Cardinals Offseason Report Card Grade Revealed

The Arizona Cardinals have made it their goal to try and improve going into next season.

Their free agency and draft were reflective of that, putting the Cardinals in position to compete for their first winning season since 2021. The biggest additions were Josh Sweat in free agency and Walter Nolen in the first round of the draft. They will join Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, both of whom are also joining the defensive line this season.

The team also added Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, giving head coach Jonathan Gannon the best defense he's worked with since arriving back in 2023.

Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano graded the Cardinals' offseason, giving them a "B+" for their efforts.

"The Cardinals could have a top-10 defense this season thanks to their splash signing of Sweat, who reunited with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator and Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon," Manzano wrote.

"Nolen is a boom-or-bust defensive tackle, but he’ll get the benefit of leaning on veterans Campbell and Tomlinson. Suddenly, the Cardinals have depth and talent on a defensive front that desperately needed help since Gannon arrived in 2023. The secondary could also be much-improved if Johnson is healthy and makes teams regret his surprising fall into the second round. The Cardinals rightfully prioritized their defense, but they might have settled for an offense that faltered after a 6–4 start last season. 

The Cardinals offense will be the question mark when it comes to the team. If they are serviceable, they will have a chance at getting back to the playoffs, but if they regress, things could look rough for the team as it attempts to get back into relevancy in the NFC playoff picture.

In the meantime, the Cardinals are hosting their annual rookie minicamp this weekend to get their first-year players acquainted with their program.