After a season with what looked like a dearth of top talent at inside linebacker in 2019, the Arizona Cardinals now find themselves with an abundance. Jordan Hicks returns after a career season, the Cardinals signed De’Vondre Campbell to a one-year free agent deal and then drafted Isaiah Simmons eighth overall in the first round.
Playing time will be a battle, as the team expects Simmons to make an impact early on. The Cardinals also view Campbell as a critical piece. According to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Campbell was the team’s No. 1 target in free agency.
Now, with Simmons, it appears both will have to share snaps.
Campbell is not worried and believes this is a good problem to have.
“There are plenty of snaps to go around,” he said in a video conference with reporters. “You can never have enough great players.”
He also referred to Simmons as “gifted” and “a unicorn.”
His physical skills and his playmaking in college are well known.
Campbell has been impressed with how he has been learning.
“He’s very intelligent,” he said. “He’s picking up on the defense pretty fast.”
Campbell said he is learning the defense quiet well, too.
He said there is only one thing to do in this situation.
“At this point, the only thing we can do is take it day by day and compete and continue to make each other better,” he said.
If both are impactful, both will find their way on the field.
Campbell is motivated to play at a high level. He only got a one-year contract and the Cardinals drafted a player who plays his position.
Once the Cardinals can get on the practice field and then head to training camp and the preseason, it will be one of the more important position battles to watch.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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