Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade idea that involves the Arizona Cardinals sending edge-rusher Josh Sweat in exchange for a 2027 Day 2 pick. However, he also mentions another possibility: Arizona turns Sweat into Philadelphia's Jalen Carter in a one-for-one swap.
Both are excellent suggestions for Arizona to get off their disgruntled veteran who has previously made it clear that he's not happy. Either route would improve the Cardinals' long-term outlook, which should be the top priority as a rebuilding team that could be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in 2027.
But between the two options, our preference would be the more proven asset in Carter.
Cardinals should take a chance on Jalen Carter
This could be a win-win trade. Sweat doesn't want to be in Arizona, while, as Moton notes, Philadelphia is reluctant to extend Carter. The Eagles picked up Carter's fifth-year option on his rookie deal, though they are debating whether an extension is worth the risk given injury and character concerns.
Given the margin for error Arizona has as a team that doesn't need to win anytime soon, they should be more willing to take on a high-risk, high-reward talent like Carter. The Eagles could swap one defensive piece for another to continue their championship aspirations; the Cardinals can get younger and start building more in the trenches.
It remains to be seen if the Eagles would have interest in Sweat, considering they recently let him walk in free agency just last offseason. But if the Cardinals were able to come away with this deal without adding any draft incentive, it would give them a key building block going forward.
Between the two trades, it seems more realistic that some team out there would be willing to sacrifice a top-100 pick. Still, just because the Cardinals are patiently rebuilding in the desert doesn't mean they should be afraid to target more established players like Carter.
If they do ultimately trade Sweat, it's important that they use it as a lateral move in terms of continuing to address their defense -- whether that's Carter, a future draft pick, or someone else entirely. This was one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season, surrendering 28.7 points per game. Those problems would only get worse with Sweat no longer in the mix, which is fine in the short term as long as they make this trade with a future plan in place.
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