The Arizona Republic NFL staff offers some answers to some burning questions surrounding the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL for the 2020 season.

Which Cardinals’ player is going to ultimately be the catalyst on offense in 2020?

“All eyes will be on Kyler Murray amid incredibly high expectations that he takes a giant step in his second year in the league, maybe to even to a league MVP level. Likewise, everyone’s going to be paying attention to what wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can do with Murray now throwing him the ball. Don’t forget about Larry Fitzgerald, either. With Hopkins drawing extra coverage, the sly 37-year-old could have an epic season.

My pick, though, is running back Kenyan Drake, who has the speed, power and dual-threat capabilities to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. He’s a legitimate threat to rush for 1,500 yards and catch 70 passes given how much attention defenses will put on Murray and his receivers. If he stays healthy, he could flirt with 20 total touchdowns.”

— Bob McManaman

Can the Cardinals stop the forward pass?

“A season ago, they could not. They gave up 38 touchdowns via the air a year ago. Only the Dolphins (39) were worse. Sixteen of those touchdowns were scored by tight ends. That’s the most any NFL team allowed. They intercepted seven passes. No team had fewer.

So it’s no wonder the Cardinals have four new defensive starters listed on their first official depth chart — lineman Jordan Phillips, linebackers Devon Kennard and De’Vondre Campbell, and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick — and drafted linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the first round.

We could find out in week one if the Cardinals are better, because no 2019 opponent exploited the weakness in pass defense more than the 49ers. In two games against Arizona, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 75.6 percent of his passes for 741 yards and eight touchdowns, including three to tight ends.”

— Kent Somers

How quickly can the rookies make an impact?

Last year, the Cardinals threw a handful of rookies into the mix immediately, as they needed to. Contrast that with this year, where there’s significantly less pressure for the 2020 draft class. It’s a combination of depth across the roster and a fragmented offseason. Making the transition to the NFL is hard enough, and doing so without a true preseason amplifies that. The team has been streamlining Isaiah Simmons’ role so far. Eventually his versatility will be a huge asset, but for now, he can focus on playing inside linebacker.  

— Katherine Fitzgerald

Will long road trips take a toll?

The Cardinals play four games in the Eastern Time Zone: Carolina, Jets, Patriots and Giants. The Panthers and Jets games will start at 10 a.m. Arizona time.

NFL teams are still able to travel two days early to play a game, so the Cardinals could still travel on Friday for Sunday games. And the Cardinals would be allowed to stay back east between the games against the Panthers (Oct. 4) and the Jets (Oct. 11).

The logistics of doing so, however, are complicated, so it’s possible they could have to return home between those two games.

— Kent Somers

How much can Murray cut down on being sacked?

No one was sacked more times than Kyler Murray last year, though Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan also tallied 48. He’d like to get that number to about half of that, which would flip him to among the very best at avoiding the sack. Last season, of quarterbacks who played a full 16 games, Jared Goff had the least at 22. In 14 regular season games, Patrick Mahomes was sacked just 17 times. With his rookie season behind him, Murray should be able to cut down on that number significantly, though for Kingsbury, the bigger thing is avoiding the sack on first and second downs.

— Katherine Fitzgerald

MORE: Jordan Rules: Cardinals addition of defensive tackle Jordan Phillips won’t go unnoticed

Can former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians get the Buccaneers to the NFC Championship with 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady and a cast of other new characters?

“Absolutely. As long as Brady stays off his back and gets through the entire season, the Buccaneers aren’t only good enough to challenge the Saints for the NFC South crown, but they’re loaded at so many different positions to challenge the Chiefs for the Super Bowl title. Look, it’s difficult to repeat as Super Bowl champions but Brady’s done it and he’s got a chip on his shoulder now that he’s finally moved on from the Patriots.

“Arians is going to love watching him pick apart defenses and it won’t be anything like he had to witness last season with Jameis Winston, who threw 30 touchdowns but was also intercepted 30 times. Brady has kept his interception total to single digits in six out of his last eight seasons. Look for the Bucs to win 11 or 12 games in 2020.”

— Bob McManaman

Can Chandler Jones break Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season sack record of 22½?

“It’s certainly possible, but there’s a reason why that record has stood since 2001, even with Packers quarterback Brett Favre gift-wrapping the record for Strahan on the final day of the regular season. Reaching 20 sacks isn’t easy. It’s only happened 20 times in history since sacks became an official stat.

“That being said, Jones finished with 19 last season and he left four or five on the field, which would have gotten him the record. With a better defense around him in 2020 and most clubs generally operating a little wonky following the strangest offseason ever, Jones has a shot to make a legitimate run for it and I think he just might do it.”

— Bob McManaman

Do teams cut down on roster moves?

Turning over the backend of a roster is a key part of any NFL season. But this year, things are different. Kingsbury expects there may be a little less movement, as teams rely on players they’re already familiar with. That makes it harder for players who just need that one shot with the right fit. Fans love a good underdog story; This year may see a few less. 

— Katherine Fitzgerald

Will the NFL season be completed without interruption?

There will be a complete season but my guess is there will be a pause along the way.

Money, access to daily testing and the diligence of players and other employees resulted in an incredibly successful training camp period. In the latest weekly report from the league, there were 44,510 tests given to players and staff. Only one player and seven employees tested positive.

But with camps over, players will be out and about more. Will that result in more positive tests?

The NFL built some flexibility into the schedule, so a pause or two doesn’t mean full 16-game schedules won’t be played.

— Kent Somers

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