ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell listed the Arizona Cardinals in the “Should probably deal players for picks” tier in his trade deadline preview, one step behind staying neutral and one ahead of the definite sellers.
The 2-5 Cardinals are approaching a juncture with one game left before Tuesday’s deadline, a Monday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
This is the time if year when teams on the outside looking in have to evaluate whether it makes more sense to reload for future seasons or push their luck to go on a run.
Barnwell called the Cardinals the NFL’s “coinflip team” considering all seven of their games this season have been decided by one score. They have played some really good teams closely (San Francisco, Seattle, Indianapolis and Green Bay), but losses all count the same at the end.
The Cardinals have the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the NFC with an opposing winning percentage of .574.
The Cards’ playoff odds are down to 4.4%, per the FPI. After Sunday’s game in Dallas, their next five games are against teams with winning records. I still believe Arizona can make a run, but it hasn’t looked capable of running the ball like it did in 2023 and 2024, and that has really caused the offense to stagnate.
The Cardinals get Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams after their primetime date in Dallas. That’s a tough schedule but one with opportunities to face division rivals and climb back into the race. Arizona is three games back, as Seattle and L.A. sport 5-2 records.
The Rams play the lowly Saints this week, the Seahawks visit the banged-up Commanders and the 49ers take on the last-place Giants, so help coming to Arizona before the deadline would have to materialize via upset.
If the Cardinals indeed go down the seller’s path, one name keeps popping up as a speculated trade chip.
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell is 39 years old, on a one-year deal and still playing high-level football. With the Cardinals are getting healthier at defensive line, Barnwell pointed to Campbell as a player whom contenders would love to have.
With Walter Nolen III and BJ Ojulari theoretically set to return at some point during the second half of the season, the Cardinals have more defensive line depth than just about anybody else in the league. Campbell is continuing to play at a high level, and he might want to simply finish his career where it started in Arizona, but the 39-year-old is good enough to play meaningful snaps on a team that’s competing for a Super Bowl. He would be a great fit for a team like the Chiefs or Bills, both of whom could use extra depth up front.
ESPN’s Seth Walder also mentioned Campbell as a trade target for Baltimore. ESPN is not the only national outlet that have put Campbell in trade rumors, as PFF and The Athletic have done so, as well.
From The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec:
He’d help the Ravens in several areas. The Cardinals, though, have not indicated that they intend to be sellers, and it’s not certain that Campbell wants to be anywhere else in what could be his last NFL season.
Campbell spent his first nine years in the NFL with the Cardinals and returned to the Valley this past offseason. A team captain and potential future Ring of Honor member, Campbell being traded at the deadline would be a somber note for a franchise looking to take the next step.
This is a big week for the Cardinals to better their position before the deadline. Can a streak-breaking victory in Dallas change their trajectory? Another frustrating loss could close the window on coming back and contending this year.