The Arizona Cardinals and their fans were rightfully disappointed in how the 2021 season finished. A team that held the No. 1 seed in the NFL for the majority of the season collapsed against their division rival Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
Fans were then hoping for another great offseason to put the team over the edge and take another step forward in 2022. The past two offseasons have been full of big-ticket moves and acquisitions that has turned the team into a playoff contender, with all credit due to general manager Steve Keim.
However, fans became frustrated and rather confused when the Cardinals were dead silent for the first week of free agency. There weren’t even any reports of the team having interest in any of the elite free agents, and one by one each found new teams.
Instead, fans were ‘treated’ to the absolute media disaster that was the Kyler Murray contract rumors. It seemed like Murray being traded was the primary topic of every sports talk show for a month.
The Cardinals then lost Pro Bowl pass rusher Chandler Jones in free agency. While many were in favor of parting ways, the team has since done nothing to replace him.
The main addition this offseason was adding former Ravens wideout Marquise Brown, which is lining up to be an excellent pairing with Kyler Murray. Kudos to the front office for making that move, especially with how the board was turning out in the first round.
Then, as things were finally looking up, they came crashing down about four days later following the news that DeAndre Hopkins would miss the first six games of the season following a PED suspension.
Now, the Cardinals and their fans are unsure if center Rodney Hudson will play another down for the team. Outside of the Hollywood Brown trade, it feels as if there haven’t been any positives for this Cardinals offseason.
Arizona Cardinals offseason recap:
Resigned Keim and Kingsbury
Public contract dispute with QB
Lost Chandler Jones
Lost Christian Kirk
Lost Chase Edmonds
DeAndre Hopkins suspended six games
Signed CB Jeff Gladney, who tragically passed away
Rodney Hudson a "no-show" at minicamp— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) June 14, 2022
The team must make another splash acquisition prior to the start of the regular season.
Perhaps it’s an edge rusher like Robert Quinn, who had 18.5 sacks last season and is rumored to be on the move from Chicago. Maybe it’s a player we haven’t even considered to be an option, but they need to be something.
Fans are frustrated, particularly given how the season ended and how other teams have continued to be aggressive in the offseason while the Cardinals have sat back.
The Cardinals did nothing in free agency. They’ve insisted they are looking to remain aggressive throughout the entirety of the offseason, but have yet to act on that statement.
Adding another premier player would do wonders for the team and their commitment to win towards both the players and the fans.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
