8 burning questions as the Arizona Cardinals enter 2023 training camp this week
They have a new front office, a new coaching staff and a ton of new faces on the roster. For an NFL team coming off a disastrous 4-13 season that was fraught with continuous distractions, multiple off-the-field incidents and an array of dreaded injuries and inconsistencies, the Arizona Cardinals probably can’t wait to report for the start of training camp this week at State Farm Stadium. The team will hold its first practice on Wednesday.
As they arrive, however, they’ll be met with all sorts of questions — some that will be answered during camp, some that might not be answered at all.
We’ve tried to condense the list to a manageable number for now and we’ve come up with the “Top 8 burning questions” facing the Cardinals entering camp:
When will Kyler Murray return to the Cardinals' starting lineup?
This likely will remain the most-asked question involving the team until it finally happens and there’s no exact timeline for when that will occur. Make no mistake, however, Murray will begin taking snaps as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback at some point this year. Don’t buy into any of the rumors that may suggest he won’t play a single down during the entire 2023 season.
Murray suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a non-contact play against the Patriots on Dec. 12 and underwent surgery on Jan. 3. He’s been aggressively attacking his rehab for months now without any setbacks and has been doing everything he can to learn the new offense under coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. He has said his goal is to be ready by Week 1, but that’s probably wishful thinking. The guess here is he misses anywhere from the first three to five games.
—Bob McManaman
How will Jonathan Gannon attack his first season as Cardinals coach?
From the outside, it sure seems that the Cardinals are buying into Gannon’s high energy and the new ideas and philosophy of Gannon and his staff. Based on offseason observations, the Cardinals look like they will run the ball more under Gannon. They’ll try to take advantage of the quickness of some receivers and physicality of others.
On defense, players who can play multiple positions will be valued and leadership will come from veterans who know Gannon’s system and style. Playing with house money as he leads the rebuild of the Cardinals on the field, Gannon hopes a team full of hungry players eager to get the Cardinals back to respectability and contention will be cornerstones to a more successful era of football.
—Jose M. Romero
How will Budda Baker’s contract situation play out?
In all honestly, this could end up going all different sorts of ways — from the Cardinals agreeing to re-work his contract for more money and more years, to Baker staging a “hold-in” and refusing to take part in drills or practice until a new deal is done, and negotiations getting stalled and then revisited later on during the season.
The last thing anyone should expect, however, is the Cardinals washing their hands of Baker and agreeing to trade him elsewhere. This could get tricky, though. GM Monti Ossenfort must be careful not to set a precedent where he bows to future stars who demand a new contract while they still have two years remaining on their present deal, as Baker does. If the negotiations stay internal and are handled in good faith, both sides can strike an agreement that is fair for the player and the team. In the end, the Cardinals will find a way to make their best player happy.
—Bob McManaman
Related: Projecting Cardinals' starters on offense as start of training camp nears
Who’s the Cardinals' starting QB until Kyler Murray returns?
Colt McCoy looks to be the No. 1 quarterback while Murray continues to work his way back. McCoy worked the most with the various combinations of first-team skill position players and offensive linemen during offseason team activities and mini-camps.
It was interesting in the offseason to see rookie Clayton Tune get a solid number of plays with that unit, so it would appear that the competition to fill in for Murray remains open. There was speculation, even, that Tune could end up being the choice to start until Murray returns, because of what he brings with mobility. But such a move would be a surprise. David Blough and Jeff Driskel will also get their opportunities to run the offense in camp and preseason.
Blough's two-game audition last season was enough to bring him back this season for another look.
—Jose M. Romero
Who will emerge as the Cardinals' leading pass catcher?
The first player that may come to mind here is probably wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who assumingly will take over the role from DeAndre Hopkins as Arizona’s No.1 wideout. With Hopkins having been released and agreeing to a deal with the Titans, Brown figures to get most of the targets among the wideouts.
That doesn’t mean he’ll end up with the most receptions, however. Although he certainly has a shot at doing that, the pick here is veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who like Murray, is rehabbing his way back from a torn ACL. Ertz is much further ahead in the process, however, and considering his size, pedigree and the position he plays, he’ll be the best type of security blanket for any quarterback who’s throwing the football this season for the Cardinals. Expect a big year out of No. 86.
—Bob McManaman
Is Trey McBride ready for more targets at tight end?
It looks that way, with Ertz still rehabbing his knee injury from last November. Ertz should be back early in the regular season, but second-year pro McBride looks ready to be the primary tight end if placed in that position. He wasn’t ready for a larger role on offense right from the start, and he needed several weeks to adjust to the NFL and learn the scheme. But he came on strong in the final quarter of last season and had seven catches, 78 yards and the first touchdown of his career in Week 17 at Atlanta.
The position is young overall for the Cardinals outside of Ertz. Noah Togiai, a newcomer in free agency, has the third-most game experience outside of Ertz and McBride, with seven appearances over three seasons. There are a total of seven tight ends currently on the roster.
—Jose M. Romero
Will Zaven Collins thrive at outside linebacker?
Can he? Yes. Will he? That’s a different question. Several factors will go into determining whether Collins will be able to not only hold his own but fend off competition from people such as rookie second-round draft pick BJ Ojulari and others and whether he can be an accountable defender who can both effectively rush the passer and stop the run as an outside edge man.
Cardinals coaches and teammates have been raving about Collins’ intelligence and tireless attention to detail, which is encouraging. But is he a three-down defender or a third-down rush specialist? What’s a little puzzling from this point of view is that if Collins is so smart and studious, why not just leave him at inside linebacker, which requires those specific types of attributes? The bottom line is this is a special athlete with great size and speed, and he must be utilized where he can best serve the team.
—Bob McManaman
With J.J. Watt retired, who emerges as a Cardinals' sack specialist?
Watt is retired, Zach Allen is now with the Denver Broncos and Isaiah Simmons looks like he is moving to defensive back. Those three led the Cardinals in sacks last season, so it’s a big question mark as to who will raise his sack game in 2023.
Collins has been moved to outside linebacker/rush end, and he’s eager to get after the opposing quarterback. He said so during OTAs. Collins is working on the edge with Cameron Thomas, Myjai Sanders, Dennis Gardeck, Jesse Luketa and Victor Dimukeje. Ojulari will no doubt also be in the mix. Thomas and Sanders got a lot of playing time as rookies last season, and Gardeck has eight career sacks.
—Jose M. Romero
Read more: Cardinals' breakout player candidates for 2023: Trey McBride, Cameron Thomas, more
Other questions that need to be answered
How much will OC Drew Petzing have his QBs taking snaps from under center as opposed to using the shotgun formation? … Will Arizona add a veteran presence along the defensive front? … How much will Gannon decide to play his starters during preseason games? … Will Hjalte Froholdt face any real competition for the starting center job? … Can Isaiah Simmons thrive in his new role as a defensive back? … Will Matt Haack be an upgrade over Andy Lee at punter? … Who will win the primary punt and kickoff return roles? … Who will end up as the starting left guard? … Will the Cardinals be tempted to sign a veteran running back? … Will first-round pick Paris Johnson Jr. get reps at both tackle and guard? … What will the average crowd size be to view the 11 open training camp practices?
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals facing plenty of questions entering training camp
