Don’t look now, but the Arizona Cardinals believe something special is brewing in the desert.
It’s easy to love your team in the offseason, where wins and losses don’t accumulate and players are flying around with just helmets on. We see Super Bowl champions crowned on paper every summer.
Yet it’s not just coach talk. It’s not players saying things just to say them.
The Cardinals believe they can be one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Arizona’s offensive prowess is night and day different moving into 2024 compared to this time last season – mostly thanks to the presence of No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr.:
“I think that takes us to another level. When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones, obviously he’s got to go do it and he knows that. We all know it, but as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he’s not open, he’s open,” quarterback Kyler Murray told reporters earlier in the offseason.
“I’m excited to be able to build that with him, but when he does what he does, yeah, I fully expect our offense to be top of the league.”
Murray flashed positive signs upon returning from ACL rehab halfway through 2023. Now with a full offseason of prep under the guidance of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Murray’s expected to take a big step forward.
Much of the focus centered in Arizona belongs to Harrison, who has heralded as one of the highest-rated prospects to emerge from the draft in some time.
“Obviously we got to keep connecting and getting better, but just the talent that he is, it’s natural. There’s a lot of things that he does that you can’t even coach,” Murray said.
“… Just to add him in on top of the guys that we have, that’s another thing that guys got to worry about, defenses have to worry about. They got to scheme for it – or don’t, and find out.”
Murray isn’t the only player with high expectations. Up and coming tight end Trey McBride doubled down on Murray’s hopes of becoming the best in the league in a recent interview with The Arizona Republic.
“Yeah, I second that,” McBride said. “It can be elite. Kyler’s a freaky athlete. He’s one of those guys who makes stuff happen when there shouldn’t be anything there. I just love playing with him. And Marvin, he’s one of those generational guys you don’t see come through very often. For us to snag him, it’s very special.
“But Michael Wilson’s been great. He’s had a great offseason. I’m just super excited about the future of this offense, the future of this team. I’m excited about where we’re going and to have Kyler Murray as healthy as he is now. I think the sky’s the limit for us. We definitely have the potential, have the team, to be the top offense in the NFL.”
Arizona held one of the best rushing attacks in the league last season and only added to their riches with Florida State running back Trey Benson. Zay Jones was another fresh face added to the offense to pair with the talents of Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson in the aerial attack.
Everybody has something to offer and contribute. The Cardinals feel as if they have a “pick your poison” dynamic brewing in Arizona.
Whether results come to fruition remains to be seen. We still have training camp and preseason games before talk becomes cheap.
Yet there’s optimism – more than usual – the Cardinals will be as dangerous as ever when push comes to shove.
They certainly believe it.
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