NFL Rumors: Arizona Cardinals to be Involved with Bruce Irvin

The latest NFL rumors have the Arizona Cardinals showing legitimate interest in free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin. The addition of Irvin would give an already loaded Cardinals’ defense a valuable pass rusher on the outside.

While NFL teams are not allowed to officially sign free agents until Wednesday, the period where they can talk to them is open. With a ton of moves that may or may not happen, the NFL rumor mill is going to be out of control with potential landing places for the league’s free agents the next couple of days.

We have already seen a handful of free agency rumors, but this one stood out to me as specifically interesting. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin is going to be one of the most sought-after free agents on the market. His versatility as a coverage LB and a ferocious pass rusher is going to make Irvin a lot of money this off season.

With head coaches who have coached Irvin as the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks in the past, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons have been the two teams most commonly connected to Irvin. However, there is going to be nearly league-wide interest on such a talented player.

With only $16 million in cap space this off season (according to Spotrac), the Arizona Cardinals are not widely expected to be major players for the top-tier free agents. However, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals are showing interest in Irvin. “Keep an eye on #AZ Cardinals,” Rapoport tweeted earlier on Monday, “They like him.”

The Cardinals’ defense is loaded with impact talent throughout the roster. They have an impressive core of talented young players who have given them a productive overall unit in recent years. That being said, they have lacked impact players at their linebacker positions. The Cardinals have struggled in recent years to find both inside linebackers and pass rushing OLB in their 3-4 defense.

Adding Irvin to the mix would help solve both of those issues.

Sep 13, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals fans cheer with defense sign during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Irvin could be an absolute star for the Cardinals as an attacking rush linebacker on the outside. He has never played in a 3-4 defense, but it would be a similar situation to how he was used in Seattle. Irvin was primarily a pass rusher from the outside linebacker position, but in the Cardinals’ 3-4 defense, the OLB will get more opportunities to rush the passer.

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Irvin is seemingly a perfect fit to stand up on the outside and simply use his impressive speed and overall athleticism on the outside. Irvin also shows impressive skills in pass coverage, and I could see the Cardinals using him as an option on the inside at times as well. The Cardinals are an impressive overall organization with few holes on the roster, but Irvin is the kind of player that fills their needs while bringing huge impact and upside.

The Cardinals are going to have a tough time bringing Irvin into the fold. The Jaguars are clearly interested, and money is simply not an object for them. Gus Bradley would love to get Irvin into his defense, and the Jaguars have a ridiculous $83 million in cap space to work with this off season. It is going to be difficult for any team to pry him away from Jacksonville.

That being said, if Irvin wants an opportunity to make a significant defense for a true Super Bowl contender, he would be wise to consider the Cardinals. This is an organization that is set up to succeed right now, and adding Irvin to the mix would help them drastically for next season.

More nfl spin zone: Five Free Agent Predictions for Jacksonville Jaguars

For the sake of the Cardinals, I hope this is one of those NFL rumors that actually comes true.

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