Cardinals' HC Steve Wilks Positives and Questions

[Mitch]

The Cardinals have signed Steve Wilks to a 4 year deal with a fifth year team option.

The Positives:

* Fiery emotional leader who holds players to high standards
* Comes from an excellent defensive system in Carolina
* Has an aggressive style, loves to dial up pressure
* Will teach and preach fundamentals
* Bringing Carolina's popular LBC Al Holcomb as DC (could UFA DT Star Lotulelei come with him?)
* Bringing Carolina's OL coach Ray Brown (could UFA Pro Bowl G Andrew Norwell come with him, if not tagged?)
* Might be best chance for Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu (contract?) to return to the All Pro Team in 2019
* The Cardinals have always liked Ron Rivera and now they get his right hand man

The Questions:

* Who becomes the OC (Darrell Bevell, John DeFilippo, Mike McCoy have been mentioned as interview candidates)?
* Will the Cardinals under Wilks want a mobile QB?
* Will the Cardinals switch their base defense from a 34 to a 43 or hybrid?
* Who will be the STC and will the special teams become special?
* How quickly can Wilks get the Cardinals back into playoff contention?
* Will Wilks and his staff develop the younger players on the team quicker and more frequently?
* Will the Cardinals' drafts be more dynamic?
* Will the Cardinals be able to attract free agents more successfully than in the past couple of years?
* Is the current roster deeper and more talented that we suspect?

Wilks is a charismatic, Alpha type of coach who has the gravitas to hold all the players accountable and to keep their eyes on the prize. Not sure why the Giants and Titans so quickly passed on Wilks, but hey, so did the Bears and others on BA. Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim did what they said they would---they were deliberate and thorough. Wilks fits the criteria (experienced, track record of success) that Michael Bidwill articulated to the fans and the media when their search commenced.

 

[Snakester]

I am hoping he can bring in DeFillipo as OC. I also am hoping we sign Andrew Norwell and Star Lotulelei because of Wilks influence. I would be very happy with those three. Both Al Holcomb and Ray Brown appear to be solid hires for Wilks and will bring continuity to his team. I personally would like to see all other hires come from other teams. I really hope the OC is a good one along with the QB coach and special teams coach.

 

[redheat]

Props to Bidwill and Keim for seeing what this team needs most. Toughness.

Focus on run and be aggressive on defense.

Now it’s on Keim to stop screwing up our top draft pics and taking small guys in the 3rd.

 

[JeffGollin]

I believe both the Giants and Tenn zero'd in on Schurmer and Vrabel from the gitgo.

Logical question - Why Gettleman passed on Wilks. Logical answer: "Fit." (Giants wanted a QB whisperer to develop Eli's successor).

Logic behind Vrabel hire might be buried among the reasons why ownership indicated plans to extend Mularky and then fired him a day later.

 

[oaken1]

I believe both the Giants and Tenn zero'd in on Schurmer and Vrabel from the gitgo.

Logical question - Why Gettleman passed on Wilks. Logical answer: "Fit." (Giants wanted a QB whisperer to develop Eli's successor).

Logic behind Vrabel hire might be buried among the reasons why ownership indicated plans to extend Mularky and then fired him a day later.

or, maybe the rooney rule should be called the mara rule??

Giants have never had a black HC that I recall...

but their team identity has always been "tough, ground pounding, defensive football"

considering their identity and the connection with the GM, Wilks was the all to Obvious choice to be the Giants pick at HC

even back in the Simms, Hoestetler days it was guys like Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan who made the Giants a playoff team.

 

[Buckybird]

or, maybe the rooney rule should be called the mara rule??

Giants have never had a black HC that I recall...

but their team identity has always been "tough, ground pounding, defensive football"

considering their identity and the connection with the GM, Wilks was the all to Obvious choice to be the Giants pick at HC

even back in the Simms, Hoestetler days it was guys like Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan who made the Giants a playoff team.

Hey the last time Big Red hired an African American HC they were in the Super Bowl just 5 years later

 

[Buckybird]

Good write Mitch!

If they are indeed interviewing Bevell I think this means Big Red definitely have their eyes on a mobile QB. One who can playaction well & execute the bootleg.

About damn time we get with the times at the QB position.

