New Cardinals DL L.J. Collier Ready to Prove Doubters Wrong

The Arizona Cardinals' newest addition to the defensive line room will face a familiar foe twice a season in the NFC West.

There's plenty of talk about exits from the Arizona Cardinals, and perhaps rightfully so. 

The Cardinals are looking to close a trade on WR DeAndre Hopkins after losing top free agents in DE Zach Allen and CB Byron Murphy. DE J.J. Watt and OC Rodney Hudson also retired as well. 

It's been a rather quiet free agency period for an Arizona team beginning the stages of their rebuild, something that has included minimal deals for players that aren't exactly considered to be splash signings. 

New defensive lineman L.J. Collier wants to change that narrative. 

Collier was a former first-round pick out of TCU in the 2019 NFL Draft, coming into the league with plenty of hype that he's yet to deliver on in the trenches, amassing just 40 tackles and three sacks within four years with the Seattle Seahawks. 

"I get to see the Seahawks two times a year and I'm excited about that," said Collier to AZCardinals.com's Darren Urban. 

"It's a fresh opportunity. I appreciate these guys taking the chance on me. They could've gotten anybody and they went with me. I'm going to make sure they don't regret that."

Collier joins a fresh start in Arizona headlined by head coach Jonathan Gannon, who arrives after a strong outing as the defensive coordinator for a Philadelphia Eagles team that just appeared in the Super Bowl. 

There's hope Gannon can bring some of that defensive prowess to a Cardinals squad that allowed a second-worst 26.4 points per game. 

"They dominated, the starters and the second guys," Collier said on Philadelphia's defense last year. "I just want to be part of that, part of that culture, so I can go out there and earn myself more money and help this team in the playoffs."

Time will tell exactly how long it will take for Arizona to reload upfront. They could potentially add a playmaker in the early portions of the 2023 NFL Draft or opt to rely on their current set of bodies.

Either way, Collier's ready to join the squad and help however he can. 

"I'm a team-first guy, always have been. I want to make the playoffs and help by making plays and helping us come together as a team," he said. 

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