Should Cardinals Pursue Trade for Star WR?

CeeDee Lamb could be on the market - do the Arizona Cardinals even make sense as a landing spot?

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) before the 2024 NFC wild card game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- With so much cap space and an even bigger need to start improving, the Arizona Cardinals often find themselves as a common trade destination for some of the league's brightest stars looking to start anew and receive a lucrative contract.

After just one season under head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals appear to be on the right path despite winning just four games last season.

Kyler Murray's back and healthy. There's legitimate weapons around him, including an improved offensive line. If Arizona's defense can see a handful of players step up on the edge and in the secondary, the Cardinals may be better than some anticipate.

Yet the NFL is a star-driven league, and one of the brightest in the constellation available on the trade market soon.

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Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is looking to get paid. Given his performance since being drafted as a first-round pick just a few years ago, it's certainly warranted.

Whether Dallas will ultimately pay up or not remains to be seen, as Lamb is one of multiple stars the Cowboys must juggle in terms of future contracts as Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons also look to secure their deserved money.

"For the second consecutive year, there’s a possibility a key starter will hold out of training camp. Lamb missed the entire offseason program and is expected to miss training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal," wrote Calvin Watkins of the The Dallas Morning News.

Lamb could net a contract worth around $30 million per season - whether that's in Dallas or elsewhere.

Lamb earned All-Pro honors with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. His impact on the field can't be overstated, and his potential presence changes dynamics for coordinators far and wide throughout the NFL.

Trade speculation around the former OU pass-catcher has grown as his missing extension remains prevelant.

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Once upon a time, Murray and Lamb took the field together at Oklahoma, shredding defenses while the two respective players reached admirable accolades such as Murray's Heisman trophy and Lamb's All-American honors.

It was a dream for the connection to be established again at the professional level. Murray departed after the 2018 season and was made the No. 1 overall pick by the Cardinals while Lamb needed one more year with the Sooners.

The following offseason, the Cardinals were in position to draft Lamb, reuniting the dynamic duo and even better, laying the foundation to establish one of the best QB-WR connections in the league.

Murray reportedly lobbied heavily for Arizona to draft Lamb, and with the Oklahoma receiver available on the board, the Cardinals opted for versatile Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons instead.

Nine picks later, Dallas drafted Lamb as the third receiver taken, and the rest as been history.

Now, the cost of acquiring Lamb will be significantly more - but there's still some vocal on trying to lobby his presence in the desert.

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You can never have enough weapons, especially in today's NFL.

Adding a talent such as Lamb to a core that already possesses the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, Trey McBride, James Conner and others would only create more headaches for defensive coordinators while also bolstering Arizona's arsenal of weapons.

With that many capable bodies, the Cardinals would be a strong candidate to finish near the top of the league in most offensive categories. Lamb's presence would also further the organization's commitment to Murray, who they've been quite vocal about as a staple of the franchise moving into the future.

It would be an embarrassment of riches - quite honestly.

But that would come with a price.

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First, let's look at what the actual cost of Lamb would be.

A recent similar trade to compare a potential package would be Tyreek Hill, who was dealt from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins for a 2022 first, second, fourth-round pick plus fourth and sixth-round picks in 2023.

Lamb is a couple years younger, so the premium may jump when assessing his worth.

Then, you'd have to extend Lamb. As previously mentioned, he'll likely net somewhere between $30 million annually, though it's a league where players continually leapfrog the previous top contract.

While it's tough to imagine Justin Jefferson's $35 million annual average being beat, Lamb's camp can make an argument to jump AJ Brown's $32 million yearly wage.

Brown received $84 million in practical guarantees with $51 million promised at signing, too.

Lamb's going to need a few Brink's trucks for his pending payday.

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And so here the Cardinals sit - training camp is just weeks away and they've got draft resources and cap space aplenty to make a splash if they so desire.

In all reality, general manager Monti Ossenfort has shown no signs of swinging for the fences this early in his tenure. The Cardinals have optimism surrounding the team - for very good reason - but make no mistake about it: Arizona has so much work to do on the overall outlook of its roster.

Offensively, the Cardinals appear fine without Lamb. Should all parties produce as expected, Arizona already expects themselves to be near the league's best in terms of offensive production. Lamb would be a great addition to any offense, though he's not necessarily needed to push Arizona's offense to the next level.

Arizona believes they have a star and eventual top wideout in Harrison - who was just drafted and is on a cost-controlled contract for at least the next three years before extension talks can take place.

The Cardinals would be better off allocating those resources elsewhere - both in terms of draft capital and salary cap space.

As great as Lamb is (and projects to be in the future), the Cardinals are not one wideout away from planning a Super Bowl parade. Fixing other areas of the team and continuing the ideology of building the franchise through the draft will ensure Arizona remains on schedule with where they want to be.

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