Cardinals Named Losers of 2023 NFL Offseason
The Arizona Cardinals have done things by the book during the first year of their rebuild under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort.
The Cardinals shed some major salary cap space, didn't overpay any superstars and acquired some strong draft capital for next year's draft. Though 2023 will likely yield little results on the field, it's a necessary burden to carry for the Cardinals to improve in the long run.
There's plenty to be excited about for Cardinals fans moving forward, though not everybody sees it that way.
The Athletic's Mike Jones worked through winners and losers of the 2023 NFL offseason. The New York Jets, Houston Texans and Amazon were labeled as some winners while Aaron Rodgers, running backs and San Francisco 49ers were in the loser category.
So were the Cardinals:
"Firing Kliff Kingsbury was the right move, but hiring Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to replace him at head coach was a head-scratcher. Even worse: Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray spent the offseason rehabbing from knee surgery and his top wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, forced the team to release him. That means even less firepower for an already inconsistent offense," said Jones.
Gannon's hire was definitely a curveball to everybody following the process, though players and coaches have really taken to his message thus far. His success in Arizona will have to wait for results past 2023.
Murray's recovery is what it is, especially since it happened in the late stages of the 2022 regular season.
As for Hopkins - it sure felt like the Cardinals didn't want his $19.45 million salary for next season on their books. Arizona releasing him prior to June 1 ensured they were 100% free of his salary heading into 2024.
Considering the mess Ossenfort and company inherited, it's tough to look at what transpired over the last few months and walk away feeling like a loser if you're the Cardinals.
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