Realistic Draft Trade Possibilities for the Arizona Cardinals
As the Arizona Cardinals prepare for the NFL draft this week, they’re undoubtedly preparing for the numerous trade scenarios that could unfold. With needs at running back and center on offense, and edge-rusher and cornerback on defense, the Cardinals must remain flexible. If a deal arises for an impact player at any of those positions, they must be all ears.
The Cardinals’ brain trust of general manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians offered some insight to their plans. As always, the duo is upfront with their feelings, and they told Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com that they prefer trading down to moving up. In order to address some premium positions, the Cardinals may need to move up to find impact players.
We’ve created five realistic trade scenarios for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFL draft. Some include moving up, others are for veteran talent to buy low. If the Cardinals want to move down, we have that scenario as well.
Cardinals Trade No. 55 and No. 198 for Adrian Peterson
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"On an Adrian Peterson trade: #Cowboys are out. #Vikings don’t want to move Peterson. But could #AZCardinals tempt em? http://t.co/7AXlbE9eUP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2015"
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Arizona Cardinals are the top contender for Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. But, per Rapoport, the Cardinals are unlikely to part with the 24th overall pick for Peterson. That leaves their second-round pick and a late-round sweetener as the potential price for “All Day.”
If Arizona misses out on Georgia running back Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, it should at least make the call on Peterson. He’s a sure-fire Hall of Fame back who just sat a year, saving him more wear. Yes, he’s 30, but he’s already proven to be a freak.
Peterson could be a great player for another two or three seasons. The Cardinals are trying to win right now, and Peterson will help more than a second-round pick. His transcendent talent is worth the risk, despite his age and contract being negatives.
Should the Cardinals land a top-tier running back in the first round, this trade is obviously a no-go. But pairing a talent like Peterson to the Cardinals’ vertical passing attack could help him alleviate huge stress off quarterback Carson Palmer.
Cardinals Trade No. 24 and No. 86 to Miami for No. 14 and Dion Jordan
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The Arizona Cardinals could be aggressive to move up ahead of the cornerback run. If the Cardinals want UConn cornerback Byron Jones or Michigan State’s Trae Waynes, the mid-teens is the place to trade up to. The Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs all could use more help in the secondary, but the Dolphins could offer a tempting package.
At No. 14, the Cardinals could possibly land Nebraska edge Randy Gregory or Missouri’s Shane Ray. If Todd Gurley is the target, the No. 14 spot should work well. Simply put, the 14th overall pick looks like a sweet spot for a trade up if the board falls the right way.
The price to move up wouldn’t be too bad in this scenario. Dolphins’ edge-rusher Dion Jordan has had issues with drugs in his career, and he’s been used out of position in Miami. That’s just not a good fit. Buying low on Jordan and moving up could pay off in a major way if Arians can help get Jordan focused on football.
Cardinals Trade No. 24 to New Orleans for Nos. 31 and 75
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If the Cardinals are looking to maximize their picks, then a trade down with the New Orleans Saints could be in the deck. The Saints have two first-round picks, and moving up to No. 24 overall could help them land a better fit for their partial rebuild effort. For the Cardinals, this is simply more ammo to work with, while getting a similarly graded player at No. 31.
The 2015 NFL draft class has around 15 high-caliber players, and then a few rounds' worth of good-but-scheme-dependent talent. Even moving down seven spots, the Cardinals can get a day-one impact player. With the extra third-round pick, now a move up in the second is made possible for a similarly ranked player.
Arizona doesn’t really need eight rookies in camp, so any extra picks could be moved this year in a trade up or for future assets. The 2016 class projects to be deeper at most positions. Getting two or three impact guys early this year then allows more moves for the future if the Cardinals don’t want to add fringe-roster types.
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Cardinals Move Up from No. 55 for Falling Pass-Rusher
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Say none of the aforementioned deals takes place. If the first round didn’t have a good pass-rusher available, then the second round is where the Cardinals should find one. Moving up from the 55th overall pick to the 30s wouldn’t be cheap; expect such a move to cost a third-round pick.
If the first-round produces a major playmaker at cornerback or running back, then that cost isn’t quite as high, as the Cardinals don’t have many holes. It’s also important to keep in context how often third-round picks pan out. The draft is like a lottery, and as you get deeper, the odds of hitting shrink.
Arizona has a great mix of veterans and youth, so a third-rounder is more likely a developmental piece than a starter. If there is a high-impact rookie there to be had like Virginia’s Eli Harold, then moving up would be wise.
Cardinals Trade Mid-Round Pick for Eagles Linebacker Mychal Kendricks
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The Cardinals have tried to address the inside linebacker position this offseason, but it's still a position with uncertainty. Veteran linebacker Sean Weatherspoon must prove he can stay healthy, and his counterpart, Kevin Minter, was disappointing last year.
One player possibly on the block is Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Despite grading as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best inside linebacker in 2014, Kendricks hasn’t felt the brotherly love from head coach Chip Kelly. He skipped the team’s voluntary workouts and is entering a contract season.
If Kendricks can be added for a third-round pick, he’d be a dynamic addition to the Cardinals defense. He’s still young and brings good instincts and coverage ability to this unit.
The potential downside of adding Kendricks is his cost moving forward.
San Diego linebacker Donald Butler could be the model for a new Kendricks deal. He received a seven-year deal worth up to $51.8 million, but only $11.1 million guaranteed. For an upper-level player at linebacker, that’s not too bad of a deal to pay out.
All stats used are from sports-reference.com.
Ian Wharton is an NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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