Happy holidays everyone. This week was supposed to be about a much different narrative than it has turned out to be, but we press on. The mailbag never stops. Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.
From Ben J:
"Say we beat the Rams and 49ers. We are 9-8. The Hawks lose to the Vikings and Bears, then beat the Rams so they're 9-8. The Rams lose both their last two games and are 9-8. Since it's a three-way tie, the head-to-head shouldn't be the tiebreaker, and the Rams/Hawks will both be 3-3 in the division while we're 4-2. Shouldn't we get in?"
In a three-way tie within a division, the first tiebreak is head-to-head with the teams involved. Not division record. So the Cardinals would be 2-2 in that scenario (two Rams wins, two Seahawks losses), while the Seahawks would be 3-1 and the Rams 1-3. So the Seahawks would win that circumstance.
From Darrell from Pinetop:
"Dear Santa,
Well there goes the hopes for playoffs. I doubt it will happen, but since the rest of the season is irrelevant, what are the odds we see Tune start a few games? Might as well improve our draft status at this point. If you publish this, thanks for letting me have a chance to vent over what could have been.
Sincerely,
A frustrated Cardinals fan"
Well, little Darrell, I appreciate you reaching out to Santa. There will be no Clayton Tune starts barring injury. Losing doesn't help. The Cardinals have seven wins, would like to finish above .500 if possible and frankly, drafting 13 instead of 18 or whatever isn't going to change much.
From Rob Ert:
"Now that I've calmed down a bit, I feel I'm still giving up on this team, but wasn't that a hip-drop tackle on Conners? It sure looked textbook to me. Thanks again to a steamed fan."
If you are talking about the play on which he was injured, I wouldn't call it a hip-drop. It looked to me like the guy got Conner's waist and spun him down. I do think the one called early in the game as a hip-drop on Conner -- the first in-game penalty of that in the NFL -- it was it. Guy grabbed Conner and went dead-weight to bring him down.
From Elliot Beck:
"Hey Darren. Thank you for the mailbag. One of my favorite things to read each week! Season-ticket holder since 2011, first time submitting a question. We know that K1 hasn't played to his expectations. I'm concerned about his confidence -- I know he answers strong in interviews, but he hasn't looked like himself as of late. Rather than going through his progression, it seems like he immediately looks for the checkdown. It wasn't always like this. Granted, it would also be nice if his receivers could make contested catches. Have you noticed anything? Does he seem like himself? We need the old K1 and his swagger back."
To be honest, I don't want to speculate what might be in Kyler's head, and he insists -- as you noted -- he still has and will always have confidence. I don't even want to say he isn't going through his progression. I don't know that. His play has not been the same since the bye, but frankly, unless your name is Conner or McBride, I don't know whose play has been the same on offense.
From Paul Bunsen:
"Hi Darren. Do you think Kyzir White is a re-sign priority? He is 29, but he's not a cornerstone like Budda or James. And LB is one of those positions where you can find talent for cheaper. Full disclosure, I'm not a big fan of his."
From Frerk Lukas:
"Hey Darren! At first some greetings from Germany! The Cardinals have a lot of free agents after this season. Do you think that there will be another in-season re-signing? I think Kyzir White would be a good one."
Always interesting to get the same question from two different angles. I wouldn't be surprised to see another in-season re-signing but not sure who. I think at this point you nailed down the guys with whom you'd be most concerned about losing. As for Kyzir in particular, I think a) he loves playing here and b) they love what he brings to the defense. I do not think that would preclude them from looking to upgrade because they are always looking at (almost) every spot for that. But he fits what they do well. I'd think the odds are good he is here in 2025.
From Brian Gleason:
"Hey Darren. Now that Conner and Budda are locked up, what's the timeline on Trey McBride? He is under contract next year so there's not necessarily an obligation to pay him yet. With that said, PAY HIM! The 49ers are slooooow rolling Brock Purdy's extension, and that guy is a franchise QB who is paid less than a hotdog vendor. Apparently every organization has a different approach. What's ours?"
