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Heading into the 2024 NFL season, fans of the Arizona Cardinals were largely cautiously optimistic about their second season under Jonathan Gannon.
After losing Kyler Murray for much of the season due to a late 2022 torn ACL, the Cardinals were able to turn in some pretty good results with players like Josh Dobbs and Clayton Tune under center, finishing out the season with a 4-13 record but plenty of optimism for the future. From there, the team added some key players in free agency, including offensive tackle Jonah Williams, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, and defensive linemen Justin Jones and DeeJay Dallas, and followed it up in the draft, where they selected Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson in the first round.
Surely, the Cardinals would be able to use this talent and skyrocket themselves to the top of the NFC West, right? New weapons on offense, some much-needed help on the defensive line, factor in some good and a step forward for everyone in Year 2 of the Gannon system, and surely Arizona would be back in the swing of things.
On paper, the Cardinals did take a notable step forward, doubling their win total from the year before in an effort that deserves to be lauded. Trey McBride took a step forward as an elite tight end, as did Zaven Collins as a full-time rusher, and Murray proved that he is still worthy of being considered a franchise quarterback, even if he never returned to his Week 2 peak where he absolutely dismantled the Los Angeles Rams single-handily.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals also happen to play in one of the hardest divisions in the NFL, so even at 8-9, they still finished in the basement and will be picking 16th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft as a result.
Is this the offseason where Arizona finally gets enough talent to break back into the playoffs? Or will fans have to start having some uncomfortable conversations about Gannon when the season comes to an end, wondering how long they can wait for his program to come together?
Needless to say, Monti Ossenfort has his hands full heading into the 2025 NFL season, and that all begins with free agency, where the Cardinals have $71.3 million to spend, according to Over The Cap, and holes to fill.
If there’s one player above all others the Cardinals should be pursuing this offseason, it’s Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Originally drafted in the third round when Gannon was still with the team, the then-Eagles defensive coordinator went viral for celebrating Williams’ selection out of Louisiana Tech in the third round while senior football advisor Tom Donahoe pouted in the corner.
After the draft, Nick Sirianni commented on how Gannon specifically was excited about the addition of Williams, as he felt that the collegiate Bulldog checked all of the boxes to be an effective contributor to the defensive line.
Standing 6-foot-3, 290 pounds with an incredible 4.67 40-yard dash time...
