Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols hope to set new standard for Cardinals D-line
To say the Arizona Cardinals defensive line room was a revolving door in 2023 would be a massive understatement.
In Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, the five players active were L.J. Collier, Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter, Kevin Strong and Carlos Watkins.
Collier and Watkins were lost for the season with biceps injuries in the first two games of the season, Ledbetter suffered a late-season knee injury that landed him on injured reserve and Strong was waived late in the season because of a personal issue. Fotu was the only player active for the season finale against the Seahawks.
The others were Naquan Jones, Roy Lopez, Phil Hoskins and Ben Stille. Of that group, only Stille had been with the team in training camp.
For now, those four are on the current roster along with 2023 draft pick Dante Stills, who also ended the season on IR. Fotu signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent. Collier signed a one-year contract this offseason, while Watkins is an unrestricted free agent. Ledbetter was not tendered as a restricted free agent.
For the season, Ledbetter started the most games with 12 followed by Strong with 11. Ten played in games last season and six spent time on the practice squad:
Stills 15/8, Strong 14/11, Lopez 14/5 (one game on practice squad), Ledbetter 12/12, Jones 12/2 (four games on practice squad), Fotu 11/9, Hoskins 5/1 (eight games on practice squad, elevated for three), Stille 5/0 (12 games on practice squad, elevated for three), Watkins 2/1, Collier 1/1, Kendal Vickers (nine games on practice squad), Jacob Slade (four games on practice squad).
It’s no surprise the Cardinals ranked last in the NFL in run defense (143.2 yards per game) and 29th in average per carry (4.7).
Judging by the first week of free agency, it’s clear the effort was made to improve that with players that can hopefully stay on the field. The competition will be extreme for the returners.
Free agent additions Justin Jones (Bears) and Bilal Nichols (Raiders) each started all 17 games last season. They became close friends at the Senior Bowl in 2018 and have played six seasons. In 99 possible games, Nichols has played 94 and started 83, while Jones is at 85 and 69.
Most importantly, Nichols has played in every game for the last four seasons while Jones has done it for two, and they have been productive. Jones had 48 tackles (29 unassisted) last season with 10 for loss, 4.5 sacks, 17 pressures and four passes defensed. Nichols had 48 tackles (25 unassisted) with four for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pass defensed.
Their two combined contracts are worth $52.165 million with $36.75 million fully guaranteed, another $4.89 million guaranteed for injury only at signing, $15.75 million signing bonuses and $11.56 million against the cap.
Another addition to the line, Khyiris Tonga, played 14 games and started two for the Vikings last season.
It’s often said the most important ability in the NFL is availability.
“I take great pride in that,” Nichols said last week. Noting teammates he has had like Maxx Crosby and Khalil Mack, Nichols added, “One thing those guys were, they’re tough. When I got in the league, I understood that. If you want to be a dude in this league and you want to earn the respect of your teammates, your coaches, your organization, you need a dude that’s going to be there every day and be the same dude every day.
“It’s that blue-collar type of mindset and work ethic. It was in me since I was younger, so when I got into the league and I was around dudes like that, it was just like, ‘Yeah, this is the way. OK, cool. We’re all on the same page.’”
Jones agreed, saying, “You’ve got to be a mean SOB. It’s a man’s game. When we’re on that field, you’ve got to understand, there’s people out there with kids, wives, and moms they’re taking care of. When we’re on that field, this is what it is. Either I eat or you eat; and I’m not going hungry today.”
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