Smoke, fire and the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft

With each day the proverbial smoke gets heavier and heavier.

The Arizona Cardinals allegedly convened today to discuss what they plan to do with the top pick.

Now, the question becomes how does the decision play out and how will they come to an agreement, or who leaves feeling like they got the short end of the stick.

Some notes on smoke right now:

• The Washington Redskins are allegedly out on Josh Rosen at this point, focusing their assets on Dwayne Haskins per Todd McShay.
• If the Cardinals decide to pass on Kyler Murray, the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets are preparing for a bevy of offers from teams. The Cardinals have fielded offers, but some have told me that teams are now moving forward looking to deal with other teams.
• The Jets and Raiders seem like logical fits for Quinnen Williams, but many believe that Ed Oliver could be the pick at three or four, with a player like Williams and Josh Allen falling out of the top five.
• Devin White to the Bucs seems to be the most talked about consensus outside of the Cardinals and Murray.
• There is allegedly an offer on the table from the Chargers that would be for their third round pick and Tyrod Taylor for Josh Rosen.

That leads me to my last point. If the Cardinals are only getting low offers for Josh Rosen, then there are only two reasons.

1. Rosen’s stock is a day two pick, teams don’t see a player worth parting with a first round pick.
2. The Cardinals have painted themselves into a trade corner and teams know it.

The second part is what I am afraid may have happened. Where the Cardinals put so much smoke out that teams just threw their arms up and said... “Fine, we dare you to use the first pick on Kyler Murray.”

So, now the Cardinals can’t trade the first pick and they can’t trade their tenth overall pick quarterback from last year... Or worse, they can make a trade for either one, but for less than normal value.

The Raiders and Giants have put feelers out on the cost to move up if the Cardinals do not take Murray, as I said above. Did the Cardinals overplay their hand if they can’t make a deal to move down and one of the Raiders/Giants do make a move up for Murray to two or three?

We’ll find out soon enough... Which should be fun, because the smoke is getting thick in here.