Ask Odegard: If Not Marvin Harrison Jr., Then What?

After a week off for the holidays, I am recharged and raring to go. No mailing in this mailbag.

The Cardinals picked up a great win in Philly this weekend but dropped two spots in the draft order to No. 4. Unsurprisingly, many of the questions center on that pick.

“Would we trade up to get marv if we don’t land in the top 3.” – CDoss07

“With the cards being out of getting MHJ, who do you think we should go after? Or trade up? – Matty Matt

Kyle Odegard: They are far from out on Marvin Harrison, Jr., as they can still move up in the draft order in Week 18, or he may still be available at four if quarterbacks go 1-2-3. But I understand the genesis of the question.

Would I trade up for MHJ? No. You are probably costing yourself a Day 2 pick and this is a roster that needs a lot of talent upgrades.

If Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and MHJ end up the first three picks and the Cardinals draft fourth, I would lean toward Olu Fashanu or Joe Alt to round out the tackle spots. Paris Johnson looked really good against Philly, and while Harrison may be the dream, getting stars to book-end the line is also a fine way to go.

“If the draft order were to end today, do you think the patriots take a QB at 3 not named Caleb or Drake? Clearing way for MHJ to the cards at 4?” – JT

KO: The quarterback position is so valuable that it’s possible, but this would be my concern: the Patriots trade some draft capital to the Bears in order to lock in Caleb Williams, and then Chicago gets Harrison along with two more first-rounders.

Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix, Jr. have played well enough for it to be a legitimate conversation, but my guess is that two quarterbacks and Harrison, Jr. go 1-2-3.

“Instead of putting all our hopes on going after MHJ does it make sense to find an existing big receiver and use cap space to solidify the rest of the line up?  There seems to be a lot of focus on the draft.  What other options are there?” – Jack Armijo

If the Cardinals stay at pick 4, do you think they’ll target a big name WR in free agency to supplement possibly missing out on MHJ?” – Jonathan

KO: I mentioned this a couple weeks ago but Mike Evans would intrigue me, especially if there is a bit of a discount because of his age. With Kyler Murray officially locked in as the starter for the foreseeable future, this isn’t some slow rebuild. The Cardinals should aim to compete again next season, and a guy like Evans would be a big boost.

If the Cardinals end up drafting at 4, they can’t count on landing Harrison, Jr., so you’d need to do something to elevate the group before the draft.

“Would you rather a top tackle or Odunze/Nabers + picks (from trading down)” – Jayco

“Do you want Nabers if we’re out of MHJ range?” – Willshire

KO: Nabers may go ahead of one or both tackles, and I don’t think you are going to be in a position at 4 to get a huge haul in a trade down. All things being equal, I’d prefer the best tackle prospect in the draft if the trade down return is only something like a third-rounder.

One of those receivers would be great, but I don’t think the draft is going to line up for the Cardinals to get one. They pick too early and then too late in the first round.

“Has Hump played his last snap here?” – DefenderFTW

KO: I still feel like this might be tied to the first pick. Obviously if you take Alt or Fashanu, Humphries is gone. If you are in Harrison range, you can still cut Humphries for the $9 million in savings, but then you need a replacement plan.

Would that be the Texans’ first-rounder? Free agency? Trade?

Offensive tackles are at a premium, so I don’t think it’s a done deal quite yet that Humphries is gone next year. He’s declining, but he’s not a human turnstile, and that’s the concern at that position.

“Why didn’t the Vikings just stick with Dobbs? They won.” – JJ

KO: Dobbs is one of those high-variance backup quarterbacks like Nick Mullens and Joe Flacco. Plenty of exciting moments, many ill-advised ones. Coaches don’t tend to love that, but you may be right. Minnesota may have been better off sticking with him.

“What players do you think we will resign? What players do you think we will move on from during the off-season?” – Tyler H

KO: It’s really hard to know with this group. Hollywood Brown is the headliner, but his status is murky. And after that it’s a lot of depth pieces that will come cheap, so it will come down to preference from the front office and coaching staff.

The most interesting one may be Greg Dortch, who could be playing himself into a mild payday with a strong finish on Sunday. I’m sure the Cardinals would like to keep him, but are they willing to go above the minimum for him?

“Do you see any coaching changes happening in the off-season? Whether that’s another team going after an assistant or us moving on from someone? I could see a team trying to get ahead of the inevitable rush to get Rallis or Petzing I forsee after the 2024 season.” – Chris

KO: It feels like there should be pretty good continuity, although of course there could be a change or two. As for the coordinators, no, I don’t think they have shown enough to get poached.

Petzing, in particular, has done some cool stuff but the offense is still No. 22 in DVOA, so he will need to show what he can do next season to get some looks.

“MW seemed to have a little bit of a breakout on Sunday. Dortch we all knew could play. Assuming we go WR in the draft (please MHJr). What do you think happens with Hollywood? FA before the draft makes this situation a bit more difficult but I'd like to see him back on a 1yr.” – Ryan

KO: I think it depends on the market. If someone like the Panthers gives him a strong multi-year deal, Hollywood is gone, but I have a feeling he will need to settle for a prove-it deal. I think he likes Arizona so a reunion is possible, but there are a lot of moving parts, including the draft and free agency.

