NFL owners approve new kickoff rules

With the changes, we should see more returns off kickoffs in 2024.

At the NFL’s annual league meeting on Tuesday, the owners approved a change to kickoffs for the 2024 season. The goal is to promote returns, bring back some excitement to special teams, and improve player safety.

It is drastically different than what has been done in the past. It penalizes teams more than in the past for simply kicking the ball out of the end zone, decreases the distance for collisions and promotes returns.

Here is the rundown of what new kickoffs will look like.

  • The kicking team will kick off from its own 35-yard line.
  • 10 members of the kicking team will line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line (25 yards in front of their kicker).
  • A minimum of nine members of the receiving team will line up between their own 30- and 35-yard lines (five-to-10 yards in front of the 10 members of the kicking team).
  • The receiving team can have zero, one or two players inside their own 30-yard line to receive the kickoff.
  • The play begins when the ball is either caught, hits the ground in the landing zone (inside the 20-yard line before the goal line) or is returned from the end zone. That’s when players can begin moving.
  • Any kick that hits the landing zone must be returned.
  • Any kick that bounces from the landing zone into the end zone must be returned or kneeled for a touchback (with possession going out to the 20-yard line).
  • If a kick doesn’t reach the landing zone, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • If the ball enters the end zone in the air, the receiving team can return it or kneel it for possession at its 30-yard line.
  • If the ball is kicked out of bounds, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • There are no fair catches.
  • Onside kicks are only permitted in the fourth quarter when a team is trailing and must be declared to officials

The Cardinals have not gotten much in the return game for years. Their last kickoff return for a touchdown was by David Johnson in 2015.

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

 

Complete contract details, salary cap breakdown for OL Evan Brown

Brown got a one-year, $2.35 million contract to sign with the Cardinals this offseason.

As the Arizona Cardinals enter draft mode, solidifying depth on the offensive line was a goal after the league year began on March 13.

One player they added to accomplish that was Evan Brown. Cards Wire obtained the details of his one-year contract.

He signed a one-year contract worth $2.35 million with $1.1 million guaranteed and includes a $650,000 signing bonus. Of his $1.445 million salary in 2024, $450,000 is guaranteed.

Also in the deal are $15,000 per-game roster bonuses with a potential total of $255,000. His salary-cap charge is $2.335 million.

The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Brown entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Giants in 2018. During his first two seasons, Brown played only 11 games while spending time with the Giants, Dolphins, Browns and Lions.

He became a starter in Detroit in 2021 and over the next three seasons played 46 games with 40 starts. His snap count went from 73 percent in 2021, to 83 percent with the Lions in 2022 and 97 percent last season in Seattle.

Brown is one of two new linemen the Cardinals added in free agency, the other being Jonah Williams, who is expected to start at either right or left tackle. They also re-signed four other linemen. Back from 2023 are Elijah Wilkinson, Trystan Colon, Keith Ismael and Carter O’Donnell.

Wilkinson started 10 games at left guard while Colon started four. Williams started 17 games for the Bengals in 2023, while Brown started 16 for the Seahawks.

There are currently 13 linemen on the roster, including center-guard Jon Gaines II, who spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve, along with Marquis Hayes and Austen Pleasants, who were on the practice squad last season.

The others are Kelvin Beachum, Dennis Daley, Hjalte Froholdt, Will Hernandez and Paris Johnson Jr. The latter three started all 17 games in 2023.

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

 

Kyler Murray’s work, leadership praised by Jonathan Gannon, Budda Baker

Kyler Murray continues to get high marks for his work behind the scenes as a player, teammate, leader.

To say that Kyler Murray has been a lightning rod since being selected No. 1 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 draft would be an understatement, judging by the persistent outside noise that was often over the top but also at times justified.

It also appears clear that the torn ACL Murray suffered late in the 2022 season humbled him, coupled with the arrival of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon early in the 2023 offseason.

Murray attacked his rehab and learning a new offense with a vengeance and then performed well in the final eight games of the season.

Gannon has had nothing but praise when talking about his quarterback and reiterated those thoughts Tuesday morning while speaking at the NFC coaches breakfast at the league meetings in Orlando, Fla.

“Everything that we’ve asked of him, he’s went above and beyond,” Gannon said. “If you watch the tape, you know why I’m convicted. But it’s not only the tape at that position. The other things that he brings to the table as a person, as a teammate, as a competitor, I absolutely love. Saddle me up; let’s go. Just from a standpoint of respect and love and care and developing that relationship with him we kinda like hit it off. So feel really good about where he’s at and where he wants to go.”

In comments Cardinals safety Budda Baker made on the Up & Adams podcast with Kay Adams, it was clear he agrees with Gannon’s assessment.

