NFL teams often end up regretting some of the free agent signings they make. The Arizona Cardinals had a rough run of free agency a year ago, signing Sam Bradford, Justin Pugh and Andre Smith. Bradford and Smith ended up being benched and released during the season and Pugh landed on injured reserve, missing more than half the season for the second consecutive year.
As free agency approaches in 2019, Pro Football Focus compiled a list of free agents teams should avoid overpaying.
Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon is on the list.
Arizona Cardinals’ Deone Bucannon had a career year playing his hybrid linebacker/safety role in 2015, giving reason to believe the former Washington State first-rounder could be a difference-maker in the NFL for years to come. That simply hasn’t been the case.
Bucannon has failed to come close to his career-high 72.6 overall grade in 2015 in the three seasons following, earning extremely low run-defense and coverage grades in the process. He’s a former first-rounder with a lot of natural ability, but paying him the big bucks in the offseason could prove costly.
He has been hampered by injuries the last three years. Undersized as a linebacker, his body could be breaking down. He struggled last season in Steve Wilks’ defense.
With the Cardinals bringing back a 3-4 defense, Bucannon might be a good fit to re-sign with Arizona, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has never used an inside linebacker that is lighter than 230 pounds. Bucannon is listed at 211.
Teams likely will not pay Bucannon a lot. However, as the saying goes, it only takes one team.
Bucannon comes with risk. It would appear coming back to Arizona is a possibility, but with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants both having defensive coordinators under whom he thrived, those destinations seem more likely than a return to Arizona.
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