Arizona Cardinals fans have been beaten up a bit. After the spectacular finish the team had in 2011, there was a lot of optimism coming into this season. However, between the injury to Levi Brown, the general poor play of the offensive line and the quarterback battle that was not all that it could have been (meaning no one really stepped up to make a case for himself), even the most die-hard fans are not liking the team's chances this season.
The media is on the "Cardinals are bad" bandwagon. All but one writer on this staff has the team with a losing record, one going as far as to say that the team will be 3-13.
However, the new contract that the Cardinals have agreed to with linebacker Daryl Washington is great news. Why?
First of all, it is simply good. Fans have not gotten anything positive recently.
Next is the fact that Daryl Washington happens to be a very important player on the defense. Fans remember what happened with Karlos Dansby. There will be no repeat of that. He is around for another six seasons now.
The money is great, according to a tweet by Kent Somers. By all accounts, the two years left on his rookie deal remain unchanged (but that is not confirmed). There are four more years added. According to Somers, it is $32 million in new money, or basically $8 million per year after his rookie deal expires. That is a bargain.
Washington is a budding star in the league. He can do anything at his position. He tackles, he covers, he can rush the passer and can go into deep coverage. He is fast. He is always around the ball.
There really is nothing not to like about the deal. The one concern that people might have is the fact that they redid the deal with two years remaining, and that other players might want their deal redone in such fashion. The easy answer? Most other players are not Daryl Washington. He is an exception you make before his value skyrockets and you pay him way more down the line.
Any downside to this deal? I don't see any. It is a great start to the season for Cardinals fans, and not a single game that counts has been played.
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