Bye Week Trade Ideas and Preps for Cardinals

Last season, Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged that he made a mistake by cancelling the Wednesday practice of the team’s bye week. The team came back flat from the break and it took them three weeks to get back on schedule, so they say.

This year, Kingsbury sees the bye week as a good time for the players to get some much needed rest after playing 2 primetime games in 6 days. However, Kingsbury stressed how important it is for the team to stay focused and to keep its current edge.

Bye Week Priorities:

1. Assessing the current injuries and expected rehabs for RB Kenyan Drake (likely to go on the 3 week IR due to partially torn ankle ligament), DE Zach Allen (ankle), DT Jordan Phillips (hamstring), LB Jordan Hicks (ankle) and LB Isaiah Irving (expected not to return this season due to neck injury—-the great news is that he has full movements in his extremities).
2. Assimilating TE Maxx Williams and S Jalen Thompson back into the lineups, plus newcomers DE Markus Golden and CB Prince Amukamara.
3. Working on improvement areas such as clock management, screen executions, man to man coverage on crossing routes and building on the team’s 4th quarter defensive success and other ways to improve the pass rush—-and most of all, how to do a better job of setting the edge and keeping contain.
4. Suggestion——take a few hours this week to forecast what the team’s prep for the Seahawks in 3 ¹⁄₂ weeks will be based on what they learned from the tape—-plus, take a few hours to plant the seeds as to how the team is going to game plan against the Rams. It’s amazing to me how unprepared the Bears’ defense looked in defending the Rams’ basic plays—-seems like every bootleg Goff ran he was all alone in the flat with an easy chance to pass downfield or run the ball. The Rams outscored the Cardinals 65-34 last year, 64-9 in 2018. and 65-16 in 2017. No Cardinals’ defensive coordinator has yet to devise a competitive game plan versus Sean McVay’s offense, as of yet.

Bye Week Trade Suggestions:

Well, Gambo might be correct—-but—-here are a few trades I am hoping the Cardinals will try to make:

1A. Trade their 2021 1st round pick and 2022 3rd round pick to the New York Jets for DT Quinnen Williams. Williams (69.9 PFF grade) not only is a space eater who keeps linebackers clean, he is a sneaky good interior pass rusher who can shed blocks in a hurry and tackle QBs who try to bolt the pocket. With the recent injuries to Allen, Phillips and Lawrence, DT is an important need. Williams’ versatility will allow Vance Joseph to switch creatively between 5 and 4 man lines. Williams is only 22.

This analysis of Quinnen Williams by Brett Kollmann is outstanding (at least check out the first 4 minutes to see Brett’s breakdown of Quinnen’s lining of his his hands to his feet):

1B. Trade their 2021 1st Round pick to the New York Giants for DT Leonard Williams. If they can’t make a deal for Quinnen, how about this Williams instead? Big Cat Leonard (6-5, 309) has 21 QB pressures and 3 sacks this season (76.5). He’s a 2021 UFA and the Giants may be seeking to build 2021 draft capital. Big Cat is 26.

2A. Trade their 2021 2nd round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for CB Desmond King. King (74.0) is the Budda Baker of CBs—-he’s all over the field and he’s tough as nails. The Chargers could take this offer because King is a 2021 UFA. The Cardinals can have King play man coverage on the likes of Tyler Lockett, Deebo Samuel, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Plus, King is a dynamic return man. If the Cardinals make this deal, then they will make every effort to sign King to a long-term contract.

2B. If they can’t make the trade for Demond King, trade their 2021 5th round pick to the New York Jets for CB Brian Poole. Poole (77.0) was the UFA CB I kept begging the Cardinals to sign this past off-season. He returned to the Jets on a one year. $5M deal and is having another superb season. Poole is quick-footed and feisty. The Cards can match him up on Lockett, Samuel, Woods and Kupp.

3A. Trade their 2022 7th round pick to the the New York Giants for RB Wayne Gallman. Gallman (61.1) has averaged over 4.0 yards per carry as a Giant and is a 2021 UFA. In terms of size (6-0, 209) and running style, he looks quite a bit like Kenyan Drake. He is tough on contact and slippery at the second level.

3B. Trade their 2022 7th round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for RB DeAndre Washington. Washington (76.5 2019 grade) thrived in Kingsbury’s offense at Texas Tech and now that the Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell at RB, Washington should be available via trade.

Hey, Steve Keim, your team had to work overtime to get its superb win over the Seahawks. Here’s hoping that you work overtime this week to add the best possible DT, CB and RB you can. You have a knack for trades—-go for it, GM!

ROTB members—-you like these trades? What other trades do have cooking?