ARIZONA— The Arizona Cardinals are currently on the lookout for potential replacements for outside linebacker BJ Ojulari, who had a standout rookie season in 2023 and was expected to make significant strides this year. However, his season was abruptly cut short when he suffered a torn ACL during training camp.
With Ojulari sidelined, the Arizona Cardinals’ edge-rushing unit—already considered a weak spot—has been further weakened. The team has explored several external options to fill the void left by Ojulari. Initially, they signed Marquis Haynes Sr., but he was injured shortly after arriving and was subsequently released. Additionally, Carl Lawson visited the team, but no agreement was reached between the two parties.
There has been considerable speculation about potential solutions on the trade market, with fans advocating for a return of Haason Reddick. However, Bleacher Report has identified edge rusher as Arizona’s most pressing need as the regular season approaches. They have suggested that the team consider signing free agent Tyus Bowser, noting his potential to fill the gap left by Ojulari. As Matt Holder of Bleacher Report explained:
The Arizona Cardinals missed the chance to sign Carl Lawson, who was recently acquired by the Cowboys. This leaves Arizona’s defense in need of an edge-rusher, and Tyus Bowser, with his 19.5 career sacks, could be a suitable replacement. However, since Bowser missed all of last season due to injury, his current health will be a critical factor,” Holder wrote.
General manager Monti Ossenfort might want to secure a long-term solution for the pass-rushing position, either to complement or replace Ojulari, who was anticipated to have a breakout second season before his injury,” Holder noted.
Younger is likely to be the most prominent name available in the upcoming free agency. Despite having a couple of injury-riddled seasons in 2021 and 2022, the 2020 No. 2 overall pick showed strong performance last year with 7.5 sacks. With $81.2 million in cap space to start free agency, the Cardinals have the financial flexibility to pursue such an opportunity.”
Tyus Bowser was actually mentioned among the initial targets for replacing Ojulari this season, and further details on that can be found in our earlier coverage.
In the meantime, the Cardinals have seen promising performances from some less prominent players during the preseason. Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck, who have been inactive for two weeks, have been replaced by Cameron Thomas and Xavier Thomas, who made noticeable contributions in the recent game against Indianapolis.
If the Thomases continue to develop and perform well, the Arizona Cardinals might find confidence in their ability to pressure the quarterback without bringing in an external rusher. Nevertheless, the team possesses the draft capital and salary cap space to make significant adjustments if necessary.
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