Most Undervalued Cardinals on Offense
By Walter Mitchell
One of the mistakes that a number of Cardinals' fans have been tending to make is assuming that if the coaches don't seem to believe in a player or favor him, then it's strictly the player's fault.
Another concern about Cardinals' fans is that they are too quick to pigeonhole a player to the point of dismissing any possibility that the player can prove otherwise.
Lastly, if a player isn't a high draft pick or, a household name --- to some misinformed fans, he will always be JAG, as in "just a guy."
Top 5 Most Undervalued Cardinals on Offense:
1. QB Jacoby Brissett --- he's the ultimate example. Fans who for seven years doted on a skittish QB with a household name who prioritized self-preservation are now calling the Cardinals' QB room the worst in the NFL and a "total embarrassment that we shouldn't be made to suffer watching."
For these fans it wasn't good enough that Jacoby Brissett galvanized the offense and revolutionized in in particular the once inept passing game by virtue of his leadership, professional preparation and his willingness to stand in the pocket and take the pounding that comes with success.
It wasn't good enough that he passed for more yards than any other QB in the NFL over the last 12 games (3,366) at a whopping 280.5 yards per game.
These were the same crybaby fans who were making excuses for Kyler's struggles in the passing game because he had "the worst WR room in the league," the "worst, most clueless passing game coordinator in the league" and a WR2 in Michael Wilson who "would be at best a WR3 on any other team."
In the face of such scrutiny, Jacoby Brissett won over the locker room and the trust of his players in ways that Kyler Murray never did.
Hjalte Froholt recently provided every reason why he and his teammates believe in Jacoby: "He’s a veteran, he knows his shit, he stands in the pocket, he takes a hit, he plays for the boys.” Froholdt: "he ain't no backup."
For biased fans to have the gall to discredit what Jacoby accomplished because of his 1-11 record in 12 games --- when the Cardinals were never once listed as favorites --- is akin to blaming Devin Booker for the Phoenix Suns going 0-4 versus OKC Thunder.
Dismissive fans act like what Jacoby accomplished was easy because of playing so often in garbage time. The fact is, opposing defenses pinned their ears back to rush the passer and tried to play sticky man coverage as much as they could.
If one goes back and looks at how difficult the opponents tried to make Jacoby's throws and the kind of punishment Jacoby had to endure to keep the offense moving, one cannot help but acknowledge that nothing was made easy for Jacoby and his teammates. Plus, if one does the math, one will know the truth about garbage time stats. None of those stats were made easy.
The ignorant lie: "Most of Jacoby's passing yards came during garbage time." The fact is 868 of his 3,366 passing yards came during garbage time. That's 25.8%.
Historical perspective with regard to Cardinals passing numbers from a starting QB the last 12 games of a season
2008 Kurt Warner --- 62.0%, 3,361 yards, 22 TDs, 10 ints., 14 sacks, 94.1 RTG
2015 Carson Palmer --- 64.0%, 3,516 yards, 25 TDs, 8 ints, 20 sacks, 104.2 RTG
2024 Kyler Murray --- 69.0%, 2,979 yards, 16 TDs, 9 ints, 19 sacks, 92.3 RTG
2025 Jacoby Brissett --- 64.9%, 3,366 yards, 23 TDs, 8 ints, 43 sacks, 94.1 RTG
Jacoby --- 2nd best completion percentage, 2nd most yards, 2nd most TDs, tied for least interceptions, taking the most sacks by a wide margin, tied for 2nd best RTG.
These stats given the pressure he was under playing behind an OL that wound up losing 4 of its 5 starters to season-ending injuries and having to bounce back up and back from the 43 sacks ---while the defense was giving up 30 points per game --- never once being favored in any of the 12 games --- 7 of the games against playoff teams with double digit wins --- outscoring the average points allowed versus these top 12 defenses with outstanding coordinators: GB, SEA, SF, JAX, HOU --- while squaring off against a Pro Bowl QB in all 12 games --- are nothing short of extraordinary.
The fact that Jacoby has his offense playing hard for 60 minutes every game during a lost season where, about halfway through, the defense flat-out quit is something downtrodden franchises and fans should celebrate, not mitigate.
When Mike LaFleur arrived as the new head coach, he said the number one quality he wants in a QB is "supreme toughness at the back of the pocket." The toughness at the back of the pockets that Jacoby displayed in 2025 is on a par with Kurt Warner's in 2028 and Carson Palmer's in 2015.
It's a miracle of sorts that, by the end of the season, Jacoby and the offense had achieved top 10 NFL offensive rankings in passing (7th) and 3rd down conversion percentage (9th --- saying goodbye to the Third and Give Up Offense"). For anyone to take these accomplishments for granted, let alone scoff at them is an utter disrespect to Jacoby and the offense.
Predictable too that the same Cardinals' fans who celebrated Kyler Murray's $230.5M bag are now disparaging Jacoby for wanting to be paid more than $1.75M guaranteed with a $4.9M base salary.
2. RB Trey Benson --- despite the Cardinals' under-performing OL especially in the running game last season, Trey Benson got off to an excellent start, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. And while he averaged 4.6 yards per carry as a rookie, he was charging the holes last season with greater and quicker force, thereby diffusing the rap he received as a rookie for being too indecisive.
"Benson Burner" is major talent.
This year he needs to prove he can stay healthy.
Trey Benson is a RB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.76 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 46 out of 1903 RB from 1987 to 2024
3. G Jon Gaines II --- it's tough when a rookie suffers a season-ending knee injury in his first taste of pre-season action. That can set a play back for 2-3 years. For a year and a half, after finding himself behind UFA signees Will Hernandez and Evan Brown on the depth chart, Gaines finally had his chance to start a few games.
