Arizona Cardinals
Coaching Staff
Arizona brought in Kliff Kingsbury as the head coach in 2019, which led to a 5-10-1 record. Their offense scored 361 points (16th) while ranking 21st in yards allowed. They scored 136 more points than in 2018 (225).
Over the last six seasons, Kingsbury was the head coach for Texas Tech. His teams went 35-40 while never having a winning season in conference play. He is a former NFL and CFL player. His forte comes on the offensive side of the ball. The Cardinals want to throw the ball, and the addition of DeAndre Hopkins does raise the bar while also setting up the structure for their wide receivers.
The Cardinals didn’t bring in an offensive coordinator, which leaves the role of play calling to their head coach. Kingsbury helped Patrick Mahomes reach an elite level while also working with Case Keenum, Johnny Manziel, and Baker Mayfield.
Vance Joseph returns as the defensive coordinator after losing the Broncos head coaching job in 2018. Joseph went 11-21 in two seasons with Denver. In 2016, Vance held the defensive coordinator job for the Dolphins. He has 15 seasons of experience in the NFL.
Arizona allowed the most yards in the NFL, which was their third straight year of regression (2nd, 6th, and 20th). They finished 28th in points allowed (442).
Free Agency
Their offensive line lost T Jordan Mills and C A.Q. Shipley with both players offering no value last year.
Arizona added LB De’Vondre Campbell, ED Devon Kennard, and DI Jordan Phillips.
Campbell started 48 games over the past three seasons, which led to 315 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine defended passes and two Ints. Despite a productive year in stats in 2019, he fell short of expectations in run support.
Kennard has been an asset in run support over the past five seasons. In his two seasons for the Lions, his game improved in the pass rush and his playing time.
Phillips signed a $30 million contract with the Cardinals after setting career-highs in tackles (31) and sacks (9.5). In his five years in the NFL, he’s never been an edge in run support.
The defense moved on from DE Cassius Marsh, DT Zach Kerr, DI Rodney Gunter, DE Brooks Reed, DT Caraun Reid, LB Joe Walker, DT Clinton McDonald, S Josh Shaw, and CB Brandon Williams.
Their offense parted ways with WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Charles Clay, and WR Damiere Byrd.
Draft
Arizona addressed their shortfalls on defense by drafting LB Isaiah Simmons (1st), DT Leki Fotu (4th), DT Rashard Lawrence (4th), and LB Evan Weaver (6th).
Simmons brings elite speed (4.39 forty) in the linebacking position. His game plays well in coverage, with the ability to attack the quarterback. He has room for growth in his play and frame while needing improvement in his anticipation and fight in tight quarters in run blocking.
Fotu has the foundation skill set to defend the run with a limited upside in the pass rush. He relies on plus power and strength. His first step isn’t ideal, but Fotu creates space with his hands and surprising athletic ability for his size (6’5” and 330 lbs.).
Lawrence is a second player added to upgrade the Cardinals’ run defense. His first step has a disrupter feel while lacking the speed to reach the quarterback on many plays. He succeeds with hard work and fight with a history of injuries in his college career.
Weaver lacks impact speed (4.76 forty) for his size (6’2” and 237 lbs.). His vision and quickness offset his shortfalls, leading to him being in the right position to make many plays. He plays with patience, followed by an attacking style and a high motor. Weaver won’t be a difference-maker in the pass rush with some questions in pass coverage.
In the third round, the Cardinals invested in T Josh Jones. His game needs plenty of work in his technique to fine-tune his skill set in pass protection. Jones should develop into a starter with his run blocking expected to play well early in his career.
With their final selection in the seventh round, Arizona took a flier on RB Eno Benjamin. He doesn’t have an edge in speed (4.57 forty yards dash) or strength (12 reps in the bench press). Benjamin does show more power than expected. His running style appears to be ragged in tight quarters, which leads to some flat-footed motions trying to create misses with the net results being minimal extra yards. At the next level, this approach will lead to some hard hits and possible fumbles.
I sense a hot and cold type player with his best value coming in the passing game early in his career. Benjamin may be challenged early in his career in pass protection.
Offensive Line
The Cardinals jumped to 10th in rushing yards (1,990) with 18 TDs and 16 runs over 20 yards. They averaged only 5.0 yards per carry with 24.8 attempts per game.
