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A week ago, we debuted an Arizona Cardinals mailbag, answering your most pressing questions about this organization. Very quickly, we realized there were far too many questions to get to in one go.
Even in the quietest part of the offseason, ahead of a season with highly muted expectations, you — the Cardinals fans — were full of questions about this team. It’s a testament to the passion of a fan base that has long been desperate for something to cheer about.
Here is our second round of answering your most burning questions — now with the benefit of one week of organized team activities in the rearview mirror.
Have there been any updates with the injured players, like Walter Nolen and Garrett Williams, and what’s the timetable looking like for their returns? -@mando112155
There were a lot of useful morsels of news to come out of the first week of OTAs, so let’s start off by running through those.
Nolen said that he expects to return for training camp. Mike LaFleur added that tight end Tip Reiman is on a similar timeline. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting was a full participant at OTAs, so he’s back from his torn ACL. Cornerback Starling Thomas V and running back James Conner both worked on the side of the field with trainers, so they should be back for training camp, two months from now.
That’s a lot of positive injury news. Williams is a bigger concern, though. He tore his Achilles on Dec. 21. Expecting a return for Week 1 would be ambitious, and players often struggle in their first season back from an Achilles tear, as it takes a while to return to maximum explosiveness.
Who fills Garrett Williams role until he returns from his injury? -@the_dude1121
This is one we got a clear answer to this week. Murphy-Bunting is now working with the safeties and nickel corners, indicating that he is set to occupy that role until Williams returns. He has played almost entirely as an outside corner since 2023 but began his career in the slot, so he has familiarity at the position.
We could also see safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson get some reps at nickel, where he played 40 snaps last season. In those looks, free agent signing Andrew Wingard would likely start at safety.
What percentage of carries do you expect Jeremiyah Love to have? -@mando112155
Tyler Allgeier was taking the first running back reps this week, but that’s normal as a rookie earns his role. Make no mistake: Love will lead the Cardinals’ backfield when they take the field in Week 1.
That said, it’s a crowded group. Allgeier and Conner are both proven NFL veterans who will have a role to play.
A good comparison point could be the 2023 Atlanta Falcons, who had a top 10 draft pick (Bijan Robinson) alongside Allgeier and a reliable veteran (Cordarelle Patterson). Robinson saw 47.6% of running back carries that year. We’ll get a better idea during training camp, but Love might not have a workhorse role immediately, even if he does lead the backfield in carries.
Have there been any indications regarding Trey Benson's future? -@Finn_Staples32
The main news on Benson this week is that he wasn’t on the field for OTAs, suggesting that he’s still working his way back from the September knee injury that ended his 2025 season — even though he attempted a return in November before being shut down for the year.
It’s the latest in a long string of bad news for the 2024 third-round pick, whose injury prevented him from getting a three-month opportunity to lead the backfield. After all, actions speak louder than words. By drafting Love, signing Allgeier, and bringing Conner back, the Cardinals showed how they view Benson.
Who will be the returners on special teams since Michael Ghobrial is the new special teams coach?-@Monsterdemo21
With DeeJay Dallas and Greg Dortch gone, Devin Duvernay was signed to a one-year deal to fill this role. The veteran wide receiver has excelled as a returner throughout his career, and he should take the lion’s share of both kickoffs and punts.
It’s also worth noting that, while Love returned some kicks in practice this week, LaFleur suggested that he does not expect the No. 3 overall pick to see significant work in that area. It seems more likely that Love could be called upon as a returner in specific situations, like if the Cardinals desperately need a big return late in a close game.
Do you expect Marvin Harrison Jr. to stay on the outside or move inside as a “big” slot? Feels like Michael Wilson has earned his spot outside. -@JakeStrick1021
There are a few factors to consider here. For one, there are two outside receiver spots in most formations. Wilson has definitely earned his role, but most of the time, multiple receivers are on the field. The second is that LaFleur has said he wants to move his receivers around the formation, as he did with both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in Los Angeles.
It’s also notable that the Cardinals did not sign a primary slot receiver in free agency, while letting both Greg Dortch and Zay Jones depart. Harrison played just 18.9% of his snaps in the slot last year, Wilson was at 25% and Kendrick Bourne was at 23.8%. All of those numbers could tick up, even if the slot role is a shared responsibility.
That said, Harrison was actually more effective on the outside last year, averaging 1.69 yards per route run on the outside, compared to 1.12 from the slot, per Pro Football Focus.
