Newly-signed Campbell still wants to improve

Calais Campbell is happy the business of his contract has
been taken care of.

The 25-year-old defensive lineman and the Cardinals agreed
to a five-year contract, ensuring the emerging star
remains in the Valley until at least 2016.

He couldn’t be more pleased.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” he told the
media Friday. “I really feel like this team is a special
team, and I feel like if we just continue to get better,
we can definitely be a championship team.”

Campbell was a rookie when the Cardinals had their run to
Super Bowl XLIII, though his role with the team has grown
significantly since then.

A starter at defensive end the last couple seasons,
Campbell saw his stock — and stats — rise this last
season, when he posted career-best numbers in tackles
(72), sacks (8), forced fumbles (2) and blocked kicks (3).

In other words, he was a beast, and the Cardinals made
sure to lock him up rather than watch him leave, like many
other Cardinals had done in the past.

“We’ve said it many times our objective is to become a
championship team, both on and off the field, and become a
championship organization,” Cardinals GM Rod Graves said
at the press conference. “It starts with the core
players.”

Campbell is one of those guys, and he will be expected to
be even better in 2012 than he was in 2011. That shouldn’t
be a problem, according to the former third-round pick.

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