The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly granted linebacker Jordan Hicks permission to seek a trade, as he has been replaced in the starting lineup by first-round pick Zaven Collins.
There is no guarantee he will actually be traded, but if he is moved, the Cardinals will be lacking in experience.
It would be exactly the opposite of what they have done at almost every other position.
They added experience at running back, receiver, the offensive line, defensive line, cornerback at safety.
Hicks is their only inside linebacker with much playing time on defense in the NFL.
Collins will start alongside Isaiah Simmons, their first-round selection in 2020. Simmons did not play linebacker full-time in college. He played 376 defensive snaps last season as a rookie.
Tanner Vallejo would project as the primary backup linebacker. He has only played 254 career snaps on defense since entering the league in 2017. His career-high was 145 snaps for the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
Terrance Smith has only 277 career defensive snaps since 2016.
Zeke Turner has 28. Jamal Carter has 213.
Evan Weaver, a 2020 sixth-round pick, spent the year on the practice squad.
The entire room of inside linebackers outside of Hicks combine for 1,148 career snaps. Hicks alone played 1,024 last year.
Simmons started seven games last year as a rookie. The rest of the room has four career starts.
Moving Hicks would be risky business.
Of course, if both Simmons and Collins stay healthy and are very good, it won’t matter. However, if that depth is tested, we have seen what happens to a defense when there is bad linebacker play. It can completely undo good defense.
Hicks likely won’t find much of a market considering his salary and his play last year, so having him on the bench as a backup is the best option. But if he is traded or ultimately released, the Cardinals will be gambling big on their youth at the position.
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