You touched on a few things here, not the least of which is that I am giving my two weeks to the Cardinals to go become this $985,000 hot dog vendor that apparently exists in your world. As for extensions and approaches, as we saw with Baker, it may be that Monti wants to reach the final year of a deal. But with McBride, you are technically in that "final year" as soon as we hit March. I'll say this: 1) McBride can't even get an extension before the end of the regular season, since he has to finish the third year of his rookie deal, so it's moot for a few weeks anyway and 2) I wouldn't be surprised at all to see McBride get an extension this offseason. The way he is going, he's only going to keep getting better and more expensive as time goes by.
From John S:
"Greetings from Washington, where it it below 35 every day! I've loved the WSU/UW safety tandem the Cardinals have had for the past couple of years, but Jalen Thompson seems to be having a rough year. What has changed since 2023 when he was the best player on our defense, and is there a chance he's traded?"
I don't know if I'd say JT is having a rough year. I think he hasn't had the same amount of splash plays, but he's been a part of a defense that has played better than most expected and again, his versatility is something this staff treasures. I'm not sure what the offseason holds for how this roster construction will go. His contract is baked into what they have prepared in 2025 so I don't think money is an issue.
From Allen Arias:
"Darren, I'm pre-empting my anger now, because with three days left (as I send this), Trey McBride is fifth among tight ends in Pro Bowl voting, despite being No. 1 in two offensive categories. The Pro Bowl CANNOT be a popularity contest or it's beyond worthless. Please tell me the NFL leadership (or whoever decides these things) will step in and put Trey in the Pro Bowl."
Well, Brock Bowers, who is No. 1 in the voting, is having a pretty good year himself. So is George Kittle. Kelce is Kelce, although I'm surprised about Jonnu Smith. Second, voting by fans has always been a popularity contest. Third, that voting doesn't include social votes, so the Swifties figure to likely bump Kelce up. And fourth, the players and coaches have not yet voted and that is two-thirds of the factor. I fully expect McBride to make the Pro Bowl. (But truth be told, I'm not someone who could ever flip out about all-star/Pro Bowl stuff.)
From Matthew C:
"Only 19 rookie receivers have ever had double-digit TDs, while eight of them had exactly 10 and didn't reach 1,000 yards. Even just this season, MHJ is currently tied for 11th in receiving TDs, and the Panthers and Rams don't have particularly good passing defenses, so he could easily finish high on the all-time list. I think next April we will all look back and realize this was a great season for a rookie WR. Why do fans always expect to see their first-rounder be Dan Marino, Randy Moss, or Jevon Kearse in their first year? Or CJ Stroud/Ja'maar Chase/Micah Parsons for the younger readers?"
I have to chuckle, since Marino, Moss and Kearse were all mid-to-late first-round picks and Marino and Moss in particular had big questions about how successful they'd be in the league. I blame no one for expecting big things from a No. 4 overall pick who isn't a quarterback because the non-QBs picked that high are supposed to make big impacts immediately. I have no problem with fans being disappointed in what MHJ has done, although I do have an issue with those who say he is a bust. That ... I mean, get that stuff outta here. I think Harrison still has learning to do in this league. I also think he is someone that will indeed make that big jump from Year 1 to Year 2.
From Danny D:
"Do teams have the ability to just cut a bonus to a player, as they choose? Or must it all be under the cap? There are always those players whose value well exceeds their pay. I think Elijah Higgins, Chad Ryland, and Dante Stills are those types of guys. All making less than $1 million. Across the NFL you have someone like Brock Purdy, also making less than $1M. As a Cardinals fan, I will celebrate the day the 49ers need to put up $50M for him. But for now, do teams have the ability to say 'you know what, you deserve a $3M bonus because you are sooo underpaid, but we're not able to extend you yet?'"
Let's start with the rules. Yes, it always has to be cap compliant. Players can't even get things like free use of a suite without that being factored in to the compensation with the cap. And no, teams can't just say, 'You deserve more money, here you go.' Not if you are in your rookie deal. Now, the league does have a performance-based bonus pool that is collected from all teams and then distributed by playing time and performance, so guys like Higgins and Stills (and Purdy) are all getting bonuses. Teams will pay out more than $14M each in these bonuses this year; last year, the biggest bonus in the league went to Ravens G John Simpson, a one-time fourth-round pick, who earned $974,000 extra on top of his 2023 money. (Purdy got an extra $730,000 himself, speaking of him.)
