Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols Lead Defensive Line Rebuild

Cardinals counting on veterans to shore up unit

Aug 05, 2024 at 09:17 AM

Darren Urban

azcardinals.com

Defensive linemen Justin Jones (left) and Bilal Nichols walk out for their first training camp practice as Cardinals.

Rebuilding the Cardinals' defensive line was crucial, especially for a GM who has proclaimed often his roster construction needs to start at the line of scrimmage.

There was a reason Monti Ossenfort honed in on Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols.

"It came down to finding two guys who they thought were high-character dudes who had played a lot of ball who could uplift the group," Nichols said. "It happened organically."

The story of Jones and Nichols was already told when the two each signed free-agent deals in March, the Cardinals coincidentally signing two guys that were already long-time friends (and neither knowing the other was coming to Arizona.)

That was just another checkmark in the rebuild, a ready-made chemistry for guys that will be counted on to raise the unit's play significantly from a season ago.

"They talk (in the free-agent process) about 'We want you to be a centerpiece, we want you to be a leader,'" Jones said. "My leadership is a little different. I'm not really a rah-rah guy. I'd rather be the guy that if you're down, 'Hey, it's a new day tomorrow, don't beat yourself up.' I'm that guy. I want to be the voice of reason."

The Cardinals' current starting defensive line – with all due respect to first-round pick Darius Robinson, who has had a good camp and could push to start sooner rather than later – underscore the changes. It includes not only Jones and Nichols, but also nose tackle Roy Lopez, who indeed was a Cardinal last season but wasn't signed until a month into the season and might not have been signed at all without the injuries to L.J. Collier and Carlos Watkins.

Dante Stills had an impressive rookie season, especially for a sixth-round pick. And Collier, who was hurt in the 2023 season opener, has returned after playing well in last year’s training camp. The Cards also added nose tackle Khyiris Tonga as a free agent.

As with everything Ossenfort does, it was an intentional restructure.

"Monti ultimately makes that stuff happen," defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said. "The role of the coaches is to help create a clear picture of what we think the role of each guy can be. As a front office you don't know how things are going to go exactly throughout free agency and the draft and that's why you have to go through the process of every guy and have a vision of what it can be."

The Cardinals "brought people in with the same mindset" of what already was in place, Lopez said.

The optimism with which both Jones and Nichols carry has been apparent, as has the chemistry – yes, they are the new guys, but the unit went to weekly dinners in the offseason and already have bonded, Nichols said.

"I love our meetings," Robinson said. "I just sit back, take notes, listen to dialogue. It's awesome being in the meeting room with those two vets. We're going to have a really good D-Line this year."

That's all Jones and Nichols wanted. Jones loves the fact how much each of them were wanted for these roles. There still isn't much name recognition for the group nationally, but that's OK. They know improvement must be proven over time.

"Those types of expectations, those types of thoughts are what I thrive on," Nichols said. "I work so hard to get someone to see that vision of me. I take full pride in it, and I want to prove them right."

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (14) during 2024 Cardinals Training Camp at State Farm Stadium on Monday, July 29, 2024.