On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals officially confirmed the worst for star linebacker BJ Ojulari, placing the 2023 second-round pick on the injured reserve following a torn ACL. Ojulari will miss the remainder of the 2024 season fresh off a 40-tackle, four-sack rookie campaign.
Arizona will eye Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck as potential replacements for Ojulari. However, the Cardinals made a noteworthy move on Tuesday, adding another linebacker amid Ojulari’s season-ending injury. According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Cards have signed Marquis Haynes, formerly of the Carolina Panthers.
Marquis Haynes: Joining Arizona Cardinals
On Tuesday, the Arizona Cardinals added some much-needed linebacker depth in the form of longtime Carolina Panther defender Marquis Haynes. A 2018 fourth-round draft pick, Haynes earned second-team All-SEC twice with the Ole Miss Rebels before landing with the Panthers. After playing sparingly as a rookie, Haynes recorded his first sack in 2019, adding 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. After posting 24 tackles and seven sacks in 32 games from 2020 to 2021, the Ole Miss product posted a career-best 29 tackles, seven TFLs, five sacks, and a touchdown in 2022.
OLB Marquis Haynes signing with the #Cardinals, per source @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 6, 2024
Haynes appeared in only seven games in 2023 following a stint on the injured reserve and, after six seasons with Carolina, became a free agent this past offseason. With training camp well underway, the Arizona Cardinals added Haynes following an injury to fellow linebacker BJ Ojulari.
Cardinals: Linebacker Depth
With the addition of Marquis Hayes, the Arizona Cardinals now have ample depth at the linebacker position. Former first-round pick Zaven Collins and longtime Cardinal Dennis Gardeck should take the bulk of the snaps at outside linebacker sans BJ Ojulari. Collins started 17 games for Arizona last season, collecting 41 tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Gardeck has spent his entire six-season NFL career with the Cardinals while registering a career-best 46 tackles and seven TFLs last season.
The Cardinals also spent a fifth-round pick on outside linebacker Xavier Thomas in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Clemson product compiled 25 tackles, four TFLs, and three sacks as a sixth-year senior last season. Additionally, Arizona will return Victor Dimukeje, Cam Thomas, and Jesse Luketa from the previous year. Dimukeje leads the way with 32 tackles and four sacks in 2023.
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