Graves says he is the boss

[ALDad1977]

Graves says he's the boss


Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]For three seasons, former coach Dennis Green was the face of the Cardinals. It was believed that what Green wanted, Green got, without anyone else in the organization saying a discouraging word.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Not true, according to Rod Graves, the team's vice president of football operations , and it won't be true when the team hires Green's replacement in the coming weeks. The Cardinals have scheduled interviews for this week with Ron Rivera, Mike Sherman and Jim Caldwell. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]On Tuesday, the Cardinals received permission from the San Diego Chargers to interview offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. That interview should take place before Sunday.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"What I attempted to do, based on Dennis Green's record and success, is to give him support, to support the plan that he wanted to implement," Graves said Monday. "Although I may have disagreed sometimes, I felt supporting his plan and the way he wanted to build this football team is something I chose to do. And by moving forward, we'll assess how decisions are made, but ultimately the authority rests in my corner with respect to football operations."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves agreed to a new three-year contract last weekend after working without a deal since last spring. He and Michael Bidwill, team vice president and general counsel, will lead the search for a new coach, just as they did three years ago when they hired Green. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In keeping Graves in the same job, the Cardinals in effect are blaming coaching, not the front office, for the team's 16-32 record in the past three years. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green's tenure was filled with controversial decisions, from the firing of seven assistants to starting five quarterbacks. The perception, and perhaps the reality, was that no one in the organization stood up to Green.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves disputed that, saying he occasionally voiced his disagreement.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"I'm not sure that voice didn't exist," Graves said. "It may not have existed on this podium, but we always debated, we always talked about what we felt was in the best interest of this football team. And while I don't know a situation where everybody agrees in the room, there has to be genuine support once the decision is made, and that's how we handled it."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green was credited with revamping the team's draft selection process, emphasizing the need to rank players according to ability while paying less attention to team needs. On draft day, Green was content to sit tight instead of trading up or down the board.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Team sources said there was no question Green called the shots in the team's past three drafts.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves politely disputed that. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"That was not the process," he said.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It certainly won't be with the new coach. Bidwill made it clear Monday that Graves is in charge of the football operations, although he left open the possibility of other changes in the front office.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Bidwill, however, is expected to continue to play an integral role in the football operations, although team insiders believe his older brother, Bill Jr., a vice president with the team, is pushing for a louder voice in football matters.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The structure of the front office and the dynamics of the Bidwill family likely will be topics broached by coaching candidates during interviews.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves and Bidwill emphasized their belief that the Cardinals have enough talent to contend for the playoffs. They said much the same things in 2004 when they hired Green.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"We'll be looking for someone who has the best plan given what we have in place," Graves said. "We don't think we are that far away. I don't see wholesale changes necessary for this football team."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The team has announced six candidates for the job, although there are expected to be others. The Cardinals are scheduled to interview Rivera, the Bears defensive coordinator, today in Chicago; Sherman, the former Packers coach and currently a Houston assistant, on Thursday, and Caldwell, a Colts assistant, in Indianapolis on Sunday. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow likely won't be interviewed until the weekend at the earliest.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals are also interested in talking to former Dolphins and Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates, according to ESPN.com. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals have cast a wide net in their search for a coach, but their timetable might be accelerated by openings elsewhere. Atlanta is searching for a head coach and has expressed interest in Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, whom the Cardinals also would like to interview.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Whisenhunt and fellow Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm, a Cardinals candidate, are also expected to be considered to replace Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher, should he decide to leave.[/FONT]

 

[stewdog1]

I don't mind Graves staying on at all. Many of the problems were caused because of the coaching staff.

As for those who complain about the OL, I point you to the 4.2 ypc since it was solidified. The players were there, as we all know, it was the coaches who refused to put them into a position to excel from day one.

Plus all the gafs on the field, the lack of preparation and adapting, the lack of any imagination on the offensive side of the ball. Those things are not the GMs fault and lay squarely on the DG and his coaches.

 

[RedStorm]

I don't mind Graves staying on as well as long as it is in the position that he does best...negotiating contracts/managing the cap.

But, as far as player evaluations and the draft....Keep him away....

Denny needed to go...But, Graves did not deserve a 3 year extension. That only serves to validate him and his position of now being the boss.

Nice guy...but not good drafting or evaluating talent.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I don't mind Graves staying on. However his future depends on the coach he hires. I do agree that this team has the talent in place to contend for a playoff spot next year and anything less would be a failure.

