Cardinals Signing Former Bengals LB

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly bringing on LB Markus Bailey.

Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Markus Bailey (51) against the / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are gaining more special teams help.

Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Twitter/X:

"The #AZCardinals are signing former #Bengals LB Markus Bailey to a 1-year deal, source said. Bailey was a core special teamer for Cincinnati with 20 ST tackles over the past two seasons."

The #AZCardinals are signing former #Bengals LB Markus Bailey to a 1-year deal, source said. Bailey was a core special teamer for Cincinnati with 20 ST tackles over the past two seasons.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 7, 2024

Bailey entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and has played outside linebacker for the Bengals each of the past four seasons. He has three starts under his belt and has played no less than 16 games in each of the last three years.

As Rapoport alluded to, Bailey is a core special teams player playing over 50% of snaps on that side of the ball for each of the last three years, which includes 68% last season and 64% in 2022 according to Pro Football Reference.

Arizona's outside linebacker room features the likes of B.J. Ojulari, Dennis Gardeck and Zaven Collins - who just had his fifth-year option declined by the Cardinals. Arizona also drafted Xavier Thomas out of Clemson to play at OLB.

With new kickoff rules set for the NFL, all eyes are on teams and how they'll navigate roster construction.

“We’ve talked a lot about what the new kickoff is going to look like and we have thoughts on what it’s going to look like and I think in all reality, we’re probably not going to know completely until we get out there. We definitely think that it’s obviously going to play a part in the types of players that get a jersey on game day and we’re still working through that, but I think there’s always going to be a premium on players that can play on fourth down," Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort told reporters after the draft concluded.

Voluntary OTA's begin later this month in the desert.