Arizona Cardinals seem to understand that they are building to the future for the first time

When you sit back and look at the Arizona Cardinals draft for 2020 you see the vision.

You also see that Steve Keim is continuing to look at the now.

Keim has looked to the immediate every season he has been the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals and it makes sense.

When he was under the Bruce Arians tenure he had to go all in every year, he had Carson Palmer and it was a precarious position. He had to make sure that at every turn they were ready to compete.

However, he continually failed.

That’s the issue when you look at it in the context of the immediate, you forget about the future.

Keim has struggled to build into tomorrow because he’s constantly been looking at today.

When he does look into tomorrow he almost trips over himself to undo it.

Anyone remember going after Bobby Massie at the last minute?

Keim has forgot about the future nearly every offseason as GM in the search of competing in the now.

It makes sense when look at the now, but then it was just a miscalculation on his part.

Now, he has put together a roster that’s good enough.

No, it’s not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl, not close. It’s good enough to compete under the idea of now.

Which is fine.

The Cardinals competing for a Super Bowl means that Kyler Murray has taken a step few quarterbacks do.

It means that the offensive line has improved from last offseason.

It means that the injuries on the defense are gone.

It means that the rookies they need to make an impact are.

It’s not realistic.

If it happens, that’s awesome, the Cardinals are ahead of schedule.

If the Cardinals are competing for a Wild Card spot, if Isaiah Simmons has become an impact player, if Josh Jones is a starter, if Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence are giving you valuable snaps and you are competing? Then you are at a good spot.

If you are seeing one of Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler or KeeSean Johnson providing valuable stats? You are in a good spot.

This needs to be understood for the team.

You have elite talent in DeAndre Hopkins and Chandler Jones.

You have talent that has been elite in Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson.

You have talent that is close to being elite in Kyler Murray and Budda Baker.

It’s okay to be close and continuing to build.

You bottomed out as you tried to stay competitive in 2018.

You built a new foundation in 2019.

Now you are looking to build in 2020 and be ready to compete in 2021.

If you are expecting Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones... If you expect Zach Allen and Andy Isabella... If you expect greatness already, you just don’t get it.

If you see growth.

If you see a team that’s winning games they lost in 2019.

If you are seeing a team that may be a player or two away.

Then Steve Keim is on the right path.

When you go for it every year, but have massive change throughout the coaching staff and roster, then you just don’t understand how the NFL actually works.

Let’s expect growth in 2020, but let’s be realistic of those expectations.

The Cardinals look to be on a good path, let’s hope to be correct.