Monti Ossenfort, general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, made it a priority to add players who were both talented and had a knack for remaining upright.
However, not all of the well-laid ideas end up as planned.
Three games into his Cardinals tenure, veteran defensive lineman Justin Jones’s streak of starting every game over the previous two seasons with Chicago came to an abrupt stop due to a season-ending triceps injury sustained in last week’s 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.
TEMPE: Monti Ossenfort, general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, made it a priority to add players who were both talented and had a knack for remaining upright.
However, not all of the well-laid ideas end up as planned.
Three games into his Cardinals tenure, veteran defensive lineman Justin Jones’s streak of starting every game over the previous two seasons with Chicago came to an abrupt stop due to a season-ending triceps injury sustained in last week’s 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Since Jones is currently on injured reserve, Arizona’s depth in the D-line room must prevent any losses while Jones is out for the remainder of the season.
Unquestionably a severe hit. He is a fantastic buddy, teammate, and D-lineman. been offering prayers for him. Budda Baker, the safety, expressed optimism on Thursday.
At the end of the day, I have complete faith in the other players to take up the slack and play Cardinal football. The other men get a chance to play, and it will be fascinating to watch what they can accomplish.
In contrast to Kelvin Beachum’s current depth at right tackle, Arizona’s defensive line has a few choices to think about, with Dante Stills, a second-year pro, standing out.
For Stills, it is been a few weeks, to put it mildly.
Following a lackluster performance in 25 defensive snaps during the team’s opening loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, Stills was a healthy scratch during Arizona’s decisive victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Prior to the Lions’ defeat on Sunday, the defensive lineman only participated in a limited amount of practice.
Despite this, Stills continued to have an influence on the game on Sunday, with five tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit. After Jones exited the game due to a triceps injury, all tackles but one were made.
For the rookie lineman, Stills stepping up in the wake of injuries is nothing new.
L.J. Collier and other linebacker injuries in 2023 threw youngster Stills into the mix from the start.
Following his healthy inactive status in Week 1, Stills went on to appear in 15 games (eight starts) and record 47 tackles, five of which were for loss, 3.5 sacks, five quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery.
The linemen has already benefited from that experience and having gone through a comparable circumstance only a season prior.
Stills stated, “It benefited me absolutely.” With all of my expertise and my ability to perceive blocks and play in that way, I think I had a significant advantage over other players in the game. For me, I think last year was significant.
Regarding that shoulder problem? Stills resumes full practice after practicing sparingly earlier in the week.
It is not just Stills who could see more playing time in the future for the Cardinals defense line.
Like Jones, veteran defensive tackle L.J. Collier signed with the Cardinals that offseason but was lost for the season early the previous year.
Collier now has an opportunity to establish a more significant part in the rotation and possibly reclaim his starting position from 2023 onward.
Collier had a substantial increase in snaps with Jones out of the game, even though Stills has been used at a similar rate in the two games he has been in. The six-year veteran saw a spike in defensive reps to 48% in Week 3 after only receiving 38% of available reps in the two weeks before.Collier may be able to justify his selection as a first-round choice in 2019 if he is given those further opportunities.
Collier has not lived up to the hype since the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 29th overall choice; in 49 games (18 starts), he has three sacks, six tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. His productivity has been impacted by injuries; he has just once appeared in 12 or more games in a season (2020).
After returning to the team this week after spending time on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, recently signed Naquan Jones may also find himself in some position within the rotations.
In the shadows, waiting
Yes, all indications are that Stills and Collier will be handling a heavier burden in the immediate wake of Jones’ injury.
But in the not too distant future, Darius Robinson, a rookie defensive lineman, might provide Arizona with a significant boost again.
Prior to being placed on injured reserve due to a calf injury sustained during practice, Robinson was a candidate to start the regular season.
However, Robinson can be activated from injured reserve after Sunday’s game—that is, assuming he is well enough to do so.
In any case, the adaptable Robinson will instantly improve things in the trenches when he joins the fray.
