DAN BICKLEY

Call it robbery: Cardinals hit home run with trade, pick of QB Josh Rosen

Apr 26, 2018, 9:20 PM | Updated: Apr 27, 2018, 11:32 am

UCLA's Josh Rosen, right, gestures next to commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the A...

UCLA's Josh Rosen, right, gestures next to commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

In the NFL, the right quarterback rarely comes at a bargain price.

For the second time in five years, Cardinals have pulled off an impossible heist. An 8-8 team entered the draft with the 15th pick yet somehow snagged former UCLA star Josh Rosen in the first round, sacrificing very little in return.

We should all credit general manager Steve Keim for hitting a home run at a pivotal moment in franchise history. Except that would be an understatement.

He hit a grand slam. With the bases empty.

“When you watch him on film, he was the most pure passer in the draft coming out this year,” Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.  “The guy, he’s a true leader. When you see him at the (NFL) Combine, we had him in the room, (and) the guy took control. I just love the way he demands and commands the room.”

Rosen is a gifted quarterback with mammoth intelligence. His intellectual energy has been too often framed as liability, troubling NFL types who prefer subservience and young players who wouldn’t dare question authority.

That says more about the narrow-minded culture of NFL coaches than it does about the Cardinals’ newest quarterback.

And at a position where brain cells make all the difference, Rosen’s greatest asset can’t be taught or overstated.

In recent weeks, Rosen has spent considerable time challenging lazy perceptions about his family’s affluence, his commitment to football, his love for the game and those who believe that he’s Jay Cutler 2.0. To the contrary, most of his red flags are cause for celebration. And nothing reflects the brilliance of the Cardinals’ first-round pick more than this:

“I’m the best quarterback in the draft,” Rosen told ESPN before the draft. “A lot of guys are flashier, but I think I’m the most efficient, monotonously consistent QB in the draft. (Aaron) Rodgers has some flair, but if you watch Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees … there’s nothing explosive or Johnny Manziel-like. It’s just quarterbacking.”

In other words, if you’re smart enough to read complex defenses, make the right decisions under pressure and deliver the football to the proper receiver, the most arduous profession in professional sports isn’t so overwhelming. Rosen is one of those rare guys who can make it look easy because of what’s between his ears, just like Kurt Warner.

Start with the premise that NFL quarterbacks are forced to live inside a paradox, accepting a strange duality. They must be great leaders and great followers, inspiring their teammates while appeasing and serving their coaches. But those who intellectually challenge their superiors are the ones who cultivate the most loyalty from the men who share a huddle. Their credibility transcends the norm because nothing they say or do is without explanation or full conviction.

Consider this gem from Rosen in 2016:

“The NFL should be more worried about pensions than CTE,” Rosen once said. “In the NFL, when you have guys run into each other head-on, full speed, (stuff) is going to happen. But at least they’re getting paid millions of dollars.

“In college, they’ve been running head-to-head into each other for what, an education? You see the irony? That’s what you’re supposed to be using your head for, an education.”

Rosen will soon become one of the most interesting, quotable athletes in the Valley. He will learn fast, absorbing schemes and strategy at a pace that will shame most rookies selected in 2018. He will be the Cardinals’ second-best quarterback by Thanksgiving. He represents the team’s best draft-day gift since Dennis Green ran to the podium to select Matt Leinart 12 years ago.

While he’s been saying all the right things lately, Rosen will have to prove his commitment on the sidelines, the film room and the practice field. But I trust him far more than Leinart, the former USC quarterback who loved celebrity more than football.

And so, with one bold stroke, Keim has checked many boxes. He finally drafted his franchise quarterback. All that time spent waiting and kicking a can down the road turned out to be a blessing in disguise, producing a player and a moment that has electrified the fan base. Suddenly, all those ominous predictions attached to the Cardinals in 2018 don’t seem to matter much, not when the future trumps the present.

Keim has worked this magic before. Shortly after taking the job in 2013, he rejected the handpicked quarterback of Bruce Arians, who imported Drew Stanton as his designated starter. He followed up by fleecing the Raiders for Carson Palmer, who spearheaded one of the most entertaining eras in team history.

For an encore, he robbed the Raiders once again. As Rosen inexplicably dropped in value, the Cardinals seized the moment. They atoned for lessons learned in 2017, when two teams jumped ahead of Arizona to select Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. They struck a deal for Rosen for pocket change and pennies on the dollar, giving up their own first-round pick, along with third- and fifth-round selections (the 79th and 152nd picks overall). They relinquished assets that don’t matter, that could never approach the upside of their new quarterback.

Most GMs forced into a position of weakness end up taking wild gambles. They eventually buy time with their quarterback of choosing, painfully aware that ensuing failure could spell the end of their careers.

It’s a different story in Arizona. No matter what Rosen accomplishes as a NFL quarterback, the Cardinals have already won this deal and this draft.

