Arizona Cardinals added size at wide receiver during the 2023 offseason
By Jim Koch
One of the biggest question marks surrounding Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray when he was entering the NFL was his size. At 5 foot 10 (and that's being generous), the first-overall pick of the 2019 draft has struggled to see downfield at times. With the diminutive signal-caller entrenched as the starter, it would make sense for the Cards front office to supply Murray with bigger targets to throw to.
Heading into the offseason, the Arizona roster was peppered with wideouts who were certainly on the smaller side. Tiny pass-catchers like Marquise Brown (5 foot 9,180), Rondale Moore (5 foot 7,180) and Greg Dortch (5 foot 7,175) aren't exactly easy to spot on a football field. The 6 foot 1, 212 pound DeAndre Hopkins was the exception to the rule, but many observers rightly surmised that the five-time Pro Bowler would be playing elsewhere this coming fall.
Recognizing the weakness, Cardinals General manager Month Ossenfort went out and added three sizeable receivers to the roster. Individuals who won't be difficult to locate for Murray or whoever else is under center for the franchise this fall.
The first addition to the wide receivers room was back in March, when free agent Zach Pascal inked a two-year contract with the Cards. At 6 foot 2, 214 pounds, the seventh-year pro was brought in to act as a reliable, veteran target for whoever is under center for "Big Red". Since he entered the league back in 2017, Pascal has hauled in 165 passes for 2,038 yards and 16 touchdowns in stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.
A pair of Arizona Cardinals rookies will bring size to the team's wide receivers room this coming season
One month later, Arizona selected Stanford University wideout Michael Wilson during the third round of the NFL Draft. From all accounts, the 6 foot 2, 210 pounder has resembled a future superstar since he joined the team back in April. The 23-year-old Wilson is slated to be in the starting lineup when the Cardinals open the season against the Washington Commanders on September 10th.
Many members of the "Red Sea' were surprised to learn that Daniel Arias initially survived the league's cutdown day this past Tuesday. The undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado earned his spot with the Redbirds following an excellent preseason. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that the 6 foot 3, 215 pound Arias was retained because of his magnificent frame.
Update: Arias has since been released and re-signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad.
The new Cards receivers are expected to pay huge dividends. Small passers throwing to little wideouts isn't exactly ideal, especially when the offense ventures inside the redzone. With those big-bodied targets on board, Arizona now possesses an impressive mix of both size and speed at the wide receiver position.
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(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)