Where Will Karlos Dansby Land?

The Arizona Cardinals appear to be content with letting Karlos Dansby test the free agent market, even though he’s one of their top defenders. The Cardinals placed the franchise tag on Dansby the past two seasons, and don’t plan on making it three years in a row. With Dansby having a sub-par season in 2009, he is still a top defender in the open market, and will receive a lot of attention from potential suitors. But which teams will make the push for Dansby this offseason?

New York Giants

With the release of Antonio Pierce following their disappointing season, the Giants will be searching the free agent market for a potential replacement. With Dansby’s previous success in recent seasons, he has to be atop the Giants’ wish list.

With an expected ‘overhaul’ of their defense, starting with the removal of Pierce, and possibly Osi Umenyiora next, Dansby could be the next leader on defense in the Big Apple. Currently, the Giants have two Middle Linebackers, Chase Blackburn and Jonathon Goff . Neither of these guys are ready to take over the reigns as a starter in New York, which further gives the Giants a reason to pursue Dansby in free agency.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are about to be in the same situation as the Giants with the expected departure of Gary Brackett . Although it’s unclear whether or not Brackett will return to Indy, it’s expected that the Colts will look around the free agent market for a fresh new face in the middle. Dansby would easily take over at Middle Linebacker for the Colts, who only have Freddy Keiaho behind Brackett on the depth chart. With the Colts losing in the Super Bowl, and hopefully returning most of their key players, Dansby would be a great add to an unheralded defense.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami “Wildcats”…correction, the Miami Dolphins…are rather weak at the linebacker position. Aside from Joey Porter on the outside, the Dolphins are lacking any proven talent at the position. The 3-4 defense needs to have a solid linebacking core to be effective, which means the Dolphins will heavily pursue Dansby. Miami has Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor in the middle, lacking any intimidation for opposing offenses. If the Dolphins can land Dansby, and partner him up with Porter, they will quickly build a solid foundation on defense.