Ridder, who was traded to the Cardinals from the Falcons on Thursday per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, could have an inside track to the No. 2 job behind Kyler Murray.
Ridder essentially became expendable in Atlanta after the Falcons inked Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal, and he'll now have an opportunity for an early-career reset in Arizona. Ridder won't have the pressure of having to prove his worth as a starter with Murray firmly in possession of the top job, but the trade acquisition shouldn't have too much difficulty beating out the unproven Clayton Tune, who struggled during his brief appearances as a rookie in 2023, for the top backup role.
Wilson should see his production jump in 2024, Doug Haller of The Athletic reports.
Wilson managed 565 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season, decent numbers when considering the Cardinals were without starting quarterback Kyler Murray for much of the campaign. However, Arizona added Marvin Harrison in the draft and Zay Jones in free agency this offseason. That clouds Wilson's role heading into his second year, though Haller projects that Wilson will hang onto the second wide receiver job.
Harrison could be Arizona's biggest difference-maker outside of the quarterback position, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic.
Despite having yet to play an NFL snap, Harrison has high expectations heading into his rookie season after a strong showing during OTAs and minicamp. Haller believes the 2024 fourth overall pick's play will be more pivotal to Arizona's success than the performance of veterans James Conner and Budda Baker.
Tight end Trey McBride said Tuesday in an appearance on NFL Network's "The Insiders" program that he believes a healthy Murray is capable of putting together an MVP-caliber season in 2024. "This is the most confident I've seen him," McBride said of Murray. "This is the first year I've been fully healthy with him -- he's fully healthy -- I think everything is trending the right way. He has a ton of weapons out there and I have full confidence that he's capable of an MVP season."
Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, then made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, but he led the Cardinals to a 3-8 record before tearing his ACL during the 2022 season. The injury kept him out until Week 10 in 2023, but Murray performed well upon returning. Murray is now fully healthy heading into 2024 and has an intriguing assortment of young weapons with No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison at wide receiver and McBride at tight end, so the quarterback is well positioned to replicate his 2020 success, when he passed for a career-high 26 touchdowns and scored a career-best 11 times on the ground.
Conor Orr of SI.com projects McBride as one of 10 players to receive their first Pro Bowl nomination in 2024.
After Zach Ertz went on the injured list Week 7, McBride stepped into a bigger role in the passing game. He was a reliable target for quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs and Kyler Murray, and over the last 10 games of the regular season, McBride caught 66 passes on 85 targets for 655 yards and three touchdowns. His 81 receptions for 825 yards ended up leading all Arizona pass catchers last season, and with 2024 first-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison set to draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses, McBride should have more space to operate in the passing game.
Murray is excited about the potential of the Cardinals' offense with rookie fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison as his top pass catcher, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
In contrast to last summer, when he was recovering from a December 2022 ACL tear, the veteran quarterback is set for a full training camp. Additionally, he has a No. 1 target in Harrison that has the potential to be the best receiver Murray has ever worked with, and that has the talented signal-caller envisioning Arizona as eventually having the best offense in the league. "I think that takes us to another level," Murray said. "When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones ... as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he's not open, he's open."
Harrison, the Cardinals' fourth overall pick out of Ohio State in the 2024 NFL Draft, has already made a strong impression on coaches and teammates ahead of training camp, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Weinfuss reports Harrison was quickly established as the team's No. 1 receiver, the spot he was destined for since being drafted, when he was the first wideout in drills during the open portion of minicamp. Harrison has made both the routine and difficult catches, and head coach Jonathan Gannon even described his top pick's transition to the NFL as "pretty seamless" thus far.
Conner is hoping to re-sign with the Cardinals after the 2024 season and wants to help turn the team around, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports. "It would be awesome to finish my career here," Conner said. "We'll see what happens next year, hopefully stay, but I understand it's a business."
Conner has taken a leadership role in the locker room, and his impact off the field has been noticed by coaches and teammates. On the field, the 29-year-old Conner rushed for a career-high 1,040 yards in 2023. Conner's current contract is set to expire after 2024, and Arizona drafted running back Trey Benson out of Florida State in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nick Shook of NFL.com believes that 2024 will be a pivotal year for Baker as the safety seeks a large contract extension next offseason.
After being unable to reach a long-term deal with the Cardinals last offseason, Baker registered 87 tackles over 12 regular-season games in 2023. Despite not recording an interception and registering his lowest tackle count since his rookie year, Baker was named to his sixth Pro Bowl last season. The 2024 campaign is a contract year for the 28-year-old safety, and while the Cardinals should have enough cap space to pay the Washington product next offseason, Baker's production and health will be the main factors in how much he will ultimately sign for.
