The Arizona Cardinals have spent their 2019 off-season as one of the more polarizing–and subsequently busy–teams of the NFL.
From hiring an all-out Air-Raid coach in Kliff Kingsbury to dumping their 2018 first-round pick, Josh Rosen, for the coach’s hand-picked signal-caller in Kyler Murray, the Redbirds have stayed in the spotlight.
Via that quarterback swap, a good draft, and an impressive crop of free agents, the Cardinals are an improved team from last year’s 3-13 campaign—there is doubt about that. Yet, they still have their issues, primarily, on the offensive line.
Admittingly, the Cardinals’ offensive line is much improved. The team is getting back starters D.J. Humphries, Justin Pugh, and A.Q. Shipley from injuries. They also added the solid—yet oft-injured—Marcus Gilbert to play right tackle, former Browns starting left tackle Desmond Harrison, and guard J.R. Sweezy.
In the draft, they added Lamont Gaillard and Joshua Miles late; the former was Georgia’s starting center for the past two years. However, the unit is still a cause for concern.
The previously mentioned veterans—Humphries, Sweezy, Shipley, Pugh, and Gilbert—should be locked into the starting positions across the line in the same respective order—left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, left guard. Though there are a combined 316 starts between the five, it’s not a particularly intriguing unit. The five (minus Shipley due to an injury) averaged a lowly 58.4 Pro Football Focus last season.
The above grouping is likely the line the Cardinals take into the 2019 season, barring injury. Considering all of those veterans’ prior ailments, and subpar play recently, there is potential for a young-gun to step in. Center Mason Cole showed promise his rookie season last year, the same can is said for Harrison at left tackle. The rookies, Gaillard, and Miles are longshots. But can either take the unit over the top?
That’s the question doesn’t have an answer. The Cardinals veteran-laden starting unit is easily crackable due to the general lack of high-quality play. That’s a good thing for the youngsters, but not for the quarterback and running back being blocked for.
Last year, the returning, lineman–primarily Humphries, Shipley, Cole, Pugh—showed a lack of health (other than Cole), and inability to keep their quarterback upright; they allowed 50+ sacks for the second consecutive season.
Considering the Cardinals are returning a core of lineman that didn’t do so hot in years past, the hope for better blocking stems for their new-faces, including offensive line-guru/coach Sean Krugler.
Arizona is putting plenty of stock in improvement via a new scheme, a new quarterback, and a returning line littered with some additions.
Whether or not that works can’t and won’t be decided now; while there is potential for a better product, it stands at just that. Many, including yours truly, would’ve liked to see the Cardinals target high-profile offensive lineman in free agency and the draft to protect their future. They didn’t do that; instead, going all-in on a slightly rebuilt unit that has question marks.
Hopefully, for the sake of Murray, Kingsbury, and David Johnson, the gamble pays off.
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