NFL executives think the Arizona Cardinals make a playoff run in 2024

Things are trending upward in Arizona and coaches and executives from around the league are taking notice.

With only four wins in 2023 and picking in the top five once again, it is easy to look at the Arizona Cardinals through the same lens that we do nearly every season.

Yet, according to ESPN, those around the league see a team trending in the right direction and one that will be competing for the playoffs in 2024.

From ESPN:

Arizona is trending up despite its 4-13 clip in 2023. As one NFL offensive coach said, “That’s the best four-win team I’ve seen in a while. They make you earn everything.”

While being the best worst team in the league is nothing to hang your hat on, getting compliments about actually making teams work in 2023 versus knowing you were coming in and getting a team who had quit on the coach in 2022.

In fact, the reality of 2023 was the team played hard despite having nearly $70 million in dead cap ($69,784,194 for those that like exact numbers), and the lowest investment on defense in the NFL, with their investment on offense for nine games also one of the lowest in the NFL with Kyler Murray on IR.

So, to see positives coming out not from fans or locals, but from those outside the organization is a breath of fresh air:

GM Monti Ossenfort has six picks in the first three rounds of the draft to improve the roster.

“[Head coach Jonathan Gannon] seems legit, and they can kill it in the draft,” an AFC scout said. “If they add some vet pieces in free agency, they can surprise some people. Kyler Murray will be better with a full year coming off the ACL [tear].”

The draft will be key.

With the roster still recovering from a five year nose dive, Monti Ossenfort and Jonathan Gannon have work to do, but it seems like things are trending in the right direction.