Recent news implies Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will not play without a new contract for the 2022 NFL Season.
The Arizona Cardinals kept a solid core group of players this offseason, having recently brought back another in the serviceable A.J. Green. So if quarterback Kyler Murray makes good on his threats and ends up sitting out the season, this team is going nowhere with backup Colt McCoy.
While Murray may say he wants to stay in Arizona, the Cardinals really have no reason to sign him to a record deal or a long-term extension. In his three seasons with the Cardinals, Murray, despite Rookie of the Year honors and two Pro Bowls, has underperformed, leading the Cardinals to zero division titles and zero playoff wins.
You can put up exciting numbers all you want, but Murray, like his head coach, has hit a wall for three straight seasons. He has never thrown for over 26 touchdowns in a single season, and injuries are also taking their toll. In short, Murray is nothing more than a mid-tier quarterback who is overrated because of his dual-threat ability.
So who should the Cardinals consider trading Kyler Murray to, and who should be their top target to replace him? The Cardinals could draft a quarterback, or they could trade for one specific quarterback. In the following slides, we will explore the issues.
Who should the Cardinals trade with?
The Detroit Lions stick out more than any other team. With multiple first-round picks, the Lions would be more than willing to give up draft capital for who they may believe is a marquee quarterback.
Despite Kyler Murray‘s inconsistencies, he will cause a lot of excitement over in the Motor City, even if the Lions were to give up the second overall pick to snag him.
Murray still has credentials most quarterbacks his age don’t have, even if Pro Bowl berths are little more than popularity contests.
Despite Murray’s marginal overall performance, he would still be an upgrade over Jared Goff. And no, I am not implying the Cardinals should trade for Goff. There is another quarterback who is NFL Comeback Player of the Year material that Arizona should consider.
Who should the Cardinals trade for?
If the Cardinals trade Kyler Murray, they must trade for Baker Mayfield. Now, before you castigate me, hear me out on this one.
There is no quarterback in the NFL today, at this moment, with more to prove than Mayfield. The Cleveland Browns’ disgruntled former franchise player was correct in telling the media the franchise outright lied to him before they pursued Deshaun Watson. And Mayfield won’t be satisfied until he proves Cleveland wrong.
Wherever Mayfield goes, he is going to be a successful player. Don’t expect him to be another Sam Darnold or Carson Wentz, who, despite their moments, fell flat on their faces. Mayfield plays with an edge neither Darnold nor Wentz possesses.
And the Cardinals have an offense built to succeed around Mayfield. They have two great tight ends in Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams. Rondale Moore could be a great underneath player, and DeAndre Hopkins, if healthy, can catch everything.
Mayfield has a plethora of skill position players he didn’t have in Cleveland. And that will make a huge difference.
Who should the Cardinals draft in 2022?
Suppose the Cardinals have enough of Kyler Murray’s antics and admit yet another mistake by trading him away, this time for viable draft capital, but Baker Mayfield is off the table. Therefore, they will turn to the NFL Draft to select another signal-caller.
Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis are the biggest names. But to be honest, Pickett is a one-year wonder, and Willis is another gimmicky quarterback who will be out of the league in five seasons. Matt Corral is the best quarterback in this draft, and if the Cardinals were to trade Murray for at least the second overall pick, they need to use it on Corral.
Corral plays with swag and has a Brett Favre-like mentality. While some may cringe at his 14 interceptions in 2020, it’s also worth noting that 11 of them came in two games. That said, in 21 of Corral’s final 23 college games, he has just eight interceptions, and 45 touchdown passes.
The former Ole Miss product also boasts experience with 37 college starts. And over his past two seasons, he has a 70.9 and 67.7 completion percentage.