Tag: hollywood brown

Will an NFL team overpay for Hollywood Brown next week?

Howard Balzer takes a look at the situation for the Cardinals and receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

With the free agent wide receiver group having been diminished by Mike Evans re-signing with Tampa Bay at $20.5 million per year, and Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. being franchise tagged by Cincinnati and Indianapolis, respectively ($21.8 million tender), there is a school of thought that Arizona Cardinals pass-catcher Hollywood Brown will get a boatload of money when the free agent negotiating period begins Monday at 9 a.m. Arizona time.

It could happen, although it shouldn’t. That’s no knock on the speedy 5-foot-9 Brown. It would simply be an extreme leap of faith for any team to empty their cash bucket on a player who has missed eight games over the last two seasons and averaged 10.9 yards per catch on 118 catches for 1,283 yards and scored only seven touchdowns.

Yes, Brown played only 12 of his 26 Cardinals games with Kyler Murray at quarterback and a few were late in the 2023 season when he tried to grind through a foot injury. However, it wouldn’t be prudent for any team, much less the Cardinals, to agree with Spotrac and lavish $15 million a year on Brown although average per year isn’t as important as guaranteed money.

Of course, we also know that former Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jaguars two years ago that included $37 million fully guaranteed.

The first 10 days of the league year are highlighted by teams overpaying to get their guy(s) and much of it ends up being money wasted.

If that doesn’t happen, is there a path for Brown to re-sign with the Cardinals. There is, if he’s willing to sign a 1-year, prove-it contract worth around the $13.4 million he made last season and that includes an incentive package to make more. Do that, stay healthy and produce, and Brown would be in line for a big payday in 2025 when he will be 28 years old.

Asked at the combine if he hopes to have Brown back and if he has talked to Murray about it, head coach Jonathan Gannon said, “Yeah, I talk to Kyler about everything. Yeah, absolutely. But again, there’s an economic piece to that. That’ll sort out as we get going here.”

It will likely sort itself out relatively quickly.

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 inactives: Hollywood Brown, Jalen Thompson set to play

Hollywood Brown and Jalen Thompson were able to play against the Rams. Keaontay Ingram was inactive with the return of Emari Demercado.

The Arizona Cardinals released their inactive list 90 minutes before the kickoff of their Week 12 home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Two starters, questionable to play with injuries, suited up and were able to play.

Receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, questionable with a heel injury, and safety Jalen Thompson, a late addition to the injury report on Saturday making him questionable for the game with a back injury, were both active for the game.

Who did not dress?

Arizona Cardinals Week 12 inactives

  • WR Michael Wilson
  • RB Keaontay Ingram
  • S Joey Blount
  • CB Antonio Hamilton
  • OL Dennis Daley
  • TE Blake Whiteheart
  • DL Kevin Strong

Wilson, Hamilton and Strong were all ruled out with injuries. Blount was questionable with a knee injury. The rest are healthy scratches.

The most notable deactivation is running back Keaontay Ingram, who has fallen out of the playing rotation. The running back rotation against the Rams will be James Conner, Emari Demercado and Michael Carter, who is active with the Cardinals for the first time.

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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Sifting through the mess that is the Arizona Cardinals’ receiving corps

Arizona’s WR corps is underwhelming, and the QB situation is even bleaker.

A year ago, all the arrows were pointed up for the Arizona Cardinals. They’d made the playoffs in 2021, handed head coach Kliff Kingsbury a lucrative contract extension, and swung a deal with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire wide receiver Marquise Brown with the idea of pairing him with WR DeAndre Hopkins to bring quarterback Kyler Murray to the next level. Yeah, about all that…

As we sit here in late June, Hopkins is a free agent after having been released, Murray is rehabbing from a torn ACL, Kingsbury is an assistant coach at USC, and the Cardinals are the betting favorites in most spots to have the NFL’s worst record. Things change fast.

Fantasy owners looking to get a read on Arizona’s receivers should probably start with the quarterback situation, specifically when Murray will return and who’ll fill in for him. The second question is far easier to answer as the expectation is QB Colt McCoy will be the Week 1 starter. Beyond that, it gets dicey in a hurry. Murray tore his ACL on Dec. 12, and while there’s been some chatter that he could return before midseason it’s impossible to know.

What makes it even more difficult to project is we can’t know how the new regime views 2023. If the team is terrible, as many believe is possible, would they consider holding out Murray entirely for a shot at USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024? If so, might they try one of the younger quarterbacks, such as rookie QB Clayton Tune, instead of McCoy once the season goes sideways? There are a lot of moving parts, but let’s see what the Cardinals at working with on the outside.

LOOK: Kyler Murray, Hollywood Brown show up to Suns’ playoff game

A couple of Cardinals were courtside for the Phoenix Suns’ playoff game against the Denver Nuggets.

The Phoenix Suns played Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Sunday night in Phoenix. They won the game.

A couple of Arizona Cardinals players were in attendance.

Quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown were courtside.

There was even a brief interaction with Suns guard Devin Booker.

Booker connected with forward Kevin Durant on a long pass for a basket to beat the buzzer.

Durant said he played receiver when he was younger and Booker said he used to play quarterback. He also said he made a comment to Murray after making the pass. “I know you seen that,” Booker said he told Murray.

It is the playoffs, but it is great to see players from other local teams showing up and supporting the Suns.

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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.

 

ESPN ranked every CFP team ever: Where did the Oklahoma Sooners land?

Where did Oklahoma’s playoff teams land in Bill Connelly’s all-time College Football Playoff team rankings. From @bendackiw

Since the College Football Playoff was established in 2014, 36 teams from 14 programs have made it to the big dance. Bill Connelly of ESPN took it upon himself to rank every single CFP team.

