The anticipation of NFL Free Agency always brings excitement, but also the speculation as to what will happen with the Arizona Cardinals.
This offseason, one of the marquee names on the docket that Arizona can re-sign is wide receiver Marquise Brown.
Since the trade to Arizona from the Baltimore Ravens back at the 2022 NFL Draft, Brown has played 26 games across two seasons as a Cardinal. His tenure since the deal has been riddled by injuries, missing eight of a possible 34 games.
During his time in the desert, the Florida native gathered 118 receptions for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns.
Decisions, Decisions
With about $40 million in cap space available, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will have to weigh their options on what to do with Brown.
Let “Hollywood” go to another team or come to terms with a deal that makes sense on both sides?
So far for next season, Michael Wilson, Zach Pascal, Rondale Moore, Daniel Arias, Kaden Davis, Andre Baccellia and Jeff Smith are all the receivers who will return to Arizona.
Like Brown, however, Greg Dortch is also a free agent and will garner interest from other teams around the NFL.
In Dortch’s case, his contract wouldn’t nearly cost as much.
That is, unless Brown is willing to take a discount on his next deal after receiving $13.4 million in 2023.
Because of injuries impacting his performance on the field, the best case scenario for the Cardinals – if they choose to re-sign him – is to complete a one-year deal with Brown and see how he performs.
If he can stay healthy and return to his best, Arizona could very well reap the benefits and reward Brown with a long-term contract after next season or let him walk.
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