3 major shockers for the Arizona Cardinals 53-man roster in 2023

2 - Stacking the linebackers and EDGE rushers

I thought perhaps five, but no more than six EDGE rushers, but the Arizona Cardinals kept seven heading into the season. So unless something changes, they are deep with what is an intriguing unit led by Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck.

Looking at the inside linebackers, we saw much of the same thing, with the Cards hanging onto five players. However, this wasn’t as much of a shocker, given the aptitude Josh Woods and Zeke Turner have shown on special teams - Turner having done so in the desert over the past few seasons. 

But why keep so many EDGE rushers, especially when it looks like Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck are the undisputed starters? As I’ve mentioned at times during the offseason, the Redbirds could be working toward a rotation that includes a pair of solid contributors in Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders, while BJ Ojulari eases his way in. 

Jesse Luketa also gave us some good returns during the preseason, and he can play in all three phases of the game. He’s no superstar, but Luketa is the kind of player you want on your NFL roster.