With some further depth at linebacker, the Cardinals are transferring on from a former third-round decide. Based on NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals have traded linebacker Cameron Thomas to the Chiefs for a seventh-round choice.
Whereas the Cardinals have tried to get inventive with their utilization of Thomas, he appeared destined to be buried on the edge-rusher depth chart in 2024. Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck are nonetheless anticipated to steer the positional grouping, and the staff can also be nonetheless rostering former sixth-round decide Victor Dimukeje, who outsnapped Thomas in 2023.
Whereas fellow edge-rusher BJ Ojulari will miss the complete 2024 marketing campaign, Thomas was nonetheless going through an uphill battle towards enjoying time. The staff added rookie Xavier Thomas within the fifth spherical and continues to be hanging on to former bottom-of-the-depth chart choices like Jesse Luketa and Tyreke Smith. Extra strikes are absolutely coming at exterior linebacker, however Monday’s commerce ought to present some non permanent reduction in Arizona’s place room.
The Chiefs will likely be taking an opportunity on a participant whose San Diego State efficiency made him a third-round decide in 2022. After ending with three sacks as a rookie, the Cardinals have been clearly relying on extra from Thomas in 2023, with the OLB beginning three of his 15 appearances. Nonetheless, Thomas was shutout within the sacks class, and he completed with solely 22 tackles whereas moving into about one third of his staff’s defensive snaps.
The Chiefs will return an analogous edge grouping in 2024 with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and 2023 first-round decide Felix Anudike-Uzomah main the way in which. Charles Omenihu and BJ Thompson are presently on PUP and NFI, respectively, so there could possibly be an opportunity for Thomas to absorb some snaps within the interim.
