It will be a crowded defensive line room when the Arizona Cardinals convene for the beginning of the offseason program later this month.
The addition of Calais Campbell this week on a reported one-year, $5.5 million contract with $2 million in possible incentives assures that there will be significant competition for spots, especially if everyone stays healthy.
Gone from the room are three players that combined to play 41 games with 17 starts in 2024: Roy Lopez (16/16), Khyiris Tonga (13/1) and Naquan Jones (12/0). Lopez is with the Detroit Lions, Tonga with the New England Patriots and Jones with the Los Angeles Chargers.
They also combined for 901 defensive snaps: Lopez 467 (46 percent), Jones 260 (34 percent) and Tonga (229 (27 percent). The percentages are only for those games in which they played.
Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson have been added since the beginning of the league year three weeks ago to join a room populated by those that played in games last season: Darius Robinson, Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols, Dante Stills, L.J. Collier and Ben Stille.
Anthony Goodlow and P.J. Mustipher were on the practice squad last season and are also currently on the roster.
The timing of the Campbell signing Tuesday was odd. There was no inkling what was about to happen when head coach Jonathan Gannon spoke to reporters early in the morning during the league meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
There was also a Miami Herald report that morning in which Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said the team wanted him back while it was also mentioned he had an offer from the Baltimore Ravens.
Said McDaniel, “Calais, specifically, is in a unique situation where he’s assessing multiple options. There’s a lot in play in that, in regard to, your play is high, you’re excited to play another year. He’s assessing those options, and he was a very important player to the team last year. I see him having the opportunity to be a very important player on the team this year.”
So much for that.
Meanwhile, discussing the impact of Tomlinson on the group, Gannon said, "Everyone plays a little bit of a different role, everyone has a little bit different of a skillset, where they are at in their career, but Dalvin brings an element of leadership and experience. He is very smart and he'll help the younger guys grow as players."
Ditto that for Campbell.
As Gannon also noted about Tomlinson and edge rusher Josh Sweat, “All about ball, team-first guys and a lot of production. The additions of those guys, both as Cardinals stepping into the locker room and the players that they are (is important)."
Ditto again two-fold for Campbell, who will be entering his 18th NFL season and turns 39 on Sept. 1.
Both Campbell and Tomlinson played more snaps with their teams last season than any Cardinals defensive lineman.
Campbell started all 17 games with the Dolphins while playing 615 snaps (58 percent). With the Cleveland Browns, Tomlinson started the 16 games he played and participated in 610 snaps (60 percent).
The Cardinals leader last season was Collier ...