The Super Bowl is set, and the NFC West is represented with the 49ers. Another reminder of what the Cardinals face within their own division. Such are some of the things we chat about in the weekly mailbag. Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag.
From Michael Travers:
"Hello Darren. Thanks again for this opportunity to ask a Cardinals question. If Kyler is our top asset and losing our starting left tackle (D.J. Humphries) puts him at risk, which option in your opinion is best and why? 1) high draft pick tackle, 2) sign a free agent 3) replacement is already on the team?"
To say which is best here in the end of January is difficult. We don't yet know what the options will be on the free-agent market (although really good left tackles rarely hit the market, so that must be taken into account). And what is the opportunity cost with grabbing one at No. 4 overall -- which is basically taking one likely instead of a wide receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr. In a vacuum, of those options, the best is drafting one high because that's a young, presumably uber-talented piece to team with Paris Johnson for the long-term. But these decisions can't be made in a vacuum. For instance, you might find a serviceable right tackle in free agency you want and move PJJ to the left side. That changes the dynamics of the decision. And yes, you could use Kelvin Beachum there, since he has played left tackle much of his career.
From Jerry Brown:
"Hi Darren. I have seen evaluations of the Cardinals' 2023 draft that were quite critical. These rated Paris Johnson's play quite low. I am surprised by this. How do you and the team rate his performance? He played every game. I assumed he was doing well. Was the team happy with his play?"
I do believe the team was happy with his play and from what I could tell -- and I am far from an OL expert -- he did fine. The kid has the right attitude, I have no doubt he will work to improve. Who knows, he could move to the left side too. As far as the overall draft, we are one year in. I'd like to get to 2025 before I make any sweeping judgements about the group.
From Sebastian Quiros:
"Hey Darren. Although it's the talk around town, I deem it a little too early for draft and free agency conversation. Yes you can nail needs and potential players but still much to go. So I'll go for another question. Will Larry Fitzgerald's No. 11 be retired? I mean, I would assume. I actually thought it should've happened already but I'm unaware if there are certain things that need to happen for a jersey number to be retired."
Couple things to clarify here. You are asking about his number being retired, and that definitely will be on the table, but that is different than going into the Ring of Honor. The Cardinals have very few retired numbers -- five total -- so that is much different than RoH. As for either one actually happening, there are multiple parts to that equation. One of them is the player being part of it, of course. I am not privy to such discussions, but given that Fitz never did actually announce his retirement in part because he had no desire to do a ceremony (like would happen with a RoH or retired number), that might to a little longer. Eventually, Fitz will have to give speeches for that, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When is TBD.
From Terry Thompson:
"I'm still not convinced with Kyler Murray under center. Why not try and make a trade? Or use for a pick?"
With all due respect Terry, convincing you isn't part of the decision-making equation. The GM and coach think that Murray can indeed play under center and within the offense they have constructed. (Also, that doesn't include the fact, picking at 4, you could very well end up with the fourth-best rookie quarterback and have to start all over with a guy. Most rookie QBs aren't C.J. Stroud.) I get it with the fans who, for whatever reasons, don't believe Murray is the answer. But if that is you, you need to wrap your head around the fact the decision-makers for the Cardinals completely disagree.
From Cody Lee:
"Hi Darren. Can you look in your schedule crystal ball and tell me when we're playing the Raiders in Vegas? I want to go to that game. Also, when are we going to host the draft? We are one of the Super Bowl regulars, I assume the NFL likes us. We could totally host the draft. I want to go to that too. Lastly, did you know Jerheme Urban is the head coach of the Trinity University football team and they've been CRUSHIN IT for several seasons now. Just wanted to give a shout out."
We'll quick-fire these topics:
- The Cardinals don't play the Raiders again until 2026, but that will be at State Farm Stadium. They don't go back to Vegas until 2030.
- I don't know if a draft comes here. Maybe. But I haven't heard chatter about that at this point, and if the powers-that-be and Michael Bidwill are going to put the work into bringing an NFL event to the Valley, I'd guess they'll want to focus on another Super Bowl.
