Arizona Cardinals preparing for trade deadline scenarios

Having one of the worst records in the NFL could result in the Arizona Cardinals making a deal or two before the trade deadline

The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in a unique situation at the current time. It’s not an ideal one by any means, mind you. Having one of the worst won-loss records in the league is obviously not something that any NFL club strives for.

In a year that was pretty much over soon after it began, the league’s trade deadline could suddenly hold importance for the Cardinals. It’s almost a certainty that general manager Steve Keim’s phone will be ringing more than usual over the next couple of days. Various teams will most likely be looking to pry players away from Arizona, with hopes of improving their chances of making a postseason run.

The Cards have gone out of their way to let it be known that cornerback Patrick Peterson is not for sale. The seven-time Pro Bowler tried to talk his way out of the organization, but team President Michael Bidwill basically told the 28-year old to forget about it. Trading away a shutdown cover guy like Peterson would make little sense, even for a bad squad like the Cardinals.

Another 28-year old who should garner a ton of interest is pass-rush specialist Chandler Jones. However, the defensive end, like Peterson, should also be off-limits. Jones is a special kind of defender, who’s without a doubt one of the best acquisitions in franchise history.

Deone Bucannon‘s name has been brought up frequently in trade talks, apparently because he’s not a fit in head coach Steve Wilks’ god-awful defensive scheme. There’s a decent chance that the linebacker could be dealt, but Keim could be making a mistake by doing so. Bucannon has been one of Arizona’s most productive tacklers since he was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft.

Another linebacker who may be available is second-year Cardinal Haason Reddick. The Temple University product has played well at times, and can be used in a variety of ways. Why the front office would already want to part ways with someone they took with the 13th-overall pick of the 2017 draft is anybody’s guess.

As painful as it is to think about, perhaps Keim should consider trading wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a Super Bowl contender. And that’s only if the future Hall of Famer would be on board with it, of course. It would be a crime for Fitzgerald to finish his stellar career with the mess that the incompetent Wilks and his coaching staff have created in the desert.

Hopefully, for the sake of the fans, no trades get consummated before Tuesday’s deadline. Trusting Keim to get the better of any deal he’d attempt to make would be nothing more than wishful thinking. It’s probably better for the Cardinals to stand pat for now, and wait for the offseason to arrive before they begin to fix this mess.