The big question with the receiver room, to me, is the hierarchy. LaFleur runs a pure progression offense, with quarterbacks instructed to go through receivers in order, rather than based on the defense’s look. In training camp, we’ll begin to learn whether Wilson or Harrison is the first read more often.
Why won’t Michael (Bidwill) spend some money on this team? -Steve Salk
There have been a handful of questions about Bidwill’s ownership, so it’s worth discussing the areas in which ownership does — and does not — impact the team.
This question was asked in the context of free agency. The Cardinals do spend in free agency, as does every team in a league with a salary cap and a salary floor. And when necessary, they are willing to manipulate the cap in the same way as most teams, with void years and large signing bonuses. A few teams — the Bengals are notorious for this — aren’t willing to use these tactics, but the Cardinals are.
Where the Cardinals have often lagged behind the rest of the league is in their ancillary spending. Famously, they used to charge players for meals. Their facilities are annually graded among the worst in the league. But that’s changing, with a new $200 million training facility set to open in 2028.
One area in which they have a league-wide reputation for not spending money, though, is on the coaching staff. That’s not just a matter of head coach salaries — it’s also about providing the head coach with enough money to go out and hire high-profile, experienced assistants. While coaching salaries are not publicized, the Cardinals were repeatedly turned down for both their head coach and defensive coordinator jobs this winter. They also typically have one of the league's least-experienced coaching staffs. That’s telling.
As for why the Cardinals are occasionally unwilling to spend in certain areas, Bidwill has never answered that question directly. But he is among the few NFL owners whose primary source of wealth is the team itself. That limits the number of revenue streams that he is able to tap into.
Finally, a few people have asked about Bidwill serving as the Cardinals’ team president. It’s true that the Cardinals are among a minority of organizations that does not have a team president outside of the ownership family, but that is a non-football position. The team president oversees the business side of the operation — think ticket prices and stadium alterations, such as the recent addition of casitas to State Farm Stadium. Those have been a source of frustration among the fan base, but they don’t have a direct impact on the on-field product.
It is also true, though, that organizations with dedicated team presidents have performed better in recent seasons. That could be simple luck, or it could indicate a healthy organizational structure in which ownership takes a hands-off approach to the entire operation.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals mailbag has ownership, injury, depth chart questions
Continue reading...
Even in the quietest part of the offseason, ahead of a season with highly muted expectations, you — the Cardinals fans — were full of questions about this team. It’s a testament to the passion of a fan base that has long been desperate for something to cheer about.
Here is our second round of answering your most burning questions — now with the benefit of one week of organized team activities in the rearview mirror.
Have there been any updates with the injured players, like Walter Nolen and Garrett Williams, and what’s the timetable looking like for their returns? -@mando112155
There were a lot of useful morsels of news to come out of the first week of OTAs, so let’s start off by running through those.
Nolen said that he expects to return for training camp. Mike LaFleur added that tight end Tip Reiman is on a similar timeline. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting was a full participant at OTAs, so he’s back from his torn ACL. Cornerback Starling Thomas V and running back James Conner both worked on the side of the field with trainers, so they should be back for training camp, two months from now.
That’s a lot of positive injury news. Williams is a bigger concern, though. He tore his Achilles on Dec. 21. Expecting a return for Week 1 would be ambitious, and players often struggle in their first season back from an Achilles tear, as it takes a while to return to maximum explosiveness.
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Who fills Garrett Williams role until he returns from his injury? -@the_dude1121
This is one we got a clear answer to this week. Murphy-Bunting is now working with the safeties and nickel corners, indicating that he is set to occupy that role until Williams returns. He has played almost entirely as an outside corner since 2023 but began his career in the slot, so he has familiarity at the position.
We could also see safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson get some reps at nickel, where he played 40 snaps last season. In those looks, free agent signing Andrew Wingard would likely start at safety.
What percentage of carries do you expect Jeremiyah Love to have? -@mando112155
Tyler Allgeier was taking the first running back reps this week, but that’s normal as a rookie earns his role. Make no mistake: Love will lead the Cardinals’ backfield when they take the field in Week 1.
That said, it’s a crowded group. Allgeier and Conner are both proven NFL veterans who will have a role to play.
A good comparison point could be the 2023 Atlanta Falcons, who had a top 10 draft pick (Bijan Robinson) alongside Allgeier and a reliable veteran (Cordarelle Patterson). Robinson saw 47.6% of running back carries that year. We’ll get a better idea during training camp, but Love might not have a workhorse role immediately, even if he does lead the backfield in carries.
