Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals linebacking corps among NFL's best

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With one trade and three draft choices general manager Steve Keim has given the Arizona Cardinals an impressive set of linebackers

It’s hard to find a weakness with the Arizona Cardinals’ starting linebackers. The group has been the most productive part of the defense through the six games played.

General manager Steve Keim is the architect of the quartet. The draft provided three of the pieces. The fourth was acquired in a trade last March, and it’s a deal that’s looking brilliant.

Chandler Jones came over from the New England Patriots, and seems to have elevated his teammates’ play. Though he was brought in to provide a pass rush, he’s given the club much more than just sacks. He’s been quite a force versus the run and has also exhibited excellent leadership qualities.

Second-year pro Markus Golden has benefited the most from the presence of Jones. He’s already accumulated six sacks, surpassing the four he had all of last season as a rookie. He’s also fourth on the team in tackles, and is arguably the defense’s MVP through six games.

Safety turned inside linebacker Deone Bucannon continues to be productive at a position he appears to be under-sized at. Bucannon has been a tackling machine, despite a listed weight of just 211 pounds. He does his job in a quiet, workmanlike manner and has justified his being a first-round pick.

Kevin Minter hasn’t been anything special since being drafted out of LSU in 2013. But the inside linebacker has come into his own this season. His 30 tackles is good for third on the Cards, and he also has a somewhat surprising 2.5 sacks.

What’s nice about the foursome is that Jones is its oldest member, and he’s just 26. Both he and Minter are scheduled for unrestricted free agency next offseason. Re-signing the duo and keeping the corps intact should be a priority for the front office.

There’s still 10 games remaining in this season however, and hopefully the early success will continue. They’ll need to keep up the production with some top-tier opponents coming up on the schedule.

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