Back in July of last year, the Arizona Cardinals made a move that flew primarily under the radar. In need of a starting right tackle, general manager Steve Keim went out and signed the best of the remaining offensive lineman. As it turned out, the Cards front office got one of the best free-agent bargains of the 2020 offseason.
That bargain would turn out to be Kelvin Beachum, a veteran blocker who would go on to start all 16 games at the right tackle spot for Arizona. The 6’3, 308 pounder was inked to a one-year contract, and essentially bailed the organization out of what could’ve been an ugly jam. Apparently, the Cardinals were impressed with what Beachum accomplished.
On Tuesday, the Cards announced that they had reached agreement with Beachum on a new two-year deal. The 31-year old will be paid $4 million over the next two campaigns, almost all of which is guaranteed. Beachum received a $1 million signing bonus, and will count a paltry $1.575 million against the 2021 salary cap.
It’s assumed that Beachum will be back as the first-team right tackle this coming fall. There was some talk that either Justin Murray or Josh Jones could take over the spot, but it now appears that those two could now battle it out for the opening at right guard.
Beachum, a seventh-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2012, had spent most of his career at the left tackle position. The Texas native didn’t miss a beat, however, when Arizona flipped him over to the right side. According to Pro Football Focus, Beachum allowed just three sacks of quarterback Kyler Murray last season.
The Southern Methodist University product, after beginning his NFL career with the Steelers, also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. Beachum has appeared in 120 professional contests, and has 115 starts on his resume. There were other free-agent options, but the Cardinals ultimately elected to roll with the reliable Beachum.