snaps in the sweet spot. What's interesting about these safeties' usage is how it differs when they play divisional opponents from when they play non-divisional opponents. Baker saw 5% fewer snaps in the sweet spot in divisional games, whereas Thompson 7% more snaps in the sweet spot in those games. While this won't impact how they should be valued over a season-long basis, it could impact how you view them on a weekly basis depending on who their opponent is that week. Both safeties play a high volume of snaps in the sweet spot and should be near the top of safety rankings every week.
The Cardinals were hoping that Byron Murphy grows into being a #1 corner this year, that 2021 fourth-rounder Marco Wilson will grow into being a stalwart starter, and that 2020 Vikings first-round pick Jeff Gladney will live up to expectations after he was found not guilty on domestic violence charges that led to his release in 2021. After Gladney's untimely and tragic death this offseason, they have to come up with a Plan B. The team has little depth and the pass defense could be a disaster if they falter, but for IDP leagues, they could produce because a poor pass defense will get tested a lot. The Cardinals did not add any safety help in the offseason, so Deionte Thompson looks to be first in line to start should there be an injury to either safety. He saw just 85 snaps in 2021 since neither starter missed time for injury. Antonio Hamilton is the top backup at corner, appearing in all 17 games last year. The team brought him back on a one-year deal this offseason. The rest of the depth chart in the secondary will be determined by camp competition and perhaps some late free-agent signings.