GM shares why the Cardinals traded for Hollywood Brown

Apr 25, 2019; Nashville, TN, USA; Marquise Brown (Oklahoma) on the red carpet prior to the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft in Downtown Nashville. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals traded their No. 23 pick for Hollywood Brown during the first round of the NFL Draft in late April with a specific vision in mind.

During an appearance Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim was asked why he felt the need to add Brown to the roster.

“The trade made a lot of sense for a number of reasons,” Keim said. “We wanted to get another deep threat, a guy who can take the top off the defense. And then obviously the built-in chemistry that he already has with our quarterback.”

"The Hollywood Brown trade made a lot of sense for us because we wanted another deep threat & the built in chemistry he has with Kyler" ~Steve Keim#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/M2gcQiIYUv

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 25, 2022

Brown, who played with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, should be able to live up to Keim’s expectations.

In 2021, the 24-year-old caught 91 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.

He will also provide valuable depth while DeAndre Hopkins serves a six-game suspension to begin the 2022 season.

Brown’s longest reception last season was just 49 yards, but he should be able to stretch the field more in Arizona with his speed. Having a quarterback in Murray who has success completing deep balls should help.

Murray had a season-long completion of 77 yards in 2021, while Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s furthest completion came on a 49-yard pass.