This Arizona Cardinals took some big steps to re-tool your linebacker corps this offseason, adding Lorenzo Alexander and Jasper Brinkley in free of cost agency and selecting LSU's Kevin Minter and Texas' Alex Okafor inside the 2013 NFL draft.
The sole constant the Cardinals thought we can have through this period of change was inside linebacker Daryl Miami. However, with Washington now watching an uncertain future, the Redbirds have looked to a player from your past.
On Friday, the Cardinals decided to terms on a one-year deal with veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby. The 31-year-old Dansby, who had a career-high 134 tackles with the Miami Dolphins in 2012, played his first six seasons while using the Cardinals before leaving for Miami in free agency as soon as 2009 season.
Dansby, who had previously been released by the Dolphins quicker this offseason, spoke glowingly of his revisit the desert to Darren Urban of the Cardinals' website:
It's dumbfounding, man. To have this particular opportunity, with Mr. (Michael) Bidwill along with his vision and Discipline (Bruce) Arians' vision, Todd Bowles, the whole team has a vision and I'm an important part of that vision. It's an awesome feeling to have in the event the organization wants you. People wanted me back. It's great. It's awesome right at this moment.
Fans of the Cardinals has to be excited too, because as insurance policies go, it doesn't get much better than this.
Although the Miami Dolphins can have released Dansby, it certainly doesn't appear to have been performance-based. Though Dansby played much of last season with a torn biceps muscle, he still had among the best seasons of his position, grading out 13th amongst all inside linebackers, as per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
As well, as Urban notes, Dansby brings versatility in and understanding of new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' pattern with him to Arizona.
Washington, already suspended with the first four games within the 2013 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, now faces two bills of aggravated assault arising from an altercation together with his ex-girlfriend.
As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk points out, depending on how that situation plays out, it's possible that Washington could facial area further disciplinary action designed for violating the NFL's unique conduct policy.
Now, your Cardinals have hedged their particular bet very nicely, both against Washington's four-game vacation plus the possibility of a longer one. So long as he's out, Dansby might play in his spot, with either Minter or simply Brinkley beside him.
Child, the smart money's at Minter here. Brinkley often have the edge on AMERICAN FOOTBAL experience, and is coming off a season when he had nearly 100 tackles for ones Minnesota Vikings. However, which number is somewhat misleading, as Brinkley also graded out for the fourth-worst inside linebacker inside the NFL, according to PFF.
The simplest plan upon his return could be to simply position both Dansby and Houston inside, while rotating Minter with occasionally.
This would required Cardinals a formidable duo of inside linebackers, while allowing the team to ease Minter into the barricade, much as the team did when Washington accessed the NFL.
However, ESPN's He Williamson (via colleague Matt Sando) posits another potential, one that would let the team to get all three linebackers to the field:
This move as well further implies more 4-3 with Washington at weak-side linebacker and additionally Kevin Minter at midst linebacker. With the Cardinals, their outside linebackers inside of a 3-4 are a liability for your children. They can make that liability go away for good if they play much more 4-3.
At first glimpse, a shift to more 4-3 looks might appear to create some problems at first, but a deeper glance at the roster shows that simply the case.
The Cardinals added a set of 4-3 ends in free agency in Frostee Rucker and additionally Matt Shaughnessy. Rather than ask those players to look at unfamiliar roles, the pair could form a rotation at one end within the line.
At the other end of the line, the Cardinals may well place either Darnell Dockett or even Calais Campbell. That assumes of the fact that team wouldn't just video slot machine them at defensive take on and play both Rucker along with Shaughnessy (and possibly Okafor) at end.
However, that appears to be a waste of the penetrating abilities of Campbell and Dockett, so we'll slot one at end and one at the "3-technique" tackle spot for the sake of argument.
Not alone does Dansby's arrival around Arizona potentially open the doorway for a scheme move, but it also casts greater little uncertainty over Washington's future while using team.
Washington had a phenomenal third season a year ago, matching Dansby's 134 halts and pitching in being unfaithful sacks. However, Washington is also due a whopping $10 million by means of a roster bonus up coming March.
The Bidwill family isn't exactly known for being free spenders. If Washington spends the vast majority of this season suspended, that team may balk from paying that bonus.
That's a less complicated call to make if ever the Cardinals think they may bring Dansby back, especially when he plays well just as before in 2013.
That's a situation for another day, despite the fact that. For now, fans for the Cardinals should just celebrate the signing of Karlos Dansby, a deal that can't be looked at as anything but a giant win for the group.
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