Report: Arizona Cardinals missed out on Josh Allen
By Jim Koch
A report is out that the Arizona Cardinals brass may have preferred the University of Wyoming quarterback over Josh Rosen
The post-draft scuttlebutt has begun, and the Arizona Cardinals are a part of the discussion. Did general manager Steve Keim and the rest of the front office settle for second-best with their first-round pick? According to a discussion on a Bleacher Report podcast, they may have.
Chris Simms of the “Simms and Lefkoe” show contends that the Cards were “heartbroken” that they didn’t end up with Wyoming’s Josh Allen. It appeared that a trade with the Denver Broncos for the fifth-overall pick was all-but-consummated. According to Simms, Allen would’ve been the choice of the Cardinals at number-five if the deal had come to fruition.
However, a somewhat surprising selection at number-four by the Cleveland Browns ruined their plans. Many experts believed that Cleveland would be taking North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb at the spot, but it didn’t happen. Cornerback Denzel Ward was nabbed instead, causing Denver general manager John Elway to call off the trade with Arizona.
Basically, Chubb was too good for Elway to pass up. The thought of matching the edge rusher with six-time Pro Bowler Von Miller was an exciting proposition. Keim had no choice but to go back to the drawing board and come up with an alternate plan.
After Allen went two picks later to the Buffalo Bills at number-seven, the Cards got back on the phone. This time, Keim was able to orchestrate a trade with the Oakland Raiders which allowed his club to jump up five slots to the 10th selection. UCLA’s Josh Rosen was chosen, and the Cardinals finally had obtained their franchise quarterback.
As it turned out, Arizona may have gotten the best signal-caller after all. Many draft observers feel that Rosen is the most pro-ready passer of the 2018 class. The 6’3″, 224 pounder certainly feels he’s the best of the group, as the Titanic-sized chip on his shoulder would indicate.
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Whether Allen was the Cardinals preference or not isn’t important. Rosen is now the face of the franchise, and he seems determined to re-pay the Cardinals for having faith in him. Only time will tell if they got the right guy.