Cardinals Must Re-Sign This Veteran OL

This Arizona Cardinals free agent OL is a necessary re-sign to keep the trenches solid.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals center Evan Brown (62) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals have built their new era on the play of their offensive line, and, subsequently the run game.

In the 2023 off-season, they signed interior OL Evan Brown to a one-year deal.

That deal ended up being worth tremendous value for the Cardinals. While only paying Brown $2.35 million in the 2024 season, the veteran guard was a stalwart of Arizona's o-line, and did an exceptional job keeping quarterback Kyler Murray upright.

Brown, 29, started all 17 games in 2024, and played an immense 1,070 snaps. He was the model of both consistency and solidity, holding down the left guard position for the duration of the season.

In that vast number of snaps, the veteran allowed just two sacks and 20 QB pressures. He also committed only one penalty.

While he wasn't the most proficient run-blocker, he was exceptional in pass protection. He posted an overall 73.5 Pro Football Focus grade in pass protection, but put forward nine games with a 70 or higher pass-blocking grade.

In three of those games, he posted a pass-block grade above 80.

Brown is set to become a free agent, and the Cardinals will have to decide whether or not to bring the veteran back.

While it might seem at first glance that Arizona's offensive philosophy as a run-first team might make Brown less of a fit, it's actually the opposite.

Arizona rarely struggled to run the ball with Brown in the game, and when a team has a smaller quarterback like Murray, interior pressure is a much greater threat than pressure off the edge, which Murray can also easily escape with his mobility.

With that in mind, keeping the interior bolstered with pass-blockers is the best way to keep Murray upright.

With the unfortunate injury to Will Hernandez, the interior o-line depth is a bit thin. While there are young internal options to replace Brown, such as Isaiah Adams and Jon Gaines II, the Cardinals still need to see some development out of those players.

Additionally, Adams (who played a large number of snaps down the stretch), is an excellent run-blocker, but struggles in pass protection.

If head coach Jonathan Gannon continues his track record of a rotational philosophy, it would be exceptionally valuable to retain a sturdy veteran like Brown to protect Murray on passing downs, while continuing to ease Adams into his role and expand his blocking versatility.

Brown's value might have gone up after an solid year, but another short-term deal would still be very affordable - and very worth it to keep QB1 healthy.

The Cardinals should re-sign Brown instantly, if they have the opportunity.