During his first draft in charge of the Cardinals, general manager Monti Ossenfort was busy on the trade front.
He swung a total of five deals that featured pick swaps, including a deal that saw Arizona move out of the third overall slot. A repeat in 2024 could be on the table.
During a Wednesday press conference, Ossenfort confirmed a recent report that he will be willing to entertain offers for the Cardinals’ top pick in 2024 (No. 4 overall).
The top-three picks belong to QB-needy teams (Bears, Commanders, Patriots), and it would come as a surprise if any of those selections were dealt.
The Cardinals are a logical trade-down candidate given the market that could exist for teams looking to secure the next-best passer and the number of roster holes Ossenfort still needs to fill as part of Arizona’s ongoing rebuilding effort.
“There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open’ and I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening,” Ossenfort said (via NFL.com). “I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at [No.] 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.”
The Vikings added an extra first-round pick last week, giving them the draft capital needed to pull off a move up the board. Minnesota has been connected to the No. 4 slot in the wake of that deal.
The Broncos, currently set to pick 12th overall, are another candidate for an aggressive move aimed at landing a high-end passer. However, Jarrett Stidham appears to be on track to serve as Denver’s 2024 starter as things stand.
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are slated to hear their names called before any other prospect on Day 1 of next month’s draft.
Several highly regarded receivers and tackles are among the other players on track to be selected in the top 10, and Arizona has frequently been tapped as a landing spot for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Not all teams view the Ohio State star as the top wideout available, though, and the Cardinals could be among those who prefer LSU’s Malik Nabers. If Arizona is prepared to slide down the order, several suitors could increasingly show interest in pulling off a trade.
On that point, Ossenfort added, “I’d say those phone calls are starting to pick up a little bit, I would say they’ll probably continue into next week when we get down to Florida for the owner’s meetings… So I would imagine some of those conversations will continue to pick up, but honestly they probably will not get real serious until we get right up until the week of the draft, similar to last year. They have definitely picked up, but I expect that to continue here for the next month.”
In the wake of Ossenfort’s comments, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily views it as “highly likely” the Cardinals will trade down.
If that turns out to be the case, the market that the Cardinals can generate for the selection will be a key storyline to follow.
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