Once upon a time, the partnership of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray was celebrated as a winner. It is true that the Arizona Cardinals once looked like a team of the future with the NFL odds. But after a 2021 playoff berth, the Cardinals collapsed. Last year, Kingsbury lost Murray, the locker room, and too many games. Thus, he was fired. Murray signed a new contract that included clauses for him to study, which was a disturbing tell. Gamblers have totally deserted the Cardinals. They have the worst 2023 future odds.
NFL Future Odds Post Draft 2023-24 Arizona Cardinals
| Super Bowl Championship SBG Odds: | +18000 |
|---|---|
| NFC Championship SBG Odds: | +8000 |
| NFC West Division Championship SBG Odds: | +2400 |
| 2023 Over/Under Win Total: | 4.5 |
Hopkins Escapes the Dry Desert of Losing
At the onset of summer camp, life without DeAndre Hopkins has arrived for the Arizona Cardinals. Since releasing Hopkins, it’s been hectic. Arizona released the three-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver. During that time, the Cardinals have shifted their focus to moving forward with who’s left in their receivers room.
At the beginning, that wasn’t always the case, according to coach Jonathan Gannon. Arizona spent the online betting offseason operating under the premise that Hopkins would be a part of this year’s team. But all the factors in play led to Arizona cutting ties with Hopkins.
Previously, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort declared during the NFL draft that “DeAndre is a Cardinal, and we’re moving forward.” While much will change for the Cardinals offensively, the recent status quo won’t change much.
It is true that Hopkins hasn’t been around this offseason. He was training independently at various places around the country and in Canada. So Arizona has been installing a new offense under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing Hopkins.
Although the Cardinals now have clarity on Hopkins’, they are searching for answers to several questions. First and foremost, what will the offense look like without Hopkins on the field? For starters, the scheme in 2023 will be new and different. Compared to what Hopkins played under former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. However, his NFL betting odds impact wasn’t always in the Xs and Os. Not having Hopkins will require Arizona to fill a sizable void that can be measured in numerous ways.
First is an obvious fact. Hopkins was 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds and a physical force on the field. It is true that he wasn’t necessarily the fastest receiver. But how he uses his body, from positioning to control to leverage, was an asset. Especially on the sidelines. That factor allowed Hopkins to get open regularly. To show, Hopkins had 32 receptions when he was considered open or wide open last season in nine games.
Also, Hopkins had an understanding of the game that is hard to replace. Including whether to sit down on a route or finish it through. Or where the holes will be based on a linebacker’s drop. And then there were his massive hands that helped him catch passes that others couldn’t handle. Indeed, no receiver has caught more passes than Hopkins since he came into the league in 2013.
Arizona will be losing all of that in a singular player. Hence the Cardinals will have to replace Hopkins with two returning receivers: Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore. Each has his strengths, which combined could make up for Hopkins. However, neither has his size.