The New York Jets’ offensive line mainstay has agreed to a new deal with the Arizona Cardinals to protect Kyler Murray.
Welcome to the Valley, @KelvinBeachumJr!
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 17, 2020
It’ll be the same spot, but a new first-round commodity to protect for Kelvin Beachum.
The former New York Jets blocker has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, the NFC West team confirmed on Friday. Thus ends Beachum’s three-year tenure with the Jets, one saw that him miss only three games.
Beachum, 31, joined the Jets on a three-year, $24 million deal during the 2017 offseason. He previously entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, spending four years there before a single season with Jacksonville. Beachum became known for protecting the blindside of quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Josh McCown.
It’s likely he’ll help fill a similar role for 2019’s top overall draft pick and Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray. The veteran Beachum will possibly serve as a depth option behind DJ Humphries.
Off the field, Beachum made a name for himself in the New York community. He was the Jets’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award during the 2018 season. His efforts centered on eradicating hunger and providing STEM education for minority youths.
“You trust him, you know he’s extremely reliable, you know he’s going to execute his assignment, and he’s going to help other guys up front,” Jets head coach Adam Gase said of Beachum in November, per Olivia Landis of NewYorkJets.com. “I think he’s a guy that’s played a lot of football, he’s seen a lot of different blitzes and he can help our group in a lot of different ways.”
Beachum perhaps became expendable once the Jets added both George Fant in free agency and Mekhi Becton with their first pick in April’s draft. Fellow starting blocker Brandon Shell also left this offseason, inking a two-year deal with Seattle in March. The Jets also added Greg Van Roten and Connor McGovern in free agency and likewise drafted Cameron Clark during the draft’s day three proceedings.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags