Arizona Cardinals defense will still blitz a lot, despite pass rusher additions

There has been the idea floating around the football world that fans and media live in that the Arizona Cardinals will be a little less aggressive defensively entering 2016 because they were able to bolster their pass rush, trading for Chandler Jones and more.

Some believe the addition of Jones will allow the defense to get pressure rushing four men only and dropping seven into coverage.

That makes sense, right?

It does until you realize it is Bruce Arians who coaches the Arizona Cardinals. He doesn't sound like there will much less blitzing.

Appearing on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM with Dan Bickley and Vince Marotta, Arians laughed at that notion.

"If I'm calling them we're still blitzing," Arians said. "I'm not a big four-man rush guy, I don't care how good they are."

Now, to be fair, Arians doesn't call the defensive plays, but he does hire the guy who does, so obviously that trait will probably be evident. He loved Todd Bowles. Bowles loved to blitz -- not just to get to the passer. He once said you blitz for a number of reasons -- to get to the quarterback, to run blitz or even to force a running back who can be a weapon in the passing game to have to stay in protection.

Current defensive coordinator James Bettcher learned under Bowles. He blitzed a lot -- more than any other team last year.

Bettcher says this about the defense, via Arizona Sports -- "we are who we are on defense -- we're an aggressive, attacking defense."

Maybe the blitzes will look different and perhaps they will be a little less frequent, but it would appear that we should expect more of the same.

"No risk it, no biscuit," right? And don't we all love biscuits?