<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Calais Campbell puts up highly-rated season just in time

          • Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff WriterJan 5, 2017, 07:00 AM ET
            Close
              Josh Weinfuss is a staff writer who covers the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL at ESPN. Josh has covered the Cardinals since 2012, joining ESPN in 2013. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and a graduate of Indiana University. You can follow him via Twitter @joshweinfuss.
            Follow on X

          TEMPE, Ariz. -- Talk about timing.

          Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell finished the 2016 season as the second-ranked interior defensive lineman in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus -- just in time for a new contract. He’s slated to become a free agent in March.

          If he doesn’t return to the Cardinals before free agency begins, Campbell will enter the market as the top interior lineman available.

          He finished this season with 53 tackles, eight sacks, a career-high three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles (tied for his career high). Campbell also played the most snaps -- 831 -- among any upcoming free agent interior defensive lineman. The main concern surrounding Campbell may be his age. At 30, a long-term deal may not be offered from potential suitors.

          Of the top 10 pending free agent interior defensive linemen in order of PFF’s ratings, Campbell is one of two players 30 or older. The other is 32-year-old Alan Branch, who was rated seventh among upcoming free agents.

          But Campbell proved he could still produce in his 30s. Statistically, Campbell had a better season than PFF’s top-rated interior defensive lineman and defensive player of the year candidate Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.

          While they both finished with eight sacks and two forced fumbles, Campbell edged Donald in other major statistical categories. The most critical, however, may have been disrupted dropbacks, which ESPN Stats & Information calculates by adding sacks, interceptions, batted passes and passes defended together. Campbell had 14. Donald had 12.

          After PFF tweeted its final interior defensive lineman rakings, Campbell had a message for Donald, who was named a Pro Bowl starter. Campbell’s streak of two straight Pro Bowls was cut short but he was named an alternate.

          Campbell earned $9.75 million in 2016, the final season of a five-year, $55 million deal signed in 2012. Among the other highly-rated interior defensive lineman scheduled to be free agents this year are Carolina’s Kawann Short, Washington’s Chris Baker, Jacksonville’s Abry Jones, Tennessee’s Karl Klug, Oakland’s Stacy McGee, Los Angeles’ Dominique Easley and Kansas City’s Dontari Poe.