Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

NFL futures: Let's go all-out fading the Arizona Cardinals

By Griffin Carroll | Last updated 8/30/23

The Arizona Cardinals are going to be bad in 2023. You know it, I know it, and based on their moves, Arizona knows it too.

If we're all on the same page, why don't we get set up with a few futures that fade the Cardinals for this NFL season?

In case you missed it, Arizona cut Colt McCoy, the presumed starter, in favor of either Joshua Dobbs or rookie Clayton Tune. Now, McCoy isn't some elite talent, but it's a surprising move to cast away the most established option on the table.

Neither Dobbs nor Tune figures to be much of an answer at quarterback. Arizona also shipped out one of their only impact defenders in Isaiah Simmons for basically nothing. They also released DeAndre Hopkins.

These are not the moves of a team seriously trying to win some football games this season. In fact, a former NFL GM went on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week and implied directly that. This is a team set up to tank.

Kyler Murray won't be playing for at least half the season, and at that point, what is there to gain from playing him and risking him to further injury?

Thanks to a draft-night trade with the Houston Texans, the Cardinals have two first-round picks next season, and there's a real chance each of those are inside the top five.

Caleb Williams, the 2023 Heisman winner, is the presumptive top pick, and if Arizona wants to completely reset, grabbing one of the most talented QBs to enter the draft in a few years seems like a good place to start.

Follow Griffin Carroll at griffybets.substack.com for data, trends and targets for every NFL game, plus all the off-season news you can use.

With all this established, I want to get in on the Cardinals tank train. Arizona's win total is set at just 3.5, and the under is priced at +120. It's the lowest win total by a whopping three games. Rather than take that bet, the better choice is to bet on Arizona owning the league's worst record.

Betting: Arizona to have fewest wins (+220 DraftKings)

Let's double down and also load up the Cardinals to be the last team that finds a win. If I could find an 0-17 bet I'd make it, but this is the next closest option.

Betting: Arizona last winless team (+400 DK)

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