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Marquise Brown

Cardinals Rumors: Brown, Moore, Humphries

March 24th, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are open to trading the No. 4 overall pick in next month’s draft, a move which would net them additional high-end draft capital while still allowing them to select one of the best wide receivers in a class full of receiving talent. And given that Arizona has parted ways with Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore this offseason, the club’s need for multiple pass catchers to support quarterback Kyler Murray is particularly glaring.

Here’s the latest from the desert, starting with a couple of notes on those recently-departed wideouts:

  • Brown ultimately signed a one-year, $7MM contract with the Chiefs, a deal that includes an additional $4MM in incentives. “Hollywood” had previously expressed interest in re-signing with the Cardinals, and Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily confirms that Brown indeed hoped to return to Arizona even as he was garnering league-wide interest. However, the Cardinals never attempted to match or better KC’s offer, so the speedy wideout will work alongside Patrick Mahomes & Co. as he eyes a lucrative multiyear pact in 2025.
  • Moore, meanwhile, was traded to the Falcons, and he will apparently welcome the change of scenery that the Kirk Cousins-led outfit will provide. Despite working with two different play-callers over his first three professional seasons, Moore felt he was not given enough opportunities in the vertical passing game and ran too many horizontal routes, as ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss details. Moore will also be eligible for free agency in 2025, and while there are a number of talented skill position players on Atlanta’s roster, the soon-to-be 24-year-old could become a key ancillary target in a high-upside offense.
  • Even if the Cardinals select a top-tier WR prospect like Marvin Harrison Jr.  or Malik Nabers, the club could certainly add another receiver or two later on in the draft, especially given their need at the position and the strength of this year’s class. To that end, as Jurecki notes, the team recently scheduled a “30” visit with Texas WR Xavier Worthy, who set a Scouting Combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash and whom NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah referred to as a taller version of Brown. The Colts also have a visit scheduled with Worthy.
  • Earlier this month, the Cardinals released OT D.J. Humphries, who had spent his entire career with the club since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. Financially, the release was an easy call for GM Monti Ossenfort, as Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 campaign and is therefore uncertain to play in 2024, when he was due to carry a $22MM cap charge. Emotionally, however, Ossenfort called the move “brutal,” saying, “the salary cap and the way things are set up and the way contracts work, it put us in a very tough situation. I can’t say enough about how I feel about D.J. as a football player and moreso as a person. His energy, and the leadership he brought to this team, we are certainly going to miss him. I hope nothing but the best for him in his recovery and his rehab” (via Darren Urban of the team’s official website).
  • The Cardinals added Jonah Williams in free agency this year and drafted Paris Johnson with the No. 6 overall pick in last year’s draft, and they are still rostering veteran Kelvin Beachum. Nonetheless, Ossenfort left to the door open to a Humphries reunion once Humphries’ rehab is complete.
  • Ossenfort has been busy fortifying his defensive line this offseason, adding Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, and Khyiris Tonga in free agency. Nichols and Jones landed notable multiyear deals, while Tonga signed a one-year, $1.75MM accord, per CardsWire’s Howard Balzer. Still, Ossenfort thinks highly of Tonga and cited his size and the strength of his performance near the end of his tenure with the Vikings as reasons for his belief that the former seventh-round pick could carve out a meaningful role in the desert.

Chiefs To Sign WR Marquise Brown

March 14th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a season of inconsistency from Chiefs receivers, the organization is adding a notable name to Patrick Mahomes‘ arsenal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Chiefs are signing wideout Marquise Brown.

“Hollywood” is signing a one-year deal worth up to $11MM, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Albert Breer of TheMMQB clarifies that the former first-round pick will earn a $7MM base with another $4MM via incentives and/or bonuses.

While free agency’s other top receivers (Calvin Ridley, Gabe Davis) earned multi-year deals, Brown ultimately had to settle for a one-year prove-it deal before hitting the market again next offseason. That arrangement seemingly intrigued a number of teams, as Russini notes that Brown garnered interest “from all around the league.”

It was uncertain if the Chiefs would be willing to open up the checkbook for an offensive weapon this soon. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted the prevailing sentiment was that the organization needed to trade L’Jarius Sneed before making a big-name signing. Instead, the Chiefs locked up a talented wideout on a reasonable deal.

