The Arizona Cardinals should embrace their rebuild by becoming sellers leading up to the Nov. 10 trade deadline. They already shipped Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, but can still flip veterans for additional future draft capital. Veteran edge rusher Josh Sweat is someone in particular who they need more urgency to trade.
Sweat has survived countless trade rumors and was previously disgruntled, requesting a trade after Arizona moved on from Jonathan Gannon. GM Monti Ossenfort shot down trade rumors heading into the season, though it would be wise to re-explore the market after the Cardinals' 2-5 start.
Cardinals need more urgency to trade Josh Sweat before Nov. 10 deadline
Sunday's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys could even be an audition. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, rival teams could see Sweat traded before the deadline, and one NFC executive specifically mentioned the Cowboys as a "profile fit."
However, it's reasonable to expect other teams to be interested in Sweat as well. Any team trading for Sweat would only have to pay him roughly $5 million for the remainder of the season. That makes him an easy player to move for Arizona, and an easy player to acquire for any contender that views him as the piece that puts them over the top.
Long-term, they'd have to consider that Sweat likely would want a new contract. He's in the second year of a four-year, $76 million.
Pass-rush options are already dwindling, with the Indianapolis Colts trading DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears acquiring Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. Any package the Cardinals receive for Sweat would likely fall between Buckner and Simmons in terms of assets surrendered. They're reportedly seeking a high Day 2 pick, according to Johnny Venerable of PHNX Sports. Arizona should even be open to lower offers than that given the urgency to rebuild by dumping veterans such as Sweat.
ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler have Sweat ranked as the No. 3 trade candidate, only behind Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. They give Sweat's chances of getting traded before the deadline at 40 percent. Ideally, it's even higher than that.
Sweat hasn't been the same player as he was last year. He's had a lingering knee injury for basically his entire career. It's just not worth the headache or risk for a rebuilding Cardinals team to keep Sweat past the deadline. Not when they're essentially already out of the NFC West conversation.
While divisional teams like the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers continue to upgrade rosters with win-now trades, the Cardinals need to find a contender with a similar mindset willing to trade a Day 2 pick for Sweat.
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