Steve Wilks: Cardinals will be “very aggressive” in finding a quarterback

[BullheadCardFan]

Steve Wilks: Cardinals will be “very aggressive” in finding a quarterback

The Cardinals, currently without a quarterback under contract for 2018, will be “very aggressive” in finding Carson Palmer’s replacement, coach Steve Wilks said Thursday.

Arizona could look at signing a quarterback in free agency and drafting one, too
.
“[We’re looking for a] very smart and intelligent guy,” Wilks said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “A guy that’s going to come in and command, not only the huddle, but that side of the ball, that locker room. A competitor. A guy that loves to compete. We’re looking for all those things. That DNA.”

Wilks, who has a defensive background, said he will have a large say in the Cardinals’ quarterback plan. Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim made that one of the selling points of the job to candidates.

“We’re going to work together to make sure we bring the right guy in here,” Wilks said, via Darren Urban of the team website. “Coaches are watching tape and evaluating as well. Steve Keim and myself are constantly talking and communicate about our game plan of what we want to do. Anyone coming on this roster I will have a definite input and major factor in bringing them in.”

 

[az jam]

So he is on the same page with Keim and Bidwill on being aggressive. With the exception of Cousins, the free agent qbs are not very impressive. Keim should have been aggressive the past three years.

 

[juza76]

I never heard about being passive searching for a qb in the case u don't have one

Wilks seems to say things that are obvious

Hope is more creative as a coach then as a talker

 

[Mitch]

I never heard about being passive searching for a qb in the case u don't have one

Wilks seems to say things that are obvious

Hope is more creative as a coach then as a talker

Wow, that's kind of harsh. What do expect him to say? What's very positive in all of this is how active a role Wilks is embracing in all aspects of team building. He does not want to be perceived as simply a defensive coach---which is why he has already delegated the defensive play calling and coordination to Al Holcomb and has said that he plans to spend even more time overseeing the offense and STs. Wills is trying to put his stamp on the entire team.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

Steve Wilks WILL win! That's my gut feelin'. Wasn't there concern over B.A.'s hiring? I'd say that turned out pretty well. And while we didn't get the"big" one, we did become competitive and entertaining for 5 years. I'd say that's a pretty good run.

Mark in sunny S.C.

 

[Minski]

Sounds like Mayfield to me

 

[Stout]

So he is on the same page with Keim and Bidwill on being aggressive. With the exception of Cousins, the free agent qbs are not very impressive. Keim should have been aggressive the past three years.

Yep yep.

 

[Southpaw]

I never heard about being passive searching for a qb in the case u don't have one

Wilks seems to say things that are obvious

Hope is more creative as a coach then as a talker

Agree. It is coach speak 101. When does aggressive begin .

Wow, that's kind of harsh. What do expect him to say? What's very positive in all of this is how active a role Wilks is embracing in all aspects of team building. He does not want to be perceived as simply a defensive coach---which is why he has already delegated the defensive play calling and coordination to Al Holcomb and has said that he plans to spend even more time overseeing the offense and STs. Wills is trying to put his stamp on the entire team.

How about not speaking in cliches? So far it just fertilizing the mushroom crop.

 

[thephoenixson28]

Sounds like drew brees to me

 

[Jetstream Green]

"Anyone coming on this roster I will have a definite input and major factor in bringing them in", at first one might think that statement is generic and obvious but it's far from that. To reiterate that when speaking on a question which goes back to the quarterback position, shows a alpha male character not unlike BA for better or worse. This statement along with him stating "you made the right decision" to Michael at his hiring puts me at ease with the hire because it shows Wilks has no fear of the task at hand and even relishes it. The McCoy hire at first sort of bothered me that Wilks might lean on him too much since he coached the position before and not be his own man, but this guy has really taken the reins. For a guy taking on the position for the first time, this is very positive and the job is not above him. This team seemed to have gotten lax and comfortable towards BAs retiring. They where still fighting and BA never lost the team, but that extra something which pushes you over average seemed to have lost it's edge... the edge is about to be put to the whetstone again

 

[GimmedaBall]

What is meant by 'aggressive?'

Doing ANYTHING in regards to bringing in a new QB will be more aggressive than the past few years under SK. The only thing SK has done is Logan Thomas and to churn the very bottom of the NFL FA list by bringing in camp arms and Barkley/Gabbert.

