Arizona Cardinals excited about De’Vondre Campbell, reshuffled ILBs

If you took a drink of water every time an NFL analyst said the key to offensive football is about “matchups,” you would be very hydrated.

If you took a drink of an adult beverage in those cases, you would be moving much like old school linebackers attempting to chase down running backs in space or trying to cover massive, fleet-footed tight ends.

Matchup problems are why the Arizona Cardinals this offseason invested heavily to upgrade their inside linebacker group around leader Jordan Hicks.

De’Vondre Campbell was one of their top free agent targets and a surprise addition after they thought he was out of their price range. They then selected two more inside backers in the draft.

The first thing you notice about this group is they are tall.

Campbell is listed at 6-foot-3, as is fourth-round pick Evan Weaver. First-round pick Isaiah Simmons is listed at 6-foot-4.

“Those inside guys, our room just got a lot deeper through the draft, through free agency,” head coach Kingsbury said Wednesday.  “(Campbell’s) intensity, his focus, his athleticism has been awesome. He’s been locked in from Day 1 getting here.

“To have that type of length, that athleticism in our league with the dynamic tight ends that we have to cover is what we need. And then you throw in Isaiah, you draft Evan, you have Hicks here, you have Tanner (Vallejo) here, Zeke (Turner), there’s a lot of quality players that have played a lot of snaps in this league. It’s been fun to see that position progress.”

Campbell’s 129 tackles a year ago for the Atlanta Falcons ranked 13th in the NFL — new teammates Hicks and Budda Baker were in the top-five — but he also added five passes defensed, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Athleticism and production are one thing. Campbell is also expected to take some of the vocal responsibilities off Hicks, who Joseph last year admitted had too much on his plate.

“I try to do my best within the knowledge that I know,” Campbell said. “I don’t try to overstep my boundaries. Jordan is the leader of the team at this point and I just try to help him as best I can. Building a relationship with him on and off the field is my main priority at this point.”

Campbell’s presence is refreshing and, more generally, so is the literal reshaping of what type of player can handle inside linebacker duties.

Last year, it was Haason Reddick expected to start alongside Hicks. Reddick’s knee injury pushed Dennis Gardeck into first team reps early on in camp, while Joe Walker eventually won starting duties as the season went on. None of those players were especially gifted at tracking backs or tight ends on passing plays.

Walker joined the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent, while Reddick and Gardeck are now working with the outside linebackers. Joseph said he expects them to carve out reserve roles behind Chandler Jones and Devon Kennard, the latter of whom was another free agent addition.

Back on the inside, it’s too early in camp to know how Simmons factors into the defense. Hicks will be manning the MIKE position with Campbell taking on the role as more of a coverage man against those tight ends who gashed Arizona for 16 touchdowns last season. Weaver is in line to be Hicks’ backup, while Simmons can play where Campbell does.

“Being around (Campbell) the last couple days, man, you can tell he’s a seasoned vet,” Joseph said a week back. “He’s actually helping Jordan Hicks make some of the calls, which helps Jordan to play more free as a MIKE backer. Campbell is a guy who can help us win. Isaiah being a top-10 pick and his natural skillset … you’ve got to find ways to play those guys.”

In time, the Cardinals could try Simmons alongside Hicks and Campbell in special packages or even line him up as, essentially, a nickelback.

“We have some ideas. I can’t share those,” Joseph said. “We have some ideas to use our best players in the right positions. But it’s always good to have great players. Even Haason Reddick in his role this year, I’m excited about him, Gardeck and Zach (Allen) and those guys.”

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