Cardinals training camp: Zaven Collins getting some ILB looks
This, of course, would be a very interesting change, as he was drafted originally to play inside linebacker but moved to the edge when Jonathan Gannon became head coach.
He also saw snaps at outside linebacker.
This led to a question for head coach Jonathan Gannon on Tuesday — what is the plan with Collins?
The plan, per Gannon, is to "play outside linebacker and utilize his versatility."
So will we see him at both positions? Perhaps, but this isn't anything different than how he has been used over the last two years. Collins will tell you that he hasn't just been at the edge. He has lined up on inside on the defensive line, played off the ball and blitzed from the inside.
It just happened to be that on those snaps, he was back where he started.
The Cardinals' third-down package on defense, sometimes called their "Nascar" package because it deploys five or six linebackers with either one or no defensive tackle on the field. They all stand up at the line of scrimmage, makinig it difficult for the opposing quarterback to identify who is rushing, who is dropping and where the assignments on defense will be.
So while it was surprising in practice to see him in an old spot, we shouldn't expect it much once the regular season begins.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Another position change coming for Zaven Collins?
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