Does aggressive mean moving up in the draft with a dramatic trade---which would be totally out of character for SK?

Does aggressive mean spending big dollars on a FA like Cousins---which would be totally out of character for SK?

Have no idea what 'aggressive' means for SW---he's a first year HC and doesn't have an available track record to review and evaluate as to how he will handle the roster.

What 'aggressive' does mean is what you think it means. The word itself doesn't include a plan of action or a step-by-step indication of what the Card FO and HC are going to do. It is an empty word that allows the listener to fill in the blanks in whatever way they want and will make everyone happy.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Not sure what people expect him to say when being asked about our QB search? He answered the question. Anymore insight is really none of our business. Theyre working on resolving the issue and thats good enough for me.

 

[overseascardfan]

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a Harvard grad, maybe he’s who Wiks was talking about.

 

[GimmedaBall]

"Anyone coming on this roster I will have a definite input and major factor in bringing them in", at first one might think that statement is generic and obvious but it's far from that. To reiterate that when speaking on a question which goes back to the quarterback position, shows a alpha male character not unlike BA for better or worse. This statement along with him stating "you made the right decision" to Michael at his hiring puts me at ease with the hire because it shows Wilks has no fear of the task at hand and even relishes it. The McCoy hire at first sort of bothered me that Wilks might lean on him too much since he coached the position before and not be his own man, but this guy has really taken the reins. For a guy taking on the position for the first time, this is very positive and the job is not above him. This team seemed to have gotten lax and comfortable towards BAs retiring. They where still fighting and BA never lost the team, but that extra something which pushes you over average seemed to have lost it's edge... the edge is about to be put to the whetstone again

We will have to see what actually happens, not what Wilks thinks or says will happen.

The other alpha male in the room is SK. It took him a very long time to get to his position and his recent contract is only going to reinforce his power within the organization. SK can also take some credit for BA and his successful seasons and overall winning record since he was the one who churned the roster, went with prove-it deals, and had final say on player recruitment via draft and FA.

Wilks may indeed get input into things like the draft. What else is MB and SK going to promise the guy coming in as a new coach? What else is SW going to say besides "you hired the right guy." Don't really expect him to say "I'm not worthy of the job you just gave me."

But 'final say' is a lot different from 'input.' Ask BA about the distinction after years of going public with comments about QBs in the draft only to see SK stick to his draft board and not make the trade up, not make the FA signing, etc when it came to a new toy QB for BA to work with.

BA, to his credit, never went public with his lack of real 'input.' Instead, after the draft he would toe the line as to the organizational structure and support SK's draft. Of course, plenty of SK's 1st rounders got to redshirt once BA got them on the field.

Was McCoy Wilk's hire for OC or was that something SK decided? Was it a mutual agreement between HC and GM? An answer to that question will go a long way in highlighting the real relationship within the organization.

Is Wilks bluster real? Is he projecting an image toward the players that he wants them to believe? How long will it be before SK takes the bone away and lets the new dog know who makes the final decision and who is in charge of the dog pen?

 

[Snakester]

I take it as he is going after a vet QB and it will most likely be Kurt Cousins since he is the only big name vet QB out there. I look for the team to now draft a CB, WR or O-lineman in the first round. My best guesses would be Mike McGlinchey or Quenton Nelson for the line. Calvin Ridley or James Washington at WR. Denzel Ward at CB. The only other player I see is LB Roquan Smith. Personally I think Nelson, Ward and Ridley are gone before we pick so WR James Washington becomes the pick.

 

[juza76]

For example I found really interesting what keim said couple of days a go
U dont need just a plan A about finding your qb cause first there are not great talents in the free agency and even cousins didnt show much as a winner, and u need to have other options incase the first one doesnt work (kolb, derek anderson)

So probably being agressive is about signing 2 guys in free agency and then drafting a first round qb and then let them compete

 

[DevonCardsFan]

I've played all clips I can of Wilks and I've heard him say he prefers a mobile QB like Cam, that can create plays when pockets collapse and create and the Cards have A line problem . With that being said and how much say; we need to see who is mobile out there and that's who the Cards will be targeting. Keenum, Taylor, Bridgewater and other mobile wbs out there?

