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After the Super Bowl, we took a look at where the Arizona Cardinals stood in way-too-early NFL power rankings for the 2017 season.
Where do they stand now after their free agency moves?
Take a look at where the Cardinals are ranked and what they’re saying about the team as the offseason rolls on and NFL draft preparations heat up.
NFL POWER RANKINGS TRACKER: Optimism for Cardinals?
ESPN: Cardinals still No. 16
It writes: “Free agency has not helped the Cardinals’ defense out one bit. Four of their top six defensive snap leaders from 2016 have signed elsewhere, including Calais Campbell, Kevin Minter, Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger.”
NFL FREE AGENCY GRADES: How did the Cardinals fare?
CBS Sports: Cardinals up four to No. 12
Pete Prisco writes: “Keeping pass rusher Chandler Jones was big for them as they try and regroup from a disappointing season.”
ARIZONA NFL CONNECTIONS: Where are they now?
NFL.com: Cardinals No. 16
Elliot Harrison writes: “GM Steve Keim seems to be making a play for right now, given the additions of Karlos Dansby, Phil Dawson and Antoine Bethea, all of whom have been in the league over a decade. This will be Dansby’s third run with the Cardinals. He’s been around so long I had to look at ProFootballReference.com to make sure he didn’t once play with Neil Lomax and E.J. Junior. On the subject of long-tenured players with the franchise, fans had to be disappointed with the loss of Calais Campbell. And the same can be said of young Tony Jefferson. Both had been solid performers for the Cards (Campbell for nearly a decade). It was a matter of dollars and cents — and after seeing the money both got in a bloated marketplace, perhaps dollars and sense, too.”
NFL MOCK DRAFTS: Cardinals picks after free agency
JP Finlay writes: “Tony Jefferson. Calias Campbell. D.J. Swearinger. Those are three key pieces of a good Cardinals defense that will be playing elsewhere this fall. Yes, the Arizona front office brought in replacements, but nobody under 30. David Johnson is a beast, but that can only get you so far. This team went 7-8-1 last season, but that included getting to beat up on bad 49ers and Rams teams. Those teams will be better this fall. It might be silly to expect a falloff from Bruce Arians or Larry Fitzgerald, but Carson Palmer struggled at times in 2016, and will be 37 when the 2017 season starts.”
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: Who are top WRs? | Quarterbacks? | RBs? | CBs?
Russell S. Baxter writes: “After three consecutive double-digit win seasons under head coach Bruce Arians, which included a playoff appearance in 2014 and a franchise-record 13 wins and NFC West title the following years, lots went wrong for the Arizona Cardinals this past season. Despite closing 2016 with road wins over the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, the Cards finished with a disappointing 7-8-1 record and far out of postseason tournament.”
RELATED: Arizona Cardinals NFL draft history – QBs | WRs | RBs | DBs
More rankings:
Fansided.com’s Matt Vanderame ranked the Top 10 GM’s in the league and the Cardinals’ Steve Keim came in at No. 10.
HIGHEST PAID: RBs | WRs | QBs | TEs | O-linemen | CBs | Safeties | LBs | D-linemen
MORE: Check out the NFL’s highest paid players – regardless of position
What’s your early record prediction for the Cardinals next season? Leave it in the comments.
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