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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Bucs Unlikely To Trade For David Johnson

March 12th, 2020 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

Some have speculated that Bucs head coach Bruce Arians could make a play for his old pal David Johnson. However, if the Cardinals try to trade the running back, it’s unlikely that the Bucs will be in the mix, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 

The Cardinals have gone on the record to say that cutting Johnson is “not an option.” The running back is due $13MM/year on his monster contract and releasing him would saddle the team with a $16.2MM dead money hit. If he remains on the team, he’d carry a $14.1MM cap charge for the 2020 season.

Johnson’s was once one of the league’s very best running backs. But, thanks to ankle and back injuries, he’s looked nothing like his old self. Last year, the Cardinals limited his carries and acquired Kenyan Drake via trade before the deadline, further downsizing his role. Drake, meanwhile, is on course to be a free agent later this month.

Even if Drake returns, the Cardinals have not discounted the possibility of keeping Johnson as backfield reinforcement. Then again, they don’t have a whole lot of options. Johnson, simply put, is not the player he used to be, and his contract is an anchor.

Last year, Johnson missed time and averaged just 3.7 yards on 94 totes. His last big year came in 2016, when he earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods as he ran for 1,239 yards. Before that, he put his name on the map as a rookie by averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

LB Kenneth Murray To Meet With 15 Teams

March 11th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Kenneth Murray is a popular man. The Oklahoma linebacker told NFL.com’s James Palmer that he’s set to meet with 15 teams in the coming weeks (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).

Murray revealed that he’ll start his workout circuit with the Texans on March 18th before having visits “back-to-back-to-back.” The Ravens, Raiders, Cowboys and Cardinals are among the teams that the linebacker is expected to meet with.

After earning a second-team All-Big 12 nod in 2018, Murray got first-team recognition following a standout 2019 campaign. The junior finished the season with 102 tackles, four sacks, and four passes defended.

Murray is in contention to be the second linebacker off the board after Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, and he could be selected as early as midway through the first round. He didn’t participate in Oklahoma’s pro day today after having tweaked his hamstring during the 40-yard dash at the Combine. Fortunately, he told Palmer that he’s almost back to full health.

“The hamstring is doing good,” Murray told Palmer. “I’ll be fully healthy in a couple of days.”

Kenyan Drake Seeking $8MM-$10MM

March 2nd, 2020 at 8:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nevertheless, Kenyan Drake is hoping to parlay his Cardinals work into a lucrative deal. The former Dolphins starter-turned-trade chip is expected to target $8-$10MM per year, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. That would come in south of the Ezekiel Elliott–Todd Gurley–Le’Veon Bell–David Johnson top tier but north of the rest of the field. Drake is a candidate to stay in Arizona, however, despite Johnson’s presence.

The Cardinals want to re-sign their recent trade acquisition, and the prospect of a franchise tag has surfaced. That $10MM-plus figure entering the equation would be a serious boon for Drake’s value.

Latest On Drew Brees, Saints

March 2nd, 2020 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback has forged a much simpler offseason path than the Patriots’. With Tom Brady uncertain to come back to New England, thus hitting the Pats with dead money via the void-years tactic the franchise used last summer, fellow free agent Drew Brees will return to the Saints and looks set to help them out on the latter front.

Brees plans to re-sign with the Saints before the March 18 start of the new league year, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com report (ESPN+ link). This would help the Saints, who used void years to create cap space on Brees’ most recent deal. No extension talks have transpired yet, but the sides will certainly huddle up soon.

If Brees does not agree to a new Saints pact by 3pm CT March 18, the Saints would be hit with $5.4MM in dead money on their 2020 cap sheet. New Orleans finalizing a Brees extension before then would keep a $10.8MM cap charge on its 2021 books but leave Brees dead money out of the 2020 equation. The Saints, per usual, reside near the bottom in available funds. They hold just more than $9MM in cap space.

Before pledging to return to the Saints, the 41-year-old quarterback said for weeks he would not entertain offers from other teams. Brees operated this way in 2018, when he received a two-year, $60MM offer from the Cardinals. We heard at the time Brees bypassed a better offer — which indicated all $60MM was guaranteed — to continue his New Orleans run. The Cards are now believed to have submitted said offer, which would have made Brees the NFL’s highest-paid player at the time.

The league’s all-time passing leader ignored Arizona’s interest, Graziano and Fowler add, in order to stay in a winning situation. The Cardinals instead signed Sam Bradford that year, before drafting Josh Rosen.

No known outside interest has come Brees’ way this year, but that is probably because the 19-year veteran let it be known early he would stay in New Orleans. Brees’ two-year backup, Teddy Bridgewater, has received interest and is expected to relocate.

Cardinals To Extend D.J. Humphries

February 21st, 2020 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after Steve Keim indicated the Cardinals were confident they’d retain D.J. Humphries in free agency, Arizona’s left tackle has agreed to terms to stay with the franchise that drafted him.

Humphries agreed to a three-year, $45MM extension on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The former first-round pick will receive $30MM over the first two years of that deal, and the pact contains $29MM guaranteed. This takes one of the top offensive linemen off the free agent market.

The second year of Humphries’ deal – worth $15MM – will become guaranteed on March 21 of this year, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. That means the first two years are effectively guaranteed; a big win for the lineman and his camp.

Humphries, 26, now becomes the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid tackle, in terms of per-year salary. He’s also one of five $15MM-AAV offensive linemen. A Humphries franchise tag would have cost Arizona nearly $15MM; that certainly played a role in these extension talks.

