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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Dolphins, Cardinals Discussing Rosen Trade

April 26th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier this week that the Dolphins had spent more time researching Josh Rosen than any other team in the NFL. So this morning’s news shouldn’t be all that surprising; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins and Cardinals continue to discuss a trade for the quarterback. The reporter cautions that nothing is imminent, noting that Arizona isn’t looking to give away last year’s 1oth-overall pick.

Rosen is on the block after the Cardinals used last night’s first-overall pick on quarterback Kyler Murray. After moving on from Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins inked veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their QB in March. Of course, the veteran isn’t a long-term solution at the position, so it’s only natural that Miami would be intrigued by Rosen.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that a trade is a foregone conclusion. The Dolphins could eye a signal-caller during today’s portion of the draft, with Missouri’s Drew Lock being among the best players remaining. They could alternatively hold out and hope that one of next year’s top prospects (a grouping that should be headlined by Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) fall into their lap.

If the Dolphins are indeed focused on acquiring Rosen, it sounds like their competition is dwindling. As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com points out, the Cardinals seemingly lost a pair of Allen suitors last night after the Giants selected Daniel Jones (No. 6) and Washington took Dwayne Haskins (No. 15).

As Gantt writes, teams like the Chargers and Patriots could be matches, but these organizations obviously already have starting quarterbacks. The writer opines that the Cardinals’ best option may be to wait for an injury to occur during training camp.

Cardinals Select Kyler Murray No. 1 Overall

April 25th, 2019 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall selection of the 2019 NFL draft.

Murray, who won the 2018 Heisman Trophy as the NCAA’s best football player, had long been the favorite to go to Arizona at No. 1, but reports in recent weeks — and even recent hours — had suggested other players such as Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams or Ohio State edge defender Nick Bosa could be in contention for the pick. But the Cardinals opted to go with Murray in a franchise-altering move.

Arizona, of course, used a top-10 selection on a quarterback just one year ago, moving up in the first round in order to acquire UCLA’s Josh Rosen. Rosen went on to post one of the worst rookie quarterback seasons of all time, but a porous offensive line, questionable coaching, and a lack of offensive weapons were at least partly to blame. He now appears to be trade bait, although the Cardinals may be in no rush to move him if they don’t find the right deal.

Murray becoming the NFL’s first overall pick would have been unthinkable as recently as the winter, as he’d already been drafted ninth overall by MLB’s Oakland Athletics. After hemming and hawing about his future, Murray in February fully committed to football, and returned the majority of his baseball signing bonus with the hope he’d recoup those lost funds via the NFL. Murray’s first NFL contract should have a total value north of $35MM and will be fully guaranteed.

At 5’10”, Murray becomes the shortest signal-caller drafted in the first round in more than 60 years, but his height was no obstacle during his lone season as the Sooners’ starter. Last year, Murray completed 69% of his passes for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and added another 1,001 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

After adding Murray, the Cardinals now face the tall task of building up their roster around their rookie passer. Offensive line, pass-catcher, and defensive line are just a few areas general manager Steve Keim and new head coach Kliff Kingsbury could target over the remainder of the draft.

Chargers Out On Josh Rosen?

April 25th, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

To many, the Chargers are the most logical destination for Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. Apparently, those in the Chargers front office do not agree. The Chargers had some interest in Rosen at one point, but they are not pursuing a trade at this time, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 

The Bolts are obviously set in 2019 with Philip Rivers as their starting QB, but they need to start thinking about the future as Rivers looks ahead to his 38th birthday. There are some interesting QBs in this year’s draft, but one can’t help but wonder why the Chargers wouldn’t pounce on the opportunity to land last year’s No. 10 overall pick for .40 cents on the dollar.

It’s possible that the Cardinals are still holding out for a first-round pick (unlikely to happen) or a second-round choice (a bit more likely, but still improbable). Hypothetically, a deal involving the Chargers’ No. 60 overall pick near the back of the second round for Rosen and a later-round choice could get the job done, but that would depend on the Chargers’ overall interest in Rosen and the Cardinals’ desperation to sell.

For what it’s worth, some in Arizona feel that Rosen could co-exist with Kyler Murray, if he is indeed the choice at No. 1 overall.

Latest On Cardinals No. 1 NFL Draft Pick

April 25th, 2019 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

With hours to go before the 2019 NFL Draft, the Cardinals’ plans for the No. 1 overall pick remain shrouded in secrecy. Just recently, Cardinals GM Steve Keim reached out to Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to let him know he’s still a possibility to go first overall, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 

At this point, only GM Steve Keim and a few others know the identity of the top pick, Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). It still sounds like Kyler Murray will be the pick, but no one knows for sure, especially since there have been no trade talks surrounding Josh Rosen at this time.

Further complicating matters is a split of opinions in the Arizona front office about whether Rosen and Murray could co-exist on the roster together. One team source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the situation would not work after Rosen was selected to be Arizona’s QB of the future just one year ago. Another team source, however, feels that it could work.

Stay tuned.

Josh Rosen Is Unaware Of Cardinals’ Plans

April 25th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Rory Parks

If the Cardinals select quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick tonight, as most expect, then Josh Rosen will almost certainly be traded, either during the draft or after. His trade market has been fluctuating quite a bit recently, but Arizona will likely be able to get a decent return from some team that misses out on a collegiate signal-caller over the next several days.

But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Rosen himself remains in the dark. The team has given him no indication one way or another as to what it intends to do tonight, which would create a rather uncomfortable situation if Murray is not the pick.

