Tag: A.Q. Shipley

4 centers the Jets should avoid in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at four centers Joe Douglas and company should steer clear of in free agency.

It can’t get any worse than the production the Jets got out of their centers in 2019.

Ryan Kalil was a massive disappointment after coming out of retirement to join the Jets in August. The unit clearly lacked chemistry with Kalil at center and it suffered mightily as a result. By the time Jonotthan Harrison took over after Kalil went on injured reserve, it was too late for him to turn the tide and make a profound impact.

The bottom line is the Jets need more out of their next center. If Joe Douglas and company want to avoid repeating last season’s struggles at the position, here are some free agents they should avoid.

Jon Halapio

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Halapio is a solid center and was mentioned as a possibility for the Jets in free agency last offseason. However, the circumstances are much different this spring.

The 29-year-old had an up and down 2019 campaign after spending all of 2018 on the shelf with a leg injury. Halapio could be in line for a bounce back 2020 season, but the Jets shouldn’t be betting on that happening at a position of need.

Halapio is also a restricted free agent and will likely wind up back with the Giants in some capacity. That, combined with his below average 2019 season, make him a player the Jets should not consider signing.

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Cardinals offseason positional outlook: The offensive line

A look at the offensive line, the questions and what lies ahead in the offseason.

We continue to look at different position groups for the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, looking back at the 2019 season and considering the questions they face.

Next up is the offensive line.

2019 review

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

The offensive line was a mixed bag if you look at the numbers.

The first thing that sticks out is how they were healthy. After years of playing as many as five different players at different positions because of injuries, four of the five starters started every game. Right tackle was the only position that dealt with injuries, as Marcus Gilbert was lost for the season before Week 1, Jordan Mill went down a couple of games later and Justin Murray, one of the biggest surprises of the season, missed a couple of games.

D.J. Humphries, Justin Pugh, A.Q. Shipley and J.R. Sweezy all played more than 95 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Late in the season, Mason Cole was given some snaps to give him playing time. The four starters only missed a handful of snaps all season because of injury.

That said, the allowed 50 sacks. That stands out, although many sacks could be credited to quarterback Kyler Murray, who took many sacks he shouldn’t have after holding on to the ball too long. At the same time, Murray also evaded some pressure that perhaps would have resulted in sacks for other less mobile quarterbacks.

The line produced in the running game. The Cardinals were ninth in the league in rushing and second in yards per rush. The offensive line was a big part of that.

Overall, they were available, they were very good in the running game and not bad in pass protection despite the number of sacks allowed.

So now what?

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A.Q. Shipley, Cardinals O-line among league’s best in pass-blocking metric

Bet you are like many others and believed the Cardinals’ O-line was terrible. They weren’t.

Depending on the source, the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line is either terrible or solid. They did give up 50 sacks but the running game was one of the best in the league.

However, despite the notably bad sack numbers, the Cardinals and one of their linemen come up big in an important pass-blocking metric.

ESPN created a stat about pass blocking called “pass block win rate,” or how often a line or a player sustains blocks for at least 2.5 seconds.

According to ESPN, the Cardinals’ line as a unit was No. 10 in the league, sustaining blocks for at least 2.5 seconds 62% of the time. The Green Bay Packers were No. 1 at 72%.

Individually, center A.Q. Shipley had a great year in pass blocking. He ranked fifth among centers in the league with a pass block win rate of 96%.

With a mobile quarterback in Kyler Murray, many of those 50 sacks came from him holding onto the ball too long. His mobility also avoided many sacks, but this stat does make something clear.

The offensive line was not nearly as bad as many believe it was and it is for this reason the team is actively trying to bring back Shipley and left tackle D.J. Humphries. This year’s successes are something to build upon.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 254

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Ep. 253:

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Cardinals, A.Q. Shipley in contract talks; vet thinks he has multiple years left

He wants to finish career with the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals have more than one decision to make on the offensive line. The biggest is dealing with left tackle D.J. Humphries, who is scheduled to become a free agent.

However, Humphries isn’t the only lineman who will be a free agent. The other is starting center A.Q. Shipley.

Shipley started every game and played over 99 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2019. He was very good as a leader and as a pass blocker. According to ESPN’s stats for pass-blocking win rate, he was the fifth-best center in the league, winning 96% of his pass-blocking matchups.

He has been in the league 10 years and will turn 33 this year but he doesn’t think he is done.

“I still think I’ve got a few more years (left),” he told reporters the final week of the season, according to Kyler Odegard of the official team site. Missing 2018 with an ACL tear helped his body, he said.

