Arizona Cardinals End of the Season Awards
By Jeremy Meek
DJ Humphries showed he could be a major contributor in the future
Everyone knows a team needs a solid quarterback to win in the NFL, but every quarterback needs a strong offensive line to succeed, no matter how good they are. One of the downfalls of Carson Palmer and the Cardinals in 2016 was their offensive line, which was decimated by injury.
Palmer was sacked 40 times this season, which was fifth most in the NFL. It also contributed to his struggles this season, which in turn helped to cause the tough season in Arizona.
DJ Humphries isn’t technically a newcomer, having been drafted a year before. However, he was inactive for every single game of the 2015 season. As a former first round pick, it was disappointing, and he wanted to be better in 2016.
Humphries got his wish, and started the season at right tackle, and performed well. He also spent time at left tackle due to injury, starting 13 games overall. He was solid overall, and could become a long-term solution on the offensive line, something Cardinals quarterbacks will be happy about.