How Cardinals Could Address Thinning Pass Rush

With two of their potential biggest disruptors getting hit with the injury bug, what DL and edge rush options do the Cardinals have?

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Robinson (56) during practice at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA--The Arizona Cardinals don't rank in the elite groups when it comes to depth, and a thin unit just became even thinner, as first round DL Darius Robinson went down with an injury on Thursday.

Robinson, who was later diagnosed with a calf injury, could potentially begin the season on injured reserve, meaning he'd be out until at least week five.

With the loss of Robinson, and the prior loss of second-year LB BJ Ojulari, Arizona's defensive line and pass rush finds itself once again in a state of severe need, at least for the first five weeks of the season.

The Cardinals will most likely need more bodies, but, considering the casualties have been two of the more anticipated defensive trenchmen - at least from a potential standpoint - it's no longer a question of adding depth.

Rather, the question looms, can Arizona tread water for a few weeks on a modest rotational D-line, or do they need an impact player now?

The nagging truth remains that the Cardinals - even with Robinson and Ojulari - likely would have needed at least one impactful veteran on the edge or in the interior. Regardless of injuries, Arizona's pass rush remains inexperienced, unproven and lacking serious depth.

The routes are limited this close to the regular season's premiere, but Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will be forced, at the very least, to evaluate his options on the D-line.

Free Agency

There isn't much to look at with regard to free agent choices. Most of the prime talent, and even most of the depth, has been snapped up already.

Recently, the Cardinals took a look at the veteran Carl Lawson, and even signed Marquis Haynes Sr., but opted not to sign the former, and released the latter just days following his deal due to injury.

Most other significant options have been signed, or have retired, otherwise I'd probably be throwing Markus Golden's name in the ring once again.

But of course, there is one prominent name still circulating the free agent streets.

Seven-year veteran Yannick Ngakoue remains unsigned. The former third-rounder was a major impact player at one time, but only picked up four sacks and 34 pressures with the Chicago Bears last season.

Granted, he didn't look much like his pro-bowl self in 2023, and he's graded out consistently poor by PFF's metrics in run defense, but he can rush the passer. Since he stays on the edge, it wouldn't exactly fill Robinson's void, but the Cardinals need production, and need guys who can not only win pass rush reps consistently, but also wrap up the QB.

It's certainly a big risk, and likely not an inexpensive one at that. This doesn't exactly look like the kind of move Ossenfort would swing, and the writing is somewhat on the wall that he'll end up returning to Chicago, but Ngakoue has yet to hit 30, and still has a very high ceiling.

As far as other options go, there simply aren't many unsigned free agents who would be an immediate impact, at least on paper.

Sure, a plethora of UFL-tier players could be fighting for a roster spot somewhere, and maybe the next Aaron Donald is among them, but if the Cardinals elect to take that route, they may as well simply hope for production from their in-house rotation.

Trade

OLB Haason Reddick has already requested a trade from the PR disaster that is the New York Jets. While New York seems adamant that they won't honor his request, it's hard to imagine they'd pass up the opportunity to rid themselves of a significant media headache, and I'd imagine Reddick wouldn't mind a reunion with a Keim-free Cardinals, and more importantly, Jonathan Gannon.

Reddick has put up double-digit sack numbers in four straight seasons, the first of which was with the Cardinals in 2020. He had a career-high 16 in 2022 under Gannon's defensive scheme in Philadelphia, and has shown no signs of slowing down since finding his home as strictly an outside linebacker.

From a more interior perspective, Raiders DL Adam Butler is a target with high pass rush upside on a cheap contract. He did just sign a 1-year deal with Las Vegas, but Ossenfort is familiar with him from his time in New England, and the beefy DL consistently grades out better in pass rush reps than in run defense.

Not that the Cardinals couldn't do with a more versatile player, but the greatest deficiency was already getting pressure on the QB, and the dual loss only makes it worse.

In-House Solutions

With so little truly available to Ossenfort, there's a distinct possibility that the Cardinals will ultimately opt for a depth signing, or look to some of their own to help fill the gaps in the D-line and edge.

Both Dennis Gardeck and Zaven Collins have shown flashes of excellence, although they haven't been able to translate it to consistent production. Dante Stills and Roy Lopez have performed solidly in practice, but they weren't exactly effective as a whole in 2023.

L.J. Collier wins reps at a high rate, but the former first rounder struggles to close. Sure, sacks themselves aren't everything, but a broken sack can be one of the easiest ways to see even the most disciplined secondaries allow a big play.

Rookie Xavier Thomas has had a monstrous preseason so far, and it's been looking more and more likely that Arizona will see legitimate production out of him, but he is still unproven, and can't be expected to take care of business on his own.

They can still look to Bilal Nichols or Khiyris Tonga to provide some interior beef, but the Cardinals need disruption and high motors off the edge if they want to try and make up for the loss of Ojulari and Robinson.