The former Atlanta Falcons linebacker spent most of the past two seasons out with injuries, including a ruptured Achilles tendon last year.
In spite of a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, the Arizona Cardinals still maintained the league’s fifth best scoring defense. In order to help maintain that standard, the Cardinals will be looking to build at linebacker.
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From Yahoo! Sports:
"Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will sign a one-year deal worth just south of $4 million with the Arizona Cardinals, a league source told Yahoo Sports.Weatherspoon looks to restart his stalled career on the short-term deal in Arizona after five years with the Falcons, who made him the 19th overall pick in the 2010 draft."
Weatherspoon has spent 25 of the past 32 possible regular season games out with injury, including spending the entire 2014 season on injured reserve with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
However, while he was healthy Sean Weatherspoon was a defensive force, providing the Falcons with excellent mobility and tackling in the running game while showing promise as a pass rusher. Weatherspoon did struggle somewhat in coverage, but he still was among Atlanta’s best defensive standouts.
For Arizona, it is unsure if they plan to deploy Weatherspoon at inside or outside linebacker. Weatherspoon has traditionally played outside linebacker, but was set to move to the inside when the Falcons transitioned to a 3-4 defense this year before his injury. The Cardinals interest may be due to the departure of Pro Bowl linebacker Daryl Washington, who was suspended for the entire 2014 season for breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Washington may remain on the sidelines for 2015 due to a domestic violence issue.
From Pro Football Talk:
"Washington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault last March after being arrested for pushing the mother of his daughter hard enough that she fell and broke her collarbone. The league has not handed down any discipline for that case, but it seems likely and president Michael Bidwill said that the Cardinals aren’t planning around Washington’s presence as a result."
The Cardinals may also look to the draft for a middle linebacker, where Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney and Miami’s Denzel Perryman would likely be available when the Cardinals pick 24th. The Cardinals incorporate a 3-4 defense, so Sean Weatherspoon may be tasked with moving to the inside.
In any event, the Cardinals will be picking up a top-flight run stuffer, even if he is injury prone.
[H/T: Yahoo! Sports, Pro Football Talk]