As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoy one last extended break before training camp, we're taking a look at each team the Buccaneers are going to face during the 2025 season. From how those teams fared last year, to what they've done with the roster since, to some as-yet-unanswered questions – we want to get a better feel for what the Bucs will be up against this fall. Today's focus is on the Los Angeles Rams, who kept their window of contention open by signing Matthew Stafford to an extension and have some rising stars on defense.

2024 Results

The Cardinals improved by four wins in Jonathan Gannon's second season as head coach but still missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record. They endured a brutal early-season schedule – six of the first seven teams they faced made the playoffs and the seventh was a San Francisco squad that hadn't yet fully fallen apart. Week One brought a trip up to Buffalo and the Cardinals were within three in the fourth quarter before losing, 34-28. Arizona's home opener in Week Two turned out much better, as Kyler Murray threw three touchdown passes – two to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. – and finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a 41-10 rout of the Rams.

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was part of a 216-yard, four-touchdown rushing onslaught that led Washington to a 42-14 drubbing of the Cardinals in the desert in Week Four and Jordan Love powered a 34-17 Packers win over the Cardinals in Green Bay in Week Six.

However, Arizona ripped off a four-game winning streak from Weeks 7-10, which put them at 7-10 heading into their bye week and in first place in the NFC West. The run started with a pair of thrillers. First, James Conner ripped off 33 of his 152 yards from scrimmage in a catch in the game's closing seconds to power a game-winning two-minute drill ending in Chad Ryland's walk-off field goal in a 17-15 win over the Chargers before a Monday Night Football audience. The following weekend in Miami, Murray threw for 307 yards and two scores and the Cardinals once again won on a field goal as time expired, with the visitors scoring 10 points in the game's final minutes. Relative laughers at home against Chicago (29-9) and the New York Jets (31-6) took Arizona to the bye week.

After the results of Week 11, while the Cardinals were idle, the team still had a hold on first place in the division, by exactly one game over all three of other teams, all sitting at 5-5. The next stretch of games was clearly crucial for Arizona as it included a home-and-home set with the division-rival Seahawks sandwiched around a game in Minnesota against a Vikings' squad that had lost only twice all season. Unfortunately, the results weren't what Cardinal fans had hoped for, as Arizona lost all three amid an offensive lull, averaging just over 15 points per outing.

In the first game against the Seahawks, on the road, Leonard Williams led a five-sack charge on Murray, who was also picked off and held without a touchdown in a 16-6 final. The Cardinals' defense turned the tables on Minnesota the next week, sacking Sam Darnold five times, while rising-star tight end Trey McBride powered the offense with 12 catches for 96 yards. Arizona had a three point lead and was in the midst of a 16-play, eight-minute drive in the fourth quarter that got down to the Vikings' five-yard line with four minutes left. Arizona could have made it a two-score game but had to settle for a field goal after McBride was tackled at the four on third-and-16. That left Minnesota enough time to counter with a touchdown drive ending in Aaron Jones' six-yard catch to make it 23-22 for the home team. A chance to even the score against Seattle in Week 14 ended unceremoniously as the visiting Seahawks opened up a 24-10 lead by halftime and cruised to a 30-18 victory.

Suddenly two games back of Seattle and effectively three thanks to Seattle's sweep, the Cardinals got back on track with a 30-17 win over the visiting Patriots in which Conner ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns and the Arizona defense hit rookie quarterback Drake with both an interception and a forced fumble. The good feelings didn't last long, however, as a 36-30 loss at Carolina coupled with a Rams win the following weekend eliminated Arizona from playoff contention with two weeks to go.

The Cardinals also lost to those Rams, 13-9, the following week but did finish the campaign on a high note with a 47-24 drubbing of the 49ers in which Murray threw four touchdown passes, including two to wideout Greg Dortch, and no interceptions.

