Arizona Cardinals place the transition tag on Kenyan Drake

The Arizona Cardinals front office will get to match any contract offer that the free agent running back receives this offseason

Back in October, the Arizona Cardinals made a surprising trade. Running back Kenyan Drake was brought to the desert, and proceeded to run roughshod over opposing defenses. On Monday, the Cards front office made sure that the former Miami Dolphin will remain with the club for at least one more season.

Arizona placed the transition tag on Drake during the first day of the NFL’s “tampering” period, a move that was not totally unexpected. By doing so, the team’s management now has the right to match any contract offer that the free agent may receive from another organization. There were those who believed that the year left on former starter David Johnson‘s deal would make retaining Drake difficult, but that issue has been put to rest as well.

Incredibly, the Cardinals were able to send Johnson and his $10.2 million salary to the Houston Texans for the phenomenal DeAndre Hopkins. How general manager Steve Keim was able to acquire such a talented wide receiver for a ball-carrier who’s skills appear to be eroding is anybody’s guess. No disrespect to Johnson, but it appears that the Cards pulled off a highway robbery with this amazing trade.

The fact that the Texans were willing to take on every penny that Johnson will earn in 2020 makes the agreement even sweeter. Arizona now can use the money they were going to have to pay Johnson to keep Drake in the fold. Essentially, the franchise gets to keep the back who was magnificent for them in 2019, and also receives the outstanding Hopkins to boot.

Monday’s maneuvers have cleared the way for Drake to be the Cardinals undisputed starter. The 26-year old’s fantastic play for the squad this past fall earned him the right to that title. Johnson is a great guy both on and off of the field, and Cards fans should wish him nothing but the best when he makes his fresh start with Houston.