In February, the Arizona Cardinals appointed Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach for the 2023 NFL season. Gannon, who previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, brings a fresh perspective and new leadership to the Cardinals organization.

New Goals for the Cardinals

During his introductory press conference, Gannon shared his four goals for the team – to be adaptable, violent, explosive, and intelligent. His coordinators have also emphasized the importance of violence and explosiveness on the field.

Gannon is a process-oriented coach, focusing on the present and the process rather than the end goal of winning. He believes that by focusing on the present and improving day by day, the result will take care of itself.

Gannon’s approach is similar to that of former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, who preached the importance of trust, commitment, and accountability. In contrast, Bruce Arians was very open about the end goal of winning multiple Super Bowls, while Kliff Kingsbury was very methodical about everything.

It’s still uncertain how Gannon’s leadership and coaching style will translate on the field, but the Cardinals are eager to see how everything unfolds during the offseason and as the new season approaches. Despite the offseason moves of the Cards, the odds don’t seem to favor them in the upcoming NFL season as they are still +180000 to win the Super Bowl LVIII, per FanDuel AZ sportsbook.

How to Improve the Cardinals’ Offensive Line?

The Arizona Cardinals are facing a pressing need to strengthen their offensive line, as the franchise looks to rebuild for the upcoming NFL season. Cardinals fans are all too familiar with the team’s past struggles with their offensive line, which has contributed to the Cards’ lackluster performance in recent years and this is expected to be one of the key areas that Jonathan Gannon should solve.

With quarterback Kyler Murray recovering from a torn ACL injury sustained in a game against the New England Patriots last season, keeping him healthy and protected will be a top priority for the team going forward.

The Doug Haller recently highlighted the urgent need for the Cardinals to reshape their offensive line, with center Rodney Hudson unlikely to return and three key players in the room becoming unrestricted free agents.

“The Cardinals have several needs. Who will start the season at quarterback if Kyler Murray is not fully recovered from his ACL injury? Who will replace J.J. Watt as a consistent pass rusher? Arizona still needs help at cornerback. But its biggest need rests up front,” Doug said.

“The Cardinals pretty much have to rebuild their offensive line. Veteran center Rodney Hudson played in only four games last season and is expected to retire. Guards Justin Pugh and Will Hernandez, as well as right tackle Kelvin Beachum, are unrestricted free agents,” he continued. 

Haller notes that despite the pressing need for improvement in the offensive line, the Cardinals also have other needs to address in the upcoming season. However, with the team drafting at No. 3 overall, they have an opportunity to make significant changes and improve across the board.