Potential Trade Package for Cardinals, Star DE Revealed
ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are in search of a big name pass rusher this offseason, and all eyes are on Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson as a potential target.
Hendrickson, one of the best at his position, was given permission to seek a trade by Cincinnati earlier this week. He’s had 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons and is due a massive raise in pay.
While the Bengals might skip over the 31-year-old in order to keep stars such as Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, other teams around the league – including the Cardinals – are picking up the phone to see what the potential cost for a deal may be.
The 33rd Team suggests a Day 2 pick should get it done:
Cardinals Could Get Trey Hendrickson for Day 2 Pick
The 33rd Team has the Cardinals sending over a second-round pick in this year’s NFL draft to Cincinnati for Hendrickson in their trade pitch.
This aligns with what NFL insider Mike Garafolo told PHNX earlier this week in terms of compensation – a Day 2 pick and a massive extension (roughly $30 million AAV) would be needed to ensure Hendrickson landed in the desert.
The Cardinals certainly have cap space to play with, as they entered the weekend with north of $70 million for the free agency period. It’s unknown where they exactly stand after re-signing Baron Browning to a two-year deal, though they still have more than enough room in the books for Hendrickson.
$30 million annually would push Hendrickson to third in edge contract rankings when looking at annual value on Spotrac.
The Cardinals are in search of a prominent name to bolster their front seven, as fresh faces along both the defensive line and outside linebacker room are needed if Arizona is serious about contending for a playoff spot in 2025 and beyond.
After two years of rebuilding under general manager Monti Ossenfort, now’s the time for the Cardinals to get aggressive and push their chips to the middle of the table as the NFC West begins to open up.
Hendrickson would provide Arizona an immediate boost in the trenches and perhaps help push their defense from good to great moving forward.
2 free agents Arizona Cardinals must avoid signing in 2025 NFL free agency
The Cardinals enter free agency with the fourth-most cap space in the NFL.
With 19 players hitting unrestricted free agency, the Cardinals will have the fourth-most cap space in the league with $77.9 million to spare, per Over The Cap. While clearly still in rebuilding mode, the upcoming free agency window will be the most important of general manager Monti Ossenfort’s tenure.
As they continue to build around young stars Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. offensively, Ossenfort has the unenviable task of choosing the direction he wishes to take the team. Quarterback Kyler Murray continues to be involved in trade rumors, while three starting offensive linemen are projected to leave in free agency.
Roster needs aside, the abundance of expected departures creates a lot of holes in the team. In addition to the offensive line, nearly every key edge rusher will enter free agency. Arizona could be forced to overhaul nearly two full positional groups.
With the freedom Ossenfort will have in free agency, just a few of the right moves could instantly turn the Cardinals into playoff contenders. However, mismanaging the offseason would be equally as damaging.
DE Joey Bosa
The Cardinals desperately need pass-rushers, and Joey Bosa is the biggest name available. After nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Bosa was released one week ahead of NFL free agency. As big of a splash as his signing would make, his fit in Nick Rallis’ defense would not be what the team desires.
As one of the most injury-prone players in the league, Bosa has played just 30 games over the last three years. With 23 absences in that time, he has been on the field for just 57 percent of the Chargers’ games since 2022. For a player making over $20 million in annual salary, Los Angeles paid him nearly $30 million just to stand on the sidelines.
Even without his durability concerns, Bosa is simply not a fit in Rallis’ 4-3 defense. He thrives in a blitz-heavy, 3-4 scheme that allows him to utilize his speed as an outside linebacker, which is not a setup Rallis operates in. The Cardinals experienced the failed style fit with Baron Browning in 2024, who managed just two sacks on the year.
Bosa enters free agency at 29 but is still expected to sign a lucrative deal with his next team. Though diminished, his talent is still there in spurts. The Cardinals just cannot be the team to fall into the trap. If they were to sign him, it would take a significant portion of their cap space, effectively limiting them fo
With Browning, Dennis Gardeck, Jesse Luketa and L.J. Collier all hitting free agency, Arizona cannot end the offseason without adding pass-rushers to its roster. The answer just cannot be Bosa, as tempting as it might be.
WR Amari Cooper
Whether or not they keep Murray, the Cardinals need to add receivers to their pass-catching unit in the offseason. The dry unit offered little depth behind Harrison and McBride in 2024, with no other player recording over 550 receiving yards. Even with Harrison’s expected second-year leap, Arizona needs at least one