Maybe even a Super Bowl in the near future.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@bonneville.com.  Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

Presented By
Western Governors University
Iowa's Josh Jackson greets fans after Jackson was selected by the Green Bay Packers during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, and former player Merton Hanks walk off the stage after announcing Washington's Dante Pettis as the San Francisco 49ers' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Nate Burleson announces Auburn's Kerryon Johnson as the Detroit Lions' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, left, and Commissioner Roger Goodell walk off the stage after Brown announced Georgia's Nick Chubb as a Cleveland Browns second-round pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Ronde Barber walks off the stage after announcing Southern California's Ronald Jones as the New York Giants' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former Green Bay Packers player Jerry Kramer, left, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, pose with Iowa's Josh Jackson after Jackson was selected by the Packers during the second round of the football league's draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Ronde Barber announces Southern California's Ronald Jones as the New York Giants' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pittsburgh Steelers first-round NFL football draft pick Terrell Edmunds, right, shakes hands with coach Mike Tomlin after a news conference at the team's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich) Pittsburgh Steelers first-round NFL football draft pick Terrell Edmunds, left, and owner Art Rooney II hold up a jersey after a news conference at the team's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich) Joseph Addai, left, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, announce Auburn's Braden Smith as as a selection by the Indianapolis Colts during the second round of the football league's draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, left, first-round NFL football draft pick Terrell Edmunds, center, and owner Art Rooney II hold up a jersey after a news conference at the team's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich) Prof Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary, left, greets NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as Singletary announces the Chicago Bears' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. The Bears selected Iowa's James Daniels. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former Green Bay Packers player Jerry Kramer, left, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, pose with Iowa's Josh Jackson after Jackson was selected by the football team during the second round of the draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams announces Texas A&M's Christian Kirk as the Arizona Cardinals' selection during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Priest Holmes announces Mississippi's Breeland Speaks as the Kansas City Chiefs' selection during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Denver Broncos player Stephen Atwater walk off the stage after announcing SMU's Courtland Sutton as the Broncos' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pittsburgh Steelers first-round NFL football draft pick Terrell Edmunds holds up a jersey after a news conference at the team's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich) ) Dallas Cowboys fans cheer during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former player Stephen Atwater walk off the stage after announcing SMU's Courtland Sutton as the Denver Broncos pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Vince Young walks off the stage after announcing Boston College's Harold Landry as the Tennessee Titans' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former New York Giants player Justin Tuck announces UTEP's Will Hernandez as the team's selection during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former New York Giants player Justin Tuck, left, makes his team's selection as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, applauds during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. The Giants selected UTEP's Will Hernandez. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, left, announces Austin Corbett as the Cleveland Browns' selection during the second round of the draft, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell applauds, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former player Vince Young announces Boston College's Harold Landry as the Tennessee Titans' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, walks out with former player Dwight Stephenson to announce Penn State's Mike Gesicki as the Miami Dolphins' pick during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Former Philadelphia Eagles player David Akers announces South Dakota State's Dallas Goedert as the Eagles' selection during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Texas' Connor Williams celebrates after being selected by the Dallas Cowboys during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Fans pose for a photo at the Minnesota Vikings' NFL football draft party Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP) Washington's Vita Vea walks onto the stage after being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Washington's Vita Vea, right, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell poses with a fan after Da'Ron Payne was selected by the Washington Redskins during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Minnesota Vikings fan T.J. Day attends the NFL football team's draft party Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP) Former Minnesota Viking Randall McDaniel signs autographs at the team's NFL football draft party Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents UCLA's Kolton Miller with his Oakland Raiders jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents UTEP's Marcus Davenport with his New Orleans Saints jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) UTEP's Marcus Davenport walks onto the stage after being selected by the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) UCLA's Kolton Miller poses with his Oakland Raiders jersey after being selected by the team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds with a Buffalo Bills jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds poses with his Buffalo Bills jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, watches as Louisville's Jaire Alexander celebrates after being selected by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) UCLA's Kolton Miller, center, celebrates with Oakland Raiders fans after being selected by the team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Florida State's Derwin James with his Los Angeles Chargers jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Boise State's Leighton Vander Esch with his Dallas Cowboys team jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, center left, presents Boise State's Leighton Vander Esch with his Dallas Cowboys team jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Florida State's Derwin James with his Los Angeles Chargers jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) People wait for coverage of the NFL football draft to begin, at a bar in Laramie, Wyo., Thursday, April 26, 2018. The Buffalo Bills selected Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh pick. (Shannon Broderick/Laramie Boomerang via AP) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents UCLA's Josh Rosen with his Arizona Cardinals jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A person watching television coverage of the NFL football draft at a bar in Laramie, Wyo., gives a thumbs-down after Baker Mayfield was announced as the first pick, selected by the Cleveland Browns, in the draft Thursday, April 26, 2018. (Shannon Broderick/Laramie Boomerang via AP) Boise State's Leighton Vander Esch walks onto the stage after being selected by the Dallas Cowboys during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Minnesota Vikings' Xavier Rhodes celebrates with fan Ciana Devange of Trophy Club, Texas, as they watch the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Louisville's Jaire Alexander, right, celebrates next to commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Louisville's Jaire Alexander celebrates after being selected by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, poses with a fan after the Cincinnati Bengals selected Billy Price during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell presents Penn State's Saquon Barkley with his New York Giants jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Louisville's Jaire Alexander with his Green Bay Packers jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) In this general overall view of AT&T Stadium, Georgia's Roquan Smith is shown on the video screen after being selected by the Chicago Bears during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) This general, overall view shows AT&T Stadium during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, poses with a fan after the Detroit Lions selected Frank Ragnow during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) UTSA's Marcus Davenport, center, celebrates by taking a selfie with New Orleans Saints fans after being selected by the team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds, center left, celebrates with fans after being selected by the Buffalo Bills during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, greets Ohio State's Denzel Ward after Ward was picked by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Southern California's Sam Darnold with his New York Jets jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Fans celebrate with UCLA's Josh Rosen, center right, after Rosen was selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) UCLA's Josh Rosen, right, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) UCLA's Josh Rosen, right, gestures next to commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Wyoming's Josh Allen, center, takes a selfie of himself with Buffalo Bills fans after being selected by the team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb, center left, greets fans after being selected by the Denver Broncos during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey is shown on the screen at AT&T Stadium after being selected by the San Francisco Forty Niners during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Georgia's Roquan Smith with his Chicago Bears jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) USC's Sam Darnold takes a selfie as he poses with fans after being elected by the New York Jets during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Wyoming's Josh Allen, left, is presented with his Buffalo Bills jersey by Commissioner Roger Goodell during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Edit by Arizona Sports (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) USC's Sam Darnold is shown on the video screen after being selected by the New York Jets during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at the podium after the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield as their pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Penn State's Saquon Barkley greets commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage after being selected by the New York Giants during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Wyoming's Josh Allen walks onto the stage after being selected by the Buffalo Bills during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Wyoming's Josh Allen poses with his Buffalo Bills jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) USC's Sam Darnold is shown on the video screen as he is greeted on stage by Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked by the New York Jets during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the Cleveland Browns selection of Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Penn State's Saquon Barkley, right, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Giants during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Ohio State's Denzel Ward poses with his Cleveland Browns jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Wyoming's Josh Allen, left, is presented with his Buffalo Bills jersey by Commissioner Roger Goodell during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) A fan poses with a team jersey and Commissioner Roger Goodell after Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey was selected by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents Georgia's Roquan Smith with his Chicago Bears jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey is shown on the screen at AT&T Stadium after being selected by the San Francisco Forty Niners during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Ohio State's Denzel Ward, right, poses with Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Penn State's Saquon Barkley, right, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Giants during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, greets USC's Sam Darnold after he was selected by the New York Jets during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, poses with North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb after Chubb was selected by the Denver Broncos during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Prospects in attendance stand on stage at the start of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Penn State's Saquon Barkley poses after being selected by the New York Giants during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) USC's Sam Darnold, right, poses for photos with commissioner Roger Goodell after he was selected by the New York Jets during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Penn State's Saquon Barkley, right, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Giants during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Cleveland Browns fans react to Ohio State's Denzel Ward being selected by their team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, poses with North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb after Chubb was selected by the Denver Broncos during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb, center left, greets fans after being selected by the Denver Broncos during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) Wyoming's Josh Allen, center, takes a selfie of himself with Buffalo Bills fans after being selected by the team during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Dan Bickley

