Arizona Cardinals safeties: A 2015 review
By Scott Allen
Deone Bucannon
So is this guy a safety or a linebacker? He played more as a linebacker but since he is officially listed as a safety I put him in with this group.
No matter the group though, Bucannon is a force to be reckoned with. The man can hit. The man can ball. I have to admit, two years ago I didn’t know much about this guy at all. Then the Cardinals surprised everyone and drafted him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Thank God they did.
He started all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2015. He made 112 tackles. He had seven or more tackles in 10 of his 16 games. He had three passes defensed and one interception. The lack of interceptions is more a product of his being positioned more as a linebacker. He’s there to make stops and that he did on many an occasion last season.
As for what 2016 holds? Nothing but bright lights for this kid. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals officially move him into a linebacker role but he has the speed and body to be a safety as well. That’s the beauty of Bucannon. If the Cardinals fall short in either area because of injury or some other reason, he can step in.
His lone interception in 2015 was a big one. It was a pick-six against the Philadelphia Eagles. You have to love everything he can do on defense. He isn’t going anywhere. He will be a Cardinal for a long time.
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