Clark Haggans Will Be a Starting OLB for the Arizona Cardinals This Season

by Hawkwind on Apr 30, 2009 8:09 AM MDT

When the Arizona Cardinals signed Clark Haggans to a three year contract earlier this off season, we were a bit surprised by the length of the contract considering Haggans' age. Well their master plan is starting to become more clear. Darren Urban reported yesterday that the defense will look more like a traditional 3-4 this year with the outside linebackers assuming more well rounded roles. In Clancy Pendergast's hybrid defense, one OLB would be primarily responsible for dropping into coverage (think Chike Okeafor) and the other OLB/DE would be primarily a pass rusher (think Bertrand Berry and Travis LaBoy), but that will no longer be the case. Under new defensive coordinator, Bill Davis, the Cardinals outside linebackers will look and act much more like the linebackers of traditional 3-4 squads like the Steelers and Patriots.

That wasn't the only news nugget that Urban had though as he also said that Clark Haggans will be the starter opposite of Chike Okeafor. Haggans has plenty of experience in the traditional 3-4 (61 starts with the Steelers) and that's a big reason why Ken Whisenhunt wanted to bring him him as a free agent last season, but Haggans didn't play much with the regular defense last year though and it'll be interesting to see how he responds with a return to the starting lineup. One thing worth watching though will be how Haggans (32 years old) and Okeafor (33 years old) hold up over the course of a full season as starters. Are you concerned with Haggans and Okeafor as starters or is this a good sign that we're moving to a traditional 3-4 defense? Does this also put more pressure on Cody Brown, who would presumably be the top backup on both sides?

Haggans2_medium

Maybe we'll see more plays like this goal line stand against the Niners.

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Looks like we are definitely turning the corner with our defense.

CH will be just fine starting and obviously he are CO are mentors for Davis and Brown. They will show them the right way to play the position before it is turned over to them. Nice move Whiz.

by hevchv on Apr 30, 2009 8:49 AM MDT reply actions

We fans don't know what we're talking about.

Since the Cards cut LaBoy, the assumption has always been that Okeafor and Berry would start at OLB. I’ve even heard suggestions that cutting LaBoy instead of Okeafor must show that the Cards have zero faith in Haggans, since Berry is LaBoy’s backup and Haggans is Okeafor’s backup. So much for that idea, right?

What this tells me is that only the Cardinals know what their plans are. Whether the plans are any good or not, we have no idea what they are. We will type dissertations trying to dissect and explain what we think the Cards have up their sleeves, but for all the good it will do we might as well be farting at each other.

by Vaegrin on Apr 30, 2009 9:10 AM MDT reply actions

+1

Doesn’t it feel awfully good to know that our organization finally has a plan? For so many years we screamed at the TV telling the Cards what they should be doing, but now they seem like they’re one step ahead of us.

For once, I’ve never been so giddy about being ignorant. Keep it up Whiz!!

by Bezekira on Apr 30, 2009 9:27 AM MDT up reply actions