Arizona's offense showed signs of life in 2024, ranking 11th in total yards and seventh in rushing yards. The team was streaky in terms of actual scoring but did finish 12th with 23.5 points per game. Murray threw for 3,851 yards and ran for another 572 (plus five touchdowns), but his 21-11 TD-INT ratio was a bit disappointing. His favorite target was McBride, who had a monstrous season for a tight end with 111 catches for 1,146 yards, though he bizarrely only scored twice. Harrison wasn't quite the instant superstar some had anticipated but his 62-catch, 885-yard debut season showed plenty of promise. Conner continued to quietly produce like a star running back, in this case rushing for 1,094 yads and eight touchdowns and averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Arizona's defense made a mild jump from the year before, improving from 25th in the yardage rankings to 21st, and surrendered the 15th fewest points in the league. Linebacker Zaven Collins led the team in sacks, but with just 5.0, and he had a total of seven quarterback hits. The team did amass 41 sacks by a committee approach and ranked in the middle of the pack in sacks-per-pass-play. Sean Murphy-Bunting led the team with three interceptions.

2025 Arrivals

Looking to spice up its edge rush, the Cardinals moved quickly in free agency to land one of the most coveted players available, outside linebacker Josh Sweat. Sweat was coming off a star turn in the Eagles' Super Bowl victory over Kansas City, making his eight-sack regular season look even better.

The bigger makeover along the Arizona front, however, was made along the interior line. The Cardinals gave former Cleveland Brown Dalvin Tomlinson a two-year, $29 million deal to handle the nose tackle spot, then brought back franchise icon Calais Campbell to line up next to him. Campbell played his first nine seasons in Arizona and then eight more at a variety of NFL stops before returning in what will be his age-39 season. The big man remains effective, with at least 5.0 sacks and 12 QB hits in each of his last three seasons, all for different clubs.

Arizona didn't stop there, subsequently using its first pick in the draft, number 16 overall on Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. The 300-pound Nolen has an explosive first step and could emerge as the type of interior penetrator every defense covets; he's likely to start right away.

The Cardinals likely found another starter in the secondary on draft weekend, landing Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson was considered a first-round talent but he slipped to the second over concerns about a knee injury and could end up as a steal for a secondary that clearly needed some playmakers. The Cardinals drafted a second cornerback, Ohio State's Denzel Burke, later in the draft and he at least provides depth behind the team's other presumptive starter, Max Melton. Other defensive depth added in the draft includes third-round outside linebacker Jordan Burch (Oregon) and fourth-round linebacker Cody Simon (Ohio State).

Free agency may have brought a new starter to the middle of the defense as well, with linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither coming over from Cincinnati on a two-year deal.

Likely content that a core of McBride, Harrison, Conner, Zay Jones and Michael Wilson around Murray can form an explosive attack – particularly if Harrison takes a second-year leap – the Cardinals used more of their available assets on the defensive side of the ball during the 2025 offseason. Former Charger Simi Fehoko is the only addition of note to the wide receiver room, and his single-season high in receiving yards is last year's 106. Arizona did arrange a dependable quarterback option behind Murray by giving the well-traveled Jacoby Brissett a two-year, $12.5 million contract.

2025 Departures

The Cardinals lost nearly nothing from their 2024 roster during the offseason. The only offensive starter in 2024 who is not still with the team is guard Trystan Colon, who opened just seven games last year and was not asked to re-sign when he became a free agent. He eventually landed in Detroit in June. Wide receiver Zach Pascal played in 31 games over two seasons in Arizona but caught just four passes in that span. He jumped to the Giants in free agency.

The Cardinals did see three interior defensive linemen leave town, but they remain loaded at that position after the aforementioned additions plus the return of 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson. Finding new teams, all on one-year deals, were Roy Lopez (Detroit), Khyiris Tonga (New England) and Naquan Jones (L.A. Chargers). In fact, none of the players from the Cardinals' 2024 roster who hit free agency got a multi-year contract from another team. Linebacker Kyzir White and guard Will Herandez, previously core players, remain unsigned by any team.

Other Noteworthy Developments

The Cardinals had good cap space to work with heading into the offseason (and still do), and they put some of it to use. Most notably, they locked in star tight end Trey McBride to a new four-year $76 million extension. Outside linebacker Baron Browning also got a two-year extension.

The team kept a handful of potential free agents on one-year deals, including tackle Kelvin Beachum, wide receiver Zay Jones and defensive end L.J. Collier.

Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, the former Buccaneer and Arizona's top interceptor last season, suffered a knee injury in the offseason that required surgery. He has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and will not be eligible to play in 2025.

