Tag: D.J. Humphries

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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How much will it cost to re-sign D.J. Humphries?

The Cardinals will either have to pay him or someone else a lot of money to play left tackle.

With receiver Larry Fitzgerald now under contract for the 2020 season, perhaps the most important pending free agent the Arizona Cardinals have is left tackle D.J. Humphries.

He doesn’t want to make it to free agency but he also isn’t willing to sign at a discount rate.

Left tackles cost a lot and Humphries is no exception.

How much is it going to cost re-sign him?

One option is to use the franchise tag, which would be an estimated $16.1 million salary for 2020. Another would be to use the transition tag, which is estimated to be $14.7 million.

However, if the Cardinals use the tags as a way to begin to negotiate a long-term deal, then those are the numbers they will have to start with his per-year salary.

If they try to work out a contract before free agency, how much could it cost?

The top 12 contracts for left tackles, according to Over the Cap, average between $12 and $16 million per year. While some might say Humphries isn’t a top-12 left tackle in the league, he is younger than every player in the top 12, he is athletic and he had a solid 2019 season. If the Cardinals don’t pay him, some other team will.

The contracts for the top two right tackles — Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson and Las Vegas’ Trent Brown — are an average of $18 million and $16.5 million.

Brown was 26 when he signed his deal. He had been disappointing and then was good for the New England Patriots for one season in 2018 before cashing in.

Humphries is 26 years old.

He is one of the top tackles on the market under 30.

He probably won’t take an average salary near the bottom of the top, so the $12 million per year average isn’t going to work.

Brown’s contract is probably the comp his agent will use.

So to bring hin back, it is probably going to take four years and between $60-$65 million total.

That might seem like a lot and perhaps more than fans want the Cardinals to pay, but the other options are to pay another tackle roughly the same money or go with a lesser player or unproven player.

The Cardinals know what they have in Humphries. He is a leader on the offensive line.

If they want him, it won’t be cheap.

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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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2 Cardinals make ESPN’s top-50 free agent list

Kenyan Drake and D.J. Humphries will be coveted free agents if the Cardinals don’t re-sign them.

The NFL is still more than a month away from the beginning of free agency. The Arizona Cardinals are expected to be big players as they have more salary cap space than in recent years.

Of course, they have some players of their own they would like to bring back and re-sign before free agency begins.

Two show up on ESPN’s list of the top 50 free agents for this year.

Coming in at No. 44 is tackle D.J. Humphries.

Humphries is one of the most intriguing candidates for the open market. His age and position will attract plenty of NFL teams. But Humphries, a 2015 first-round draft pick, struggled to stay on the field until his contract year. Is he past those issues?

Humphries played well last season, allowing only two sacks all year. Re-signing him is important for the Cardinals as well because he would be the first of general manager Steve Keim’s first-round picks to make it to a second contract.

Cracking the top 20 on the list is running back Kenyan Drake, who comes in at No. 19.

Drake was wildly productive after arriving from the Dolphins via trade. In eight games, he rushed for eight touchdowns and combined for 814 yards rushing and receiving. Drake’s age and receiving ability make him a rare valuable commodity at his position in free agency.

How much he will cost to re-sign is a big question for the offseason. Already burdened by David Johnson’s deal, do they want to invest more at a position many feel is interchangeable?

If the Cardinals don’t re-sign him, he will certainly get paid elsewhere.

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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. 255

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Ep. 254

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2 Cardinals (and no Kenyan Drake) among PFF’s top 50 free agents

Larry Fitzgerald and D.J. Humphries make the cut. Kenyan Drake did not.

Free agency is still about two months away but NFL teams are preparing, making their own lists of players and ranking them by priority. The Arizona Cardinals have their own free agents to perhaps re-sign as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, two of their pending free agents are among the top 50 in the league. However, one big name does not appear on the list.

Who makes the list?

It includes receiver Larry Fitzgerald and tackle D.J. Humphries. It does not include running back Kenyan Drake.

Fitzgerald comes in at No. 48.

The NFL needs Larry Fitzgerald in it, and the Hall of Famer is somehow still playing at a pretty high level, even if he isn’t quite the force he once was. This season, Fitzgerald caught 72.1% of the passes thrown his way and didn’t drop a single pass all year. Fitzgerald has had the best hands in the game since he came into the league, and despite slowing down, he was still able to register a catch of 54 yards this season along with four touchdowns. His days as a true No. 1 receiver are long gone, but in a league that needs deep benches of receiving talent, Larry Fitzgerald can still be a valuable member of a receiving corps and a solid contributor on Sundays.

