The Cardinals have added more depth at the linebacker position, with NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reporting that Arizona has signed former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Markus Bailey to a one-year deal.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The #AZCardinals are signing former #Bengals LB Markus Bailey to a 1-year deal, source said. Bailey was a core special teamer for Cincinnati with 20 ST tackles over the past two seasons.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 7, 2024
Markus Bailey, 27, is a former seventh round selection by the Bengals out of Purdue in 2020. He’s logged 73 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in four seasons. He has only played 87 snaps on defense over the past two years but has recorded 586 snaps and 20 tackles as a core special teamer for Cincinnati.
The Cardinals added Mack Wilson Sr. on a three-year deal from New England earlier in the offseason, as they look for pieces to build upon in the second level of the defense. Wilson and Kyzir White are expected to be the primary starters at linebacker, with Dennis Gardeck serving as the team’s third linebacker in base defense. Bailey’s ability to contribute on special teams should help his case towards making the Cardinals roster as a reserve linebacker.
The Cardinals will begin OTAs on May 20 to kick off their offseason program.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
