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Arizona Cardinals Linebacker Situation Goes From Strength to Weakness

Once Daryl Washington returned from suspension against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 of the 2013 season, the Arizona Cardinals were able to put out one of the best inside linebacker tandems in the entire National Football League. Teaming up with veteran Karlos Dansby, Washington continued to prove why he was one of the best young players at his position. 

Dansby and Washington combined for 197 tackles, 9.5 sacks, six interceptions and a whopping 29 passes defended. They were the heart and soul of a defense that yielded the seventh-fewest points in the National Football League.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) Dansby finished as the fifth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in 2013. Meanwhile, Washington ranked No. 4 at that position in coverage. 

When the Cleveland Browns signed Dansby away from Arizona on a four-year, $24 million contract, general manager Steve Keim didn’t panic. After all, he just selected former LSU standout Kevin Minter in the secound round of the 2013 draft. The idea of replacing an aging and expensive veteran with a high-upside youngster made a ton of sense for a team looking to upgrade at other positions. However, Keim was working under the premise that Washington would be available during the 2014 season. As one of the best young linebackers in the NFL, he could help Minter take that next step towards legitimate starter status.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Washington simply couldn’t stay out of trouble off the field.

As you know already, Washington was suspended for the entire 2014 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. While some expected him to miss the early part of the year due to another off-field incident involving domestic violence, the news that Washington would be lost for the whole year had to catch the Cardinals by surprise.

With both Washington and Dansby out of the mix, Arizona is going to rely on veterans Larry Foote and Lorenzo Alexander to fill the void. One of those guys will be starting opposite Minter when the season starts in September.

That’s a dramatic downgrade from what the Cardinals had last season and has to be cause for alarm considering they still have to close the gap between themselves and the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. Any downtick in production from Arizona’s defense, and it doesn’t stand a chance in that division. Heck, it needs to improve on both sides of the ball to overtake one of those two teams.

If not, it will be right back to the drawing board and the inside linebacker position might very well be to blame for that.

Photo: Amazon.com

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