Will the Arizona Cardinals Capitalize on Brandon Lloyd?

The Denver Broncos have placed wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on the trade block, according to the Denver Post.

Immediate thoughts of Larry Fitzgerald's supporting cast comes to mind and if Lloyd be a good fit in the desert.

Indeed.

The Arizona Cardinals starting wide receiver Andre Roberts has caught 12 passes for 125 yards over the team's first five games. These numbers are unacceptable.

Cardinals' wide receiver Early Doucet is third on the depth chart and has outplayed Roberts—but not to any significant degree. Doucet's recorded 21 catches for 309 yards and a touchdown this season. Almost a third of Doucet's receiving yards came in last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings where he caught 8 passes for 92 yards. 

Arizona can do better.

And now, the Cardinals have the opportunity to do better.

The Broncos have determined that Brandon Lloyd is expendable. After this season, Lloyd will be a free agent. He has played nine seasons in the NFL and has played for four teams during that span—San Francisco, Washington, Chicago and Denver.  

Lloyd is also 30-years-old and being pushed by younger talent at his position.

Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker is having a breakout sophomore season, already hauling in four touchdown passes. The Broncos also have two solid receiving options coming off injury after their Week 6 bye—Demaryius Thomas and Eddie Royal.

 

Perhaps the most compelling reason the Broncos have placed Lloyd on the trading block is the changing of the guard from Kyle Orton to Tim Tebow.

Tebow is an inaccurate passer but a very physical, dominating runner. Broncos head coach John Fox likes to run the ball and control the clock. Lloyd's deep threat skill set doesn't bode well for Fox's offensive philosophy or Tebow's eagerness to tuck the ball and plow through would-be tacklers. 

Arizona could use Lloyd's acrobatic receiving ability opposite Fitzgerald to open things up for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

If Arizona took the initiative and secured Lloyd on the roster, defenses would have to game-plan for two capable wideouts.  Arizona's offense would begin to resemble the Dallas Cowboys' offense with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant lining up on the outside.  

While some may recoil at the idea that Fitzgerald and Lloyd are in the same class as Austin and Bryant, recall that Lloyd led the NFL in receiving yards last year with 1,448 and caught 11 touchdown passes. And there's no denying Fitzgerald is at the top of that foursome in talent.

Lloyd's price tag has been set—between a third and fifth round draft pick. Lloyd's salary is not prohibitive either—he's making $1.395 million this year.

The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, October 18. The Cardinals need to act fast, roster Lloyd and give Kolb the much needed target. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/893405-will-the-arizona-cardinals-capitalize-on-brandon-lloyd

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