Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals have needs. Plenty of needs.
For one, a new head coach. And with whomever this guy is, along will come a full coaching staff if he doesn’t retain any of the current coaches. Usually, the new guy brings his own.
RELATED: DANTE MOORE RETURNING TO OREGON
And a lot of other parts. Perhaps a new starting running back, a linebacker, an outside pass rusher, and maybe a new cornerback to play the slot?
Oh yeah, and what will transpire with the quarterback position? Will Kyler Murray return? And if so, will he slide right back into his starting position? Jacoby Brissett has one year left on his contract. Will he be named the starter? Perhaps, it will become an open competition with the best man winning the job.
What about backup Kedon Slovis? Will he be retained? He also has a year left on his contract, having inked a two-year $1.85 deal in 2025.
Okay, what if the team drafts a new quarterback? After all, they own the #3 slot in April’s NFL draft. They also have the second pick in Round 2 (#34), first choice in Round 3 (#65), fourth selection in Round 4 (#104), and the third slot in Round 5 (#141), plus a choice in the bottom three rounds.
The only QB worthy of the #3 pick in the first-round is Indiana signalcaller Fernando Mendoza. He has been ranked anywhere from the first overall pick to the ninth. It is possible that he could be available when Arizona is on the clock in the first round. Oregon QB Dante Moore was a projected Top-10 draft choice, but has since decided to remain in school another year. So, he is no longer available for consideration.
After that, the QB rankings are as follows: Ty Simpson – Alabama, #27; Garrett Nussmeier – LSU, #77; Carson Beck – Miami, #94; Trinidad Chambliss – Ole Miss, #99; Drew Allar – Penn State, #124; and Cade Klubnik – Clemson, #139.
So, if you cross-reference the paragraph that states where the Cardinals are drafting in each round with the above information regarding each QB draft ranking, you will see that Arizona should have its choice of a young quarterback in each round.
There is an issue with one of these quarterbacks, though: Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss.
Not with his abilities. He has proved in a short time in his single season at Ole Miss that he is an exciting athlete who needs some work, but can change the outcome of a ballgame. And no, he doesn’t have a strange illness or a recent injury.
Chambliss (6’-1”, 200 pounds) just isn’t ready to go to the NFL. He wants to stay another year. Apparently, being the “big man on campus” is a pretty 6-7 thing. It would seem that “the millionaire rookie in the NFL” would be an even cooler thing, but not to Chambliss.
The young quarterback is doing everything he can to remain in school another season. He...
