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Arizona Cardinals fans have been waiting a while to see Kyler Murray turn their team into an offensive juggernaut.
The hopes for that transformation grew last offseason when the team added Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick in the draft.
Just a year later, the team seems to be headed in a very different direction.
The offense should still be good in 2025, but the front office has sent a clear message this offseason that they want the defense to become the unit that wins them football games.
The Cardinals haven’t hidden their focus since the start of free agency.
An Arizona Cardinals HelmetMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
They didn’t sign a single starter for the offensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, they’ve invested heavily on defense. They signed Josh Sweat for $19 million per year to lead their pass rush.
Then they signed Dalvin Tomlinson to solidify the interior of their defensive lines.
They also added Calais Campbell and Akeem Davis-Gaither on the defensive side of the ball.
That focus on defense was even more evident during the draft.
Of their seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, six were used to select a defensive player. Their only offensive selection came in the sixth round.
The defensive investment isn’t a huge surprise as their head coach is a former defensive coordinator, but it still should paint a pretty clear picture of who the Cardinals want to be going forward.
The identity of this franchise is going to come on the defensive side of the ball going forward.
With all of these additions on defense and the returns of B.J. Ojulari and Darius Robinson, the Cardinals will have plenty of talent on that side of that ball.
The offense hasn't been able to propel them to a deep playoff run in recent years, which could explain why they'd want to see if the other side of the ball can get that job done for the franchise.
Now all of that talent is just going to need to live up to the expectations that will come with the hefty investment the Cardinals made on defense this offseason.
Continue reading...
The hopes for that transformation grew last offseason when the team added Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick in the draft.
Just a year later, the team seems to be headed in a very different direction.
The offense should still be good in 2025, but the front office has sent a clear message this offseason that they want the defense to become the unit that wins them football games.
The Cardinals haven’t hidden their focus since the start of free agency.
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An Arizona Cardinals HelmetMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
They didn’t sign a single starter for the offensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, they’ve invested heavily on defense. They signed Josh Sweat for $19 million per year to lead their pass rush.
Then they signed Dalvin Tomlinson to solidify the interior of their defensive lines.
They also added Calais Campbell and Akeem Davis-Gaither on the defensive side of the ball.
That focus on defense was even more evident during the draft.
Of their seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, six were used to select a defensive player. Their only offensive selection came in the sixth round.
The defensive investment isn’t a huge surprise as their head coach is a former defensive coordinator, but it still should paint a pretty clear picture of who the Cardinals want to be going forward.
The identity of this franchise is going to come on the defensive side of the ball going forward.
With all of these additions on defense and the returns of B.J. Ojulari and Darius Robinson, the Cardinals will have plenty of talent on that side of that ball.
The offense hasn't been able to propel them to a deep playoff run in recent years, which could explain why they'd want to see if the other side of the ball can get that job done for the franchise.
Now all of that talent is just going to need to live up to the expectations that will come with the hefty investment the Cardinals made on defense this offseason.
Continue reading...
