Report: Cardinals Agree to Terms on One-Year Deal with LB De'Vondre Campbell
A day after reportedly acquiring former Detroit Lions pass-rusher Devon Kennard to fill the open starting outside linebacker position opposite Pro Bowler Chandler Jones, the Arizona Cardinals were not done hitting the market for the quarterback of the defense.
On Thursday, the Cardinals reportedly agreed to terms with Atlanta Falcons linebacker De'Vondre Campbell on a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million. The contract will include incentives, with the base deal set at an unknown lower figure. Campbell, an outside linebacker with Atlanta, will play on the inside in the Cardinals' 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The reported signing makes Cardinals unrestricted free agent Joe Walker more expendable. Walker overtook Haason Reddick as a starter in Week 8 last season. With the reported signing of Campbell, the Cardinals have acquired a potential impact player to pair alongside capable starter Jordan Hicks, who led the team with 158 tackles (116 solo), and also had 11 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks last season.
Campbell is coming off of a career year in 2019. In 16 games played (15 starts), he had a career-high in tackles (129/75 solo), tackles for loss (6), sacks (2), interceptions (2), forced fumbles (3) and fumble recoveries (1). He also led the Falcons in tackles last year.
He was one of four linebackers in the NFL last season to record an interception in back-to-back games, doing so in a 29-3 Week-11 victory over the Carolina Panthers and again in a 35-22 Week-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On March 9, Campbell was confident he would re-sign with Atlanta and told fans on Twitter that was his plan "unless something drastic happens." It is no secret that the Falcons have a salary-cap dilemma this offseason. According to spotrac.com, the Falcons have only $9.8 million available under the salary cap and need approximately $6.4 million for the draft class.
That was not enough to entice the 26-year-old Campbell to return to Atlanta.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2016 from Minnesota to the Falcons, Campbell has spent the entirety of his four-year career in Atlanta. In that time, he has played in 59 games (54 starts) tallying 363 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 16 passes defended, 11 quarterback hits, three interceptions, 5.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
Campbell played in 88.76 percent of the team's defensive snaps last season and earned an 82.0-plus tackling grade in each of the past three seasons according to Pro Football Focus.
*Watch the accompanying film review and analysis of Campbell by former NFL scout Marc Lillibridge via his Bridge’s Breakdown.*
