Hire a GM RIGHT NOW!!!!

[Cbus cardsfan]

i think Bob Ferguson is available . Graves can be kept on in some role,like getting Bidwill's coffee in the morning, as long as it is nowhere near personnel evaluations or in the draft room. Let's face it, they are not going to hire Ron Wolf and i don't know who is a viable candidate. Charlie Casserly is horrible. Tom Donahoe hasn't really been lights out. Bruce Allen ruined the Raiders and is now doing the same thing in Tampa. The best guy out there is the guy in San Diego(name slips my mind, Butler?) and maybe he loses out in a power struggle with Schottenheimer and is interested in moving on.If he can work for Spanos then i'm sure he could work for Bidwill. How about Bill Tobin, is he working for anyone these days?

 

[football karma]

Before any talk of coach, this is the position that needs to be addressed--

Wolf may come for a two year gig to get things moving in the right direction--

The Cards will probably have to go the route of hiring the up and coming "next" GM -- someone who has worked in (for example) New England or Indy, etc

 

[JeffGollin]

I believe that the Cards will keep Graves and give him a contract. Rappin' Rod is exactly what the Bidwills want as a GM...guy who never rocks the boat. The question is, can Rod effectively run the draft now? Did he learn anything about how to evaluate talent and how to build a draft plan?

I suspect you're right, and you ask the right questions.

The topic of this thread is HIRE A GM RIGHT NOW! A few thoughts:

- Do it now, and you've limited your options to a few unemployed guys with GM on their resume. Plus - this is the time of year when the fewest outside player moves can get made, anyway.

- If we were to eventually make a move, I'd guess the best guy for the job would be "someone we never heard of."

- "Hire the person and not the paper." If you look at most successful recent GM and coaching hires, you'll find they all had unique personal qualities - ones that varied somewhat from individual to individual. (Jim Mora Jr is different from Bill Bellicheck. Bill Cowher is different from Mike Holmgren. Eric Mangini is different from Marvin Lewis or Tony Dungy. Yet they're all successful coaches).

- My ideal choice for GM would combine (a) DG's knowledge of talent and how to work the draft, (b) Rod's professionalism working the cap and dealing with players and (c) the missing element of proactivity - i.e. not spending a decade to fix the biggest thing that's broke like the O-line.

- From a coaching standpoint, I'd want someone who, above all, was (a) very bright, (b) demanding of his players and coaches, (c) tough, (d) knew how to get it done and (e) treated his players fairly - i.e. would throw himself in front of the bus before doing that to his players.

- What I don't think we should ever do again is "hire for reputation." While "successful track record" is something worth a lot of consideration, sometimes a GM or coach may have been in the right situation at the right time. His approach to GM'ing or Coaching might have been the perfect fit for the team he inherited and what its needs were. The problem is that many of guys might try to live off their reputation or will try to jam the approach that worked well for Team A down the throat of Team B - a team in a different situation with entirely different needs.

- Remember one thing, everyone, Michael B has already alluded to the fact that his family previously prematurely fired a good HC in the heat of battle and that "he wouldn't repeat that mistake again." As we saw Sunday - a major change in OC and offensive coaching philosophy made in mid-season can cause more confusion and disruption among the players than it will help.

The only conceivable way we can salvage anything from this season will have to come from the the folks we've got on board right now. As agonizing as it may be for all of us, if there are things need to be done, we'll have to wait til the off season before they are.

 

[john h]

Stop, take a deep breath and begin looking for a GM right now, firing Green now dosen't matter it's over take your time and find a GM.

The worst thing I think this organization could to is try to figure a way out of this mess on their own.

They've proven they can't hire coaches, they have zero feel for it, they need to take all their energy and focus on hiring a GM that's going to be hard enough to do right and I'm not exactly hopeful this crowd will get that right but that's the only hope, that they do just that and that they get lucky or that they follow a process that leads them to the right person.

We have not had a REAL GM for many years. Graves is a GM I guess but in name only. The Cardinal orgainziation is run like no other in the NFL. That is why it is reapeatedly named the worst franchise in all of sports.

 

[Sandan]

We have not had a REAL GM for many years. Graves is a GM I guess but in name only.

Why is that ?

 

[Russ Smith]

i think Bob Ferguson is available . Graves can be kept on in some role,like getting Bidwill's coffee in the morning, as long as it is nowhere near personnel evaluations or in the draft room. Let's face it, they are not going to hire Ron Wolf and i don't know who is a viable candidate. Charlie Casserly is horrible. Tom Donahoe hasn't really been lights out. Bruce Allen ruined the Raiders and is now doing the same thing in Tampa. The best guy out there is the guy in San Diego(name slips my mind, Butler?) and maybe he loses out in a power struggle with Schottenheimer and is interested in moving on.If he can work for Spanos then i'm sure he could work for Bidwill. How about Bill Tobin, is he working for anyone these days?

