Should the Cardinals Trade A.J. Green?

The Arizona Cardinals should take a long look at their receiving room before deciding what to do with A.J. Green.

Donnie Druin | Oct 25, 2022

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Before the 2021 season, the Arizona Cardinals made a noted effort to acquire talented veterans capable of helping mold a young locker room.

Guys such as J.J. Watt, A.J. Green and Rodney Hudson were brought in, and while Watt/Hudson find themselves as regular starters, Green hasn't had quite the same impact during his time in the desert.

To be fair, expectations for Green were not the same as the other two players. Watt and Hudson slid into starting roles immediately while Green entered a crowded receivers room that featured DeAndre Hopkins and second-round pick Rondale Moore.

Green caught 54 receptions for 848 yards and three touchdowns last season, which is nothing to shake your head at in his position. His yards per target (9.2) was the highest he saw since 2016 when he made the Pro Bowl.

Yet Green's role, even minor then, has diminished and so has his impact. There's been a plethora of injuries for the Cardinals at his position this year, he's only played 48% of snaps for the team this season.

Green has a mere 10 receptions (for 56 yards) thus far, good enough to tie for seventh on the team with Hopkins, who recorded that in one game. Green sits behind running back James Conner and Eno Benjamin in catches as well.

The Cardinals, much like any other team, should target Green's 6-foot-4 frame in the red zone and down the field where he is able to use his size advantage. However, that hasn't been the case through his five games played.

His yards per target is a mere 2.5 thus far. For comparison, here's the rest of his yards per target seperated by year in chronological order:

9.2, 8.2, 8.0, 8.9, 9.8, 9.6, 7.5, 9.0, 5.0, 9.2

In fairness, Kyler Murray's yards per attempt (5.9) is the lowest of his career as well, so some of the blame shifts to Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury's play-calling for dinking-and-dunking down the field.

Green hasn't been utilized like he should, but that's also a reflection of his current talent and what the Cardinals think of him.

Last week with Hopkins playing his first game all season, a freshly acquired Robbie Anderson who joined the team literal days before and Marquise Brown out of the picture for the foreseeable future, the Cardinals played Green a whopping zero snaps.

Kingsbury, who has maintained opportunities would be hard to come by for receivers in an offense with such as crowded depth chart, offered this to say following the game:

“Yeah. Acquiring Robbie (Anderson), we wanted to get him out there some and get Rondale (Moore) on the field. It just worked out that way."

During his Monday press conference, Kingsbury again touched on Green's role in his offense:

"Like I said, we're going to work through this week and see where that personnel group goes. I think each week we're going to try to maximize who does what best in that room, try to find matchups and go from there, but it's going to be a crowded wide receiver room. There's no doubt. You get Hollywood (WR Marquise Brown) back hopefully in a few more weeks, and we'll just see where it goes," Kingsbury said.

This leads us to the ultimate question:

Should the Arizona Cardinals Trade A.J. Green?

The NFL's trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the heat will only continue to rise as each day brings us closer to Nov. 1.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss tabbed Green as Arizona's player to watch during the trade deadline with the following explanation:

"It's clear by now that Green doesn't have a role in the Cardinals' offense. He has just 10 catches for 56 yards in a scheme that's favoring receivers such as DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and even tight end Zach Ertz. Green could fit a specific role for another team, especially one that needs some veteran leadership in its receiver room." -- Josh Weinfuss

Anderson's arrival all but closes the door on Green's role with the Cardinals, and with the aforementioned names (which doesn't include a productive receiver such as Greg Dortch) already preventing Green from an established spot, it appears as if Kingsbury simply isn't confident in the veteran receiver.

Should the Cardinals trade Green? Yes.

There's simply too many guys in the room at this rate, and Green deserves to find another opportunity where he can touch the field a bit more than the Cardinals currently have him doing.

It is noteworthy with Antoine Wesley sticking on injured reserve (for the entire season now), the Cardinals will be just one Hopkins/Anderson injury away from not having another pair of tall receivers. Height for receivers has already been shot down as a priority for Kingsbury, but just food for thought.

Arizona could also help make up some ground with the late draft compensation they've lost in the Trayvon Mullen/Anderson trades this season.

A trade appears to be a win-win for both parties.

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Should the Arizona Cardinals Trade A.J. Green?

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