​As the NFL season looms, a public consensus has formed surrounding the Arizona Cardinals. Ask, well, just about anyone, and they’ll provide the same answer: This team has little hope of contending for a playoff spot. Playing in a loaded NFC West, their over/under wins total sits at 3.5 — the lowest of any team since the NFL expanded to 17 games.But when asked whether the Cardinals’ goal this season is to make the playoffs, general manager Monti Ossenfort was definitive. “That’s the goal of any team any year,” Ossenfort said. “Absolutely. Our goal is to win.”Ossenfort was then asked why he believes that is a realistic ambition.“I think we’ve built a roster that’s gonna be highly competitive,” Ossenfort said. “We play in a tough division; we play a tough schedule. But we have a lot of good players, and we have players that are ready to take the next step up.”Of course, this time of year is filled with optimism for every organization. Behind closed doors, the Cardinals’ expectations might not match their public bullishness.But, notably, this has been the company line all offseason. That traces back to January, when owner Michael Bidwill said he believed the Cardinals could orchestrate a “quick turnaround” under a new head coach — ultimately Mike LaFleur.“I hope it’s gonna be in the first year,” Bidwill said at the time.Perhaps this is all posturing. But Bidwill and Ossenfort have a close relationship, regularly standing together during Cardinals’ practices and before games. And if Ossenfort — who has a 15-36 record in three seasons — has persuaded Bidwill the Cardinals can contend this season, then his job security may depend on an ability to produce short-term results.Here’s what else we learned from Ossenfort’s annual preseason press conference.Ossenfort non-committal on Wilson extensionAt a time when many of his peers have recently landed long-term extensions, Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, with free agency looming in 2027.When asked about Wilson’s contract situation, Ossenfort said, “he’s a guy that we want around here a long time.” The general manager, though, stopped short of saying the Cardinals expect to ink Wilson to an extension.“Expect? That’s a tough word,” Ossenfort said. “I think our interest is in keeping him here.”Ossenfort did not sound as if he views the start of the regular season as a deadline by which to extend Wilson.In recent years, the Cardinals have negotiated extensions at various points in the calendar. Hjalte Froholdt and Zaven Collins both signed their deals during preseason, while James Conner and Budda Baker were extended mid-season. Last year, they even extended Baron Browning and Evan Brown in March, on the eve of free agency.Typically, teams try to secure their most important players as early as possible — as the Cardinals did last April with Trey McBride.Wilson, though, poses a unique case. Late la