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TEMPE, Ariz. -- All the work Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones put in over the past two seasons transitioning from a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end to a stand-up outside linebacker will come in handy under new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb. During his introductory news conference last week, Holcomb wouldn't commit to moving Jones back to defensive end, the position he played for four seasons with the New England Patriots, or keeping him at outside linebacker, where he lined up for the Cardinals after he was traded to Arizona in 2016. "We're really going to try and do what it's the best interest of our football team," Holcomb said. "We're going to put our players in the best position to be successful, whether they're in a two-point stance or a three-point stance. So, we're going to be multiple in things that we do." Jones, in theory, should be prepared for that.  He spent 2016 adjusting to new sight lines and fine-tuning his pass-rushing technique from standing up. Last season, he turned in one of the best seasons ever for a Cardinals defender, recording a league-high and franchise-best 17 sacks.
Under former defensive coordinator James Bettcher, Jones moved around quite a bit. Even though he spent the majority of his snaps at right outside linebacker last season, he also lined up at left outside linebacker and right and left end, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Like Holcomb plans to do, the Cardinals ran multiple fronts and schemes under Bettcher. "When you look at the NFL today, really no one is set in a 4-3 or a 3-4. Everyone is multiple, based on game plan tendencies and things that you want to try and present to the offense," Holcomb said. "So, it's just finding out what our guys do best, where they feel most comfortable, and then obviously as a coaching staff we have to put them in a position to make plays." What Jones does best is rush the passer. No one has more sacks than Jones since 2015. When Holcomb installs his new system -- not a new scheme, as new head coach Steve Wilks has consistently said since he was hired on Jan. 22 -- he said there'll be subtle differences, mainly in terminology. But Holcomb isn't just inheriting one elite pass-rusher. He's getting two. Markus Golden had a team-high 12.5 sacks in 2016 but didn't record one before tearing his ACL four games into last season. But, paired with Jones, Golden provides the Cardinals with one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL. "I think that's special," Holcomb said. "Philosophically, we're going to line up and stop the run every week, and that's going to be the main objective. But we know that this league has some great quarterbacks in it. You have to have the element of being able to rush the passer, which those guys do. We're going to put them in position and try to continue to allow them to have success, more than anything. I think it's a great starting point for us. "There are some great pieces, like I mentioned earlier, on all three levels, but particularly up front with your edge rushers. Those guys are pretty special ... and I'm looking forward to it."
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