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and General Manager Mike Hazen celebrate in the Chase Fi...

Dan Bickley

GM Hazen, manager Lovullo can enjoy mutual catharsis following D-backs winning season

With one always battling for his job and the other who supported his wife while she was battling cancer, the great season must be catharsis.

5 hours ago

Presented By...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Bickley Blast: Why Arizona fans should be optimistic after weekend of Cardinals, Diamondbacks losses

It was a weekend of losses for sports teams across the Valley, including Team U.S.A. in the Ryder Cup, but Dan Bickley explains why Arizona sports fans should be optimistic heading into a new week. Video: Felisa Cárdenas/Arizona Sports Presented By

11 hours ago

Jonathan Gannon runs off the field...

Dan Bickley

Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals earning respect even in defeat

For a guy with one victory as an NFL head coach, Jonathan Gannon is enjoying a lengthy honeymoon in Arizona. He deserves it.

1 day ago

Joshua Dobbs #9 of the Arizona Cardinals on the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys  at State ...

Dan Bickley

Have Arizona Cardinals found hidden treasure in QB Josh Dobbs?

The early results from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs have been a revelation and is making the new regime look good.

4 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Bickley Blast: It was time for the Phoenix Suns to move on from Deandre Ayton

With sights set on winning an NBA championship, Dan Bickley explains how the Damian Lillard trade including the Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks showed it was time for the Phoenix Suns to move on from Deandre Ayton. Video: Felisa Cárdenas/Arizona Sports

4 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Reasons for the Deandre Ayton trade

Reasons for the #PhoenixSuns to trade Deandre Ayton.

4 days ago

Call it robbery: Cardinals hit home run with trade, pick of QB Josh Rosen