Brown’s career has been highlighted by his own inconsistency. He started his career tied to one of the NFL’s most run-heavy offenses, but he still managed to build on his numbers in each of his three seasons with the Ravens. This culminated in a 2021 campaign where he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage, although his six touchdowns marked his lowest total during his Baltimore tenure.

Despite the growing offensive role, Brown expressed discontent with his team’s offense and asked for a trade. The Ravens found a taker in Arizona, with the Cardinals sending a first-round pick for Brown and a third-round selection in 2022. The move reunited Brown with his college quarterback in Kyler Murray, but the receiver wasn’t able to elevate his play during his time in the desert.

Of course, that wasn’t entirely Brown’s fault. The Cardinals started seven different QBs over the past two seasons, which was thanks in part to Murray suffering an ACL tear during the 2022 finale. Brown struggled with his own injury woes, battling through foot and heel issues over the past two years. After finishing with 67 catches for 709 yards during his first season in Arizona, Brown was limited to only 51 catches for a career-low 574 yards in 2023.

Still, Brown provides the Chiefs with a high-upside target, and they’ve showed that they can win despite WR issues. Rashee Rice emerged as a rookie in 2023, and Travis Kelce will continue to command many of Mahomes’ targets. But other than that duo, the QB’s top options included the likes of Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, and Kadarius Toney.

Just Brown’s 1,000-yard pedigree gives him a higher upside than many of his teammates. Entering his age-27 season, Brown could help the offense rebound following a relatively underwhelming regular-season performance in 2023.

WR Marquise Brown Open To Re-Signing With Cardinals

January 4th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Marquise Brown played out the 2023 season on his fifth-year option and is set to hit free agency following the season. While the Cardinals receiver should have a number of suitors, he admitted to Darren Urban of the team website that “of course [he] would want to be back” in Arizona next season.

After sending a first-round pick to the Ravens for Brown and a third-round selection in 2022, the Cardinals immediately picked up the wideout’s fifth-year option. The two sides never sounded particularly close to an extension over the past two years, but the receiver told Urban that his contract status never bothered him since he’s “just a confident guy.”

“I feel like I’m one of the best in the game,” he added. “Playing receiver is all about opportunity. But as far as the wide receiver position, route running, releases, big plays, I feel like I have all that in my tool box. I really feel no pressure.”

During his two years in Arizona, Brown hasn’t come close to replicating his 1,000-yard season from 2021. However, his numbers could partly be attributed to both injury and inconsistency at quarterback, and he’s still managed to average around 50 receiving yards per game.

Brown was brought to Arizona to replace Christian Kirk, who got a four-year, $72MM deal from the Jaguars. Brown should be healed from his heel injury by the time free agency comes around, and he could be eyeing a similarly lucrative contract. It remains to be seen if that contract will come from the Cardinals, but it sounds like the wideout is appreciative of his time in Arizona and would consider re-signing.

“I learned a lot and my play grew a lot,” Brown said. “I proved to myself a lot of things I wanted to see this year. It was unfortunate the season didn’t go the way we wanted as far as us winning, but I feel like I showed what I can do. For me, it’s about working. Keep continuing to prove yourself. that’s what this business is. No matter if you have a good year, you’ve got to repeat that good year. If you have a bad year, you have to come back at do better.”

Cardinals To Place Marquise Brown On IR

December 29th, 2023 at 10:29am CST by Sam Robinson

Marquise Brown‘s second Cardinals season will end early due to injury. Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday the fifth-year wide receiver will be moved to IR.

Although the 2022 trade acquisition has played 14 games, the heel injury he sustained has been an issue for a while, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This transaction will end a contract year for Brown, who will finish with a career-low 574 receiving yards. Brown was able to play through this malady prior to last week, but he is less than three months from free agency coming off a down year.

The Cardinals’ pivot to a rebuild made Brown a logical trade candidate this year. The regime that brought him in is no longer in place, and ex-Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray spent half the season on the reserve/PUP list rehabbing an ACL tear. The Cardinals, however, did not make a seller’s move by sending Brown to a contender. That points to an extension being on the team’s radar. While the the NFC West club is believed to be interested in extending Brown, time is running out on that front.

