3 Zach Ertz trades to fuel the Caleb Williams tank

The Arizona Cardinals have almost had us fooled two weeks in a row. Were they really trying to win that game against Washington in Week 1?

How about Week 2, when they went up 20-0 on the New York Giants by halftime? Come on, now.

The Cardinals are gunning for the no. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They're going to look much different in a year, and some of the offseason trades have already established that narrative.

Speaking of trades, if the Cardinals wanted to continue furthering their tank in 2023, in efforts to land top prospect Caleb Williams next year, they could opt to trade yet another veteran in tight end Zach Ertz. Where to? Here are three deals that make sense.

1. The Cardinals could try and assist the slow start by Joe Burrow and company with a Zach Ertz trade

The Bengals have gotten off to an unexpected start at 0-2, and Joe Burrow has not looked comfortable. He hasn't looked like the Burrow we've been used to seeing for a couple of years now. Week 2 saw him finally start putting it together a bit, but the Bengals still dropped their second game in two weeks to start the year.

Burrow has weapons. He has Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. At tight end, it's Irv Smith Jr., who once was a bright prospect. But, getting a sure-handed veteran like Ertz, who is crafty and savvy, could help this team gear up for a postseason run.

In this deal, the Bengals give up a valuable draft pick in the fourth round next year. But, in addition to landing Ertz, Cincinnati also nets a fifth-round pick. Ertz has one year left on his deal after this season, so the Bengals could have him for longer than just this season.