Cardinals LB Deone Bucannon stays in the moment as free agency looms

TEMPE, Ariz. — Deone Bucannon sounds the same as he did when he was benched earlier this season. He hasn’t lost focus or been a pill.

After all, what would that add? It’s been a rough year for everyone in the Arizona Cardinals’ locker room through a 3-10 season.

For Bucannon, the remaining three games present a chance to fight not only for pride but next year’s paycheck. Unlike anyone else on the roster, though, his career arc already includes a pronounced peak.

But he’ll leave any thoughts of his future to his agent.

“All I can do is kill off these last three games for us to get wins,” Bucannon said. “I play football. (My agent) does what he does. If he doesn’t do what he does, then you’re going to have to go. Just like me.”

Heading into a Sunday game against the Atlanta Falcons, the linebacker is attempting to return from chest and shoulder injuries. Limited in practice on Wednesday and having been out since Arizona’s Nov. 18 loss to the Oakland Raiders, Bucannon is hoping he can play in Atlanta.

“We’re definitely going to try to get Deone back on the field,” head coach Steve Wilks said without divulging which packages Bucannon might be used in. “We definitely want to get him out there.”

The Cardinals lost starting middle linebacker Josh Bynes earlier in the season but have gotten solid play from Haason Reddick and Gerald Hodges of late.

Hurting Bucannon’s chances of joining them, Arizona has favored two-linebacker units to keep slot corner Budda Baker on the field at all times.

“Josh is a hell of a leader, he’s done a tremendous job this year. Haason, young player, he’s done a great job and he’s grown so much within in this defense,” Bucannon said. “My guy Gerald … he was on the bench, he was chillin’. We have a lot of depth at linebacker.”

And if the Cardinals feel the same way, it might explain why they might move on from Bucannon, their 2014 first-round draft pick.

Under the former regime led by Bruce Arians, Bucannon was indispensable. He was cited as one of the first safety-linebacker hybrids with great success in the NFL.

This year under Wilks, Bucannon has instead faced inconsistent playing time after he recorded a season-high 79 snaps in Week 1. Since then, he’s played snap counts of 25, 1, 48, 4, 2, 7, 39, 10 and 18 when healthy.

“All I can show is the reps I do get, go 100 percent,” Bucannon said. “Me as a competitor and me as a player I know how to be, I feel like I’m an every-down player. Not everybody is going to see it that way.”

Even before his recent injury, he said there was nothing explicitly holding him back.

“Great. I felt solid. I felt really good,” he said.

Bucannon hasn’t complained publicly about his role. He said multiple times Wednesday he understands the business and doesn’t hold a grudge that the coaches have not used him as an every-down player.

Bucannon said he doesn’t know how interested the Cardinals might be in bringing him back.

He’s not ruling anything out.

“It could be here. That’s what free agency is for,” the linebacker said. “Everything is on the table. I’d be a fool to be closed-minded in this league.

“I love Arizona, I love the fans. This is where I started, this is where I was drafted. I appreciate Mr. Bidwill and (GM Steve) Keim, they’ve given me this opportunity. That’s not even my realm. Free agency’s a whole other department I’m not a master in. Honestly, I just want to play football as long as I can and I want to be somewhere where I’ll be appreciated and they use me to the best of my abilities.”

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