Arizona Cardinals could trade David Johnson during offseason
By Jim Koch
The former starting running back of the Arizona Cardinals could be traded by the organization during the upcoming offseason
Most observers would have to agree that the trade that brought Kenyan Drake to the Arizona Cardinals looks like a spectacular one. In seven contests, the club’s new starting running back has racked up 583 rushing yards,148 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Drake will be a free agent at the end of the current campaign, but Cards general manager Steve Keim has stated that he’d like the former Miami Dolphin to remain in the desert.
Signing Drake to a multi-year contract could prompt Arizona to cut ties with former starter David Johnson. A trade involving the 28-year old back could very well be on the front office’s offseason agenda. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few teams that could show interest in acquiring the multi-dimensional Johnson.
One organization that could certainly be reaching out to Keim about Johnson is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their head coach, Bruce Arians, was calling the plays for the Cardinals when the third-round draft pick burst onto the scene back in 2015. The Buccaneers would have to decide if Johnson would be an upgrade over their current options, Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber.
Another franchise that could make a play for Johnson is the Kansas City Chiefs. Head coach Andy Reid has been unable to adequately replace Kareem Hunt after he was released in 2018. The Chiefs have attempted to get by with LeSean McCoy, Damien Williams and Darrel Williams, but Johnson would likely be an improvement over any member of that trio.
The Buffalo Bills are a team on the rise who could use a compliment for rookie ball-carrier Devin Singletary. The third-round selection’s backfield partner, 36-year old Frank Gore, could be on his last legs. Johnson would be a fine addition to a Bills group that has made the postseason twice in the last three years.
One more possible suitor for Johnson’s services worth mentioning is the Washington Redskins. Second-year player Derrius Guice can’t seem to stay healthy, and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson will be 35 in March. The Redskins need to acquire some offensive weapons for first-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, so Johnson could certainly turn up on their radar.
It’s probably not realistic to think that the Cards will keep both Johnson and Drake. One of the two will likely be gone. Johnson is the odds-on favorite to be the running back who’s playing elsewhere in 2020.