The Indianapolis Colts have big needs to fill this offseason and one of the most important positions they can address in free agency is left tackle.
After the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, the Colts are in a bit of a bind. They could draft one early in the 2021 NFL draft or look to a cheaper option in free agency. It is unlikely they bring in a big name from free agency given the extensions they will need to dish out this offseason.
Going the cheaper route might be more beneficial seeing as the Colts can get away with average left tackle play. Getting a Trent Williams type won’t be feasible with the massive extensions coming up. So we won’t be listing players like Taylor Moton or Russell Okung, who should get consideration in the event the Colts decide to spend.
Here are five offensive tackles the Colts should consider in free agency:
Hopkins and Baker lead their positions, while Kyler Murray and others are in the top 10.
The NFL announced the results of the second cycle of Pro Bowl fan voting, giving the top five vote-getters overall and the top vote-getter at each position in each conference.
The Arizona Cardinals have two leaders and another five players in the top 10 at their positions.
Murray, Patrick Peterson, Mason Cole and Kelvin Beachum are also in the top 10 in votes at their positions.
Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins and safety Budda Baker are top vote-getters in the NFL at their positions after the first cycle of fan voting for the Pro Bowl. Hopkins has received the fifth-most votes of any player.
But Baker and Hopkins are not the only ones who have gotten some love from the fans.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is fifth among quarterbacks.
Patrick Peterson is seventh among cornerbacks.
Mason Cole is seventh among centers.
Right tackle Kelvin Beachum is fourth among tackles.
Murray and Peterson being among the top vote-getters is no surprise. Peterson, despite not playing at the same level the last couple of seasons, has a reputation for being one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Murray is blossoming into a star.
Cole and Beachum are surprises. Beachum has played in Pittsburgh and New York, so he does have fan bases who know him. Plus, he has had a good season.
Two linemen who have played well but are not in the top 10 are left tackle D.J. Humphries and left guard Justin Pugh.
Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals matchup to watch ahead of Week 10.
The Buffalo Bills face another NFC West opponent in Week 10 in the Arizona Cardinals. The Bills (7-2) are going to put their best foot forward in this one like they do every game, but following this one, Buffalo heads into their bye week.
Because of that, the Bills will want a win more than ever, but the Cardinals (5-3) will want to bounce back from a loss, too. Should setup for a good showdown, and what could make the biggest difference is the games within the game.
With that, here are three matchups to watch for in Week 10 as the Bills take on the Cardinals:
All the Cardinals players listed as questionable for the game on the final injury report will suit up and play.
The Arizona Cardinals are set to take on the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night at State Farm Stadium and have released their list of inactive players for the game. They entered the game with several players questionable for the game. All of them are active and expected to play.
That includes receiver DeAndre Hopkins, tackle Kelvin Beachum, defensive lineman Jordan Phillips and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, as well as linebackers Kylie Fitts and Dennis Gardeck.
Five players were deactivated, all of whom were healthy scratches.
QB Brett Hundley
RB Eno Benjamin
WR KeeSean Johnson
TE Jordan Thomas
OL Josh Miles
Hundley, Benjamin and Miles all have not been active yet this season. Johnson is inactive for the second week in a row.
Neither starting tackle allowed a single sack, hit or pressure against the Jets.
The Arizona Cardinals picked up their third win of the season on Sunday, defeating the New York Jets 30-10. We have already pointed out many of the studs from the game like Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins and Dennis Gardeck.
The Cardinals’ passing game hasn’t always been as explosive as we might have expected in Kyler Murray’s second NFL season, but that changed in Arizona’s 30-10 Week 5 win over the Jets. In that game, Murray completed four of five passes of 20 or more air yards for 130 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions after completing just five of 15 such passes for 172 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions in the season’s first four weeks. One big reason for the change? Pass protection. In that Jets game, left tackle D.J. Humphries and right tackle Kelvin Beachum combined to allow no sacks, no quarterback hits, and no quarterback hurries in Arizona’s 43 pass-blocking reps. When Murray did succumb to pressure and miss deep shots, it was the result of an issue that crept up in his rookie season of 2019 — he has a tendency to bail from the pocket and make risky throws when it’s not necessary.
That’s an issue that needs to be cleaned up, but if you want to know why the deep ball has returned to the Valley of the Sun, look no further than Arizona’s tackle duo.
So in all Murray’s dropbacks, no pressure game from off the edge. That would explain the uptick in production in the passing game.
General manager Steve Keim called out his highest-paid players last week on the radio. Humphries is one of those guys and had been some of the problem.
