Calais Campbell, Cardinals making some progress toward a new deal

When free agency begins in early March, one of the biggest names on the market will be Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell.

If he gets there.

A fourth-year veteran who has flourished in defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s Pittsburgh-style defense, Campbell is on the Cardinals’ retention radar.  Per a league source, the two sides have passed the casual level in their talks and moved to intermediate.

The Cardinals like Campbell a lot, but the Cardinals historically haven’t devoted a bunch of money to home-grown products not named “Larry Fitzgerald.”

Campbell had a sack and a critical forced fumble on Saturday, knocking the ball loose from Bengals running back Cedric Benson during a close-but-no-cigar attempt to dig out of a 23-point hole.

If the Cardinals can’t sign Campbell to a long-term deal, don’t be surprised if they use the franchise tag.  They used the device to hold Karlos Dansby in place for two seasons, before letting him leave for Miami.


(profootballtalk.com)