If Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort elects to enter the season with the current group of edge rushers on his roster, there might be some marketing opportunities with the name Thomas. For what it’s worth, outside linebackers Xavier Thomas and Cam Thomas lead the team in preseason sacks with two apiece (defensive lineman LJ Collier is the only other Cardinal with a sack).
Xavier Thomas has had a strong preseason, but Cam Thomas came on strong in Saturday’s game at Indianapolis with a pair of sacks.
With BJ Ojulari lost for the season, Pro Bowler Matthew Judon now in Atlanta, and the Jets seemingly unwilling to grant Haason Reddick’s trade request, significant progress from Cam Thomas this season would be most welcome. The Cardinals selected him in the third round (No. 87) in 2022 while Steve Keim was still the GM and Kliff Kingsbury was the coach. He has played in 32 games (three starts), but he hasn’t made much of a mark to date with three career sacks and 40 combined tackles (20 solos).
“Going back to my first year, trying to be a rookie, trying to walk in and learn the whole scheme, and then having to scrap all that and go to a whole other scheme [with a new coaching staff] — I wouldn’t say it was a setback, but definitely it was a learning curve. Having this year to be able to come back with the same scheme, with the same coaches and a lot of the same players, I definitely think it helps. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable.”
When asked what he focused on this offseason, Thomas repeated a message from coach Jonathan Gannon that other players have cited.
“He always calls it ‘throwing your fastball,'” Thomas said. “Maybe just a little bit more power, power, power and throw a fastball, throw a speed move off the edge, it definitely allows you to play fast, free.”
While Thomas has lined up primarily on the edge, Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis have used him in different packages.
“We’ve mixed him in different spots, particularly on pass downs,” Gannon said. “He had a good game [Saturday]; played well.”
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Cardinals cuts coming
NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 1 p.m. Arizona time on Aug. 27. Like most coaches, Gannon hates this part of the job, and it doesn’t get any easier with each passing year.
“It’s a hard couple days there, honestly,” he said. “You want to keep all 90 because we’ve got good guys in that locker room. You just know that that’s the business part of NFL football. You can’t keep them all so that’s always a tough thing, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s best for the team moving forward and they know that.”
One thing that will aid teams this season is the expanded practice squad. Beginning this season, the practice squad will be open to 17 players provided one player is a qualifying international player.
“It’s been helpful,” Ossenfort said during training camp. “The practice squad, at least when I first started, used to be constituted of only young players. It was always developmental players; a guy that’s just a year away and needs some strength development, technique development. Now, I think there’s a balance with veteran players. Some guys, they’re not really developmental players anymore. Their careers and their ability has kind of declared what they are.
“We used to have a thing called the emergency list for veterans that were free agents. Now, the emergency list is really… you have some of those players on your team that are guys that have been around; guys that can be called up and be elevated to the roster. Whether it’s help in the kicking game or help on offense and defense, it’s opened up a lot of avenues and increasing that number to 16, it’s one [change] I’m in favor of. It opens up possibilities for us to work with a lot more players.”
As for the starters, Gannon liked what he saw from them in practice in Indy.
Rabbit’s run
Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had an interception on Saturday by closing fast on a ball from Colts QB Jason Bean. After watching the tape, here’s what Gannon had to say about him.
“The number one word when you evaluate a safety, to me — my opinion — is reliability. Reps are gold for him because he hasn’t seen everything like some vets have seen. He’s gotta make sure he’s doing the right things, but he definitely pops off the tape with the plays that he can make, the quickness, his instincts, his striking ability, that stands out on tape.”
Extra points
- The Cardinals released offensive lineman Dennis Daley on Monday. The 2019 sixth-round pick (Carolina) appeared in three games (one start) for the Cardinals last season. “I appreciate all his hard work,” Gannon said. “He’s a warrior, man. He’s been fun to be around for the last year and a half.”
- Gannon said the team emerged from Saturday’s week in Indianapolis without any significant injuries.
- While offensive lineman Jonathan Gaines returned to Saturday’s game after going to the blue tent with a finger injury, Gannon said the team is still looking at that injury. He did not elaborate.
- Gannon said he has not seen much separation between cornerbacks Max Melton, Starling Thomas V and Kei’Trel Clark in the battle for the No. 2 spot opposite Sean Murphy-Bunting.
- Gannon said the decision to rest Darius Robinson in Indy was not a reward for his play in Week 1: “I thought that he had a good week with the two days of practice and he got a lot of reps, and that was kind of the plan for some of those guys. That’s what we decided to do with him, but he’s got to have a good week this week, too.”
Top photo of Cameron Thomas via Getty Images
