Three Storylines to Watch as Cardinals Enter Mandatory Minicamp

The Arizona Cardinals enter the final phase of the offseason before training camp - here's what you should be paying attention to.

The Arizona Cardinals are set to begin mandatory minicamp tomorrow on June 13, with the next taste of action not happening until training camp in late July.

It's been quite the offseason here in the desert, and the Cardinals are hoping to make headlines for their on-field performance after months driven by rumors, speculation and overall negative press.

While that's still some time away, the Cardinals look to lay another piece of 2023's foundation beginning tomorrow.

Here's three storylines to watch over the next few days:

Will Cardinals, Budda Baker Resolve Situation?

The Cardinals received great news a bit earlier in the offseason when Baker said he would be present "when it mattered" after skipping a handful of voluntary workouts. After an offseason that saw plenty of talented names depart, losing Baker - a face of the franchise - would hurt. 

Baker asked the Cardinals to make him the highest paid safety in the league, as he has just two years left on his deal with no guaranteed money. Arizona - very much in the beginning of their rebuild - smartly didn't oblige and Baker went public with a trade request.

Baker is reportedly in the building ahead of mandatory minicamp (set to begin on June 13), but don't mistake that as anybody waving a white flag. Baker is still looking to take care of himself financially. 

“For me personally, I’m just letting the business aspect handle the business aspect, letting my agent handle all that type of stuff. Just continuing to have tunnel vision on my work ethic, being the best person I can be outside of football and just enjoying life," Baker said earlier in the offseason. 

What can be done to both satisfy Baker while not overpaying when it's clearly not necessary? That's a line both sides will walk before the season. 

What Will the New-Look Defense Feature?

The Cardinals will be under the guidance of new head coach Jonathan Gannon and new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. 

Arizona previously ran a 3-4 defense, though many suspected both Gannon/Rallis - who arrive from the Philadelphia Eagles - would implement something similar to their 4-3 defense. Though no team really aligns mostly in either of those sets (if anything nickel could be the base norm now), the Cardinals' defense is a great mystery, and neither Rallis/Gannon will elaborate on details. 

We do know a handful of things: Isaiah Simmons has been working out with safeties and Zaven Collins has been working as an edge rusher/outside linebacker. Both have previously played inside linebacker in Arizona under former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. 

Simmons did feature mostly as a nickelback last year, though his role is still fairly unknown. Collins' role on the outside seems far more etched in stone, but is the move permanent or temporary? The Cardinals have hinted to his versatility, so perhaps think along the lines of how the Dallas Cowboys utilized Micah Parson as both ILB/OLB previously. 

Edge rushers in BJ Ojulari, Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders will eventually find their roles on the edge, though it's unclear who will earn most of the snaps between that specific trio. 

Plenty of questions surround this defense and what it will look like, much to the dismay of curious minds. 

Is There Any QB Competition for Colt McCoy?

While Kyler Murray rehabs from his torn ACL, it's likely he misses at least the first part of the season - giving way for a different passer to anchor the offense during his absence. 

There's currently three quarterbacks who could fill those shoes:

Colt McCoy - McCoy is the favorite to replace Murray thanks to his experience and track record as a fill-in. He did have surgery this offseason and there were questions as to how the 36-year-old passer would hold up given his injury history. 

David Blough - Blough arrived to Arizona late last season and faired decently well in the small window of action we saw from him, which was good enough for the Cardinals to bring him back for 2023. 

Clayton Tune - Tune is only a rookie, but put up impressive numbers at Houston last season. Many believe he could be this year's version of Brock Purdy. 

McCoy - as previously mentioned - leads the way, but the question remains: Can either Blough/Tune play well enough to make Arizona think twice about rolling McCoy out for Week 1? 

Tune himself has impressed already, as Gannon offered this on how his rookie quarterback has adjusted to the NFL:

"What I like about him is he's not scared. He is not scared. There's a couple throws that he made out there the last week or so and I'm like, 'Man, that's that's a tight fit right there.' And he was like, 'I know. I'll get it, I'll put it in there.' So I think his handle of the offense has impressed myself and I know the coaches because we've thrown a lot at him to operate the offense the way we want the quarterback position operated, and he's making some good reads."

Things will be drastically different once live competition enters the arena, though McCoy's grasp might not be 100% on the starting job as of now.