Here are some exceprts from another interesting article by Scott Bordow in the Athletic:
...dave
... [T]here was some chatter once the workouts were concluded. Here’s what we’re hearing:
Dream Weaver
Any chance the Cardinals had of Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons falling into their lap at No. 8 probably ended with Simmons’ otherworldly performance at the combine. ... Arizona could attempt to sign an edge rusher in free agency, but... the price tag on the few quality pass rushers available might be inflated beyond what the Cardinals want to pay.
One name I’ve heard as a possibility with their second-round pick (No. 40 overall) is Boise State’s Curtis Weaver....
Another option at No. 40 is Michigan’s Josh Uche....
... t makes sense to grab either a wide receiver or offensive tackle in the first round and then find Jones’ partner at No. 40. A player such as Weaver or Uche would replace Reddick, who might be on his way out of Arizona after the 2020 season and allow Arizona to devote a big chunk of its cap space to improving the defensive line.
Derek Wolfe
One free agent linked to the Cardinals is 30-year-old defensive end Derek Wolfe. ... One note of caution is Wolfe’s injury history. He’s played 16 games just three times in his nine-year career.
Draft capital
... [P]eople around the league believe the Cardinals could trade out of the No. 8 pick.
Arizona currently has just six picks in the draft (it’s not expected to receive any compensatory selections). Most mock drafts, including the latest by Brugler, have the first wide receiver going off the board at either No. 11 or 12. The New York Jets, who own the No. 11 pick, desperately want an elite left tackle to protect quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Cardinals could trade down to No. 11, still have a choice of Lamb, Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs III and add two picks, say second- and fifth-round selections.
Drake's price tag
... [C]hatter in Indianapolis was that the Cardinals are reluctant to pay Drake more than $5 million per year or give him a four-year deal. The market for Drake might have been set when the Los Angeles Chargers re-signed running back Austin Ekeler to a four-year deal worth $24.5 million, with $15 million guaranteed.
Also, reading into comments by Keim and Kingsbury, the Cardinals may believe they can get by with a motivated David Johnson, Chase Edmonds and a rookie mid-round selection.
Trent Williams
... It’s unlikely, however, that Arizona winds up with Williams.
Williams reportedly is seeking a new contract worth around $18 million per season. The Cardinals recently signed left tackle D.J. Humphries to a three-year, $45 million deal, and Keim said Humphries became one of the better left tackles in the game last season. It’s hard to imagine Arizona paying a tackle $12.5 million, Humphries’ salary in 2020, to play on the right side.
Also, trading their second-round pick, No. 40 overall, for a soon-to-be 32-year-old tackle who wants a monster deal makes little sense.
Lamb, Jeudy or Ruggs
... If the draft were being held today, Lamb likely would be the pick. He has two things going for him that Jeudy and Ruggs don’t: He’s already familiar with Kingsbury’s offense because Oklahoma ran a similar scheme, and former Sooners teammate Kyler Murray is on his side.
Pleasing your franchise quarterback — as long as the Cardinals have a similar grade for all three wideouts — isn’t a bad thing.
...dave