If the Cardinals don’t take Murray, they will have to do a lot of work to mend fences and repair their relationship with a player that just one year ago was deemed their franchise quarterback. The same will hold true if they draft Murray and, for one reason or another, keep Rosen on the roster. Rosen has already admitted that he is frustrated by the situation, which is certainly understandable.

All of that makes it more likely, in Florio’s view, that the Cardinals will indeed take Murray tonight and will trade Rosen in the very near future. Rosen just doesn’t know that yet.

Redskins Not Interested In Josh Rosen?

April 24th, 2019 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

Previously, we heard that the Redskins have cooled on Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. Now, it sounds like they could be out of the chase entirely. The Redskins do not have any plans to trade with the Cards, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Somehow, the market for last year’s No. 10 overall pick seems rather soft, even though there are several teams in need of a promising young quarterback. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than anyone else, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would be willing to fork over a first or even second-round pick for the UCLA product.

The Cardinals could be hours away from selecting Kyler Murray as their quarterback of the future, but they haven’t been active in trade talks on Rosen recently. That could support word that the Cardinals are comfortable with keeping Rosen on the roster until they get the right offer, even if Murray is the pick. It could also be an indication that the Cardinals are ready to take a defender with the No. 1 choice, though that would be a shock to many.

The Chargers and Giants have also checked in on Rosen, though the G-Men have the draft ammo necessary to get a rookie QB of their own. That could leave the Chargers – who pick at No. 28 overall – as the more likely landing spot for Rosen.

Robert Nkemdiche Drawing Trade Interest; Cards To Be Patient With Josh Rosen Trade

April 23rd, 2019 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Parks
  • Assuming the Cardinals draft Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expects the club to be patient with a Josh Rosen trade (Twitter link). If they cannot get fair value for Rosen prior to the draft, the Cards could wait until after a few signal-callers come off the board and QB-needy teams start to get a little anxious. We heard earlier today that Arizona is still undecided as to what it will do with the first pick in the draft, but if the Cardinals don’t nab Murray, it would be a major surprise.

The Seahawks and Chiefs agreed to a blockbuster trade earlier today that will send Frank Clark to Kansas City. And as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the veteran trade market is expected to remain hot this week. Breer says that rival clubs are “keeping an eye” on Cardinals‘ DL Robert Nkemdiche, and given that Nkemdiche suffered a torn ACL in December, it’s possible that he could be had for minimal compensation. He has battled injuries throughout his career and has not really lived up to his potential when on the field, but as a former first-round pick who won’t turn 25 until the regular season starts, it makes sense that he would draw some interest. He did post 4.5 sacks in 10 games (six starts) last year.

Tension Between Cardinals, Patrick Peterson?

April 23rd, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

There could be trouble brewing in Arizona. Apparently, cornerback Patrick Peterson is not happy with the Cardinals after someone in the front office said something that “pissed him off,” Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets. Meanwhile, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets that Peterson is disappointed with some of the decisions being made by the club’s front office. Weinfuss adds that Peterson is unlikely to report to the team’s minicamp the rest of the week.

This might help to explain Tuesday morning rumors of a pending Peterson trade, though Somers’ source says the situation is not “that big of a deal..yet.” In any event, it’s a situation worth monitoring.

When it comes to trade buzz, this isn’t P2’s first rodeo. He demanded a deal in 2018, though he apologized for his trade request in January and said he’s in Arizona “to stay.”

The Cardinals were 1-6 when P2 originally made his request last year and ultimately finished with a 3-13 record, their worst mark during Peterson’s eight-year run in the desert. Teams like the Saints and Eagles were reportedly interested in acquiring Peterson, but he rescinded his trade demand only two days after making it.

Peterson, a three-time first-team All Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, is signed through the 2020 campaign thanks to the five-year, $70MM+ extension he inked with the club in 2014. He’s slated to carry cap numbers of $11.9MM and $13.184MM in each of the next two seasons.

Last year, Peterson extended his games played/started streak to 128 and tallied two interceptions, five pass deflections, one sack, and 54 tackles. He earned his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl nod and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 ranked CB in the NFL, edging out Jason McCourty, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Prince Amukamara, and Jonathan Joseph. Only Stephon Gilmore, Desmond King II, Chris Harris Jr., and Levi Wallace placed ahead of him.

Latest On Cardinals, Josh Rosen

April 23rd, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen could be displaced by the selection of Kyler Murray on Thursday, but its anyone’s guess as to what will actually happen. There’s no consistent word on what the Cardinals will do at No. 1 overall, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears and the club has not made any recent trade calls centered around Rosen. 

Every week, there seems to be a new contender (or, another team dropping out) of the Rosen market. Early on, the Giants seemed to have their sights set on Rosen as an heir to Eli Manning. Then, the Redskins were heavily connected to the UCLA product, but they’ve since cooled on him. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than any other team in the league, which may make them the leader in the clubhouse.

Still, it’s not clear whether any club will offer more than a third-round pick for last year’s No. 10 overall selection. It’s also not clear whether Arizona is willing to take pennies on the dollar for the young QB.

Cardinals View Bosa As 'Generational' Talent

April 22nd, 2019 at 8:11pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Adding some intrigue to the Cardinals‘ situation: they believe Bosa is a generational prospect. While King still has them selecting Kyler Murray at No. 1, the report they are not totally committed to this yet — despite just about everything we’ve heard in recent weeks — is a bit more interesting. Bosa visited the Cardinals earlier this month and would obviously fill the team’s need opposite Chandler Jones.
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