Cardinals Hire Titans' Monti Ossenfort as New GM

[PACardsFan]

His strategy is to win games...so crazy it might work!

If it's MB's strategy to win games, he may want to consider a new strategy. The old strategy wasn't working. Just saying.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Michael Bidwill is such a rube. "I was very impressed when he said, 'Every decision we make will be based on whether it helps the Arizona Cardinals win games.' I was right there with that."

Really make you wonder how in-depth these GM interviews are or whether it's vibes-based. Crazy.

Also makes you wonder just how dysfunctional things were behind the scenes with Keim.

Makes it sound like Mike was questioning that fact with Keim. As much as people want to (legitimately) bash Kingsbury, he wasn't exactly put in a great situation this year.

 

[Harry]

The other thing that comes to mind is that if you hire a Demeco Ryans and like three QBs at the top of this draft, you have to consider stripping this thing down to the studs and moving forward with one of them. I am not saying it is the best route, but the path forward is MUCH easier with a QB on a rookie deal than a underperforming one on a bad deal.

Rolling forward with CJ Stroud, Bryce Young or Will Levis, having them beat out McCoy, and having a ton of money to improve the roster is just much simpler to do than figuring out Kyler Murray.

Not saying it will get you better results, but it is much simpler.

The advantage to taking a first round QB is in part having the QB on a draftee salary so you can afford to build a roster around them. Murray’s existing contract would rob the Cards of that payroll flexibility and would really hamstring the GM.

 

[Zalixar]

Also makes you wonder just how dysfunctional things were behind the scenes with Keim.

Makes it sound like Mike was questioning that fact with Keim. As much as people want to (legitimately) bash Kingsbury, he wasn't exactly put in a great situation this year.

I think we can all mostly agree he was in over his head, but he was most definitely destined to fail because of Keim and MB, and to a certain extent Kyler.

 

[SeattleCard]

Let's see how Monti does. None of us know yet. I don't have much of an opinion... seems to be a decent hire but we just don't know. I am glad they went outside the organization.

 

[Arz101]

Let's see how Monti does. None of us know yet. I don't have much of an opinion... seems to be a decent hire but we just don't know. I am glad they went outside the organization.

Endorsed.

 

[Arz101]

Let's see how Monti does. None of us know yet. I don't have much of an opinion... seems to be a decent hire but we just don't know. I am glad they went outside the organization.

Please change the avatar. Pretty Please. lol

 

[TheCardFan]

Really make you wonder how in-depth these GM interviews are or whether it's vibes-based. Crazy.

In one of the post press conference interviews, MO basically said things moved very quickly without a ton of time to prepare.

 

[football karma]

Michael Bidwill is such a rube. "I was very impressed when he said, 'Every decision we make will be based on whether it helps the Arizona Cardinals win games.' I was right there with that."

Really make you wonder how in-depth these GM interviews are or whether it's vibes-based. Crazy.

most job interviews are like that

the implication on how decisions were made prior boggles the mind

 

[Totally_Red]

Back to Monti's presser. The thing I most appreciated was "We want to have our coaches develop our players and we want our coaches to develop to the point where they are so good that we lose them to other teams, but have the coaches on staff to replace them internally."

You know like the really good teams have.

 

[football karma]

Just watched the interview. One thing I didn't like was how it's going to be a "collaborative effort" and with Mike. Tells me Mike is still going to be very hands on and that's not a good thing.

i think this idea that ownership, the front office and the coaching staff are all on the same page is kinda mom and apple pie.

Mike said in the black monday presser that he doesn't make decisions.

He could be lying.

He could lack enough self-awareness to see that he really does make many decisions.

It could have been that an insecure-in-his-job Steve Keim simply devined from Mike's questions what Mike preferred and simply did that. (in my experience, people who manage up well are highly skilled at this).

 

[TheCardFan]

Back to Monti's presser. The thing I most appreciated was "We want to have our coaches develop our players and we want our coaches to develop to the point where they are so good that we lose them to other teams, but have the coaches on staff to replace them internally."

You know like the really good teams have.

Good one. I also like that he said finding players that fit what the coaches want to do - physically and mentally.

Feels like Keim was just drafting players. No way was he drafting players that fit into VJ's D/scheme.

 

[JeffGollin]

Nagging question: Should MB be so inclined, is he willing or able to cut his losses, waste a few years and start all over by trading or even cutting Kyler Murray?

And is that even a football-smart option?

Part of me feels that this is a viable approach that shouldn’t be taken off the table. But most of me feels this would be a suicidal “amateur hour” move that would set the franchise back a gazillion years. What say?

 

[Jasper]

I doubt its gonna be Sean Payton, he's got ego all over him.
Kinda like that hot chick in the club everyone wants to hit on.

 

[BritCard]

Good one. I also like that he said finding players that fit what the coaches want to do - physically and mentally.

