Cards general manager Steve Keim joined NFL Media's Adam Schein on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio on Friday to discuss the only QB the team was "focused on" in the first round.
"We liked Blake Bortles a lot," Keim said. "We thought, when you looked at his size, his athleticism, his ability to improvise. He doesn't have quite the arm strength that Ben Roethlisberger had but he has some of the same skill set."
Bortles was, of course, drafted No. 3 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Cardinals selected Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas in the fourth round. Carson Palmer is entrenched -- for now -- as the team's starter under center.
"When you get into the later parts of the draft, whether it is Rounds 4 through 7, then you take chances on guys you think could potentially be the guy. Guys who have all the physical tools that may need some developing," Keim said.Â
After lofty expectations in college, Thomas was never able to reach his potential as a top-tier QB, but he'll have the luxury of developing under Cardinals coach and QB guru Bruce Arians in Arizona.
It's fair to wonder, however, if Bortles dropped further in the draft, would the Cardinals have tried to trade up for the Jags' new signal-caller?
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