 

[Stout]

Graves says he's the boss


Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]For three seasons, former coach Dennis Green was the face of the Cardinals. It was believed that what Green wanted, Green got, without anyone else in the organization saying a discouraging word.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Not true, according to Rod Graves, the team's vice president of football operations , and it won't be true when the team hires Green's replacement in the coming weeks. The Cardinals have scheduled interviews for this week with Ron Rivera, Mike Sherman and Jim Caldwell. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]On Tuesday, the Cardinals received permission from the San Diego Chargers to interview offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. That interview should take place before Sunday.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"What I attempted to do, based on Dennis Green's record and success, is to give him support, to support the plan that he wanted to implement," Graves said Monday. "Although I may have disagreed sometimes, I felt supporting his plan and the way he wanted to build this football team is something I chose to do. And by moving forward, we'll assess how decisions are made, but ultimately the authority rests in my corner with respect to football operations."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves agreed to a new three-year contract last weekend after working without a deal since last spring. He and Michael Bidwill, team vice president and general counsel, will lead the search for a new coach, just as they did three years ago when they hired Green. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In keeping Graves in the same job, the Cardinals in effect are blaming coaching, not the front office, for the team's 16-32 record in the past three years. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green's tenure was filled with controversial decisions, from the firing of seven assistants to starting five quarterbacks. The perception, and perhaps the reality, was that no one in the organization stood up to Green.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves disputed that, saying he occasionally voiced his disagreement.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"I'm not sure that voice didn't exist," Graves said. "It may not have existed on this podium, but we always debated, we always talked about what we felt was in the best interest of this football team. And while I don't know a situation where everybody agrees in the room, there has to be genuine support once the decision is made, and that's how we handled it."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green was credited with revamping the team's draft selection process, emphasizing the need to rank players according to ability while paying less attention to team needs. On draft day, Green was content to sit tight instead of trading up or down the board.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Team sources said there was no question Green called the shots in the team's past three drafts.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves politely disputed that. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"That was not the process," he said.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It certainly won't be with the new coach. Bidwill made it clear Monday that Graves is in charge of the football operations, although he left open the possibility of other changes in the front office.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Bidwill, however, is expected to continue to play an integral role in the football operations, although team insiders believe his older brother, Bill Jr., a vice president with the team, is pushing for a louder voice in football matters.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The structure of the front office and the dynamics of the Bidwill family likely will be topics broached by coaching candidates during interviews.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Graves and Bidwill emphasized their belief that the Cardinals have enough talent to contend for the playoffs. They said much the same things in 2004 when they hired Green.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif[B]]"We'll be looking for someone who has the best plan given what we have in place," Graves said. "We don't think we are that far away. I don't see wholesale changes necessary for this football team."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The team has announced six candidates for the job, although there are expected to be others. The Cardinals are scheduled to interview Rivera, the Bears defensive coordinator, today in Chicago; Sherman, the former Packers coach and currently a Houston assistant, on Thursday, and Caldwell, a Colts assistant, in Indianapolis on Sunday. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow likely won't be interviewed until the weekend at the earliest.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals are also interested in talking to former Dolphins and Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates, according to ESPN.com. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals have cast a wide net in their search for a coach, but their timetable might be accelerated by openings elsewhere. Atlanta is searching for a head coach and has expressed interest in Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, whom the Cardinals also would like to interview.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Whisenhunt and fellow Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm, a Cardinals candidate, are also expected to be considered to replace Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher, should he decide to leave.[/FONT]

Aaargh! The Bidwill's continue to stick their noses in to create disaster, the Bidwill yes-man is taking full charge, and they're looking for a yes-man coach to take over. Aaaaargh!

 

[Pariah]

Rod Graves:

 

[Pariah]

Michael Bidwill:

 

[RedViper]

Graves and Bidwill emphasized their belief that the Cardinals have enough talent to contend for the playoffs. They said much the same things in 2004 when they hired Green.


This mentality right here, crushes any optimism I could have for this team. This is the BS mentality that kept them from getting the veteran corner this year that would have made ALL the difference. We'd have won four more games this year if we'd signed Ty Law. But these guys always fall back with this delusional BS that we don't need to take drastic measures. Its going to be this same BS with the new guard.

 

[Pariah]

On a side note, Jon may want to do a Google image search for Tony Danza. Definately NOT work safe.

 

[Renz]

I don't mind Graves staying on at all. Many of the problems were caused because of the coaching staff.

As for those who complain about the OL, I point you to the 4.2 ypc since it was solidified. The players were there, as we all know, it was the coaches who refused to put them into a position to excel from day one.

Plus all the gafs on the field, the lack of preparation and adapting, the lack of any imagination on the offensive side of the ball. Those things are not the GMs fault and lay squarely on the DG and his coaches.

Good points.

 

[joeshmo]

That doesnt sound like a GM at all.