Arizona improved to 23rd in passing yards (3,797) with 20 TDs and 12 Ints. They gained 6.9 yards per pass attempt with only 49 completions over 20 yards. Their offensive line allowed 50 sacks and 69 QB hits.
LT D.J. Humphries
Last year Humphries played 16 games for the first time in his five-year NFL career. He allowed minimal sacks and some pressure to the quarterback, which led to the best showing of his career in pass protection. Despite an improvement in the Cardinals’ run game in 2019, Humphries struggled. Over the previous three seasons, he played well as a run blocker. Arizona drafted him in the first round in 2015.
LG Justin Pugh
Pugh played great in pass protection in almost every game last year, which came after two down seasons. Over his first four years in the NFL for the Giants, he offered an edge in all areas. Pugh saw a regression in his run blocking over the past three years. He is also a former first-round pick (2013).
C Mason Cole
Cole saw minimal playing time in 2019 while playing some snaps at every position on the offensive line. The previous season after getting drafted in the third round, he made 16 starts at center while struggling in pass protection.
He doesn’t have the base to defeat power players, while his best asset is his athletic ability. Cole plays hard on every play with solid vision in his reads. He needs to improve his hands to help combat losing battles after the snap.
RG J.R. Sweezy
Sweezy was a massive liability in all areas in 2018 for the Seahawks, which came after a failed season at Tampa. He’s been a liability in the run game over his past three years, but Sweezy did regain his pass blocking skills in 2019.
RT Josh Jones
Jones projects as a starting player in his rookie season after getting drafted in the third round in 2020. His game offers upside once he corrects some of his flaws in pass protection and develops his foundation skill set. Jones should hold his own in run blocking in his rookie season.
Offensive Line Outlook
Sacks remains a problem for this offensive line, and I can’t see a significant improvement based on the structure of the right side of the line. Arizona has two assets plus three other question marks, which points to another season with a low overall ranking in run and pass blocking.
Last year they overcame some of their issues in the run game thanks to Kyler Murray averaging 5.8 yards per rush. This offense needs a bigger passing window if the Cardinals want to become a force in the passing game.
Offensive Schedule
The data shows the strength of schedule as far as rushing attempts (RATT), rushing yards (YDS), yards per attempt rushing (YA), rushing touchdowns (TDs), completions (COMP), passing attempts (PATT), passing yards (YDS), yards per attempt passing (YA), and passing touchdowns (TDS).
This information is based on 2019, which will work as our starting point for 2020. We’ll look at all the changes on offense on each team in the NFL plus the upgrades and downgrades on each team on the defensive side. We’ll update this table when we finish the research on all 32 teams.
2019 LG Average = the league average of all stats from all 32 teams in 2019.
2019 Results = this is the results for each team in the NFL.
2019 Adjustment is based on the 2019 league average and the 2019 results for each team, this number will show if each team is above or below the league average in each stat category and the basis for the strength of schedule.
Arizona has almost a neutral schedule for their rushing offense. Their best chance for success comes against Washington, Carolina, and Miami. They have three challenging matchups (NYJ, NE, and PHI) on the ground.
On the passing side, the Cardinals have four tough games (NE, BUF, and SF X 2), and four favorable contests (DET, NYG, and SEA X 2). Arizona has one of the more difficult schedules for the passing offense.
Offense
Last year Arizona ran the ball 41.7 percent of the time while ranking 22nd in the league in offensive plays (1,000).
Here’s a look at the early projections for the Cardinals, which will be fluid all summer after taking in all injury updates and training camp news:
PLAY AGAINST THE BEST WITH FULLTIME FANTASY! | Odds
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray (RANK – ADP)
Despite finishing sixth in QB scoring (21.03 FPPG) in four-point TD leagues, Murray had zero passing TDs in six games and two other contests with one touchdown.
He passed for fewer than 200 yards in six games, with four of those results coming over the final six weeks.
Too often in his rookie season, Murray settled for the safe short completion (6.9 yards per pass attempt).
Murray ran the ball well (93/544/4) while not forcing the issue. From Week 5 to Week 7, he had ten rushes or more in each contest. In his final season at Oklahoma, he rushed for 1001 yards and 12 TDs on 140 carries over 14 games.
