Cardinals GM Sends Message that Broncos Fans Loved Hearing

The Arizona Cardinals are indeed open to trading the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft but can the Denver Broncos afford a trade-up?

Arizona Cardinals v Chicago Bears / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort is currently holding a powerful hand, allowing him to field calls from other teams interested in the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears on Aprl 25 — who recently opened the way by trading incumbent starter Justin Fields. 

Beyond Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Williams are expected to go off the board at No. 2 and No. 3 overall. In this top-heavy draft, the meteoric rise of Michigan's J.J. McCarthy could see a remarkable fourth quarterback go in perfect sequence. 1-2-3-4.

Consequently, it comes as no real surprise that Arizona's Ossenfort is all-ears when it comes to potentially trading a pick he doesn't intend to use on a quarterback of his own. Arizona seems to remain committed to Kyler Murray as its QB

"We're always going to be listening," Ossenfort said via ProFootballTalk. "I think we'll always have the conversation."

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Depending on which mock draft you give the most credence to, the Denver Broncos' slim chances of landing McCarthy remain marginally in play. Still, any hopes of Denver landing McCarthy hinge on maneuvering in a trade market that's shifting on a day-to-day basis. 

It has been somewhat surprising how fast McCarthy's draft stock has risen since the NFL Combine. Not so long ago, the 21-year-old Jim Harbaugh protege had some major question marks hanging over him due to his relative lack of experience — not as a starter, but as a passer.

Such fears have seemingly melted away, and it's creating a buzz that Ossenfort feels will only gather further momentum,  especially when NFL GMs start rubbing elbows at the NFL spring meetings.

“I’d say those phone calls are starting to pick up a little bit. I would say they’ll probably continue into next week when we go down to Florida for the owners’ meetings,” Ossenfort told PFT. “I think most teams are in a similar spot to us, starting to finalize their boards, and the pro day pieces are the final on-field pieces for evaluation purposes. So I would imagine some of those conversations will continue to pick up, but honestly they probably will not get real serious until we get right up until the week of the draft, similar to last year. They have definitely picked up, but I would expect that to continue here for the next month.”

Despite signing Sam Darnold, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be the most likely team to trade with the Cardinals to acquire the No. 4 overall selection.  That would have a butterfly effect of sorts, which is why Oregon QB Bo Nix being linked to the Broncos at No. 12 overall has been trending of late.

In truth, that has as much to do with how expensive orchestrating a trade-up for McCarthy would be for Broncos GM George Paton. When you boil it down, you get a spicy gumbo for Sean Payton and company to chow down if the Broncos really want to get into the top five.

If McCarthy is indeed the quarterback Payton has fallen in love with, it's an NFL match that seems fated to crash on the rocks of disappointment. Assuming quarterbacks will indeed go 1-2-3 on April 25, that No. 4 pick the Cardinals are shopping will come at a hefty premium. 

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