Arizona Cardinals sign LB Jason Babin

The Arizona Cardinals sign the veteran linebacker after Alex Okafor was injured during the bye week.

Apparently, the Arizona Cardinals couldn’t escape a costly injury, even without playing a game last weekend. After earning the bye week and practicing late last week, the Cardinals announced today they have signed veteran linebacker Jason Babin and placed Alex Okafor on the non-football injury list.

He has 66.5 sacks in 128 games in his career spanning back to 2004 when he was a first round pick with Houston. His most successful season was in 2011 with the Eagles with 18 sacks in 16 games. In 2013 with the Jags he had  7.5 sacks and 31 total tackles, he also played two games with the Ravens this season. Babin recently played with the Jets in 2014.

Okafor’s injury appears to be toe related and non-football as the designation of his injury suggests. Cory Redding, who rumbled for a touchdown against the Packers in Week 16, was also placed on IR after hurting his ankle in the Week 17 matchup with the Seahawks.

The Cardinals also worked out Matt Shaughnessy, a former member of the team.

Both Babin and Shaughnessy, if signed, could play this week against Green Bay on Saturday Night from Glendale.

Knowing what we know about Steve Keim and Bruce Arians, getting every bit of play left from veterans on prove-it contracts, these signings can only be treated as good things, until proven otherwise.