Baker said, “It’s night and day from his rookie year until now. Always a great player. (But now) a guy you can talk to, any of the players can talk to whether it’s the practice squad guys or the best players on the team. He’s around us. He jokes, cracks jokes, he talks. He’s a great leader, so definitely excited for him to continue to grow, continue to get better and lead this organization.”

Gannon can’t wait to get on the grass when the offseason program begins next month when Murray can focus on football, not rehabbing from a major injury.

The coach said, “That’s why I’m super excited about spring, getting to go through spring and then training camp with him because there’s some things that we want to explore that we think he can handle and there’s some things that he has brought up (and) that he wants some things added that he likes and he is comfortable with. So that’s always a coach and player thing, player and coach, which I love and I just think that him being in the spring and going through spring is really gonna help his development within our system with him as a player.

“I mean we changed his stance, how he took the snap and he took to it and understood the why behind it and he likes it now, but he’s gonna bank all those reps in the spring. So that’s why I say his best football is head of him, which is interesting to say because he’s played at such a high level.”

Moving his hand upward, Gannon concluded, “I really think he’s gonna keep going that way.”

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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 Spotify.

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Cardinals’ projected win total only up slightly over 2023

The Arizona Cardinals have a projected win total of 6.5 for 2024, with only four teams with lower projections.

DraftKings Sportsbook released projected win totals for all 32 NFL teams on Monday. A year after the Arizona Cardinals, depending on the sportsbook, either had the lowest or were tied for the lowest projected win total, they have not improved much in terms of projection in 2024.

Last year, they opened at 5.5 projected wins and fell to 4.5 across the board.

In 2024, DraftKings has the Cardinals listed with 6.5 projected wins, with even -110 odds for the Over and the Under, essentially saying that the Cardinals are statistically as likely to have 6 or fewer wins than 7 or more.

Three other teams — the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings — have the same projected win total but with varying odds for the Over and Under.

Only four teams have a lower projected win total. The Tenessee Titans and Denver Broncos are at 5.5, while the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots are at 4.5.

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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 Spotify.

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The latest NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Cardinals trading Kyler Murray and taking J.J. McCarthy

Now THIS would make for a wild draft night.

WHOA.

Now THIS would be a shock on the night of the 2024 NFL Draft or before: imagine if the Arizona Cardinals decide to trade QB Kyler Murray and take a new quarterback of the future.

In some NFL mock drafts, the Cardinals have traded down, or they stick at No. 4 to take a receiver. In our latest mock draft from Christian D’Andrea, he’s got them taking stud WR Marvin Harrison Jr. But in the new ESPN mock from former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum, he proposes the Cardinals trade Murray to the Minnesota Vikings (the Cards would get the No. 11 pick!) and take J.J. McCarthy. Wild!

Here’s his take:

Look, QB availability is crucial in today’s NFL — 66 passers started at least one game last season — and Kyler Murray hasn’t played a full season since 2020. I really like McCarthy’s long-term upside. The 21-year-old averaged 9 yards per attempt and completed 72.3% of his throws last season, and he bulked up to 219 pounds at the combine. In short, I think he’s a better, younger and more durable quarterback than Murray right now, and I’m not passing up this chance.

You might point to Murray’s contract (which includes $35.3 million guaranteed for 2024 and $29.9 million guaranteed for 2025), but teams routinely eat substantial dead money these days for a better opportunity at the position. And besides, I think the Cardinals could get a first-round pick back in exchange for him — stay tuned there, I might have something up my sleeve.

Fascinating! Make sure to check out the latest NFL mock draft from Christian D’Andrea and the updated 2024 NFL draft order.

Trading up for a QB is a ‘realistic’ option for the Broncos

“I think it’s realistic.” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the possibility of trading up for a quarterback in the NFL draft.

Three days after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicated the Denver Broncos were more likely to start Jarrett Stidham than trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, coach Sean Payton shot back at that notion.

“I think that’s realistic,” Payton said at the NFL’s owners meetings in Orlando on Monday when asked by Rapoport about the possibility of moving up for a QB. “I think it’s realistic. I know your report suggested otherwise, but it’s realistic.”

Broncos general manager George Paton had a more measured answer when asked about the possibility of trading up.

“If there’s a player that you love … you do whatever it takes to go get him,” Paton said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. “But you don’t want to panic. There’s going to be a really good player at 12. And unless we have a total consensus love for another player, we just stay at 12 or we move back.”

Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune was close to Payton during the coach’s time with the New Orleans Saints. Duncan tweeted this on Monday: “If Sean Payton falls in love with a QB, he will go get him. Or die trying. Trust that.”

The top three quarterbacks in this year’s class — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — are expected to go off the board within the first three picks. So if a team is desperate to pick J.J. McCarthy, they might have to trade up to the fourth overall pick to make sure they land him.

The Arizona Cardinals currently hold pick No. 4, and general manager Monti Ossenfort has made it known that they are open to trade talks.

