Tag: D.J. Humphries

D.J. Humphries’ new contract is mostly all salary

His cap hit is expected to be higher than most believed it would be.

The Arizona Cardinals announced a new contract for left tackle D.J. Humphries this week that keeps him in Arizona through 2022. The initial report said his three-year deal is worth $45 million.

It is not structured the way you would things.

He did not get a big signing bonus to lighten the salary cap hit in 2020.

According to the NFLPA salary database, almost $40 million of the $45 million is in base salary.

This is what he is scheduled to make in salary the next three seasons:

  • 2020: $11.5 million
  • 2021: $15.1 million
  • 2022: $13.25 million

That only leaves a possible $5.15 million available for a signing bonus.

Let’s say the signing bonus is $5 million and the remaining $150,000 is in miscellaneous roster or workout bonuses.

That would mean his prorated cap hit would only be $1.67 million. His 2020 cap hit would be $13.2 million.

That is less than the $16.1 million the franchise tag would have been or the estimated $14.4 million for the transition tag, but he will have a larger cap hit this year than many expected.

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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.

Ep. 258

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Ep. 257

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How D.J. Humphries’ extension with Cardinals helps the Jets

With D.J. Humphries signing a three-year, $45 million extension, it could take the Cardinals out of the market for a OT come draft day.

If the Jets want to draft a tackle in the first round of the NFL draft, an obstacle was just removed from their path there.

D.J. Humphries signed a three-year, $45 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The new contract will pay Humphries $30 million over the first two years and $29 million guaranteed. It comes in the aftermath of the first 16-game season of his career.

The move to extend the 26-year-old tackle out of the University of Florida not only telegraphs Arizona’s draft plans, but it also helps out tackle-needy teams like the Jets that need the first 10 picks of April’s draft to bounce in their favor.

Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton are the four best offensive tackles in the draft, but there will be other interested teams before the Jets pick at No. 11. The Giants, Chargers, Panthers, Jaguars and Browns could all be in the market for the position. However, a run on quarterbacks and Humphries’ extension could pay dividends for New York, who has to rely on a little bit of luck for an offensive lineman to fall into their laps at 11.

Humphries was set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. While the Cardinals have re-upped their starting left tackle, who helped Arizona’s running game finish with a franchise-record 5.0 yards per carry last season, they still have multiple offensive lineman hitting the free agent market.

Veteran offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert is set to hit free agency, while Justin Murray, who ended the season as the starter, is a former undrafted free agent who has bounced around the league. With that, ESPN’s Mel Kiper still has Arizona taking Wirfs in his latest mock draft, citing Wirfs’ history on the right side and Gilbert’s impending free agency.

Still, it’s unknown whether Gilbert is also part of Arizona’ retention plan. According to Spotrac.com, Arizona had roughly $51.5 million in salary cap space, which was the 15th most across the league, prior to the Humphries’ extension.

With Humphries extended for the next three seasons, it could take Arizona out of the tackle market in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Players like Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Alabama wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown all make sense for the Cardinals, who pick eighth overall.

While Arizona spent three of its draft picks in 2019 on receivers Hakeem Butler, Andy Isabella and KeSean Johnson, they are still seemingly in the market for a top-tier wideout. Larry Fitzgerald is signed back for his 17th season, while Christian Kirk has emerged as a legitimate No. 2. Still, there can never be enough wideouts in Kliff Kingsbury’s wide open attack, especially when developing a young quarterback.

This past season Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year, so the franchise seems bent on providing him with the best protection possible, something the Jets hope on supplementing Sam Darnold with this offseason.

The market for offensive tackles is expected to be competitive, with the Jets being one of several teams to throw their hats in the ring. Of course, Humphries helps set the market for similar offensive tackles, but it also takes one off the board as well. When the draft rolls around, there are no certainties that the Jets will still be in the market for a tackle; anything between now and the draft is in the cards for Gang Green.

For now, the Humphries extension and a potential run on quarterbacks projects well for Gang Green’s hopes of getting one of the draft’s top-four tackles.

Podcast: D.J. Humphries’ contract, David Johnson and Patrick Peterson

Listen to the best hour of Cardinals talk on the Web react to Humphries’ new deal and more dealing with the Arizona Cardinals.

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With the news of Arizona Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries signing a new contract extension, it meant it was time for a new podcast episode. In this edition of the show, Revenge of the Birds’ Seth Cox and I react to the deal and more.

