Roundtable: How Confident Are You in Cardinals?

The Arizona Cardinals have plenty to prove in 2024 - can they do it?

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches his team play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 17, 2023. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are expected to improve on their 4-13 record from 2023, and understandably so.

Upgrades were made to both sides of the ball, Kyler Murray is healthy, and the organization is now in year two of Jonathan Gannon's tenure.

This week's roundtable question:

How confident are you in the Cardinals heading into this season?

Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) - 6.5/10. Admittedly so, I’m fairly high on the Cardinals moving into 2024, mostly thanks to a healthy Kyler Murray and an improved offense. Arizona still has questions around the pass-rush and secondary, and will need those to be answered before any serious surprises can be made. Are the Cardinals actually far removed from their 4-13 record? The potential is there to take a massive leap in 2024, and so long as everybody stays healthy, there’s no reason for the organization to fall short of expectations.

Kevin Hicks (@khicks_21) - 7/10. If we’re talking strictly about 2024, I feel like anywhere from 6 to 7 out of 10 is a well thought out and tempered expectation. The Cardinals have a manageable schedule once they get out of the first six-to-seven weeks of the season on top of ushering in year two of a management/coaching regime that appears to be on the same page. Bringing Marvin Harrison Jr., Max Melton, and other high upside rookies into the fold around a rejuvenated Kyler Murray should make Cardinals fans cautiously optimistic that the franchise could be fighting for a wild card spot come December.

Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) - 7/10. There’s no reason not to be, at the very least, cautiously optimistic about this team’s future. But it might be a misconception among some fans at the moment that the future is now. Obviously, plenty has been done to address many of the glaring holes, and the Marvin Harrison Jr.-Kyler Murray connection has an elite ceiling, but that doesn’t fix the lackluster passrush and secondary. There’s just a little too much rookie blood to call this squad a playoff contender yet, but there’s no reason to not be satisfied with an 8-9 win season. Making strides in divisional play and rebounding from a rough start to the schedule are the true metrics.

Jack London (@MonroejackL) - 6.5/10. The offense is the main driving force behind this. The last few games of 2023, things really clicked - it seems like an offense that really fits Kyler well. And that was WITHOUT the weapons they added. Now, are there some concerns? Yes - left guard perhaps. On defense? That’s a bit more tricky and why this score is not higher. Yes they addressed the secondary, but what about edge rusher? If Zaven Collins takes the leap that the coaching staff expects, I’d feel a lot better. Still, I feel more optimistic than I did coming into the 2022 season and that’s progress!

Kyler Burd (@AZCard_BurdsEye) - 7/10. I don’t think it’s possible to deny that the overall roster outlook for the 2024 Cardinals is an upgrade over last season. In free agency Ossenfort focused on finding reliable NFL-caliber talent to boost the floor of a team that put up a good fight in most games, but was quite simply outmatched by most last year. The draft brought in another influx of talent, most notably Marvin Harrison, Jr. who most fans expect to immediately make Kyler Murray’s life a lot easier. There is a lot to like on offense with a healthy Murray in the lineup for Week 1, but several question marks still remain on defense. Will the new defensive line prove any better at stopping a potent run game? Can this incredibly young secondary keep up with the modern NFL offenses it will see every week? Still, this version of the Cardinals will almost certainly improve on last year’s sad 4-13 mark and given the right confluence of events, fighting for a wild card spot is not out of the question.

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