Tag: Xavier Thomas

Can Xavier Thomas step up in the wake of Dennis Gardeck’s knee injury?

The Cardinals must shake things up again with the latest season-ending injury to a defender.

The hits keep coming for the Arizona Cardinals, a team that now has three wins this season after not reaching that total until Week 13 against the Steelers last season.

Outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck is the latest player headed to injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL in Monday night’s win over the Chargers.

Gardeck is the second player lost for the year after the start of the season whose current contract expires in March. The other was right guard Will Hernandez. There’s never a good time for a season-ending injury, but it’s worse when it creates uncertainty in the offseason.

On defense, Gardeck joins defensive linemen Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, who also are done for the year with injuries that occurred after the start of the season.

“It’s a part of the game, but it’s tough to swallow at times,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier this week. “Obviously we know what he puts into the game and to his craft at being a pro and the teammate that he is. That’s going to hurt.

“It really doesn’t matter if it’s one or however many guys. Anybody that’s on your team, you feel terrible for.”

Said defensive coordinator Nick Rallis on Tuesday, “Great player. It always hurts to lose a guy like that; an impact player. He’s a huge leader for us. You lose multiple things with that. You lose the player, you lose the guy to a degree. He’s around, so he still leads, but he is a resilient guy. I talked to him today and last night about what he does on the field doesn’t define what makes him great. It’s who he is what makes him great.

“He’s going to attack what he has to do going forward the same way that he attacked playing, the way he attacks everything in life. That’s why he’s had the success that he’s had. It hurts and I know he’s probably hurt, but he’s got a positive attitude right now and he’ll be good.”

Promising outside linebacker BJ Ojulari suffered a torn ACL early in training camp, so now this becomes another hill to climb for the team’s pass rush.

Entering a short week after Monday night’s game, Gannon said, “We’re going to figure out the plan for the best way to play Miami. It’ll look a little different, I’m sure, this week. We’re in the stages of that right now, but guys will step up and they’ll be ready to go.”

After noting what Gardeck does well, Rallis also expressed confidence in the rest of the unit. Of course, that’s what coaches have to say. You’ll never hear a coach say after an injury, “We’re in trouble. No way can anyone else replace him.”

Rallis did say of Gardeck, “He plays a lot of roles for us. As a rusher, as a cover guy. Sneaky run defender despite his size. So guys have got to step up and be able to go out there and make plays; those plays that he was making for us. We really feel good about that entire room being able to step in and guys have to be able to go out there and execute at a high level and fill that role.”

There will likely be increased snaps for Jesse Luketa and Julian Okwara and perhaps rookie Xavier Thomas who has been off the radar screen this month.

“I want multiple guys out there. I think it’s best when you’re rushing fresh, I think it’s best when you’re playing the run fresh,” Rallis said.

Thomas could be the wild card. He experienced growing pains after being selected in the fifth round of the draft, but started to flash during training camp and preseason games. At one point, Rallis said, “He’s really started to rip lately, which he’s got a skillset to do so. That’s one thing I really loved about him coming out. It’s like you could see the speed with this guy off the edge and he’s shown that he’s gotta continue to improve with everything.

“Really hone in on those pass-rush skills, his cover drops in the run game, so I wanna see the complete game. I wanna see a continual progression of improving in every aspect of his game.”

That improvement clearly didn’t happen.

After playing 29 and 40 percent of the snaps in the first two games of the season, that number dropped to 19 and 10 in the next two weeks, which was followed by the last three games on the inactive list.

Now, asked if he envisions a big opportunity for Thomas, Gannon said, “I do. You’ve seen a couple of guys this year get some opportunities and maximize some opportunities. Roles change with production. That’s one of the things that goes into your role is production.”

Concluded Rallis, “He’s very good with his execution and the time he puts in to study. I want him to continue to go out there and improve those practice reps and when his number’s called, he’s going to be ready to roll and he’s got to go out there and make plays just like everybody else and execute at a high level.”

Consider that challenge made.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Rookie Xaviers on defense and offense could help Cardinals improve

How two rookies named Xavier could make an impact on offense, defense and special teams.

When training camp opened on July 23, who would have guessed that five weeks later, a pair of rookies named Xavier would become two of the most talked about players on the roster?

But that’s surely been the case as fifth-round edge rusher Xavier Thomas made impressive strides after some struggles in OTAs, while undrafted free-agent wide receiver Xavier Weaver overcame an injury during the offseason program to catch everyone’s eye immediately in practice on offense and as a kick returner.

Said receiver-room teammate Michael Wilson, “Kudos to him because he was hurt most of OTAs and not able to participate in a large majority of it, so he really shined bright. Every single practice, he had some type of ‘Wow’ play. Every preseason game, he made some type of catch, some type of run. He contributed to the game in some type of way that made you go, ‘Wow, this kid can play.’