Tom Blair of NFL.com labels Dortch as the most overlooked player on the Cardinals heading into the 2024 season.
Blair focuses on the increase in Dortch's production during the latter portion of last season, when Kyler Murray made his return from a 2022 torn ACL. Dortch, a one-time practice squad player, posted a 23-278-2 line on 39 targets over the last seven games of the campaign, looking much more like the player that resembled a breakout candidate after producing a 52-467-2 tally over 16 games in 2022. Blair surmises Murray will naturally target rookie first-round pick Marvin Harrison plenty, but he also figures Dortch could still warrant plenty of his quarterback's attention due to his reliability.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com projects McBride to be the Cardinals' second-leading pass catcher behind rookie first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024.
McBride finished his college career at Colorado State with a 90-catch season, so his 81-825-3 line in 2023 during what was his first extended NFL opportunity wasn't an outlier. The third-year pro is the unquestioned starter at tight end going into the season due to veteran Zach Ertz now being in Washington, and even with Michael Wilson and Zay Jones among some other capable receivers behind Harrison, McBride could indeed be the second-most prolific target for Kyler Murray.
Murray now counts Zay Jones as one of his targets for the 2024 season after the veteran wideout agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Friday per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Murray lost Marquise Brown earlier this offseason, but he already gained a player believed to be a generational talent in Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. via the 2024 NFL Draft. He also has talented incumbents Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Trey McBride to throw passes to, but the addition of Jones, who boasts 287 career receptions and 18 touchdowns, provides a key experienced possession receiver that could be a very trusted target in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
Wilson will likely have to beat out Zay Jones, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Friday, for the No. 2 receiver job this summer.
Wilson certainly had his moments during his 2023 rookie campaign, finishing with a 38-565-3 line on 58 targets across 13 games. The second-year pro was briefly atop the depth chart this offseason following the release of Marquise Brown, but the drafting of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick naturally displaced Wilson from that perch. Jones' arrival has the potential to knock Wilson down another notch, given the former's NFL body of work and experience edge.
Jones has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
The veteran possession receiver gives Kyler Murray another weapon in the team's revamped wideout corps that's now helmed by rookie fourth overall pick out of Ohio State, Marvin Harrison Jr. Jones was released April 30 by the Jaguars after an injury-riddled 2023, but he should compete with Michael Wilson for a starting job in Arizona.
Weaver is the top rookie undrafted free agent to watch for the Cardinals, according to Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dotcherman of The Athletic.
Weaver's undersized at just 169 pounds, but he had a productive college career, leading Colorado with 908 receiving yards in 2023 after consecutive seasons with at least 715 yards at South Florida. If he can bulk up a bit without a decline in quickness, Weaver has a chance to make the roster for the rebuilding Cardinals.
Arizona wants to sign Collins to a contract extension despite declining his fifth-year option, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Collins has been used as both an inside and outside linebacker in Arizona's scheme during his three years as a pro. He most recently played the latter position and made an impact as both a pass rusher and in coverage. General manager Monti Ossenfort said that the team has discussed a potential extension with Collins, but that the team did not want to lock in a $13 million cap charge for the 2025 season. Regardless of whether a new deal ultimately gets done, Collins will play a key role on Arizona's defense in 2024.
Murray will gain a significant weapon in the passing game, as the Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Harrison was the first non-quarterback drafted in 2024, and the highly touted wide receiver compiled 2,474 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns across the past two seasons at Ohio State. Murray has played his best football when he has a go-to wide receiver, as Murray has a 98.4 passer rating in 31 games with DeAndre Hopkins and an 87.0 rating in 34 games without Hopkins. Arizona's hoping Harrison will become the team's go-to option in the passing game, just as Hopkins was for the Cardinals from 2020 to 2022.
Ridder, who was traded to the Cardinals from the Falcons on Thursday per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, could have an inside track to the No. 2 job behind Kyler Murray.
Ridder essentially became expendable in Atlanta after the Falcons inked Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal, and he'll now have an opportunity for an early-career reset in Arizona. Ridder won't have the pressure of having to prove his worth as a starter with Murray firmly in possession of the top job, but the trade acquisition shouldn't have too much difficulty beating out the unproven Clayton Tune, who struggled during his brief appearances as a rookie in 2023, for the top backup role.
Wilson should see his production jump in 2024, Doug Haller of The Athletic reports.
