Cardinals Get Mixed Reviews for Trade With Falcons

The Arizona Cardinals pulled a surprise move yesterday after trading wide receiver Rondale Moore to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder.

It was an uncommon move where teams swapped only players rather than picks, though both sides seem to be happy with the move. 

The Cardinals received mixed - but mostly positive - reactions on their side of the deal:

Bleacher Report: B

B/R: "Ridder made 13 starts for Atlanta last year, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was Bleacher Report's No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2022 class, but if last year was any indication, he's better suited to being a high-end backup than an NFL starter.

"Essentially, this trade boils down to a swap of two players who have yet to meet expectations and who could potentially benefit from a change of scenery. Ridder is younger and a quarterback, though, so the Redbirds got the better of the deal—if only slightly."

CBS Sports: C+

CBS: "This isn't a horrible trade for the Cardinals. They had a need at backup quarterback, and they filled that need by adding Ridder. Giving up Moore is somewhat of a surprise, especially since Arizona will likely be losing Marquise Brown in free agency. With both guys out, that means Arizona will be going into 2024 without two of their top-four receivers from last season. 

"Before this trade, the Cardinals had Clayton Tune behind Kyler Murray on the depth chart, but now, that job will go to Ridder."

The Athletic: B-

The Athletic: "The backup quarterback market has become an interesting place with Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Jacoby Brissett corralling sizable contracts this week.

"Ridder won’t cost anywhere nearly as much, although past production is certainly relative to compensation. But again, there’s an element of untapped potential with Ridder. Maybe he can find a spark behind Murray and turn into a high-quality backup."