Josh Sweat confirms he is ready to dominate for the Arizona Cardinals

There has been a true shift in the identity of the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, especially on defense. Over the last two years, the Cardinals’ defense has been an interesting but subpar unit, characterized by creative schemes used to cover up talent deficiencies.

Now, the Cardinals have the players to match their level of coaching. The team has added loads of talent on defense this offseason, through both free agency and the NFL Draft. One of the most significant additions was edge defender Josh Sweat. As Sweat adjusts to his new team, it seems like he’s ready to hit the ground running.

Josh Sweat adjusting quickly to Cardinals’ system

Josh Sweat is no stranger to Jonathan Gannon’s defensive scheme. Before Gannon was hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, he spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, Josh Sweat’s former team. In fact, Sweat had his best statistical season under Gannon. In 2022, Gannon’s last year with the Eagles, Sweat posted a career-high 11 sacks. Now, the two are ready to dominate again, this time in Arizona.

When talking to the media at Cardinals’ minicamp this week, Sweat seemed like he was adjusting easily. He said, “the scheme and stuff… you can play fast in it. Picking up on it was pretty easy.”

The Cardinals will need Sweat to hit the ground running in Arizona. Last season, no player on the Cardinals’ roster recorded more than five sacks. The team didn’t have an “ace” pass-rusher like so many top defenses do. They had to rely on creative twists and stunts to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Cardinals signed Josh Sweat to be that primary pass-rushing threat that they were missing. The expectation is that he will be a consistent threat off the edge, especially in obvious passing situations.

Throughout his seven NFL seasons, Sweat hasn’t had to be the primary pass-rusher on his team. While he’s been productive, Sweat has always played alongside other stars like Jalen Carter and Haason Reddick. Now, he’s stepping up into a new role with the Cardinals.

With the additions of players like Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, Walter Nolen, and Jordan Burch, the Cardinals should have a significantly improved defensive front this year. If all of those players can adjust quickly to their new scheme, they could become a formidable group that opposing offenses have to game plan around. That could be the key to pushing the Cardinals back into the playoffs.