Former ASU D-line coach Rodriguez to join Cardinals as OLB assistant

The Arizona Cardinals plan to add former Arizona State Sun Devil defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez as an assistant leading outside linebackers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Rodriguez coached for the past three years at ASU and was hired by former head coach Herm Edwards in 2020. He was not retained under first-year coach Kenny Dillingham.

Prior to that, Rodriguez spent 2015-19 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he crossed over with new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. The former assistant defensive backs coach was with Minnesota from 2014-17.

Rodriguez is also familiar with Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who served as defensive quality control coach for the Vikings from 2018-19.

In Minnesota, Rodriguez developed edge talents in end Everson Griffen and linebacker Danielle Hunter during his tenure.

More recently for the Sun Devils, he oversaw the development of linemen such as D.J. Davidson, a four-year player at ASU who went in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.

Rodriguez also spent a year in 2020 with Jermayne Lole, who had rising draft stock until injuries and a transfer tanked his stock over the past two years.

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