Free agent ILB De’Vondre Campbell agrees to sign with Arizona Cardinals
Mar 19, 2020, 10:35 AM
The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to sign inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million, his agent told reporters, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Campbell, 26, finished 2019 with 129 tackles, 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He also had two interceptions and five pass deflections and is regarded as a capable coverage man.
At 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, he projects to fill a void at inside linebacker alongside Jordan Hicks, the play-caller who finished with 149 tackles last season.
Campbell was a fourth-round pick by Atlanta in 2016.
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Joe Walker, who is a free agent, finished last season as the starter for Arizona after taking the majority of snaps from 2017 first-round pick Haason Reddick. The Cardinals moved Reddick to the outside linebacker spot midseason.
The signing of Campbell comes a day after Arizona addressed a need at outside linebacker by agreeing to sign Devon Kennard, a former Detroit Lion.
In addition to the agreed-to trade that will acquire receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals have worked fast in addressing other needs at starting positions.
Defensively, depth could be addressed on the interior of the line and at safety, where second-year pros Jalen Thompson and Deionte Thompson return.
On offense, starting center A.Q. Shipley remains a free agent. The Cardinals tendered right tackle Justin Murray, who started 12 games for Arizona last year, but it remains to be seen if the team will upgrade that spot as well.
Additionally, placing a transition tag on running back Kenyan Drake and sending David Johnson to the Houston Texans in the Hopkins deal signaled the team will do everything it can to bring Drake back.
