In an election year, Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are garnering plenty of votes as the NFL team most likely to improve. But like many clubs, they’re balancing the need to recalibrate their current team with the need to secure assets for their future.
To that end, longtime Cardinals writer Howard Balzer made an interesting observation last week on the Rise Up See Red podcast. Head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort are devoting a significant amount of their 53-man roster — 34 percent, to be exact – to 18 young players they either drafted or signed as college free agents since 2023.
“That’s a pretty big percentage of what this roster is made up of now,” Balzer said after breaking down the number of rookies and second-year players that survived final cuts.
It’s also a pretty big factor in deciding the next players Arizona will secure to contract extensions. Seven projected starters – eight including kicker Matt Prater — enter the final year of their contracts as the Cardinals prepare for Sunday’s season-opener at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
After signing two core young players — edge rusher Zaven Collins and center Hjalte Froholdt — to team-friendly contract extensions, how does Arizona feel about aging veterans?
Safety Budda Baker, linebackers Kyzir White and Dennis Gardeck, and nose tackle Roy Lopez are important pieces in Gannon’s Arizona defense, as are running back James Conner, and guards Will Hernandez and Evan Brown on offense.
Hernandez, while happy for Froholdt, compares his own situation to renewing a driver’s license.
“You know this kind of deal,” Hernandez told Balzer. “It’s like being at the DMV. You never know. You might get your number called or, all of a sudden, it’s two hours later and you’ve got to see what’s going on. Who knows? I honestly don’t think about it. I just play. Whatever happens, happens. But I am aiming to play well every single play.”
Baker, who’s just 28 and has said several times he wants to remain in Arizona, could be difficult to retain. Balzer noted Baker’s $14.2-million salary becomes guaranteed on Sunday when he appears on the opening-day roster.