Arizona Cardinals elect to stand pat at the 2022 NFL trade deadline
By Jim Koch
The signing of Kamu Grugier-Hill will do little to satisfy the fans who wanted the Arizona Cardinals front office to do more.
The Arizona Cardinals were unusually quiet this year as the NFL’s November 1st trade deadline came and went. Steve Keim has been a wheeler and a dealer in the not-to-distant past, but the club’s general manager elected to nothing this time around.
Well, that’s not exactly true. The Cards did sign Kamu Grugier-Hill, a linebacker who had asked to be released from the Houston Texans back on October 26th. Unfortunately, the acquisition will do little to satisfy a fanbase who wanted Keim and the Cardinals to make a much bigger splash.
Though there was room for improvement, Arizona is going to roll with the roster that Keim built during the offseason. But just for fun, let’s take a look at some of the talented players who the front office ultimately decided to take a pass on.
Several players who were dealt could’ve improved the Arizona Cardinals
The grand prize of the 2022 trade deadline was Bradley Chubb, the highly-coveted pass-rusher from the Denver Broncos. How fantastic would it have been if the Cards had added the 26-year old to a defense that has generated very little pressure from the edge? The first-round draft pick that the Miami Dolphins included in the package to acquire Chubb was probably a bit too steep for the Cardinals organization to part ways with.
Back on October 26th, the Philadelphia Eagles sent a fourth-round draft choice to the Chicago Bears for edge-rusher Robert Quinn. The 6 foot 4, 245 pounder racked up an eye-popping 18.5 sacks last season, but it remains to be seen if the 32-year-old Quinn has anything left in the tank.
Arizona has had trouble stopping the run over the past eight games, and 30-year-old Jonathan Hankins would have been a fine remedy for that frustrating problem. The Dallas Cowboys managed to pry the 6 foot 3, 340 pounder away from the Las Vegas Raiders for the low, low price of a sixth-round pick.
The one trade that could really have a negative effect on the Cards and the rest of the NFC West involves Christian McCaffrey, the explosive running back who was obtained by the San Francisco 49ers back on October 21st. The 2019 Pro Bowler was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after he ran for, threw for and was on the receiving end of a touchdown during a 49ers victory over the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday.
In all fairness, Arizona did pluck wide receiver Robbie Anderson away from the Carolina Panthers back on October 17th. It’s hard to get excited about a wideout, however, who has yet to catch a pass in his two appearances for the Redbirds thus far.
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Like it or not, Keim appears to be happy with the way that the squad is constructed. The two-time NFL Executive of the Year obviously felt that reinforcements weren’t needed. Only time will tell if the current allotment of players will be enough to get the Cardinals to the playoffs for a second-consecutive season.
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