- You are asking if I, Darren Urban, have followed what Jerheme Urban has done in his career? C'mon man, that's a given. (Jerheme has been notably successful at his alma mater, with a 71-27 record.)
From John Turilli:
"This draft and free agent talk is very premature and I trust our GM. I ask a question which is also an analysis. If the Cardinals pick a QB, OT, DL, CB, WR it will be an improvement of what we now have in pure talent at No. 4. At number 27 I feel the exact same way except for RT. No matter whom the Cardinals draft at either 4 or 27 will be an improvement. To trade down will give up too good a player. I would hope we all know this and just relax and let Monti do his thing. Free agency is even more of a crap shoot than the draft."
We're going to have to agree to disagree with a couple of things here. To start, I'll disagree you could get a QB at four that improves on Murray. The guy was a No. 1 overall pick for a reason, and I'd argue that he'd go ahead of everyone except maybe Williams if he were in this draft. I also disagree free agency is more of a crap shoot than the draft. It's really not. The issue with free agency is fans (and sometimes teams) believe those guys are a panacea to fix something when there is always a reason the previous team decided to move on from that player. Teams should know exactly what they are getting in a free agent. He has an NFL resume. Not the same for a draftee.
From Tom Cowley:
"Hi Darren. What do you believe should be the best source for: WR, OL, EDGE, CB. The draft or FA? Murray could use a great vet WR via FA, then go via draft for the others. Thanks."
Again, I can't speak to this year too specifically because the free-agent class is unknown to a certain extent. But generally, it is difficult to find a really good edge or cornerback in free agency, because teams just don't let those guys get away. You could find a veteran receiver, although I'd be leery of finding a No. 1 in free agency that also has a lot left in the tank.
From Drew Banks:
"Hi Darren. Why is it teams are able to publicly announce player contract terms? I'm fairly confident that my employer, along with every employer in the real world, cannot put out an article in the local paper announcing you've been hired to their IT department with 'X' salary."
Teams don't publicly announce contract terms. Every single press release from the Cardinals specifically has the line, "In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed." In almost every single case with NFL contracts, terms leak out on the agent side. Reporters form relationships with agents, agents want hype for their signings for both the player and themselves, to hopefully attract more clients. Meanwhile, reporters obviously benefit from the info. The other piece that comes into this is the salary cap; contract details matter when it comes to covering a team and figuring out what they need to do going forward with cap space. That isn't the case with the rest of us and our salaries.
From Brent Snyder:
"Hey Darren! I have a couple questions and wasn't sure which one to ask so feel free to answer just one of the below. 1) Is there any rules on trades and signings when it comes to deadlines? I believe there are trade deadlines, but is there no deadline for teams to sign players (like Ertz signing in the middle of playoffs)? 2) I was streaming Arizona Sports up here in Canada and the boys were talking about the draft and positions. They mentioned that historically speaking, many of the top WR's are drafted in the later rounds, but other positions almost need to be picked first round to be one of the effective players vs later rounds, which historically haven't panned out as often. What I construed from that is you can wait on a WR and still get a great return. Thanks Darren. Appreciate your mailbag."
I mean, Brent, I can answer two questions. That's not a problem. So here goes: 1) No, if a player is a free agent, teams can sign him even during the postseason. I once covered a kid at Saguaro High School named Jeremy Brigham. Had bigger success in basketball as a prep but went on to play tight end for the University of Washington and then the Raiders. Raiders had to let him go early in the 2002 season after an injury; they suffered another tight end injury in the AFC Championship game and re-signed Brigham the week of the Super Bowl. He played, too. 2) The argument can absolutely be made that of many positions, you might be able to find top-end receivers later -- and definitely outside the top 15 -- more than any other position. That will certainly be the subject of stories as we move closer to the draft.
From Steve Drumm:
"Hey Darren, When is the earliest you could see Hump returning to action next season after the ACL injury and/or do you think it's possible the Cardinals move on and draft his replacement in the first round, John Alt?"
