It Really Is This Bad: Projected Starters 2023

[kerouac9]

This is kind of drafting on @Garthshort's post about who will be better to start the season. Under Keim, the Arizona Cardinals media relations team built the preseason depth chart (and maybe the in-season depth chart) that was published online. We won't see an official depth chart for almost a month.

So here's the unofficial depth chart according to me. Consider putting this post on ice if you've eaten recently; you may be sick:

Offense:

LT - D.J. Humphries
LG - Dennis Daley
C - Hjalte Froholdt
RG - Will Hernandez
RT - Paris Johnson, Jr.
TE - Zach Ertz
TE - Trey McBride
WR - Hollywood Brown
WR - Zach Pascal
RB - James Conner
QB - Colt McCoy

Notes:
- This looks like a bottom-third NFL offense. That seems bad, but when you get to the defense you'll see it could be worse.
- Daley has a bunch of NFL starts and should be regarded as the front-runner for the LG job until proven otherwise. He was signed early in free agency, which should indicate how and why he might have been a priority for the Cards.
- It's really hard to envision what Rondale Moore's role in the offense will be. You'd prefer to kick Pascal or Brown inside in 3WR sets to bring Wilson on the field. I know @Chopper0080 feels like he's going to be a running back in this offense, and that's his closest path to playing time.
- Colt McCoy is a good dude, but he'll likely be the worst or second-worst opening day starter in the NFL.

Defense

EDGE - Dennis Gardeck
DL - Rashard Lawrence
DL - Leki Fotu
DL - Cameron Thomas
EDGE - Zaven Collins
LB - Kyzir White
CB - Marco Wilson
CB - Antonio Hamilton
CB - Isiah Simmons
S - Budda Baker
S - Jalen Thompson

- Barf emoji forever here.
- Kyzir White is a bit of an enigma. When you look at his stats you'd think he's a solid starter, but he's going to be on his third team in as many seasons. There are probably limitations there that we won't see until the regular season.
- I really tried to project Myjai Sanders into the starting lineup because I like the kid. The preseason silence about him has been deafening. I think he could be a situational pass rusher with Ojulari, or he could take Zaven Collins' role if he's unable to do it.
- I think Cam Thomas bulked up and moves inside full-time. He could be our best defensive lineman right now, which really shows how terrible this defense is.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Dennis Daley is projected as the LG starter?

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Colt throws his body around too much for 30+ guy. He needs to simmer down.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That roster is 2003 bad.

 

[BirdGangThing]

It's going to be bad but at least we know it going in, sounds weird but I think I'll be happy with both wins and losses this year

 

[kerouac9]

Dennis Daley is projected as the LG starter?

Whom do you project there? Lecitus Smith got benched for Rashaad Coward, who is currently looking for an NFL job.

I think that Dennis Daley is a scrub, but he's started 36 NFL games and there's no one young that this front office is invested in sitting in front of him. He was signed eight days into free agency.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Dennis Daley is projected as the LG starter?

I'd argue Elijah Wilkinson. Daley has played guard and wasn't the total disaster that he was at LT, but he's still a bleh player.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Whom do you project there? Lecitus Smith got benched for Rashaad Coward, who is currently looking for an NFL job.

I think that Dennis Daley is a scrub, but he's started 36 NFL games and there's no one young that this front office is invested in sitting in front of him. He was signed eight days into free agency.

Wilkinson.

 

[kerouac9]

That roster is 2003 bad.

I know that's fun to say, but this team is objectively better than that 2003 team. Marcel Shipp wouldn't make this team. It's just that the NFL is better than it was 20 years ago.

Kyzir White >>>>> Ronald McKinnon
Budda Baker >>>> Dexter Jackson

The starting corners on that 2003 team were Renaldo Hill and David Barrett (???????????)

 

[kerouac9]

Wilkinson.

He's played on the right side his whole career, AFAICT. On his fourth team in as many years. He is the definition of a sub-replacement level player. So is Daley; we're kind of splitting hair between yellow or green cat turd starting at RG.

 

[Krangodnzr]

I know that's fun to say, but this team is objectively better than that 2003 team. Marcel Shipp wouldn't make this team. It's just that the NFL is better than it was 20 years ago.