“And he was doing it against starters against some of the good corners on our team too. So it’s absolutely no surprise that he made the 53 and I think he’s gonna be a really special player as long he continues to tread on the track he’s at right now. He’s gonna be a big part of our organization.”

When Jonathan Gannon was asked what Weaver has to do to extend his game, the head coach said, “Keep improving his game. You guys saw, he flashed in practice, in games. I like where he’s at. He has a skillset that’s pretty unique. He can play on fourth down, which went into that decision. You look at the totality of the NFL; we wanted to make sure we kept him. He’s got a bright future ahead if he keeps doing the things that he’s been doing.”

With running back DeeJay Dallas also on the roster, it will be intriguing to see if Weaver has a role as a kick returner in games. He also has to keep working even if there aren’t many offensive snaps available with Marvin Harrison Jr., Wilson, Greg Dortch and perhaps Chris Moore ahead of him on the depth chart prior to the return Zay Jones after five games.

As for Thomas, there should be numerous snaps in the edge-rush rotation with Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa.

Thomas admitted, “I was really uncomfortable in OTAs just learning the new defensive system in regards to the outside linebacker position and the way they teach the technique here and just learning my pass-rush angles and things like that. Honing in on that coming into camp, I really got that under my belt and after I got that down pat, I was really comfortable in regards to my abilities and meshing that together with the defensive scheme and the system. It’s kinda meshed well together.”

Thomas has off-the-charts athletic ability, but important for every player is finding the necessary balance to master the techniques of the position, while enabling those skills to be realized.

“It messes you a little bit in regards to your technique, sometimes just doing things your own way,” Thomas said. “But just hone in on the details of how we do things here and how Coach Rob (outside linebackers coach Rob Rodriguez) teaches it, and how they want it done. Just meshing that in with my athletic ability; it’s worked out well.”

Gannon concluded what Thomas brings to the table, saying, “If you break it down to the three things at that position: rush the quarterback, set a violent edge and drop in coverage, I thought he did a good job in all three of them. He continued to improve from his mistakes as we got going because I thought he was a touch behind when we started camp with those other guys.

“But just kept doing a good job of improving his game, making plays when plays were there for him to make. I like what he’s doing right now. I like where’s he’s at, knowing that he’s got a long way to go too. He knows that.”

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Clemson rookie Xavier Thomas impresses in second NFL preseason game

Xavier Thomas’ second preseason contest with the Arizona Cardinals included a sack, two tackles (one for loss) and two quarterback hits.

Former Clemson standout Xavier Thomas had another impressive showing for the Arizona Cardinals in their second preseason contest against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

Thomas, a fifth-round draft pick (No. 138 overall) by Arizona in the 2024 NFL Draft, had two tackles (one solo), including a sack and two quarterback hits. It’s the second week in a row that Thomas registered a sack for the Cardinals in preseason action.

Thomas’ sack came late it the first half against rookie quarterback Jason Bean, a 12-yard loss on a 1st-and-10 play from the Colts’ 30-yard line. Indianapolis went on to defeat Arizona, 21-13.

The Florence, S.C. native had three tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss, one sack and two quarterback hits in Arizona’s preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10.

RELATED: Xavier Thomas has impressive NFL debut with Arizona Cardinals

Thomas spent parts of six seasons at Clemson from 2018-23. He led the Tigers with 21 quarterback pressures a year ago and had 25 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. Thomas closed out his collegiate tenure with 121 tackles (34 tackles for loss) and 17.5 sacks over 61 games for Clemson.

The Cardinals will wrap up their preseason slate with a nationally televised game against the Denver Broncos next Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CBS.

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Cardinals player to watch vs. Colts: Edge rusher Xavier Thomas

Thomas stood out in the preseason opener. Can he follow it up with another strong performance?

Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis had a feeling that good things were on the horizon for rookie edge rusher Xavier Thomas.

Prior to the first preseason game against the Saints, Rallis said, “He’s really started to rip lately, which he’s got a skillset to do so. That’s one thing I really loved about him coming out. It’s like you could see the speed with this guy off the edge and he’s shown that he’s got to continue to improve with everything. Really hone in on those pass-rush skills, his cover drops in the run game, so I want to see the complete game. I wanna see a continual progression of improving in every aspect of his game.”

He did just that.

In 34 snaps (49 percent), the fifth-round pick had the Cardinals’ only sack of the game while having two quarterback hits. Thomas also had three tackles (two) that included a tackle for loss.

Could Thomas be one of the antidotes after the loss of edge rusher BJ Ojulari for the season and possibly quiet the panic that exists among fans that advocate for paying Haason Reddick as much as $25 million a year?

Only time will tell, but it’s clear the organization’s philosophy for building the roster is mostly through the draft.

