Top 3 players the Arizona Cardinals should consider trading

The NFL’s trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Arizona Cardinals have plenty of players they can afford to ship away to pull off a mid-tier trade. 

There are three players the Arizona Cardinals should have no problem placing onto the trade block. Each player listed below could be part of a sensible trade by the November 1st deadline. They possess different niches in the game, while also representing different age groups, and experience levels.

Further, while none of the players listed below are by any means standouts, they are solid puzzle pieces that top contending teams would have no problem giving up a mid-round draft pick and even a solid player or two for. So who would I place onto the trading block? Here are three players of note.

Player #1 – James Conner

Conner can still be a productive player in this league as a short-yardage back. And a contending team in need of one could inquire about his services to see if the Cardinals have any interest in parting ways with the former third-round pick.

Arizona has a younger, and every bit as serviceable back in Eno Benjamin, plus a rookie in Keaontay Ingram to turn to while Darrel Williams resides on IR. Conner is also injury-prone, but if he can go to a team with a strong committee, they may be able to preserve him.

On his own, Conner isn’t worth anything more than a fourth-round pick. But if packaged into a trade with the following players, the Cardinals may get more out of dealing him.

Player #2 – Isaiah Simmons

Simmons helped the Arizona Cardinals score two defensive touchdowns this season, once with a forced fumble that Byron Murphy ran to the house, and again on a pick six. But this has been the story of Simmons’ career: Splash plays. Next to making a splash, he’s been virtually nonexistent and appears to have taken a step back in his third season.

I can see someone overpaying for Simmons simply because of his athletic ability. It’s one of those situations where a general manager looks at his raw talent, and could easily overvalue his actual worth. The Las Vegas Raiders, for example, are a team I could see trading a third-round pick (or higher) for Simmons’ services.

Player #3 – J.J. Watt

I don’t see the Arizona Cardinals trading Watt, but at 33, the potential Hall of Famer may want a chance to win something while he still can. This season alone, Watt has dealt with a calf injury and even a heart issue. He also missed over half of last season with a shoulder injury.

At this point in his career, I doubt anyone will trade anything higher than a fifth-round pick for Watt. But once again, if you packaged him with the likes of Simmons, for example, the Cardinals could easily get more in return.

Look at the names above, and the Cardinals could, at worst, snag a few draft picks, if not trade one serviceable product for a serviceable product at another position, like the offensive line or nose tackle. While none of the above names will pull off a blockbuster, they could warrant some mid-tier value.