Raising Zona
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5 available free agents that can help the Arizona Cardinals win-now

By Avery Duncan

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 07: Josh Bynes #57 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates after a sack of C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 07: Josh Bynes #57 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates after a sack of C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 10: Linebacker Josh Bynes #57 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes the football against the Tennessee Titans during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Titans 12-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 10: Linebacker Josh Bynes #57 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes the football against the Tennessee Titans during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Titans 12-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Josh Bynes – LB

Releasing Josh Bynes continues to look like a puzzling move by the Cardinals. The team added Jordan Hicks to replace him, but behind the newly signed linebacker and Haason Reddick, there doesn’t look to be much quality depth on the roster. For a team switching to a linebacker heavy 3-4 scheme, this doesn’t appear to be a good thing.

But, Bynes could fix that. In two seasons as a Cardinal, the inside linebacker proved that he deserves a shot to remain in the league. He was one of the few bright spots of the 2018 defense as he started 11 games and tallied 75 total tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss, and five pass deflections.

Pro Football Focus also graded Bynes as one of the better linebackers during the ’18 season. The analytics firm gave him a 75.8 grade, which ranked him 14th in the league at the position. His 81.1 run-defense grade ranked him 11th in the league, while his 34 defensive stops put him at 36th, per PFF.

Bynes’ release confused many, including myself. The Cardinals simply had one of their better defensive players locked up. Though the team addressed the position in free agency with the signing of Hicks, there is still skepticism for the group as a whole. Bynes could change that train of thought, as he’d bring familiarity, and at minimum, quality depth for the team.

Luckily, Bynes remains a free agent. But at 29 years old with two solid seasons of play behind him, that may not stay true for very long. If the Cardinals decide to right their wrongs and re-sign Bynes, it would come off as a win-win for both sides.

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