3 Reasons Why Cardinals Should Buy at NFL Trade Deadline

The NFL trade deadline is just a week away, and teams like the Arizona Cardinals have a tough decision in front of them.

At every deadline there are buyers and sellers, but sometimes a team is in an awkward spot trying to decide which side of the coin to land on for that decision. The Cardinals are on that line.

Before the season, many believed the Cardinals were a sleeper team to make the playoffs thanks to a massive step forward in year two under Jonathan Gannon and a busy offseason. That hasn't come to pass, and although the season is far from over, history is against them turning things around.

Still, there's never a better time than now to start turning things back around. Perhaps the trade deadline is exactly the opportunity Arizona needs to get right.

Should the Cardinals be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?

I plan to explore both sides of the coin, but I'd like to start with persuasion efforts telling you that Arizona should be busy spenders with a week to go and add some guys.

Hear me out...

Time is Running Out

If the Cardinals are all-in for a playoff berth in 2025, then they need to take action right now. The team is coming off a bye week, and at 2-5, it's time to crap or get off the pot. Their schedule isn't about to get any easier, either, as they have four more NFC West games on deck and road trips against the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Texans, and Bengals.

Things will spiral quickly if they don't figure this out. One trade likely doesn't fix much, but being active at the deadline shows the franchise is sticking to its word with a "playoff-or-bust" mentality.

Low-Cost Targets

Although there have been big names floating around the rumor mill like Brian Thomas Jr., A.J. Brown, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it doesn't appear as though we will be seeing them make a jump somewhere and break the internet.

However, there's no shortage of talented players, both young and old, who can come in and make an impact. Among those players, there are far more who will come as bargains compared to the rest. The Cardinals can add some talent and difference-makers on a budget to keep the season alive if they're interested.

Start Filling Future Needs

No matter how the season ends for the Cardinals, the one thing we know is pending needs for the team. Nothing is out of the ordinary here in terms of what we already expected to be holes to address.

Offensive line, linebacker, and wide receiver need improvement. Defensive back and running back have also jumped out as potential needs. And there's the omnipresent search for a quarterback as Kyler Murray's tenure with the team shrinks. The Cardinals can't address all of this in one offseason, but the moves they made this past summer seem to be playing out nicely.

Perhaps Monti Ossenfort and the front office can get a head start on next offseason and start bringing in players they'd like to build their future around.

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