AJ Smith, how can you possibly forget the name Smith?



Bill Tobin would be great, he could argue with Mel Kiper on draft day again.

"who the hell is Mel Kiper? My mailman knows more about football than Mel Kiper." Forget the exact words, one of the great on air moments in NFL draft history though.

 

[kerouac9]

We have not had a REAL GM for many years. Graves is a GM I guess but in name only. The Cardinal orgainziation is run like no other in the NFL. That is why it is reapeatedly named the worst franchise in all of sports.

Actually, he's not even a GM in name. His true title is VP Football Operations. There are tons of teams in the NFL that don't have actual GMs. The Patriots are one, I believe.

Bob Ferguson is not available. He's getting Mike Holmgren "what he needs" working for the Seattle Seahawks, I believe.

 

[Sandan]

Not that I disagree but why is RG not performing the duties of a GM ?

I thought he was, where am I mistaken ?

This doesn't imply I wouldn't support getting a new GM before K9 accuses me of defending RG

 

[PrescottLooie]

Why are we talking Bob Ferguson ? Didn't we already try him at GM here ? What did he do for us ?

 

[kerouac9]

Why are we talking Bob Ferguson ? Didn't we already try him at GM here ? What did he do for us ?

Oops. I was wrong. Tim Ruskell is President of Football Operations in Seattle (Another team that doesn't have a General Manager). He didn't start there until February of 2005, though. Freguson resigned after the 2004-5 season that ended with the 'Hawks losing at home to the Packers.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Why are we talking Bob Ferguson ? Didn't we already try him at GM here ? What did he do for us ?

build us a playoff team? For that alone, the guy should have a statue rectified in his honor.

I don't care what Graves' title is - his been linked with two of the more awful runs in NFL history between the Bears and our beloved. It's time for him to go somewhere else and make a mockey of someone else as far as I'm concerned.

 

[kerouac9]

Not that I disagree but why is RG not performing the duties of a GM ?

I thought he was, where am I mistaken ?

This doesn't imply I wouldn't support getting a new GM before K9 accuses me of defending RG

Aren't the duties of a GM to build a winning team and provide the coach with the personnel he needs to succeed, including subordinate coaches? According to the team's website, here are his responsibilities:

Graves, 47, is responsible for all facets of the Cardinals’ football operations. He has provided leadership in hiring, planning, budgeting, player acquisitions, negotiations, and scouting.

Here's what the website has to say under Denny Green's bio about the tandem's "accomplishments":

Upon his arrival in the desert, Green and Graves quickly began re-shaping the Cardinals roster in a variety of ways. Free agency yielded starters like cornerback David Macklin INTs, fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, and defensive end Bertrand Berry. Berry would prove to become the best free agent pick-up in team history by leading the conference in sacks (14.5) and earning his first career Pro Bowl berth. Next came an outstanding 2004 draft class that produced four full-time starters in receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Karlos Dansby, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and center Alex Stepanovich. In the end, all seven draftees found their way to the roster. The Cards were also active picking up veterans via the waiver wire and trades so, not surprisingly, the opening day roster included 22 new players.

The regime’s second free agency foray yielded even more unrestricted free agents in the spring of 2005, including safety Robert Griffith, tackle Oliver Ross, defensive end Chike Okeafor, linebacker Orlando Huff, and a two-time league MVP in quarterback Kurt Warner. That was followed by a stellar 2005 draft class that was regarded by many to be the best in the league. All 14 players drafted by Green and Graves in 2004 and 2005 made the active roster with 13 starting at least one game.

If Green is responsible for this team right now, than Graves is more so. It's not enough to just do the bare minimum to get the job accomplished, you have to do the job well. There are only 32 of these positions in the country; surely it's time for the Cardinals to find someone who can do it successfully.

 

[Sandan]

K9 I knew you would not be able to resist attacking me.

I never said I thought RG was being a successful GM [or VP], what I asked is why John has said he was a 'GM in name only'.

FWIW I don't think he is doing a great job either, despite the fact that personally I like him. However you have never asked that, you just assume I think he is doing a great job.

I suggest you get off your 'attack Nidan whenever possible, particuarly if RG is involved' kick and read what I post, not put your own interpretation on it.

