Let’s make a deal! Cardinals squarely in buyers territory as NFL trade deadline nears

GLENDALE — Two days away from the NFL trade deadline, the Arizona Cardinals are somewhere they haven’t been under head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort:

Buyers territory.

Extending their win streak to three games behind an impressive 29-9 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 9 — in addition to maintaining their place atop the NFC West — general manager Monti Ossenfort and the Cardinals now head into the day before the deadline with much more onus to get something done.

But with any trade, it takes two.

There’s no secret when it comes to what the Cardinals need most this trade deadline: Pass-rushing help.

Don’t let Sunday’s sack total (six) against a Bears offensive line that has been dreadful in that department fool you.

The top priority should still outside linebacker. Defensive line is right up there at the top as well.

Pass rusher? Defensive lineman?

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort previews the trade deadline on @WolfandLuke. pic.twitter.com/QBNoW8NtNu

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) November 1, 2024

“I think any position that can help our team is a priority for us. We’ve certainly been banged up there on the defensive front,” Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday.

“We’ve taken some hits not only on the interior defensive line but on the edge. Those are certainly positions we’re going to look at as are players at other positions, too, that we’re always going to look at. If an opportunity comes or a player becomes available, we’re going to investigate those no matter what it is.”

The price, however, has to be right.

What kind of criteria are the Cardinals looking for?

Ossenfort doesn’t seem like a guy who is going to risk long-term success for a short-term solution.

And if we know anything about Ossenfort more than a year into his current role, it’s that he covets his draft capital.

Burning a couple picks for a one-year rental just doesn’t seem like MO’s MO.

That being said, there is one outlier to that thinking in Azeez Ojulari, a name already linked to the Cardinals ahead of this week’s deadline.

The brother of Arizona’s BJ Ojulari, who was a projected Week 1 starter until a torn ACL ruined that thinking this past training camp, Azeez Ojulari is up to six sacks, seven tackles for loss and nine QB hits across nine games.

The brotherly connection and production are interesting prospects for Ossenfort to consider. But with Ojulari headed toward free agency in 2025, just how inclined would Ossenfort be adding the pass rusher without any concrete backing that he’d be around beyond a season?

Ojulari would also be less of a cap hit than say an Arden Key, another player the Cardinals have reportedly reached out about.

Key does have another year remaining on his current deal, giving Ossenfort more than a one-year rental, but also carries with him a cap hit of $9.3 million in 2025. His current cap hit is $4.2 million. Ojulari on the other hand is playing out his rookie contract and carries a cap hit of just $2.1 million.

We know this regime covets its cap space 1.5 years in, and given the need for pass-rushing help around the league, someone is bound to overpay.

Key also isn’t putting up the same numbers as Ojulari with four sacks, seven tackles for loss and seven QB hits across eight games played.

Either way, it’s got to be the right fit at the end of the day.

At 5-4 and sitting atop the NFC West standings, bringing in someone that doesn’t gel could have a serious impact on the locker room if the team lets it.

Distractions have been few and far between for this regime. One wrong deal could potentially impact that.

Buckle up, Cardinals fans. The beginning of this week could get hectic.

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