The Arizona Cardinals are making smart roster moves

Key moves at defensive line and linebacker

Calais Campbell

This loss stung the worst for most Cardinals’ fans. Campbell was an immensely popular player, who was active in the community. He was also widely regarded as one of the league’s top 3-4 defensive ends.

The Cardinals made an effort to re-sign Campbell, reportedly offering a contact in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. They were not, however, willing to be the highest bidder for his services.

Ultimately, what prevented the Cardinals from using more of their cap space to offer Campbell a competitive contract, was a combination of his age and positional value/scarcity. At 30 years old, Campbell probably has some good years left, but he is on the wrong side of his prime. More importantly, however, is that 3-4 defensive end does not fare well in the area of positional importance/scarcity.

Though Campbell grades out as a truly exceptional 3-4 end, the position is just not nearly as important as outside pass rusher. With a pair of strong outside pass rushers in Jones and Golden, the Cardinals can get by with more affordable options like Josh Mauro at defensive end.

Moreover, while 2016 first round pick Robert Nkemdiche has yet to show much on the field, the team is banking on his talent. Either way, the strong pass rush makes a downgrade at defensive end more palatable.

Kevin Minter and Karlos Dansby

Middle linebacker Kevin Minter has been a nice player for the Cardinals, but he’s not a star at his position. He is a thumper, with limited speed and quickness, at a position that is relatively easy to fill.

Minter signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals for $4.25 million. The Cardinals also brought back linebacker Karlos Dansby on a one-year, $2 million contract. In the end the Cardinals appear to have ended up with a better, albeit older player, at less than half the price.