From Robert Malicki:
"Hello, Darren. Seeing Cardinal ownership extending No. 3 to his third contract allows them to reward him to fans and the defense. This is great and reminds me of our team's long history developing the safety position. Marshall Goldberg, succeeded by Charley Trippi, then Dick 'Night Train' Lane, who I saw play as a youngster, and another Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer Larry WIlson, Pat Tillman and Adrian Wilson and now Baker, who easily is establishing himself in their company. I have give a shout-out to Benny Perrin and Pat Fischer just for their football 'smarts' and toughness. I invite our fans to check them all out for their on-field play and fan appeal."
There is little question that safety has been a glam position for the franchise for many years.
From David Long:
"Hi Darren, something needs to be done. MHJ is not a bust, nor would this be punishment. However, he needs to be benched for his own good. He's not ready for the NFL. At this point, I worry we are doing permanent damage to his confidence by trotting him out there."
He's not ready to be an NFL star yet, maybe, but it is literally impossible that he wasn't ready for the NFL and yet have seven touchdown catches. His stats are going to be comparable with Larry Fitzgerald's rookie season. I get disappointment, but c'mon.
What are we doing here?
From Slade B:
"Hi Darren, from an armchair QB perspective, it seems like James Conner and Trey McBride are the only vocal leaders on the offense. Kyler has a quiet demeanor, and you can't fault a guy for being who he is. That being said, do you believe this young squad needs him to be a more vocal leader and motivator?"
No. I think the team could use more consistent play in the passing game. Having a louder leader wouldn't have changed anything. Frankly, if an NFL player needs to get motivated by a teammate or a coach, he's not gonna last long in the league.
From Drew Stallone:
"Hi Darren! I like when you do post-mortem reports on ex-players and seasons. Nothing brings clarity like distance. This week's topic for me: Beanie Wells. First of all, I didn't realize he ran a 3.38 40 at 6'1 235. That's insanity. Beanie might be the No. 1 all time Cardinals 'Freak Factor' athlete. What happened with Beanie? He had some injuries early on, but he still had a very respectable average back when he was full-time. So why did he ultimately get pulled, benched, and released? You can't really say he was a bust, because he was a good player. 1,000 yards and 10 TDs in 2011 was great. Super talented. Good guy, good teammate. What haps?"
What haps was that Beanie had a degenerative knee issue that progressively got worse when he was in the league. Ken Whisenhunt always struggled with guys and lingering injuries, and their relationship soured at the end. But that aside, his knee was the biggest problem, and then he tore his Achilles in a workout with the Ravens, which ended his career before he actually signed with another team after the 2012 season. But he was a very good guy.
From Dann Oyama:
"Darren, How does a player's contract/pay work? I thought that a player signed a contract with a negotiated dollar amount. How is the money allocated? Is the money paid on a per-game basis? What happens if they make the playoffs and have more games or they are injured and miss games? Guaranteed money is guaranteed but what happens to the remaining dollars if the aforementioned situations occur?"
A brief quick-hit overview:
- The money in a contract comes from the salary, paid throughout the year, and then any bonuses. Signing bonus usually is paid when the guy signs (or in a couple of installments). Could be some incentives, paid if the player hits the incentives.
- It used to be the players would be paid each week during the regular season, so their salary would be distributed 1/18th every paycheck. Because the NFLPA wanted to help players manage money a little better, there is a now an option where players can be paid I believe over something like 36 weeks.
- Players get no extra money from teams if they make the playoffs, but the NFL pays each player on the roster a bonus for each playoff game -- more if you win, less if you lose. The higher-paid players in the league make much less per game in the postseason than the regular season.
- In the NFL, your salary is guaranteed if you are hurt in a particular season. (And for veterans, their season salary is guaranteed if he is on the roster Week 1.)
- If you sign a contract for three years, unless specifically noted, none of the salaries are guaranteed. So if you are cut, the money just disappears.
From Steve D:
"Hey Darren, If the Cardinals could do a 2024 draft re-do, do you think Monti still takes MHJ at No. 4 seeing how much he is struggling now?"
I think it is way too early to sit here and say the Cardinals would consider taking another player. The way some people talk about Harrison -- and yes, he needs to get better -- you'd think he has 40 drops and a stat line of 10-101-1 this year.
From Buddy C:
"Hey Darren. Believe it or not, this is not a doom-and-gloom post. I think this is a very level-headed assessment of the team: I would argue we aren't getting better. I think we are relatively the same as 2023. In regards to this season, we are three plays away from being 4-11. Not to mention we've gotten worse as the season has progressed. Fair? Not fair?"
