GLENDALE, Ariz. — Defense carried Arizona to a 10-6 record in coach Bruce Arians’ first season with the Cardinals.
The playmaking heart of that unit was the inside linebacker duo of Karlos Dansby and Daryl Washington, and neither will be a Cardinal this season. Dansby, the team’s leading tackler for his one season back in Arizona, left to sign with Cleveland. Washington was suspended for a year for a repeat violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
So, as training camp opens this weekend, the position will be under the scrutiny of Arians and his defensive staff.
Kevin Minter, a second-round draft choice out of LSU last year, has been penciled in at Dansby’s spot. Minter played only one down on defense as a rookie and is eager to show he can do the job.