With some additional depth at linebacker, the Cardinals are transferring on from a former third-round choose. In line with 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 group can be nonetheless rostering former sixth-round choose Victor Dimukeje, who outsnapped Thomas in 2023.
Whereas fellow edge-rusher BJ Ojulari will miss all the 2024 marketing campaign, Thomas was nonetheless dealing with an uphill battle towards enjoying time. The group added rookie Xavier Thomas within the fifth spherical and remains to be hanging on to former bottom-of-the-depth chart choices like Jesse Luketa and Tyreke Smith. Extra strikes are certainly coming at outdoors linebacker, however Monday’s commerce ought to present some short-term aid in Arizona’s place room.
The Chiefs will probably be taking an opportunity on a participant whose San Diego State efficiency made him a third-round choose 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. Nevertheless, Thomas was shutout within the sacks class, and he completed with solely 22 tackles whereas entering into about one third of his group’s defensive snaps.
The Chiefs will return an analogous edge grouping in 2024 with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and 2023 first-round choose Felix Anudike-Uzomah main the best way. Charles Omenihu and BJ Thompson are at the moment on PUP and NFI, respectively, so there could possibly be an opportunity for Thomas to take in some snaps within the interim.
