Ask Odegard: Prospects To Watch Not Named Caleb Williams

It’s still preseason but the question-asking is in midseason form.

A bunch to get to today, but first a quick reminder to sign up for my newsletter.

OK, here we go:

“Who should be some prospects that the cards look into if we don’t pick Caleb Williams” – AK7

Kyle Odegard: While the national media has already hand-delivered Caleb Williams to the Cardinals, there’s still a higher likelihood that he doesn’t land in Arizona next year, so, yes, this is a worthy exercise.

The top prospect, of course, is Marvin Harrison, Jr, the son of the star wide receiver by the same name. Harrison is taller than his dad and has been called the best wideout prospect since Calvin Johnson. So, yeah, watch him this fall.

Other top names include Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu, Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse and Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

The Cardinals could have two top-five picks in the 2024 draft, so if Caleb Williams (or Drake Maye) is not the route, these could be the players on the radar to help kickstart the rebuild.

“If Simmons has a good year what would you do with our safety group next season? Can we justify such a large investment in the safety position” – Thomas Allison

KO: It’s a conundrum, for sure. On the one hand, you don’t want talented players to leave. On the other, paying through the nose three times at a non-premium position is not a smart team-building strategy.

I think Simmons is gone after this season. Not only would he need to excel to get re-signed, but Jalen Thompson would also need to play well in the slot. I’d give it like a 5% chance that Simmons, Thompson and Budda Baker are on the roster together in 2024.

You can technically make it work if Thompson plays well in nickel, but it’s not the best use of resources.

“When looking at past teams that have been bad enough to earn a top 2 pick for a variety of reasons (coach ages out or is dreadful in 1 year, veteran QB doesn’t work, year 2 of a teardown) who’s a surprise team that we could see it with? (I could see the Broncos, tbh)” – Blake Murphy

Kyle Odegard: I’m glad you brought this up, Blake, because there will certainly be a surprise team or two that falls apart in 2023. If you don’t believe me, consider the Cardinals and Rams’ projections going into last season and where they ended up. 

My pick for this year is the Giants. They outperformed expectations greatly in 2022 but I still have questions about QB Daniel Jones and the passing attack. If those lucky bounces go the other way in 2023, and if injury-prone Darren Waller suffers another injury, a five-or six-win campaign is not out of the question.

“Why do you think the Cardinals are not interested in Kareem Hunt?” – Jalen KwaMane

KO: I’d assume he wants more than the minimum, and with where the Cardinals are in their team-building process, they don’t want to pay that. There are also rumblings that Hunt has lost a step, so maybe he’s an upgrade on the current backups in name recognition only.

“Expectations for Kyler Murray with this team this year. What’s a season that would make the team move off of him and what’s one that would make them keep him?” – KSH

“How must Kyler perform when he comes back for the Cardinals not to trade him and draft a new qb in the 24 draft.” – AZReaper

KO: It’s kind of a hard question to answer, right? Like, Murray could come back and look like dogshit for six weeks, but if he gets back to running and figures out the offense over the final month, I’d be feeling pretty good about the long-term outlook.

I honestly think we will have a good feeling about his future by the end of the season. It’s just hard to quantify right now.

“Why in the world would JG and staff not start Josh Jones at LT? Jones in 9 starts at LT last year had the highest PFF grade 75.3 of the entire offense. Why wasn’t Beach at his customary RT, not at LT where he struggled in pass pro (40.7 PBG) and made it tough on Colt and Tune?” – Walter Mitchell

KO: Here’s my theory: the Cardinals want to see if Josh Jones can be an adequate swing tackle on both sides. If so, Beachum is eminently expendable now that Paris Johnson has cemented himself as an opening-day starter.

Paris vs Randy Gregory pic.twitter.com/kahPzOScfw

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 12, 2023

Beachum is a below average player at this point in his career but may have a small bit of trade value when cutdown day arrives because of his position. 

If Jones can be the backup tackle and the Cardinals can get a draft pick for Beachum, they’d have to consider making the trade. As of now, I don’t think that’s the most likely move, but if Jones steps up, Beachum could be gone.

“Is there a reason why Rashard Lawrence is where he’s at on the depth chart? Wouldn’t have guessed he’d be below Fotu.” – Monsterdemo21

KO: Odd to me, too. Lawrence has been the superior player their entire careers, but maybe Fotu fits the new scheme better? IDK.

