Least Interesting Team Ever?

[Harry]

If you’re looking for stuff to read about the Cards’ rebuild; good luck. They are so uninteresting that there is virtually no media coverage outside of Arizona. Frankly, there’s nothing to report. The free agents were mostly stopgap or special teams support. The draft was more aimed at crushing 2024 (pressure’s on) than competing in 2023. This is a bad tram. With a history of near total disaster this year’s team ranks likely highly among the worst ever. There are a few, very few, interesting prospects. The front office thought so poorly of their predecessor they didn’t make a serious effort to re-sign their top free agents. They also didn’t pick up the fifth year option on their previous first round choice. In essence the new group said the old group was virtually a total failure. It’s not even clear the new regime intends to do much to enhance the hold over “star” who plays QB. If they could I believe they’d cut almost every player and start from scratch.

So here we go again. season ticket holders are asked to bet on the future or that they can sell those tickets to the visitor’s fans. After all, Arizona is a nice place to visit, especially if you can take in a win. Sadly the NFL just stands by with no standards applied to the efforts of existing owners. No one protects the fans. No one cares about them beyond getting their money. In point of fact they reward the biggest failures with the best potential prospects.

Arizona is not alone in ripping off fans. It’s an NFL tradition, yet we keep coming back for more. To paraphrase Henny Youngman, take my money; please. Fans could refuse to sell their tickets and sit home. This would deny the NFL the parking money (I know passes come with some tickets) and concession income. Over a season this amounts to millions of dollars. However, the NFL has always bet the fans won’t take that loss. They’ve always won that bet. In the end this is just another greed grab by an industry that’s built a tradition of stealing from fans. This is a monopoly and it’s easy to see why those are supposed to be illegal. In this case it’s deemed critical to protect the financial well-being of the owners.

Will this rebuild work? Who knows! The only thing I’m certain of is that the owners will feel little pain. Plus, if it does fail, another rebuild is sure to follow.

 

[kerouac9]

Attendance income is less than TV revenue, and both are shared. I’m sure most of the suites are locked into multi-year deals. But a lot of them looked dark when I looked last year.

We drafted a right tackle in the top 10, a pass rusher who had five sacks, and a wide receiver who had 25 catches.

 

[Cardiac]

Well I'm depressed but that's the life of a Cards fan.

 

[Solar7]

We do still have good WRs and a pedestrian running back... not that it adds much to being a boring team. I can imagine us looking a lot like last year's Falcons.

This all had to happen eventually though, but to your point, I'm removed from the season ticket holder experience these days. Even if I was given free tickets I couldn't make it due to health this year, so it's out of sight out of mind.

 

[BritCard]

It's not even the least interesting team of the past 5 years. People have short memories.

 

[Krangodnzr]

It's not even the least interesting team of the past 5 years. People have short memories.

That Wilks team was way worse than this one.

 

[Zalixar]

It's not even the least interesting team of the past 5 years. People have short memories.

Crash and burn teams draw some interest yes, but still in the often forgetable teams that even exist territory.

 

[kerouac9]

That Wilks team was way worse than this one.

Worse, but there was more star power on that team.

Chandler Jones
Patrick Peterson
Larry Fitzgerald
Josh Rosen
David Johnson

Hard to remember a lower-wattage defense than the one well run out in Week 1.

 

[slanidrac16]

In Chicago you have to retain your season tickets because there’s a waiting list. In Arizona ( if I lived there) I’d be damned before supporting this team by purchasing season tickets.
If the teams turns it around you can always buy back in.

 

[CardNots]

wow, we’ll written OPINION

When did this team’s ownership ever look at a fan and see anything other than a revenue stream?

since when did anyone believe this was anything other than a business

I will say as I aged I understood I was just a insignificant player in a business model, nothing has changed

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

The least interesting team ever? Well, I wasn't there to see them, but I heard there was once a team in Chicago, and later St. Louis, who were pretty inconsequential.


Rinse and Repeat. We are the Cardinals!

 

[AZ Native]

It's not even the least interesting team of the past 5 years. People have short memories.

The jury is out. We haven't played a game yet. Maybe worse, maybe not.

 

[BurqueCardFan]

Worse, but there was more star power on that team.

Chandler Jones
Patrick Peterson
Larry Fitzgerald
Josh Rosen
David Johnson

Hard to remember a lower-wattage defense than the one well run out in Week 1.

This was my thought as well. That team may have been bad but it was due to coaching and some bad personnel decisions. Not for a lack of trying like this year. This year, they seem to be mailing it in. Not even trying to sign upgrades.
The Wilkes team at least tried to sign a QB (Bradford) and draft one (Rosen).
If they truly go into the season with no significant backup QB upgrade, knowing that Kyler may be out, then they shouldn’t even bother playing.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Worse, but there was more star power on that team.

