Monti Ossenfort inherited a roster full of holes. Slowly but surely, he’s been patching them up.
Two years ago, when Ossenfort took over as the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, the team had clear needs at every position other than quarterback. Through bargain free agent signings and calculated draft picks, Ossenfort and the Cardinals are without a glaring need headed into the 2025 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals are in a perfect position leading up to the NFL Draft
It’s no secret. The Arizona Cardinals are not the most attractive free-agent destination in the NFL. This is a small market team with little history of success. More than almost any other NFL franchise, the Cardinals struggle to bring in big-name free agents.
While Arizona’s signings this offseason have not been the names at the top of the market, their signings have been impressive. The Cardinals added Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Calais Campbell, all on budget-friendly deals. Each player will likely start along Arizona’s defensive front this season.
With these signings, the Cardinals do not have a major weakness on the roster.
This has been Monti Ossenfort’s goal throughout the offseason. During the NFL Owners meetings, Ossenfort said, “That’s always a good feeling when you don't have to force a pick.”
He has set himself up to truly select the vast player available when the Cardinals are on the clock on Thursday night.
Sure, there are still some areas that Arizona should look to improve. A starting-caliber cornerback, a field-stretching receiver, a quality guard, and a long-term answer at defensive tackle would all be huge additions for this team. But if the NFL season started today, the Cardinals could feel comfortable with the 22 starters they could field. Most teams cannot say the same.
Contenders aren’t built overnight. Ossenfort has built this roster from the ground up, and he’s made it competitive in just over two years. Cardinals fans, for the first time in a long time, can be confident in the future of this franchise.