The trade offer that the Arizona Cardinals shouldn’t refuse

There’s one potential draft-day trade partner that the Arizona Cardinals’ Steve Keim should be keeping an open dialogue with

The 2018 campaign was an absolute nightmare for the Arizona Cardinals. Fans of the club had to suffer through a season that produced just three victories. One good thing did emerge from a year filled with misery, however.

Finishing with the worst record in the league allowed the Cardinals to obtain the NFL draft’s number-one selection. It’s a prized possession that could potentially do wonders for the organization. In fact, if he plays his cards right, Arizona general manager Steve Keim could parlay the pick into a king’s ransom for the franchise.

All of the draft-day scenarios have been discussed over the last few months. The most popular opinion out there, of course, is that the Cards will take Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first-overall choice. Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams are also considered to be candidates for the honor.

While all three of those prospects have their supporters, there’s also another route that the Cardinals could take with the valuable selection. That storyline involves a trade with the Oakland Raiders, a team that is reportedly infatuated with Murray. Taking that tidbit into consideration, Keim would be smart to keep the “Silver and Black” on speed dial until the draft finally commences on April 25th.

The Raiders, quite frankly, have the most to offer Arizona for the opportunity to land Murray. Their first-year general manager, Mike Mayock, has three first-round picks (#4,24,27) at his disposal. Bargaining chips that could be used to nab the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner for head coach Jon Gruden.

For starters, the fourth-overall choice would have to be included in any deal between the Cards and Oakland. Trading back three slots could still possibly allow Keim to draft Williams, a defender who many have rated as the best player of the 2019 pool. An alternative for the Cardinals at the spot could be an outstanding sack specialist, either Bosa or Kentucky’s Josh Allen.

The Raiders’ 24th or 27th pick, or potentially even both, would also likely be included in a trade. There would be many possibilities for Arizona at that point of the draft, considering the fact that there are many roster holes that need to be filled. Talented performers like CB Greedy Williams, WR N’Keal Harry, G Chris Lindstrom, and DT Jeffery Simmons could all be available during the latter part of round one.

There’s also a rumor circulating that Mayock could include Oakland’s first-round choice from a year ago in an agreement with the Cards. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller, the 15th-overall selection of 2018, started all 16 games as a rookie for the Raiders. The former UCLA Bruin struggled a bit during his first campaign, but many believe that he’ll eventually be a solid contributor in the NFL.

It’s no secret that the Cardinals need a ton of help. Moving down in the opening round to acquire extra picks makes a lot of sense for Keim and company. Perhaps the Raiders will end up being the draft-day trade partner that Arizona will need to make that happen.