The Cardinals knew what they had to do in order to retain linebacker Karlos Dansby at the start of free agency. Whichever team came hardest with the most cash was the one that would acquire Dansby’s services for the next however many seasons.

Yet when it came time to pony up, the Cards couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) match the five-year, $43 million contract that the Dolphins were offering. Thus the reason Dansby will be playing in South Beach next year with the Dolphins.

With Dansby gone, Arizona had to fill the void that was created at linebacker. So they recently signed aging loudmouth Joey Porter to a three-year, $17.5 million contract, with a max value of $24.5 million. If he reaches the max value of the contract, Porter will make just over $8 million a year from the Cardinals. Considering they could have had Dansby (a younger, more versatile and more productive linebacker) for $8.6 million a year, it’s a little bothersome that Arizona didn’t make a harder pitch to the 28-year-old.

Of course, Dansby will get $22 million in guaranteed money and the only way Porter gets $24.5 million is through incentives. That’s a big difference between the two contracts. Arizona could cut Porter in a year and save money on the back end, while Miami is stuck paying $22 million regardless of whether or not Dansby turns out to be a bust.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cardinals fans are a little peeved that their team just overpaid for Porter and couldn’t convince Dansby to stay. I realize Dansby may have had his hopes set on leaving Arizona no matter what, but money appeared to be the root of his motivation to sign and even though the Cardinals knew that, they still couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) pony up.

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There are few inside linebackers in the NFL that are as good in coverage as they are against the run. But Karlos Dansby certainly fits the bill, which is why he was the most sought after linebacker on the free agent market this offseason.

On Friday, Dansby signed a five-year, $43 million contract with the Dolphins, which includes $22 million in guarantees. It’s the richest deal ever for a linebacker that isn’t primarily a pass-rusher, which proves how valuable he was to Miami.

If there were one thing the Dolphins have sorely needed the past two years, it would be a playmaker that can immediately step in and make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. Dansby will fill that need for Miami playing next to Channing Crowder as the team’s new “Ted” linebacker in their defense. He’s solid in run defense and skilled in coverage, which is a rarity for inside linebackers. He’s also good for causing a couple of turnovers a year and will certainly be missed by the Cardinals.

Next up for the Dolphins is finding someone that can rush the passer, which is the one thing they won’t get from the Dansby signing. As expected, the Fins terminated the contract of Joey Porter today, whose only contribution to the team was getting after the quarterback. Miami also released fellow linebacker Akin Ayodele and safety Gibril Wilson, who turned out to be a free agent bust after signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract in February of 2009. It was the second time in two years that Wilson was released by a team just one year after he signed a multi-year contract. (The Raiders cut him after the 2008 season after he signed a lucrative contract that previous spring.)

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