It Really Is This Bad: Projected Starters 2023

[Proximo]

This is legit hilarious. Also, Ertz is 33 and coming off a severe knee injury.

IMO, Hollywood, Conner, and the OL put a floor on the offense above absolute Rosen-level futility, but this is still a unit that anonymously stuggles in the bottom third of the league.

You want to talk about hilarious.

Kyler with an o-line and no receivers by himself running in circles is better than Rosen and the offense we had that season.

I get it that everybody on here is trying to one up everyone on how bad this team is going to be - but either everybody forgot or did not watch the Rosen season - there is no chance in hell this offense will be half as bad as that one.

 

[kerouac9]

You want to talk about hilarious.

Kyler with an o-line and no receivers by himself running in circles is better than Rosen and the offense we had that season.

I get it that everybody on here is trying to one up everyone on how bad this team is going to be - but either everybody forgot or did not watch the Rosen season - there is no chance in hell this offense will be half as bad as that one.

We agree -- the 2023 Arizona Cardinals offense will be bad but not epically so. But the way you're supporting that argument is bad.

First: Kyler isn't going to play 17 games. I'd be surprised if he plays 12. I think he'll play nine. Either way, Kyler started 16 games his rookie season, which I assume is the one you're referencing.

Second: Kyler Murray was surrounded by Kenyan Drake (5.2 YPC), Christian Kirk, and Larry Fitzgerald his rookie year. That's arguably a better supporting cast than the Cards will run out this year, especially when you add in a 2019 offensive line that included Humphries, Justin Pugh, and A.Q. Shipley. J.R. Sweezy would be the third-best player on the 2023 offensive line (probably). Justin Murray... We don't talk about Justin Murray.

The 2019 Cardinals defense was ranked 28th in points and 32nd in yards. I don't remember them being that bad, but maybe my expectations were low? Why were we so bad? Will Kyzir White be better than Jordan Hicks?

 

[MadCardDisease]

The 2019 Cardinals defense was ranked 28th in points and 32nd in yards. I don't remember them being that bad, but maybe my expectations were low? Why were we so bad?

Steve Keim gave Wilks and company the likes of lazy ass Robert Nkemdiche and an over the hill gold digger in Terrell Suggs. Not to mention a gun toting striper obsessed Darius Philon who got cut before the season even started. Toss in trying to shoehorn Haason Reddick at ILB and an injured Robert Alford. Then you have the coaches telling ownership they are fine running a 3-4 only to change their tune 2 months before the season starts and switch to a 4-3 with a rookie DC who was in over his head. Oh and lets not forget an unhappy Patrick Peterson who was suspended the first part of the season.

All that lead to a total disaster on a defense.

 

[az jam]

Not going to debate anyone. The reality is that we are in a rebuild. My hope, as a long time season ticket holder, is that there is improvement over the season especially with the younger players. It would also be great that whenever Kyler returns he plays well. It would be wonderful for the team and fan base to know that Kyler is a solid QB and we can use all those draft choices to build a team around him.

 

[kerouac9]

Steve Keim gave Wilks and company the likes of lazy ass Robert Nkemdiche and an over the hill gold digger in Terrell Suggs. Not to mention a gun toting striper obsessed Darius Philon who got cut before the season even started. Toss in trying to shoehorn Haason Reddick at ILB and an injured Robert Alford. Then you have the coaches telling ownership they are fine running a 3-4 only to change their tune 2 months before the season starts and switch to a 4-3 with a rookie DC who was in over his head. Oh and lets not forget an unhappy Patrick Peterson who was suspended the first part of the season.

All that lead to a total disaster on a defense.

This was Kingsburys first season. Only about half your factors apply. Seeing Suggs on that roster is a definite embarrassment and was when it happened.

 

[MadCardDisease]

This was Kingsburys first season. Only about half your factors apply. Seeing Suggs on that roster is a definite embarrassment and was when it happened.

Doh! Was thinking 2018 for some reason.

