Kent Somers

azcentral sports

Moving Lorenzo Alexander from outside linebacker to the inside, as Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) reported, makes sense for a few different reasons.

It gives the Cardinals someone who can compete with Kevin Minter, or replace Daryl Washington should he start a second consecutive season under suspension.

Alexander started three games at outside linebacker last season before suffering a LisFranc foot injury against the Saints. (The Cardinals lost three outside linebackers that day: Sam Acho (leg fracture) and Alex Okafor (biceps tear) also went down.)

Alexander, who will be in his second season with the Cardinals, played inside linebacker some during the previous six years with the Redskins. He started just 13 games in those six seasons but proved to be one of the best special teams players in the NFL.

Several weeks ago, coach Bruce Arians voiced concern about Alexander's recovery from the foot injury, but those worries are gone. Alexander has been working out with Brett Fischer, who works as a physical therapist with the team and also owns a private facility. Recent reports have Alexander progressing on schedule with his rehab.

The Cardinals could afford to move Alexander inside because they have depth on the outside. Acho and Okafor should be fine. Starters Matt Shaughnessy and John Abraham return. They also have Marcus Benard, Dan Giordano, Kenny Row and Adrian Tracy. More help is on the way. Teams that run a 3-4 defense tend to draft at least one outside linebacker every season.

The numbers at inside linebacker dictated the Alexander move. Karlos Dansby is gone. Washington might miss time. That left Minter, who played one snap of defense last season, Kenny Demens and JoJo Dickson. The Cardinals have invested heavily in Washington and took Minter in the second round a year ago. It's a position, I would think, they would prefer not to address again near the top of this year's draft.

Finally, a few words about Minter. Allowing Dansby to leave is a risk because Minter hasn't played. The risk decreases if Washington has his life straightened out and stays out of trouble.

Minter becoming a starter is really the first test case of General Manager Steve Keim's philosophy of having younger players ready to step in when veterans become too expensive. From a personality standpoint, Minter is worth the risk. If it turns out he can't play, it will be for physical reasons, not mental. In his rookie season, he showed that he's smart, mature and works hard. The Cardinals have had good luck recently with other players from LSU: Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.