Brown and the Cardinals began discussing an extension earlier this season. A new deal for Brown would stand to support the Cardinals giving Murray another season to work in OC Drew Petzing‘s system, considering how important the Pro Bowl quarterback’s presence was in bringing Brown to Arizona. The Cards are still evaluating Murray in his return from the severe knee injury, and they are poised to hold a top-three draft pick in April. But the extension the Steve Keim regime gave Murray last year will make the dual-threat QB’s contract difficult to move in 2024.

Aiming to escape his place in a run-oriented Ravens offense, Brown will finish his first two Arizona seasons with underwhelming numbers. Despite Baltimore centering its offense around Lamar Jackson‘s historically elite rushing dimension, Brown topped 1,000 yards in a season once (2021) and finished with the second-most receiving yards in his career (769) in 2020. The 5-foot-9 target’s top Arizona number (709) came last season, though he only played in 10 games.

The Cardinals do not have much committed to their receiver positions beyond 2023. Third-rounder Michael Wilson is signed through 2026, while Rondale Moore‘s rookie deal runs through 2024. Neither have yet topped 450 yards this year. Moore and Greg Dortch were Keim-era investments. Considering the Cardinals cut DeAndre Hopkins without using a post-June 1 designation, signs point to the team being interested in adding pieces to its receiving corps to complement emerging tight end Trey McBride soon.

Brown, 26, did not exactly boost his stock this season. To be fair, not having Murray for much of it factored into that. The Cardinals will not need to authorize a top-market deal to retain him, but the team’s top wideout can begin negotiating with other teams once the legal tampering period begins in March. Barring a franchise or transition tag, Brown will need to be re-signed before that point to be kept off the market.

Cardinals, WR Marquise Brown Discussing Extension

November 22nd, 2023 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The negotiating period involving the standout wide receivers from the 2019 draft class primarily occurred during the spring and summer of last year. This crop brought eventful developments — from the A.J. Brown trade to the Deebo Samuel trade request to the Steelers deviating from their primary one-contract receiver pattern to extend Diontae Johnson — leading up to Week 1.

Brown, Samuel, Johnson, Terry McLaurin and D.K. Metcalf signed extensions — two-, three- and four-year deals among the group — between April and August of last year. This all transpired as Marquise Brown requested and received a trade, going from Baltimore to Arizona. Considerable changes have taken place in the time since that trade, leading Brown into some uncertain territory.

Kyler Murray struggled in 2022, a season that ended with the Pro Bowl passer suffering an ACL tear. The Cardinals then booted Kliff Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim, who had signed off on bringing Brown to the desert in a trade package involving a first-round pick. After the Cardinals pivoted to a rebuild, Brown loomed as a logical trade candidate. But Arizona was uninterested in dealing its top wideout. Brown had sought a long-term extension during the 2022 offseason. And, despite a new regime in power, Brown looks to remain in the Cardinals’ plans.

The fifth-year wideout confirmed (via the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManamon) his agent and the Cardinals have begun negotiations on an extension. Brown, 26, is playing out his fifth-year option season. Keim signed off on picking up the ex-Ravens first-rounder’s option upon trading for him last year, but Brown has played in out in an unexpected environment — one that featured eight Joshua Dobbs starts after the team cut Colt McCoy just before the season. Still, Brown wants to remain with the Cardinals beyond his rookie contract.

“I want to be in Arizona,” Brown said, adding (via McManamon) he “100%” expects to sign a new Cardinals contract. “The feel from it is they want me here, too. I leave that to my agent and I just do what I’ve got to do on the field.”

Brown’s option represents the only notable money tied up in the Cardinals’ receiving corps. Rookie-deal players Rondale Moore and Michael Wilson are among Brown’s sidekicks, and Jonathan Gannon brought Zach Pascal with him — on a low-cost deal — from Philadelphia. Brown sought a trade out of Baltimore due to both the Ravens’ run-based style and the presence of Murray, whom Brown helped to a Heisman Trophy in 2018. Brown did not match even his second-best Ravens season in his first Cardinals slate, totaling 709 receiving yards. This year, his yards-per-game number is down from 2022 — 59.1 to 44.2 — though the 5-foot-9 target has already topped his TD total from last season, scoring four.