Humphries comes in at No. 45.

Humphries battled injuries early in his career, only flashing the ability that made him a 2015 first-rounder, but he is coming off his best effort as a pass blocker. He gave up only 30 pressures on 677 attempts in 2019, just two more pressures than he allowed in 2018 on 335 fewer opportunities. It was Humphries’ first season grading below 72.0 in the run game, but he could be the classic “late bloomer” along the offensive line as he heads into his age-26 season.

Fitzgerald won’t actually make it to free agency. He will either re-sign with the Cardinals before it begins or he will announce his retirement. He will not play for another team.

Humphries, though, is another story. He would like to re-sign, but if he doesn’t have a new deal before free agency begins and the Cardinals do not use the franchise tag on him, he will land a big contract elsewhere.

The absence of Drake, who was dynamic down the stretch for the Cardinals after he was acquired in a midseason trade. In eight games, he ended up leading the team in rushing and rushing touchdowns. Both general manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury believe he could be their top back and express their desire for his return.

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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. 255

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Ep. 254

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The 4 biggest player decisions the Cardinals have this offseason

From David Johnson to Patrick Peterson, these decisions will shape the direction of the franchise for the seasons to come.

The Arizona Cardinals have a big offseason this year. However, with many decisions to make in the months to come, a few are bigger than others.

Here are the biggest player decisions the Cardinals must make in 2020.

CB Patrick Peterson

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If we are to believe what has been said by Peterson, Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim, he isn’t going anywhere. He will at least remain with the team through 2020, the final year of his contract. However, if they don’t plan on bringing him back, a trade would make sense, and he did request a trade two seasons ago.

Whether the decision is to move on, give him a contract extension or simply let him play out the season, it will set the direction of the franchise moving forward.

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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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D.J. Humphries doesn’t want to get to free agency

“I want to build here. I want to bring the first championship to Arizona. I want to be part of that.”

Arizona Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries is set to become a free agent after the season. Finally healthy through a whole season (pending the final two games), he could cash in.

However, he doesn’t even want to make it until March when free agency begins.

“I don’t want to go through free agency,” he said, according to The Athletic’s Scott Bordow. “I want to build here. I want to bring the first championship to Arizona. I want to be part of that. I haven’t won anything in my career, ever, so winning in a place that also hasn’t won anything would be huge for me.”

He echoed a sentiment he has stated previously — he doesn’t want to play anywhere else. That said, he expects to get paid what he is worth. “Wal-Mart is more of a discount place,” he said. “Offensive tackles not so much.”

Humphries has been much better this season. He has played all but three snaps. He has allowed only two sacks all season. He does, though, have 12 penalties, tied for the third-most among offensive linemen.

Humphries will certainly command an average yearly salary somewhere between $12 million and $18 million.

Will the Cardinals get him locked up before free agency begins? They have already reportedly begun contract talks, although Humphries is keeping himself out of the loop. He wants to focus on football.

Humphries wants to be here. The Cardinals want to keep him here. It would appear a deal will get done, although it might cost more than what some fans want to hear.

But when it comes to young athletic left tackles, you do get what you pay for unless you hit the lottery in the draft, and even then you have to wait for him to be good.

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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. 252:

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Ep. 251:

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Kenyan Drake shared the love on TD, let D.J. Humphries spike the ball

“When one eats, we all eat,” Drake said after the game.

Kenyan Drake scored four touchdowns on Sunday so there were many opportunities to celebrate. On one of his scores, he didn’t spike the ball. He gave it to left tackle D.J. Humphries, instead.

“When one eats, we all eat,” Drake said after the game. “That’s what I was telling them on the sidelines. These guys, they work their butt off to do their job. The least I could do is reward them for the job that they do because the person that falls into the end zone after a one-yard carry gets all the glory, but you have to let them know that it’s their time to shine too.”

That is something that goes a long way with teammates. It is rare that a tackle gets to touch the football. Humphries took advantage.

Plus, with four touchdowns, it isn’t as if Drake was lacking in opportunities himself.

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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. 251:

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Ep. 250:

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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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