The Arizona Cardinals offense will have a few new faces in key places during the 2022 season. Their No. 2 and 3 receivers from last season behind DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green, are both going to be on the move.
Kirk signed a monster contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, agreeing to a four-year, $84 million deal. Green remains a free agent and is likely to move on after a solid bounceback season in the desert.
A healthy Hopkins transforms this wide receiver group, but the team needs to add some talent behind him. 2021 second-round pick Rondale Moore will likely take on a larger role in his sophomore season, but the team still needs to add some more experienced depth to the position.
It shouldn’t be a hard sell for the Cardinals, who have a perennial MVP candidate in Kyler Murray throwing passes early and often in games. Some veteran wide receivers could fit in Arizona. Over at The Athletic, a paid-subscription website, they believe the veteran that will be heading out west is Julio Jones.
Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans last offseason from the Atlanta Falcons. Injury issues plagued him again, as he appeared in only 10 games, catching 31 passes for 434 yards and only one touchdown.
He was a no-brainer cut candidate for the Titans so that they could save some money. His injuries and lack of production made it an even easier decision to make. But, that doesn’t mean he cannot provide some value for Arizona.
The Cardinals were able to help Green bounce back last season, as he caught 54 passes for 848 yards. Jones hasn’t reached those numbers since 2019 as the last two seasons for him have been marred by injuries.
Given the injury concerns, Jones likely could be signed for a relatively cheap contract. There likely aren’t many opportunities that Jones could capitalize on being the No. 2 receiver in an offense that passes the ball as much as the Cardinals do.
