Arizona Cardinals Trade Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones
Two big dominoes fell today as the Arizona Cardinals traded Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones. Simmons has gone to the New York Giants for a 7th-round pick, while Jones, along with a 7, goes to Houston for a 5th-round pick.
Fans shouldn’t be surprised to see either player go. Simmons had his 5th-year option declined and is now going into the final year of his rookie deal. Jones is a bit more surprising as a player who played adequately in spot starts over his three years and was really putting together an impressive preseason.
Both Simmons and Jones were members of a Cardinals 2020 draft class that is going down in infamy as one of the team’s worst. Now that the Arizona Cardinals have traded Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones, the only players remaining on the roster from the draft class are starting DT Leki Fotu and backup DT Rashard Lawerence.
All in all, although unsurprising, the trades come as a disappointment. I personally thought Simmons had a chance to take off under a new defensive-minded HC, Jonathon Gannon, and that the team could have sold higher on him at the trade deadline. Simmons now gets a real chance to reinvent himself under defensive mastermind Wink Martindale, who pulls the defensive strings in NY.
As for Jones, the value is fair, but he is a player I truly believe can start at RT for several NFL teams. The move clears the way for first-round rookie Paris Johnson Jr. at RT, a nice surprise as it looked like he may be starting off along the interior. It may point to a potential contract extension for LT D.J. Humphries. The fire sale has begun before the actual season in Arizona; expect to see several more moves before the trade deadline on October 31st.