He would like to finish his career in Arizona. Of course, the team has two young centers already under contract. Mason Cole is a player Kliff Kingsbury trusts and who started all 16 games as a rookie in 2018, and they drafted Lamont Gaillard in 2019 as well.

But the team apparently would like to have him back.

Shipley and the team have begun contract talks, according to The Athletic’s Scott Bordow.

If his contract is extended, it would give the Cardinals their offensive interior at least one more year together to protect Kyler Murray and drive the running game.

How much will it take to agree to a deal? A two-year extension worth $4 million, with $1 million up front should do the trick nicely.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 254

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Ep. 253:

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6 easy-to predict potential offseason moves for Cardinals

These might not happen, but every move is one you could see happening.

The Arizona Cardinals have begun their offseason. They are expected to have a big offseason with a good amount of salary cap space and a top-10 draft pick.

With a year of Kliff Kingsbury as coach and some idea of what he likes, there are some offseason moves that just make sense. They are easy to predict.

What are some of the very predictable moves the Cardinals could make this offseason?

Extend D.J. Humphries

(Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

Humphries became a leader on the offensive line. He played well this season and played every game for the first time in his career. He is scheduled to be a free agent. He wants to play here his entire career and the Cardinals were pleased with his play, and it would look good for general manager Steve Keim to have one of his first-round picks sign a second contract.

The Cardinals would need to pay a left tackle. With so much talk of continuity on the line, it would only make sense to pay Humphries, a player they know, than to pay someone else.

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2019 Cardinals awards

Who get the superlatives for the Cardinals this year?

The Arizona Cardinals’ season is over. Some players will get league awards. But it is time to recognize the players who were the best. So let us see who gets the awards for the Cardinals.

MVP: Kyler Murray

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This is an obvious award. Murray was given the reins of the team and he exceeded expectations. He was the team’s leader. He led them to wins. He was their best offensive player and most important player overall.

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Cardinals, Steelers have 2 player connections

The Cardinals are no longer Steelers West.

The Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers each only have one player on their rosters who played for the other team. In some games this season, the Cardinals have had as many as eight player connections with an opponent.

Who are the two this week?

Starting center A.Q. Shipley was actually drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round in 2009. He spent that season on their practice squad.

Steelers long snapper Kameron Canaday was with the Cardinals briefly as an undrafted rookie in 2016. He signed with the team and won the starting job but was released only three games later.

The two teams share some coaching connections, but when it comes to players, there aren’t many this year, which is a change from the last decade, where the Cardinals were jokingly known as Steelers West, as Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians were former Steelers assistants and brought in many Steelers over the years to play for the Cardinals.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Cardinals injury report: C A.Q. Shipley sits out with illness

He is the second offensive lineman to get sick this week. Sweezy was upgraded to limited on Thursday.

The Arizona Cardinals released their second injury report of the week on Thursday and it appears there is an illness making its way around the offensive line room. After guard J.R. Sweezy sat out on Wednesday because he was sick, center A.Q. Shipley had to sit out on Thursday because of an illness.

Shipley was the only player to sit out of practice.

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive tackle Corey Peters both were back at work as full participants on Thursday after getting the day off on Wednesday.

Limited:

  • G J.R. Sweezy (illness)
  • G Max Garcia (toe)
  • S Jalen Thompson (concussion)

Sweezy felt a little better on Thursday as he was upgraded to limited after missing on Wednesday. Garcia’s injury is new. Thompson is still in the concussion protocol.

Rookie offensive lineman Lamont Gaillard was listed again as a full participant with a thumb injury.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Report: Cardinals negotiating contract extensions with D.J. Humphries, A.Q. Shipley, others

The Cardinals seeking to keep their offensive line intact beyond this season.

The Arizona Cardinals announced Saturday they extended the contract of tight end Maxx Williams for two more years, keeping him under contract through the 2021 season. He was due to become a free agent after this season.

He is not the only player who could sign an extension.

According to AZCentral Sports’ Bob McManaman, the Cardinals are in negotiations with several soon-to-be free agents. He named two starting offensive linemen in particular — left tackle D.J. Humphries and center A.Q, Shipley.

Shipley is in his 10th NFL season and has been a rock for the team since he took over the starting center job a few seasons ago. He missed all last season with a torn ACL but has played every snap this season.

Humphries has finally stayed healthy. He finished on injured reserve each of the last two seasons and the season before that he missed the final games with a concussion. He has played all but four snaps this season and has been solid overall. He is a leader on the offensive line.

He is a former first-round pick and, if he signs an extension, would be the first of the players selected in the first round under general manage Steve Keim to remain with the team beyond their original deal.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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