2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: OLB Xavier Thomas
The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Next up is outside linebacker Xavier Thomas.
Xavier Thomas background, 2024 season
The Cardinals selected Thomas from Clemson in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. After a slow start becoming comfortable in the defense, he showed flashes at times of making impact plays.
In 14 games (three inactive), Thomas played 208 defensive snaps (24 percent) and also was on the field for 23 snaps on special teams (six percent). He had 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, one forced fumble and a pass defensed to go with 10 tackles (six solo, two for loss).
Xavier Thomas 2025 contract details, cap hit
In the second year of a four-year contract, Thomas has a base salary of $960,000 this year and a salary-cap charge of $1.053 million.
2025 questions, roster outlook
The Cardinals like what they have seen from Thomas, but they hope he can make a significant jump from Year 1 to Year 2 in a spirited competition with an improved edge-rusher room.
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.
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