As the Cardinals get ready for training camp in a couple of weeks, players are filtering into Arizona after completing their offseason routine. Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck has been training off-facility with some of his teammates out at the Apex Performance Facility in Phoenix. Those teammates include Victor Dimukeje, Jesse Luketa, Xavier Thomas, and Darius Robinson.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Gardeck spoke to the media on July 10 to discuss the offseason, with the Cardinals uploading the press conference video to their YouTube channel.
“This is separation season, you’re trying to compete and get ready to go, bring your best stuff into training camp.”
Gardeck is entering his seventh team with the Cardinals. Over that time, he’s evolved from a special teams-only player to part of their edge rush rotation. He’s coming off a season in which he made eight starts and recorded a career-high 46 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, and 6.0 sacks.
“I need to do more,” said Gardeck. “Be able to fill whatever role that I’m asked to do. Trying to expand, not just being a pass rusher, overall develop my game as a whole.”
The veteran linebacker goes to an unlikely source to consult about his game, the offensive linemen he competes against. Getting a perspective from the other side of the competition can be the insight a player needs to further develop their game.
“I love talking to offensive linemen, a lot of them will give stuff away. I think it’s great to learn stuff from each other. Being able to add the other perspective to my game has really helped.”
The Cardinals elected to go in a different direction for the 2023 season, hiring a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort and head coach in Jonathan Gannon. That first season was about establishing a culture in Arizona, with this offseason focusing in on bringing the right kind of players to improve the culture and taking advantage of excellent draft capital to add young talent to the team.
With the culture established in the first year under Gannon, the goal in 2024 is to take that next step. With the coaching staff intact going into their second year, there’s an opportunity to build on that first year with a clear direction of where they need to go.
“There’s a clear direction, the culture is built, and everybody’s fallen in line. It’s been laid out, we know the steps on how to do it. We understand each other, we know the defense, we understand what’s trying to be accomplished. We’re just moving in sync.”
Arizona is a young football team, with only three players on offense or defense who will over the age of 30 in Week 1. Gardeck will be one of the three players, turning 30 on August 9. With the right type of veterans and coaching, the Cardinals have the potential to grow into a contending football team for the rest of the decade.
We’ll get a first look at the new and improved Cardinals when training camp begins on July 25.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