“Does GM Ossenfort have a near free rein on personnel and draft decisions or does Bidwill play a large role?” – Jim Crawford

KO: The draft is mainly up to Ossenfort, but Bidwill has been known to set a budget for free agency. So he doesn’t necessarily pick the players but puts a cap on how much money the team can spend, even if the salary cap says differently.

“Will the Cardinals target some big name free agents or trades next off season? Or will they continue to focus building through the draft and go for those targets the next year?” – Anth D

KO: If Kyler Murray looks good this year and returns as the quarterback in 2024, it’s all systems go in building around him. Teams can return to prominence quickly in the NFL, especially if the quarterback is playing well. The Cardinals will still focus on the draft as the main part of team-building but free agency will supplement it.

If Caleb Williams is the guy, though, then a slower approach will take place because the Cardinals won’t realistically be competitive his rookie year.

“Do you think Nick Rallis will be this aggressive as a play caller during the regular season? I thought Gannon’s defense was more 2 high shell and less blitzing than our previous DC but I was surprised to see a couple Cover 0 plays called. Thoughts?” – 1618

KO: That was interesting to me as well. In Philly, Gannon really didn’t need to blitz because the defensive line was so dominant. In Arizona it’s a much different story, so I think the Cardinals will try to orchestrate more pressure than we’ve seen from this staff in the past. 

And remember: Mike Zimmer is one of Gannon’s biggest mentors, and that dude has some of the most creative blitz packages the NFL has seen. I have a feeling the Cardinals will be dialing it up more than people expect this year.

The Cardinals looked more prepared in Jonathan Gannon’s first game as a HC than they did in Year 4 with Kliff Kingsbury. https://t.co/xQ1OjzHRnD

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 15, 2023

“Does unspent cap money from one year carry forward to the next? Is that why the Cards are not spending?” – Bulging Twine

KO: Correct. Every dollar they save this year can be used in 2024. It’s very sound decision-making knowing that this is a throwaway year.

“We may not have the star power, but I often find myself being more optimistic than most projections. What is your gut feeling when looking at this year’s performance?” – New football guy

KO: As you probably know, I am not the optimistic type (nor the pessimistic type!). I try to look at things analytically and without bias. Last year that led to an against-the-grain prediction of seven wins, and even though I heard about it at the time, my concerns mostly rang true.

This year I find myself in line with the projections. I think a healthy Kyler could make this a top-20 offense, but the combo of Colt McCoy and a recovering Kyler puts them more around bottom-5. And I think the defense might be the worst group in the NFL. There is a scary lack of high-end ability at edge rusher and cornerback.

So, yeah, 4-5 wins seems about right, with the caveat that Kyler can change that.

Based on implied probability, the Cardinals have a 44.6% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.https://t.co/zHLVNkSUU8

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 16, 2023

“Can Kei’Trel Clark be a multi year player for us ? With him being from the same college as jg and position plus he looks good” – Charles Mendoza

KO: The kid looked good in the preseason opener. Scrappy with a high motor. I like it. Does he have the natural athleticism to stick at cornerback? We will see, but it’s certainly been an encouraging start for someone drafted in the sixth round.

“If McCoy isn’t playing well to start the season do we give the rookie a shot since it feels this season will be a wash anyways.” – Tino

KO: If McCoy is only below average, no, I don’t think Clayton Tune gets a shot. If he falls off the cliff physically because he’s almost 37 years old, then it’s possible. For all the excitement surrounding Tune, McCoy still gives you a better chance to win because he’s not going to be a turnover machine.

Another somewhat likely scenario depending on how long Kyler is out: McCoy gets hurt in one of the first few games and Tune is forced onto the job early.

“What got you to the position you are in covering for the Arizona Cardinals and how do you get into that field? What is your favorite part about being an editor and would u ever take someone to be your intern (me perhaps?) ?” – Mervin

I started my journalism career compiling box scores for the East Valley Tribune when I was 15 years old. Then, I spent several years writing stories about high school sports.

Eventually I moved up to write about Arizona State and the Diamondbacks at the newspaper before switching to the Cardinals beat in 2013.

It was far from glamorous in the beginning, so for any aspiring journalist, there needs to be a love for the craft along with the love for sports. I get more excited about breaking national news or writing a killer feature than getting Twitter dopamine from a hot taek, that’s for sure.

