Based on what the front office has done thus far, this year’s Arizona Cardinals could look extremely similar to the 2021 squad.
Many followers of the Arizona Cardinals entered the current offseason with unbridled optimism.
After witnessing the Cards get off to an impressive 10-2 start last fall, the “Red Sea” believed that the organization had a solid foundation in place. Nevertheless, the team’s late-season collapse was a clear indication that the front office still had work to do. When free agency got underway, many fans were hoping that Arizona’s hierarchy would begin to add the necessary pieces that would get Kliff Kingsbury’s squad to the next level.
Apparently, general manager Steve Keim has a different plan. It appears that management is under the impression that the 2021 version of the Redbirds was good enough. Keeping that group together, as opposed to acquiring outside help, seems to be the main strategy of the club’s personnel department in 2022.
Only two of the players that have been signed thus far, cornerback Jeff Gladney and linebacker Nick Vigil, are new to the franchise. Every other individual who has inked a deal with the Cards over the past couple of weeks was with the team last season. Does Keim really think that the squad can take the next step by simply maintaining the status quo?
Arizona Cardinals have concentrated on keeping their own free agents in 2022
The Cardinals deserve praise for hanging onto tight end Zach Ertz and running back James Conner, two of the offense’s most vital components. Ertz was signed to a three-year, $31.6 million deal, while Conner agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract with the club.
Arizona also retained a couple of additional offensive contributors. Quarterback Colt McCoy will once again serve as the backup for Kyler Murray in 2022. Maxx Williams will combine with Ertz to give the organization one of its finest tight end duos in years.
Linebacker Dennis Gardeck and defensive end Michael Dogbe will also remain in the desert this fall. Special-teamers such as Andy Lee, Aaron Brewer, and Ezekiel Turner agreed to new contracts as well.
According to reports, Keim may also be looking to bring another familiar face back into the nest. Robert Alford, a cover guy who’s been with the Cards since 2019, visited on Thursday. There’s also talk that the front office could have interest in re-signing wideout A.J. Green to a brand-new deal.
In many instances, continuity breeds success. If the offseason is any indication, Keim and company appear to be wholeheartedly buying into that theory. Fans of the Cardinals can only sit back and hope that what the decision-makers are doing with the roster will somehow lead to a Super Bowl championship.