Cardinals Picked as Team Most Likely to Improve

The Arizona Cardinals were one of five teams tabbed by ESPN to show improvement heading into 2024.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks to throw the ball during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 25, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals scratched and clawed their way to a 4-13 record last season, and though championship aspirations still aren't realistic, the Cardinals are one of a handful of teams expected to make a jump as 2024 approaches.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell chose Arizona as one of five teams who are most likely to improve this season - let's break down his reasoning:

"Is it just as simple as counting on Kyler Murray? The Cardinals were 1-8 with Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune at quarterback a year ago, and once Murray returned from a torn ACL, they went 3-5. It's always dangerous to count on a quarterback to play 17 games, but projecting Murray to play more than eight seems like a fair bet. And if that happens, Arizona should be better," wrote Barnwell.

"There's more to it than that, though. The Jets are going to improve with a full season of Aaron Rodgers, but there's not much fun or insight in just pointing out teams that are going to get more than four snaps from their starting quarterback. The Cardinals need more than that to make it into this list."

Barnwell has a point - Murray simply needs to show up and the Cardinals will be a better football team. The numbers between his return and previous Arizona quarterbacks last season show the Cardinals were night and day better with No. 1 under center, though that's not all the Cardinals need to turn the ship around.

After highlighting how any improvement from a 31st ranked defense should bode well in the desert, Barnwell went through the lineup:

"The personnel should be improved in Gannon's second season, although losing BJ Ojulari to a torn ACL before the season even began limits the ceiling. There are new big bodies up front in Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and first-round pick Darius Robinson, all of whom should help a team that allowed 2.9 yards before first contact, the fourth-highest rate in the league," he wrote.

"A cornerbacks room that had been among the league's worst for nearly a half-decade finally has some capital invested at the position with veteran addition Sean Murphy-Bunting, second-year corner Garrett Williams and Day 2 picks Max Melton and Elijah Jones. This team is still a couple of edge rushers short of being able to challenge for above-average status, but it isn't Budda Baker, Kyzir White and praying that somebody in pass protection slips on the defensive side of the ball again."

The essentially new defensive line should bring a new presence that was missing last season, but all eyes are on the youthful cornerback room to see who will step up.

That also goes for an edge room, which - like Barnwell highlighted - had its ceiling capped with the loss of Ojulari.

But, like anything else involving Arizona, the conversation was steered back to Murray and his offense to conclude why Arizona is a team to watch this season.

"The Cardinals ranked 28th in EPA per play on offense before he returned to the lineup, then improved all the way to 10th by the same metric after Murray recovered. They did that with an offense where the top wide receivers were Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch, as Marquise Brown and Michael Wilson were injured for stretches in the second half," wrote Barnwell.

"Brown is gone, but he's been replaced by what might be the second coming of Larry Fitzgerald in Marvin Harrison Jr. We've seen how quickly Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson have adapted to the league after leaving Ohio State, and Harrison is regarded as a better prospect than either. He fundamentally changes how teams can defend Arizona, and that should only open up more opportunities for everyone else in the offense.

"The more subtle improvements might be up front, where Paris Johnson Jr. will move from right tackle to his natural position at left tackle, while Jonah Williams was signed away from the Bengals to step in on the right side. On paper, this is the best line the Cardinals have had in several years. If they can protect Murray and the defense does take a step forward, they could find themselves on the fringes of the wild-card race in the NFC."

Williams has been hit or miss during camp, though what Barnwell didn't mention was the Cardinals finally found themselves a starting left guard in Evan Brown to help bolster their protection.

It all makes sense. It's all solid reasoning. Now the Cardinals themselves just need to prove it.