Now go get your guy Steve Keim! I still recall him saying years ago he wouldn’t make the mistake of passing on a Russell Wilson type QB because of height if he likes that QB. Please oh please

 

[oaken1]

Good write Mitch!

If they are indeed interviewing Bevell I think this means Big Red definitely have their eyes on a mobile QB. One who can playaction well & execute the bootleg.

About damn time we get with the times at the QB position.

Now go get your guy Steve Keim! I still recall him saying years ago he wouldn’t make the mistake of passing on a Russell Wilson type QB because of height if he likes that QB. Please oh please

that would lean towards Jackson or Mayfield..

 

[Buckybird]

that would lean towards Jackson or Mayfield..

Yep

 

[Mitch]

I prefer Bevell over McCoy. Gambo is saying that he's hearing McCoy is close to signing. Not sure if Gambo knows that Bevell is interviewing tonight. The guy has called plays in 2 Super Bowls. Must be doing a number of things correctly.

 

[Gandhi]

* Bringing Carolina's popular LBC Al Holcomb as DC (could UFA DT Star Lotulelei come with him?)

Holcomb has really taken the long way to where he is today, and potentially where he gets to in the next couple of days. He coached for 14 years in the college ranks before he became the linebacker coach with the Panthers in 2013. When he was with the college teams he coached linebackers, defensive backs, the defensive line and special teams. In the NFL he has been a defensive quality control coach and defensive assistant with the Giants, as well as his job with the Panthers.

I thought I would pass along some articles I found interesting. They are one and two years old respectively, but from what I have read in some new articles, these are still pretty accurate.

Complicating matters for Holcomb is the fact that Big Brothers are watching.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott are both former linebackers coaches, and Rivera played linebacker for the Bears for nine seasons.

“If I see something that I disagree with, unfortunately for Al, he hears it,” Rivera said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article96252667.html

This is an article about how Holcomb has been and still is very important to the development of the three superstar linebackers, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson.

The voice in the ear of Carolina Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly during games isn't defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. It's an assistant who broke into the NFL with the Giants, and learned as a jack-of-all trades defensive quality control coach and assistant under former coordinator Perry Fewell.

Being the voice in Kuechly's headset on game day is preparing Holcomb to one day call plays. Holcomb appears to be being groomed as a future defensive coordinator. Relaying the plays from McDermott to Kuechly is an important job that allows the linebackers coach to be in the middle of all the defensive action.

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/12/al_holcomb_the_former_giants_assistant_who_is_inte.html

This article tells a story about how Holcomb was a trusted part of the coaching staff some years ago. I would imagine it hasn't changed for the worse since then.

Last year it was being reported as a fact that Holcomb would follow Sean McDermott to Buffalo to be their defensive coordinator. I'm not sure why it didn't happen but from what I can tell, Holcomb simply decided to stay in Carolina. My impression could easily be wrong about that.

I would be excited if Holcomb is hired. I think he is an interesting guy.

 

[Buckybird]

I prefer Bevell over McCoy. Gambo is saying that he's hearing McCoy is close to signing. Not sure if Gambo knows that Bevell is interviewing tonight. The guy has called plays in 2 Super Bowls. Must be doing a number of things correctly.

Absofreakinglutely!

I hope to hell Gambo is dead wrong. 2 different styles of offense & Bevells offense fits more the style of college QBs today that come out in the draft.

I’m assuming this means the Iggles have blocked JDF wouldn’t you think?

 

[Gandhi]

Logical question - Why Gettleman passed on Wilks. Logical answer: "Fit." (Giants wanted a QB whisperer to develop Eli's successor).

I touched on this in another thread, and you are partly correct as it in some ways came down to fit. What I mean by that is that the owners of the Giants, John Mara and Steve Tisch, wanted a head coach with prior head coaching experience or at least extensive experience as a coordinator. It has been reported that Gettleman was a big advocate for Wilks but that he was likely overruled by the owners.

The finalist for the Giants job were Pat Shurmur, Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia. Two of them has prior head coach experience, and Patricia has been a coordinator for seven years.

 

[Mitch]

Holcomb has really taken the long way to where he is today, and potentially where he gets to in the next couple of days. He coached for 14 years in the college ranks before he became the linebacker coach with the Panthers in 2013. When he was with the college teams he coached linebackers, defensive backs, the defensive line and special teams. In the NFL he has been a defensive quality control coach and defensive assistant with the Giants, as well as his job with the Panthers.