Admitting that “my legs were shaking on that first play” against New Orleans, Thomas said, “Regardless of BJ going down or not, I knew I was going to come in here and make it a competitive level in regards to our room. I know the (talent) I have. I’m just comin’ in, growing each day and learning by the minute.”

While head coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged that Thomas “jumped off the tape,” he emphasized how important it is for coaches to be patient when players arrive in the offseason after a long 10 months that includes the final college season, playing in an All-Star game, preparing for the combine and pro day, waiting for the draft to learn there they will live and play and then figure out how to be a pro while learning a new scheme and what coaches expect.

Gannon amplified that this week when we said, “My thing in OTAs, you gotta talk to people because you never know what’s going through somebody’s head unless you ask them. Sometimes you don’t get the truth all the time either. I just felt like he was, early in OTAs and maybe even earlier in camp, trying to just figure it out a little bit. When you’re trying to figure it out on the fly when the ball snaps, sometimes your physical traits don’t show up.”

Noting the things that “jumped off the tape,” Gannon said, “What I was impressed about with him is … Let it rip, cut it loose, whatever that means. I thought he did that. So that tells me that he’s comfortable. He’s not thinking. And now it shows what he can do physically and I think that jumped off the tape to me. Also what jumped off the tape about him is he’s doing what he’s coached to do, which for a rookie sometimes is hard. There are guys that are making some good plays, hanging in with technique and then, all of a sudden, you throw on the tape and say, ‘What are you doing? I mean, we don’t coach that.’

“And that’s just part about being a young guy. ‘I’m gonna try something new.’ No, you don’t do that. Just keep doing what you’re doing. And he did what he was being coached to do by (outside linebackers coach) Rob (Rodriguez). Rob’s done a good job with him to own it and here’s what you gotta do. Here’s what you need to execute. Mentally, I think, he’s taking steps and the physical toolset, rush ability, edge setting, I thought showed up in the game.”

Now, they hope he will carry it forward Saturday against the Colts.

Gannon concluded, “The challenge to him will be, the couple mistakes that he made, clean those up because we can control that and then, production, and do the same thing that you just did and see what happens then. But I was enthused about him.”

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Xavier Thomas has impressive NFL debut with Arizona Cardinals

Xavier Thomas’ NFL debut included a sack, three tackles, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits in the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason opener Saturday.

Arizona Cardinals rookie and former Clemson standout Xavier Thomas had an impressive showing in his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday.

Thomas finished with three tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss, one sack and two quarterback hits. The Florence, S.C., native picked up his first NFL sack early in the fourth quarter against Saints rookie and former South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler. Thomas sacked Rattler on a 3rd-and-5 play from the Arizona 47-yard line.

The Saints went on to defeat the Cardinals, 16-14, thanks to a game-winning drive engineered by Rattler in the final two minutes that saw New Orleans grab the lead on a field goal with 5 seconds left.

The 24-year-old Thomas was a fifth round (No. 138 overall) selection by Arizona in this year’s NFL Draft after spending parts of six seasons at Clemson (2018-2023). He sustained a broken foot in 2022 and received an additional year of eligibility under the NCAA’s universal waiver stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas led Clemson with 21 quarterback pressures in 2023 and had 25 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. He finished his collegiate career with 121 tackles (34 for loss) and 17.5 sacks over 61 games. During his time at Clemson, Thomas also battled depression, something he has opened up about at length.

The Cardinals will face the Indianapolis Colts in their next preseason game, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. ET. Arizona opens the regular season at Buffalo, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET at Highmark Stadium.

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Contract details for Cardinals 5th-round LB Xavier Thomas

A look at the terms of the four-year rookie contract for fifth-round pick Xavier Thomas.

The Arizona Cardinals selected 12 players in the draft just over two weeks ago and of the 257 total picked in the three-day event, more than 100 have already signed contracts.

Card Wire has learned the four-year contract terms for five of them. One is outside linebacker Xavier Thomas, a fifth-round choice (No. 138 overall) from Clemson.

Jones signed a four-year contract worth $4,885,228 that included a signing bonus of $372,892.

The base salaries are $795,000 this year; $960,000 in 2025; $1.075 million in 2026 and $1.19 million in 2027. If Thomas is still on the team in 2027, that salary will likely increase to whatever the lowest tender is for restricted free agents. This year, that figure is $2.985 million.

There is also a split aspect of the deal for 2024 and 2025 if Thomas lands on injured reserve, so he would not receive his full salary. The minimum split is $470,000 this year and $515,000 in 2025.

The salary cap charge this year for Thomas is $888,223. However, he doesn’t currently count against the cap because the top-51 cutoff is more than that.

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Expected role for rookie LB Xavier Thomas for Cardinals in 2024

Thomas, drafted in the fifth round, will have a perfectly acceptable rookie season just making the defensive rotation at OLB.

Withe the first of two selections in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals picked pass rusher Xavier Thomas out of Clemson.