While Humphries has battled injuries and inconsistency, the Cardinals are sold he can be Kyler Murray‘s blind-side protector for years to come. The Cardinals had not seen Humphries play 16 games until this past season. From 2017-18, he played five and nine, respectively. Knee issues sidelined Humphries during those slates, which came after a 2015 rookie season in which he was inactive throughout. This is a big bet from Keim, whose record on first-round picks between Humphries and Murray has not been great.

From 2016-18, the Cardinals used first-round picks on Robert Nkemdiche, Haason Reddick and Josh Rosen. None were starters by season’s end; Reddick is the only member of this trio who remains with the Cards. He will almost certainly see his fifth-year option declined come May. Humphries has outperformed this trio, but other than a brief 2017 work sample, Pro Football Focus has not raved about the ex-Florida blocker’s work. That has not stopped teams from big tackle investments, however. The Buccaneers gave Donovan Smith a major extension last year, despite frequent down reviews from PFF.

Humphries began his career as Arizona’s right tackle in 2016 but switched to the left side a year later, moving Jared Veldheer from his long-held left tackle post. Humphries has played for three head coaches, but despite Kliff Kingsbury being early in his Texas Tech tenure when the Cards drafted the 6-foot-5 tackle, the second-year Arizona coach has entrusted him to protect the franchise’s top investment for a while.

Cardinals To Add Ex-QB To Staff

February 16th, 2020 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • The Cardinals will add a former NFL and AAF quarterback to their staff. Mike Bercovici will join Kliff Kingsbury‘s staff as an entry-level assistant, per the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManaman. Bercovici, 27, spent time with the Cards’ practice squad in 2017. The ex-Arizona State quarterback was on Herm Edwards‘ Sun Devils staff last season.

Cardinals ‘Very Optimistic’ About Re-Signing LT D.J. Humphries

February 14th, 2020 at 5:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cardinals weren’t very good this past year, but the first season of the Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray partnership was by all accounts a modest success relative to expectations. They now have a pivotal offseason ahead of them, and it sounds like locking up Murray’s blindside protector is a priority. 

Arizona GM Steve Keim said during a recent radio interview with 98.7 FM that he’s “very optimistic” about the team’s chances of bringing back left tackle D.J. Humphries, via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. Keim added that the entire organization is “very confident” that Humphries is “one of the better tackles” in the league. The Cardinals drafted Humphries in the first round back in 2015, and his career got off to a very shaky start.

His rookie season was a disaster, as he couldn’t move past third-string on the depth chart and was inactive for all 16 games. He started his second season at right tackle, starting 13 games. He was the left tackle the following year, but knee issues limited him to only five appearances. In 2018 he started nine games at left tackle before another knee injury ended his season. This past year he finally stayed healthy, starting all 16 contests.

Humphries received solid grades from Pro Football Focus, and the Cards clearly don’t plan on letting him walk. When asked about using the franchise tag on him, Keim indicated he would rather work out an extension. “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 use those things,” he said. McManaman thinks that Arizona will have to pay the 26-year-old around $14MM annually.

Cardinals, Patrick Peterson Talking Extension

February 14th, 2020 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

Extension talks between cornerback Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals are underway, GM Steve Keim said in an interview with 98.7 FM (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team website). Peterson has one more year to go on his contract and a new deal could make sense for both sites.

[Cardinals GM: We Won’t Cut David Johnson]

As it stands, Peterson is slated to count for $13.2MM against the 2020 salary cap. A new deal could help to smooth out his hit while giving the cornerback additional security as he enters his 30s.

Last offseason, Peterson told the Cardinals that he wanted to be traded. Later, he was hit with a six-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. After receiving the bad news, he backpedaled by saying he hopes to play his entire career in Arizona.

Peterson, 30 in July, tallied 53 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed in his shortened ten-game season. This marked the first campaign of his career without perfect attendance.

The Cardinals lifer began building a reputation as one of the league’s best corners right out of the gate. After being selected No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft, Peterson was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his rookie season. The follow-up didn’t disappoint, either. Peterson snagged seven interceptions as an NFL sophomore, solidifying his top-tier status. Over the last nine years, he’s come away with 25 turnovers and while blanketing some of the league’s most dangerous receivers.

Cardinals GM: We Won’t Cut David Johnson

February 14th, 2020 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals figure to be active this offseason, but a David Johnson release won’t be on the agenda. In a radio interview on Friday morning, GM Steve Keim ruled out the possibility of cutting the running back. 

“Cutting him is not an option,” Keim told 98.7 FM (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team website).

It’s hard to argue with Keim’s take. Johnson’s contract – worth $13MM per year on average – offers no real escape at the moment. Cutting him this offseason would result in a $16.2MM dead money hit. On the roster, he carries a $14.1MM cap charge.

Johnson was once one of the league’s most feared running backs. Unfortunately, ankle and back injuries have held him back in recent years and the Cardinals responded by slashing his workload in 2019 and acquiring Kenyan Drake in a surprising midseason deal. Drake is scheduled to reach free agency in March, but regardless of how it shakes out, Johnson figures to be a part of the team next year.

“You can’t just have one back,” Keim noted.

Johnson missed a big chunk of time in the middle of the season before returning in Week 13. Then, between Weeks 13 and 16, he was handed the ball just four times. He finished out with less than four yards per tote for the second straight season but, on the plus side, he was still contributing as a pass-catcher.

Johnson inked a three-year, $39MM deal with the Cardinals in 2018 that takes him through the 2021 season. Whether he makes it to the final year of that deal will be dependent on his health and Drake’s effectiveness (if re-signed). Next year, the Cardinals will have the option of shedding Johnson’s scheduled $12MM charge and saving $9MM against a much more palatable $3MM.

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