Arizona's coaching staff underwent quite a few changes after the 2024 season. The team departed ways with Outside Linebackers Coach Rob Rodriguez, defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc and assistant defensive line coach William Peagler. In addition, a handful of assistants from last year's staff left to take positions elsewhere, most notably Offensive Line Coach Klayton Adams, who is now the offensive coordinator on Brian Schottenheimer's staff in Dallas. Cristian Garcia is the new linebackers coach, replacing Sam Siefkes, who left to be the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. Winston DeLattiboudere III is now in charge of the defensive line and Matt Feeney takes over the outside linebackers room. DeLattiboudere is only 26 and rising quickly in the coaching ranks after getting a pair of Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship opportunities in training camps with the Packers and Jaguars.

Pressing Questions

Can the Cardinals' offensive invade the NFL's top 10 based almost solely on improvement from within?

The 2025 Buccaneers notably retained every player who gained a yard or scored a point for their offense in 2024. That's an unusual feat in today's NFL, but the Cardinals nearly matched it. Running back Tony Jones, who spent about a month on the Arizona practice squad and got four carries for 55 yards, was not re-signed and went to the UFL. That's it. Every other yard and point producer is back for Arizona.

Of course, the Buccaneers finished third in total yards and fourth in points scored and were the only team to rank in the top five both rushing and receiving. Bringing back all the same players and believing they can produce at least the same results is very reasonable.

The Cardinals' offense was not bad by any means in 2024, though it was a bit streaky. Arizona finished 12th in both yards and points scored, landing in the seventh spot in the ground and 18 through the air. They were, in other words, on the fringe of being a top-10 defense. Do they need to get into the top 10 to be legitimate playoff contenders? Given that the bigger overall question is about their remade defense, perhaps so.

For that to happen, the Cardinals need more production from several players already in the mix. It would be hard to ask much more of Trey McBride after his off-the-chart receiving numbers last year, though I'm sure he would like to visit the end zone more than twice this time around. The main player from whom a big leap is expected is Marvin Harrison, the second-year receiver out of Ohio State. In a 2024 draft class that was absolutely loaded with stud pass-catchers, Harrison was considered the pick of the litter and he was drafted fourth overall. Given his well-developed talents for virtually every aspect of the wide receiver job, there were plenty of analysts scouts who thought he would land in the NFL as a fully-realized superstar from Day One.

There's every reason to believe the sky is still the limit for Harrison, and his 885 yards and eight touchdowns on 62 catches would be a fantastic debut season for almost any rookie receiver. However, with fellow rookies like Brian Thomas (87-1,282-10), Malik Nabers (109-1,204-7) and Ladd McConkey (82-1,149-7) putting up significantly flashier numbers, it was easy to think of Harrison's first year as a mild disappointment. If Harrison looks more like the next, well, Marvin Harrison in 2024, the combination of him and McBride plus James Conner and a couple of other reasonably attractive weapons could indeed push Arizona's offense into the top 10. And maybe it will return Kyler Murray to the level of play that occasionally drew him MVP buzz earlier in his career.

Will all the new pieces on defense come together quickly enough to keep Arizona in the playoff race?

The Cardinals' division-rival Rams might be an instructive study for this one. Los Angeles has a demonstrably strong offense but headed into the 2024 season with a defense that was fitting together a number of new starts, including rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. The Rams' season started slow and so did the defense, but it was able to jell in the second half and was a big reason the team overcame a 1-4 start to win the NFC West.

The Cardinals' defense looks improved on paper. It needed a player who could consistently apply pressure off the edge and got one in Josh Sweat. It needed to be more stout against the run and more dangerous up the middle and there's a good chance that will happen with the additions of Walter Nolen Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell.

Max Melton and Garrett Williams are recent Day Two draft picks and have already become starters but now have another year under the belt, plus a new running mate in the cornerback room with second-round pick Will Johnson. The Cardinals were tied for 20th in takeaways last year with 17, and that made a huge difference in their game outcomes. They were 5-0 in games in which they had more takeaways than their opponent, and 3-9 in all others. A more ballhawking secondary is the team's goal in 2025. Can they achieve it?