Jonathan Gannon will work wonders for the Arizona Cardinals defense
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals finally have their coach as former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon agreed to come onboard.
Jonathan Gannon should bring a winning culture to the Arizona Cardinals. Just last week, it appeared Gannon was off the radar, and that the Cards were set to hire either Mike Kafka or Lou Anarumo, two potential darkhorse candidates.
Then news broke that the Cards would talk to Gannon, and just over 48 hours later, he signed on as the Redbirds latest head coach. One of the NFL’s premier defensive coordinators, Gannon looks poised to take a young, talented Cardinals defense and transform them into one of the league’s best.
In the desert, he will have a dynamic tandem at safety with Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson, plus potentially two remarkable cornerbacks in Marco Wilson and Byron Murphy Jr. (assuming he re-signs). He has the versatile Isaiah Simmons to get creative with, an up-and-comer in Zaven Collins, plus a solid defensive lineman if Zach Allen returns.
Arizona Cardinals defense could become a top unit under Gannon
How effective was Gannon in Philadelphia? Since he took over the Eagles defense, they went from allowing 26.1 points per game the year before his arrival in 2020 to allowing just 20.1 per game in 2022. His defense also had 70 sacks during the regular season, and 78 total when you count the playoffs, equating to 3.9 sacks per game.
With Gannon in charge, the Cardinals will almost certainly draft defensive tackle Jalen Carter or edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Of course, Arizona has a pair of edge pieces in Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders, so they very well may go with Carter if he’s there with the third overall pick and if they believe the second-year duo can transform into premier pass rushers.
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Either way, expect the Cardinals to adopt the same blueprint Gannon used in Philadelphia. And with a young defense, Gannon could transform the unit into one of the league’s best for years to come.
Article Source: Cardinals hire Eagles’ Jonathan Gannon as new head coach by Josh Weinfuss
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