Arizona Cardinals: Taking a Chance on Sean Weatherspoon

Atlanta Falcons free-agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon services reportedly down to the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals

It didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to start making news once agents were free to start negotiating contracts with new teams on Saturday morning.  By Saturday evening, profootballtalk.com reported that the Cardinals were one of two teams in contention for the services of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.

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The Atlanta Falcons free-agent has not been talked about much here in Arizona about being a possibility but he is a linebacker and that is certainly a need for the Cardinals.  The problem with Weatherspoon is not his production but his health.  He missed all of 2014 due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the offseason prior to the season starting.

Not only did Weatherspoon miss all of last year, he also only played in seven games in 2013.  So, if your the Arizona Cardinals, you have to ask why is this a guy you’d want to pursue.  The linebacker position for the Cardinals has been a revolving door for the last two seasons due to injury and suspension.

Weatherspoon, drafted in 2010 out of Missouri, played his best seasons in 2011 and 2012.  In 2011, he had 115 tackles and four sacks.  In 2012 he had 95 tackles and three sacks.  He had 38 tackles and no sacks in his seven games in 2013.

So what will the Cardinals or Saints be willing to pay Weatherspoon?  It certainly sounds like more than what Atlanta is willing to pay but Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn made it known at the beginning of last week they wanted him back.  At this point for Weatherspoon though you don’t want to over-pay for a guy whose health is going to always be in question.

There’s no denying Weatherspoon is a productive player when he is at 100 percent.  However since he hasn’t been at that point in two seasons, just what can you expect of him.  He is still young so he does have that going for him.  I just think at this point the Cardinals especially need to be careful about how much they put into a guy at linebacker.