One, that's the definition of doom and gloom, so I worry about your perspective there. The Cardinals are also four plays from being 11-4, so ... I mean, that's a game that has no ending. That's the NFL. Most games are close. You can't "take" wins from a team if you aren't going to "give" them the close losses, right? Being around this team every day, I can't disagree more that this team isn't better. It's better in the building, it's better in the locker room, and the roster is better.
From M Travers:
"Hello Darren. Well we took the knockout blow in Carolina but not without a great effort under nefarious conditions. What? The Cardinals had to not only beat the Panthers but also the officials as well. Like MHJ said he checked with official on the first play and was given the okay, only to have him throw the flag. The Cardinals were never going to win that game as it would spoil the league's desire to have the Rams in the playoffs. My question is how motivated do you think the team will be for the last remaining games?"
For the record, the officials didn't have it out for the Cardinals. I can find a million other things the Cardinals could've and should've done better. The penalties hurt, but they didn't cost them the game. As far as motivation, we will see, won't we? Players forever have told me they know the tape matters, whether how the Cardinals feel about them or a prospective team elsewhere.
From Second M:
"Why do I still see sites/graphics/people still calling Rabbit by his legal name, Darion? There are tons of NFL players who chose not to go by their real name, or even a middle name or initials, like Tank Dell, Julio Jones, Deebo Samuel, or even ... Budda Baker."
To begin with, it's Dadrion. Second, he doesn't really go all in with Rabbit, not as much as all those other guys, who were being called their nicknames "officially" in college. He said himself he doesn't care if we call him Rabbit or Dadrion. I know that Budda has no desire to have anyone call him Bishard.
From Victor S:
"Hi Darren, Number 58 has been a Day 1 starter but doesn't get talked about much. Can you please share some info on him? Where he went to school, how the Cards acquired him, etc. Thanks."
It's funny that you seem interested in his info but don't know his name. Julian Okwara -- who isn't started but he's been in the rotation for much of the season -- went to Notre Dame, was drafted by the Lions in 2020 and spent the preseason with the Eagles before they cut him. The Cardinals picked him up for the practice squad and he was added to the active roster soon after.
From JC King:
"Hello! Accounting question: When is the earliest we can move on from QB Kyler Murray? Just a basic cap management question, no ulterior motives. Thanks."
No ulterior motives. Sure. First any player can be moved on from at any point. It just depends on what kind of salary cap hit it might leave. Kyler has three years remaining on his contract after this. In order, his cap hit on and off the team would be: $43M-$58M in 2025, $53M-$18M in 2026, $46M-0 in 2027. Hope that helps with your work at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
From Bruce Chamberlain:
"Darren please don't get annoyed but I'm asking seriously, do the QBs and the receiving crew have the option of working on pass routes and timing after regular practice? It just doesn't seem like they are being coached properly or they need more reps together."
Yes, they have that option although there is a) only so much time players are allowed on the field at the facility each day so it's limited and b) there are other parts of the workday for a football team besides on-field work they need to get to. That doesn't even factor in the sports science all teams use now to make sure their athletes aren't expending too much non-game energy.
From Captain Lou:
"Darren, let me get this straight. The Cardinals, who in their illustrious history in the Valley, have let players such as Simeon Rice, Leonard Davis, Garrison Hearst, Antrel Rolle, Jake Plummer, Karlos Dansby, Tyrann Mathieu, Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones (okay, bad example) and Haason Reddick walk via free agency, for nothing more than comp picks at best, secured BOTH of their top pending free agents during the season? Their hearts and souls of the defense and offense respectively? Prior to them even considering testing the market? For reasonable and fair terms and dollars? Showing clearly that both are fully bought into the coaching staff and front office? How do we long suffering fans process this? It's uncharted territory. Help. I'm feeling optimistic."
You know, Cap, that I truly enjoy your sarcasm -- and pretty much sarcasm in general. The signings of Baker and Conner were important. And while the sting of what this season could've been and wasn't is still very fresh, I do think this roster is in a good place going into the offseason. We all know 2025 will be a year with big expectations, but I do think how Ossenfort has already gotten some key potential free agent decisions out of the way already portends for good things.