Wilson managed 565 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season, decent numbers when considering the Cardinals were without starting quarterback Kyler Murray for much of the campaign. However, Arizona added Marvin Harrison in the draft and Zay Jones in free agency this offseason. That clouds Wilson's role heading into his second year, though Haller projects that Wilson will hang onto the second wide receiver job.
Harrison could be Arizona's biggest difference-maker outside of the quarterback position, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic.
Despite having yet to play an NFL snap, Harrison has high expectations heading into his rookie season after a strong showing during OTAs and minicamp. Haller believes the 2024 fourth overall pick's play will be more pivotal to Arizona's success than the performance of veterans James Conner and Budda Baker.
Tight end Trey McBride said Tuesday in an appearance on NFL Network's "The Insiders" program that he believes a healthy Murray is capable of putting together an MVP-caliber season in 2024. "This is the most confident I've seen him," McBride said of Murray. "This is the first year I've been fully healthy with him -- he's fully healthy -- I think everything is trending the right way. He has a ton of weapons out there and I have full confidence that he's capable of an MVP season."
Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, then made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, but he led the Cardinals to a 3-8 record before tearing his ACL during the 2022 season. The injury kept him out until Week 10 in 2023, but Murray performed well upon returning. Murray is now fully healthy heading into 2024 and has an intriguing assortment of young weapons with No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison at wide receiver and McBride at tight end, so the quarterback is well positioned to replicate his 2020 success, when he passed for a career-high 26 touchdowns and scored a career-best 11 times on the ground.
Conor Orr of SI.com projects McBride as one of 10 players to receive their first Pro Bowl nomination in 2024.
After Zach Ertz went on the injured list Week 7, McBride stepped into a bigger role in the passing game. He was a reliable target for quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs and Kyler Murray, and over the last 10 games of the regular season, McBride caught 66 passes on 85 targets for 655 yards and three touchdowns. His 81 receptions for 825 yards ended up leading all Arizona pass catchers last season, and with 2024 first-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison set to draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses, McBride should have more space to operate in the passing game.
Murray is excited about the potential of the Cardinals' offense with rookie fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison as his top pass catcher, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
In contrast to last summer, when he was recovering from a December 2022 ACL tear, the veteran quarterback is set for a full training camp. Additionally, he has a No. 1 target in Harrison that has the potential to be the best receiver Murray has ever worked with, and that has the talented signal-caller envisioning Arizona as eventually having the best offense in the league. "I think that takes us to another level," Murray said. "When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones ... as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he's not open, he's open."
Harrison, the Cardinals' fourth overall pick out of Ohio State in the 2024 NFL Draft, has already made a strong impression on coaches and teammates ahead of training camp, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Weinfuss reports Harrison was quickly established as the team's No. 1 receiver, the spot he was destined for since being drafted, when he was the first wideout in drills during the open portion of minicamp. Harrison has made both the routine and difficult catches, and head coach Jonathan Gannon even described his top pick's transition to the NFL as "pretty seamless" thus far.
Conner is hoping to re-sign with the Cardinals after the 2024 season and wants to help turn the team around, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports. "It would be awesome to finish my career here," Conner said. "We'll see what happens next year, hopefully stay, but I understand it's a business."
Conner has taken a leadership role in the locker room, and his impact off the field has been noticed by coaches and teammates. On the field, the 29-year-old Conner rushed for a career-high 1,040 yards in 2023. Conner's current contract is set to expire after 2024, and Arizona drafted running back Trey Benson out of Florida State in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nick Shook of NFL.com believes that 2024 will be a pivotal year for Baker as the safety seeks a large contract extension next offseason.
After being unable to reach a long-term deal with the Cardinals last offseason, Baker registered 87 tackles over 12 regular-season games in 2023. Despite not recording an interception and registering his lowest tackle count since his rookie year, Baker was named to his sixth Pro Bowl last season. The 2024 campaign is a contract year for the 28-year-old safety, and while the Cardinals should have enough cap space to pay the Washington product next offseason, Baker's production and health will be the main factors in how much he will ultimately sign for.
Tom Blair of NFL.com labels Dortch as the most overlooked player on the Cardinals heading into the 2024 season.
Blair focuses on the increase in Dortch's production during the latter portion of last season, when Kyler Murray made his return from a 2022 torn ACL. Dortch, a one-time practice squad player, posted a 23-278-2 line on 39 targets over the last seven games of the campaign, looking much more like the player that resembled a breakout candidate after producing a 52-467-2 tally over 16 games in 2022. Blair surmises Murray will naturally target rookie first-round pick Marvin Harrison plenty, but he also figures Dortch could still warrant plenty of his quarterback's attention due to his reliability.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com projects McBride to be the Cardinals' second-leading pass catcher behind rookie first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024.
