Why Cardinals Should Pass on Terry McLaurin Trade

The "trade me" saga for the NFL's top players rolls on, this time with Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

The Ohio State product enters his seventh pro season as one of the steadiest, most consistent/reliable pass catchers in the league. Teams that are in need of such for their receiver room should be on the phone to see what his price tag is.

Perhaps the Arizona Cardinals could be one of those teams.

The Cardinals have the future of the position locked down with Marvin Harrison Jr., but there's not much beyond him aside from Michael Wilson, who has two years remaining on his rookie deal. Arizona is also looking to get back to the playoffs this year, and McLaurin could be the piece they need to do so.

But there are more layers to this than just that, and that's what we are going to break down. Let's look at the pros and cons the Cardinals would have to weigh for a possible trade for McLaurin as the season draws nearer. 

Pros

The Cardinals do have a need for wide receiver depth and McLaurin fills the need immediately. He's also the kind of veteran presence that room could benefit from. He's as steady as they come no matter who is under center, with five consecutive 1,000 receiving yard campaigns.

We also saw the moment he received plus quarterback play with Jayden Daniels last season, he busted out for just under 1,100 yards and a career-best 13 touchdowns. Kyler Murray may not be elite, but he would arguably be the second-best quarterback McLaurin would've played with in his six seasons after Daniels.

The fit in this offense wouldn't be half bad, either. McLaurin may not have top-end speed, but he would stretch the field better than anyone on the current roster. More importantly, he eats up the intermediate part of the field and moves the chains. Of his 460 career catches, 300 have resulted in first downs.

With Trey McBride working underneath and the middle of the field, the Cardinals would have two reliable targets to go to for critical third downs.

Cons

McLaurin is seeking a fat contract extension from the Commanders. Given his importance and production with the team, he is very much worth it. However, that isn't necessarily true with other franchises.

Take the Cardinals as an example. McLaurin would likely be asked to be the team's number one receiver while Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to develop, but that's not the easiest selling point for a receiver set to turn 30 years old next month.

And although McLaurin has had above-average production, the contract number he's likely looking at, around $30 million per year a la Tee Higgins, is not ideal for a team like the Cardinals.

I also don't view McLaurin as necessarily the player to put this offense over the top. To be clear, the offense is immediately better, but I don't see McLaurin as the guy to fix the team's biggest needs for speed and a slot player -- although he is a drastic upgrade for everyone after Harrison and Michael Wilson.

My final question is what would he cost? A day two pick is rich for a player on the back-half of his career. Sure, the Cardinals are seemingly in a "win-now" season, but that's not consensus and it's unlikely to be any time soon.

At the end of the day, the contract cost is what kills me the most, and a hefty price in draft capital also wouldn't do any favors. I think I'm passing on this one.