Cardinals’ Cameron Thomas playing ‘fast and free’ in 2nd year of new regime

TEMPE — In a sense, Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Cameron Thomas had a redo of his rookie year in 2023.

After learning and operating under the former regime’s system in Year 1, all that equity in the playbook was tossed out the window with head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis coming aboard last offseason.

That do-over showed itself across 15 games and three starts for Thomas, with no sacks to show for it after getting three as a rookie.

In Year 2 of the new system, Thomas is feeling much more like an NFL veteran with 32 games under his belt and less like a rookie.

Cardinals pass rusher Cameron Thomas is feeling much more comfortable, which allows him to play “fast and free,” in his second year under the new regime. pic.twitter.com/a27pHrxCPU

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 19, 2024

“Having to scrap all that and going to a whole new scheme, I wouldn’t say it was a setback, but it definitely was a learning curve,” Thomas said Monday. “Having this year to be able to come back with the same scheme, with the same coaches and with a lot of the same players, I definitely think it helps. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable and it allows you to play fast and free.”

That thinking was on display in Arizona’s 21-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Thomas’ name was up there on the leaderboard in tackles with four. Only cornerbacks Elijah Jones and Darren Hall had more (five).

But it was his disruption in the backfield behind two sacks, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits that really stood out in the third-year pro’s outing.

It’s a good development for Thomas with roles still very much in flux a week out from roster cuts. His upped play gives the Cardinals coaching staff more to think about when looking at the pass-rushing rotation post-BJ Ojulari injury, too.

“Something I really love about this edge group on this team is we’re really a tight-knit group,” Thomas said of the OLBs room. “We’re a pack of dogs all hunting together. When one of us eats, we all eat.”

Mastering the fastball

In addition to nailing down the playbook that much more this offseason, Thomas was also challenged by Gannon to “find his fastball.”

“Whatever it’s going to do to make you win, use it,” Thomas said, recanting what Gannon told him. “I think being able to express that, being able to play more consistent … it allows you to play more fast and free.”

As for what Thomas’ fastball is?

“It could be a couple of different moves. It could be a side scissors, cross chop. It kind of goes back and forth, but it’s being able to have a switch up and being able to have kind of a base. It’s important,” the pass rusher said.

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