Cardinals Urged to Trade for Commanders Star

The Arizona Cardinals' roster is mostly settled after a busy offseason from key figures such as general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Keyword: Mostly.

There's still opportunity for teams to add another piece of firepower to their squads ahead of training camp, which could include Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin.

Commanders Star Could Be Traded

From NFL insider Jordan Schultz on X:

"All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin has made it clear to the team that he’s frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal. As I previously reported, McLaurin unexpectedly left voluntary workouts after initially attending, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll report for mandatory minicamp.

"McLaurin is entering the final year of his contract. Talks have been minimal."

Bleacher Report Says Cardinals Should Call

Bleacher Report included the Cardinals as one of six teams who should be calling for McLaurin's services.

Kristopher Knox says a second-round pick and OLB Zaven Collins should get the job done.

"The Arizona Cardinals might not seem like an obvious candidate for McLaurin because they added their No. 1 receiver when they drafted Marvin Harrison Jr, in 2024," Knox said.

"What the Cardinals don't have, however, is a top-tier receiver who can complement Harrison and help get more out of quarterback Kyler Murray. McLaurin could be that, and now could be the perfect time to add him.

"Murray and head coach Jonathan Gannon are both entering a pivotal season. Murray hasn't performed at a Pro Bowl level since 2021 and may need help to get back to the form he had before his 2022 ACL tear. Gannon has delivered just 12 wins in his two seasons at the helm.

"Adding McLaurin could help Murray return to his pre-injury production and, potentially, help Arizona get over .500. To sweeten the pot, the Cardinals could include edge-defender Zaven Collins, who had five sacks last season but could be a potential 2026 cap casualty.

"The Cardinals could save $4.4 million this year by trading Collins, and they've added Calais Campbell, Josh Sweat and rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen III to their pass-rushing rotation this offseason.

"Washington could be very interested in a little edge help. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine recently identified edge-rusher as the team's biggest post-draft need."

Should Cardinals Trade for Terry McLaurin?

The first question we should actually be asking is can the Cardinals make a trade happen?

According to OverTheCap, the Cardinals still have an estimated $32 million in effective cap space, giving them ample wiggle room to make a splash if they so desired.

Arizona could easily acquire McLaurin and extend him.

The question then becomes should the Cardinals do so, and that's where the argument splits.

The duo of Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson is certainly nothing to disregard, though the presence of McLaurin would undoubtedly raise the ceiling of both the receiver's room and the overall output on offense.

McLaurin does have some slot receiver experience, though Washington mostly utilizes him as a boundary option.

Would offensive coordinator Drew Petzing move Harrison around more? Would McLaurin transition to the slot role full-time?

The Cardinals utilized multiple tight ends such as 12 and 13 personnel nearly more than every other team in the league (second in both rates in 2024 per Sumer Sports data) - does Arizona really need an expensive wideout when they comfortable with Harrison, Wilson and Greg Dortch?

No offensive additions were made through the offseason for a reason - but the temptation of bringing on one of the NFL's best wideouts who isn't even 30 years old yet is real.