Thomas had an interesting college career. He was one of the most highly recruited players coming out of high school in the entire country. He caught COVID in 2020, struggled with his weight and depression. He bounced back over the final two seasons, although was not a big sack producer.

He never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season and had three his final season, although PFF credits him with 43 total pressures.

He has an elite get-off and is plenty athletic. He is older, though. He turns 24 before the end of the season. By comparison, outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje, now his teammate, is entering his fourth NFL season and will turn 24 a month before Thomas.

What can we expect from Thomas as a rookie?

We shouldn’t expect major contributions but he hopefully is part of the defensive rotation.

Zaven Collins, BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck are the top three players at outside linebacker. Dimukeje had a decent season last year. Cam Thomas, drafted in the third round in 2022, saw his spot in the rotation dwindle late in the season.

Thomas will need to beat Cam Thomas or Dimukeje for playing time.

He will also need to play well on special teams. That’s how Dimukeje stuck around for his first seasons.

If Thomas plays on special teams and is simply part of the defensive rotation all season at outside linebacker, he will have had a perfectly acceptable rookie year.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Cardinals rookie LB Xavier Thomas gets very different number than in college

Thomas wore No. 3 while at Clemson. He will wear No. 54 as a rookie for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals open rookie minicamp Thursday, giving their draft picks and rookie free agents the first opportunity to wear their professional numbers. The players’ numbers have not been announced yet but they have been given.

One player who will have to wear a very different number than he had in college is linebacker Xavier Thomas, selected in the fifth round out of Clemson.

Thomas wore No. 3 in college, which belongs to Cardinals safety Budda Baker.

Thomas will instead get a very traditional linebacker number — No. 54.

No. 54 has either been a linebacker or an offensive lineman but it has not been a notable number for the Cardinals in years. Linebacker Gerald Hayes wore it from 2003-2010 and center Aaron Graham had it from 1996-1999.

But from 1971-1988, it was important as four-time Pro Bowl center Tom Banks wore it and then it belonged to two-time Pro Bowl linebacker E.J. Junior.

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EDGE Xavier Thomas drafted in Round 5 was a ‘finally’ moment for Cardinals

Thomas might have been the best they could have gotten in Round 5, but it is hard to be excited about an old prospect who doesn’t get sacks.

The Arizona Cardinals had exactly one sack over the final six games of the season. That wasn’t even a real sack. Quarterback Justin Field ran out of bound for no gain after he left the pocket. Dennis Gardeck happened to be the closest player.

They did not tackle a quarterback for a loss over six games! As that appeared to be one of the team’s most critical needs in the offseason, they didn’t address it until the fifth round of the NFL draft, when they selected Xavier Thomas out of Clemson.

No free agents, no first-round pick, no Day 2 pick. The fifth round.

Thomas, who was one of the top recruits in the country in 2018, did not have the career at Clemson most would have hoped. He caught COVID and ballooned to 300 pounds, and he dealt with mental health issues.

He bounced back, though. He leaned back down to 244 pounds for his 6-foot-2 frame.

However, if you are looking for sack production, you won’t find much. He had a total of 17.5 over his career — six seasons. He never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season. However, he did have 43 total pressures in his final season, per PFF.

He will turn 25 years old in December of his rookie season.

But he does have high-end athleticism. He posted a 4.62-second 40 and had a 32.5-inch vertical leap and 120-inch broad jump.

He has a quick get-off at the line of scrimmage.

He was projected to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round, so he was picked more or less where he should have been.

However, expecting much from him in the pros is like expecting a big year from Victor Dimukeje, who had a career-high four sacks in 2023, his third NFL season, after no sacks for two years.

He isn’t a bad pick for the fifth round, but it feels irresponsible to have waited that long to address their need on the edge.

Between his age, lack of sack production in college and waiting so long to get an edge defender, I don’t give the pick more than a B-minus.

He might have been the best edge guy to get there, but it is hard to get excited for an old prospect who doesn’t get sacks.

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POLL: Grade the Cardinals’ selection of EDGE Xavier Thomas in Round 5

Their only selection of an edge defender came in Round 5. What do you think of the pick of Xavier Thomas?

The Arizona Cardinals entered the 2024 NFL draft with big needs at receiver, the edge (outside linebacker) and cornerback.

They selected two receivers and three cornerbacks but their only edge defender was in the fifth round, Xavier Thomas out of Clemson.

Thomas was a top recruit back in 2018 but things didn’t work out the way he had hoped.

He is 6-2 and 253 pounds with good athleticism.

However, his pass rushing production was subpar as he had 17.5 total sacks in six years.

He impressed at the Shrine Bowl and there is upside. But he is older and has not yet lived up to his potential since high school. What grade do you give the pick?

Vote in the poll linked here and embedded below.

You can see the live results of other voters linked here.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.