5 NFL teams that became playoff contenders in free agency

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals play in the toughest division in football, however, giving Kyler Murray a target of the caliber of DeAndre Hopkins should elevate the offense to a level where they can have a much better chance of challenging the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks at the top of the NFC West.

Arizona general manager Steve Keim pulled off one of the great steals of recent memory by acquiring Hopkins for only a second-round pick and David Johnson.

He supplemented that acquisition by adding Jordan Phillips to the defensive line. Phillips had 9.5 sacks last season for the Buffalo Bills. It would be a significant boost to a pass rush that has for too long been overly reliant on Chandler Jones if Phillips can prove 2019 was not a fluke.

Devon Kennard and De’Vondre Campbell provide depth at linebacker. The Cardinals were already an obvious candidate to make the leap to contention in 2020 following the strides Murray made down the stretch in 2019.

Hopkins gives an already-dangerous passing attack an elite weapon and, after some intelligent signings on defense, the Cardinals look well-placed to close the gap on their division rivals and compete for a Wild Card berth.