 

[HairZach]

I think this roster is better than the 2019 roster that won 5.5 games with rookie Kyler and rookie Kliff. Though our 2023 schedule looks harder than the 2019 schedule.

 

[kerouac9]

I think this roster is better than the 2019 roster that won 5.5 games with rookie Kyler and rookie Kliff. Though our 2023 schedule looks harder than the 2019 schedule.

Counterpoint: No one on the 2023 defense is better than 2019 Patrick Peterson or Chandler Jones.

Heck, 31 year old Corey Peters might be the third-best player on this year's defense.

Rodney Gunter might be the best defensive lineman on this year's team.

It's going to be really, really difficult to scheme around how talent-deficient this defense will be, especially in the front seven.

 

[Vacard]

We don’t even need to tank for Caleb/Marvin Jr bad.

 

[Dr. Jones]

This team is going to go down as one of the worst ever.

JFC

Three wins this year would be two too many IMO.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I can see that. It will be weird debate and fun to watch and see which path for the Cards could get them out of the dredges the quickest. (Assuming both ours and Houston picks are top 5)

1. Draft Marvin Harrison Jr and the other best player non QB that you want, pair them with Kyler and go. (maybe even getting some real draft capital by trading one of the picks if both picks are top 3)
2. Draft Caleb/Maye and Marvin if both picks are top 3.
3. Draft Caleb/Maye, possibly miss out on Marvin (unless both of the picks are top 3) and draft the other best player available.

There's some real debate to any of them.

I strongly feel if Murray shows advancement then you go heavy offense in this draft. You try to make that side of the game an overwhelming advantage. Unless there’s a generational defender that is head and shoulders better than the offensive player under consideration.

 

[kerouac9]

I strongly feel if Murray shows advancement then you go heavy offense in this draft. You try to make that side of the game an overwhelming advantage. Unless there’s a generational defender that is head and shoulders better than the offensive player under consideration.

Yeesh. Going into 2024 with one of the least talented defenses in the NFL again would be real hard to swallow.

It would be so Bird City to see like 700 yards from Michael Wilson and decide we’re good letting Hollywood Brown walk and going into 2024 with Harrison Jr and Wilson and convincing ourselves we’ve upgraded at wideout.

They’ll have to double down on offense in 2024 if they do the responsible thing and throw James Conner and Zach Ertz overboard.

 

[CardNots]

Yeesh. Going into 2024 with one of the least talented defenses in the NFL again would be real hard to swallow.

It would be so Bird City to see like 700 yards from Michael Wilson and decide we’re good letting Hollywood Brown walk and going into 2024 with Harrison Jr and Wilson and convincing ourselves we’ve upgraded at wideout.

They’ll have to double down on offense in 2024 if they do the responsible thing and throw James Conner and Zach Ertz overboard.

It will tell me if we have improved the coaching staff. If they suck, then I have my answer.

 

[BritCard]

Seventh-round draft pick Marquis Hayes, selected by the prior regime, over a guy who's started three dozen NFL games? Who was a priority free agency by all indications? Okay.

Daley signed over 2 weeks into FA and has a 750k dead cap hit. Not sure how that's priority.

He's not even guaranteed to make the roster. I feel more confident he won't.

 

[kerouac9]

Daley signed over 2 weeks into FA and has a 750k dead cap hit. Not sure how that's priority.

He's not even guaranteed to make the roster. I feel more confident he won't.

The folk hero status of Marquis Hayes continues to baffle me.

 

[DVontel]

Harrison Jr and Wilson and convincing ourselves we’ve upgraded at wideout.

Welllll…..

 

[Crimson Warrior]

The folk hero status of Marquis Hayes continues to baffle me.

I mean, he hasn't played a down in a real NFL game, and @BritCard has him penciled in as a starter.

Britcard, come on man. Hayes is my homeboy, and he looked okay in limited preseason action, but can you not see how we're getting ahead of ourselves a little here? How that's more than a little hopeful?

And @kerouac9, equally questionable is getting meaningful reps out of Daley. I have an acquaintance who's a rabid TEN fan, and he literally referred to Daley as "the worst offensive lineman in the history of the NFL". lol..

