The Arizona Cardinals continue to add talent to their roster in search of their first playoff spot in six years. Unfortunately for them, they reside in the NFL's toughest division -- a major reason why the Cardinals were one of the most active teams in free agency.
Arizona was able to land J.J. Watt and A.J. Green, two veterans who will immediately pay dividends on a young roster. The Cardinals acquired Rodney Hudson and signed Brian Winters to improve the offensive line.
Franchise quarterback Kyler Murray may have the best group of wideouts in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and Rondale Moore. This is a unit that will throw significantly in 2021, unless Chase Edmonds can change that philosophy as the No. 1 running back.
If the Cardinals are going to make the playoffs, the offense is going to have to carry a revamped defense. Will Arizona reach the postseason in Year Three of the Kliff Kingsbury-Kyler Murray era? Let's take a look at the depth chart now that the 53-man roster is finalized to see how Arizona stacks up.
Rookies denoted by (*)
Offense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
QB | Kyler Murray | |||
RB | Chase Edmonds | |||
WR | A.J. Green | |||
WR | ||||
SWR | Rondale Moore* | |||
TE | ||||
LT | ||||
LG | ||||
C | ||||
RG | Justin Murray | |||
RT |
Arizona boasts a talented group on offense, and finally added a veteran backup quarterback in case Murray suffers a significant injury. Colt McCoy is good enough to make a start or two, but this Cardinals offense revolves around Murray. Edmonds replaces Kenyan Drake (who left for the Raiders in free agency) as the starting running back, but will be challenged for snaps by James Conner -- who felt out of favor with the Steelers.
The Cardinals' top three receivers are set with Hopkins, Kirk and Green, as Moore has emerged as a player in the offense with a very good training camp.
The Cardinals have a major problem at tight end, but that position isn't utilized much in Kingsbury's offense. Offensive line is a unit that improved, but can this group run block? D.J. Humphries was one of the best pass-blocking left tackles in football last year, while Rodney Hudson is a significant upgrade at center.
Defense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | |||
| NT | |||
| DT | |||
| OLB | |||
| ILB | Ezekiel Turner | ||
| ILB | Zaven Collins* | ||
| OLB | |||
| CB | Marco Nelson | ||
| CB | |||
| S | |||
| S |
The Cardinals' pass rush is significantly improved with the addition of Watt and the return of Chandler Jones, who is back from a right biceps injury that limited him to just one sack last year. Jordan Phillips will be challenged by Leki Fotu throughout the year.
Isaiah Simmons will play the majority of snaps at linebacker, although the Cardinals can line him up all over the field. Zaven Collins, the team's first-round pick, will also line up inside -- as the team still seeks a trade for Jordan Hicks. Cornerback will be intriguing with Patrick Peterson not on the roster for the first time in a decade.
Matt Prater will kick and Andy Lee will punt. Aaron Brewer is the long snapper.
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