The Cardinals finished just short of a playoff spot this season and coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday that he thinks the team’s focus heading into the draft should be on adding players who will be able to help the team right away.
Arians made those comments when asked about the possibility that the team will take a quarterback with the 20th overall pick. Arians responded to that question with another one, asking “why?” before elaborating on his rationale for leaving well enough alone at the quarterback spot.
“We’ve got two pretty good ones that are younger [Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley]. For us right now it’s about winning a championship,” Arians said, via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. “I don’t think we can afford to have a guy come in like that. I’m not a believer in a guy learning anything sitting on the bench. You have to play; it’s the only way you learn. He’s got to get the reps in practice, be under center and throwing all the time.”
Carson Palmer is 34 and signed through the 2014 season with a voidable year on his deal in 2015, so the Cardinals will need to find a new starter eventually. For now, though, Arians said he thinks the team should be looking for help on the offensive and defensive lines. Those needs could change once free agency gets going, but it doesn’t sound like the Cardinals are going to be bidding for a quarterback at the top of the 2014 draft.
