How Cardinals WR Marquise Brown’s free agency value improved after franchise tag deadline

Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff WriterMar 7, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
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TEMPE, Ariz. — With wide receivers Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. failing to make it to the free agent market after being franchise tagged, the demand for Arizona Cardinals receiver Marquise Brown should see a rise.

Brown comes in as the No. 2 free agent wide receiver on ESPN’s top 100 list, and with the salary cap rising to $255.4 million from $224.8 million, he should see his market value surpass his $13.4 million salary from last year.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said that Arizona would like to have Brown back during the combine last week, but he noted “there’s an economic piece to that.” Multiple personnel sources at the combine said who was tagged would dictate Brown’s market. And thanks to the simple economics of supply and demand, Brown could be staring at a windfall of money once the negotiating period commences on Monday at noon ET.

Calvin Ridley, ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s top 100 free agents list, is the top receiver available, but Brown isn’t far behind at 18. He is also one of the three receivers younger than 27 with at least 500 receiving yards in this year’s free agency class.

However, among unrestricted free agent receivers, he’s eighth out of 51 in receiving yards. Only 11 unrestricted receivers in this year’s class had more than 500 yards last season and Ridley is the only one to eclipse 1,000. Currently set to join Brown and Ridley in this year’s receiver class are Tyler Boyd, Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown, Josh Reynolds, Odell Beckham Jr. and K.J. Osborn, among others.

Brown didn’t play every game for the third straight season, ending the year on injured reserve because of a nagging heel injury that he tried to play through. In 14 games, he had 51 receptions for four receiving touchdowns and a career-low 574 yards in a season that Brown described as “up and down.” He said he walked away feeling like he proved “a lot of things” to himself like getting better at beating man coverage and getting off press coverage.

“It was unfortunate the season didn’t go as planned as far as us winning and stuff like that, but I feel like I showed what I can do,” Brown said. “And for me it’s about working. Just working every day. Keep continue to prove yourself, and that’s what this business is. Don’t matter if you have a good year, you gotta repeat that good year. If you have a bad year, you gotta come back and try to do better.”

The Cardinals currently have about $58.2 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System, with 17 scheduled free agents. If they lose Brown and do not address wide receiver via trade or free agency, Arizona has been linked to the draft’s top WR prospect: Former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Three QBs are currently projected to come off the board in ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid’s latest mock draft before the Cardinals pick at No. 4.

Brown didn’t get the long-term extension he wanted heading into the final season of his rookie contract in 2023 but said it didn’t bother him.

“I think I’m just a confident guy,” Brown said. “I feel like I’m one of the best in the game and just playing receiver is all about opportunities. So, when opportunities happen, you just got make the play. But, as far as, the wide receiver position, route running, releases, big plays, I feel like, I got all that in my tool box, so I really felt no pressure.”

The Cardinals acquired Brown during the 2022 draft, trading away their first-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for the wide receiver and a third-round pick. The hope was that Brown, coming off his career-best season with 91 receptions for 1,008 receiving yards, would help alleviate the free agency loss of now-Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk. Brown hasn’t surpassed 1,000 yards since, totaling 118 receptions for 1,283 yards in his two seasons with Arizona.

Gannon said that he believes Brown can be a “premier player” for the Cardinals, though.

One factor that could play into where Brown ends up is his relationship with quarterback Kyler Murray. The two were teammates at Oklahoma and spent offseasons training together earlier in their careers.

They reunited when Arizona traded for Brown, but because of injuries, the two have only played 13 games together in the NFL — combining for 57 completions, 663 yards and three touchdowns — a connection Murray hopes will continue.

“I am hoping he comes back,” Murray said. “I would love for him to be back for sure.”