The Arizona Cardinals are near a deal with outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley.
With free agency officially underway, the Arizona Cardinals are one of the busier teams at the moment. Prior to the official opening of the period, reports began surfacing that former Pittsburgh Steeler LaMarr Woodley would be joining the Cardinals.
Woodley spent one season with the Oakland Raiders. He played in just six games in 2014 at right defensive end, after spending the first seven seasons of his career as an outside linebacker in Pittsburgh’s vaunted 3-4 defense.
Woodley really struggled in 2014, racking up just three tackles and did not account for a quarterback sack.
Prior to 2014, his worst season in sacks was 4.0, which he had in his rookie season and again in 2012. Still, for his career, Woodley has 57.0 sacks in eight seasons.
He has forced nine fumbles and scored two defensive touchdowns.
The Cardinals saw their best pass rusher from 2014, Alex Okafor, arrested on Monday after resisting arrest and fleeing on foot in Austin–where he played his college ball–one day before the beginning of free agency.
It’s much too early to say what the fate of Okafor will be, whether he is suspended by the NFL, or what happens, but the addition of Woodley seems to be a precautionary move should Okafor miss significant time.
That’s because the Cardinals are probably not out of the sweepstakes for the more high-profile outside linebacker Brian Orakpo.
Orakpo is also coming off a disappointing season in 2014, registering just 0.5 sacks in seven games for Washington. In two fewer seasons than Woodley, though, Orakpo has 40.0 sacks.
Even Okafor were not to miss any time for the Cardinals due to his recent arrest, the Cardinals were set to move in this direction anyway. Despite fielding the fifth-best scoring defense in 2014, the Cardinals were 24th in yards allowed.
And they were also 24th in sacks, bringing down the quarterback just 35 times all season.
Hence the priority of acquiring pass rushers this offseason. Okafor needed help. Now the Cardinals’ D may need even a little more help. That is the primary reason that Woodley was signed.
It also makes Arizona look like Pittsburgh West, and to some extent that is true.
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