Draft prospect will complete Arizona Cardinals offense
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals were ready to spend and be aggressive in free agency and they did not disappoint. The Cardinals provided major upgrades to the offensive line by trading for Rodney Hudson, signing Brian Winters, re-signing Kevin Beachum, and restructuring Justin Pugh.
They went the veteran route on defense by inking prize free agent J.J. Watt and cornerback, Malcolm Butler, while releasing and immediately re-signing Robert Alford. They added A.J. Green to provide a veteran presence at receiver and they are hoping for a bounceback season from the longtime Cincinnati Bengal.
So far, the Cardinals upgraded their offensive line, pass rush, receiver, and cornerback positions. Sure, it may have been wiser to go the youth route, but you can’t take away the experience from any of the players mentioned above, all of whom are capable of contributing at a high level.
It leaves two positions that the Cardinals must focus on: running back and tight end. They can still go with a corner, receiver, or even a lineman in April, but if the Cardinals can trade up and take one of the best pass-catchers in the draft, they can light up the league.
And while the wide receiver class is laden with talent, tight end Kyle Pitts would work wonders for the Cardinals passing game. It’s not a surefire thing that A.J. Green or Christian Kirk can draw attention from DeAndre Hopkins. But Pitts will.
Pitts, who boasted a stellar truncated season in 2020 with 43 catches, 770 yards,12 touchdowns, and 17.9 yards per catch over 8 games in 2020, has proven that he can the NFL’s next big commodity. The guy is built like and possesses the deep threat ability of Hall of Fame wide receiver, Calvin Johnson. Pitts can do more than just line up at tight end, his natural position.
Next. Cardinals should be held to higher standard. dark
Yes, it will cost Steve Keim and the Cardinals a king’s ransom to trade up and snag Pitts, who is a probable top-10 pick. However, given the veteran free agent signings in 2021, it shows the Cardinals are ready to win now. And if they are, they should have no trouble giving up what’s necessary to draft Pitts.