The top ten is as you would expect: lots of Alabama, Georgia and Clemson with LSU‘s 2019 squad landing at No. 2. Sooners fans will have to scroll a bit to find their beloved crimson and cream.

This is how Connelly ranked the teams, is his own words:

Here is our ranking of all 36 teams that have been part of the mix. (This is the third year of doing this list, adding the four new playoff teams each of the last two seasons.) I derived this list, as I usually do, through a combination of numbers (primarily, my SP+ ratings) and my personal opinions. Start with the stats, then adjust for actual CFP performance and any other criteria that feel relevant. To the list!- Bill Connelly, ESPN

With the Sooners still searching for that elusive first playoff win, perhaps one day we will see an OU team ranked a bit higher. Until that day, let’s see where the other four Oklahoma playoff teams landed.

Cardinals to have both star receivers together for 1st time in 2022

For the first time all season, the Cardinals will have both DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown on the field with their star quarterback, Kyler Murray.

When the Arizona Cardinals sent the 2022 No. 23 overall pick for Ravens star receiver Marquise Brown, the front office had high hopes for him and DeAndre Hopkins on the field following Hopkins’ six-game PED suspension.

While the move was certainly intended to be insurance for the suspension to Hopkins, the idea was to have one of the top receiving duos in the league in Week 7 when he returned.

On the last offensive play of the game in Week 6, Brown suffered a foot injury that has kept him out for over a month. It was days before Hopkins was set to make his return to the lineup.

While it’s all but too late to make a playoff push in 2022, the Cardinals will finally have their receiver duo on the field at the same time this Sunday against the Chargers.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed Brown will see action on the field, albeit on a snap count.

Beyond Brown being a much-needed receiving threat for the team, the concept was to add a player with elite speed next to Hopkins. It would draw coverage away from the intermediate passing attack, which is D-Hop’s specialty.

Should an opposing defense double Hopkins, Brown would be left one-on-one and become a big-play threat. On the contrary, defenses playing back to eliminate the threat of a deep passing touchdown for Brown would leave Hopkins open in the middle of the field.

Perhaps the Cardinals can show enough offensively to provide some optimism for 2023. It will certainly help their chances of having both star receivers on the field.

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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Marquise Brown expected to play vs. Chargers

Brown will get his first game action since injuring his foot at the end of the game in Week 6.

The Arizona Cardinals have lost pass catchers several times this season. This week, it looks like they get one back.

On Sunday when the Cardinals take on the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium, receiver Marquise Brown is expected to suit up.

He is likely to be activated from injured reserve on Saturday.

“It looks good. He looked good today,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said on Friday. “He’s been progressing and I feel good about him playing Sunday.”

Brown has been out since he injured his foot on the final offensive play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.

Before he got hurt, he had 43 receptions for 485 yards and three touchdowns.

His return will be especially welcome with Rondale Moore being out this weekend with a groin injury and Greg Dortch being questionable with a thumb injury.

The Cardinals and Chargers kick off at 2:05 p.m. Arizona time.

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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WR Hollywood Brown designated to return from IR, can start practicing

He is eligible to be activated as early as this week to play the 49ers.

The Arizona Cardinals have not yet had the opportunity to have both DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown on the field at the same time this season. That could happen soon.

The Cardinals announced Wednesday that Brown was designated to return from injured reserve, where he had been since injuring his foot in Week 6 in the final moments of the Cardinals’ 19-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The move allows him to begin practicing again. He can be activated from IR to the active roster in the next 21 days, which means he potentially could be activated to play on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

The team will make sure he is able to move around well and conditioned well enough to contribute.

The Cardinals acquired Brown in a draft-day trade to help weather the absence of Hopkins for the first six weeks of the season while he was suspended and then make a dynamic pairing. However, he got hurt the game before Hopkin returned from suspension.

With the loss of tight end Zach Ertz, Brown’s return is timely.

We will see if he is activated for the game on Monday. ‘

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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Studs and duds in Cardinals’ Week 4 victory over Carolina Panthers

Take a look at the players who stood out and the players who disappointed for the Cardinals against the Panthers.

Following the first half of the game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, it didn’t seem like there would be any studs to talk about.

Flash forward to Sunday night and Cardinals fans can finally celebrate a victory over the Carolina Panthers, something they haven’t been able to do since 2013.

The Cardinals had a dominant second half and ended up winning the game 26-16. They now get back to .500, which was so crucial given their next opponent is the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.

Who were the players to stand out as studs and who were the duds of the game?

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Rondale Moore, Marquise Brown, J.J. Watt all expected to play for Cardinals vs. Panthers

All three players are listed as questionable for the Cardinals’ Week 4 matchup with the Panthers. All are expected to play.

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The Arizona Cardinals have a number of players listed as questionable on their final injury report of the week. Three of those players, key to the offense and the defense, are expected to play Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, receivers Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown and defensive lineman J.J. Watt are all expected to play.

Moore will make his 2022 debut after missing the first three weeks with a hamstring injury. He was limited in practice all week and head coach Kliff Kingsbury would not commit to whether Moore would play, saying that he would have to see him move around on Sunday. But Moore sounded like a player who planned on suiting up and playing when he spoke with reporters this week.

Brown appeared on the injury report on Friday with a foot injury that has him listed as questionable for the game. He is expected to play. He is coming off his most productive game in his career. He had 14 receptions for 140 in the Cardinals’ 20-12 loss in Week 3 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Watt missed the season opener with a calf injury and played the last two games, picking up the team’s only two sacks this season. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was limited on Friday. He also is expected to play.

Kicker Matt Prater is also listed as questionable with a hip injury but fans should not be concerned. The Cardinals did not sign another kicker and didn’t even bring one in for a workout. Prater will kick.

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