Before the final weekend before training camp begins, it only makes sense to take a look at the storylines that will dominate the Cardinals' work before the regular season. The first practice at State Farm Stadium is Wednesday (with the first open practice on Thursday) and the preseason opener on Aug. 9, after the Cardinals complete their portion of camp at the stadium.
Here is the second half of what I see as the topics to watch. Part One was posted Thursday.
HOW DOES THE CONNER-BENSON COMBO PLAY OUT?
Heart-and-soul James Conner, who also plays running back, is coming off his best NFL season. He's a perfect fit for Drew Petzing's offense, a threat to run and catch and a big man who can move the pile but also pile up enough big runs the past two seasons to be among the league leaders.
But the NFL has figured out that riding a single back all season might be worth it in the short-term but can hurt in the long-term (and the long-term could be late December, even.) There is a reason the Cardinals drafted Trey Benson in the third round in 2024, and after enduring the rookie bumpiness the first half of the season, Benson learned enough from Conner that he was starting to look like his veteran teammate with more speed. An ankle injury derailed progress, but if Benson can give Conner a little more rest -- and become a dynamic playmaker himself -- it not only boosts the Cardinals' offense, but creates a failsafe if one of the two gets banged up and misses time.
CAN THE PASS GAME UP ITS BIG GAINS?
Led by Conner and some big runs by Kyler Murray, the Cardinals can get explosive in the ground game. They had 73 such running plays last season, fourth in the NFL and a foundational result of what the team tries to get done on the ground. But big plays through the air is something the offense is chasing. The Cardinals only had 43 pass plays of at least 20 yards last season, and while that isn't a deal-breaker -- the AFC champion Chiefs only had 42 -- it was tied for 24th in the league and made drives that much more difficult.
Getting more from Marvin Harrison Jr. will be part of the effort, as will Murray's desire to be more productive in off-schedule plays when he is scrambling -- a time when the Cardinals should gain an advantage over a chaotic opponent's secondary. There could be more use of speed downfield, maybe by a younger wideout like Xavier Weaver, or even Harrison. Yards after the catch is crucial too, as noted by Michael Wilson. More attempts down the field by Murray will matter. More motion within the playcalls will help. It's all part of the mix. The results are what will ultimately be measured.
WHITHER ARE RIGHT GUARD AND GREEN DOT HEADED?
Yes, there will be competition in multiple areas in camp. But there are probably only a couple of spots in which there aren't already heavy favorites to start (and even then, no way to know what the coaches are thinking after the end of offseason work.) But right guard, where second-year man Isaiah Adams looks like he has an inside track, and inside linebacker, where Kyzir White once patrolled and called the defensive signals, should be monitored. There will be enough packages where the Cards might only use Mack Wilson Sr. on the inside, but when there are a couple, is it rookie Cody Simon who could find his way into the lineup? Free-agent signee Akeem Davis-Gaither, who has spent the vast majority of his career as a reserve? Or maybe Owen Pappoe, from Monti Ossenfort's first draft class, who might be ready to use his "Freak" abilities to play more defense?
ARE THE CORNERBACKS READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT?
The defensive line changes have gotten the attention and rightfully so, but the overhaul conducted at cornerback since Monti Ossenfort's arrival has been just as dramatic. With Sean Murphy-Bunting sidelined for the season, six of the top seven cornerbacks on the depth chart (depending where you want to slot Darren Hall and free agent Jaylon Jones) are all draftees since 2023, and the seventh is Starling Thomas V, who was undrafted in 2023, plucked off waivers just as the 2023 regular season was beginning, and has started the majority of the games since.
Meanwhile, Garrett Williams, Max Melton, Will Johnson, Kei'Trel Clark, Elijah Jones and Denzel Burke have given former DBs coach Jonathan Gannon a blank slate with which to create his best room. The vast numbers mean the Cardinals have an advantage to find enough players even if they don't all hit (although when you spend second-round picks on Melton and Johnson, there are expectations -- and to a lesser extent, the third-round pick in Jones who you hope can pay off like Williams has.) The front seven improvements will help here.
WHAT'S THE HEALTH CHECK ON OJULARI, WILLIAMS AND ROBINSON?
The Cardinals are fortunate not to have many pressing health questions when they get to camp, but that doesn't mean the first week won't gain some attention. Darius Robinson came back at the end of last season from his calf injury but was admittedly never quite himself; he was active in minicamp, but as a lineman, it'll be the first padded contact practices that will draw the most eyeballs to where he stands. Same goes for right tackle Jonah Williams, who dealt with a serious knee injury twice last year although also was able to do some work during minicamp. Finally, there is linebacker BJ Ojulari, who is still a couple of weeks from his one-year anniversary of tearing his ACL; we'll see if he's full go by camp's start but even if he isn't, he shouldn't be far behind.