Feels like Keim was just drafting players. No way was he drafting players that fit into VJ's D/scheme.

Or the offense. Kliff could never get the screen/run game off the ground because Keim game him once of the worst groups of run blocking wide receivers in the league.

 

[Jetstream Green]

He has all the staff there. Pro personnel guys, cap managers etc. They would have been planning for this offseason for a while and will have a bunch of info already in place for Monti to absorb.

I doubt though that Monti is going to trust said information from current Cardinal staff members because it is obvious they have been poor at evaluating the very things Monti needs to know and correct. They are going to be more under the microscope than the players after Monti looks at the tape himself and sees what they have to say

 

[Jetstream Green]

Please change the avatar. Pretty Please. lol

He can't, his avatar has become part of ASFN lore and tradition lol

 

[Chopper0080]

But the Cardinals CAN'T just go forward with a QB on a rookie deal... they'd have to eat the cost of the bad deal, too. So there's no benefit to drafting a QB at the top of the draft... they're pretty much stuck trying to make the best of Murray for at least a couple of years.

...dave

They can. You could move Kyler at the start of the year, tolerate one year of pain, and then have clean books moving forward. It would be unconventional and next year would not be pretty, but it is absolutely an option.

 

[Chopper0080]

The advantage to taking a first round QB is in part having the QB on a draftee salary so you can afford to build a roster around them. Murray’s existing contract would rob the Cards of that payroll flexibility and would really hamstring the GM.

Only for 2023. After that it is clear sailing.

 

[Chopper0080]

Nagging question: Should MB be so inclined, is he willing or able to cut his losses, waste a few years and start all over by trading or even cutting Kyler Murray?

And is that even a football-smart option?

Part of me feels that this is a viable approach that shouldn’t be taken off the table. But most of me feels this would be a suicidal “amateur hour” move that would set the franchise back a gazillion years. What say?

You only lose one year, 2023. It is just that your cap decreases by like 50 mil for 2023. That is why you would need to strip it down because you need all of the savings in 2023. You trade Hopkins, Brown, and Murray. You might be able to get creative and keep one of Murphy/Allen. You aren't signing many FAs which should lead to some comp picks.

 

[FB94]

Good one. I also like that he said finding players that fit what the coaches want to do - physically and mentally.

Feels like Keim was just drafting players. No way was he drafting players that fit into VJ's D/scheme.

I agree it was Kiem being Kiem for the most part. MB always had that deer in the headlights look in the draft room and just seemed to go along to get along with the BS Keim spewed out, with KK getting a nugget here and there ( Isabella ).

 

[BritCard]

You only lose one year, 2023. It is just that your cap decreases by like 50 mil for 2023. That is why you would need to strip it down because you need all of the savings in 2023. You trade Hopkins, Brown, and Murray. You might be able to get creative and keep one of Murphy/Allen. You aren't signing many FAs which should lead to some comp picks.

Monti would need some huge brass balls.

 

[Arz101]

Does Monti also like them short like Keim?

 

[kerouac9]

You only lose one year, 2023. It is just that your cap decreases by like 50 mil for 2023. That is why you would need to strip it down because you need all of the savings in 2023. You trade Hopkins, Brown, and Murray. You might be able to get creative and keep one of Murphy/Allen. You aren't signing many FAs which should lead to some comp picks.

Yeah, but that's 1/4 of the cost control of the rookie contract. This is exactly what happened with Murray. How did that work out?

It's a lot of sunk cost to eat, and I don't believe the franchise should decide that it's time to turn the page on the Kyler Murray era. It would truly be shocking. You can clean the books and be embarrassing for 2023 and still have the option for a new rookie in 2024. You could even sit Kyler for the whole year if you're afraid he'll re-injure himself.

As I said above, I don't think there's anything special about this QB class, and these prospects are likely to become more experienced and more polished with the transfer portal. It's a GMs job to plan for 2 years out. If you can get the salary cap right and fix the defense and offensive line, you lay the groundwork for a successful rookie season.

 

[Chopper0080]

Yeah, but that's 1/4 of the cost control of the rookie contract. This is exactly what happened with Murray. How did that work out?

It's a lot of sunk cost to eat, and I don't believe the franchise should decide that it's time to turn the page on the Kyler Murray era. It would truly be shocking. You can clean the books and be embarrassing for 2023 and still have the option for a new rookie in 2024. You could even sit Kyler for the whole year if you're afraid he'll re-injure himself.

As I said above, I don't think there's anything special about this QB class, and these prospects are likely to become more experienced and more polished with the transfer portal. It's a GMs job to plan for 2 years out. If you can get the salary cap right and fix the defense and offensive line, you lay the groundwork for a successful rookie season.

There are drawbacks, agreed. And I am not really advocating for this option, but I bristle a little when people say it isn't an option, because it is.