Posted by Darren Urban on September 6, 2012 – 9:42 am

When training camp opened, general manager Rod Graves mentioned that the team was planning on opening contract extension talks with linebacker Daryl Washington, who still had two years left on his rookie deal. It made sense, locking up a potential future star. Washington liked the idea.

“It’s definitely been on my mind, that I want an extension and be with this team for a long period of time,” Washington said in Flagstaff. “That stuff will work itself out though.”

Thursday, it did, with Washington agreeing to a new six-year contract that will keep him part of the Cardinals through 2017. Financial terms have yet to be put out there – the Cards, as usual, are not announcing them – but you figure Washington is in a good place now. And he’s one of the young anchors, along with Calais Campbell and eventually Patrick Peterson that will help transition the defense from veterans like Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett.

“Two things that successful teams do consistently is build through the draft and keep their core players,” Graves said. “Daryl has certainly lived up to the potential we all saw in him coming out of TCU in 2010 and he has established himself as one of the top young defensive players in the NFL. I know he feels, like we do, that his best football is still ahead of him and we’re thrilled that this deal gives him the opportunity to achieve that with the Cardinals.”

Washington already figures to be one of the breakout players this season. Now he’s got the contract to go with it.

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