In this edition, we react to the deal and whether it is a good one for the team and for Humphries, we talk about its impact on the Cardinals and free agency and the draft, and then we go over scenarios for running back David Johnson and the contract talks the team is having with Patrick Peterson.

It is the best hour of Cardinals talk on the Web, so sit back and enjoy the show. Make sure to subscribe to the show and give it a five-star rating.

Here are the approximate timestamps for the different topics we discuss on the show.

(1:45) The D.J. Humphries deal and reacting to it

(21:12) How it affects the Cardinals in free agency

(35:25) How it affects the Cardinals in the draft

(45:28) David Johnson’s contract and different scenarios for the RB in 2020

(1:01:53) Contract talks with Patrick Peterson and what a contract extension could look like

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D.J. Humphries’ new deal shows why the Lions cannot afford to dump Rick Wagner

Humphries will earn $6 million more than Wagner to be a lesser player than the Lions longtime right tackle

The Arizona Cardinals paid a hefty price to keep offensive tackle D.J. Humphries in the red, white and black for three more years. The price they paid to lock up Humphries should be seen as a warning sign to the Lions against dumping right tackle Rick Wagner.

Arizona will pay Humphries $15 million a year through 2022 to remain as their left tackle. That’s a staggering sum that dwarfs Wagner’s $9 million per year salary, which extends out through 2021.

Humphries is an inferior player to Wagner even with the Lions right tackle coming off his worst season. Wagner’s durability, pass protection and consistency of performance over the past four years is far better than Humphries, who also committed 12 penalties to Wagner’s three in 2019.

The larger point is the replacement cost if the Lions were to part ways with Wagner with two years left on his contract. Humphries getting $15 million a year on average with $29 million guaranteed sets the bar significantly higher than what Wagner earns over the next two years.

One of the reasons Humphries was able to command such a contract was the relative scarcity of quality tackles on the market. There isn’t one better than Wagner for the same amount of money in 2020, period. Paying more money to tread water — at best, most likely — is not the secret to turning around the losing fates of 2019 in Detroit.

What D.J. Humphries’ contract means for Germain Ifedi, Seahawks

The Arizona Cardinals re-signed tackle D.J. Humphries to a three-year, $45 million deal, resetting the market for free agent Germain Ifedi.

The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the free agency period of the offseason with three offensive linemen – right tackle Germain Ifedi, left tackle George Fant and left guard Mike Iupati – all set to test the open market.

Ifedi originally had a fifth-year option attached to him, thanks to his status as a 2016 first round pick, but the Seahawks declined the one-year, roughly $10 million dollar deal Ifedi would have earned in 2020, instead allowing him to head to free agency.

It’s fairly safe to assume, even though Pete Carroll talked about how much they want Ifedi back in Seattle, that the Seahawks do not want to pay more than $10 million annually for Ifedi’s services.

That makes it very unlikely he’ll be back with the Seahawks next year, particularly after the Arizona Cardinals reset the market for young tackles by re-signing left tackle D.J. Humphries to a three-year, $45 million dollar contract, with $29 million guaranteed according to the NFL Network.

Humphries was a first round pick in 2015, one year before Ifedi, and he battled injuries and ineffectiveness for years before starting all 16 games in 2019 and putting together a solid campaign – as evidenced by his 64.5 grade from Pro Football Focus.

While no one will argue that Ifedi is better than Humphries, his performance last year was not dramatically worse, and it seems entirely plausible that he and his representatives will use this contract as a jumping off point in contract negotiations.

$15 million annually is almost certainly above what Seattle is willing to give Ifedi, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see another team in need of help on the o-line give him that or close to it – which would likely end his up-and-down tenure in the Emerald City.

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Grading the NFL offseason: Cardinals find solid value with D.J. Humphries contract

The Cardinals did let D.J. Humphries get to free agency, but did they get a good deal?

This NFL offseason, Steven Ruiz will be offering his thoughts and grading every major deal that goes down, including contract extensions, trades and free-agent signings.

Cardinals LT D.J. Humphries was slated to hit the open market next month, but the Cardinals never allowed that to happen. On Monday night, they agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with the 26-year-old. According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, $29 million of the total value is guaranteed.

