The NFC West could secede from the NFL and form its own four-team league and it would still be must-see TV.
With the Cardinals acquiring linebacker John Abraham, they no longer had a spot for linebacker O’Brien Schofield. The Seahawks did.
Seattle announced Saturday that Schofield has been claimed on waivers.
It means that Schofield, if he makes it to the 53-man roster, will get two cracks at the Cardinals in 2013. And Schofield, as we understand it, isn’t thrilled with the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Per a league source, Schofield was cut within a day after being told he’d be a major contributor to the team’s defense in 2013. The move also has sparked speculation regarding a potential conflict between those in the Cardinals organization who want to win now (as evidenced by the Abraham acquisition) and those hoping to build for the future (which would have favored keeping Schofield around).
Schofield started the first nine games of the 2012 season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against the Packers.
A fourth-round pick in 2010, Schofield will now get a chance to play out his contract year with the Seahawks. It’s unknown whether any teams below Seattle in the priority list made a claim for his services. However, none of the non-playoff teams opted to take a flier on Schofield.
And that’s a good thing. Keeping Schofield in the NFC West is just another reason why the NFC West, not long ago the most irrelevant division in football, has become the most compelling.