The Arizona Cardinals swung a blockbuster trade for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins earlier this week, and Hopkins actually came cheap, as the Cardinals sent only eroding running back David Johnson, a second-round draft pick and a fourth-rounder to the Houston Texans in return for Hopkins and a fourth-round pick.
Why the Texans accepted that low of a return for Hopkins remains a mystery, especially considering that the Minnesota Vikings were able to nab four draft picks—including a first-rounder—from the Buffalo Bills for Stefon Diggs later that Monday night, but that's a story for another day.
The question is, just how good can Arizona be now that Hopkins is in tow?
In 2019, the Cardinals went 5-10-1, finishing in last place in the loaded NFC West division. Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray showed some very positive signs early on, and young wide out Christian Kirk displayed some flashes.
Arizona had a couple of other rookie receivers in Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler, but Isabella was mostly unproductive, and Butler missed the entire season due to injury.
Still, there remains hope for Isabella and Butler moving forward, and a trio of Hopkins, Kirk and wily veteran Larry Fitzgerald is certainly impressive.
Plus, the Cards have a pretty nice backfield duo of Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds, so Murray will have no shortage of weapons entering his sophomore campaign.
But for as much talent as the Cardinals have at the skill positions, there are still numerous holes on this roster.
First of all, their offensive line isn't very good, and Arizona has yet to do anything to address it this offseason. Of course, the Cardinals will also have the draft next month to try and get Murray some extra protection, but you would think they would at least make an attempt to add someone in free agency.
Now, to be fair, Arizona didn't enter the offseason with a ton of cap room, so the Cards need to be selective, but protecting Murray should be one of their top priorities.
The other big issue for the Cardinals is their defense, which ranked dead last in the NFL in 2019.
Yes, the club just added defensive lineman Jordan Phillips on a three-year deal, and cornerback Patrick Peterson will be available right from the jump next season after serving a six-game suspension to start this past season, but Arizona still has a long way to go before it can even begin to call its defense decent.
Think about this for a second: Chandler Jones racked up 19 sacks in 2019, and yet, the Cards still ranked just 18th in the league with 40 total sacks.
Finally, the Cardinals play in a brutal division that features the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, who made it to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
More than likely, Arizona will finish in last place and won't be contending for a playoff spot, as it will have to play those teams six teams combined in 2020.
While Hopkins is a top-five wide receiver in the NFL (bar none), is exactly what Murray needs and should make the Cardinals' offense incredibly exciting to watch, he isn't going to suddenly vault Arizona into playoff contention.
The Cards took a big step by adding Hopkins, but it was just that: a step.
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