TEMPE, Ariz. -- On Thursday, Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim made news when he said Arizona has enough depth at certain positions to allow the team to be active in the trade market from now until the end of training camp.
But Keim didn't elaborate on which positions he was referring to.
From Monday to Wednesday, I'm previewing three positions that are deep enough to absorb a trade.
The first: Offensive line
Current roster: T Jared Veldheer, G Mike Iupati, C A.Q. Shipley, G Jonathan Cooper, T Bobby Massie, C/G Ted Larsen, G John Fullington, G Antoine McClain, G Jon Halapio, G Anthony Steen, G Earl Watford, T D.J. Humphries, T Bradley Sowell, T Rob Crisp, T Cameron Bradfield.
Potential trade bait: Massie, Larsen, Watford, Sowell
Analysis: The Cardinals have a lot -- a lot -- of depth on the offensive line. So much so that two former starters -- Larsen and Sowell -- may not crack the rotation this season. While Massie will be the presumptive starter at right tackle heading into training camp, he is also heading into the final year of his contract -- perfect trade bait. He's steadily improved in each of his first three seasons, but Arizona made it clear he wasn't the long-term answer when it drafted Humphries in the first round. The easy way to make room for Humphries to take over at right tackle without any controversy will be to trade Massie and, as a starting tackle, the Cardinals could find suitable takers willing to make a deal.
Larsen already lost his starting left guard job to Iupati and will likely lose the competition at center to Shipley. Expected to earn $1.7 million next season, Larsen would be an obvious candidate to try to shop around. He's consistent and durable, which could make him a good addition to a team in need of depth at guard and center. Watford's future with the Cards could be linked to Larsen's. Because of the depth at guard, if Larsen isn't traded, Watford could be an ideal candidate. He's young and impressionable, and is still maturing into his body. Given the right opportunity, he can eventually be a force.
And Sowell proved in 2013 he's more than capable of being a starting tackle in the NFL. If a team is in a bind, Sowell could be its answer. With the amount of depth at tackle in Arizona -- Massie, Humphries and Crisp (who the Cardinals like) -- Sowell could find playing time elsewhere.
Coming Tuesday: Defensive line rotation could be trimmed by trades
