The Arizona Cardinals showed a willingness to make deals in the NFL draft last year. In the first round, they traded down from the third pick to the 12th and then went back up from No. 12 to No. 6.
This year, they have the fourth overall pick and trade rumors swirl around them again.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates and Matt Miller, the Cardinals’ selection is being linked to a potential trade up for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Most assume that the top three picks will be quarterbacks. The Minnesota Vikings acquired a second first-round pick in a trade last week and they need a quarterback after Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons. The Denver Broncos traded Russell Wilson and need one.
The Cardinals and the Los Angeles Chargers, who own the fifth pick, are linked most to a trade. Per Miller, “In talking to NFL personnel while on the road at pro days this week, the feeling is still that the Vikings will be aggressive in trading up to the No. 4 or No. 5 spot to land the Michigan quarterback.”
Trading back would mean missing out on Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., something that many Cardinals fans are leery of.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort declared that they are “open for business” and that he would take any calls inquiring about a trade.
“I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft,” he told reporters this past week.
Over the next month, it will simply be buzz. No deal will happen until the Cardinals are on the clock. Until then, we get to talk and speculate, which is always fun.
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