TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals were far from circling the wagons when it came to adding offensive pieces.
Instead, the defense got the facelift, while the offense enters 2025 largely running it back behind quarterback Kyler Murray, tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch in the passing game.
The lack of significant moves signals the front office’s feeling in the current makeup of the offense ahead of Year 3 under current leadership.
But fewer moves this offseason means more wrinkles or “sauce” for the mainstays that have watched the rebuild firsthand.
More "sauce" for a Cardinals offense largely running it back in 2025?
Sounds like it. ? pic.twitter.com/5n33HXlNMd
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 5, 2025
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“I could tell from the first year they were here to where we are now, the plays they’re putting in, it’s not as fundamental. It’s not as basic,” McBride said Tuesday during OTAs. “They’re adding a lot of motions and a lot of sauce is what I call it. Just putting a little extra flavor on the same plays that we have. Definitely a lot more complex. Trying to stick to our main concepts that we have but dressing them up in different ways.
“This offense can be very complex. The way that Drew and these guys have changed throughout the offseason and continue to build it, it’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited to see us in action here.”
Given how the offense has evolved since Petzing got to town, any added sauce should be expected.
Across the current regime’s first season, the offense had 221 plays with pre-snap motions on passing downs. That number jumped to 274 last year.
Naturally, that tally should increase even more in 2025, especially with the continuity and chemistry the unit has running it back.
A jump in the range of the Miami Dolphins’ motion-happy 460 mark seems a bit much — too much sauce can get slippery — but a number similar to the Philadelphia Eagles at 282 should be a baseline for Arizona.
Anything to keep the defense guessing and give the offense a leg up after adding little to the arsenal this offseason.
Quarterback Kyler Murray scored 12 of his 21 touchdowns on plays with pre-snap motions. What could this season total look like with even more sauce like McBride alluded to?
Same Cardinals faces, more Arizona trash talk
Arizona’s continuity gives the offense more opportunities for added wrinkles within the scheme.
It also raises the waterline on the trash talk and battles between the offense and defense (more specifically DC Nick Rallis) that much higher.
“I love the competition we have right now,” Rallis said Tuesday. “Trey can’t make a catch in practice without looking at me and talking to me. … Marvin makes a great catch and he doesn’t really give me much. Dortch fires back at me. It’s been a lot of familiar faces that let’s be honest I’ve been talking a lot of smack to for a handful of years and I love going back and forth in practice.
“When they make a play in the moment, I’m pissed. I want to make those plays, but I also know that they’re making us better … and we need them to make those plays on Sunday for us. I love what we’re doing. Drew’s super innovative. Every year there’s going to be new things that he presents to us and I’m like, ‘Whoa, what was that? Where’s that been?'”
Where does TE Trey McBride rank as a trash talker?
McBride the football player is smooth with the ball in his hands.
As for McBride the trash talker? Rallis has a different view of the once highest-paid tight end.
More offensive continuity means even more trash talk during practice for Cardinals DC Nick Rallis (especially from TE Trey McBride). ? pic.twitter.com/fZgaihALUo
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 3, 2025
“It doesn’t come out smooth. He backs it up, though, and that hurts me,” Rallis said. “That hurts me when he catches balls in practice.”
McBride (of course) has his own assessment.
“I’m probably a little better than what he said, but we always have a good time and we definitely do talk a lot of smack,” McBride said laughing. “I really do enjoy competing against his crazy defense every day.”
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