Bleacher Report reveals Cardinals' biggest position battle for training camp
By Brandon Ray
The name of the game of football is to score, especially with how the game has changed over the last decade. It used to be a run-heavy league where it was control the clock and play hardnose defense. Some teams to this day still have that mentality, but the league has transitioned to offensive focused where it is hard for a defender to make a play without getting called for a penalty. A lot of changes that have been made have affected the way teams play defense.
Despite these changes, in order for a team to be successful they need a pass rusher who can take over a game in critical moments. Every team in the NFL would love to have a Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt or Micah Parsons on their defense. The Arizona Cardinals do not have a star pass rusher, which is something they will need to focus on in the near future.
Alex Ballentine from Bleacher Report listed each important training camp battle position for all 32 teams and the Cardinals were given the edge rusher position by Ballentine. Out of all the positions on the Cardinals’ roster, edge rusher is by far the most crucial and it is not even close.
Ballentine discussed how the Cardinals finished second to last in pressure percentage and how outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck led the team with six sacks. That is a huge problem that will need to be corrected by Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis.
Arizona has young pass rushers like BJ Ojulari and rookie Darius Robinson to pair with Gardeck and Zaven Collins. It is going to take some major work for the Cardinals to create a consistent pass rush for the Cardinals. Only the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears had less sacks than the Cardinals last season.
As training camp approaches, fans will need to observe the development of Darius Robinson and see how BJ Ojulari can keep developing in his second season. Not to mention, Zaven Collins is going into a contract year and he will be looking to get paid based on how he performs as a pass rusher in 2024.