Kyzir White >>>>> Ronald McKinnon
Budda Baker >>>> Dexter Jackson

The starting corners on that 2003 team were Renaldo Hill and David Barrett (???????????)

Barrett was an okay NFL starter, and Hill played for awhile after moving over to FS. Hill was way too slow to play CB.

 

[PACardsFan]

That roster is 2003 bad.

The difference is that we have a far better front office & coaching staff than what we had in 2003. And the same reasoning applies to all the Coach Beta years also. And once Murray is back, the QB comparison to 2003 isn’t even remotely a comparison. This team will play hard & play smart. Something we haven’t seen in a long time.

 

[kerouac9]

Barrett was an okay NFL starter, and Hill played for awhile after moving over to FS. Hill was way too slow to play CB.

He's kind of Antonio Hamilton's ceiling. Barret had 5 INTs in a miracle 2005 season with the Jets and was otherwise a replacement-level player.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Whom do you project there? Lecitus Smith got benched for Rashaad Coward, who is currently looking for an NFL job.

I think that Dennis Daley is a scrub, but he's started 36 NFL games and there's no one young that this front office is invested in sitting in front of him. He was signed eight days into free agency.

I'm not sure. It is a pretty sad state of affairs though.

 

[Krangodnzr]

He's kind of Antonio Hamilton's ceiling. Barret had 5 INTs in a miracle 2005 season with the Jets and was otherwise a replacement-level player.

You can win with replacement level players with stars sprinkled in (see Rams), but you don't win with zero stars and starting sub replacement level players (see Reynaldo Hill).

I don't think we are really disagreeing here.

 

[Stout]

The difference is that we have a far better front office & coaching staff than what we had in 2003. And the same reasoning applies to all the Coach Beta years also. And once Murray is back, the QB comparison to 2003 isn’t even remotely a comparison. This team will play hard & play smart. Something we haven’t seen in a long time.

We can't know that yet, especially with the coaching staff. We can hope and expect it to be so, but we can't unequivocally know.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

This team is going to go down as one of the worst ever.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

We can't know that yet, especially with the coaching staff. We can hope and expect it to be so, but we can't unequivocally know.

Exactly.
I’ll wait and see how it goes but I’m not going blind faith that these guys are any good.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

This team is going to go down as one of the worst ever.

I'd like to know how we quantify that as well. I don't see that happening, depending on the metrics of course.

 

[oaken1]

JFC

 

[kerouac9]

I don't think people will really appreciate how bad the defense is until we're down by like 24 against Washington. We're having an honest debate over who would be better between Myjai Sanders and Zaven Collins, neither of whom would start at edge for any of the 31 other teams in the NFL.

No one is upset that Dennis Gardeck is projected as a starter. We are in extreme trouble on defense, and no amount of teamwork, preparation, or scheme is going to make up for having zero players who can contain Deebo Samuel.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I'd like to know how we quantify that as well. I don't see that happening, depending on the metrics of course.

I meant Cardinals teams
I’m just going by wins. I have a hard time seeing them win 2 games and will be blown out numerous times.

The roster is THAT bad.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I meant Cardinals teams
I’m just going by wins. I have a hard time seeing them win 2 games and will be blown out numerous times.

The roster is THAT bad.

We can set the line at 2.5. Wager that this team can't win 3 games? I am sure they can, and will.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

We can set the line at 2.5. Wager that this team can't win 3 games? I am sure they can, and will.

I’d take the under.
They’ll probably pull an upset. But who do you think they are going to beat.
They’ll likely be underdogs in all 17 games. May be favored against Atlanta at home but that’s about it.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I’d take the under.
They’ll probably pull an upset. But who do you think they are going to beat.
They’ll likely be underdogs in all 17 games. May be favored against Atlanta at home but that’s about it.

If I win, you have to say something uniquely positive about Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler 2 times for every game game above 2 we win. ex. We win 5 games, you have to say 6 things positive about Kliff, and 6 things nice about Kyler.

They have to be legit compliments as well. You can't say something positive about Kliff is that he has hot girlfriend for example.

Your terms?