The Arizona Cardinals made all the breaking news headlines Thursday night with a surprising trade for wide receiver Hollywood Brown. The trade was completely out of nowhere as the Cards had to operate with total secrecy as to not put Baltimore at a disadvantage in the draft.
There are some who believe the Cardinals gave up too much draft capital for Brown, but the general consensus is the offense is significantly better after the trade.
One of those is CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who gave the Cardinals an A for their overall draft haul.
With Christian Kirk departing via free agency, Brown’s arrival allows the aging A.J. Green to slide back into more of a rotational role behind DeAndre Hopkins and takes pressure off Rondale Moore as the presumptive No. 3. It’s a truly sensible gamble, potentially solving a slew of issues at once. Not only are the Cards potentially placating their star QB, who’s angling for his own payday and will benefit from an additional deep threat, but they’re getting a possible long-term playmaker at a premium position.
Benjamin and others have given props to the Cards for addressing a number of issues with this trade. They filled one of the biggest needs on the team, as they were without a WR2 and lost Christian Kirk to the Jaguars. They also needed elite speed on the outside to pair with Hopkins. Very few players in the league offer the same sort of speed as Hollywood Brown.
The Cardinals also made a long term commitment to their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray, pairing him with a strong offensive weapon who also happens to be one of his best friends.
Most media outlets have given the Cardinals a respectable grade in the B grade range, but it’s refreshing to see CBS Sports give the team high praise for their acquisition of Brown.
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