Arizona Cardinals trade Isaiah Simmons to Giants, Josh Jones to Texans, acquire QB Dobbs

The Arizona Cardinals traded former first-round draft pick Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants in exchange for a seventh-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, and that was just the start of a busy day of deals for General Manager Monti Ossenfort.

After team practice at the Minnesota Vikings' facility in Eagan, Minnesota had ended, two more trades were announced by the Cardinals. Quarterback Josh Dobbs is coming via a trade with the Cleveland Browns and immediately joins the competition for a roster spot to back up whomever will fill in for the still rehabbing Kyler Murray between Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune. And Josh Jones, who has been both a starter and backup offensive tackle, was traded to the Houston Texans.

The Dobbs deal, in which the Cardinals gave up a fifth-round pick next year for Dobbs and a seventh-rounder, was reported by the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Dobbs, 28, has been a backup for virtually all of his time in the league, with eight career games played and two starts, both with the Tennessee Titans last season. He worked with Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for part of last season in Cleveland when Petzing was the Browns' quarterbacks coach.

Dobbs becomes the fifth quarterback on the roster (not including Murray), with David Blough and Jeff Driskel also on the team and Blough working as the No. 3 signal caller through Thursday.

All three trades are contingent on Simmons, Jones and Dobbs passing physicals. Simmons was with the Cardinals in Minnesota as recently as Wednesday for the first of two practice sessions against the Vikings ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Thursday's practice was the Cardinals' first without Simmons, and as it turned out, also without Jones, who was traded to the Texans with a 2024 seventh-round pick for a fifth-rounder next year. The Cardinals made that trade official Thursday afternoon.

Jones was a backup tackle, the No. 2 left tackle according to the Cardinals' latest depth chart who made 21 starts over the past two seasons. He was drafted in the third round in 2020 out of the University of Houston and gets to return to his native Texas.

Simmons, 25, was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft. A linebacker who played multiple positions at Clemson, the Cardinals tried him at various spots on defense each of the past four years and this offseason, declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, thus making him an unrestricted free agent following the 2023 season.

This year, he was moved to free safety and during last Saturday’s 38-10 loss to the visiting Chiefs, Simmons was beat on a handful of plays, two of which led to scores.

That came after Simmons, during training camp, talked about his satisfaction with the position change.

"Still in camp, which is a good thing, so still got building to do and tasks we need to accomplish," he said after Saturday's game.

Moore: Simmons trade completes stunning fall for former No. 8 pick

"We're always going to make decisions predicated on what we think is best for the team," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Thursday. "Wish Isaiah well, but thought that was the best move for us as we sit here today.

"He did everything we asked him to do," he continued. "It's just moving forward we feel like this is how we want to play football against other people, so we're going to try to put the best guys out there that can function and do a good job for us and that's what we felt like."

General manager Monti Ossenfort commented on the trade Thursday, and wished Simmons the best going forward. "The situation presented itself this morning and just where we are in camp, where we are in team, we thought it was the right move to make for us, for the team and just moving forward," he said.

Ossenfort was also asked if the trade was a product of things building up that Simmons struggled with, or if his last Cardinals game was a bigger factor.

"With all these decisions, it's a combination. We're never going to make a snap judgment on one game or one play or you know, anything like that," he said.

Simmons is close to former Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, with whom he worked out in the offseason before and after Hopkins signed with the Tennessee Titans. Hopkins expressed support for his friend via X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The Giants just got a steal in Isaiah Simmons, 7th rounder," Hopkins wrote.

Simmons is now the fourth former first-round pick among the last eight selected by the Cardinals who is no longer with the franchise, joining Robert Nkemdiche, Josh Rosen and Haason Reddick.

Ossenfort and Gannon both said the Cardinals aren't actively trying to stockpile draft picks.

"It doesn't matter how you got here, once players get in our building, it doesn't matter. Free agent, drafted, undrafted free agency, high draft pick, whatever," Ossenfort said. "It's about what you do for the team now. So ultimately we have to make the best decision, we've got to put the best 53 (players) together that we can."

Simmons' former teammate Zaven Collins said Simmons became one of his best friends who helped him through rough patches earlier in Collins' career.

"I wish him nothing but the best while he's in New York. I think he's going to excel in many other ways," Collins said. "So it's awesome that he can go and just do what he wants to do and be where he's at. But everyone's the same. Everyone can be cut, everyone can be traded. We're all the same."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals trade Isaiah Simmons, Josh Jones and acquire QB Josh Dobbs