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 positions that are deep enough to absorb a trade.
The second: Front seven
Current roster: Defensive line -- DE Calais Campbell, DE Frostee Rucker, DT Corey Peters, DE Rodney Gunter, DE Josh Mauro, DE Matt Shaughnessy, DE Ed Stinson, DE Cory Redding, NT Alameda Ta’amu, NT Xavier Williams.
Inside linebackers -- Sean Weatherspoon, Kevin Minter, Glenn Carson, Kenny Demens, Alani Fua, Edwin Jackson, Andrae Kirk, Gabe Martin.
Outside linebackers -- Alex Okafor, LaMarr Woodley, Lorenzo Alexander, Markus Golden, Kareem Martin, Shaq Riddick, Zack Wagenmann.
Potential trade bait: Shaughnessy, Stinson, Ta'amu, Redding, Minter, Woodley.
Analysis: It’s not just the Cardinals’ defensive line that’s deep -- it’s the whole defensive front. The line will look more like a hockey team at times, with line changes happening on the fly. If the Cardinals look to move a defensive end, it’ll be either Shaughnessy, Stinson or Redding -- not a combination of the two of them. The Cardinals don’t need three nose tackles on the roster and with Peters projected as the starter, Ta'amu may end up as the odd man out because he’ll be earning about $901,000 as a backup. It’s highly unlikely Minter would be traded but if a team looking for a run-stopping thumper calls Keim with an enticing enough deal, Arizona may just pull the trigger. Minter hasn’t developed into an every-down linebacker so finding someone to fill his role wouldn’t be difficult. As for Woodley, the Cardinals could use his experience. And if he’s healthy, Woodley is capable of exploding for double-digit sacks. But with a slew of young outside linebackers, Woodley may attract offers that could catch the Cardinals’ eye.
Coming Wednesday: Secondary thrives on depth but could absorb trade
