Is Karlos Dansby an option for the Arizona Cardinals (again)

On Wednesday the Cleveland Brows released veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby, saving themselves $5m in the 2016 season, and putting an end to the “toughest two years” of Dansby’s career.

If you will remember, Dansby returned to the Arizona Cardinals for the 2013 season where he 123 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks and four interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. It was a career year for the player who was on a Steve Keim Special “prove it” contract. Dansby proved is, and left in free agency to get paid.

Some Cardinals fans were burned by the news that Dansby leveraged his excellent play into a big paycheck rather than stick around with the organization that gave him a chance, and felt like home. Players lambasted him as well, including the outspoken former Cardinal, Darnell Docket.

Dansby went to Cleveland on a big money deal for a 32 year old player who still excelled 108 combined tackles, no sacks, three interceptions and two touchdowns. Not quite the career year, but his play in the middle of the field was a disruption, for sure.

Dansby was on the radio today with former/retired Arizona Cardinal Bertrand Berry’s Off the Edge on 98.7FM in Phoenix and, well, didn’t rule out a return to the Valley:

"The third time could be the charm, you know, I can’t say it couldn’t be."

Steve Keim has been quoted as stated that he still has to watch the tape on Dansby to see if he’s a fit for Arizona, but his play over the last two seasons on a terrible Cleveland team could be an indication that the player can still play. The thing is, he’s definitely shooting for a ring at this point in his career, and “respect”. How that respect is observed is in question. Money is one form of respect, personal respect can be relayed in many different ways.

Dansby would come on to an Arizona Cardinals team that, in some ways, is just as he left it two years ago, and in others, with the recent addition of Chandler Jones and amazing players like Deone Bucannon, a lot has changed as well. If Dansby would be brought back, for a team-friendly deal, would he have a problem with possibly not being an every down linebacker?

Other teams are gunning for his services, including the Cincinnati Bengals who saw him twice a year for the last two seasons and will be without Vontaze Burfict for the first three games of the season after his suspension kicks in.