Your long national nightmare is over. The Cardinals will have new uniforms this season, multiple sources told me.

Official unveiling expected to be in the lead-up to the draft, which begins April 27.https://t.co/UwnCD7jysN

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) April 5, 2023

My favorite thing about being an editor is the strategic side of my gig. I still write but there are unseen parts of the job that have really reinvigorated me after doing the same thing for so long. There is a tech feel to it and it’s exciting.

No intern plans for now but hopefully down the road!

“I need answers on the Simmons (I get it but not really) and Collins position switches. Yes Kiem was awful, but every national reporter and all the media talked about those guys being MLBs leading up to the draft. Everyone was wrong about that?” – A. Castelan

KO: I agree with you on Collins but Simmons was always seen as a Swiss Army Knife. Plenty of people thought he should be a safety and I think it’s pretty apparent he’s finally in the right spot.

“Kam Chancellor, Jamal Adams, those guys didn’t play man coverage like that. They were rovers… You can devise a model that fits Isaiah Simmons.”

Great insight from my guy @DP_NFL ⬇️https://t.co/5lLmkQVAEP

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) June 23, 2023

Zaven flashed a bit in the preseason opener but his lack of a pass-rush repertoire is probably why most pegged him for middle linebacker. I think he ends up back there eventually, just maybe with a different team and a different defense.

“The D Line on paper looks… Rough. They played halfway decent against the Broncos. Is that on the Broncos being awful? Or does the Cardinals Defense have an outside shot at being respectable?” – AZTXOutdoors

KO: They played better than halfway decent. It was impressive! But, no, the defense does not have an outside shot at being respectable. 

Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson are the only two players that have been above average performers in the NFL. That’s an issue. As I said earlier, this might be the worst defense in the league.

“Why is Hollywood Brown barely practicing in a contract year?” – ATuzkov

KO: He’s a quick-twitch athlete so there might always be some soft tissue concerns. Smart to take it slowly with your best skill player in the preseason.

“Players falling down, one cost us an interception. What’s going on with the turf at the stadium? Don’t remember this being such an issue in the past. How do they fix it?” – Paul Montenieri

KO: It’s always been super worn down by the end of camp, and then new grass comes in when the regular season begins. I know the field conditions have been a pretty regular topic in Arizona the past several years, but I don’t really know what the solution is. You’ll need to ask your lawn guy.

“Is Valladay a possibly for the Cards looking to add to the RB room??? Also, what did you think overall about Tune? I liked his pocket presence but saw a few missed throws which is concerning” – Scott Haney

KO: Valladay signed with the Steelers so cross him off the list then. Yeah, I mean, Tune was what I figured. Decent at times but inaccurate, which is expected for a late-round QB pick. As I’ve said for awhile now, please don’t stake your hopes on a fifth-round project at the game’s most important position.

“Do the players still have to pay for their own meals?” – RB

KO: I’m not sure. Hopefully that was the first thing Michael Biwill rectified after the ghastly NFLPA grades. It’s ridiculous to charge players for meals.

“With Zach Ertz being on track to play week 1 and being a lot older, what are the chances Kyler is back week 1?” – Chris

KO: The closer we get the less optimistic I am that he gets off PUP. The Cardinals would need to activate him pretty soon in order to play Week 1.

“Will Zack and Trey McBride be the starters in Washington?” – Ann Webb

KO: Very possible. The Cardinals are going to run way more two tight-end sets than the past four years. I’d expect those two and the wide receiver trio of Hollywood Brown, Michael Wilson and Rondale Moore to get the bulk of the playing time against the Commanders.

“Why during camp do some players wear the red helmet covers?” – Ron Chav

KO: I believe those are used during special teams drills and walk-through stuff. Basically, it denotes which players are on a certain side even if the same color jerseys are interspersed.

“How is Owen Pappoe playing so far? Haven’t seen anything about him” – Shawn Greenway

KO: Me neither. The inside linebacker spot next to Kyzir White seems primed for the taking so this makes me feel like he’s not in the running.

“What’s gonna happen when Caleb Williams regresses under Kliff Kingsbury’s offense?” – AZSportsFan20

KO: Insert Chris Tucker and Ice Cube ‘Damnnnn’ gif