League chatter around Marvin Harrison Jr. has picked up, but the price tag being floated helps explain why the Arizona Cardinals may be in no rush to move him.
Ahead of Week 3, unnamed executives around the league were "wondering whether the Arizona Cardinals could explore trading 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline."
On Monday, Charles Robinson of NFL Blue Book added some texture to that buzz after speaking with "three general managers and four high-ranking personnel executives" about Harrison’s market. Three front offices told Robinson that Harrison is "worth a second-round pick that is projected to be late." The rest viewed him as "a third-round pick plus another asset," while one general manager suggested Arizona might only land a player who "no longer fits the staff or scheme" in a swap.
That kind of return does not exactly scream urgency for a team to cash out.
Harrison’s first three games under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur have been quiet: four receptions on nine targets for 73 yards and zero touchdowns. Still, with the Cardinals sitting at 1-2, there is little reason to sell low before their Week 4 trip to the 2-1 New York Giants on Oct. 4.
The Giants will have backup quarterback Jameis Winston under center for at least this Sunday after starter Jaxson Dart suffered a serious knee injury in Week 2.
Robinson also named several teams that could eventually get involved if Arizona were to listen. The New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills were all identified as clubs with a "straight-up need" at receiver and/or the chance to "get desperate at the wide receiver spot" before the afternoon of Nov. 10.
For now, though, Harrison looks set to stay put. DraftKings Sportsbook listed Arizona as a 1.5-point road favorite over New York as of Tuesday afternoon.
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For a defense built around Nick Rallis scheme, the concern is not just production but whether the group is playing with enough urgency and precision to make the system work. Tackling has been a recurring issue, and the timing of blitzes has not consistently created the kind of disruption the Cardinals need. The bigger question now is whether Arizona can sharpen the fundamentals and become more aggressive without losing structure, because right now the margin for error is looking awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
