Two Trade Candidates for Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are in the beginning stages of a rebuild, and as expected, things aren't pretty.
The team has suffered a handful of losses that span from J.J. Watt's retirement to losing their lone two coveted free agents in Byron Murphy and Zach Allen. Little reinforcements have arrived and with DeAndre Hopkins' pending departure, the Cardinals are all but set to shuffle the deck while waiting for Kyler Murray's ACL to properly heal.
There's been plenty of trade talk surrounding new general manager Monti Ossenfort as he attempts to build the roster and run the team in his mold. From the NFL Draft to parting with veterans. the phones have been busy at the team facility in Tempe.
Hopkins is on the verge of being traded, but what other deals could the Cardinals potentially explore to really position themselves for a rebuild?
Two Trade Candidates for Arizona Cardinals
TE Zach Ertz
Ertz is one of the prime candidates if another major trade were to happen. If and when Hopkins departs, Ertz's $12.6 million cap hit for 2023 will be the fourth-highest on the team. If traded, the Cardinals would save $6.6 million according to Spotrac.
Ertz (32) already essentially has his replacement on the roster in Trey McBride, the team's top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. All the above are factors to move on from Ertz to shed some salary and retool for the future with McBride as their TE1.
Arizona Cardinals
OT Josh Jones
A potential trade wouldn't come from Arizona's side, that's for sure. Jones has proved he could play basically anywhere the Cardinals placed him, though he's best served at tackle. His versatility is coveted in AZ and would be coveted elsewhere, too.
With Arizona re-signing Kelvin Beachum and restructuring D.J. Humphries' deal, it's clear Jones won't be at tackle in 2023 barring injury.
Would Jones eventually ask for a trade?
He's 26 and probably feels like his best football is ahead of him after playing fairly well in the windows of time where he was a starter.
Having him in the fold would be great for the Cardinals, and there shouldn't be any desire to deal him, but you never know when a player wants to move on.
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