3. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals still have plenty of talent in their defense, but it remains to be seen whether they can keep playing at an elite level with Mike Zimmer gone. Zimmer commanded the respect of his players, and Paul Guenther is still an unknown. Geno Atkins is also coming off a serious knee injury, so he may not return to full form right away. Defensive end will have less depth with Michael Johnson leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2. Arizona Cardinals
Although the Seahawks and Panthers may seem like ridiculous teams to count on for defensive regression, the Cardinals can be counted on to decline in that area. For one thing, they lost their top two linebackers. Karlos Dansby left for Cleveland, and Daryl Washington is out for the season with a substance-abuse suspension. Kevin Minter is unproven, and Larry Foote is better off as a key reserve at inside linebacker. Tyrann Mathieu is also coming off knee surgery, so the secondary instantly takes a hit. There is also no way that a 36-year-old John Abraham will post 11.5 sacks again, especially considering he was just arrested for a DUI.
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