I have several thoughts about the Cards’ coaching situation, but instead of writing a little in many threads, I decided to write all of it in one post.
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1 – I think that Michael Bidwill is highly important in this topic. I think that he makes the decisions in this – not Keim.
2 – It is a paradox that I would not mind a new head coach, yet I am very happy about the rest of the coaching staff. I think they have good coaches all-around.
3 – Maybe it is just because it is what I dream of happening (great idea, @Ouchie-Z-Clown ), but when I saw the article that two teams had contacted Sean Payton, I wondered if one could be the Cards. Why? Well, for one, that Bidwill is mad and apparently have had a meeting with Kingsbury and Keim where they “discussed” various upgrades. In my mind that probably means: “he explained very clearly, loud, and in a teacher-student-ish way what he thought.”
I think he would go for a chance to hire Payton to try to upgrade the team. Many of you often say “same ol’” about the Cards, but no, Michael Bidwill is not like his dad. And no matter if Payton would be good or not, signing him would be a scoop.
… so, to continue, if they let go of Kingsbury during the season, I would expect them to pursue Payton heavily.
4 – If it did happen, that Payton was hired, I suppose he would get more personnel power than a head coach usually does. That would also mean that the general manager would be kind of a sidekick to Payton - like Mike Mayock to Jon Gruden. Or Brett Veach to Andy Reid. Or Nick Caserio to Bill Belichick. And others. So, maybe it would be one with limited seniority? Maybe someone who almost need the support? Maybe someone like Adrian Wilson?
5 – I agree that Vance Joseph has transformed the defense from bad to good and opportunistic, but the fact remain that he has not built a good run defense, and he has not been able to utilize the two last #1 picks. Both things are big problems. I am not as down on Joseph as some other posters, but I acknowledge that he could be upgraded. Vic Fangio and Wink Martindale would be my preferred candidates (Brian Flores as well, but he probably will not be coaching anywhere for a long time), but that seems to be the case for any NFL fan, so nothing surprising there.
6 – One way to try to upgrade could be to bring in an offensive coordinator. To relieve Kingsbury of some of his duties, so that he could focus more on working with the quarterbacks and doing head coach-stuff. He could still call plays, and thus give the offensive coordinator more of a supporting, advising role. Like Tom Clements would have had if he had not retired. Some ideas could be Jim Caldwell, Doug Pederson or David Culley, but that is mostly because I see an experienced capacity as the best way to go.
7 – I think it could be realistic that they wait for the Dolphins to select a head coach before they make any actions regarding Vance Joseph. Thus, I don’t think it tell us much of anything that nothing has happened yet. If they did do anything now that would completely destroy any hopes he might have of becoming their head coach.
8 – Why don’t teams have a specialty coach for the kicking game? It is such an important aspect of the game, and they have individual coaches for so many things, so why not optimize on that front as well? Marginal gains are key. Not that the kicking game has been much of a problem but bring in Jay Feely.
9 – Josh McCown is a big hotshot in coaching circles. Bringing him in (if he doesn’t get the Texans head coach job) as some sort of an offensive coach would be a little like castrating Kingsbury, but on the other hand, maybe slightly limiting Kingsbury is what Bidwill wants?
10 – I have long and often been singing the praise of Brentson Buckner, but isn’t he partly at fault for the defensive line’s inability to stop the run and limited pass rush? Yes, he is.
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1 – I think that Michael Bidwill is highly important in this topic. I think that he makes the decisions in this – not Keim.
2 – It is a paradox that I would not mind a new head coach, yet I am very happy about the rest of the coaching staff. I think they have good coaches all-around.
3 – Maybe it is just because it is what I dream of happening (great idea, @Ouchie-Z-Clown ), but when I saw the article that two teams had contacted Sean Payton, I wondered if one could be the Cards. Why? Well, for one, that Bidwill is mad and apparently have had a meeting with Kingsbury and Keim where they “discussed” various upgrades. In my mind that probably means: “he explained very clearly, loud, and in a teacher-student-ish way what he thought.”
I think he would go for a chance to hire Payton to try to upgrade the team. Many of you often say “same ol’” about the Cards, but no, Michael Bidwill is not like his dad. And no matter if Payton would be good or not, signing him would be a scoop.
… so, to continue, if they let go of Kingsbury during the season, I would expect them to pursue Payton heavily.
4 – If it did happen, that Payton was hired, I suppose he would get more personnel power than a head coach usually does. That would also mean that the general manager would be kind of a sidekick to Payton - like Mike Mayock to Jon Gruden. Or Brett Veach to Andy Reid. Or Nick Caserio to Bill Belichick. And others. So, maybe it would be one with limited seniority? Maybe someone who almost need the support? Maybe someone like Adrian Wilson?
5 – I agree that Vance Joseph has transformed the defense from bad to good and opportunistic, but the fact remain that he has not built a good run defense, and he has not been able to utilize the two last #1 picks. Both things are big problems. I am not as down on Joseph as some other posters, but I acknowledge that he could be upgraded. Vic Fangio and Wink Martindale would be my preferred candidates (Brian Flores as well, but he probably will not be coaching anywhere for a long time), but that seems to be the case for any NFL fan, so nothing surprising there.
6 – One way to try to upgrade could be to bring in an offensive coordinator. To relieve Kingsbury of some of his duties, so that he could focus more on working with the quarterbacks and doing head coach-stuff. He could still call plays, and thus give the offensive coordinator more of a supporting, advising role. Like Tom Clements would have had if he had not retired. Some ideas could be Jim Caldwell, Doug Pederson or David Culley, but that is mostly because I see an experienced capacity as the best way to go.
7 – I think it could be realistic that they wait for the Dolphins to select a head coach before they make any actions regarding Vance Joseph. Thus, I don’t think it tell us much of anything that nothing has happened yet. If they did do anything now that would completely destroy any hopes he might have of becoming their head coach.
8 – Why don’t teams have a specialty coach for the kicking game? It is such an important aspect of the game, and they have individual coaches for so many things, so why not optimize on that front as well? Marginal gains are key. Not that the kicking game has been much of a problem but bring in Jay Feely.
9 – Josh McCown is a big hotshot in coaching circles. Bringing him in (if he doesn’t get the Texans head coach job) as some sort of an offensive coach would be a little like castrating Kingsbury, but on the other hand, maybe slightly limiting Kingsbury is what Bidwill wants?
10 – I have long and often been singing the praise of Brentson Buckner, but isn’t he partly at fault for the defensive line’s inability to stop the run and limited pass rush? Yes, he is.