Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #14
by adelfish | 4 years ago | 0 Comments
Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #14
Welcome to the 2020 Red Zone Power Ranking Preview. In this long-running preview, I will be going team at a time, ranking them 32-1, discussing the user, the team, the schedule, etc.
COVERED TEAMS: Lions, Jaguars, Bengals, Patriots, Bears, Vikings, Dolphins, Seahawks, Rams, Giants, Cowboys, Saints, Steelers, Panthers, Raiders, Browns, Texans, Jets
WELCOME TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!
Yes, it is true, we have finally arrived at the playoff teams. With the new CBA having two extra wild cards, there are now 14 playoff teams starting this cycle, opening the door for two more teams to join the fray. In Red Zone we have seen in the past when stacked conferences have a 9 or 10 win team left off, or even a stacked division with their third team missing out on the fun.
Not anymore, with this 7th seed added, we are going to see that much more parity. In the next 14 previews, I will outline where I think this team will end up in terms of the round, and what seed they are in the AFC/NFC playoff picture.
#14 - Arizona Cardinals (Ramesu)
(8-8 Projected Record)
7th Seed, Loss in Wild Card Round
Ah the Arizona Cardinals, a team that currently holds quite a special place in my heart. I was hoping that a qualified head coach and GM would take them over for me, and I was happy when I handed the keys to my office to Ramesu. A proven team builder, and a winner, Ramesu is ready to continue the winning traditions established in Arizona the past few cycles.
Arizona made an incredibly bold decision last year, abandoning the Josh Rosen experiment, and moving forward with Kyler Murray at the 1st overall pick, a dynamic quarterback who proved to be the right choice. Despite a 5-10-1 record, Murray elevated the offense, and made the Cardinals competitive again.
How did Arizona build off this season? They went out and traded for arguably the 1st or 2nd best wide receiver in football in DeAndre Hopkins, dumping a terrible David Johnson contract in the process. They added the most dynamic defensive player in the draft, and they continued to build the weapons and protection around their young quarterback.
It is an exciting time to be the coach of this team, let's take a look at Ramesu's season.
One Big Question
With the trade for DeAndre Hopkins, can Coach Ramesu continue to build an offense around Kyler Murray's strengths, while hiding the deficiencies at offensive line?
Let's start with the Hopkins trade, which is a bold move that shows how serious the Cardinals are about competing in the ultra-competitive NFC West. With an aging Larry Fitzgerald, and Christian Kirk who seems like a #2 at best, the Cardinals needed someone to be a legit threat for Murray downfield.
Look at the trend of Hopkins since joining the league, where he entered the league, establishing himself as a consistent top 10 threat, outside of an outlier year in 2016 when he was injured.
Hopkins has played with a musical chairs quarterback room his entire career, and has still produced. Since Watson arrived in Houston, he has been elite.
Now, he heads to Arizona, where Murray is no Watson (yet) but has a ton of talent. Hopkins will produce as he has proven, but the most important part of this trade is how it will ascend Murray's play. Having a player like Hopkins on the roster will only increase the ceiling of this young quarterback.
With Fitzgerald, Kirk, Andy Isabella, and others in the receiving core, this is an offense with a ton of potential, but let's talk about the protection unit.
Yeah, it's not great. Marcus Gilbert missed last season due to injury, but is actually a really solid player, probably the best blocker of the five. Justin Pugh and D.J. Humphries and serviceable, but Mason Cole and J.R. Sweezy are liabilities. This is what the Cardinals will have to roll with for Season 62, but improving this group is a major need.
Murray's mobility is going to help this group, but if Ramesu wants to throw more from the pocket, he is going to need to start to upgrade this line from the interior out.
One Big Schedule Issue
I have Arizona going 8-8, with a 2-4 record against teams that I have finishing with a winning record. Any team that has an elite pass rush automatically got an edge for me in a matchup against the Cards, with the weak blocking group for Murray.
Games against teams like San Francisco 2x, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Buffalo will be very difficult for them, due to the problems the opposing defensive lines can cause.
In some of their 'either-or' games, like the Giants & Jets, Cowboys, Rams, Seahawks, most of the time the Cardinals are lacking personnel. In games like the Giants & Jets, I feel the coaching staffs are equal or slightly tilted in one direction. Ramesu will need to perform in big games to ascend from my projected 8-8 record.
Reasons for Optimism
We've talked at length about the passing attack, especially Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, who figure to be the top connection on this team. Le'ts take a deeper look at the receiving core.
Christian Kirk has been a consistent 600-700 yard guy throughout his career, and will likely continue that role with or without the presence of Larry Fitzgerald, who opted to come back for one more season. The speedy Andy Isabella will fight for snaps on the team, while tight end Maxx Williams was the best blocking tight end in football last year.
A trade for Kenyan Drake proved to be huge for Arizona, as he had a career year in red, opening the door for the David Johnson trade. I even like backup Chase Edmonds who has been a great receiving threat over the years.
Defensively this is a major work in progress, but there are some pieces in place. Chandler Jones is among the elite pass rushers in football, but he needs help. The Cardinals spent some money this offseason and some picks, acquiring linebackers Devon Kennard, De'Vondre Campbell, and Isaiah Simmons. Kennard and Campbell will likely edge rush, while Simmons will play all over the defense.
Patrick Peterson is still one of the better cornerbacks in football, and Budda Baker is coming off a career year at safety. I do like Byron Murphy as a development project at corner, but he had a shaky rookie season.
Reasons for Negativity
I mentioned the offensive line already, but let's go a little deeper. D.J. Humphries and Justin Pugh are serviceable at best, but are locked in to long, expensive deals. $42 million for Humphires over the next 3 seasons, and $33 million for Pugh over the next 3. Ramesu will have to find a way to replace these players, and get out of these contracts.
The remainder of the line is on expiring deals, and Ramesu will have to make decisions on these fast. The Cardinals will likely have 3 new starters, possibly 4, in Season 63. Center, both guards, and maybe right tackle. Maybe the Cardinals look for a replacement via trade this season?
Defensively, outside of Chandler Jones, the pass rush is mediocre at best. Guys like Corey Peters, Jordan Phillips, and Jonathan Bullard will be asked to play meaningful rotational roles, and they provide little impact. Arizona is paying $14 million this year for Haasan Reddick and Jordan Hicks at inside linebacker, but both have proven to be inconsistent, despite elite athleticism.
Outside of Patrick Peterson, and even with the upside of Byron Murphy, the cornerback situation isn't good. Robert Alford is owed $16 million over the next two seasons, and all depth behind these three is unproven.
Overall, yes the roster is young and has some really bright spots, but in very important areas (blocking, pass rush) there is little to be excited about.
Last Word
The Cardinals will be an interesting team to watch all cycle, as Ramesu will square off with Sin twice a year, Trent and Jim. The NFC West is not lacking star power, and the Cardinals have plenty, especially on offense. Ramesu is a great coach, but needs to prove himself all over again after he left and returned to Red Zone.
With nearly $50 million freeing up next offseason, the Cardinals are going to have room to grow. Building around this exciting offense, and finding a way to improve the pass rush around Jones could expedite the process of catching San Francisco.
Until then, I have them losing in the Wild Card round, and a 7th seed in the NFC. This is a great start for them, and they will build on it all cycle.