The Arizona Cardinals are aiming to build upon a solid 2024-25 campaign. They were very close to making the playoffs and had some great stretches during the season. In a competitive NFC West, the Cardinals have a team worthy of winning the division. The Los Angeles Rams are the early favorite, but the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have yet to prove that they are the top dogs.
Marvin Harrison Jr. had a good rookie season, but he was unable to have more than just a handful of breakout moments. He was the first receiver drafted last offseason; however, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Brock Bowers all had much better seasons from a pass-catching standpoint. It is not easy coming in as a rookie receiver and being the immediate No. 1. Harrison Jr. had a ton of expectations, and after getting bigger and stronger this past offseason, we could see him take the league by storm.
ESPN has proposed that the Cardinals add one more weapon for Kyler Murray and one who can take some of the load off of Harrison's shoulders. 5-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper is a free agent who doesn't have many years left in him, but he is more than capable of another 500+ yard-5 touchdown season. Cooper and the Cardinals have been a fit all offseason.
Article Continues BelowHere is what ESPN's Aaron Schatz on what Arizona should do as the training camp approaches.
“The Cardinals have a strong set of young wide receivers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, but the depth past that is questionable. Greg Dortch is a useful slot receiver, yet he's not an outside starter if Harrison or Wilson go down. Zay Jones has wrestled with injuries for two seasons and caught only eight passes for 84 yards in 2024. Simi Fehoko has 10 career catches at the age of 28.”
“The Cardinals could use a veteran who can come in for Harrison and Wilson when both need to rest or if either of them is injured. The best outside receiver still on the market is Cooper, who spent last season with Cleveland and Buffalo. He did not have a good showing in 2024; he was poor in ESPN's receiver tracking metrics and finished 80th in receiving DVOA. But at this point in his career, it wouldn't cost much to take a chance that Cooper could rebound and provide some value.”