The Arizona Cardinals have earned the right to explore adding at the trade deadline this year with a 4-4 start. General manager Monti Ossenfort said his front office has been involved in a number of talks with other teams and will continue to engage ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
The Cardinals have overcome a difficult first-half schedule and several injuries along both trenches to find themselves in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West. Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday that being in this position is better than the alternative, but no one will remember who led the division in early November. Teams that keep getting better, he said, are the ones that extend their seasons.
That does not guarantee the Cardinals will make trades, as the right deal has to check off several boxes, he explained.
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“There’s always a balance on going to make a move and then what’s the alternative of not making a move and what’s the cost of that, not only for the near term but the future?” Ossenfort said.
“I have no expectation other than we’re going to investigate every single opportunity that comes across, and if there’s an opportunity that we want to pursue, we’re going to go investigate that as well. If something comes together that we feel can help this team, we’re going to be excited to do it. But we also don’t want to make a move just to make a move if it’s not the right move for this team.”
Pass rusher? Defensive lineman?
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort previews the trade deadline on @WolfandLuke. pic.twitter.com/QBNoW8NtNu
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) November 1, 2024
Ossenfort acknowledged the injuries his defense has felt this year, especially the front seven. Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, Dennis Gardeck and BJ Ojulari are all out of the year, and he said addressing the defensive line and edge spots will be looked at.
But he did not count out other positions, depending on what is available on the trade block.
Players in trade rumors sometimes are but are not always available at this time of year. Ossenfort was very clear with his message to not believe everything being said about Cardinals safety Budda Baker as a possible target for teams given his value on and off the field.
“What is out there is not always the truth,” Ossenfort said. “So we have to sift through that information and really make our own decisions on what’s the best for this team.”
On the state of the team, Ossenfort has been encouraged by the preparation and execution in crunch time recently. The Cardinals have won three of the last four games, all via game-winning field goals.
“To see our team respond in those critical situations in the fourth quarter, and to go down and make the plays that needed to be made, I think that’ll serve us well here as we start approaching the second half of the season,” Ossenfort said. “I think to come out on top of some of those games, it’s a testament to our players, our coaches, all the work that goes on and during the week.”
The Cardinals’ final game before the deadline is Sunday against a 4-3 Chicago Bears team at State Farm Stadium.