James Conner Is Center Of Arizona's New-Look Offensive Philosophy

The Cardinals will lean on their veteran running back in 2023

By Dan Karpuc – Jun 6, 2023, 2:25pm

If you recall, the Arizona Cardinals got off to a 7-0 start back in 2021 and finally looked like they turned the corner. But, not so fast, my friend (Lee Corso voice)!'

Since then, they've gone 8-19, finished 4-13 last season and were forced to press the reset button. After replacing their entire coaching staff and eating a massive cap hit to cut DeAndre Hopkins for no compensation this offseason, this team is going to look a lot different heading into 2023, not only from a roster perspective, but from a philosophical one.'

Kyler Murray is still recovering from an ACL, which means new head coach Jonathan Gannon is going to rely on Colt McCoy (and/or Clayton Tune) to start games under center until Murray is healthy. That may not be a huge issue, though, since new Offensive Coordinator Drew Pe tzing served on a Cleveland Browns offensive staff that ran the 4th, 6th and 8th-most run plays during his tenure.'

Gannon was brought in for his defensive know-how, having led the Philadelphia Eagles to new heights on that end of the football. A ground-and-pound offensive philosophy lends itself well to strong defensive squads since it presumably allows the clock to run, giving the defense some much-needed rest to regain stamina. That could mean really positive things for Conner's individual production.
  
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