Philon eyes starting spot at defensive end
On a snap during the fourth day of training camp, Darius Philon exploded out of his three-point stance, charging unerringly at the quarterback. With preparation time effectively cut to nothing by the charging defensive end, the quarterback flubbed his pass. The ball bounced harmlessly into the turf, yards short of its intended target.
“I get on top of the guy’s hips very fast,” Philon said. “So me being a short defensive tackle, I kind of have that explosive power where I can get off the ball as fast as I can and also have the leverage to get up on the offensive lineman.”
That get-off is the kind of thing Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury expects of the team’s new defensive end, who signed with Arizona in May after four years with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We like what we’re seeing,” Kingsbury said. “I mean, he flashes one of the best get-offs I’ve seen.”
With the Cardinals releasing defensive end Robert Nkemdiche on Saturday, Kingsbury continuing to like what he’s seeing from Philon carries more significance.
Nkemdiche had hoped to secure the starting position at defensive tackle. Now, it’s even more likely that Philon will get the chance to start, something he got used to last year when injuries pushed him up the depth chart in Los Angeles and he started 13 games for the Chargers.
Philon was unmoved by the news of Nkemdiche’s release.
“That’s a decision that went on upstairs that I don’t have anything to do with,” Philon said. “But at the end of the day … I can only control what Darius Philon can control.”
Philon, 6-1, put up 9.5 sacks and 80 tackles in four years with the Chargers, adding three tackles in the 2018 playoffs. Beyond physicality, Philon hopes he can bring veteran leadership and postseason experience into the locker room.
“(I’m a) physical, athletic defensive tackle that’s going to come out each and every day and produce, make himself a leader, try to guide these younger guys,” Philon said. “Just show these guys the ropes of just being an NFL player.”
Philon also thinks he will be able to help the Cardinals with his positive presence.
“I’m a likable guy,” he said. “I can get along with everybody, and I can make everybody kind of feel happy about themselves and give everybody in the room a little peace of mind and just go with the flow.”
Like most players in the Cardinals’ locker room, Philon is adjusting to a new defensive scheme this season. The Chargers spent 2018 playing 4-3 and even 4-2 defensive schemes, while the Cardinals are settling into a new 3-4 look under Kingsbury. Philon described his transition so far as “smooth,” in part due to the new head coach.
“He’s doing everything in his willpower to change this thing around, and I’m 100% behind him,” Philon said. “... Every little chance I get to try to talk to him and get some knowledge from him is always good. Like I said, he’s a great guy. He’s going to teach you the game and then he’s going to teach you the skills off the field to better yourself as a human being.”
Kingsbury spoke highly of Philon and 2019 draft pick Zach Allen, both of whom could potentially start this season at defensive end and make up for Nkemdiche’s absence.
“I think once (Philon) gets comfortable in our system, he’s just going to get better and better,” Kingsbury said. “And Zach’s another guy who can play that position, and so we felt like we have good depth there and are very excited about those two guys.”
Although Philon’s transition to the Cardinals’ system has been nearly painless so far, he’s reluctant to draw too many conclusions just from four days of camp.
“It’s training camp, so you won’t really know the true demeanor of the defense until you get into that first game,” Philon said. “We’re just working together as one and building a foundation as a defense.”