Murray being back stands to aid Brown as well, potentially boosting his value down the stretch in this contract year. The 2019 draft’s WR muscle came from Rounds 2 and 3, and the teams involved in those negotiations had those players in contract years in 2022. With a fifth-year option in Brown’s contract, the Cardinals had more time. GM Monti Ossenfort has exclusive negotiating rights with Brown until the March legal tampering period.

Brown would be an interesting commodity on the 2024 market. As of now, Mike Evans and Tee Higgins are en route to headline the 2024 class. But both could conceivably end up staying with their respective teams — via another extension (in Evans’ case) or the franchise tag (in Higgins’) — and create another buyer’s market rivaling this year’s wideout landscape. Brown has a 1,000-yard season on his resume (2021) and would command a nice contract, but a strong finish to this season would better his chances of a lucrative second deal. It would be unlikely if Brown approached the McLaurin-Metcalf-Samuel tier ($23.2-$24MM per year), but aiming for the kind of pact Johnson fetched (two years, $36MM) would seemingly be reasonable for the Oklahoma-developed speedster.

Russini’s Latest: Broncos, Jets, Eagles

October 29th, 2023 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

Dianna Russini of The Athletic has been especially prolific with respect to trade deadline reporting. As we approach the October 31 cutoff, here are a few of Russini’s latest updates from around the league (subscription required):

  • Broncos wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have once again featured prominently in this year’s trade rumors. However, a deal has never felt imminent, and none of the current offers that Denver has received have come close to the club’s asking price. One general manager who has spoken with the Broncos told Russini that the team is not “selling cheaply.” Russini confirms previous reports indicating that cornerback Patrick Surtain is not available, despite understandable outside interest in his services.
  • We heard yesterday that the Bills could be looking to move 2022 first-rounder Kaiir Elam, and Russini reports that Buffalo is looking into cornerback additions. She does not say so specifically, but it could be that the Bills are looking for a replacement for Elam, who has not yet lived up to his draft status.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com confirms that Jets GM Joe Douglas is willing to move running back Dalvin Cook and edge defender Carl Lawson, especially after both players recently expressed frustration with their current roles. Unsurprisingly, though, Russini reports that Douglas is not getting many calls on either player. Lawson is a healthy scratch for today’s game against the Giants.
  • Echoing her report from earlier this month, Russini writes that the Cardinals are still not looking to trade wideout Marquise Brown, even though they have received trade interest in the contract-year speedster.
  • They might be low on cap space, and they might have already made one significant trade acquisition in safety Kevin Byard, but Russini says the Eagles are still looking to buy and are interested in a linebacker. The 49ers are also working the phones and have interest in an edge rusher and a cornerback.
  • Unlike the Eagles and Niners, the Chiefs, Falcons, and Texans are among the clubs that are expected to stand down at the deadline.

Cardinals Not Shopping WR Marquise Brown

October 21st, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals sit at the bottom of the NFC West, and the team’s lack of success has naturally led to some trade rumblings. While Marquise Brown would seem to be a worthy trade candidate, Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes that the Cardinals aren’t looking to deal the wide receiver.

“Hollywood” hasn’t seen a significant drop-off in production this season despite going from Kyler Murray to Joshua Dobbs at quarterback. The receiver is pacing the Cardinals in receptions (29), receiving yards (334), and touchdowns (three). This follows a 2022 campaign in Arizona where Brown finished with 67 catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns. Brown missed a handful of games while recovering from a fractured foot.

The former Ravens first-round pick is playing out the 2023 campaign on his fifth-year option, and he’s set to hit unrestricted free agency following the season. Considering the Cardinals’ unlikely playoff chances and Brown’s uncertain future in Arizona, the receiver seemed like a logical trade candidate. However, Russini notes that the wideout “looks to be part of this team’s future,” a potential hint that the Cardinals will look to retain the receiver this offseason.

