In a recent poll conducted by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, three of five NFL executives chose the Cardinals as the franchise most likely to trade up in the draft for a quarterback.
Don't tell that to David Johnson.
The All-Pro tailback believes Arizona's offense has the potential to reach the heights of the 2015 "All or Nothing" season if former Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford avoids the injury bug.
In Wednesday morning's interview with SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio, host Adam Schein asked just how prolific new coordinator Mike McCoy's offense can be if Bradford stays healthy this year.
"Oh, we're going to be great if Sam Bradford's healthy," Johnson replied. "From me watching him personally, I've seen him do some great things. The biggest thing is just being healthy.
"Not just with the addition of him but with also with the linemen we got, the receivers and everyone else that we have added to the team on the offensive side, I think we definitely will be the top offense in the league this year."
Even if Johnson returns to dominant 2016 form, that's a fantastical forecast considering the dubious state of the offensive line and receiving corps.
The past two years' worth of Vikings tape, however, bolster Johnson's claim about Bradford's potential in Arizona.
The scarlet letter attached to Bradford this offseason is similar to the one Carson Palmer sported when the Cardinals stole the former Raiders quarterback for the bargain price of a sixth-round draft pick in 2013: Can his body withstand the weekly poundings long enough to showcase his special arm talent?
Within two years of his arrival in the desert, Palmer was being hailed as a "godsend," leaving a trail of skeptics in his wake.
That's not to suggest Bradford is bound to follow in Palmer's footsteps as an MVP runner-up in Arizona, but Johnson's inferences are far from unfounded.
Bradford's brilliant performance in the 2017 season opener (27 of 32 for 346 yards and three touchdowns) was one of the most impressive displays of ball placement we've seen in recent years. Playing behind a tattered offensive line the previous season, he led the NFL in completion rate (71.6) while topping Pro Football Focus' accuracy ratings on deep passes (20 yards or more downfield).
A healthy Bradford is no afterthought, much less a laughingstock.
That said, there's perhaps no bigger injury risk in the league. Despite Johnson's optimism over the offensive line, it's a shaky group tasked with keeping Bradford's fragile limbs out of harm's way.
