Cardinals Make Surprising Cut Ahead of Week 13

The Arizona Cardinals have released linebacker Xavier Thomas, as made official on Friday before their Week 13 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Thomas, a second-year edge rusher, initially wasn't spotted at practice on Friday before the move was announced.

The move comes as a surprise given the Cardinals didn't make any corresponding roster transactions on top of their high praise for Thomas since he stepped in the building as a fourth-round pick in 2024.

More on Cardinals Cutting Xavier Thomas

“What I'm most proud about him is he's taken steps every week to be a better pro (and learn) what that looks like. Not that he was a bad pro, but he is just learning. It's time on the job," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Thomas previously.

"He's learning what he has to do with his five buckets, how he has to prepare and how he has to practice. He's doing a good job.”

Baron Browning was removed from the team's injury report this week as he cleared the league's concussion protocol while BJ Ojulari has successfully returned from his serious knee injury.

With Josh Sweat, Zaven Collins and Jordan Burch also in the picture, the Cardinals opted to part ways with Thomas.

Thomas had played just 15 defensive snaps for Arizona in the regular season after impressing in preseason play.

His rookie season in 2024 saw plenty of opportunity, as he played 14 games as a rotianal pass rusher to pair with ten tackles, 2.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one fumble forced.

As a whole, the Cardinals' pass rush hasn't been up to standard, as they've tallied just 22 team sacks on the season despite nine coming from Sweat and 5.5 more coming from defensive end Calais Campbell.

Rookie defensive lineman Walter Nolen III was a big piece of that pass rush when healthy, though he was ruled out of Week 13.

Cardinals Can Learn Something This Week

Perhaps Gannon will learn a thing or two from the team's battle against Tampa Bay, where head coach Todd Bowles has his pass rush humming.

“What he does too is because he knows your protection rules, he's going to exploit them, so you have to have some changeups," Gannon said of Bowles.

"You have to know when things are coming. He shows the ability to get free runners on everybody so we're going to have to live through some of those downs. We're going to have to be on it as far as communication on the road and making sure (that) we're on the right people.

"Then (QB) Jacoby's (Brissett) going to have to know when he is hot, when he is warm and when he is not. It's hard to do that, but that's going to be a big part of the game plan because he's going to generate free runners. We know that. That's a known. You can't take horrific plays. Those plays can't be horrific plays.

"He gets you on a third down, a punt’s not the worst thing in the world there. A sack fumble touchdown is, so we have to be on that.”

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