He passed for over 300 yards in five games with his best success in Week 6 (340/3) and Week 10 (324/3).
In the offseason, the Cardinals added one of the top WRs in the game (DeAndre Hopkins). His presence helps the coverage for all WRs behind him on the depth chart, plus creates better spacing for Murray to make plays in the deep passing game.
I don’t like his offensive line, but he still has a chance at 5,000 combined yards. His initial projections came to 4,653 combined yards with 30 TDs and 12 Ints. Murray tends to be the third quarterback drafted in June with an ADP of 51.
Other options: Brett Hundley, Drew Anderson, Chris Streveler
Running Backs
The Cardinals’ running back had 26 fewer touches in 2019, but they gained 213 more yards and scored seven more touchdowns. Their backs had a spike in their yards per rush (4.61) and yards per catch (8.56).
The key to Arizona’s success at running back in 2020 will be improved offensive play and playing from the lead. Kyler Murray will steal plenty of rushes and touchdowns, which lowers the ceiling of their running backs.
Kenyan Drake (RANK – ADP)
The Dolphins never committed to Drake on early downs, leading to 258 rushes over a 27 game stretch (9.6 carries per game) from 2017 and 2019.
After a midseason deal with Arizona, he flashed explosiveness in three games (28.2, 39.6, and 33.3 fantasy points in PPR league). Over eight games with the Cardinals, Drake gained 814 combined yards with eight TDs and 28 catches while averaging 18.9 touches per game.
With back-to-back seasons on his resume with 50 or more catches, he looks poised to have the best year of his career. Drake looks to be on a path for 1,149 combined yards with 13 TDs and 51 catches while coming off the board as the tenth running back with an ADP of 14.
Chase Edmonds
Edmonds had a monster game in Week 7 (150 combined yards with three TDs and two catches), which put him on an upside path to finish the year. Unfortunately, he left the next game early with a hamstring injury that cost him three weeks, followed by an empty role after RB Kenyan Drake seized the starting job. An interesting handcuff with enough upside to push for more touches with success on the field. He’ll also face competition for rookie RB Eno Benjamin.
Over his first 29 games in the NFL, Edmonds gained 719 combined yards with seven TDs and 32 catches.
Eno Benjamin (RANK – ADP)
In his sophomore season at Arizona State, Benjamin looked to be an upside option at running back. He gained 1,905 combined yards with 18 TDs and 35 catches on 335 touches. Last year he had a plodding feel on early downs (253/1093/10 – 4.3 yards per rush) while maintaining his value in the passing game (42/347/2).
Other options: D.J. Foster, Jonathan Ward
Wide Receivers
The change in coaching staff in Arizona led to a rebound in value for the Cardinals’ wide receivers. They finished with 80 more catches for 785 yards and 94 more targets. The downside here was the regression in yards per rush (10.89). Kyler Murray completed 67.2 percent of his passes to the wide receiver position.
DeAndre Hopkins (RANK – ADP)
After an excellent last six seasons (580/7800/52) with the Texans, Houston decided to move in another direction leading to Hopkins being shipped to the Cardinals. Last year he lost some of his big-play ability, which was showcased by a career-low in yards per catch (11.2) and a decline in plays over 20 yards (16).
Over his first 12 games, Hopkins gained fewer than 70 yards in six contests despite a floor of five catches each week. He finished with five games with over 100 yards (8/111/2, 9/106/1, 11/109, 7/102/1, and 6/119) with one other impact outing (6/94/2). Hopkins has a floor of eight targets in 17 of his 18 games played on the year (including the playoffs).
The Cardinals have depth and upside at the wide receiver position, but they lack a pass-catching threat at tight end. Based on 2019 (238/2593/11), Arizona will look toward their wide receivers on many plays.
His resume suggests a high floor with an unknown ceiling in 2020. Hopkins’ starting point for me is 95 catches for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns while remaining fluid over the summer. He has an ADP of 15 and is the third wide receiver drafted.
Christian Kirk (RANK – ADP)
This season Kirk should move to WR2 for the Cardinals, but he still lacks the desired skill set to play outside.