You must be registered for see images
Have there been any indications regarding Trey Benson's future? -@Finn_Staples32
The main news on Benson this week is that he wasn’t on the field for OTAs, suggesting that he’s still working his way back from the September knee injury that ended his 2025 season — even though he attempted a return in November before being shut down for the year.
It’s the latest in a long string of bad news for the 2024 third-round pick, whose injury prevented him from getting a three-month opportunity to lead the backfield. After all, actions speak louder than words. By drafting Love, signing Allgeier, and bringing Conner back, the Cardinals showed how they view Benson.
Who will be the returners on special teams since Michael Ghobrial is the new special teams coach?-@Monsterdemo21
With DeeJay Dallas and Greg Dortch gone, Devin Duvernay was signed to a one-year deal to fill this role. The veteran wide receiver has excelled as a returner throughout his career, and he should take the lion’s share of both kickoffs and punts.
You must be registered for see images attach
It’s also worth noting that, while Love returned some kicks in practice this week, LaFleur suggested that he does not expect the No. 3 overall pick to see significant work in that area. It seems more likely that Love could be called upon as a returner in specific situations, like if the Cardinals desperately need a big return late in a close game.
Do you expect Marvin Harrison Jr. to stay on the outside or move inside as a “big” slot? Feels like Michael Wilson has earned his spot outside. -@JakeStrick1021
There are a few factors to consider here. For one, there are two outside receiver spots in most formations. Wilson has definitely earned his role, but most of the time, multiple receivers are on the field. The second is that LaFleur has said he wants to move his receivers around the formation, as he did with both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in Los Angeles.
It’s also notable that the Cardinals did not sign a primary slot receiver in free agency, while letting both Greg Dortch and Zay Jones depart. Harrison played just 18.9% of his snaps in the slot last year, Wilson was at 25% and Kendrick Bourne was at 23.8%. All of those numbers could tick up, even if the slot role is a shared responsibility.
That said, Harrison was actually more effective on the outside last year, averaging 1.69 yards per route run on the outside, compared to 1.12 from the slot, per Pro Football Focus.
You must be registered for see images
The big question with the receiver room, to me, is the hierarchy. LaFleur runs a pure progression offense, with quarterbacks instructed to go through receivers in order, rather than based on the defense’s look. In training camp, we’ll begin to learn whether Wilson or Harrison is the first read more often.
Why won’t Michael (Bidwill) spend some money on this team? -Steve Salk
There have been a handful of questions about Bidwill’s ownership, so it’s worth discussing the areas in which ownership does — and does not — impact the team.
This question was asked in the context of free agency. The Cardinals do spend in free agency, as does every team in a league with a salary cap and a salary floor. And when necessary, they are willing to manipulate the cap in the same way as most teams, with void years and large signing bonuses. A few teams — the Bengals are notorious for this — aren’t willing to use these tactics, but the Cardinals are.
Where the Cardinals have often lagged behind the rest of the league is in their ancillary spending. Famously, they used to charge players for meals. Their facilities are annually graded among the worst in the league. But that’s changing, with a new $200 million training facility set to open in 2028.
One area in which they have a league-wide reputation for not spending money, though, is on the coaching staff. That’s not just a matter of head coach salaries — it’s also about providing the head coach with enough money to go out and hire high-profile, experienced assistants. While coaching salaries are not publicized, the Cardinals were repeatedly turned down for both their head coach and defensive coordinator jobs this winter. They also typically have one of the league's least-experienced coaching staffs. That’s telling.
As for why the Cardinals are occasionally unwilling to spend in certain areas, Bidwill has never answered that question directly. But he is among the few NFL owners whose primary source of wealth is the team itself. That limits the number of revenue streams that he is able to tap into.
Finally, a few people have asked about Bidwill serving as the Cardinals’ team president. It’s true that the Cardinals are among a minority of organizations that does not have a team president outside of the ownership family, but that is a non-football position. The team president oversees the business side of the operation — think ticket prices and stadium alterations, such as the recent addition of casitas to State Farm Stadium. Those have been a source of frustration among the fan base, but they don’t have a direct impact on the on-field product.
It is also true, though, that organizations with dedicated team presidents have performed better in recent seasons. That could be simple luck, or it could indicate a healthy organizational structure in which ownership takes a hands-off approach to the entire operation.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals mailbag has ownership, injury, depth chart questions
Continue reading...