There is no good way to forecast when D.J. Humphries might be able to play again. I think it's unfair to think it'll be any earlier than into the season but ultimately it comes down to how serious the injury was when they get in to repair it and what kind of rehab Hump needs. Do I think it's possible the Cardinals move on from Hump and draft a replacement (Alt or Fashanu, if you're talking No. 4?) Yes, it's possible. Few things aren't possible at this point in the offseason. The one thing I do believe is that Monti Ossenfort will use however much time he has before having to make the decision to make the decision (and keep everything as secret as possible.)
From Bob Nations:
"Many of our IR players are free agents. What is the expectation of Jonathan Ledbetter, Geoff Swaim, and Josh Woods being available for the 2024 season if the Cardinals decide to re-sign any of them. I am currently thinking Rashad Fenton, Marlon Mack, Pat Elflein will not be back. I would think if Kyzir White is ready for 2024, then L.J. Collier and Carlos Watkins would also be ready if they decide to re-sign either or both. Marquise Brown is up in the air whether he is re-signed or not."
Without knowing specifics of rehab, it is only the ACL tears -- Ledbetter and Humphries -- that make me pause going into training camp in late July. I would expect the rest of the IR players to be healthy enough to play or at least be close to returning by then. But yes, they would have to be re-signed first.
From Art Pozza:
"I've been hearing a lot about how the Texans' victories 'sting' regarding the upcoming draft order. I've been drinking the kool-aid since Charley Johnson was our QB. I never complained about having two first-round picks. What was the preseason injury to OL Jon Gaines, and how is he rehabbing? Thanks for all your work."
Gaines hurt his knee. I believe it was an ACL, and he missed the season. But given that timeline, I would think he will be back by the time we get to training camp -- that'll be almost a year.
From John David Lair:
"How do you think players in the Pro Bowl try to have a good time but not be too aggressive, leading to an injury? Even though it's a flag football game, do you think guys like Budda Baker try to not be too wild?"
It's a lot easier to play it "right" than maybe a regular football game, so I wouldn't be worried. They know what they are doing. Besides, life is life. You don't want to live it scared.
From Roger Johnson:
"What can the Cardinals do to increase their home field advantage? It seems half the stadium is in the other team's gear. Is it just a matter of winning? What was the stadium like in playoffs and Super Bowl years?"
I have been to a lot of stadiums over the years and, biases aside, I have *never *been in a louder stadium than the NFC Championship game in 2008 when the Cardinals hosted the Eagles. The end of that game was ridiculous. But yes, winning is by far the biggest agent for change in that regard. The organization is in the process to help things along stadium-wise that should help some, but fans get loud when the team does well. That's nothing that needs next-level analysis.
From Donna Jamison:
"Hi Darren. Love your work, I'm a big fan. My question is about one of my pet peeves. Do you think the Cardinals have it in their budget to put some microphones in the press room so the fans can actually hear the questions from the press. How difficult can this be? Even if I use the closed caption function not everything is picked up. Thanks for viewing my rant. Go Cards!"
We have microphones both in the stadium press room and at the facility. It's never going to sound as good as the subject talking because the mic is right in front of the subject but for the questioners has to be more broad-based. For instance, at the stadium, the mics are in the ceiling. It's never going to be a situation where there are hand-held mics for each question.
From Leo P:
"Bleacher Report put out an article listing some player candidates for future NFL head coaches. I was surprised to see Calais Campbell on there. Don't get me wrong, the guy is highly respected, passionate, intelligent, well spoken (if not eloquent), and I have no doubt he would be a phenomenal leader of men. The only thing I question is if he would be able to navigate the media side of being a coach. The art of saying nothing. The skill of handling probing questions from reporters. Especially when times are tough. I worry Campbell is too honest and too open. What do you think?"
I think it's odd that a random fan would worry that a potential coach is "too honest and too open." From my perspective, I'd like less of "saying nothing." In the case of Campbell, I think he'd get along just fine. Not sure he'd have any desire to actually coach, but if he did, he'd be good at it.
