Immediately ahead of the regular season, new Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort made three separate trades within a few hours. That included sending out former top picks Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones.
For Ossenfort, this was a way to rectify perceived mistakes made by Arizona’s previous general manager Steve Keim and Co.
In a vacuum, the trades do very little to change the landscape of the Cardinals’ 2023 season. The No. 8 overall pick back in 2020, Simmons was traded to the New York Giants for a mere seventh-round pick. He had made the transition from linebacker to safety under new head coach Jonathan Gannon during training camp. It didn’t work out.
As for Jones, the former third-round pick was dealt ot the Houston Texans for a swap of late-round picks after starting 21 games over the past two seasons at guard and tackle.
It’s typical for a new regime to build its roster in its mold. For a Cardinals team that struggled to a 4-13 record last season and is without star quarterback Kyler Murray due to a torn ACL, that’s magnified further.
Heading into a 2023 campaign in which contention will not be the name of the game, it’s fair to ask what other moves Ossenfort has in mind. It’s also fair to question whether Murray has a long-term future in the desert given he boasts no built-in relationship with Ossenfort and Gannon. We’ll focus on that first point moving forward.
Has Kyler Murray played his final game with the Arizona Cardinals?
On the surface, this seems to be a ridiculous question to ask. Murray, 26, signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with Arizona back in July of 2022. At that point, the former No. 1 pick from Oklahoma was seemingly set to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterbac.
Fast forward roughly 13 months, and the dynamics have changed big time in the desert. Murray found himself in a drama-filled relationship with former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury last season. It’s also a campaign that ended in Week 14 after Murray suffered a torn ACL.
It’s now an open question whether Murray will even suit up for the Cardinals in 2023.
“According to some close to the situation, the Cardinals are telling people privately that Murray is more than likely not expected to play this year,” Pro Football Network’s Lorenzo Reyna reported recently.
From a health standpoint, Murray should be able to suit up at some point in the first half of the season. However, there are other factors here. If Arizona’s brass doesn’t view him as the long-term solution, it makes no real sense to play the quarterback in a season that’s more about future roster building.
Financially, the Cardinals do have an out on Murray’s contract. If Arizona were to move Murray in a trade after June 1 next offseason, they’d take on a mere $13 million dead cap hit while saving another $38.5 million against the 2024 NFL salary cap. That’s just some food for thought.
Related: 2023 NFL mock draft
Arzona Cardinals could tank for Caleb Williams
A frontrunner to earn his second consecutive Heisman Trophy, Williams will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The USC star is seen as a generational talent, right up there with the likes of Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence in recent drafts.
Given Arizona’s lack of overall talent, it stands to reason that the team will have a good chance of landing that first pick. The recently-acquired Joshua Dobbs joins fellow veteran Colt McCoy in competing for the QB1 job with Murray sidelined. That doesn’t necessarily strike fear in opposing defenses.
It might not make sense for Arizona to put all of its eggs in one basket. After all, a recent report suggests that Williams could actually skip the 2024 NFL Draft depending on who boasts the top pick. We’re not sure what his thoughts are on the Cardinals’ current situation. It certainly is a factor. Even then, tanking for Williams seems to be in the cards this season.
Related: Arizona Cardinals standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Other Arizona Cardinals roster moves ahead of Week 1
Monti Ossenfort likely isn’t done moving off players selected by Arizona’s previous regime. Simmons and Jones were just the start. Wide receiver Rondale Moore, running back James Conner and cornerback Marco Wilson are three names to watch ahead of Week 1.
Of that group, Moore would likely draw the most interest on the trade block. The former second-round pick from Purdue is just 23 years old and has flashed some throughout his first two NFL seasons (95 receptions, 849 yards, 79% catch rate).
The common theme in Arizona is all-too familiar for teams with new power elites and who are building for the future. Roster shake ups are going to be the name of the game. That will continue in Arizona in the lead up to their regular season opener against the Washington Commanders.
In the process, Murray’s future in the desert is completely up in the air. From there, it will be all about Ossenfort and Gannon evaluating those on the roster.