The Arizona Cardinals will have an interesting 24-plus hour period ahead of them.
Arizona and GM Monti Ossenfort are deciding on whether they will stand pat or sell ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
This comes on the heels of a 17-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that sunk the squad to 3-6 on the year. Proponents of trading away valuable players claim that returning draft capital is too crucial to pass up on. Those arguing in favor of standing pat believe that head coach Mike LaFleur needs reinforcements in order to finish his first season in a strong manner.
Read more below on the paths the Cardinals can take ahead of Tuesday.
Insider Hints at Cardinals’ Trade Deadline Direction
While Arizona can go any number of directions over the next day, there’s a chance they go all-in on selling.
Local insider John Gambadoro is hinting at as much.
The main train of thought here is that Arizona had an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot with a victory. The loss to Seattle makes the deficit too great to overcome in all likelihood.
Now, the priority very well may be to collect draft capital for Ossenfort. This is especially true under the premise that the fourth-year general manager will receive a fifth. There is much less pressure for Ossenfort to build a winner in this case.
Which Arizona Players Could See End of Franchise Tenure?
The two clearest options that are on the table for the Cardinals to move on from are Budda Baker and Josh Sweat.
Baker, 30, has been a member of the organization for a decade. However, this point of his career doesn’t necessarily match with Arizona’s timeline. Defense-needy teams such as the Buffalo Bills are sure to express interest in the former All-Pro safety as well.
As far as Sweat goes, the star EDGE has been in trade conversations since early last offseason. There are multiple reasons for other organizations to show interest in Sweat as well, including his relatively economical contract.
Despite this, an uneven season of production raises questions as to what the Cardinals would receive in return for Sweat. It will be fascinating to see if Ossenfort deems any trade offer as sufficient over the next day.
As far as other possible trade candidates go, there are two more names to watch. James Conner is unlikely to be the subject of a trade. Too many hurdles (including not making a return to game action) exist, while the Cardinals might need Conner while Jeremiyah Love and Bam Knight are out.
Roy Lopez is another fascinating trade candidate. The two-time Cardinal has been an excellent player on the defensive line this season and he doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline. However, Arizona values Lopez heavily and the cost for his services wouldn’t be light.
The trade deadline is just over one day away. It will come to pass at 4:00 P.M. MST on Tuesday afternoon.
Cardinals Insider Hints at Team’s Direction Before Trade Deadline