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Will the Arizona Cardinals be able to fight their way back into NFL Playoff contention in 2023?
Arizona took hopeful wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Carolina Panthers in Weeks 2 and 4 before winning two of its next 13 games on its way to a record of 4-13, good enough for fourth place in the NFC West and 15th in the NFC.
The Cardinals brought aboard nine rookies through the 2023 NFL Draft. They chose to shore up the trenches with their first two picks, taking Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and edge rusher BJ Ojulari out of LSU. Cornerback Garrett Williams and receiver Michael Wilson went with the next two picks, providing valuable backups to a team that earned just less than 4,000 receiving yards and an allowed completion percentage of 69.8%.
A total of 10 undrafted free agents joined the Cardinals' ranks after the draft, including Michigan State safety Kendell Brooks and Michigan tight end Joel Honigford. Brooks, a former North Greenville transfer who earned two letters with MSU, played in 11 games and started in 10 for the Spartans in 2022. Michigan State teammate Xavier Henderson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Commanders.
Which undrafted free agents will find their way onto the final roster? And will they be enough to help push them into a competitive spot next season?
DL Jacob Slade
A former 3-star recruit out of Lewis Center, Ohio, Slade initially chose the Spartans over offers from Appalachian State, Ball State, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts and Ohio, according to 247Sports. He joined a 2018 Michigan State recruiting class that ranked 30th in the country and featured three 4-star enrollees in Henderson, cornerback Kalon Gervin and tight end Trenton Gillison.
The 6-foot-4-inch and 305-pound defensive lineman ended his college career with 42 games, tallying 88 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Slade signed with the Cardinals on a deal that includes $200,000 guaranteed in late April, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
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This Cardinals' defense will need depth, particularly on the defensive line, if it will push its way back into the playoffs.
Arizona's defense ended with 36 sacks last season, tying it with the Denver Broncos and putting it just behind the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams. Its 3,915 passing yards allowed was good enough to put it at 24th in the NFL with spots behind the Rams, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
The Cardinals hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon in February, who helped guide the Eagles to a defense that allowed the least total passing yards and tied with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers for 17 interceptions.
Versatility on defense was a point the now-Cardinals head coach preached in March, saying the team doesn't fit the players into the scheme, but fit the scheme around the player.
“I don't box ourselves into an alignment,” Gannon said, via All Cardinals. “We're going to try to play defense where we make sure we don't get the ball thrown over our head and keep the points down and take the ball away. Those are kind of the main stats that I'm concerned with.
“But everyone plays a hybrid of something or another, but I think you need versatility and scheme week to week to be able to take away their best players and that's how we'll do things.”
Bringing Slade aboard would add an experienced rookie to a defensive line in need of an extra boost. The Cardinals have the option to get more versatile options at the linebacker or cornerback positions. Still, Slade's experience on the line can make him a valuable backup for Arizona if he finds a spot on the roster.
