5 hopes for the Arizona Cardinals roster going forward at this point of the season
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals have shown us that their 2023 roster is better than what many believed, despite finishing with just two wins as the team heads into its Week 11 matchup vs. the Houston Texans. Many notable recent contributions have come from younger players, and better yet, more than a few of them are products of the new Monti Ossenfort regime.
However, much consistency is needed on some fronts, both regarding individual players and entire units. Below you will meet the top five units and players who must finish the season strong, which will plug a few of what were recently massive holes on this roster during at least a portion of the first half of the season.
5 hopes for the Arizona Cardinals roster at this point
5 - The Cardinals have found a solid running back committee
Two weeks ago, the Cardinals were forced to roll with the ill-fated pair of Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones Jr. Here we are, entering Week 11, and the Cards have three running backs they can take into next season, assuming everyone stays healthy and consistent.
James Conner, if he sticks around, is the first name on the list, followed by Emari Demercado, who has been limited in practice this week after being idle for the previous two. Michael Carter just arrived as a waiver claim, giving the Arizona Cardinals more potential and depth at running back than they had for most of the season.
4 - Garrett Williams can prove he’s a CB1
Garrett Williams has played in four games and he’s already the best cornerback on the roster, enjoying yet another solid week in the Cardinals win over the Atlanta Falcons alongside a few rookies. It’s not a huge sample size, but it’s also good to see that the Cardinals corners aren’t overmatched 100 percent of the time (no exaggeration) these days with Williams on the field.
Per PFF, Williams is boasting a grade of 67.8, with a fair 62.9 coverage grade, and he’s also been sensational in run support, sporting an 81.7 grade. While Pro-Football-Reference has given quarterbacks facing Williams a 51.0 passer rating, PFF has him slated at 58.9, which is still a fantastic number. The hope is that Williams keeps this pace going, which will make corner a lesser need than originally thought.