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HOUSE CLEANING COMING IN 'ZONA?
Strong indications currently are that both coach Dennis Green and V.P. of football operations Rod Graves will get the heave-ho from the Arizona Cardinals after the 2006 season.
The Cards have resisted firing Green in the midst of a far-worse-than-expected 1-8 season because, in our opinion, the miserly Bidwills want to reduce the buyout that Green will be owed on a contract that runs through the 2007 season. Though some in the ownership family might be tempted to play high-stakes chicken with Green in the offseason in the hopes that he'll quit, our guess is that the powers-that-be will realize that they'll lose far more than his $2.5 million salary for next season in the form of season ticket renewals if they don't get rid of Green promptly after the final game of the current campaign.
We won't rule out, however, an effort by the Bidwills to fire Green and then withhold his pay for 2007 based on an allegation that he has somehow breached the letter of his contract. The goal would then be to save a few hundred thousand by negotiating a settlement for less than the amount owed to the veteran head coach. Our advice? Just pay the guy to go away.
Regardless of how Green's tenure ends in Arizona, we're not convinced that the team ever will be worth a crap. Like the Detroit Lions, the common link through decades of poor performance is ownership. The Cardinals franchise has had more than 40 coaches in its 87-year history, and none has made it longer than six years.
There has been only one playoff win since the Truman administration, and the Bidwills have owned the team since 1932.
Coincidence? You decide.
Another example of the team's overall ineptitude? They somehow managed to screw up Sunday's halftime tribute to the late Pat Tillman. But at least they've owned up to the gaffe. The following statement appears on the team's official web site: "During the Ring of Honor ceremony for Pat Tillman at halftime of Sunday's game against the Cowboys, the tribute that ran on the stadium’s scoreboard did not operate properly and we sincerely apologize for that. While the technical reasons for those audio problems have been addressed, the bottom line is that we dropped the ball. Our intent was to provide a very special tribute to Pat and in the end we did not do that. We regret that very much."
A link to the tribute is available on the team's site. (And, surprisingly, it works.)
So how does the team move forward? Aside from an ownership change, the best bet for the Bidwills will be to hire a strong G.M., open up the change purse, and then butt out completely. The G.M. then should hire the right coach to bring the team together and make it into a perennial winner.
The thinking is that the Bidwills will want to focus on finding an offensive-minded head coach, in order to maximize the Matt Leinart investment. We've heard Dick Vermeil's name mentioned, and even though he says he's not interested some think that if the team expresses interest in the retired coach of the Eagles, Rams, and Chiefs, Vermeil will reciprocate.
We've also heard that Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and current Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast could be on the list, but both would need to be able to line up a top-notch offensive coordinator.
Some think that Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz could be considered for the job. Though we doubt that anyone would take a chance on Martz given his reputation as a power-hungry control freak, the Bidwills might become infatuated with his success in the city where the Cardinals used to play.
Then there are the college ranks. Bobby Petrino of the Louisville Cardinals is a possibility, especially in light of what the team's offense has accomplished despite a wave of key injuries in 2006. Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia could be a candidate for the position of offensive coordinator under a defense-oriented head coach; however, Rodriguez's once pass-happy offensive system has evolved into an attack that requires a mobile quarterback.
Despite the past problems with the franchise, we think there's potential. An improved offensive line could help the scoreboard to explode, and the Cardinals have the cap room to be very competitive in the coming free-agent market. The location and the facilities should also help to attract players who can go elsewhere.
And the high draft position could enable the team to trade down with someone who wants Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, or Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson (none of whom the Cardinals need). In exchange, the Cardinals would pick up a bunch of extra selections that can be used to beef up the offensive line and the defensive side of the ball.
So, yes, there's reason for optimism in the post-Green/Graves era. But the franchise has to play it right, and the smartest move would be for the Bidwills to get out of the way and let the experts do the job.
Death Row Cardinals. Has a certain ring to it.
