Three players the Arizona Cardinals must retain in free agency
By Sion Fawkes
De’Vondre Campbell
Campbell came over on a one-year prove-it deal from the Atlanta Falcons. He played in all 16 games and along with Jordan Hicks, was a monster in the middle, piling 91 total tackles along with 2 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.
The clear upside with keeping Campbell is that it will give the Cardinals a three-way rotation at inside linebacker if you include Isaiah Simmons. Further, keeping Campbell also means the Cardinals can continue to play Simmons all over the field.
While Simmons’ natural position is middle linebacker, his versatility makes him suited to be a utility on defense who can play outside linebacker, safety, and even corner. Without Campbell, it’s highly likely you’ll see the Cardinals forced to play Simmons at inside linebacker for the majority of his snaps.
Not only will it force the Cardinals to commit Simmons at one position; they’ll also lack depth at inside linebacker. Keeping Campbell will solve both issues. And since he’ll be 28 by the time the 2021 season rolls around, he still has a lot of football left in him.