His one impact game (6/138/3) came in Week 10 while offering one other contest of value (6/114). He caught six catches or more in seven of his 13 games.
Kirk missed three games with an ankle issue that seemed to linger all year.
Kirk has 80-catch talent, but he tends to gain short yards per catch (10.4 in 2019). Possession type of skill set with a WR3 ADP (100) in the early draft season. I’ll start the bidding at 71 catches for 846 yards and five touchdowns.
Larry Fitzgerald (RANK – ADP)
Fitzgerald moved to second all-time in catches (1,378) with a chance to run down WR Jerry Rice (1,549) if he hangs around for another three years.
With WR DeAndre Hopkins added to the roster, Fitzgerald falls to WR2/WR3 on the Cardinals with an expected drop under 100 targets for the first time in his career.
In 2019, he gained under 60 yards in 11 of his final 14 games after starting the year with success in two contests (8/113/1 and 5/104). I only foresee 63 catches for 676 yards and five TDs.
The wide receiver position for the Cardinals looks cloudy in 2020, with DeAndre Hopkins added to the mix.
In his rookie season as a second-round push (22nd ranked WR pre-draft) in the draft, Isabella has value in two games (1/88/1 and 3/78). He barely saw the field while seeing a peak of four targets in Week 11. He brings blazing speed with one high volume catch season (102/1698/13) on his college resume. Isabella needs an injury or two to earn any fantasy momentum.
Johnson gives Arizona an intriguing fifth option at wide receiver.
Over four seasons at Fresno State, he caught 275 passes for 3,463 yards and 24 TDs with two top years (2017 – 77/1013/8 and 2018 – 95/130/8).
His game offers more upside in route running than the two other rookie wide receivers drafted by the Cardinals in 2019, and he has strength in his hands. Johnson’s overall speed is below NFL standards at WR, limiting him to a slot receiver early in his career.
In his rookie season, he caught 21 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown despite gaining some preseason hype in the fantasy market. The Cardinals didn’t give him any snaps over their final six games.
In his final year at Iowa State, Butler caught 60 balls for 1,318 yards and nine TDs. He also showed big-play ability in 2017 (41/697/7). Butler is a big target, but he lacks quickness, and his pass routes need plenty of work.
He’ll catch many contested balls while being a load to take down in the open field. Possible red zone threat with a chance to surprise in some games when defenses overlook him. More of a project with flier value. Larry Fitzgerald may be a crucial part of his development.
Butler missed all of 2019 with a broken hand.
Other options: Trent Sherfield, Johnnie Dixon, A.J. Richardson, Shane Leatherbury, Devin Phelps
Tight Ends
The tight end position in Arizona continues to fade in opportunity (56 targets), but their catch rate (71.4) did improve with Kyler Murray starting at quarterback. Last year they caught only 11.3 percent of the team’s completions while showing growth in their yards per catch (13.6).
Despite a second-round pedigree in the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams only has 78 career catches for 699 yards and four TDs on 101 targets over 58 games.
Last year he caught 15 of his 18 targets for 202 yards and one TD while gaining over 20 yards on one-third of his chances.
Not much to get excited about here, but William does appear to be the top pass-catching option at tight for the Cardinals in 2020.
Over two seasons in the NFL after signing with Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Arnold has 20 catches for 277 yards and three TDs on 33 targets.
He has the look of an oversized (6’6” and 220 lbs.) wide receiver, which may create some mismatches for Arizona at tight end.
Other options: Darrell Daniels, Ryan Becker, Parker Houston, Dylan Cantrell
Kickers
After a quiet rookie season (82.9 fantasy points), Gonzalez kicked his way off the Browns in 2018 due to three missed extra points in five chances and going 2-for-5 in field goal attempts.
His leg looked much improved in 2020 (5th highest scoring kicker – 143.1 fantasy points) while showing strength in both field goals (31-for-35) and extra-points (34-for-35).
Arizona has a developing offense, which bodes well for another top ten kicking season this year. His next step in his growth is an improvement from long range (17-for-28 from 40 yards or more in his career).
Last year the Cardinals scored 38 touchdowns, leading to 73 scoring chances.
