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The Arizona Cardinals knew they needed depth at the outside linebacker position.
When Alex Okafor signed with the New Orleans Saints this morning, it meant they needed to act fast to get that depth taken care of.
Well, a few short hours later, Ian Rapoport is reporting the Cardinals will sign ex-Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones.
Source: OLB Jarvis Jones is expected to sign with the #AZCardinals. The former #Steelers first pick likely finds a home.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2017
Jones has been a massive disappointment in Pittsburgh, registering only six sacks in his career.
I asked Steelers fans for their take on Jones:
@suazobyf @revengeofbirds @btsteelcurtain not a good pass rusher,average against run & seemed lost in space in coverage: otherwise he's good
— Tim Murphy (@tmurph1958) March 13, 2017
Take a hard pass if you expect a pass rusher https://t.co/2EyFAhrVJC
— BTSC Steelers (@btsteelcurtain) March 13, 2017
@revengeofbirds @btsteelcurtain Above avg run defender. Well below avg pass rusher.
— Fred Watkins (@FreddyTweets_) March 13, 2017
It will be interesting to see where and how the Cardinals utilize Jones. He is substantially smaller than Okafor was, so he may not be able to fill that role as the fourth pass rusher in their speed packages, unless they plan on moving Golden and Jones around more.
However, we have seen Arizona have success with pass rushers who are not stereotypical in their style of play, so maybe Jones can be similar.
What do you think of the signing?