With Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense, the Arizona Cardinals have a chance to be one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. We have seen glimpses of what this system is capable of with Kyler Murray running it, but it seems to sometimes come up short when they need it most.
The Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams is a prime example. After finding success in two regular-season matchups against the Rams, the Cardinals fell flat in the postseason.
Murray managed only 137 passing yards and overall the team managed only 183 yards of total offense. That was a far cry from the 465 yards racked up in a victory in Week 4 and 447 yards in a losing effort in Week 14.
To operate at peak levels, the front office needs to make some additions this offseason. Depth at wide receiver is imperative, as the Cardinals ran four-receiver sets more than any team in the NFL. With A.J. Green and Christian Kirk both hitting free agency, in addition to tight ends Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams, they could use some depth at the pass-catching positions.
The injury to DeAndre Hopkins showed just how shorthanded the team was behind him. Knowing they need to make Murray happy as well, as there are rumors he will look to be traded this offseason, the front office will go all out to add a wide receiver.
Over at Bleacher Report, a piece was put together of ideal trades for every team in the NFL to make this offseason. For the Cardinals, they address their need at wide receiver with Chase Claypool being named as their ideal trade target.
Claypool has had some ups and downs with the Pittsburgh Steelers since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is a physical specimen, but his maturity and football IQ have left something to be desired.
If the incoming general manager wants to move on from some of Kevin Colbert’s players, as he is stepping down after the 2022 NFL Draft, Claypool is someone that could be on the move. The Notre Dame product would be an excellent fit in Arizona.
He would provide the Cardinals with a big-bodied, downfield target that can be a difference-maker in the red zone as well. Standing 6’4” and weighing 235 pounds, he is a tough player for opposing cornerbacks to slow down. Ben Roethlisberger‘s waning arm strength didn’t provide Claypool with many downfield chances, but he has the profile to make a difference as a big-play target.
Opposite of Hopkins, Claypool would receive plenty of one-on-one opportunities to take advantage of. It would be a slight surprise to see Claypool traded, but he was also named an under-the-radar trade target over at ESPN, so there could be an opportunity for a team to sneak in and acquire Claypool from Pittsburgh.
