Arizona Cardinals: Defensive line depth important

The Arizona Cardinals added another defensive end to the roster on Monday

Don’t ever say the Arizona Cardinals aren’t continuing to attempt to bolster their roster.  Not every signing will make headlines but each one adds more depth.

The Cardinals did just that with the defensive line on Monday, adding former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Benson Mayowa.  Again, not a household name but they don’t all have to be.

Mayowa spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys after starting his career with the Seattle Seahawks, spending one year there, before two with the Oakland Raiders just prior to Dallas.  He played in 14 games last season.

He totaled just one sack and 21 tackles last season but the year before in 2016 he was a force.  He had six sacks for the Cowboys that season.  He played in the Cowboys game against the Cardinals last season and had one tackle.

Mayowa is another guy that certainly could compete for a starting spot but for sure adds depth to a position that recent history dictates sure needs it.  The Cardinals have dealt with a number of injuries on the defensive line.

Mayowa’s addition gives the Cardinals currently six defensive ends on the roster.  That is in addition to the six defensive tackles they have as well.

In season’s past, the Cardinals have typically kept at least eight men from the defensive line on the active roster.  It had gotten to the point they had too many and had healthy scratches each week on the inactive list.

We’ll see what Steve Wilks plan is with the defensive line.  He may not want to keep that many defensive line players.  I can’t see a huge deviation though from what the Cardinals have done in the past.

Next: Backup depth for David Johnson

Don’t count the Cardinals out from adding more depth on the line when the NFL Draft takes place this upcoming Thursday through Saturday.  We’ll see how it all plays out over the next few months in preparation for the 2018 season.