Now that the Cardinals offseason work has concluded, the players are out of the facility. Many have stated that these next few weeks aren't time off from football, but time away from the facility, hoping players remain locked in and prepared to report to Glendale for training camp on July 23. In the meantime, azcardinals.com will take a look and evaluate each position group prior to camp.
Next up, the defensive line.
LOCKS: Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols, Darius Robinson
If there were any doubts about how Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols would fit on the roster, they've quickly disappeared. The duo, who have been buddies since college, have become instant leaders in the locker room. During the open portions of OTAs and minicamp, the pair motivated and provided guidance to their teammates. It's an intangible that is critical in the overall growth of the room.
As additions through free agency, Jones and Nichols recognize how their game can blossom in Nick Rallis' system.
The Cardinals drafted Darius Robinson in the first round, and heading into training camp, the versatile tackle has left quite an early impression. "He's a force to be reckoned with, for sure," linebacker Dennis Gardeck said. Gardeck also mentioned that Robinson has tried to soak up as much knowledge as he could.
Without wearing pads, it's tough to gauge how far along Robinson is after OTAs and minicamp. Once contact is allowed, that's when the picture will be painted of what Robinson can become. If there's one thing that's for certain, he's all about ball.
WORK TO DO: Dante Stills, Roy Lopez, Khyiris Tonga, L.J. Collier, Phil Hoskins, Myles Murphy, Naquan Jones, Ben Stille
The other side of upgrading your group: There will be a serious battle for roster spots.
Lopez joined the Cardinals a few weeks into the season, and after becoming a key rotational piece a mere few weeks after his arrival. The Valley native will look to build off of that in 2024. Stills was one of the bright spots in a position group that was drastically altered due to injuries. The sixth-rounder won the competition battle to crack the 53-man roster, and his contributions were clear from the jump. He finished the season with 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks. With a healthy and revamped room, similar to last year prior to injuries, Stills will need to fight to see game reps.
Collier was a starter in the 2023 season opener, but a biceps injury in his Cardinals debut sidelined him for the remainder of the season. How he returns from the injury will be important in the battle to see the grass.
UPGRADE ODDS: Low
An active free agency cycle proved that Monti Ossenfort has his eyes set on seeing this unit improve. The room is a complete 180 degrees from 2023. As long as they remain healthy, there's a handful of players the team will have the option of rotating between on Sundays.
