The Arizona Cardinals are spending the first day of NFL free agency making moves to clear cap room while filling long-term holes.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, that includes releasing long-time left tackle and former Pro Bowler D.J. Humphries. Arizona has also signed former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams to a two-year, $30 million contract to replace Humphries.
Arizona’s longest-tenured player, Humphries had a $22 million cap hit for the 2024 season. He suffered a torn ACL late in the 2023 campaign and was unlikely to be ready for Week 1. This move saves Arizona roughly $9 million against the cap. The Williams signing will more than make up for a majority of those savings.
Humphries, 30, had started all 98 games in which he appeared since the Cardinals made him a first-round pick out of Florida back in 2015. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 while manning the left tackle position.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2024
Impact of the Arizona Cardinals latest offensive line moves
A first-round pick of the Bengals back in 2019, the 26-year-old Williams started at left tackle in each of his first three seasons. He moved to right tackle in 2023 after Cincinnati added Orlando Brown Jr. to be Joe Burrow’s blindside protector.
Per Pro Football Focus, Williams yielded eight sacks and 41 quarterback pressures a season ago. Those are not great numbers. He was also called for just three accepted penalties and is considered a plus-level run blocker.
The expectation now is that 2023 first-round pick Paris Johnson Jr. will move over to left tackle with Jonah Williams manning the right tackle spot.