Advanced model updates Cardinals' projected win total

The Arizona Cardinals enjoyed unprecedented success under long-time NFL assistant Bruce Arians before he retired after the 2017 season and the organization made a major shift after a failed 3-13 season under head coach Steve Wilks in 2018. Kliff Kingsbury was hired as the head coach to bring an innovative offense to the franchise and then drafted Kyler Murray before eventually going 5-10-1 in their first season together.

The Cardinals showed enough good signs during that losing campaign to warrant the franchise making some significant splashes this offseason, making the first wave by trading running back David Johnson and a second-round pick at the 2020 NFL Draft and a fourth-rounder in 2021 for DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick in 2020. Then they spent $50 million over the next three years on defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and defensive end Devon Kennard to bolster the defense.

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Then at the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cardinals benefited from several teams drafting for need ahead of them as Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons slid to No. 8, giving Arizona an athlete who can cover multiple positions, make plays sideline-to-sideline and generate pressure. If the Cardinals can successfully craft a role that takes advantage of all of his athletic skill sets it could help quickly revitalize their defense.

The Cardinals also added offensive line depth with Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones in the third round. They also found value in the late rounds with California tackling machine Evan Weaver in the sixth and local star Eno Benjamin who could be a nice compliment to Kenyan Drake in the backfield.

Ultimately, there's little questioning that the Cardinals have done well to make significant roster improvements and if Kingsbury's offense takes hold and Vance Joseph's vision comes together defensively, they should be in position to make a jump in 2020. But will it be enough in a division that has produced the last two NFC champions and still has Seattle as perennial playoff contenders?

The SportsLine Projection Model predicts that the Cardinals win an average of 7.5 games in the computer's 10,000 simulations of the 2020 NFL season, up from 7.4 projected wins prior to the 2020 NFL Draft. Arizona wins the division 6.1 percent of the time and makes the playoffs 28.4 percent of the time. The Cardinals are also currently 60-1 to Win Super Bowl 55 according to William Hill, which is tied for eighth-worst odds in the NFL.