Are the Arizona Cardinals the ideal destination for top quarterbacks in the 2017 NFL Draft?
For a draft class of quarterbacks widely considered to be a group in need of significant and perhaps lengthy development, there are a number of reasons why that might be the case. And head coach Bruce Arians offered another one Tuesday. Arians said veteran starter Carson Palmer will rest on Wednesdays, giving practice snaps with the first-team offense to a rookie, per Darren Urban, who writes for the club's official website.
Arians called it a "unique" situation. Indeed, most NFL coaches wouldn't have the luxury of dropping the starting quarterback out of a mid-week practice during the season. And for a rookie quarterback trying to learn NFL lessons without making Sunday afternoon mistakes, it could provide quicker growth and a shorter bridge to starter-level functionality. Learning under Palmer would figure to be another plus, not to mention Arians himself has a background as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
So who might benefit from such an arrangement? The Cardinals have logged draft-season homework on the likes of Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer (pre-draft visit), Clemson QB Deshaun Watson (pre-draft visit), Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes (private workout), Cal QB Davis Webb (pre-draft visit) and a dinner out with North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky.
The Cardinals select No. 13 overall and No. 45 in the second round. The draft will be held April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
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