Cardinals rank 30th in ESPN’s future power rankings

An ESPN ranking that ordered teams based on their position for the next three seasons left the Arizona Cardinals toward the bottom of the league.

The Cardinals ranked 30th out of 32 NFL teams.

ESPN paneled three of their experts – Louis Reddick, Field Yates and Kevin Seifert – to rate the franchises’ quarterback, rest of the roster, front office, coaching and drafting ability.

Each category was scored out of 100 and weighted to a percentage of impact. The roster surrounding the quarterback was given the most weight at 30%, while quarterback and coaching checked in at 20%. The front office and its drafting ability weighed in at 15%.

The Cardinals’ score totaled 70.4. Their highest scoring category was 80 at quarterback, thanks to rookie Kyler Murray.

It was the 17th highest in the league.

But Seifert believes it’s what could be their “change for the better”:

If Murray exceeds the panel’s moderate expectations, the Cardinals could be a contender in three seasons. They’ll need to continue adding around him, but who is to say that Murray can’t be a star in Kingsbury’s offensive system? If the NFL truly is following the schematic lead of college football, Murray could be in position to shine by 2022. And there is no more efficient way to lift an entire team than through high-level quarterback play

The front office of the Cardinals scored a 56.7, the worst in the league. Here’s what Reddick wrote regarding that conclusion:

The more things change, the more they stay the same with this team. A year ago, I expressed concern about this organization’s ability to build a successful program by picking the right coaches, selecting the right players to fit the vision of the coaches and specifically develop what was the future franchise quarterback at that time in Josh Rosen. Well, as is typical with this team, changes were made, this time after just one year in terms of the head coach and QB. Until the Cardinals show that they know what they are doing as an organization in these two areas as far as the front office is concerned, they have no chance.

The Cardinals roster, coaching and draft all scored low as well, with all three scores landing between 70 and 71, and 26th to 29th in the NFL. The Cardinals’ rebuild is the cause for that, according to Yates:

Avenues of hope in the NFL are paved with exciting, young quarterbacks and new head coaches, and the Cardinals hope they found both this offseason. Ultimately, Kyler Murray represents the best chance for the Cardinals to turn this around, and his harmony with coach Kliff Kingsbury will help spearhead progress. It’s needed in Arizona, which endured a brutal 2018 season and still has question marks on both sides of the ball, led by the offensive line. Murray is Step 1 of a long process.

The ranking is the latest source of doubt regarding the Cardinals this offseason. Pro Football Focus said they had the worst roster in football, and the Washington Post gave the Cardinals a 0% chance to win the NFC West.

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