Raising Zona
FanSided

5 players that might be available to the Arizona Cardinals in a trade

By Avery Duncan

JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Keelan Cole #84 of the Jacksonville Jaguars waits on the field before the start of their game against the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field on September 23, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Keelan Cole #84 of the Jacksonville Jaguars waits on the field before the start of their game against the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field on September 23, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 3: Defensive end Derek Wolfe #95 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after sacking quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers (not pictured) during a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 3, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 3: Defensive end Derek Wolfe #95 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after sacking quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers (not pictured) during a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 3, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Derek Wolfe, DE, Denver Broncos

2018 stats: 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits

Who’s Derek Wolfe? One of the starters from the Super Bowl 50 winning Denver Broncos defense. Wolfe he’s a bit of a tweener with his 6-5, 284-pound frame, but has seen a lot of success in the NFL as he’s tallied 269 tackles and 26.0 sacks. He’s also familiar with new Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who was his head coach in Denver over the last two seasons.

The 29-year-old is one of the better run stoppers in the NFL but had a down year in 2018. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished the year with a 75.8 grade, good for the 36th in the NFL. However, he was a model of consistency in years prior as he had a grade over 80.0 in all of his seasons both as an edge defender and interior defensive lineman, per PFF.

Why would the Broncos trade him? He’s one of the highest paid players on the Broncos defense with a $10.9 million cap hit, per Over The Cap. John Elway has added talent to the line in recent memory as well in Bradley Chubb. Their recent signings and trades also mean the Broncos won’t have a completely open checkbook anytime soon.

How much would he cost? Due to his cap hit, age, and impending free agent status in 2020, the productive Wolfe won’t be a highly coveted trade target. But, he’d be an upgrade for the Cardinals defensive line that struggled to stop the run in 2018. A fourth in 2019 or 2020 could do the trick. If he were to be traded, the Cardinals would have to pay just $8.5 million in 2019, per Over The Cap.

Home/Cardinals News