With USC star quarterback Caleb Williams expected to be the top overall prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, NFL teams are likely going to tank this season once they’re out of playoff contention. The Arizona Cardinals might be getting a head-start on that.
Earlier today the Cardinals traded linebacker Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants ahead of his contract year. A short while ago the Cardinals followed that up by trading offensive lineman Josh Jones to the Houston Texans, who was also in his contract year.
That’s two players who were expected to be big contributors to the Cardinals suddenly gone just over a week before the start of the regular season.
The sudden change has a number of analysts suspecting that the Cardinals are gearing up to tank the season and potentially land Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draf.
Arizona Cardinals going all out for Caleb Williams.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) August 24, 2023
The SS Caleb Williams rolling right along in Arizona today … #Cardinals pic.twitter.com/ZUVVlUBNFj
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) August 24, 2023
It seems unlikely that the Arizona Cardinals would try to tank for Caleb Williams though. They’ve already committed themselves to Kyler Murray in the form of a huge contract extension.
Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time in even the last five years that the Cardinals have dropped a former first-round pick in favor of an even better one who suddenly became available to them. Josh Rosen is a testament to that.
Will the Cardinals wind up with the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?