Cardinals get some help for D. J. Humphries
D. J. Humphries looks to be the starting right tackle for the Arizona Cardinal when the season starts. Humphries knows that he has a lot of growing up to do this year. The Cardinals have enlisted the help of veteran right guard Evan Mathis, who they signed in the offseason, to help Humphries along.
Humphries was the Cardinals first round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the first Florida player ever drafted by the Cardinals in the first round. He did not play in a regular season game for the Cardinals last year, instead he had to watch and learn from the sidelines like a few of the Cardinals rookies. Thus far, he has not lived up to the first round billing that the Cardinals expect. Last year, he didn’t take things seriously. Sometimes last year he even thought of time spent in the meeting room as just killing time. Humphries had earned the nickname “Knee Deep” because of the pressure the coaching staff felt they had to put on him.
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When the Cardinals were considering signing Evan Mathis this offseason, Head Coach Bruce Arians and Offensive Coordinator Harold Goodwin sat down and had dinner with the veteran guard. They let him know that they needed him to help fill the gap in the offensive line as well as to help bring along Humphries. Mathis had no problem with this and sees it as part of being on a team, to share your experience when you can.
Since day one, Mathis has made it a point to have Humphries sit next to him in meetings. They even work out together. Humphries has been very receptive thus far and sees it as a natural progression. He sees Mathis as the vet and himself as ‘the baby’ trying to learn.
With Mathis helping out, Humphries will be ready to start at right tackle for the Cardinals and will be a productive member of the offensive line, protecting quarterback Carson Palmer and opening holes for the Cardinals running game.
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