The Cardinals have a new coach, and with Mike LaFleur have now completed their first offseason – two minicamps, a bunch of OTAs, and a revamped roster with a different offense. There will be a different starting quarterback in place for the first time since 2019.
LaFleur has made clear the offseason can provide only so much. With no pads and little contact, the work the Cardinals get this time of year can't achieve what is achieved once the team is in the heart of training camp.
"I think there's been a lot of good foundations set and I think they know that there's a lot of work to be done," LaFLeur said. "Every team leaves this (time of year) usually feeling pretty good. Usually through training camp you feel pretty good as the season gets close, and then adversity hits. Week 1, Week 5, whenever. A storm is coming. And that's when we really find out about ourselves."
That doesn't mean there haven't been things the Cardinals have learned, if for no other reason the specifics they need to figure out when they return on July 22 for camp.
The Love-Fest At Running Back And All It Brings
The Cardinals have a lot of running backs, and as LaFleur noted, all of them should be healthy in training camp after James Conner and Trey Benson had to rehab during the offseason program. What that all looks like will be fascinating. Jeremiyah Love looked exactly how you'd hope for a running back taken third overall. Sooner rather than later, he's gonna be RB1, even though Tyler Allgeier got a lot of that work this spring. It's too early to know if someone might be traded, but if healthy, the Cardinals can't use everybody. The reality is, as the Cardinals saw last year in the room, health isn't promised.
Post-Kyler, QB1 Is Still An Unknown
For the first time in years, Kyler Murray is not part of the QB depth chart. But other than knowing the names, little else is clear about who will be behind center when the Cardinals open against the Chargers. Gardner Minshew II has been the guy getting the first-unit reps, Carson Beck is the fans' choice to burst on to the scene, Jacoby Brissett wants a better contract. LaFleur said the team didn't have to make any depth chart picks in June, and he is right. What it looks like when practices start in late July, however, will remain squarely in the spotlight.
Mike LaFleur Energizes With New Offense
The players have been careful not to say too much about what LaFleur brings to the team with his offensive plan. We know this: there will be more formations and motions than before. And that "eye candy" is designed to have a simplified playbook, where the Cardinals will run certain plays but just make those plays different with the pre-snap look. LaFleur said Michael Wilson likely will have the Puka Nacua role for the Cardinals, Marvin Harrison Jr. the Davante Adams role. Trey McBride will be Trey McBride, and LaFleur has gushed about the potential of fellow tight end Tip Reiman more than once.
Learning Curve For Nick Rallis
The holdover defensive coordinator wasn't about to lay out all the specifics of how and why he will do things differently this season, but he acknowledged it is happening, and on a greater scale than years past. Rallis also noted that the Cardinals' defense was not good down the stretch last season. A lot played into that – injuries did ravage the lineup Rallis was supposed to work with – but player development for the many defensive draft picks is an "obsession" with Rallis and that will be something to watch in August.
Josh Sweat's Own Thing
No, Josh Sweat didn't arrive until mandatory minicamp, but that's how he operates. That's how it was his last few years in Philadelphia; it's how Sweat spent the 2025 offseason with the Cardinals. It's presented a lot of opportunity for speculation, but when camp starts, Sweat is expected to be right where he was last year in late July – practicing at State Farm Stadium.
Chad Ryland Is Your Kicker
Whatever Joshua Karty could've brought to the kicking competition was never made public. The Cardinals picked him up late last season, he stayed inactive, and whatever he did compared to Chad Ryland this offseason wasn't good enough. Ryland missed some kicks last season he made in 2024, but has shown he has the leg and ability to be an accurate long-range bomber the Cardinals can count on.
Waiting On Walt
The Cardinals did not get great news when they found out fourth-round pick Kaleb Proctor tore his meniscus this offseason, the third straight year a rookie defensive lineman will be forced to miss time with a significant injury. But the good news is Walter Nolen III, the 2025 first-round pick who is coming off his own knee injury, will be ready at the start of training camp, LaFleur said. That's great news for the Cardinals, who saw Nolen play well in his brief playing time last season between an early calf problem and then the knee. A big year from Nolen is crucial to defensive success.
Garrett Williams, Speedy Rehab, And A Lot of Cornerbacks
The news that cornerback Garrett Williams, who tore his Achilles on Dec. 21, not only should return at some point in training camp but has a chance to be available in Week 1 was unexpected and excellent to hear. At this point, Sean Murphy-Bunting, who missed all of 2025 with an ACL tear, has moved from outside corner to the slot (where Williams plays in nickel situations) and that's his best spot. Will Johnson will be the top cornerback, Denzel Burke has the inside track to return as CB2 – unless Williams gets that in base defense. Former second-round pick Max Melton and ex-starter Starling Thomas V are also in the mix. Nothing has been settled, but the numbers are growing.
