State of the 2024 Arizona Cardinals: New intrigue with Marvin Harrison Jr. joining Kyler Murray
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Where does your squad stand ahead of the 2024 NFL season? Adam Rank sets the table by providing a State of the Franchise look at all 32 teams, zeroing in on the new faces to know, one significant fantasy spin and the stakes at play in the campaign to come.
Members of the Cardinals organization, global Cardinals fans, and those who acknowledge that Portillo’s isn’t the only Chicago entity residing in the Valley of the Sun…
The Cardinals struggled last season, winning just four games. They had one of the worst defenses in the league. But now the team is looking to get back to winning with a strength of schedule that is tied for seventh easiest in the NFL. The team looked much better last season when Kyler Murray returned from his 2022 ACL injury, winning three games. Can the Cardinals build some momentum? Let’s take a look at the State of the Franchise.
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2024 brain trust
| POSITION | NAME |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jonathan Gannon |
| General manager | Monti Ossenfort |
| Offensive coordinator | Drew Petzing |
| Defensive coordinator | Nick Rallis |
| Special teams coordinator | Jeff Rodgers |
Roster reshuffling
Below is a rundown of the Cardinals’ most notable roster developments for the 2024 season, including this year’s draft class, as well as key acquisitions and departures via free agency and trade.
| Draft class (round-pick) | Key additions | Key departures |
|---|---|---|
| Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (1-4) | Desmond Ridder, QB | Marquise Brown, WR |
| Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri (1-27) | DeeJay Dallas, RB | Rondale Moore, WR |
| Max Melton, CB, Rutgers (2-43) | Zay Jones, WR | Geoff Swaim, TE |
| Trey Benson, RB, Florida State (3-66) | Chris Moore, WR | D.J. Humphries, OT |
| Isaiah Adams, OL, Illinois (3-71) | Jonah Williams, OT | Leki Fotu, DL |
| Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois (3-82) | Evan Brown, C | Josh Woods, LB |
| Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College (3-90) | Justin Jones, DT | Antonio Hamilton, CB |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech (4-104) | Bilal Nichols, DT | |
| Xavier Thomas, OLB, Clemson (5-138) | Khyiris Tonga, DT | |
| Christian Jones, OL, Texas (5-162) | Mack Wilson, LB | |
| Tejhaun Palmer, WR, UAB (6-191) | Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB | |
| Jaden Davis, CB, Miami (7-226) |
New faces to know
It is anticipated that MHJ will be the main target for the Cardinals. Interestingly, it’s worth mentioning that a rookie receiver has managed to accumulate at least 1,400 receiving yards in three of the past four seasons.
In 2023, the Cardinals held a second-to-last rank in scoring defense and 25th in yards allowed. Their inability to rush the passer or cover opponents made for an unfavorable combination. This led them to sign Murphy-Bunting to a three-year contract. Last season, he equaled a career-best record with eight defensed passes and conceded a career-low of two touchdown passes in 2023.
Robinson, who led Missouri with 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his final college season, was also drafted in the first round by the Cardinals. In 2023, the Cardinals had the third-lowest number of sacks in the NFL, with only 33.
State of the QB
- I’ve been curious about what the Cardinals would have done had they been in position to select Caleb Williams in this year’s draft. Would they have drafted the quarterback and moved on from Kyler Murray? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Murray. He’s good. I like him. His contract might be tough to get away from, but then again, this hypothetical doesn’t matter much and can be saved for TikTok think pieces. Murray is still in Arizona and he was the starting quarterback in three of the Cardinals’ four wins last season. They scored six more points per game with Murray at quarterback. As luck would have it, the scoring unit measurement for a touchdown is (wait for it) six points. That’s significant. Murray also saw improvements in completion percentage (71.7%) and passer rating (108.3) over the final three games of the season. And with Marvin Harrison Jr. along for the ride, Murray is going to be given every chance to succeed for the Cardinals. One place I’d like to see him do better — the deep ball. He’s regressed in that area in recent years. The Cardinals do not have a player on the roster who has caught a touchdown pass of 20-plus air yards from Murray.
Most important non-QB
Harrison is the first son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer to be drafted in the first round in NFL history. This interesting fact was discovered through research and is worth sharing. His father, Marvin Harrison, a legendary player for the Colts, had an impressive rookie season in 1996, with 118 targets, 64 receptions, 836 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns. Interestingly, the Colts’ main starting quarterback in 1996 was Jim Harbaugh. From 2022 to 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. topped the FBS with an average of 17.2 yards per reception and 28 receiving touchdowns. For the Cardinals to improve their deep strike capability, a robust partnership between Kyler Murray and MHJ is crucial.
My HOTTEST Cardinals fantasy take:
Draft Trey Benson.
Cardinals RB1 James Conner averaged 128.6 scrimmage yards per game with seven touchdowns over the final five contests of last season, but he missed four games earlier in the year. He has never played more than 15 games in a season and he missed four games in each of the last two seasons. That’s why I’m getting a bunch of shares of third-round rookie Trey Benson. He’s a big back who can catch and I would love to see him get a chance. Take a late-round dart throw on this guy, especially if you end up with Conner in your league. Benson didn’t run the ball a ton in college, so he should be primed and ready to go this season.
2024 roadmap
Three key dates:
- Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Rams. Not only is this a matchup against a division opponent, it’s also the start of a three-game homestand that could give Cardinals a boost to start the season. But it won’t be easy to establish a winning streak for the first time since 2021, with the Lions visiting the following week.
- Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears. Former Windy City rivals will meet when the ex-South Siders play host to the Bears. It will be a big matchup between former No. 1 overall picks and Lincoln Riley pupils when Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams take the field.
- Week 18: vs. San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals won’t have a bye until Week 11 and play four games against division opponents after that brief respite.
For 2024 to be a success, the Cardinals MUST:
A) Win the Super Bowl
B) Make a playoff run
C) Earn a playoff berth
D) Finish above .500
E) Show progress
My answer: E) Show progress. I’ve seen some buzz about the Cardinals being a sleeper team this year. I’m not saying that’s out of the question, but the schedule looks like it could be tougher than you might think (teams like the Commanders and Jets might be much better than their 2023 record would suggest). Seeing Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. creating positive memories with an improved defense should be a realistic goal for this team.
- AFC East
- AFC North
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- NFC East
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