Replacing LB Kyzir White 'pretty wide open' for Arizona Cardinals in offseason
The offseason is about competition for roles in the NFL, but for the Arizona Cardinals, that is especially the case for one role in particular. They need to replace starting inside linebacker Kyzir White.
They signed Akeem Davis-Gaither. Mack Wilson has played in a Mike linebacker role before. They drafted Cody Simon in the fourth round.
Who will emerge as the starter?
"I would say everything's pretty wide open," defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said this week after Tuesday's practice during OTAs. "We talk about roles, and there are really two phases of roles — there is competing and there are defined. And roles ultimately aren't defined until (we are) going into the first game of the season.
"And roles can change throughout the season. So you've got to continue to perform at a high level. But right now we're in a competing phase, so there are a lot of guys getting an opportunity to go out there and show what their role can be, whether that's for what Kyzir's role was last year or any role on the defense."
Davis-Gaither, who ended the season as a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals following the season-ending injury to Logan Wilson, is the likely favorite to win the job.
We will see more clearly what things look like when training camp begins at the end of July and we can see what the practice rotations look like.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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