 

[kerouac9]

K9 I knew you would not be able to resist attacking me.

I never said I thought RG was being a successful GM [or VP], what I asked is why John has said he was a 'GM in name only'.

FWIW I don't think he is doing a great job either, despite the fact that personally I like him. However you have never asked that, you just assume I think he is doing a great job.

I suggest you get off your 'attack Nidan whenever possible, particuarly if RG is involved' kick and read what I post, not put your own interpretation on it.

I didn't really think it was an attack, for what's that's worth. Where was the attacking part of the post? What you asked was:

Not that I disagree but why is RG not performing the duties of a GM ?

I thought he was, where am I mistaken ?

Your first post was directed at John, but not the one that I replied to. You asked what responsibilities he wasn't performing, and I gave my reply.

 

[Cheesebeef]

K9 I knew you would not be able to resist attacking me.

uh, where's the attack you're referring to?

 

[Sandan]

You are telling me that he is not being succesful as I knew you would. As soon as a thread mentions RG and I dare to post, you jump down my throat and I'm tired of it.

Your post had NOTHING to to do with my question

I just asked John why he is a GM in Name only, not is he being succesful?

 

[Sandan]

The really enteraining part K9 is that I actually agree that RG isn't doing that well but you never bother to ask me that.

You assume I think he is doing a good job

 

[kerouac9]

You are telling me that he is not being succesful as I knew you would. As soon as a thread mentions RG and I dare to post, you jump down my throat and I'm tired of it.

Your post had NOTHING to to do with my question

I just asked John why he is a GM in Name only, not is he being succesful?

Sorry, but doesn't "being successful" fall under the rubric of "performing your job"? A Fuller Brush salesman isn't doing his job by ringing the doorbell. He does his job by actually selling brushes. A manager isn't doing his job if he just writes memos and checks in on the minions every once in a while; he's doing his job when those people work and the business succeeds. You're a small businessman; you understand this.

For what it's worth, it didn't look like you were directing that question to John, it looked like you were posting it to the board. More specifically, it seemed like you were addressing it to either Russ or I, since we were the only ones who said anything between your two posts. Since this whole thread implies that Graves is not "doing the job of GM" (Hire a GM RIGHT NOW!!!), it seemed to be a pretty general comment.

 

[Sandan]

No it doesn't. Again read what I asked.

The reason I asked it was simple. It seemed like little more than a snide comment about the FO operations based on the assumption that RG has zero power or influence and that BB still runs the show.

Maybe RG does have power, maybe he doesn't, none of us know and that is the truth. None of us know how involved BB is these days.

Then you jump in telling me how unsuccessful RG is being, do you think I'm too stupid to see that ? What we don't know is why.

Personally I'm hoping MB can use this situation as a lever to bring in a GM who has authority written into his contract. This isn't a reflection on RG [as I have no idea where the blame really lies] but I am saying that MB could use this to change things for the better.

 

[kerouac9]

Frankly, I'm tired of this discussion. I come here to talk about football. If you feel attacked, please accept my sincere apology. I hope that now this thread can be more about football and less about bickering.

I was thinking that the Cards might be well-served to look at Chris Mara as their next GM, since he's done a superior job of both managing the draft but also recognizing and re-signing good free agents, but I don't think he's going to leave New York.

I'd love to pry Jerry Angelo away from the Bears, but I don't think he'll leave. You know who I would like, though? Bobby DePaul, Chicago's director of Pro Personnel. He worked with Joe Gibbs, Peter Laurie in Philadelphia, and now he works with Angelo.

The question would be whether he can command the kind of power it would take to be successful.

 

[BigRedArk]

I was thinking that the Cards might be well-served to look at Chris Mara as their next GM, since he's done a superior job of both managing the draft but also recognizing and re-signing good free agents, but I don't think he's going to leave New York.

I'd love to pry Jerry Angelo away from the Bears, but I don't think he'll leave. You know who I would like, though? Bobby DePaul, Chicago's director of Pro Personnel. He worked with Joe Gibbs, Peter Laurie in Philadelphia, and now he works with Angelo.

The question would be whether he can command the kind of power it would take to be successful.

Is Chicago like the perfect place for a guy with a last name of DePaul or what?? Nevertheless he does sound very qualified. He could be be an undiscovered potential gem of a GM just waiting for his chance.

Speaking of the Pats I looked on their website and as best as I can tell the crucial decisions of which players to keep, let go, and acquire seem to be between Scott Pioli (misspelled his last name in the previous post) and Bill Belichick. Was hoping Pioli would have some sort of an understudy we could maybe steal from them but no luck.