Cardinals LB Deone Bucannon to have MRI on hyperextended knee

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon suffered a hyperextended left knee Thursday and will undergo an MRI after missing practice Friday, head coach Steve Wilks said.

“I really don’t expect him to miss a long period of time,” Wilks told the media Friday morning, adding he held Bucannon out as a precaution.

Bucannon recorded 82 tackles, 1.0 sack, an interception and two forced fumbles over 12 games in 2017. For 2018, the linebacker is taking on more responsibility in first-year defensive coordinator Al Holcomb’s 4-3 defense as the main playcaller. Veteran Karlos Dansby, who remains a free agent, served that role last season.

Entering his fifth NFL season, Bucannon will be an unrestricted free agent after this coming year.

Drafted in the first round (27th overall) by Arizona in 2014 out of Washington State, Bucannon converted from safety to $LB and played all 16 regular season games his first two years in the NFL. His most productive year came in 2015, when he recorded a team-high 112 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

The Cardinals’ depth at linebacker heading into the 2018 season is limited behind Bucannon and projected starters Josh Bynes and Haason Reddick. Arizona has three rookies — Dennis Gardeck, Matthew Oplinger and Airius Moore — along with third-year pro Jeremy Cash, second-year pro Scooby Wright III and fourth-year pro Edmond Robinson on the training camp roster.

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