Cardinals have the fifth pick, but will they keep it?

Besides the QB talk, what has dominated any discussion about the Arizona Cardinals has been who they will select with the fifth pick in the draft next Thursday.

Well, what if they don’t select anyone at all?

The team could trade down, which is an idea general manager Rod Graves touched on Thursday.

“I think you have to remain open,” Graves said. “It depends on what is on the board and what our opportunities might be by moving back.

“We’ve always had a receptance to picking up additional picks if we could.”

True that.

The Cardinals last moved down in the first round during the 2003 draft, when the wise decision to send the sixth overall pick to New Orleans for picks 17 and 18 afforded them the chance to pass on local product Terrell Suggs and land the dynamic duo of Calvin Pace and Bryant Johnson.

Oh.

Of course, trading down has worked out well for some teams, just not the Cardinals. With the team in need of an impact player it would be a tough sell to move down a few spots, let alone a significant distance.

Then again there is no guarantee a player they want will be there when the Cardinals are on the clock, and if that turns out to be the case a trade may be on the table. It is already being discussed.

“We’ve received calls, but that’s typical for this time of year and we’re in a unique position where, as far as that draft slot, there’s going to be excellent football players there in that top 10.”

Agreed, and the Cardinals would probably be better served actually selecting one of them.

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