McBride finished his college career at Colorado State with a 90-catch season, so his 81-825-3 line in 2023 during what was his first extended NFL opportunity wasn't an outlier. The third-year pro is the unquestioned starter at tight end going into the season due to veteran Zach Ertz now being in Washington, and even with Michael Wilson and Zay Jones among some other capable receivers behind Harrison, McBride could indeed be the second-most prolific target for Kyler Murray.
Murray now counts Zay Jones as one of his targets for the 2024 season after the veteran wideout agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Friday per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Murray lost Marquise Brown earlier this offseason, but he already gained a player believed to be a generational talent in Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. via the 2024 NFL Draft. He also has talented incumbents Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Trey McBride to throw passes to, but the addition of Jones, who boasts 287 career receptions and 18 touchdowns, provides a key experienced possession receiver that could be a very trusted target in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
Wilson will likely have to beat out Zay Jones, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Friday, for the No. 2 receiver job this summer.
Wilson certainly had his moments during his 2023 rookie campaign, finishing with a 38-565-3 line on 58 targets across 13 games. The second-year pro was briefly atop the depth chart this offseason following the release of Marquise Brown, but the drafting of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick naturally displaced Wilson from that perch. Jones' arrival has the potential to knock Wilson down another notch, given the former's NFL body of work and experience edge.
Jones has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
The veteran possession receiver gives Kyler Murray another weapon in the team's revamped wideout corps that's now helmed by rookie fourth overall pick out of Ohio State, Marvin Harrison Jr. Jones was released April 30 by the Jaguars after an injury-riddled 2023, but he should compete with Michael Wilson for a starting job in Arizona.
Weaver is the top rookie undrafted free agent to watch for the Cardinals, according to Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dotcherman of The Athletic.
Weaver's undersized at just 169 pounds, but he had a productive college career, leading Colorado with 908 receiving yards in 2023 after consecutive seasons with at least 715 yards at South Florida. If he can bulk up a bit without a decline in quickness, Weaver has a chance to make the roster for the rebuilding Cardinals.
Arizona wants to sign Collins to a contract extension despite declining his fifth-year option, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Collins has been used as both an inside and outside linebacker in Arizona's scheme during his three years as a pro. He most recently played the latter position and made an impact as both a pass rusher and in coverage. General manager Monti Ossenfort said that the team has discussed a potential extension with Collins, but that the team did not want to lock in a $13 million cap charge for the 2025 season. Regardless of whether a new deal ultimately gets done, Collins will play a key role on Arizona's defense in 2024.
Murray will gain a significant weapon in the passing game, as the Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Harrison was the first non-quarterback drafted in 2024, and the highly touted wide receiver compiled 2,474 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns across the past two seasons at Ohio State. Murray has played his best football when he has a go-to wide receiver, as Murray has a 98.4 passer rating in 31 games with DeAndre Hopkins and an 87.0 rating in 34 games without Hopkins. Arizona's hoping Harrison will become the team's go-to option in the passing game, just as Hopkins was for the Cardinals from 2020 to 2022.
Ridder, who was traded to the Cardinals from the Falcons on Thursday per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, could have an inside track to the No. 2 job behind Kyler Murray.
Ridder essentially became expendable in Atlanta after the Falcons inked Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal, and he'll now have an opportunity for an early-career reset in Arizona. Ridder won't have the pressure of having to prove his worth as a starter with Murray firmly in possession of the top job, but the trade acquisition shouldn't have too much difficulty beating out the unproven Clayton Tune, who struggled during his brief appearances as a rookie in 2023, for the top backup role.
The wait is over. Arizona Cardinals fans can watch their team in action. The team officially reports for training camp Tuesday. Fans will be able to see the Cardinals practice twice and season ticket holders will be able to see a third practice. After the players report…
Today is reporting day for the Arizona Cardinals, as they open training camp. But it is still several weeks away from the regular season. The Cardinals will open the season on the road against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 on September 8. That is in 47…
As NFL teams either have or are about to open their training camps, it is the final part of the offseason dedicated to lists and rankings. NFL Network began it's revealing of the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024, rankings based on votes by NFL players. The bottom 20…
NFL players still think very highly of Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker. After a down year in which he missed five games and did not break up a pass or have an interception, he still made the NFL Top 100 Players list in 2024. NFL Network released, in…
All of the Arizona Cardinals draft choices have contracts after running back Trey Benson recently signed and Cards Wire has the official figures on the terms of the deal. Benson, the second player selected in the third round of the draft, signed shortly after the player…
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.