Defensive Schedule
Their pass schedule is league-average with three games (WAS, NYJ, and BUF) against weak passing offenses. They also have three challenging contests (DAL and LAR X 2).
Defense
Arizona climbed to 24th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (1,922 yards) in 2019 while allowing nine TDs and nine runs over 20 yards. Ball carriers gained only 4.4 yards per rush, with 27.4 runs per game.
The Cardinals plummeted to 31st in passing yards allowed (4,510) with 38 TDs and seven Ints. Their defense picked up 40 sacks while QBs gained 8.0 yards per pass attempt.
DE Zach Allen
In his rookie season, Allen only saw action in the first four games of the season due to a neck injury. He offers an exciting combination of instincts, power, and quickness, which helps him disrupt the point of attack. He has an excellent feel for run defense with upside in his counter moves to attack the quarterback. His lack of speed does limit his range, and his recovery value if stalemated at the point of attack.
DE Corey Peters
Peters had the most playing time of his career in 2019, which led to continued success vs. the run, and relatively no upside rushing the quarterback. Over his last 31 games, he has 88 tackles and five sacks. At best, Peters is a league-average player who should only be on the field on running downs.
DT Jordan Phillips
Arizona hopes to catch lightning in the bottle by adding Philips to their starting lineup. After a slow start to his career over five seasons, he posted 9.5 games last year while also setting a career-high in tackles (31). The coin flip on his value against the run looks to be a loss in most seasons.
Over his four seasons with the Cardinals, Jones has 210 tackles, 60 sacks, 15 defended passes, and 17 forced fumbles. His pass rush (19 sacks) was exceptional in 2019 while continuing to rank as an edge in run support.
LB Jordan Hicks
In his first year in Arizona, Hicks delivered 150 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three Ints, and six defended passes. It was only the second time in his career that he played in 16 games. His run defense was at its best over the past two years, but quarterbacks picked on him in coverage last year leading a ton of yards after the catch and TDs allowed.
LB Isaiah Simmons
The moveable piece to the Cardinals’ defense will be Simmons in his rookie season. He’ll upgrade the pass coverage with the talent to attack the quarterback when asked to blitz. Ideally, Arizona would like to keep him clean to improve his ability to make tackles in the run game. Simmons will be the fun guy to watch on this defense.
LB Devon Kennard
Kennard played at a higher level over his last two seasons for the Lions. He picked up 104 tackles and 14 sacks over 31 games. His best asset will come in run support while showing growth in the pass rush.
CB Patrick Peterson
After missing the first six games last year due to a suspension, Peterson struggled more often than not in pass coverage. He allowed the highest catch rate of his career with damage after the catch and in touchdowns allowed. Peterson has a long resume of success in coverage while drawing an opponent’s top receiver on many plays. His play should be much better in 2020.
CB Byron Murphy
The Cardinals wheeled out Murphy for 16 starts in his rookie season after getting drafted in the second round. He finished with 78 tackles, one Int, and ten defended passes, but Murphy allowed a ton of touchdowns with risk in run support. His experience should help his learning curve and success going forward.
His edge comes from his understanding of play development and instincts. Murphy is a playmaker who has more quickness than overall speed. He can’t recover from a mistake in the deep passing game while needing to work on his technique when retreating in his pass coverage when facing the line of scrimmage.
S Budda Baker
Baker improved his production in tackles (147) for a second straight year while chipping in with six defended passes. He plays at a high level in run support with some work to do in coverage. Baker doesn’t have an interception over his first 44 games in the NFL.
S Jalen Thompson
Arizona gave Thompson nine starts in his rookie season after getting drafted in the fifth round. He held receivers to low yards per catch but a high catch rate. Thompson has a ton of work needed to be a factor in stopping the run.
His foundation skill set projects well in both run support and pass coverage while offering playmaking skills. Thompson needs to develop physically while adding patience to his attack. He brings strength in his feel for play flow and coverage, but he does get himself in trouble by being too aggressive at times, leaving him out of position and susceptible to pump fakes by QBs.
Team Defense Outlook
This defense has one elite player with multiple young options that need time to develop. They have one developing upside player on each level of their defense plus a couple of darts added in free agency after career seasons. Growth should be expected, but there will be up and down games. More of a follow for me in the fantasy games while offering some matchup value.