I thought I would pass along some articles I found interesting. They are one and two years old respectively, but from what I have read in some new articles, these are still pretty accurate.



http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article96252667.html

This is an article about how Holcomb has been and still is very important to the development of the three superstar linebackers, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson.





http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/12/al_holcomb_the_former_giants_assistant_who_is_inte.html

This article tells a story about how Holcomb was a trusted part of the coaching staff some years ago. I would imagine it hasn't changed for the worse since then.

Last year it was being reported as a fact that Holcomb would follow Sean McDermott to Buffalo to be their defensive coordinator. I'm not sure why it didn't happen but from what I can tell, Holcomb simply decided to stay in Carolina. My impression could easily be wrong about that.

I would be excited if Holcomb is hired. I think he is an interesting guy.

Great post, Gandhi! Thank you, pal!

 

[CT Card Fan]

I would say that questions 4-9, and maybe #2 could be applied to almost any coach that would have been hired. So, really the two big ones are 1 and 3. In a roundabout way, just going by Mitch's write-up there are many more positives than questions about SW specifically. I agree and like the hire.

The bigger question. What are they going to be called.....SWSK? The Steves? Steve Squared (SS or S2). That decision is above my post count.

 

[oaken1]

I prefer Bevell over McCoy. Gambo is saying that he's hearing McCoy is close to signing. Not sure if Gambo knows that Bevell is interviewing tonight. The guy has called plays in 2 Super Bowls. Must be doing a number of things correctly.

Bevell should have an advantage. He already knows how to win in the NFCWest, knows the other teams in the division.
winning the division is the first step.

 

[WildBB]

He looks to be a solid hire. Pleasantly surprised. I wanted a true QB whisperer, but they still have a chance to get one. Bringing along Holcomb and Brown is huge and will contribute to the continuity of the change. And the FO is no doubt impressed with Wilks' charisma. Hope he brings that Carolina swagger over here to Bird Gang Land.

 

[Arz101]

I don;t like losing Bettcher as DC. But like I have a choice here. lol.

 

[ARZCardinals]

at least it's not armstrong

 

[JeffGollin]

or, maybe the rooney rule should be called the mara rule??

Giants have never had a black HC that I recall...

but their team identity has always been "tough, ground pounding, defensive football"

considering their identity and the connection with the GM, Wilks was the all to Obvious choice to be the Giants pick at HC

even back in the Simms, Hoestetler days it was guys like Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan who made the Giants a playoff team.

Giants have always been linked to playing in windy, chilly, northeastern winters and configured to play a smashmouth brand of football more suitable for winter weather.

They've stayed true to that template at least through the Coughlin regime, but seem to have gotten away from it recently and I'm not sure Schurmer represents a throwback (pardon the pun). Mitch - Help me out here.

 

[splitsecond]

I didn't even think about Holcomb. Boys, we are going to see some real smashmouth coming from our front 7.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Bevell should have an advantage. He already knows how to win in the NFCWest, knows the other teams in the division.
winning the division is the first step.

With that... I'm sure he'd like to pound Seattle twice a year, as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Arz101]

It occurred to me that most everything being said about Wilks was also said about Gus Bradley. Leader of Man, Passionate, Energy, Commands a room etc. etc

Pssstt.

Hope this ends differently

 

[Mitch]

Giants have always been linked to playing in windy, chilly, northeastern winters and configured to play a smashmouth brand of football more suitable for winter weather.

They've stayed true to that template at least through the Coughlin regime, but seem to have gotten away from it recently and I'm not sure Schurmer represents a throwback (pardon the pun). Mitch - Help me out here.

Good synopsis of the Giants, Jeff. I think the Giants have changed their m.o. on offense because of their talent at the WR and TE position. But, Shurmur likes balance and will bring that. It will be interesting to see which QB they go with at #2. Shurmur likes the RPOs (run pass options) and made even Keenum a more mobile QB. Will they go with a mobile QB at #2?

 

[BillsCarnage]

The bigger question. What are they going to be called.....SWSK? The Steves? Steve Squared (SS or S2). That decision is above my post count.

Exactly. There are some important decisions we fans need to make for their nickname.

I'm liking SWSK. Maybe add an 'i' and make it SWiSK