Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort declined the fifth-year option on Zaven Collins’ contract earlier this offseason. The newly-minted EDGE defender will now enter a fate-deciding 2024 season. It’s a make-or-break campaign for Collins and his future with the Cardinals.
Collins’ fifth-year option carried an approximate value of slightly more than $13 million for the 2025 season. The Cardinals instead want to see Collins perform in a prove-it year. He'll require a career-best showing to earn a long-term extension in Arizona.
Collins made a career-altering position switch ahead of 2023, moving from inside to outside linebacker. The change came as a bit of a surprise after Collins totaled a personal-best 100 tackles as an off-ball linebacker in 2022. He had begun showing progress at his most natural position when a new Cardinals coaching staff decided he was better suited as a full-time edge defender.
The former first-round pick out of Tulsa registered 41 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and an interception. Collins was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded Cardinals defender with a 72.1 overall score. Taking a deeper dive into their analytics shows that the 24-year-old graded out as a top-20 run defender (73.9), but was among the least efficient pass rushers in the league (ranked 88 out of 120) despite generating 30 quarterback pressures.
Friday night was the first time the Cardinals used Zaven Collins as a full-time EDGE in a game pic.twitter.com/l3hcR1Lwyf
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 14, 2023
The Cardinals struggled to rush opposing passers in 2023. They recorded a 30th-ranked 33 sacks throughout the season. That won’t appease defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon, who once coached an Eagles defense in 2022 that accumulated 70 sacks.
Collins placed fourth on the Cardinals in sacks. Inside linebacker Dennis Gardeck led the team in quarterback takedowns with six, proving that Gannon lacked a true difference-maker on the edge. Rookie pass rusher B.J. Ojulari produced four sacks and will attempt to take another step forward as a sophomore in 2024.
Recognizing his need for better pass-rush production, Ossenfort selected two EDGE defenders during the 2024 NFL Draft. A first-round pick was used on former Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson (No. 27). Ossenfort doubled down in the fifth round by adding Clemson's Xavier Thomas to his defense.
Ossenfort also re-signed former first-rounder L.J. Collier, who missed all but one game in 2023 due to injury after stringing together a quality preseason. Collins still projects as a starter on Arizona’s defensive line, but competition for spots and playing time is expected to be fiercer than it was last season. Players like Collier and Thomas will be ready to take advantage if Collins isn’t producing at the expected clip.
Continuity could allow Collins to take the desired steps forward this season. It will represent his second campaign as an EDGE defender and he should be more familiar with the inner and outer workings of the position. It'll also be his second campaign playing for coach Gannon, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, and their player-friendly scheme.
Collins is slated to earn a guaranteed base salary of $2.6 million in 2024 (via OverTheCap). Suppose Collins can continue playing an all-around game while being more productive as a pass rusher. In that case, he’ll be well-positioned to earn an extension from Ossenfort before he's slated for unrestricted free agency.