On Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals added free agent defensive tackle Darius Philon. Philon signed a two-year, $10 million contract that can net him an additional $2 million on incentives.
While the Philon signing may get overshadowed by all of the moves that Arizona has made this offseason, it certainly should not be ignored. Here are three things Philon can bring to the Cardinals defense under new DC Vance Joseph.
He is a young, talented core piece
For a franchise that appeared to be lacking young difference makers in 2018, the signing of Philon appears to be a step in the right direction for Arizona. Earning his first full-time gig with the Chargers in 2018, Philon had a productive season, by recording 33 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble in 13 starts.
At 25 years old and 6-1, 300 pounds, Philon is a player poised for a breakout season while just entering his prime as well. If he plays 16 games in 2019, Philon could certainly be in for a breakout campaign and be a nice piece for a revamped Cardinals defensive line.
Add in the fact that Joseph, who saw Philon twice a year when with the Denver Broncos, will likely use Philon’s strengths to put him in the best position to succeed. Time will tell, but Philon certainly adds tremendous talent to Arizona’s defensive trenches.
He fills a position of need
For a Cardinals defensive line that features Corey Peters, who will turn 31 in June, and Robert Nkemdiche who tore his ACL in December as the only starting-caliber players left on the defensive line, the position was pretty bare heading into 2019. Signing Philon was a good move not just from a production standpoint, but from a pure need of starting caliber defensive linemen.
With his four sacks, Philon certainly would’ve been one of the leaders from a production standpoint in the interior defensive line last season. He would have likely have seen more time with the Cardinals last season compared to the more talented Charger defensive line. Certainly one would think that it’s fair to assume that Philon’s production would have increased up accordingly.
While sack numbers may not be eye-popping for Philon at first, he did add 14.5 pressures and nine QB hits each of the last two seasons as an interior defensive lineman. For a 4-3 defensive tackle, those numbers are very encouraging.
Philon was the 72nd-highest graded defensive lineman last season according to Pro Football Focus. He earned an above-average grade for that position at 67.8. That’s second on the defensive line to only Peters.
Arizona was also in the top five in the NFL in sacks, and adding a player of Philon’s caliber can only help aid the pass rush further.
He is versatile
While this will be Philon’s first time in a 3-4 scheme, he certainly can play multiple positions along the defensive line. At 300 pounds, he’s big enough to play any position on the defensive line, though he figures to play one of the two defensive end positions in Vance Joseph’s defense with Corey Peters manning the middle.
With the Cardinals projected to take a pass rusher number one overall in some mock drafts, Philon will likely be moved around the line and play whatever position is needed in that case.
Josh Goforth of arkansasfight.com talked about Philon’s unique traits for a defensive lineman which will likely be invaluable for the Cardinals defense in 2019.
“At Arkansas he used quickness in stunts and twists from a 3 technique or wider in most cases. Philon possesses skills of a DE at the tackle position, which is invaluable against faster paced offenses,” Goforth said.
Goforth continues.
“Philon was a big part of the success for the Arkansas defense in 2014 and leaves a void in the middle. At the next level he will be a guy who is versatile enough to stay on the field against multiple personnel groupings and provide that interior rush that many teams are looking to add.”
Bottom line
From a talent standpoint, signing Darius Philon is a step in the right direction for the Cardinals defense. If they add another pass rusher, such as Nick Bosa, in the draft, then their defensive front looks to be a solid and ascending unit heading into 2019.
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