The structure of the contract will determine how good of a deal the Cardinals got here for their starting left tackle. The overall numbers aren’t flattering for Arizona, but if the contract is structured like the one the Buccaneers gave Donovan Smith last offseason (as OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald theorized), then it’s a good bit of business.

Smith’s guaranteed money was comprised of his 2018 and 2019 base salaries and a $5.5 million roster bonus in the first offseason of the deal. If Humphries agreed to a similar pact, the Cardinals are somewhat protected if the 2020 season doesn’t go as planned for Humphries, who had struggled to stay healthy before the 2019 season when he played a full 16-game slate for the first time in his career. With no prorated signing bonus, the Cardinals won’t be stuck with a cap charge if they decide to move Humphries next offseason. Either way, if it is structured similarly to the Smith contract, this is essentially a two-year, $30 million deal.

At this point in his career, Humphries looks like a league-average blindside protector who still has plenty of room to grow. He can be a little over-aggressive with his hands, which can throw off his balance, but he typically does a good job of recovering and shuttling his man past the quarterback. In 2019, Humphries earned a PFF pass-blocking grade of 76.3, the highest of his career. According to Sports Info Solutions, his blown block rate is awfully similar to that of Jack Conklin and Anthony Castonzo, two of the top tackles available this offseason. And both are expected to sign larger deals than the one Humphries signed.

The big concern with Humphries is, of course, his health. He missed 18 games over the course of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. With a short-term contract that is highly tradeable, the Cardinals have done a decent job protecting themselves if Humphries’ poor injury luck does continue. If it doesn’t, and Humphries continues to develop as he did in 2019, this is a solid (possibly good) deal for Arizona.

Grade: C+

Potential Dolphins’ OT target is off the market, signs with Arizona

Free agent offensive tackle D.J. Humphries is off the market after resigning with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Miami Dolphins’ reclamation project this offseason has several primary objectives. One of the keys among them? Quit messing around and get the offensive line situated after years of watching Miami’s talent and consistency get bogged down by ineffective pass protection and missed blocks along the point of attack. The 2019 season was no exception, although the team also had less talent up front than in any year in recent memory.

Why?

You’ve got to crawl before you can walk. And the Dolphins bit the bullet on a trade of LT Laremy Tunsil to boost the long-term prospects of the future, giving Miami the needed flexibility to bend the NFL’s draft board to their will, should they so choose for a single player. But now is the time to transition from tearing things down to building them back up.

We know now that one key offensive line free agent is out of the picture — the Arizona Cardinals have re-signed left tackle D.J. Humphries, making him the first shoe to drop on the free agent landscape of notable offensive linemen.

Humphries had a career best season in 2019 with the Cardinals under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury and will now reap the benefits with a 3-year, $45M extension, which will run through the end of the 2022 season. Humphries took 100% of Arizona’s offensive snaps and his athleticism was a natural fit for the Cardinals’ spread offense.

For Miami, the signing of Humphries hurts, but not because Miami won’t get a crack at him. If Humphries preemptively took $15M in a contract extension with no teams to negotiate with other than the Cardinals, imagine what the likes of Joe Thuney, Brandon Sherff, Jack Conklin, Andrus Peat and others are going to be able to command when the market opens and 32 teams are all simultaneously bidding on some of these players.

If the Dolphins want to fix their offensive line, they have to invest in it — not just address it. And there’s never been a more clear sign that any addition is a hefty financial investment in this day and age. And the Dolphins don’t have all that much of a choice if they’re serious about contending. So who will be the lucky player(s) Miami sets their eyes on and commits to sign?

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Report: Cardinals, D.J. Humphries agree to 3-year contract

He gets $45 million over three years and $30 million in the first two.

The Arizona Cardinals have taken care of one of their most important free agents. They have locked up left tackle D.J. Humphries to a new contract that will keep him through 2022.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo, Humphries gets a three-year deal worth $45 million and $29 million in guaranteed money.

Humphries will get $30 million in the first two years, so the contract is basically for $15 million per season, which is right in line with what the market is.

Humphries, the Cardinals’ 2015 first-round pick, is the first first-round pick under Steve Keim to get a second contract.

He struggled with injuries for most of his career. He did not finish 2016, 2017 or 2018 healthy, ending up on injured reserve twice. In 2019, though, he played all 16 games for the first time and only missed two offensive snaps.

He allowed only two sacks but was among the league leaders in penalties.

