Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Steve Wilks confirms Cardinals will be a 4-3 defense

gettyimages-900117774

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is sacked for a loss of 6 yards by outside linebacker Chandler Jones #55 of the Arizona Cardinals and Kareem Martin #96 in the first quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 31, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Getty Images)

Otto Greule Jr

There are plenty of changes in Cardinals camp this year, and they extend to the base defense.

Via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said they would be a base 4-3 defense.

That distinction isn’t as important as it used to be, given the number of snaps played by sub packages.

But Wilks said the primary factor was that he wanted outside linebackers Chandler Jones and Markus Golden able to rush the passer on every down, rather than having one drop into coverage.

Considering Wilks’ background working for Ron Rivera, it’s not a surprise. And if Golden can get healthy after last year’s torn ACL, the idea of pairing a 12.5-sack guy from 2016 with Jones (who had 17.0 last year) is a good place to start as Wilks tries to rebuild the defense.