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Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has gotten off to a rough start with the Arizona Cardinals, first with a hamstring injury and now an arrest plaguing the 2019 first-round pick.
Brown was placed on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list on July 26 with a minor hamstring injury, sidelining him for the first few days of Cardinals training camp. He was activated from the NFI list and was a limited participant in training camp on August 2, but was not in attendance on August 3 after being arrested on criminal speeding charges, as first reported by ArizonaSports.com.
“Brown was arrested at 7:05 a.m. in Phoenix and booked in the Maricopa County Jail,” wrote David Brandt of the Associated Press.
The Cardinals issued a statement regarding Brown’s arrest: “We are aware of the situation regarding Hollywood Brown and have reported it to the NFL office as required. We will comment further as appropriate.”
According to Arizona state law, driving more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit constitutes excessive speeding, a class 3 misdemeanor.
Court documents later showed that Brown was going 126 mph in a 65 mph zone, per Sarah Kenzele of ArizonaSports.com.
The Cardinals did not issue another statement regarding the situation, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s training camp press conference concluded before news of the arrest went public.
False Start in Arizona
Brown’s arrest continues a less-than-ideal start to his tenure with the Cardinals, as he is still ramping up to full participation after his hamstring injury.
He’s still expected to be an important weapon for Kyler Murray this season, especially during Deandre Hopkins’ six-game suspension to start the season.
Brown is heading into the fourth-year of his rookie contract, with the Cardinals picking up his fully-guaranteed $13.4 million fifth-year option almost immediately after trading for him in April.
But after seeing fellow wide receivers drafted in 2019 like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin all sign deals worth more than $23 million per year, Brown will likely be seeking a long-term extension with the Cardinals sooner rather than later.
Recent extensions for star quarerback Kyler Murray – another 2019 draftee – and left tackle D.J. Humphries, as well as Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim, indicate that the Cardinals are committed to their current core. Trading a first-round pick for Brown shows that Arizona views him as part of their future, as well, though giving up such highly-valued draft capital will give the 25-year-old wideout some extra leverage in future contract negotiations.
Who Won The Trade?
Even though one NFC executive praised Arizona for trading for Brown, calling it “the best move of the offseason,” per Heavy’s Matt Lombardo, it’s still not clear if the Ravens or the Cardinals won the trade.
Brown has missed the first four days of Cardinals training camp, reps he needs to develop chemistry with Murray and the rest of the offense.
While the Ravens did up a compensatory third-round selection – the 100th overall pick – along with Brown to receive the Cardinals’ 23rd overall pick, they traded back to the 25th pick and recouped a fourth-rounder in the process.
Baltimore selected Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum at 25, finding a new starting center to snap the ball to Lamar Jackson with All-Pro potential. While there are some concerns about Linderbaum’s size and ability to battle bigger defensive linemen, he’s getting plenty of practice agains Baltimore behemoths Michael Pierce and Travis Jones in training camp. The Ravens also used their additional fourth-round pick to draft punter Jordan Stout, who will take over following Sam Koch’s retirement.
Time will tell if the Cardinals or the Ravens won the Hollywood Brown trade, depending on the career paths of both Brown and Linderbaum. If Brown fails to develop into more than just an elite deep threat but still commands a top-tier receiver salary, the Ravens will likely be glad they moved on from him in favor of solidifying Jackson’s offensive line. But if Linderbaum can’t reach his All-Pro ceiling in Baltimore, the Ravens may reconsider jettisoning their most proven receiver without a clear replacement.
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