The Cardinals installed 2021 first-round pick Zaven Collins as a starter at inside linebacker last season, but the change in coaching staffs this offseason has led to a new role for his third season.
Collins has moved to outside linebacker this spring and he’s spent the last couple of months familiarizing himself with his new role. That process has also led to Collins setting some new goals for himself.
“It’s definitely different than preparing for last season but also the defensive philosophies have changed, the defensive schemes have changed,” Collins said, via Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com. “Some positions have harder downs in certain situations than it was last year. I definitely want to get after the quarterback a little more than I did last year. A lot of sacks would be nice. Sacking the Q is always a good thing on defense.”
The Cardinals were 24th in the league in sacks last season and they bid farewell to J.J. Watt and Zach Allen — who had 18 of their 36 sacks — this offseason, so a quick transition for Collins would be an ideal development for Arizona’s defense.
