The Jacksonville Jaguars expect to be big players in free agency in 2012 and one position they will be looking to upgrade and solidify is the defensive end position. While most of the focus has been on guys like Mario Williams and Cliff Avril, there might be a few other players available in free agency that could spark the Jaguars interest. One of those players is Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell.
I asked SB Nation's Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds about Campbell. Click the jump to see what they had to say.
Calais Campbell is a huge defensive end that excels in the 3-4 scheme that the Cardinals utilize. As of now, he is the most dominant pass rusher on the team. In 2011, he registered 9 sacks, 9 QB hits and 29 QB pressures according to Pro Football Focus. He explodes off the ball extremely well and with his size, he is able to get past the biggest of offensive tackles. He also has extremely long arms and is quite effective when using the swim move to get into the backfield.
As far as his availability goes, Campbell will be with the Cardinals through at least next season. If the team is unable to come to terms on a long term deal with him, they will undoubtedly use the franchise tag to keep him around.
It's no surprise that the Cardinals might franchise tag Campbell, as he's a very important part of their defense. Campbell is also the defensive end from the 2008 NFL draft that the Jaguars probably should have sat tight and drafted, instead of moving up for both Derrick Harvey and Quinton Groves. While Campbell excels in the Cardinals 3-4, he has the ability to be a very good left defensive end and an interior pass rusher in the 4-3 scheme. It doesn't sound like Campbell is going to hit the market, however.