“Who would you pick if you were the bears, commanders, patriots going 1,2,3?” – Adam

KO: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison, Jr. I’m not sold on Jayden Daniels as a great pocket quarterback, though I’ll admit I haven’t seen him a ton since he left Arizona State.

“Depending on the first pick, Would you trade that second 1st rounder for scary terry?” – Logan

KO: McLaurin has cap hits of like $20 million each of the next two seasons. That’s basically market value, so I wouldn’t deal a first-rounder for him. This is a year too early in the rebuild anyway.

If the Cardinals play well in 2024, then they can consider trading high picks for stars, but not yet.

“Edge - who should we be targeting in free agency?” – Puff Melville

KO: He can’t stop the run but someone like Bryce Huff would intrigue me. The Cardinals really need some pass-rushing juice on passing downs and he wouldn’t break the bank. Brian Burns and Josh Allen would be no-brainers to target, of course, but they probably will get franchise-tagged.

“If MHJ isn’t available when AZ is picking, should they pick OT or trade down, get Odunze and some help on the DL?” Jorge 

KO: As I’ve said previously, I think OT is the most likely choice at 4 if MHJ is off the board. A trade down and Odunze would be great but I don’t think there would be a bunch of suitors.

“Prediction what pick AZ ends up with after week 18.” – PicknSpreads

KO: I’ll say 3. Commanders lose, Cardinals lose… Patriots win.

“Will you be disappointed if the Cardinals dont make the playoffs next year” – Kasper V Gade

KO: No. That’s probably the best-case scenario, and it does feel possible because of the offensive possibilities, but the defense needs a bunch of work.

I’m sure some would feel disappointed in the moment if the Cardinals finished with seven or eight wins, but that would be pretty solid progress and set the team up well for 2025, when missing the postseason would definitely be a disappointment.

“if mhj isnt available, would you prefer nabers or odunze?” – Anthony Doan

KO: I honestly haven’t watched them too closely but Nabers seems like the consensus No. 2 so I will say him.

“Parlay for Seahawks vs Cards… What are we liking this week!” – Jordan Cuda

KO: Too early in the week! I’ll have something by Friday.

“Kyler Murray has been statistically better than Mahomes since coming back with both QBs having the same talent level around them. Why does one QB get praised for winning in spite of the cast and one QB gets bashed for not doing more?” – Johnny Richards

KO: I do think we should acknowledge that Kyler is playing with a pretty poor supporting cast this season, but it’s clear why Mahomes gets the benefit of the doubt. He’s won multiple Super Bowls and MVP awards. There is no questioning his talent or resume.

“Any word on facility upgrades happening this upcoming season?  From the outside looking in it seems like they took that NFLPA report card to heart, but I dont know if that was just lip service, actions speak louder then words.” – Joe Shmo

KO: I haven’t asked so I don’t know what’s in the works. The weight room floor was re-done and some other things were upgraded, so attempts are being made, for sure, but the facility is still very subpar compared to some of the state-of-the-art places that have popped up across the NFL.

“Do you think Michael Penix having a larger audience in the Sugar Bowl victory shakes up the QB draft?”-- AzCards Andrea

KO: I thought it might, but there wasn’t any movement on the No. 1 overall pick odds, which suggests to me he isn’t too much of a threat to go top-3. But we will see. Quarterbacks can move quickly.

“In your opinion, who are candidates for Cardinals team MVP?” – Ed Helinski

KO: My vote would go to Trey McBride. Jalen Thompson and James Conner are also worthy candidates but McBride became borderline unstoppable once the coaching staff gave him full-time duties.

“Are you ready to have a conversation about cutting Rondale Moore?” – Willshire

KO: Don’t think that’s going to happen since it’s only $1.6 million in cap savings next year. It feels like he will be the fourth receiver/gadget guy/change-of-pace running back.

“Who needs MHJ when you’ve got Rome Odunze?” – Kevin LeRoy

KO: Odunze does seem like a good option, but I can’t see them taking him at 4, and it seems doubtful now he lasts until the Houston pick. Trade down would need to happen.

“When are the fans going to shut up about Caleb?” – Marte Parte

KO: Is there still chatter? I haven’t heard much in a long time.

“Jonathan Gannon vs Sean Payton . Who would you pick right now ?” – Warrior4Life100

KO: Sean Payton. The track record is there. I think Gannon’s first year has been successful but there is a long way to go to reach Payton’s level.

“Hi Kyle! Been awhile! As Kyler has progressed every game he's going under center more and more and that gets me excited. That said, where is your focus in the off-season for the offense to continue to grow? I'm confident  Arizona will build around K1. Happy new year!” – Caleb Anderson

KO: You win the Nicest Question Award, Caleb. Thanks for that, and Happy New Year.

As for the offense, clearly the run game is in a groove, as the Cardinals are No. 2 in the NFL with an average of five yards per carry. The offensive line has been OK, with the major issues clearly at receiver.

So I’d expect some resources spent there this offseason, along with a new left guard and maybe a new left tackle. If another playmaker or two is added on the perimeter, the offense could be quite good.