While the Arizona Cardinals' 5-10-1 record in their first year under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury may not seem very impressive, it was much better than the team's 3-13 record the season prior and it shows that, in the very least, the team is headed in the right direction.
As the 2020 season approaches, expectations should be that the Cardinals should at least be a near .500 team. There are a few reasons why Arizona has a good chance to make that jump or do even better.
Arizona has arguably been the biggest winner of free agency thus far as they snagged All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Houston Texans.
The team gave up former Pro Bowl running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-rounder but that's a small price to pay for arguably the best wideout in football.
Young franchise quarterback Kyler Murray was in desperate need of top-tier receiver talent going into his second year and the Cardinals went out and got a guy who has combined for 4,115 yards and 31 touchdowns over the past three seasons.
Improved run game
The Cardinals traded for underperforming Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake at the 2019 trade deadline and the move ultimately paid off.
While the Alabama product managed just 174 rushing yards in six games with Miami, the 6-foot-1, 211-pound RB turned it on once he got to Arizona.
In eight games with the Cardinals, Drake recorded 643 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
While he is guilty of being a bit inconsistent at times, the departure of David Johnson should give Drake the perfect opportunity to be a bell-cow back for Arizona.
The Cardinals weren't at all a bad rushing team last year but next season they certainly have a chance to be among the league's best in that category.
Improved front seven
The Cardinals defense gave up the most yards per game last season (402.0) and ranked in the bottom five in the league in terms of scoring defense.
As a result, it was clear the Cardinals needed to go into free agency looking to improve their defense. They've done that thus far.
Chandler Jones is arguably the best rusher in the NFL but beside him, Arizona needed some help in the front seven.
Arizona went out and signed former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell. Campbell is a tackling machine (129 tackles in 2019) and is only entering his fifth NFL season.
Additionally, the acquisition of another outside linebacker in Devon Kennard should provide the team with additional pass rush. The former Detroit Lion recorded 58 tackles and seven sacks last season.
Lastly, the Cardinals signed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to a three-year deal which should pair well in the middle next to Corey Peters. Coming in at a monstrous 6-foot-6 and 346 pounds, Phillips had a career year in 2019, recording 13 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks
