From www.azgameday.com
One off-season ago Michael Bidwill and his puppet personnel man Rod Graves hailed a new era of Cardinals football, evidenced (at least in their eyes) by the terrific twosome’s ability to sign five of seven "targeted" free agents. Last Wednesday new head coach and de facto GM Dennis Green targeted the first of those free agents for release.
Jeff Blake, the first signing of the short-lived Graves-Bidwill experiment, was dumped quickly and without direct word from Green. Green had similar experiences in Minnesota with embedded vets like Carl Lee and Wade Wilson, both who (like Blake) were miffed by the lack of an exit interview. Blake received the news of his release from new offensive coordinator Alex Wood, who had never called a single play with Blake at quarterback. According to Green, Wood will work much more with newly named starter Josh McCown, whose late season run helped knock their former employer out of the NFL playoffs. Purely coincidental I’m sure, although the same could certainly not be said for Green’s astute opening move.
Green’s strategy was twofold. First, it cleared the way for a young quarterback to be drafted, and secondly it made very clear who is in charge of the Cardinals forlorn football operation these days. The preceding may come as a surprise to those in the Arizona media. As if their journalistic curiosity could go no lower, the majority of AZ media types bought into the naive notion that Green would share power with Graves. Old habits aren’t easily broken, but NFL execs working alongside Dennis Green often are. Just ask Jeff Diamond, the life long Vikings fan turned decorated VP who found himself unemployed following 1998’s 15-1 season.
According to reports out of Minnesota, Green was fond of the telling agents "there is only one cook in this kitchen." Not quite as self-aggrandizing as Buddy Ryan’s "You’re looking at The Franchise," (Ryan’s reference to himself), but one doesn’t get the impression Green prefers deference in regards to important (if any) personnel decisions. Jeff Blake would certainly agree. Blake was Graves’ first signing, which carries about the same clout of a cabinet official in an outgoing administration. Not that it’s a bad thing.
The relative strength of the Green signing was his ability the counterbalance the ridiculousness of the Cardinals "Grave new plan." Mr. Graves was one Anquan Boldin away from joining the likes of Mike Lynn (Herschel Walker trade) and the French Government (Louisiana Purchase). Ironically, had the French not been fleeced in the latter transaction, there may never have been a Louisiana team to rip off the Cardinals in the 2003 NFL Draft (or vice versa).
In any case, with a new sheriff in town, Graves’ days as personnel chieftain are over. This will allow Graves to do what he does best. That is, find ways not to sign 1st Round picks.
Much to the chagrin of potential 2nd Round defensive ends and receivers (i.e. Bryant Johnson and Calvin Pace types), the unlucky individual(s) drafted by the Cardinals will not be of Graves’ choosing. Green will have the final say in the draft, just as he did in appointing an undistinguished (at best) coaching staff.
Green’s first hire was longtime confidant Richard Solomon as defensive backs coach. Solomon’s credentials are the stuff of legends. No where in the league will you find someone that is as universally disliked or unwanted on a professional coaching staff.
Some of Solomon’s higher points include a sexual harassment claim, sleeping through team meetings, initiating a physical confrontation with his own cornerback, and leading the Vikings secondary to remarkable rankings of 21, 28, 9, 29, 19, 30, and 28 during seven seasons.
Green would dismiss such claims as hearsay. So much so that Green, himself (in 2001), reassigned "Solly" away from the post he currently holds with the Cardinals and so incredulous that the Washington Redskins had one demand if (then candidate) Green was to become their head coach: No Richard Solomon.
Joining Solomon (in that odd order) on the Cardinals defensive staff was coordinator Clancy Pendergast whose family had business ties to the Bidwills and (like Solomon) was not well liked by his pupils as linebackers coach in Cleveland.
About the only in demand Green staffer was tight ends coach Patrick Flaherty who left the job before ever coaching a player.
Given his track record, Green deserves the benefit the doubt when it comes to offensive assistants. Defense is another story.
One could make the argument that Dennis Green knows as much about defense as Ryan did offense. Whether Pendergast turns into the defensive version of Dave Atkins (Ryan's lame offensive coordinator) is still debatable.
Whether Green has curbed his enthusiasm for grabbing power is not. He hasn’t.
As verified by Blake’s quick eviction, this tiger has not lost his stripes or (more pointedly) this sheriff has not thrown down his badge. The "new Dennis Green" had a similar shelf life to other AZ Media myths like the "new Matt Williams", "new Tom Gugliotta", or the soon-to-be "new Elmer Dessens."
A better case (or analogy) could be made about the resemblance to another power hungry coach with a track record of winning. Similar circumstances brought the perfect storm known as "Buddy Ball," which lasted all of two lousy seasons. Leading up to that, the Bidwills had displayed their "will to win" by spending $22 million on four (perhaps "targeted") free agents, finished another season with a "unacceptable" amount of wins, and fired a popular head coach who talked better than he led. Entering 1993, the Cardinals also lost a free agent in his prime of his career and made a hard push for a legend at the end of his. All in all, if you replace Steve Beuerlein, Gary Clark, Chuck Cecil and John Booty with Jeff Blake, Dexter Jackson, James Hodgins, and James Darling, Joe Bugel with Dave McGinnis, a 9 win ultimatum with the (rather pathetic) expectation of 8, Tim McDonald with David Boston, Joe Montana with Emmitt Smith, Bill Bidwill with Michael Bidwill, Bob Ackles with Rod Graves, and Buddy Ryan with Dennis Green, we have the most comprehensive case of historical repetition that the NFL has ever seen.
The similarities don’t stop there.
When Ryan took the job in 1994, he told the press contingent that "you’ve got a winner in town." In 1992, Green told the Minnesota’s media that there was a "new sheriff in town."
Both used their newfound power in ignominious (and often irritable) ways. Ryan’s nepotism landed his two sons a job (it should be noted that both are still in the NFL) while giving a third $40,000 thanks to shady deal with a fat lineman named Larry Tharpe (who the third son represented). Ryan also restructured the Cardinals scouting department with associates and friends of his family. Ryan’s sons had either coached with or under newly named scouts like Cole Procter, Bob Mazie, and George Martinez. Another scout, Leland Kendall, had played with Ryan at Oklahoma State.
Besides keeping the ineffectual (not to mention problematic) Solomon around, Green gave a man named Silas McKinnie a scouting job, in the words of one Minnesota writer, "for no apparent reason other than his status as Green’s longtime friend." McKinnie (like Solomon) was Green's college teammate at Iowa.
Ryan and Green also spent little time asserting their power at the expense of the Bidwills’ symbolic signings. Ryan ran Steve Beuerlein out of Arizona inside of a year. Green didn’t wait so long with Blake.
Given the body of evidence, it's almost incomprehensible some have referred to Green's hiring as being "unprecedented in Cardinals history." As cynical (or easy) a conclusion that it seems, this "newest era" will amount to another winning coach losing out to a bad organization. And they always do.
Courtesy of Rod Lakin - Producer and Host AZGameday
One off-season ago Michael Bidwill and his puppet personnel man Rod Graves hailed a new era of Cardinals football, evidenced (at least in their eyes) by the terrific twosome’s ability to sign five of seven "targeted" free agents. Last Wednesday new head coach and de facto GM Dennis Green targeted the first of those free agents for release.
Jeff Blake, the first signing of the short-lived Graves-Bidwill experiment, was dumped quickly and without direct word from Green. Green had similar experiences in Minnesota with embedded vets like Carl Lee and Wade Wilson, both who (like Blake) were miffed by the lack of an exit interview. Blake received the news of his release from new offensive coordinator Alex Wood, who had never called a single play with Blake at quarterback. According to Green, Wood will work much more with newly named starter Josh McCown, whose late season run helped knock their former employer out of the NFL playoffs. Purely coincidental I’m sure, although the same could certainly not be said for Green’s astute opening move.
Green’s strategy was twofold. First, it cleared the way for a young quarterback to be drafted, and secondly it made very clear who is in charge of the Cardinals forlorn football operation these days. The preceding may come as a surprise to those in the Arizona media. As if their journalistic curiosity could go no lower, the majority of AZ media types bought into the naive notion that Green would share power with Graves. Old habits aren’t easily broken, but NFL execs working alongside Dennis Green often are. Just ask Jeff Diamond, the life long Vikings fan turned decorated VP who found himself unemployed following 1998’s 15-1 season.
According to reports out of Minnesota, Green was fond of the telling agents "there is only one cook in this kitchen." Not quite as self-aggrandizing as Buddy Ryan’s "You’re looking at The Franchise," (Ryan’s reference to himself), but one doesn’t get the impression Green prefers deference in regards to important (if any) personnel decisions. Jeff Blake would certainly agree. Blake was Graves’ first signing, which carries about the same clout of a cabinet official in an outgoing administration. Not that it’s a bad thing.
The relative strength of the Green signing was his ability the counterbalance the ridiculousness of the Cardinals "Grave new plan." Mr. Graves was one Anquan Boldin away from joining the likes of Mike Lynn (Herschel Walker trade) and the French Government (Louisiana Purchase). Ironically, had the French not been fleeced in the latter transaction, there may never have been a Louisiana team to rip off the Cardinals in the 2003 NFL Draft (or vice versa).
In any case, with a new sheriff in town, Graves’ days as personnel chieftain are over. This will allow Graves to do what he does best. That is, find ways not to sign 1st Round picks.
Much to the chagrin of potential 2nd Round defensive ends and receivers (i.e. Bryant Johnson and Calvin Pace types), the unlucky individual(s) drafted by the Cardinals will not be of Graves’ choosing. Green will have the final say in the draft, just as he did in appointing an undistinguished (at best) coaching staff.
Green’s first hire was longtime confidant Richard Solomon as defensive backs coach. Solomon’s credentials are the stuff of legends. No where in the league will you find someone that is as universally disliked or unwanted on a professional coaching staff.
Some of Solomon’s higher points include a sexual harassment claim, sleeping through team meetings, initiating a physical confrontation with his own cornerback, and leading the Vikings secondary to remarkable rankings of 21, 28, 9, 29, 19, 30, and 28 during seven seasons.
Green would dismiss such claims as hearsay. So much so that Green, himself (in 2001), reassigned "Solly" away from the post he currently holds with the Cardinals and so incredulous that the Washington Redskins had one demand if (then candidate) Green was to become their head coach: No Richard Solomon.
Joining Solomon (in that odd order) on the Cardinals defensive staff was coordinator Clancy Pendergast whose family had business ties to the Bidwills and (like Solomon) was not well liked by his pupils as linebackers coach in Cleveland.
About the only in demand Green staffer was tight ends coach Patrick Flaherty who left the job before ever coaching a player.
Given his track record, Green deserves the benefit the doubt when it comes to offensive assistants. Defense is another story.
One could make the argument that Dennis Green knows as much about defense as Ryan did offense. Whether Pendergast turns into the defensive version of Dave Atkins (Ryan's lame offensive coordinator) is still debatable.
Whether Green has curbed his enthusiasm for grabbing power is not. He hasn’t.
As verified by Blake’s quick eviction, this tiger has not lost his stripes or (more pointedly) this sheriff has not thrown down his badge. The "new Dennis Green" had a similar shelf life to other AZ Media myths like the "new Matt Williams", "new Tom Gugliotta", or the soon-to-be "new Elmer Dessens."
A better case (or analogy) could be made about the resemblance to another power hungry coach with a track record of winning. Similar circumstances brought the perfect storm known as "Buddy Ball," which lasted all of two lousy seasons. Leading up to that, the Bidwills had displayed their "will to win" by spending $22 million on four (perhaps "targeted") free agents, finished another season with a "unacceptable" amount of wins, and fired a popular head coach who talked better than he led. Entering 1993, the Cardinals also lost a free agent in his prime of his career and made a hard push for a legend at the end of his. All in all, if you replace Steve Beuerlein, Gary Clark, Chuck Cecil and John Booty with Jeff Blake, Dexter Jackson, James Hodgins, and James Darling, Joe Bugel with Dave McGinnis, a 9 win ultimatum with the (rather pathetic) expectation of 8, Tim McDonald with David Boston, Joe Montana with Emmitt Smith, Bill Bidwill with Michael Bidwill, Bob Ackles with Rod Graves, and Buddy Ryan with Dennis Green, we have the most comprehensive case of historical repetition that the NFL has ever seen.
The similarities don’t stop there.
When Ryan took the job in 1994, he told the press contingent that "you’ve got a winner in town." In 1992, Green told the Minnesota’s media that there was a "new sheriff in town."
Both used their newfound power in ignominious (and often irritable) ways. Ryan’s nepotism landed his two sons a job (it should be noted that both are still in the NFL) while giving a third $40,000 thanks to shady deal with a fat lineman named Larry Tharpe (who the third son represented). Ryan also restructured the Cardinals scouting department with associates and friends of his family. Ryan’s sons had either coached with or under newly named scouts like Cole Procter, Bob Mazie, and George Martinez. Another scout, Leland Kendall, had played with Ryan at Oklahoma State.
Besides keeping the ineffectual (not to mention problematic) Solomon around, Green gave a man named Silas McKinnie a scouting job, in the words of one Minnesota writer, "for no apparent reason other than his status as Green’s longtime friend." McKinnie (like Solomon) was Green's college teammate at Iowa.
Ryan and Green also spent little time asserting their power at the expense of the Bidwills’ symbolic signings. Ryan ran Steve Beuerlein out of Arizona inside of a year. Green didn’t wait so long with Blake.
Given the body of evidence, it's almost incomprehensible some have referred to Green's hiring as being "unprecedented in Cardinals history." As cynical (or easy) a conclusion that it seems, this "newest era" will amount to another winning coach losing out to a bad organization. And they always do.
Courtesy of Rod Lakin - Producer and Host AZGameday
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I'm willing to provide both R Lakin and Vikingsfan with blackmarket m-16's (with ammo) so they can have a real mano a mano duel over this. 
