Roy

Lopez

Lopez, the Cardinals’ starting nose tackle, will play through a questionable designation after suffering toe and ankle injuries last week. The Rams’ ground game should still play well, but Lopez will make them work a little harder for yardage than they otherwise might have had to. Cardinals S Andrew Wingard (groin) and CB Max Melton (knee/hand) are also active. The Cardinals declared QB Joey Aguilar, CB Starling Thomas, LB Eku Leota, OL Jayden Williams, OL Jon Gaines and C Hjalte Froholdt inactive for Week 10 against the Rams. Playing without Froholdt, their starting center, and Williams, their current starting left tackle, is unfortunate.

The deal includes $7 million guaranteed. 28-year-old Lopez is returning to Arizona after a one-year sojourn in Motown. A space clogger in the middle of the defense, Lopez will find a rotational role on early downs in the desert, but nothing more.

A 2021 sixth-round pick of the Texans, Lopez was cut by Houston on the eve of the 2023 season. He then managed to become a Cardinals mainstay as a rotational interior lineman. That is what he will remain in Detroit during his age-28 season.

Per ESPN’s Field Yates, Lopez was waived with an injury settlement and is free to sign with any team if he goes unclaimed on waivers. The former sixth-round pick has appeared in 33 games for the Texans since 2021, totaling 67 tackles, 11 TFLs, and two sacks. With 29 starts under his belt, Lopez can provide valuable depth and experience to any defensive line looking to improve.

Lopez (6’2/304) was only a two-star prospect from Tempe, AZ who received scant interest on the recruiting trail and ended up enrolling at New Mexico State over the Utah State Aggies. A highly productive player at NMSU, Lopez racked up 63 tackles and 12.5 TFL in 2018 before getting injured in 2019 and transferring to Arizona as a graduate for the 2020 season where he started all five of the Wildcats’ games. As a two-time state wrestling champion whose father is a football coach, Lopez knows how to use leverage to maximize his strength and hold the point of attack. He plays with a relentless motor and upper body power, as his 36 bench reps show. He tested well in his pro day workout, posting a credible 7.48 RAS. His straight-line speed and burst are a little slow, but his agility is exceptional for a player his size. He has the potential to develop into a dependable interior lineman at the next level. PFF graded the Texans as having the worst run-stopping defense in the league last year.