Why the Arizona Cardinals are the perfect trade partners for Alex Smith
By Matt Conner
Eight months from now, the Cardinals will be waiting. Will Palmer retire?
The in-house options if the answer is “yes” are actually not options at all. Given the overall talent on the roster, no one would be afraid of facing the Cardinals with either Stanton or Gabbert taking starters reps. That said, the Cardinals are also in no position to groom a quarterback in that case as well. The best case scenario for Steve Keim is that Palmer lasts two more seasons in the NFL and that his ability to stock the defense with so many impact players in recent drafts will give him the flexibility to send a few draft picks to a team to move up and grab his guy (a la the Chiefs in 2017).
The NFL is cruel to aging players, pulling out the rug much faster than expected many times.
That’s a slightly risky bet, however. Palmer could most certainly last that long and perform just fine, but the NFL is cruel to aging players, pulling out the rug much faster than expected many times. When Palmer hits the wall, he could hit it fast and we’re referencing another 32 regular season games for a man who’s already started 178 of them. If he’s already slowing down and listening to his body year after year, are there two more full years left? And even if he can physically stand in the pocket, is he going to be an effective performer? Hard to say.
If something bad happens in 2017, there’s little the Cardinals can do about it. Few teams would make the sort of Sam Bradford-esque trade that Rick Spielman of the Minnesota Vikings pulled off, and even then it was because an entire season lie ahead. In 2017, Keim would likely cross his fingers that Stanton would simply be able to make as few mistakes as possible.
But for 2018, Keim can definitely do something. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to secure a seed to plant, so to speak, for that very moment. Mahomes was gone when he picked in the draft and they didn’t even take a flyer in the later rounds on Brad Kaaya or Nathan Peterman. If Palmer fades or decides he’s finished, Keim will be staring at a blank slate at starter.
The Chiefs have an answer.