The Arizona Cardinals are hoping new head coach Mike LaFleur can get the most out of this roster; he just doesn't necessarily have the luxury of having a good one. Arizona's projected win total in Vegas is set at 3.5 games. Unsurprisingly, they also have the highest odds to wind up with the No. 1 overall pick in 2027.
That would be the ideal draft outcome for a Cardinals roster still in desperate need of finding their long-term signal-caller. LaFleur's Cardinals will have to redefine what a successful season looks like. Internal improvement has to be the top of that list: getting better each week, gaining more familiarity and comfort within LaFleur's system, and leaving the season with momentum to carry over into what could be a far more significant 2027.
The Cardinals are stacked with offensive weapons, meaning they are just a solid quarterback away from having the upside of an elite offense. That's easier said than done, seeing as they had to give in to Jacoby Brissett's demands to rework his deal only to still have one of the worst starting quarterback options in the league.
But if Arizona can find a way to achieve that, likely by selecting someone like Arch Manning or Dante Moore in the draft, they can hit the ground running. Well, their offense can at least, which gives them the rest of the offseason to address a few offensive line concerns and then focus almost entirely on the defensive side of the ball.
In the meantime, all that LaFleur can focus on is growth.
Cardinals' offense will be ready for their next franchise quarterback
The Raiders took a similar roster-building approach as the Cardinals. Both teams paired their elite tight end by spending a premium top-ten draft pick on running backs, Ashton Jeanty going to the Raiders at No. 6 in 2025 and Arizona's more recent No. 3 overall selection of Jeremiyah Love.
They seem to be a year ahead of the Cardinals' plan, landing their quarterback of the future in Fernando Mendoza with the top selection. It remains to be seen if Mendoza will be the Week 1 starter, but when that time does come, he'll be put in a position to succeed with the amount of weapons.
The Cardinals are still waiting for their version of Mendoza to come through the draft. But they may arguably have even more weapons to join, especially when you factor in receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
While they patiently wait to bring in external help to fill out the roster, the best thing LaFleur can get out of this season is to establish a scheme and offensive identity. It also means giving Beck a chance to see if he's an upgrade over Brissett or potentially even the long-term answer.
For GM Monti Ossenfort, that means evaluating external options to see where a quarterback can be brought in. If it's not via the draft, the fact that Arizona has established this offensive infrastructure should make it an attractive free agency destination for quarterbacks. The free agency class doesn't seem too promising at the position though, especially if Baker Mayfield remains in Tampa Bay.
While the quarterback of the future remains a mystery, the Cardinals are in a better position to make the playoffs sooner than their win total suggests. If this young core can take another jump thanks to LaFleur, and those quarterback problems do get resolved, Arizona could find itself in the playoff conversation in just a few years.
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