The Arizona Cardinals went just 5-10-1 this past season, but they still managed to generate a lot of excitement thanks to Kyler Murray under center. Now, going into 2020, the Cardinals are even more intriguing.
Arizona brought in a big-time weapon for Murray this offseason, swinging a blockbuster trade to acquire star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Houston Texans.
But is that enough to elevate the Cardinals into a legitimate contender in the NFC West?
Here are the biggest questions surrounding Arizona heading into next season:
3. Can the offensive line provide enough protection?
The Cardinals' offensive line showed improvement in 2019, but it was still far from stout, as evidenced by the fact that Murray was sacked 50 times—the fourth-most in the NFL last year.
Arizona didn't do a whole lot to address the line this offseason, only adding right tackle Josh Jones in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The unit is still fairly young, so perhaps it will continue to get better going forward, but the last thing the Cards want is an Andrew Luck type of situation where Murray takes a ton of unnecessary hits early on in his career and retires early because of it.
Luckily, Murray is a bit more mobile than Luck was (and that's an understatement), but it would still be nice to throw behind a line that isn't giving up pressure constantly.
2. Will the defense show improvement?
The Cardinals' defense was bad in 2019. Like, really bad.
Arizona allowed 402 yards per game, which ranked dead last in the NFL. Also, outside of Chandler Jones, the Cards struggled to generate any type of pass rush.
Steve Keim and Co. have tried as best as they can to address their defensive issues this offseason, bringing in linebackers Devon Kennard and De'Vondre Campbell via free agency and drafting fellow linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the first round.
But make no mistake: even with the improvements, this defense needs a whole lot of work.
Of course, it will help having Patrick Peterson for a full season, as he missed half of 2019 due to a PED suspension. So that alone should make the Cardinals' defense a bit better.
Still, Arizona's defense will likely be what prevents the club from reaching new heights in 2020.
1. Can Kyler Murray avoid the sophomore slump?
Murray doesn't have to look any further than his former collegiate teammate Baker Mayfield about the dangers of a sophomore slump.
Mayfield had the world in his hands entering 2019, but he fell flat on his face.
Can Murray avoid a similar regression?
Now, it should be noted that Murray is quite different from Mayfield in terms of his personality. He doesn't have a big mouth, so opponents and the media won't be able to use his words against him. But that doesn't mean he is immune to a down year.
The Cardinals have done everything in their power to ensure that won't happen, adding Hopkins and re-signing running back Kenyan Drake, who broke out after coming over in a trade with the Miami Dolphins midway through this past season.
But ultimately, it's up to Murray to ensure that he makes the proper adjustments and shuns the mere idea of a sophomore slump.
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