Report: Arizona Cardinals adding LB Desmond Bishop
By Phil Watson
The Arizona Cardinals, who surprised many with a 10-6 finish in 2013 that ended just short of a playoff berth, are looking to shore up their depth at inside linebacker by signing free agent Desmond Bishop.
The Cardinals will be without their top two inside linebackers from last season. Daryl Washington is suspended for the season for another violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy and Karlos Dansby left to sign with the Cleveland Browns.
Thus the move to sign Bishop, as reported by Tom Pelissero of USA Today:
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Bishop was a starter for the Green Bay Packers in 2010-11 after three years as a backup, but missed the 2012 season with a severe hamstring injury and was released. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings and played in just four games in 2013 before tearing his ACL in October.
Bishop had five tackles in four games for the Vikings, starting one of them, but had 115 tackles, five sacks and a pass breakup in 2011 for Green Bay in his last healthy season.
The Cardinals currently have second-year man Kevin Minter—who played only two defensive snaps last season—and Larry Foote, a 12-year veteran who was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, at the top of the depth chart at inside linebacker.
Bishop, 30, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Packers out of California in 2007.