Is Marquise Brown a Trade Candidate for the Arizona Cardinals?
Through one month of the season, we have learned a lot about the Arizona Cardinals.
Jonathan Gannon has instilled a new vision and a new culture for the birds and it's been a welcome sight to see for fans even though the team sits at 1-3 on the season.
Even in the highs, however, it's important to remember that this is a team in a full rebuild. With a rebuild comes tough decisions, and the Cardinals will likely need to begin looking toward the future and figure out who fits and who doesn't.
One of the players that will be the most polarizing is wide receiver Marquise Brown.
It was just last year that the Cardinals moved a first-round pick to get Brown from the Baltimore Ravens and reunite him with Kyler Murray. Although Brown's first season had its ups and downs, Brown showed the talent and upside that the Cards envisioned when they acquired him.
Brown's fifth-year option was picked up by the Cardinals following the trade and the team has been in wait-and-see mode to figure out if an extension is in the cards for him.
However, the regime that traded for Brown is gone and Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort may not be interested in bringing back Brown beyond this season.
It begs the question as to whether or not Brown will be a trade candidate for the team before the deadline later this year
On the surface, it makes too much sense. Gannon and Ossenfort did not make the move for Brown and it's important that they get their guys into the building rather than forcing others in. Brown could very well be someone who doesn't quite fit.
There's also the fact of the matter that Brown's contract expires after the season. The going rate for receivers is getting higher every year and there's a very real chance that Brown could try for a contract north of $ 20 million per season. Is that something the Cardinals would be interested in doing?
Don't get it twisted; Brown is a very quality player and someone you'd like to keep around. However, the reality is that Brown may not be in the future plans.
Meanwhile, there are several teams who could be in need of some more firepower at wide receiver and Brown is as enticing an option as any other throughout the league. The Cardinals should at a minimum listen to offers being made.
If a team were to offer the Cards a day-two pick in return for Brown it would be difficult to pass up on. The new regime would love nothing more than to keep stacking the cupboard with draft picks to add their own guys and Brown could easily fetch a decent pick.
But if the Cardinals don't believe they can get the value they see in Brown back then it wouldn't be a bad idea to hold on to him. Brown makes the offense tick and provides a veteran presence to the receiver room.
The bottom line is Brown is certainly a trade candidate, however, the details aren't as easy to figure out. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument, but Brown should be near, if not at the top of the list of potential trade candidates for the Cardinals. Thankfully, there is still plenty of time to keep evaluating the situation.
