The Arizona Cardinals didn’t just lose head coach Bruce Arians following the 2017 regular season. Arizona also lost quarterback Carson Palmer, who retired after a lengthy and productive NFL career that enabled Arizona to remain relevant.
There’s reason to believe that the offensive line should be the primary focus, but if Baker Mayfield is available here, Arizona should pounce.
Mayfield is a polarizing player both on and off the field, due in large part to his brash nature and the comfortable pockets he benefited from at Oklahoma. He has the arm strength to make NFL throws, however, and is nothing if not a gamer.
Out to prove that he’s not the next Johnny Manziel, a motivated and scorned Mayfield could be the perfect fit for the Cardinals in a post-Palmer era.
If nothing else, Mayfield knows how to read a defense. Teams will see how well he performs under pressure in the buildup to the draft, but he threw 119 touchdowns to just 21 interceptions over his final three seasons in college—a ridiculous 5.67 touchdown to interception ratio.
Throw in the fact that Mayfield is a tenacious competitor who can beat you with his legs, and there may not be a better player to replace Carson Palmer than he.