Want to give your fanbase hope? It may be time the Cardinals swing for the fences in the NFL Draft

The Cardinals have fallen hard. They are a franchise in serious need of sizzle, juice and oomph.

Selecting arguably the best player (Jeremiyah Love) and the second-best quarterback (Ty Simpson) on the opening night of the NFL Draft Thursday would steal headlines and send shock waves through the league. It would make the Cardinals instantly relevant in the Valley, reeling in all those season ticket holders who swore they were done forever.

Does our forgotten football franchise have the moxie for such fireworks?

If the Cardinals remain at No. 3, whomever they draft will earn an estimated $50.5 million over the span of four years, including a $30 million signing bonus. That’s a lot of money to commit to a running back, which is no longer considered a premium position in the NFL, especially when Tyler Allgeier, James Conner and Trey Benson are also on the roster.

Meanwhile, Simpson is not a sure thing.

Questions are abundant, from inexperience to size. But there would be great synergy in drafting the two in tandem; adding to a core that already features Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. It would be a great way to streamline the debut season of Mike LaFleur, who is an offensive-minded head coach and the team’s new play caller.

If Love is a generational talent, then his salary will not be an issue.

History shows great running backs do not need great offensive lines to succeed, with Walter Payton and Barry Sanders at the top of the list. Love has elite speed; scored 21 touchdowns; and forced 56 missed tackles at Notre Dame last season. He went 495 career touches without a fumble. He is the type of running back that often lifts mediocre offensive linemen to another level.

There’s a chance the Cardinals are bluffing, creating billowing smokescreens because they are desperate to trade down and out of the No. 3 spot in the draft, where the price tag is far too high for a potential right tackle. And the media narrative that’s being spun is highly believable, that Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill is suddenly pushing for the acquisition of Love, knowing it would fire up an angry, increasingly apathetic fan base. Pair him with Simpson, and it would buy more time for everyone.

To their credit, the Cardinals are known to think out of the box during the NFL Draft. They once concocted a plan to build a defense around two hulking linebackers (it failed miserably). They also drafted a quarterback with a top 10 pick in consecutive years, taking a fly swatter to conventional wisdom.

If I were an opposing GM, I would very much believe that Love is in play at No. 3.

But maybe the question isn’t whether the Cardinals can afford to draft a running back and a quarterback in the first round when there are so many other pressing needs. Because general manager Monti Ossenfort has already had 28 draft picks in three years, and there is no patience left for another patient year of rebuilding, followed by another year of last-place football.

After all, a fan base is nothing without hope. It’s time to give the people what they want.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

Related

A financial perspective if the Cardinals draft Jeremiyah LoveOne red flag for each of the Arizona Cardinals' potential draft targetsSchefter: 'Growing chatter' in NFL that Cardinals could draft RB Jeremiyah LoveCardinals drop clues on NFL Draft thinking, including at QBLarry Fitzgerald’s bond with Kurt Warner helped craft legendary Cardinals careerDiamondbacks will not be defined by tepid trade deadline