The Arizona Cardinals welcomed Zay Jones back to practice after serving a personal conduct suspension, but Jonathan Gannon and company could trade him if the season goes south. A second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the East Carolina product spent his career bouncing around the league as a reliable depth piece. His best season came in 2022 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Jones recorded 82 receptions for 823 yards and five touchdowns while Jacksonville earned a playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers. While injuries prevented him from recapturing that magic in 2023, the wideout can still make plays when healthy.
The only question is whether he’ll make those plays for the Cardinals. After looking a little rusty last year, Kyler Murray is back to his old self in 2024. The former first-overall pick has the Cardinals one game out of a wide-open NFC West, so they won’t trade Zay Jones while they’re still in the playoff hunt. However, if they falter, don’t be surprised if Arizona deals the wideout to a receiver-needy team like the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints.
Chiefs, Saints Could Trade For Cardinals Zay Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs remain one of the league’s elite teams despite a seemingly endless barrage of injuries at the wide receiver position. With free agent signee Marquise Brown and the reliable Rashee Rice sidelined indefinitely, Patrick Mahomes had no choice but to turn to the aging Juju Smith-Schuster in their Monday Night Football matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Smith-Schuster had a strong night, but we’ve seen enough over the past few years to know he shouldn’t have a featured role. Zay Jones might not be a superstar, but the trade candidate should be an upgrade for this roster.
First-round pick Xavier Worthy has all the promise in the world, and Travis Kelce looked like his old self the last few weeks. However, this team could use a third consistent weapon, and Zay Jones could be the perfect fit for a depth role. While Kansas City is reportedly monitoring the trade market and is probably hoping to land a big-name player like Davante Adams or Amari Cooper, Zay Jones could be a more cost-effective option. Patrick Mahomes doesn’t need superstar weapons to win games, he just needs someone who can catch accurate passes.
More Help For Struggling Saints
The New Orleans Saints ran into some trouble after their dominant start to the season. Now 2-3, Derek Carr and company must do something if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since Drew Brees called it a career. While Carr’s contract and overall level of play heavily suggests he’ll be back for another season, the same cannot be said of head coach Dennis Allen. This team must win games if Allen wants to keep his job, and a Zay Jones trade could be a way to accomplish that goal.
The Saints have two reliable receivers in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed but lack proven depth. While they could pursue Davante Adams, Zay Jones is a more likely trade target. The Saints already weak offensive line has dealt with an absurd amount of injuries throughout the young season, and they can’t replace all the injured talent. What they can do, however, is trade for someone like Zay Jones who can get open quickly and put less of a burden on the blocking.
Main Photo: Rob Schumacher – USA Today Sports
