Arizona Cardinals offensive line a question mark again
By Jim Koch
Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim needs to pull out all the stops to settle the squad’s offensive line problems
It’s the same old story for the Arizona Cardinals. Year in and year out, the club fails to field an effective offensive line. This offseason will be no different for the front office, as they once again attempt to put together a winning combination of blockers.
The contract situations of a couple of the Cardinals’ current linemen are tricky ones. Two of last year’s opening-day starters carry undesirable salary-cap hits for the 2018 campaign. Besides the financial ramifications, both players ended up on the team’s 2017 injured-reserve list as well.
Jared Veldheer, Arizona’s starting left tackle since 2014, was moved to right tackle last season to accommodate 2015’s first-round draft pick, D.J. Humphries. The early results of the move were not favorable. However, Veldheer was improving at his new position before an ankle injury abruptly ended his campaign in December.
The 30-year old is slated to count just over $10 million against the cap for 2018. Management is going to have to decide if Veldheer is worth that kind of coin at the present time. There’s a buyout in the mammoth lineman’s deal, but exercising it would leave $3,250,000 in dead cap money.
Left guard Mike Iupati’s current status mimics Veldheer’s in quite a few ways. The former San Francisco 49er signed a huge free-agent contract with the Cards in 2015, but his best days may be behind him. Iupati carries a cap hit of $9,700,000 for ’18, with a potential buyout in place that would leave $3,400,000 in dead cap cash.
At the moment, the only two slots on the offensive line that appear to be settled are at left tackle and center. Humphries, like Veldheer and Iupati, also finished 2017 on injured-reserve, but should be poised to resume his blindside-protector role. Steady performer A.Q. Shipley will most likely be back at center, although late-2017 acquisition Max Tuerk could get a look at the spot.
General manager Steve Keim inked Alex Boone to a one-year deal just before last year’s season-opener. The veteran turned out to be an excellent signing, starting 13 contests at left guard for the Cardinals. Bringing the free agent Boone back to the nest should certainly be a consideration.
There are other offensive linemen scheduled to be free agents as well. The New England Patriots’ Nate Solder appears to be the darling of this offseason’s crop. The 17th-overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft is a left tackle however, a spot currently occupied by Humphries.
Carolina Panthers’ left guard Andrew Norwell is an intriguing possibility. The All-Pro selection in 2017 could possibly be convinced to join Ray Brown, his position coach of the last four years, in the desert. Norwell, an undrafted free agent in 2014, has started 54 games at left guard for the Panthers.
The Indianapolis Colts’ Jack Mewhort is another guard scheduled for free agency. The former second-round draft pick has started 45 games since ’14, but has suffered knee injuries in both of the last two campaigns. The Seattle Seahawks’ Luke Joeckel, a former stud left tackle at Texas A&M, is now playing guard and should also be available in March.
Despite having been an offensive lineman in college, Keim seems to have a blindspot when it comes to drafting the position. Humphries has been the current regime’s most-successful offering, but even the 6’5″, 307 pounder has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Keim’s seventh-overall selection in 2013, Jonathan Cooper, was a colossal bust for the franchise.
Evan Boehm, a fourth-round pick in 2016, has been nothing special. The University of Missouri product started eight games at right guard last year. Will Holden, a fifth-round choice in ’17, started one time at left guard as a rookie, and can also play tackle.
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The Cards’ offensive line has been their Achilles heel for way too long. Continuity is the key for any successful contingent of blockers. It’s about time that Keim gets it figured out once and for all.