Humphries tore his ACL

[Cheesebeef]

Man… this sucks. In this long, most times ugly season, the one thing we were coming out of it with that excited me most was this offensive line being able to mash people on the ground. That was a great building block for the future. The 4 mainstays were there pretty much every game, developed cohesion. One upgrade at G and they could have been ready Day 1 next season to establish identity.

Now… that unit is another question mark. If Paris moves over to LT, that’s going to be bringing back only 2 players at their current position while also hoping that we actually fill G and a T spot.

That’s a bummer.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Man… this sucks. In this long, most times ugly season, the one thing we were coming out of it with that excited me most was this offensive line being able to mash people on the ground. That was a great building block for the future. The 4 mainstays were there pretty much every game, developed cohesion. One upgrade at G and they could have been ready Day 1 next season to establish identity.

Now… that unit is another question mark. If Paris moves over to LT, that’s going to be bringing back only 2 players at their current position while also hoping that we actually fill G and a T spot.

That’s a bummer.

I'm with you, but I think they already established their identity this year because of that line play. They want to be a smashmouth team with Connor and run playaction off of that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm with you, but I think they already established their identity this year because of that line play. They want to be a smashmouth team Connor and run playaction off of that.

I understand that’s what they want their identity to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s what it’s going to be next season because now the line is in a partial rebuild and likely restructure if they move Paris to LT.

Would have been nice to just have that part of the team locked and loaded so you could build everything else around it. Now it’s got to be a point of emphasis in the rebuild itself, which could take away the ability to improv the team elsewhere or force our hand to need as opposed to BPA early in the draft.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I understand that’s what they want their identity to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s what it’s going to be next season because now the line is in a partial rebuild and likely restructure if they move Paris to LT.

Would have been nice to just have that part of the team locked and loaded so you could build everything else around it. Now it’s got to be a point of emphasis in the rebuild itself, which could take away the ability to improv the team elsewhere or force our hand to need as opposed to BPA early in the draft.

Completely agree.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Yes and no...it's possible they were planning on moving on from Hump all along, whether it be with a high draft pick or a PJ/less expensive RT. Considering this latest injury and his salary, the timeline has just been accelerated. Monti and the boys have a lot of tools to work with and a million different ways to attack this offseason. No more evaluation years moving forward. Time to play some real football and try to win.

 

[PJ1]

With the number of team needs this really does hurt. Go after a tackle with first pick and a WR with the next and you start addressing one of the worst D’s in the league in the second round. We have very little pass rush and can’t stop the run and our CB’s are weak. Better be very active in FA.

 

[TheCardFan]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[ajcardfan]

I wonder whether the Cardinals would put Johnson at LT and Beachum at RT vs. the Seahawks this week? Would that give any insight into Johnson's future viability as an NFL LT, or would it be counter-productive without Johnson having practiced at LT for an entire off-season and training camp?

That is a very bad idea. It's game 17, not the first week of training camp.

 

[BritCard]

Would require an injury settlement if released

It's only about $1.5m

 

[BritCard]

Man… this sucks. In this long, most times ugly season, the one thing we were coming out of it with that excited me most was this offensive line being able to mash people on the ground. That was a great building block for the future. The 4 mainstays were there pretty much every game, developed cohesion. One upgrade at G and they could have been ready Day 1 next season to establish identity.

Now… that unit is another question mark. If Paris moves over to LT, that’s going to be bringing back only 2 players at their current position while also hoping that we actually fill G and a T spot.

That’s a bummer.

This may be positive. Hump was not really a good scheme fit. He's not good in space.

PJJ has been doing all the pulling and lead blocking along with the interior. I don't recall seeing Hump do it once all year.

Someone like Alt could be a big upgrade.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I don't see how pointing to outliers really buttresses the point.

Says the guy who pointed out Bahktiria. Lol.

 

[Harry]

I wonder whether the Cardinals would put Johnson at LT and Beachum at RT vs. the Seahawks this week? Would that give any insight into Johnson's future viability as an NFL LT, or would it be counter-productive without Johnson having practiced at LT for an entire off-season and training camp?

Unlikely. He’d need to be practicing at LT

 

[Harry]

It's only about $1.5m

It’s typically the percentage of the season expected to be missed times the salary. Not sure he only misses a month

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Paris was drafted on his performance playing LT at OSU.

Why are people questioning his ability to play LT in the NFL? Thats why he was drafted where he was.

Granted, he may fail at LT and have to be a RT but that’s not why he was drafted 6th overall.

 

[QuebecCard]

Paris was drafted on his performance playing LT at OSU.

Why are people questioning his ability to play LT in the NFL? Thats why he was drafted where he was.

Granted, he may fail at LT and have to be a RT but that’s not why he was drafted 6th overall.

Paris could very well be the LT come September, and it may be a given if MHJ falls to us. However, if not, the two best prospects likely available are OT's who unlike Paris have no experience at RT at this level.

 

[Solar7]

We were in the same boat. Though I think about every dominant run game and I think about their dominant lines and I dream about being able to impose our will on other teams offensively. That starts with the oline. We’ve never built a dominant one. I’d like to try it on for size.