Further, the Cardinals aren’t in any rush to add draft capital. As Russini notes, the front office is currently armed with six picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals would probably be hard pressed to recoup the first-round pick they gave to Baltimore for Brown, especially since most suitors would view the receiver as a rental. The front office would presumably rather take their chances with Brown’s free agency than take on another non-Day 1 pick.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22

November 26th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Cardinals Expected To Activate WR Marquise Brown For Sunday

November 25th, 2022 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals have not yet had the pleasure this season of fielding all of their top wide receivers in the same game, but they are expected to take a step towards that goal by activating wide receiver Marquise Brown off of injured reserve, according to team senior writer Darren Urban. The update comes from head coach Kliff Kingsbury who said that Brown is expected to play this Sunday.

Brown has been on IR since Week 6 recovering from a foot injury that was initially feared to sideline him for the remainder of the season. Days before, Arizona made the move to acquire Panthers wideout Robbie Anderson, who had had a bit of a falling out with his former team. In the immediate aftermath, the move was considered a one-for-one replacement, as many assumed this indicated a long-term absence for Brown. The team had been operating with Brown as their No. 1 receiving option through the first six weeks of the season. The Cardinals’ true No. 1 receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, was serving a suspension and would return just in time for Brown to head to IR.

In the weeks since Brown’s injury, Hopkins has regained his role as the team’s top wideout. Last year’s second-round pick Rondale Moore has been asked to step up in Brown’s absence, as has Greg Dortch during certain moments of the season. Veteran receiver A.J. Green has contributed, as well, but not nearly with the output he has in past years. Anderson’s addition has so far proven joyless, as he’s only been targeted seven times through five games with the Cardinals and totaled a whopping negative-four yards on one reception.

The return of Brown this week helps move Arizona towards a healthy collection of their top wide receivers. Brown should step immediately into a No. 2 role behind Hopkins as Moore sits out with what is expected to be a short-term groin injury and Dortch is considered a gametime decision with a thumb injury. If Dortch is unable to go, Hopkins and Brown will be supplemented by only Green and Anderson.

The passing game should also see a big boost as Kingsbury told the media that it’s looking like quarterback Kyler Murray will be able to start this weekend after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury. Unfortunately, Kingsbury also confirmed that the team will be without starting left tackle D.J. Humphries and starting cornerback Byron Murphy.

Cardinals Designate WR Marquise Brown For Return

November 16th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals should soon have a key member of their receiving corps back in the fold. Marquise Brown has been designated for return from IR, per a team announcement.

The move opens up Brown’s 21-day window to be activated. If he is not brought back onto the active roster within that timeframe, he will be ineligible to return for the remainder of the season. Fortunately, that seems highly unlikely to take place; head coach Kliff Kingsbury left open the possibility of Brown suiting up for Arizona’s upcoming Monday night game against San Francisco.

The 25-year-old suffered a foot injury one month ago. It was initially feared that it could have sidelined him for the remainder of the season, but further testing and consultation led to a much more positive prognosis of a four-to-six week recovery timeline. Returning in time for Week 11 would mark the short end of that scale, but it could provide a much-needed boost to the Cardinals’ passing attack.

Arizona began the year without DeAndre Hopkins due to his six-game PED suspension. By the time the three-time All-Pro was back on the field, though, Brown had went down with the injury. The Cardinals acquired Robbie Anderson from the Panthers around the time the latter was placed on IR, as they gave the disgruntled wideout a new home while attempting to replace Brown’s vertical speed.

Playing on the final year of his rookie contract, Brown began his first season in the desert with expectations to take on a No. 1 role in Hopkins’ absence. His arrival also came, of course, after his offseason trade request led to a draft-day trade which saw the Ravens ship him out for a first-round pick. He racked up 485 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches upon being reunited with former college teammate Kyler Murray. The Oklahoma alum is in line to play on the fifth-year option next season.

With a number of high-end pass-catchers unavailable throughout the year, Arizona has fallen short of expectations through the air, ranking 16th in the league in passing yards per game. Pairing Hopkins and Brown will be especially critical moving forward, given that tight end Zach Ertz is out for the season with a knee injury. At 4-6 and in fourth in the NFC West, the Cardinals will hope Brown’s return will spur a late-season run.

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