“I think it’s realistic,” Payton said of the possibility of trading up. “What’s hard to predict, though, is what’s on the receiving end. I think it’s good to be Monti today at Arizona. So it’s hard to predict what that cost is and yet, I certainly wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic and we’ll pay close attention to it.”

Moving up from No. 12 — where the Broncos currently sit — to No. 4 would be costly. Three years ago, the San Francisco 49ers gave up three first-round picks (2021, 2022, 2023) and a third-round pick (2022) to move from No. 12 to No. 3 to select QB Trey Lance.

That trade didn’t work out for the 49ers, but it might give a rough estimate of how much it would cost Denver to move up for a QB. The great cost associated with such a trade would make it a big risk, so if the Broncos do it, they have to get it right.

Our most recent seven-round mock draft for Denver has the Broncos trading up to No. 4 to select McCarthy. It would be a risky move, but fans in Denver know how important it is to have a franchise QB in the NFL. If Payton is convinced McCarthy (or any other QB) is the guy, the Broncos should move up to make sure they get him during the draft.

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Cardinals will have joint preseason practices for 2nd straight year

After years of no joint practices, they will hold joint preseason practices for the second year in a row.

The Arizona Cardinals went years without holding joint practices in the preseason with another team. They held two days of joint practices last preseason in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Gannon said on Tuesday in Orlando at the NFL’s annual league meeting that the Cardinals would hold joint practice again this year, per Darren Urban.

The details and opponent are not known yet, as preseason opponents and schedules have not been announced and won’t likely be until May.

Last year, it was the final week of the preseason and they used those practices to get starters competitive reps before the rookies and backups played in the preseason finale.

The Cardinals will play two road preseason games this year because they get nine home games.

The Cardinals would not hold joint practice in Arizona. State Farm Stadium is not big enough to hold joint practices inside with two teams with full preseason 90-man rosters, so they would have to practice outside and teams generally do not want to practice in Phoenix’s August summer heat.

So we know the Cardinals will practice against another team. We just don’t know when or against whom.

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

 

Cardinals to host Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. for top-30 visit

Brownlee was Kei’Trel Clark’s teammate at Louisville.

Last year, the Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Kei’Trel Clark out of Louisville in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. They could add his former teammate in the draft this year.

They will use one of their top-30 prospect visits on Louisville cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr., the player told The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Brownlee is 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds.

He played two seasons at Louisville after three at Florida State. In two seasons for the Cardinals, Brownlee intercepted three passes and broke up 18 passes.

He had an interception in the Senior Bowl this year.

He is a player Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will love. He was a big fan of Clark entering his rookie year.

What will he like about Brownlee? His mentality.

“I think I proved that I’m the ultimate competitor,” Brownlee told Melo. “I’m a dog. I’ve always been overlooked and underappreciated. I showed everyone that I belonged at the Senior Bowl. I’m a team-first guy and a great player. I play with toughness and an aggressive mindset.

“I’m the best cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft.”

He believes he will play more in the slot in the pros and he likes special teams.

The Cardinals used a top-30 visit on Clark last year before drafting him. We will see if history repeats itself.

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

 

NFL owners make it easier for coaches to get extra challenge

The NFL approved a proposal to give coaches a third challenge if they are successful on at least one during the game.

The NFL owners voted to make a couple of rules changes at the annual league meeting on Monday in Orlando, Florida. One change is a tweak to coaching challenges.

Proposed by the Detroit Lions, the owners voted to make it easier to have a third coaching challenge.

Previously, coaches would get a third challenge if they were successful on both challenges during the game.

Now, under the new change, coaches will have a third challenge if they are successful on one of their first two.

This probably won’t do much for the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Jonathan Gannon only challenged one ruling on the field all season. If that continues in 2024, Gannon will have no use of an extra challenge. He never once ran out of challenges in a game.

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

 

Owners vote to ban hip-drop tackle

Despite NFLPA opposition on the basis of confusion for players, coaches, officials and fans, the league owners voted to ban them.

Owners at the annual league meeting in Orlando on Monday passed a trio of rules changes for 2024. One impacts players on the field.

After the competition committee unanimously recommended banning what is called a “hip-drop” tackle, owners agreed and voted to ban that type of tackle in 2024. Such a tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty against the defense and fines for the player.

There are two elements to this sort of tackling technique.

  • The player grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms.
  • The player unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg or legs at or below the knees.

The NFLPA came out publicly against the potential ban, decrying it for the confusion it would cause for players, coaches, officials and fans.

However, the league has wanted to get it out of the game. NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent explained.

“The greatest asset for any athlete is durability and availability,” Vincent said last week. “When you have a play that has a 20-25 times the injury rate, it doesn’t allow you to fulfill your dreams.”

We will see if this becomes a problem for how games are officiated and played.

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