February 28, 2018
The Arizona Cardinals do not have a quarterback. No, I mean, like, literally. They don't have any quarterbacks. Starter Carson Palmer retired, while Blaine Gabbert, Drew Stanton, and Matt Barkley are all set to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 14.
They need a quarterback, and unfortunately for them, they were merely "kinda bad" last season, as opposed to "awful." Had they been awful, they'd have a higher draft pick than where they sit now, at pick No. 15 after finishing 8-8 in 2017.
The Cardinals also aren't as blessed with space under the salary cap as some of the teams who could be chasing after soon-to-be former Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, like the Jets or Vikings.
In other words, by the time free agency and the draft come and go, the Cardinals could still be without an ideal starting quarterback. They seem to recognize this, and realize trading for a quarterback is a potential option for them.
“One of the things we talked about from day one is really being aggressive," said new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks. "[Cards GM] Steve Keim and I have been on the same page since day one. The one thing we’re looking at right now is whether it’s through trade, whether it’s through free agency, or most importantly, whether it’s through the draft, if not all three. We’re going to be very aggressive in our approach and get the right fit.
“What I mean by aggressive right here is when free agency starts, we’re going to try to get the best one, not only have a plan A but a plan B and a Plan C. You also have to look at trades. And then, there’s the draft. We’re sitting at 15. Do we feel there is a guy we have to move up for? All those things come into play when I talk about being aggressive, not sitting back.”
Keim echoed Wilks' sentiments.
"When you don’t have one, there is no other way [than to aggressively pursue a quarterback]," said Keim. "We will have plans in place for free agency, but again, a trade option potentially, and the draft, it’s all three because we don’t have any on the roster currently. Whether we are going to keep two or three, we’re going to have to have someone that’s experienced, and you’d like to be able to take a young guy and develop him."
As luck would have it, the Eagles may have an extra quarterback on their roster available for trade. That would be Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. Maybe you've read some trade speculation about him lately?
The Cardinals are a very interesting trade partner, not only because of their dearth of quarterbacks but also because they have four picks in the first three rounds.
| Round | Overall |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 47 |
| 3 | 79 |
| 3 | 97 |
| 4 | 134 |
| 5 | 152 |
| 7 | 238 |
| 7 | 254 |
The Eagles, meanwhile, pick 32nd, and they won't pick again until pick No. 131 near the end of the fourth round.
Howie Roseman has stated in the past that impact players are typically found in the first 20 picks. The Cardinals fit the profile of a team with an attractive first-round pick, and several picks in rounds 2 and 3. As such, there a lot of different trade scenarios that could interest both teams.
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