I can squint my eyes and imagine we'll be okay at LT, RG and RT. After a couple of martinis I can even convince myself we'll be okay at C.

But who in the world are we going to play at LG? What about leaving an aging Kevin Beachham at RT, and putting PJ at LG?

Or, maybe we'll catch lighting in a bottle with Hayes, or my favorite whipping boy Josh Jones will finally find another position besides LT where he can be at least a "C-" starter.

 

[kerouac9]

I have an acquaintance who's a rabid TEN fan, and he literally referred to Daley as "the worst offensive lineman in the history of the NFL". lol..

Yeah. Well fans are dumb and teams don’t hire and play guys who are utterly useless. They end up like Lecitus Smith: given a limited chance, dropped back on the bench, and quietly released after their second training camp.

Guys like Daley are frequently the worst guy on a bad line, which is what we’re likely to see this year.

 

[THESMEL]

Personally I think nobody knows, kind of like a box of chocolates, never know what you’re gonna get. I think more then 50% of our offense goes through a running back, rush or pass and get other DCs out of playbook. Been since Denny Greene since we didn’t paas like our hair is on fire, when we did run a little effectively we won, went yo playoffs then passed ourselves to death!

Eagles did the same this Super Bowl, forgot what got them there.

 

[HairZach]

Yeah. Well fans are dumb and teams don’t hire and play guys who are utterly useless. They end up like Lecitus Smith: given a limited chance, dropped back on the bench, and quietly released after their second training camp.

Guys like Daley are frequently the worst guy on a bad line, which is what we’re likely to see this year.

Statistically Daley is literally the worst tackle of the past 10 years. Of all the tackles that played in that timeframe no one gave up a worse sack percentage than Daley. Hopefully he is better at guard.

 

[kerouac9]

Statistically Daley is literally the worst tackle of the past 10 years. Of all the tackles that played in that timeframe no one gave up a worse sack percentage than Daley. Hopefully he is better at guard.

A good reason I’m not projecting him to tackle.

 

[BritCard]

The folk hero status of Marquis Hayes continues to baffle me.

Nothing folk hero about it. I thought he was a good player at OU and we got a steal for a guy that was estimated to go in round 4-5.

That,combined with him being cheap for 3 more years gives him the edge for me.

You're literally saying in one breath that you expect Daley to start despite being garbage but you're confused about why I expect Hayes to start in the next?

I expect Hayes to win the job because Daley is known trash and the odds of Hayes being worse are slim.

 

[QuebecCard]

Personally I think nobody knows, kind of like a box of chocolates, never know what you’re gonna get. I think more then 50% of our offense goes through a running back, rush or pass and get other DCs out of playbook. Been since Denny Greene since we didn’t paas like our hair is on fire, when we did run a little effectively we won, went yo playoffs then passed ourselves to death!

Eagles did the same this Super Bowl, forgot what got them there.

Only if you ignore the pictorial on the box.

 

[Phrazbit]

That roster is 2003 bad.

I think these guys would struggle in 1903.

 

[Phrazbit]

It's going to be a complete disaster...

... it was DESIGNED to do so!

I cannot believe people are still trying to convince themselves that this isn't a full on tank job.

We have multiple positions on each side of the ball (probably 4 on defense, 3 on offense?) that would qualify as among the least qualified starters in the league. Behind those guys we have what largely amounts to practice squad talent.

Coaching this semi-pro squadron are a group of guys whom, almost to a man, are at a staff level that they've never achieved. Even if they're great hires, even the best coaches typically have a learning curve.

One of the most inexperienced coaching staff ever assembled.

Likely the least talented roster in the league... and that is assuming Kyler is around. Any game without Kyler and we have the worst team in football at pretty much each position group.

This ain't gunna be a typical bad season... 5-12 or 6-11 is not on the horizon. We'll be lucky to win 3 games and I expect us to get wrecked by 2 plus scores pretty much weekly.

If Kyler is out for the majority of the season then they will struggle to win a game.