Big news hit Friday afternoon that shakes up the NFL draft next month. The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for receiver D.J. Moore, the Panthers’ first and second-round picks (No. 9 and No. 61 overall), a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025.
It means the Panthers, with the first pick, and the Houston Texans, with the second overall pick, will most certainly take quarterbacks.
That puts the Arizona Cardinals with the third overall pick firmly in focus for trades.
The Cardinals do not need a quarterback and the Indianapolis Colts, who hold the fourth pick, do.
Arizona should receive a number of trade calls.
Teams behind the Cardinals who either will be or could be in play for a quarterback are the Colts at No. 4, the Detroit Lions at No. 6, the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7 and the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8.
The Lions, Raiders or Falcons would need to get ahead of the Colts, and the Colts could feel the need to move up one spot to keep from another team from leapfrogging them.
The Cardinals are open to trading back in the first round, looking to acquire more picks to retool a roster that needs many changes for a new coaching staff.
Whether it is in the weeks leading up to the draft or when the Cardinals are on the clock, a trade seems more likely than before.
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