Arizona Cardinals: Offseason Panic Mode 2021 Edition

The Arizona Cardinals started the season off right. They lost a few close games and then the rails fell off losing key games down the stretch. How can they avoid the panic mode this offseason?

Can They Get Healthy On Defense

First, losing Chandler Jones in 2020 hurt defensively. Now they’re adding JJ Watt to the mix. Watt has a history of injuries but if the two can get on the field at the same time, it’s going to be trouble on opposing quarterbacks. JJ is on the backside of his career while the Cards are on the rise. For the Cardinals to go after the former Texan makes sense from a playmaker standpoint, but if they can’t get up to speed with the rest of the division it will be for jersey sales and nothing more.

Too Many Free Agents on Defense

Good defensive backs are hard to come by. Great ones are even harder. With the amount of talent the Cardinals have hit the market, there’s a good chance they’ll lose out on at least 1-2 of them. The NFC West is full of passing teams and defense should be the focus. Circling back around if the front line can get more pressure it will create more opportunity for DBs. The only problem is who they’ll have back there.

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Will Fitz Finally Walk?

Larry Fitzgerald has been the face of the franchise for years. The WR who has more tackles than drops has contemplated retirement for the past couple of seasons. Arizona owes it to him to go out and get as much talent as possible should he come back. Unfortunately, the Cardinals play in the NFC where even if they make the playoffs they’ll have one of the toughest roads to the Super Bowl. That’s not saying they couldn’t get there, but they’ll likely take a couple of years to get there. Fitz doesn’t have that much time left and his chance to get there might be gone. He could retire this year.

Tight End to Bail Out Broken Plays

The TE is one of the most underrated positions in football. Too many teams are treating them like bigger-bodied WRs and the true tight end seems to be fading. Arizona can use an old-school tight end who can both catch the football and move the line. Someone who can both block for Murray and bail him out on short routes when plays take too long to develop. They need a true dual-threat at TE.

The Cardinals are a young team on the rise but things can change fast in today’s NFL. Can all their talent reach their potential before it’s too late?