As the Cards get set for what should be an odd 2020 season, there’s one player on their roster that could be due for a big season, that being linebacker Evan Weaver.
NFL.com today has a piece out with breakout stars from around the NFL, and Weaver is right at the top of the list.
Here’s what Michael Silver had to say about the linebacker:
I’m definitely going to get laughed at by my esteemed colleagues who graduated from Michigan (Jeff) and Miami (Judy) — and probably even by the proud Howard grad (Jim), too — but my rookie to watch is Arizona Cardinals linebacker Evan Weaver, a sixth-round pick out of … the University of California.
Yes, I’m biased. And yes, I know Weaver isn’t slated to be a starter, or even considered a lock to make the 53-man roster.
That said, I watched this guy evolve from a low-rated recruit playing backup defensive end for an atrocious unit to a game-changing, All-American inside linebacker for an outstanding defense — and the transition was not subtle.
At Cal, Weaver was a tackling machine who was constantly around the ball, came up huge in pivotal moments and never stopped letting his opponents know, even in post-game interviews. He looks like Mr. Incredible (from the 2004 animated Pixar flick) and plays every down like an unheralded and overlooked maniac trying desperately to get people’s attention.
I’m predicting that somehow, some way, Weaver will do just that. It may be primarily on special teams, or it may be as a fill-in, or he may simply will his way onto the field. I know the NFL is a whole different level than the Pac-12, and I know the odds aren’t stacked in his favor.