Cardinals Urged to Trade for Star Saints CB

The Arizona Cardinals need to put their hat in the ring for Marshon Lattimore, according to ESPN.

Sep 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) on the field against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have already made one move ahead of today's 4:00 PM EST trade deadline after acquiring Denver Broncos edge rusher Baron Browning for a sixth-round pick yesterday.

Are the Cardinals done?

ESPN doesn't think they should be.

With a 5-4 record and sitting firm in the driver's seat of the NFC West, the Cardinals have ample opportunity to make a postseason push during the second half of the season.

New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari has been a popular name among trade possibilities with the Cardinals, though NFL insider Dan Graziano threw another name in the weeds: New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore.

"I like the idea of the Cardinals adding. Whether it's the Saints' Marshon Lattimore or even an edge rusher, such as the Giants' Azeez Ojulari, the Cardinals locker room would get a boost from the idea that the front office wants to bolster the roster and reward the team's surprising start. Kyler Murray has played well, and the run game behind James Conner has been excellent," he wrote in his biggest over/under-reactions after Week 9.

"It might seem like it's a year or two early for the Cardinals, and we all know about their penchant for falling apart late in the season. But chances like these don't come around very often, and if the price is right, it's worth making a move to make sure this first-place thing doesn't turn out to be a fluke."

Lattimore is reportedly gaining steam on the trade market after the Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen thanks to a 2-7 start. New Orleans has some massive salary cap questions next offseason, and a potential reset could be on the horizon in the Big Easy.

Lattimore - the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft - is a four-time Pro Bowler and would undoubtedly boost Arizona's secondary upon arrival.

The Cardinals currently have a starting trio of Sean Murphy-Bunting, Starling Thomas and Garrett Williams with Max Melton also contributing. Arizona's rate of 228.6 passing yards per game allowed ranks 24th in the league.

The Cardinals could continue to bank on their young secondary growing, especially with the potential price tag of Lattimore landing in the desert. It's unknown what the Saints would green light to allow Lattimore to walk, though he's got some pretty massive cap hits the final two years of his contract.

Trade deadline day tends to get fairly wild, so we'll see if the Cardinals feel the need to pull the trigger on another move. Lattimore feels unrealistic given prior moves made by Arizona, though always expect the unexpected when it comes to the NFL.