General manager Steve Keim said recently he and the team believe Humphries has developed into one of the better left tackles in the league.

The $15 million per-year average gets Humphries his money and pays him among the better tackles in the league. Being only three years, it allows him to hit the open market again before he turns 30.

We have to see what the structure is to see how it affects the Cardinals’ salary cap situation in 2020, but Arizona has taken care of their left tackle to protect quarterback Kyler Murray.

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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.

Ep. 257

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Ep. 256

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Cardinals GM Steve Keim ‘very optimistic’ of D.J. Humphries’ return in 2020

The Cardinals believe Humphries has become one of the better tackles in the NFL.

One of the Arizona Cardinals’ most important free agents of the offseason is left tackle D.J. Humphries. He played the best season of his career and is set to cash in.

Signs point to his returning to the Cardinals in 2020.

Why is that?

“I would just say that I’m very optimistic that D.J. will return,” Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Of course, that doesn’t really reveal much, especially since chairman and team president Michael Bidwill suggested the team could use the franchise tag on Humphries, which would keep him in Arizona for at least one more season.

Keim sounds like he would like to avoid it.

“It’s certainly an option and we’ve talked about it,” he said. “Again, you always want to tie up your players that you feel good about and you want to come to an agreement moving forward to a longer-term deal than having to those things, for a number of reasons.”

Keim was very happy with Humphries’ play in 2019.

“(I’m) really proud of, not only the way he played, but sort of his maturation, the way he’s progressed as a worker, as a leader,” Keim said. “He’s always loved to play. He’s always been passionate and played hard. I think early on he was a young guy who had to get the big picture.”

Humphries did become a leader in the offensive line room. Offensive line coach Sean Kugler gets credit, too, but Keim believes in Humphries.

“We ran the football effectively this year and D.J. Humphries was a big reason for that. I think he played his best ball at the right time.”

While many will cite things like Humphries’ penalties in 2019 and his Pro Football Focus grade and ranking among other tackles, the Cardinals believe Humphries is a very good player.

“After looking at all the free agents so far and talking to our staff, I think we all feel very confident that D.J. Humphries has grown into one of the better tackles in the National Football League,” he said.

It sounds like Cardinals fans should be prepared for at least one more year of Humphries at left tackle and very likely the next several years.

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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.

Ep. 257

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Ep. 256

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Michael Bidwill suggests Cardinals will tag LT D.J. Humphries

It sounds like Humphries will be around in 2020 even if a long-term contract is not signed.

Among the Arizona Cardinals players who will be free agents next month if they do not sign a contract extension with the team is starting left tackle D.J. Humphries. He has stated before he doesn’t want to hit free agency and wants to remain with the Cardinals.

The feeling appears to be mutual, according to Cardinals chairman and president Michael Bidwill. And it appears the Cardinals could use one of the tools at their disposal to keep Humphries around at least another year.

“We’d like to have him back and we also have the tag out there, the franchise tag, that we can use,” Bidwill said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Wednesday. “We’ll see where we end up.”

The Cardinals have both the franchise tag and the transition tag they can use to keep Humphries from hitting free agency. The franchise tag would pay Humphries a little more than $16 million for 2020. Depending on whether they use the exclusive or non-exclusive tag, Humphries could negotiate with other teams and the Cardinals could match or let him go and receive two first-round draft picks. Using the transition tag on him would pay him more than $14 million for 2020 but allow him to negotiate with other teams, but the Cardinals could match the offer.

Teams commonly use the tags to extend the window of contract negotiations.

If they are going to use one of the available tags on Humphries, they must do it between February 25 and March 10. They must have a multi-year extension in place by July 15 or they cannot negotiate a longer deal until after the 2020 season.

Humphries, the team’s 2015 first-round draft pick, made it through a season healthy for the first time since he began playing. His rookie season he was inactive all year. He finished 2016 missing the final games with a concussion. In 2017 and 2018, knee injuries landed him on injured reserve.

He played all but two offensive snaps in 2019 and allowed only two sacks, although he was among the league’s leaders in penalties by offensive linemen.

He is a leader in the room and entering his prime.

Ideally, the Cardinals and Humphries can come to terms on a deal before the Cardinals have the chance to use the tag.

No matter how things play out, it appears Humphries probably will still be the team’s starting left tackle in 2020.

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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.

Ep. 257

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Ep. 256

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