Cardinals Must Make This Offensive Change

The Arizona Cardinals had more than one hole in their offense in 2024.

Plenty has already been made about WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s underwhelming rookie season, and the overall meager passing results from QB Kyler Murray in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's scheme.

But one overlooked position on the offense this past season was the role of slot receiver. While starting slot man Greg Dortch has certainly shown plenty of ability in years past, he was only afforded 310 snaps on the year, 206 in the slot itself.

He only had 342 yards to show for it, and 144 of those yards came in the final four weeks of the season.

Again, this isn't a total knock on Dortch as a player. He rightfully earned the starting slot role with some excellent performances in very limited action in 2022 and 2023.

But the Cardinals' utilization of the slot position as a whole was a bit unconventional. Rather than sticking with the speedy, agile Dortch (despite naming him the starter), the Cardinals gave 340 slot snaps to Harrison and Michael Wilson.

Then, there's the elephant in the room. Star TE Trey McBride took 303 snaps in the slot, as opposed to only 233 as the inline tight end.

I know, I know. If it's not broken, don't try to fix it. But the truth is, seeing more production out of a true slot receiver could actually help McBride unlock some higher quality looks, especially out of an inline set.

And the inverse is also true. The more snaps McBride gets as an inline tight end, the more opportunity there will likely be for whoever mans the slot position next to him.

Now, think about what that means. Could it mean a bigger year for Dortch (if Arizona chooses to re-sign him), or whoever they might consider upgrading at the position? Sure.

It also opens opportunities for others.

Wilson and Harrison could see production benefit highly if McBride isn't the one lining up in the slot every time. For receivers who might have more of an agility-based skillset than a lightning fast one, the middle of the field offers many opportunities, especially if the biggest star on the field is bringing confusion to the coverage.

Again, this doesn't mean the Cardinals should limit or change McBride's role, but drawing up more plays for a top-end receiver in the slot can help draw DBs away from the star, or even pull linebackers away on rushing or play-action downs.

While Petzing doesn't spread his receivers out often, it could be an aspect of his scheme that would help unlock the potential of all involved, or even bring more monstrous numbers to McBride's resume.

Arizona could re-sign Dortch, bring in an external option, or simply utilize the slot position more by giving Harrison and Wilson more looks there.

It might not be a point of emphasis, but it can only help expand Arizona's playbook, and could get more quality looks for their stars, making life easier on Murray in the process as well.