The 2023 NFL Season is here, and the Music City Drive In is getting you ready. Check back each day from now until September 3 as we look at each team and make award and playoff predictions. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.

After making the playoffs in 2021, the Cardinals were looking for an encore in 2022. But from the start, the team failed to find a groove. By the end, Kyler Murray was lost with injury and the rest of the Cardinals just seemed lost. Kliff Kingsbury was fired, and the team is looking to find new direction heading into the 2023 season.

Off-Season Changes

The Cardinals welcome a new Head Coach and General Manager this season. Monti Ossenfort stepped into the role of General Manager, seeking to get the team back on track. Meanwhile former Eagles’ Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon has taken the reigns as Head Coach. Together they have to rebuild a roster that saw a mass exodus this off-season.

Veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins left for the Titans, while cornerback Byron Murphy headed to the Vikings and defensive end Zach Allen followed his former Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph to the Denver Broncos. Wide receiver Chosen Anderson moved on to the Dolphins, while linebacker Marcus Golden signed with the Steelers.

The Cardinals brought in a number of players but many of them feel like role players to round out the roster. In the draft, the Cardinals did some big work to fill holes, adding tackle Paris Johnson in the First-Round and pass rusher B.J. Ojulari in the Second-Round. Later in the draft the team snagged Stanford receiver Michael Wilson. In five seasons, Wilson caught 134 for 1,662 yards and six touchdowns. He figures to give the team another weapon.

Fantasy Impact

The biggest question is at quarterback. Murray tore his ACL in December and doesn’t have a timetable to return. Many signs point to him returning in late November, if at all. That makes him a risky bet in fantasy. In his stead, the team has veteran Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune. I don’t rate either higher than a QB3.

In the backfield, James Conner is the clear starter. Conner led the team with 782 yards and seven touchdowns, catching 46 passes a year ago. He finished as RB19. There isn’t much behind him on the depth chart. I like him as a low-end RB2.

In the passing game, the team returns Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Rondale Moore and Greg Dorch along with Wilson. The passing game as a whole is a question, but Brown seems like the top receiver. Brown is a low-end WR3 for me. Among the rest, I like taking a flier on Wilson in dynasty. He’s going as WR98. At tight end, the Cardinals have second-year man Trey McBride and veteran Zach Ertz, who is returning from injury. McBride is the future, and I think he’ll finish higher, but he’s a TE2 for me due to competition and a middling passing game.

Prediction

The Cardinals have the feel of a team in the midst of a re-build. Murray is still there but many veterans left this off-season. It’s also unclear how much Murray will be available. I think the Cardinals would be wise to bottom out and will likely be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.