The Cardinals rarely get praised for their offensive line play. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has said the lack of a preseason has affected the rhythm of the offense. Now that the first month of the season is done, hopefully the play of both Humphries and Beachum in Week 5 is the beginning of a stretch of top play.
The Arizona Cardinals took an early 7-0 lead over the New York Jets on a 29-yard touchdown run by Chase Edmonds. Naturally, quarterback Kyler Murray wanted to celebrate.
However, things didn’t go as planned. He jumped up to connect with offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum.
Murray was not prepared for the force of Beachum’s contact.
Beachum, the Cardinals’ starting right tackle, is 6-foot-3 and 308 pounds. Murray is 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds. The result is more or less what you would expect.
Murray ended up on the ground.
Offensive linemen are supposed to protect quarterbacks, not knock them to the ground.
It would appear they need to practice that celebration a little.
According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, the NFL has fined Panthers defensive end Brian Burns $10,000 for a dead-ball foul last week on Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum.
Panthers DE Brian Burns was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness penalty, which stemmed from his dead-ball foul vs Cardinals OT Kelvin Beachum.
According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, the NFL has fined Panthers defensive end Brian Burns $10,000 for a dead-ball foul last week on Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum.
Burns has been getting far more playing time under coach Matt Rhule than he did as a rookie under Ron Rivera. So far, Burns has been on the field for 78% of the team’s defensive snaps, compared with just 43% during the 2019 season.
He’s made good on those opportunities, posting one sack, three quarterback hits and four tackles for a loss in four games. Burns ranks in the top five in pass rush win rate at his position.
As Kelvin Beachum returns to New York in Week 5, the ex-Jets tackle has been a steady presence for the Arizona Cardinals.
As Kelvin Beachum makes his return to MetLife Stadium, the Jets’ former starting left tackle has quietly been a steady performer for his new team.
Beachum’s name wasn’t brought up often during his three years in New York from 2017-2019. That’s typically a good thing for offensive linemen. In Beachum’s case, it meant he did an admirable job protecting Sam Darnold and Josh McCown across three seasons, all while not getting the praise and recognition he deserved. Beachum often fought through injuries, but he still managed to be a more than adequate bodyguard for New York’s quarterbacks.
Despite Beachum’s value as a potential depth piece and mentor for someone like Mekhi Becton, the Jets signed swing tackle George Fant instead. The move effectively ended Beachum’s tenure in green and white.
Beachum waited four months on the free agent market before heading out west to sign with Arizona. The Cardinals brought him in to compete for the starting right tackle position with Justin Murray. Despite not playing on the right side since 2013, Beachum won the job.
Since then, Beachum has played all 281 of the team’s offensive snaps through four games.
While Beachum got tossed around in Arizona’s Week 4 loss by Panthers defensive end Brian Burns, he has otherwise been solid for Arizona. He’s got a 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade and zero sacks allowed this season. While not perfect, Beachum has given the Cardinals more stability at right tackle than they’ve had in years.
Sunday’s game won’t be a grand homecoming for Beachum, but he was a solid player in New York and should be remembered as such. Now he’s doing much of the same in Arizona as the Cardinals try to prove that they’re contenders in the NFC West.
Both Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell have gotten off to respective 2-0 starts, take subtle jabs at the 0-2 Jets on Instagram.
Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell are now 2-0 on their respective teams. Last year, as members of the Jets, they had an inverse record at this point in the season. They would again in 2020 if still playing for New York.
Beachum and Shell are both starting at right tackle for the Cardinals and Seahawks, respectively. After experiencing some miserable seasons in green and white, the former Jets linemen appear to be relieved that they’re now on winning clubs.
Shell commented on Beachum’s Instagram post on Monday, writing, “2-0 feels good huh.” Beachum responded by saying that he’s trying hard not to petty, but included multiple laughing emojis.
Brandon Shell and Kelvin Beachum, both 2-0 on their new teams since leaving NYJ, cracking jokes about the #Jets on instagram.
It’s clear that the two’s tongue-in-cheek remarks come at the expense of the Jets. Who can blame them? The offensive line was made to be the scapegoat of New York’s miscues in 2019, but the past two games show that the Jets’ offensive woes go way beyond the play in the trenches.
Neither Beachum nor Shell were sought back by the Jets this past offseason. Shell endured a rocky 2019, so a change of scenery was certainly his best option going forward. As for Beachum, he was a solid presence on the left side of the offensive line and would’ve been a great mentor for Mekhi Becton while serving as a more than capable depth piece. However, he got an opportunity to start in Arizona, something that wouldn’t have been afforded to him in New York.
Beachum and Shell both get a chance to face off against Gang Green later this season. Time will tell, but it’s not looking too promising for the Jets’ chances of getting the last laugh.
