Cardinals' 3 Biggest Offseason Upgrades Could Change Everything

This might be the biggest upgrade.

Drew Petzing was limited in his abilities as an offensive coordinator. When the Cardinals were able to run the ball, everything was fine — though Arizona quickly turned into a one dimensional attack that was an easy puzzle to solve for opposing defenses.

LaFleur's potential as an offensive mind after working under some of the best in the league (Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, his brother is also Matt LaFleur) is through the roof with concepts in both the run and pass being upgraded with his presence.

The injection of fresh ideas as both a schemer and play-caller should unlock new levels of this Cardinals offense. If things go to plan, Arizona's mix of individual talent and coaching could be surprising to the rest of the league.

Offensive Line Play

Any success on the offensive side of the ball begins and ends with play upfront.

The Cardinals were a perfect example of that last season, as injuries and poor performance saw Arizona dominated in the trenches and thus weren't able to get much of anything going in 2025.

The result? Arizona signed one of the top guards in free agency in Isaac Seumalo and drafted potential starting right guard Chase Bisontis in the second round. Free agent signing Elijah Wilkinson is also expected to start at right tackle.

The results? Three spots next to the stellar Paris Johnson Jr. and Hjalte Froholdt saw fresh faces added with confidence that two-of-three positions were upgraded.

That's not quite making headlines or generating excitement, though Arizona did make an obvious effort to improve their offensive line this offseason. That's huge.

Running Back Firepower

Much like every other position group, Arizona's running back room was derailed due to injuries this past year.

Still, the outlook of the room wasn't overly confident. James Conner is getting older and now finds himself on the wrong side of 30 while Trey Benson has struggled in his own respects.

The Cardinals answered the bell by signing free agency's top available running back in Tyler Allgeier before making Jeremiyah Love the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.

That's a wildly different rushing attack with the tough-nosed Allgeier and dynamic Love, one that offers potential to do damage in multiple ways. Arizona's backfield is now capable of giving the Cardinals a little bit of everything depending on the task at hand.

With an improved play-caller, upgraded offensive line and brand new running back duo, the Cardinals' offense should be in business.

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