The Arizona Cardinals are cleaning house on Thursday.
After sending former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants, Arizona reportedly made another deal. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, they’re sending offensive lineman Josh Jones to the Houston Texans for an unspecified return.
Jones had played 45 straight games for the Cardinals. The No. 72 pick in the 2020 draft made 21 starts over the last two seasons.
Another Arizona trade: Cardinals are sending OT Josh Jones, who had 11 starts last year, to the Houston Texans, per league sources. Jones is in the final year of his rookie contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2023
As Schefter noted, Pro Football Focus assigned Jones a 75.8 grade — classified as above-average on the 100 scale — last season. However, the tackle was likely to lose his starting job to first-round pick Paris Johnson.
Like Simmons, Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract. These moves probably provide a clear hint on how the Cardinals perceive their 2023 chances.
After following a playoff appearance with a 4-13 record in 2022, the Cardinals will start the season without Kyler Murray. They began looking ahead by trading star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason.
By dealing Simmons and Jones, first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort appears to already have 2024 on his mind.
Meanwhile, the Texans gain a potential starter for CJ Stroud. The Cardinals shouldn’t want Jones to help the rookie quarterback too much, as they already own Houston’s 2024 first and third-round picks from the trade that allowed the Texans to take Will Anderson with the No. 3 overall selection.