Arizona sent Kansas City a conditional 2018 seventh-round…
Arizona sent Kansas City a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick for cornerback Marcus Cooper just before the 2016 season. Cooper started 13 games, intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals immediate secondary value. Kansas City eventually received No. 233 and packaged it with another seventh-rounder to move up for Kahlil McKenzie. The Chiefs preserved some value, but Arizona got the stronger direct return.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Marcus Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 2018 7th round pick (233rd overall subsequently traded, Jordan Mailata )
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Kansas City traded cornerback Marcus Cooper to Arizona shortly before the 2016 season for a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick. Cooper stepped directly into the Cardinals' secondary. The condition was eventually satisfied and Kansas City received pick No. 233 in the 2018 draft.
Why Arizona Won
Cooper supplied immediate starting value at a bargain price. He appeared in 15 games for Arizona in 2016, started 13, intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown. For the cost of a future seventh-round selection, that was an excellent short-term return. He did not become a long-term Cardinals fixture, but a full season of starting cornerback play with takeaway production easily clears the normal expectation for such a late pick.
How the Return Aged
Kansas City did preserve some utility from the asset. In 2018 the Chiefs packaged No. 233 with No. 243 and moved up to No. 198, where they selected offensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie. Pick No. 233 later changed hands again and was eventually used by Philadelphia on Jordan Mailata, but Mailata was not a Chiefs selection and should not be credited to Kansas City. The Chiefs' actual return was the trade-up opportunity created by the pick. McKenzie did not become a long-term Kansas City starter, which further limits that side's payoff.
Final Verdict
Arizona earns a B+ and Kansas City a C+. The Cardinals obtained a productive one-year starter for a tiny future cost, while the Chiefs retained only modest draft flexibility from the outgoing player. Arizona Cardinals Win.