
Eric Williams
NFC West Author
Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing shortly turned his group into one of the crucial bodily operating models within the NFL throughout his first season in Arizona.
Veteran again James Conner completed No. 6 within the league with 1,040 dashing yards in 2023. Electrical with the ball in his fingers, quarterback Kyler Murray ran for 244 yards in simply eight video games after rehabbing from ACL knee surgical procedure. In Murray’s early-season absence, fill-in QB Joshua Dobbs ran for 258 yards earlier than being traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
As a group, the Cardinals averaged 139 dashing yards a contest throughout the common season, No. 4 within the NFL.
“That was the ground,” Connor instructed reporters when requested about final yr’s efficiency. “I need that to be the bottom I rush for in my profession going ahead. I’ve received a whole lot of work to place in, however that is the ground, not the ceiling.”
Within the passing sport, Petzing oversaw the event of Trey McBride into one of many higher pass-catching tight ends within the league. McBride completed with 81 receptions for 825 yards and three scores final season.
Regardless of all of that, the Cardinals averaged simply 19.4 factors per sport in 2023, tied for No. 25 within the NFL. Arizona completed No. 14 within the league on third-down conversions (39%) and averaged simply 185 passing yards per contest, No. 26 within the league.
Arizona’s 38 passing performs of 20-plus yards final season ranked fifth-worst within the NFL.
The evolution of Petzing’s offense in Yr 2 contains constructing on the group’s bodily operating sport and creating extra explosive performs within the passing sport. To assist accomplish that, the Cardinals added do-everything receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and operating again Trey Benson on this yr’s draft.
These two gamers, together with a wholesome Murray having a full offseason to study the nuances of the offense, ought to result in extra consistency in 2024.
Bears, Eagles, Cardinals are winners of the 2024 NFL Draft

Arizona drafted Harrison No. 4 total and signed Zay Jones in free company to enhance the passing sport on the perimeter. Each are massive targets who can create separation down the sphere for chunk performs.
To proceed their success operating the soccer, the Cardinals chosen Florida State product Benson within the third spherical, giving Arizona an explosive, home-run risk who pairs properly with the bulldozing Conner.
Together with these two, the Cardinals have versatile performers in free-agent addition DeeJay Dallas and Michael Carter.
“You actually get excited once you add good gamers,” Petzing stated. “That is a giant a part of the offseason. However I believe the actual pleasure goes to come back once we’re doing it out on the sphere and I can see it come to fruition, and actually attempting to place it collectively and watching it go function.”
A part of that for Petzing shall be having a full offseason with Murray. Final yr, after rehabbing his knee, Murray performed the final eight video games of the common season. He had no offseason to work on the sphere studying the intricacies of Petzing’s offense.
Murray will get that likelihood now.
“It’s positively much more enjoyable getting to educate him in Might than in mid-November,” Petzing stated. “Now, we get to work on issues. When he hit the sphere [last year] it was like, ‘Here is the sport plan, we received to go play.’ Now it is like, ‘Hey, are you taking the appropriate drop?’ or ‘Are your eyes in the appropriate place? And did you’re feeling that play the best way we needed it to be felt?’
“All of these conversations can occur now, so I am actually enthusiastic about that.”
Petzing can be enthusiastic about Benson, who, at No. 66 total, was the second operating again taken on this yr’s draft. His 4.39-second 40-yard time was the third quickest by a operating again on the NFL Scouting Mix.
Benson completed with 1,896 dashing yards and 24 complete touchdowns in two seasons at Florida State after transferring from Oregon. He had no fumbles in school and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
“He is explosive,” Petzing stated. “I believe you see the quickness, the ft, the velocity, the home-run means. … I am actually excited to get him in right here, get him competing with the remainder of the fellows and get him out on the sphere.”
Final season, Benson had 4 performs of 50-plus yards and had each an 80-plus yard run and an 80-plus yard reception, changing into the primary participant in Florida State historical past to perform that feat.
And he can return kicks. In 2022, he had a 93-yard kick return for a rating for the Seminoles. Benson stated teammates nicknamed him after a well-known film character due to his means to run away from defenders within the open area.
“As soon as I get to the second degree, my teammates used to name me ‘Forrest Gump,’” Benson stated. “That is all I am fascinated with: Do not get caught. Simply run. Hit your head on the aim publish.”
Benson ought to match proper in with Petzing’s operating sport. Final season, Arizona led the league with 23 runs of 20-plus yards and completed No. 2 within the league with 5 runs of 40-plus yards.
Together with the evolution of the scheme, bettering connectivity has additionally been a spotlight for Arizona this offseason. Murray, whose management expertise have been criticized up to now, has hung out along with his teammates away from the sphere and has taken on extra of a vocal position, working to construct a stronger bond that ought to result in extra manufacturing on the sphere.
“He is the chief,” Conner stated about Murray. “And I say that as a result of he is coming into it. After I received to Arizona, it was type of like, ‘Who’s the chief right here?’ And typically it is simply the product of the atmosphere. However that is now not the atmosphere right here.
“He is making an effort to deliver the fellows shut. He is bringing the offensive linemen with him. And so, he is attempting. And that is all we are able to do. He is attempting his greatest, and that is what he is doing. And it has been superior to see.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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