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Deone Bucannon off the PUP list and the inside linebacker position is just a question mark

Even with Bucannon back, the Cardinals inside linebacker position hasn’t been great.

Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Arizona Cardinals got some great news on Tuesday where Deone Bucannon was activated from the physically unable to perform list. While that is only an activation in title, he still cannot participate in on field activity, but he can be out there and walking through.

The question becomes, how fast will he be in NFL game shape with having no on field work all off season?

The Cardinals inside linebackers have been struggling in the preseason, but the projected starters, Karlos Dansby and Bucannon, have played all of... Well a couple of snaps from Dansby.

Instead, we have seen rookie Haason Reddick who is learning how to play the position and Scooby Wright III, a seventh round pick who the Cardinals scooped up off of waivers last year.

Yet, the best player at linebacker has easily been Josh Bynes, who has only been with the team for a couple of weeks and missed the last week and the game against the Chicago Bears.

The Cardinals have invested a lot in the inside linebacker position. Drafting Kevin Minter and signing Daryl Washington to a long term deal. Drafting Deone Bucannon, and now drafting Haason Reddick.

Yet, their best two linebackers have been, when healthy, the ageless Dansby and Bynes.

They need Bucannon back and they need him back being himself. He needs to get into game shape, it may be game three, depending on his overall health the next couple of weeks, before we see Bucannon back at full strength/speed, but once he is back, the Cardinals defensive interior could be back.