Zaven Collins making long-awaited impact for Cardinals defense; kicker Rodrigo Blankenship added
After a rough and tumble rookie season in which he was in and mostly out of starting defense, inside linebacker Zaven Collins is beginning to make a significant impact for the Cardinals.
He’s started all six games, ranks second on the team with 41 tackles (27 solo), and is coming off his best game yet after setting a career-high with nine tackles against the Seahawks, including his first two career sacks and a pass breakup.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said it isn’t as if something sparked inside Collins, rather that it was just a natural progression with having spent more time on task.
“Zaven’s always been a very intentional player,” Joseph said Tuesday. “He wants to be good. It took some time, obviously, to be a MIKE’backer in this league and to call this defense with the volume we have on game days. It’s tough, but he’s a smart guy, he wants to be good and I’m not sure what clicked, but I think it was just time.
“It’s time on the job. You need it. Young guys don’t get time to grow these days. You want them to walk in and be five-year pros, but it doesn’t work that way. It takes time for guys to grow into their roles.”
Collins, the 16th overall pick in the 2021 draft, finished with just 25 tackles last year despite appearing in all 17 regular-season games.
“I told all the rookies this year, certain guys, when they’re like, ‘Man’ and they’ve got their heads down — and it happened to me last year — you’ve got to realize that the way we play on defense, everybody has to execute at a high level to be able to play,” Collins said after practice Tuesday. “There’s a lot to it. You’ve got to know what VJ calls ‘Knowing things cold.’
“If your mind is sitting there running like mine was last year, it’s kind of tough. The process, the information, it’s tough. But being able to grow over the whole year last year, learning a couple different positions towards the end of the season and then coming in this year it’s been really good for me. It’s been fun just learning the game.
“I’m still learning every day.”
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Roster moves
The Cardinals found their new kicker — if they’re forced to use him in the event veteran Matt Prater can’t play Thursday night against the visiting Saints due to his nagging right hip.
A day after releasing the shaky Matt Ammendola, Arizona signed kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to the practice squad and can elevate him to the active roster before kickoff if Prater is forced to miss a third straight game.
Blankenship, who won the Lou Groza Award in 2019 as the nation’s top college kicker, entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Colts in 2020 out of Georgia. He made 45 of 54 field goal attempts and 52 of 55 extra points in 22 career games with Indianapolis until being released after the season opener this year.
He was waived after booting two kickoffs out of bounds and missing a potential game-winning 42-yard field goal in overtime against the Texans in a game that ended in a 20-20 tie.
The Cardinals also designated guard Cody Ford to return from the injured reserve list, meaning he can resume practicing and the team can activate him to the 53-man roster at any time during the next three weeks.
Arizona also signed linebacker Blake Lynch to the practice squad and released receiver Stanley Berryhill from the practice squad. Lynch (6-3, 225) played 16 games and made six starts with the Vikings last season and appeared in four games as a rookie after entering the league with Minnesota in 2020 as an undrafted rookie free agent from Baylor.
Read more: 3 things to know about new Cardinals WR Robbie Anderson
Injury report
In addition to guard Justin Pugh (torn ACL) and wide receiver Marquise Brown (foot), who are each headed for injured reserve, five other Cardinals did not practice on Tuesday ahead of Thursday night’s game. They were running backs James Conner (ribs) and Darrel Williams (knee), center Rodney Hudson (knee), linebacker Dennis Gardeck (ankle) and Prater.
Listed as limited were safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring), running back Eno Benjamin (toe), defensive lineman Michael Dogbe (elbow), cornerback Trayvon Mullen Jr. (hamstring) and Collins (shoulder).
Six players did not practice for the Saints: wide receivers Jarvis Landry (ankle), Michael Thomas (foot) and Keith Kirkwood (ankle), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (abdomen), guard Andrus Peat (chest) and tight end Adam Trautman (ankle).
Quarterbacks Andy Dalton (back) and Jameis Winston (back/ankle), cornerback Paulson Adebo (knee), running back Mark Ingram (knee), tackle Ryan Ramczyk (rest), guard Calvin Throckmorton (hip) and defensive end Payton Turner (chest) were limited.
Upcoming game: Saints vs. Cardinals picks: Who wins NFL Week 7 game?
What’s next for Pugh?
With veteran left guard Justin Pugh facing a long recovery process upon being lost to s season-ending knee injury, it’s fair to wonder if this could be his last season with the Cardinals.
Pugh, 32, is in the final year of his contract and has played 10 years in the league. He strongly contemplated retirement this past offseason, however, and considering he will be undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, might he decide to call it a career?
“I don’t know,” coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “I know he pondered it in the offseason, and he’s got some other stuff going on but it’s just unfortunate that happened. He’s been such a great piece since I’ve been here filling whatever spot we asked him to. He’s a great leader. He and (left tackle) D.J. (Humphries) had great chemistry on that side of the ball, so you hate to see that happen to a guy like that.”
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ILB Zaven Collins making an impact for Arizona Cardinals' defense
