Arizona Cardinals could trade James Conner before deadline

A solid amount of depth at the running back spot could prompt the Arizona Cardinals to listen to trade offers for James Conner. 

Arizona Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin looked fantastic last week during the team’s 42-34 triumph over the New Orleans Saints. The second-year pro played so well, in fact, that a group of Cards fans believe that the 23-year old should be the starter going forward.

Benjamin was handed a golden opportunity back in Week 5, when number-one ball-carrier James Conner suffered bruised ribs against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 6 foot 1, 233 pound Conner has been sidelined ever since, and his absence from the playing field could prompt Arizona general manager Steve Keim to put his thinking cap on.

Could the emergence of a youngster like Benjamin tempt the Cardinals into seeing what they can get for a veteran like Conner? The NFL’s trade deadline is now just one week away, and it would not be completely surprising to hear that Keim is listening to offers for the 27-year-old Conner.

Arizona Cardinals offense can be just fine without James Conner on the roster

There’s no denying that Conner was nothing short of outstanding last season. The former Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick racked up 1,127 yards from scrimmage and an eye-popping 18 touchdowns for the Redbirds. Conner was rewarded for that impressive production with the second Pro Bowl invitation of his professional career.

Despite that tremendous performance from a year ago, it would not be outlandish to think that the Cards could trade Conner. Doing so would rid the franchise of the remaining portion of the three-year, $21 million contract they handed the Pennsylvania native back in March. It’s looking more and more like the amount of cash that was allocated to Conner could’ve been better spent elsewhere.

Besides Benjamin, Arizona also has three additional backs on the 2022-23 roster. Darrel Williams, a savvy and experienced runner, was playing well until he suffered a knee injury a couple of weeks ago. There’s been no word on when the 27-year-old will be back with the squad, but the fact that he wasn’t placed on the injured-reserve list could be an indication that Williams could soon return.

Another running back that had a fine outing versus the Saints was Keaontay Ingram, a rookie who was a seventh-round selection back in April. Jonathan Ward, a talented contributor who joined the Cardinals in 2020, is also in the mix.

It’s almost a given that Keim will be working the phones for the Cards before the November 1st trade deadline arrives. One has to wonder if Conner will be the subject of any of the conversations that will most likely be taking place over the next seven days or so.

(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)