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The Arizona Cardinals are ready to make some noise during the 2025 NFL season. Arizona won eight games during the 2024 season and was in the NFC West division race until the end of the season. They barely missed going to the playoffs as well. They are well positioned to compete for a division title again this fall.
Arizona has truly put in the work to upgrade the roster this offseason, which makes their hopes of rebounding in 2025 all the more possible.
The Cardinals made some big additions in free agency, spending $76.4 million on pass rusher Josh Sweat. They also brought in other players who could play big roles this season, including linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
Arizona also brought in a strong rookie class, adding several players on defense. DT Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson, and DT Jordan Burch were the biggest picks and could all play important roles this fall.
There is no arguing that the Cardinals got a lot better this offseason. But I don’t think their work is done just yet.
Arizona would be wise to continue adding talent, especially before training camp later this summer.
But who could the Cardinals add? And what would they be willing to spend in a trade?
Below we will explore three of the best players the Cardinals should trade for to round out their roster ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
The Jaguars could be ready to part ways with Etienne.
To start, let’s acknowledge that a new era has begun in Jacksonville. Doug Pederson, the coach who drafted Etienne, is out and Liam Coen is in. There is no guarantee that the new regime is as smitten with Etienne as Pederson was.
There is also the matter of Etienne’s contract to consider.
Etienne will play the 2025 season on his fifth-year option, which is only worth $6.14 million guaranteed. After the 2025 season, Etienne will likely hit free agency.
Jacksonville may already have his replacement in the building.
The Jaguars selected Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Tuten’s strengths are largely similar to Etienne’s and he projects as a great complement to Tank Bigsby for the next few seasons.
As a result, I could easily see the Jaguars being willing to deal Etienne for the right price.
Now for the Cardinals’ angle.
James Conner is getting long in the tooth and could easily start regressing at any moment. He has two years left on his contract with a cap hit that balloons to $10.25 million in 2026. The Cardinals would be wise to invest in an insurance policy.
Arizona did draft Trey Benson during the 2024 NFL Draft. He did not make a huge impact in 2024, but could become a valuable piece of Arizona’s offense.
The Cardinals could add Etienne and have a trio of excellent running backs for the 2025 season. Arizona would then...