If there was any proof that Jon Gaines II has the ability to be a star at G in the NFL, check out these back-to-back starts versus two of the top 3 defensive lines in the league, these performances do:
LAR --- Overall: 81.9 --- PBLK: 83.5 --- RBLK: 78.7
@ HOU --- Overall: 81.7 --- PBLK: 76.3 --- RBLK: 79. 6
Now Gaines needs to prove he can win the RG job and manage it with aplomb.
Jon Gaines II is a OG prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.95 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 8 out of 1309 OG from 1987 to 2023.
4. T Josh Fryar --- when the Cardinals signed Josh Fryar, Paris Johnson Jr. was elated. "I know the guy he is, and while I know he came in undrafted, I believe the Cardinals have a star," Johnson said. "Since I was in college, I always said 'whatever team Josh Fryar is going to be on, he's going to be a long-term guy because of the way he works, his mentality, the way he shows up, and the way he loves to take coaching and advice.'"
In his 30 starts for the Buckeyes (2023 1st team All Big-Ten), he swiftly garnered a reputation for being a mauler in their running game and a stalwart in pass protection. He finished his career in Columbus not allowing a single sack during Ohio St.'s run to the 2-2024 National Championship versus four top ranked defenses in Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame. His 9.28 RAS score speaks to Josh's imposing physical stature. It's a miracle that he slipped through the cracks during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Josh Fryar is a OT prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.20 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 121 out of 1501 OT from 1987 to 2025.
This is an excellent well written article and I could not agree more with the first 3 sentences. As they say, opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance and unfortunately, on sports blogs, there is often more ignorance than intelligence. Brissett is a good example of that. Just for shits and giggles, I asked AI about the 2018, 3rd overall draft pick Sam Darnold.
ReplyDeleteAI Overview
Sam Darnold’s early career with the New York Jets (2018–2020) was plagued by inconsistent performance, high turnover rates (interceptions and fumbles), and a chaotic team environment, leading to a "DRAFT BUST" label. Key issues included poor coaching under Adam Gase, inadequate offensive line support, and a lack of reliable receiving targets.
Win-Loss record with each team Darnold's played on.
New York Jets (2018–2020): 13–25
Carolina Panthers (2021–2022): 8–10
San Francisco 49ers (2023): 1-0 (as starter), played sparingly
Minnesota Vikings (2024-2025): 14–3 (2024 season), contributing to a strong 40-10 stretch in his recent career.
Seahawks (2025) Regular Season Record: 14-3(Super Bowl Champion). Darnold and Tom Brady became the only quarterbacks to have recorded consecutive 14-win seasons.
Yes, Jethro! Thanks for loading up the truck!
DeleteGood list Walt-here some more obscure deep roster names:
ReplyDelete1. Bam Knight, RB — 82 carries, 429 yards, 5 TDs as an undrafted practice squad guy nobody watched. Now buried behind Love/Allgeier/Conner, but when injuries inevitably hit, he's already proven he can produce.
2. Xavier Weaver, WR — Two years of fighting through injuries and healthy scratches, and the staff keeps him around. One preseason drive: 13-yard catch, 24-yard PI drawn, contested TD. Now a bubble guy after the Virgil pick, but his quickness is real.
3. Harrison Wallace III, WR (UDFA) — Zero hype, legitimate résumé. 145 receptions, 2,155 yards, 10 TDs at Penn State, then 934 yards at Ole Miss. The Athletic flagged him as the UDFA to watch in Arizona. In LaFleur's system, a big, route-savvy receiver with YAC ability has a real path to the 53.
4. Devin Duvernay, WR/returner — Signed quietly on a one-year deal, listed as essentially WR6. He's a former Pro Bowl returner with receiver chops who can line up anywhere. In a creative offense that was historically stagnant, a versatile chess piece like Duvernay could carve out a surprisingly meaningful role that nobody is accounting for.
On Brissett-this franchise and fanbase should be thrilled Jacobi is on this team! I know his teammates are
Thank you, pal! Good cases for Bam, Xavier, Tre and Devin.
DeleteTre Wallace is going to be a player on this offense. Liked watching him play at Ole Miss
DeleteAnother writeoff could be Walter Nolen. He looked amazing vs Dallas, but a full offseason being healthy and a new DL coach could unlock his high end talents.
ReplyDeleteWe have similar issues on Defensive side of the ball...
ReplyDelete(1) D. Robinson Rnd 1 (2024) draft selection, injuries have riddled his time with AZ Cardinals and hampered his development
(2) E. Jones Rnd 3 (2024) draft pick, can't break into roster. Man to man coverage guy, on Rallis' heavy zone coverage schemes, basically wrong pick for system we are running. So coaches haven't provided him opportunities.
(3) W. Nolen Rnd 1 (2025) draft pick, injured for roughly half season, looked great and impactful. Needs to stay on field to have greater impact.
(4) BJ Ojulari Rnd 2 (2023) draft pick, Two season ending knee injuries have kept him off-field for most of his tenure. Flashes a nice speed rush. Needs to avoid injury and stay on field to get reps.
(5) D. Taylor-Demerson Rnd 4 (2024) draft pick, played primarily in 1st two years as rotational piece. Stepping into starting role in 2026, needs to show he can man the starting role.
Most of these 'young' players on the roster have suffered under the Gannon regime in player development and staying healthy and available to play. Q. Will the player development and training room staff improve under Lefleur regime? Only time can tell.
As a highly critical observer of the MO regime, I am optimistic that while we lack great players across all/most positions, MO has finally assembled a group that will provide real competition to start and make the squad. That will improve technique, play and culture.
ReplyDelete