Chandler Jones
Patrick Peterson
Larry Fitzgerald
Josh Rosen
David Johnson

Hard to remember a lower-wattage defense than the one well run out in Week 1.

Josh Rosen? eh he wasn't THAT well thought of. That season was his one shot and he's bounced around the league as a fringe third QB ever since.

Peterson. Yeah he was still a star.

Fitzgerald was clearly in decline at that point.

Chandler Jones, sure.

David Johnson hadn't done anything in awhile at that point.

I'd counter that this team has more ok players throughout. The Wilks team was pretty much just a few good players and a bunch of dreck.

 

[AZCB34]

Josh Rosen? eh he wasn't THAT well thought of. That season was his one shot and he's bounced around the league as a fringe third QB ever since.

Peterson. Yeah he was still a star.

Fitzgerald was clearly in decline at that point.

Chandler Jones, sure.

David Johnson hadn't done anything in awhile at that point.

I'd counter that this team has more ok players throughout. The Wilks team was pretty much just a few good players and a bunch of dreck.

So it wasn’t all Wilks fault

 

[Krangodnzr]

So it wasn’t all Wilks fault

Reasons to fire Wilks:

1) Take accountability. He is the only coach I've ever seen flat-out blame the players after a loss. That's a complete lack of leadership.
2) When asked how he could fix things, he said he didn't know! So he's essentially admitting his incompetence at the position.

The real blame goes on the crew who hired him. He was an abject disaster on gameday and in leading players. The only thing the Cardinals did right was to fire the guy and draft a replacement for Rosen.

 

[kerouac9]

Josh Rosen? eh he wasn't THAT well thought of. That season was his one shot and he's bounced around the league as a fringe third QB ever since.

Peterson. Yeah he was still a star.

Fitzgerald was clearly in decline at that point.

Chandler Jones, sure.

David Johnson hadn't done anything in awhile at that point.

I'd counter that this team has more ok players throughout. The Wilks team was pretty much just a few good players and a bunch of dreck.

That team featured three Hall of Famers. You think the 2023 Cardinals will be bad: what are you defending?

 

[HairZach]

The only interesting thing I can think of is seeing if Nick Rallis can do anything special with Collins and Simmons. He's a young up and coming coach who is supposedly a linebacker guru. Eagles fans didn't mind losing Gannon, but were universally upset about losing Rallis. I know we have a new linebacker coach, but I expect Rallis will be involved.

Our linebacker coach under the last regime had some pedigree, but he was old and had recently developed a reputation for being horrible at developing linebackers at Ohio State.

 

[PACardsFan]

Worse, but there was more star power on that team.

Chandler Jones
Patrick Peterson
Larry Fitzgerald
Josh Rosen
David Johnson

Hard to remember a lower-wattage defense than the one well run out in Week 1.

Josh Rosen affiliated with star power??? LOL

 

[HairZach]

Josh Rosen affiliated with star power??? LOL

There's a certain excitement that comes with a rookie 1st round QB

 

[PACardsFan]

If Kingsbury, Keim, and VJ were still affiliated with the Cardinals, then yes, I would be depressed going into this season. They are NOT, so it will be very interesting to see what kind of identity we attempt to build. Show me a team that consistently leads the league in penalties, and I’ll show you a coaching staff that’s rotten to the core.

 

[Yuma]

My money is on the 2018 Josh Rosen led Cardinals. I was traveling and listened to the game where we couldn't advance the ball past the 50 yard line. That team set NFL records for offensive ineptitude. Listening to those games when I traveled was like listening to paint dry. To me, that will always be the worst Cards team ever. Heck, it only took a season to get rid of a HC and first round QB, it was THAT bad!

 

[CardNots]

My money is on the 2018 Josh Rosen led Cardinals. I was traveling and listened to the game where we couldn't advance the ball past the 50 yard line. That team set NFL records for offensive ineptitude. Listening to those games when I traveled was like listening to paint dry. To me, that will always be the worst Cards team ever. Heck, it only took a season to get rid of a HC and first round QB, it was THAT bad!

Agree 100 percent, undisputed by facts

 

[Krangodnzr]

That team featured three Hall of Famers. You think the 2023 Cardinals will be bad: what are you defending?

That Cardinals teams was wretched. Sure they had Peterson, but no other even marginally credible corners. LBs were all pretty much journeymen and fringe players. I don't think Collins and Simmons have been worthy of their drafted round, but both are much better than the LBs on that team.

Sure they had Jones, but who else?

Fitzgerald and Kirk, but no one else. TE? no one.

The Cardinals aren't going to be good next year, but overall, I still think this team is more talented, especially once Murray comes back.

 

[football karma]

what will be interesting in 2023:

Kliff was purportedly a terrible coach -- bottom 5 in the NFL. Randomness suggests they have a better coaching situation.

What kind of K1 are we going to see and when?