Late reply here, but as much as that sounds nice, I don't know if the pathway to that is having to fill the spots with top ten picks. I'll admit that I don't know my dominant OL players individually as some here, but I can only find one team that drafted OTs in the top 10 in the past 15 years within 3 years of each other, and that's the Giants with Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal between 2020 and 2022.

They haven't exactly been dominant on offense in recent years.

It seems to me like the pathway is more getting it right with a high pick and then a combo of players drafted in later rounds.

It's also such a passing league right now.

Are there any teams making it work at the moment with merely a dominant rushing game? Maybe the Ravens, but mainly through Lamar?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Late reply here, but as much as that sounds nice, I don't know if the pathway to that is having to fill the spots with top ten picks. I'll admit that I don't know my dominant OL players individually as some here, but I can only find one team that drafted OTs in the top 10 in the past 15 years within 3 years of each other, and that's the Giants with Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal between 2020 and 2022.

They haven't exactly been dominant on offense in recent years.

It seems to me like the pathway is more getting it right with a high pick and then a combo of players drafted in later rounds.

It's also such a passing league right now.

Are there any teams making it work at the moment with merely a dominant rushing game? Maybe the Ravens, but mainly through Lamar?

I can’t recall which team it was, but in the last two weeks I was watching one of the contenders and the commentators were oozing over the oline and showed it was made up of 3 first round picks, a second round pick and a free agent.

 

[Solar7]

I can’t recall which team it was, but in the last two weeks I was watching one of the contenders and the commentators were oozing over the oline and showed it was made up of 3 first round picks, a second round pick and a free agent.

I'm guessing the Lions? Ravens? Colts? Most of them seem to fit this profile.

Just to make my position clear here, I definitely am all for investing 1st-3rd capital in more linemen. But all of those teams have highly drafted skill players too. I do feel like picking a lineman at 4 is almost admitting PJJ was overdrafted instead of building a dominant line.

I'm all for using the Texans' pick on an OL, and a 2nd or 3rd on one.

 

[BACH]

I'm guessing the Lions? Ravens? Colts? Most of them seem to fit this profile.

Just to make my position clear here, I definitely am all for investing 1st-3rd capital in more linemen. But all of those teams have highly drafted skill players too. I do feel like picking a lineman at 4 is almost admitting PJJ was overdrafted instead of building a dominant line.

I'm all for using the Texans' pick on an OL, and a 2nd or 3rd on one.

I disagree. OT is one of the 3 positions, where there is limited talent. You stock up, if you have talent. Keep DJ if you have the cap space, If we get #4 and do not have any trade options, you go OL again because the two OTs are concensus next on the big board (at the moment).

 

[GeorgiaCard88]

Late to the party on this thread. Honestly surprised to see so much hate for Paris going to LT in this thread. Can anyone put up a solid argument as to why?

I think it’s a no brainer that you move Paris to LT (his natural position) and hire a right tackle in free agency.

As for DJ- it’s a cold world, and I have trouble feeling bad for anyone who has made tens of millions of dollars just to be average. Obviously have to see how he rehabs this off season, but this team has too many needs to be paying an 8 figure cap dead space to someone who’s just there to hang for a year. With his weight, I think chances are slim he comes back before the second half of the season, and by that time who knows what kind of shape/form he will be in.

 

[TheCardFan]

Late to the party on this thread. Honestly surprised to see so much hate for Paris going to LT in this thread. Can anyone put up a solid argument as to why?

Exactly. Remember when McBride was a bum?

 

[slanidrac16]

I don’t think MO will panic here. It appears this staff has a pretty good eye for o-linemen that fit this system.

We started 2023 think how this O-line was in complete shambles. Call it the ability to recognize talent or the system or the coaching, whatever, but this unit was solid with players we never heard of at this time last year.

I think we may see us draft a lineman with our 2nd round pick. More likely we will do it in the 3rd round.

If we sign a free agent o-lineman I can see us taking a Wr with our first pick and almost exclusively defense the rest of the draft.

 

[Stout]

I don’t think MO will panic here. It appears this staff has a pretty good eye for o-linemen that fit this system.

We started 2023 think how this O-line was in complete shambles. Call it the ability to recognize talent or the system or the coaching, whatever, but this unit was solid with players we never heard of at this time last year.

I think we may see us draft a lineman with our 2nd round pick. More likely we will do it in the 3rd round.

If we sign a free agent o-lineman I can see us taking a Wr with our first pick and almost exclusively defense the rest of the draft.

Good point on identifying OL talent. I'll add that the coaching staff has done well working with them.

 

[ajcardfan]

Good point on identifying OL talent. I'll add that the coaching staff has done well working with them.

I agree. In fact, I predict offensive line will be the second biggest priority in free agency, we sign one, and we do not draft an offensive lineman in round one.

As I was discussing with someone last week, when it comes to the cap and building a team, you want to draft QB, Edge and WR high, and in free agency address positions like offensive line, RB, TE, etc. I believe Monti understands that.