Cardinals WR Rondale Moore should see more ground in 2022, as Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) writes. Given the departure of Christian Kirk in free agency and the six-game suspension that DeAndre Hopkins will serve to start the season, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but it’s still remarkable.
The head coach Kingsbury Cliff acknowledged earlier this year that Moore — who saw 45% of Arizona’s offensive snaps during his 2021 rookie campaign — will be a bigger part of the offense, and he specifically referenced the need to give the second-year pro more opportunities in space. Indeed, Moore’s size (5-7, 180) makes it difficult for him to physically dominate off the line of scrimmage, and his high-end speed will be put to better use if QB Kyler Murray can give him the ball with room to run.
Interestingly, Moore’s apparent big-game potential was not on display last year. The Purdue product posted an average target depth of 1.2 yards in 2021, which Kevin Cole of Pro Football Focus said was the third-lowest rating among rookies since 2006 (subscription required). What’s particularly surprising is the fact that, of Moore’s 54 receptions, 37 have come from behind the line of scrimmage (h/t Neil Dutton of 4for4.com). And, as Cole posits, Arizona’s acquisition of an equally small speed merchant Marquise Brown could mean the club don’t see Moore as a legitimate field stretcher.
The good news for Moore is that he was quite effective with his targets, as one would expect for a player running mostly short and middle lanes. His 54 catches came on just 64 passes thrown his way, good for a terrific 84.4% catch rate despite averaging a low 8.1 yards per reception.
According to CardsWire.com’s Alex Sutton, the slot receiver role vacated by Kirk is generally assumed to belong to Moore. It’s where he’s seen the majority of his snaps in 2021, and that familiarity can only help. Kingsbury and assistant head coach Shawn Jefferson said they would expand Moore’s route tree in 2022, and while he isn’t invited to do many go routes in 2022, the presence of Brown – and Hopkins, upon his return from suspension – could open the field for Moore to make the most of his speed and displays a significant YAC.
Along with his expected rise in snaps on the attacking side of the ball, Moore still projects himself as the club’s main returning man. He returned 21 punts and 13 kickoffs last year, though his averages (8.1 yards per punt return, 22.4 yards per punt return) weren’t particularly noteworthy.
During Hopkins’ absence, the Cards should have Brown and AJ Green receive most of the work outside of the numbers.