3 underrated moves Arizona Cardinals made in the 2023 offseason

The Arizona Cardinals don’t have a strong roster, but they made a few solid moves in the 2023 offseason that have largely gone overlooked.

The Arizona Cardinals made polarizing moves this offseason, with one camp of fans in full support of the no-frills approach in free agency while the other camp believes general manager Monti Ossenfort should have spent more to put together a team capable of winning now. Regardless of which side you’re on, we can all agree that he made a few underrated moves. 

Actually, he made more than that. But there were three roster moves that Ossenfort made that are worth garnering special recognition. Keep reading for more. 

Arizona Cardinals three most underrated offseason moves

1 - Making less-than-enthusiastic free agent signings

It’s almost like Monti Ossenfort has a lot of foresight. He didn’t make many eye-popping moves in free agency. In fact, he made none. But when you look back on it, it was all part of the plan. 

Clearly, Ossenfort wants a long-term window of success, and clumping a bunch of free agents onto the roster because you have cap space is often an ill-fated maneuver that former general manager Steve Keim never realized. Instead, Ossenfort made sensible signings, realizing that he could fill those stopgaps either this season with a rookie or in 2024. 

Further, it granted Ossenfort more than enough room to cut DeAndre Hopkins and absorb the $22.6 million in dead cap. None of the free agents signed will be here when the Cardinals start winning consistently, but that’s okay. Instead, they’re setting the stage for 2024, where you will see quite the influx of talent. 

2 - Re-signing Greg Dortch

You can make the argument that Greg Dortch was one of the NFL’s most underrated receivers this past season. Had he seen more snaps as he should have, who knows how productive the small, speedy wide receiver would have been in 2022. 

Fortunately for the Arizona Cardinals, they recognized Dortch’s value and brought him back for another year. If Dortch builds on his 2022 outing, then he could find a role in the desert beyond 2023. 

3 - Signing Kyzir White and Zach Pascal

One thing we need to remember: The NFL isn’t a Madden simulation, and sometimes, you sign players for their leadership potential as opposed to their on-field productivity. Neither White nor Pascal will post dazzling numbers, but the pair were solid signings of former Philadelphia Eagles nonetheless given their familiarity with Gannon and therefore, the ability to lead. 

White is especially valuable, because he knows Gannon’s style on the defensive side of the ball and elements of the system he is implementing. Sure, there were better players on the market, but familiarity and leadership are key when you are a team in transition.