Arizona Cardinals: LB Jordan Hicks has star potential

One of the area needing help in the offseason for the Arizona Cardinals was linebacker with Jordan Hicks helping fill that need

When the news broke the Arizona Cardinals were signing linebacker Jordan Hicks, it was good news but with some hesitation in excitement.  Hicks signed as a free agent from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here’s the issue.  He has had to deal with injuries.  He’s played in fewer than 10 games in two of his four seasons in the NFL.

However last season was not one of them.  He played in 12 games in 2018, starting them all.  He started all 16 games as a middle linebacker for the Eagles in 2016.

Last season he had career-high’s in tackles, sacks, and quarterback hits.  He had 91 tackles with three sacks and six quarterback hits.  He also had five passes defensed and a fumble recovery.

There is definitely star potential for Hicks.  The Cardinals must believe that as well judging by the four-year contract they gave him.

If you go by his career stats though, he only produces in even years.  Now, just because that’s been the case over each of his four seasons, doesn’t mean that trend will repeat itself in 2019.

Keep an eye on him though.  He played in only eight games in 2015 and seven in 2017. The Cardinals clearly are counting on him now and in the near future.

If he can stay healthy, then he should produce.  If Hicks played for the Cardinals last season producing those kind of numbers, the need certainly wouldn’t have been as great this offseason.

He should flourish in Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 defense.  Hicks is a name we should expect to hear a lot. The former third round pick out of Texas is still young at 26, another plus for the Cardinals.

The only thing that will stop him will be injury.  The talent is there but it just needs to be consistently present for it to be effective.