Why the Cardinals were a low-key winner from the Bears and Panthers trade

Without giving anything up, Arizona lucked into a fantastic position.

The biggest domino regarding the 2023 NFL draft fell on Friday evening.

The Chicago Bears are reportedly trading the first-overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, who are expected to take a quarterback, in exchange for a bevy of draft picks and star receiver D.J. Moore.

One could quibble about the exact draft compensation, but ultimately, both teams got what they wanted out of this trade. The Bears have a multitude of needs and have now stockpiled picks to address them while also giving Justin Fields a true No. 1 option in the passing game.

Meanwhile, the Panthers now have the chance to draft the future of the franchise.

This deal will certainly have a lot of downstream effects in the draft, and one of those underrated impacts will be felt by the team slated to pick at No. 3.

The Arizona Cardinals don’t have to worry about a run on quarterbacks after locking down Kyler Murray on a long-term deal, and that gives the team a ton of flexibility with this pick.

The Houston Texans, who pick second, need a signal-caller and will almost certainly stay put to pick one. With Chicago moving out of the first spot, that means the Cardinals will (in all likelihood) be in a position to take the top non-quarterback prospect in the draft — potentially Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson.

That is if they choose to make the pick. The third pick would almost certainly be a hot commodity considering who picks directly after. The Indianapolis Colts, like the Texans, need a quarterback. Both teams were considered potential candidates to move up to No. 1.

Quarterback-needy teams picking after Indianapolis — of which there are several — will know that if they don’t make a deal with Arizona, another passer will likely come off the board before their pick.

Could the Cardinals look to make a deal with a team like the Lions, Raiders or Falcons, all of whom pick in the top 10, to acquire more picks? Or with the Colts themselves to avoid such an outcome? It’s certainly possible. Every option is on the table for the team in the first offseason under new head coach Jonathan Gannon.

The trade between Carolina and Chicago will certainly have massive impacts on both franchises, but as a byproduct, it has put the Cardinals in an excellent position without having to give anything up.

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D.J. Moore had 2-emoji response to Bears’ huge trade with Panthers

Moore captured exactly how we’re all feeling right now.

The NFL world was treated to quite the Friday news dump as it was reported that the Chicago Bears will be trading the first pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers, who will presumably be picking a quarterback.

Alongside a stable of draft picks, the Panthers will be sending star receiver D.J. Moore to the Bears, finally giving third-year quarterback Justin Fields a true No. 1 option in the passing game.

When news of the trade broke on Friday, Moore quickly took to Twitter to respond. He posted just two emojis, but it really captured how we’re all feeling right about now.

Same.

Moore is entering his sixth season in the league and is coming off his least productive campaign since his rookie year. After cracking the 1,000-yard mark in three-straight seasons, he finished with just 888 yards despite playing in all 17 games.

He did, however, set a career-high with seven touchdowns, and after a year that was characterized by a revolving door at quarterback, a change of scenery could do wonders for the former first-round pick out of Maryland.

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