TEMPE, Ariz. -- Deone Bucannon might still be learning how to be a linebacker, but he has one trait Arizona Cardinals inside linebackers coach Larry Foote can’t teach.
"He’s violent," Foote said. "At that game you have to be violent. Every day he lines up, violence is on his mind. It’s on his breath."
Foote, who signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2014 -- Bucannon's rookie season -- has watched first-hand as the 23-year-old developed into a new breed of linebacker: a hybrid safety-inside linebacker the Cardinals renamed the dollar linebacker. Bucannon has flourished at the position, leading Arizona in tackles last season after being third on the team as a rookie.
Despite Bucannon’s success, he still "needs reps," Foote said.
"He’s so instinctive," Foote said. "I get questions about him, because he’s a small safety making that transition. But I’ve been seeing him for the whole time. It ain’t about size. It’s about the mindset, and he definitely has it. That’s why he’s a playmaker.
"It’s exciting to see how much he’s grown. He’s turning into a linebacker more and more. He’s instinctive, and when you’re instinctive and tough, you’re going to be a player. He has that God-gifted ability."
That ability is changing the face of defenses.
Instead of using a safety on tight ends, the Cardinals can rely on Bucannon to defend the taller and stronger players, allowing defensive backs to focus more on receivers. Bucannon can also help defend running backs who come out of the backfield to catch passes.
"When you got a guy like him, he can take a lot of pressure off the coordinator," Foote said. "(The coordinator) ain’t got to worry about matchups, because you got a linebacker that can run with those guys."
