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.
The final group, safety.
Budda Baker is a six-time Pro Bowler. He didn't have the statistical season that he had hoped for, but the lack of targets in his direction was by design, courtesy of opposing offenses. Baker's willingness to play sideline to sideline has been one of the traits that earned him Pro Bowl nominations. In 12 games last season, Baker had 87 tackles with five tackles for loss.
Just when opposing offenses have Baker to worry about, that's when Jalen Thompson comes in and makes them pay. A career-best season with four interceptions and a sack, Thompson's year was worthy of an invitation to the Pro Bowl. It's been fascinating watching Thompson's NFL career develop, working his way up from a supplemental draft pick in 2019 to a starter. Each season in the league, Thompson has improved.
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger viewed Dadrion "Rabbit" Taylor-Demerson as one of the steals of the 2024 draft. The Cardinals selected the Texas Tech safety in the fourth round. Taylor-Demerson still has room to grow, but will have great mentors in Baker and Thompson. With cornerback Garrett Williams presumably remaining on the inside on nickel packages, it's unknown just how much Taylor-Demerson will play. However, his potential is intriguing.
WORK TO DO: Joey Blount, Andre Chachere, Verone McKinley III
Last season, Joey Blount and Andre Chachere were mostly utilized on special teams, but when Baker and Thompson went down with injuries, Chachere especially, saw the field a bit. Their ability to jump right in and fill the void made them valuable pieces on the defensive side of the ball. Blount made the game-sealing interception in the Cardinals win over the Eagles.
With the addition of Taylor-Demerson, the competition for one of the backup safety spots will ramp up during training camp. Chachere's five starts and familiarity with Jonathan Gannon from their shared time in Philadelphia could help him and Blount's special teams prowess might help them both secure spots on the roster.
UPGRADE ODDS: Low
Despite not receiving much love in the eyes of the national media, the Cardinals have two Pro Bowl-caliber safeties on the roster. Drafting Taylor-Demerson shores up the room, although there is always a chance for someone to strike Monti Ossenfort's interest. Baker's entering a contract season, but as he already stated, every year is a contract year.