 

[Solar7]

So he is on the same page with Keim and Bidwill on being aggressive. With the exception of Cousins, the free agent qbs are not very impressive. Keim should have been aggressive the past three years.

How aggressive?

I mean, last year - yes, I'm all on board there. We really needed a quarterback and didn't even try. I mean, Gabbert was at least an attempt at finding something and it looked like it might work out for a bit, but 2016 was a year we were supposedly all in to win a championship, and in 2015 we were still in the Logan Thomas experiment. In the 3rd round we probably should have chosen someone instead of Brandon Williams, but if my memory serves me correctly, we didn't even carry three QBs into the season, so who knows if that would have worked. Either way, Palmer wasn't about to be gone, and neither was Stanton, so we weren't going to be yielding any significant snaps to a rookie.

But I don't get anyone that's mad at Wilks for what he's saying. What's he supposed to do - lay out his entire gameplan so the fans can breathe a sigh of relief, only for his strategy to be exposed to the rest of the NFL?

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Agree. It is coach speak 101. When does aggressive begin .

How about not speaking in cliches? So far it just fertilizing the mushroom crop.

Not speaking directly about the poster above, but on the subject here.

Well the way Wilks addresses the media should be a breath of fresh air for a good number of fans, since they pined about how Arians would talk bluntly.

One would hope the same fans that were pining about how Arians handled things are not now complaining about the coach-speak they are getting from Wliks, because at that point it is pure catch-22, and they are not going to be happy with any coach and how they speak.

 

[az jam]

I like the hiring of Wilks and I also am a Keim fan. However, IMO it's on Keim that we don't have a qb ready to take Palmer's place.

 

[Southpaw]

I like the hiring of Wilks and I also am a Keim fan. However, IMO it's on Keim that we don't have a qb ready to take Palmer's place.

Waiting for the QB dominoes to fall.

 

[Southpaw]

Aggressive enough for this guy?

"
2. Josh Allen, Wyoming

The most polarizing quarterback prospect on Twitter is Allen. The Wyoming junior battled a poor supporting cast and an injury in 2017 but didn't see that affect his standing among NFL teams. Allen's arm strength, athleticism and wiring are all praised by NFL decision-makers. Despite a completion percentage of 56.2 percent in college, Allen is considered a lock to be drafted in the top 10.

Scout's Quote:"Why does the league like him more than Twitter? Because we know what we're doing. Allen had nothing around him and people expect him to complete passes? To who?"

Scout's Quote: "Allen takes an imagination. Big arm, big frame, great athleticism. Ran a pro-style offense. Great kid. But when he's off (with the ball) he's way off."

Scout's Comparison: Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers


The take on the QBs here;

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...letter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nfl

 

[moklerman]

I wonder if Arians' success with QB's wound up working against himself and the Cardinals? I'm reminded Mike Martz. With so much success, after a time, it was almost like a challenge to bring in no-name guys and try to get them to work. Instead of going after a blue-chipper, scrap heap guys were given chances they probably shouldn't have.

 

[oaken1]

We will have to see what actually happens, not what Wilks thinks or says will happen.

The other alpha male in the room is SK. It took him a very long time to get to his position and his recent contract is only going to reinforce his power within the organization. SK can also take some credit for BA and his successful seasons and overall winning record since he was the one who churned the roster, went with prove-it deals, and had final say on player recruitment via draft and FA.

Wilks may indeed get input into things like the draft. What else is MB and SK going to promise the guy coming in as a new coach? What else is SW going to say besides "you hired the right guy." Don't really expect him to say "I'm not worthy of the job you just gave me."

But 'final say' is a lot different from 'input.' Ask BA about the distinction after years of going public with comments about QBs in the draft only to see SK stick to his draft board and not make the trade up, not make the FA signing, etc when it came to a new toy QB for BA to work with.

BA, to his credit, never went public with his lack of real 'input.' Instead, after the draft he would toe the line as to the organizational structure and support SK's draft. Of course, plenty of SK's 1st rounders got to redshirt once BA got them on the field.

Was McCoy Wilk's hire for OC or was that something SK decided? Was it a mutual agreement between HC and GM? An answer to that question will go a long way in highlighting the real relationship within the organization.

Is Wilks bluster real? Is he projecting an image toward the players that he wants them to believe? How long will it be before SK takes the bone away and lets the new dog know who makes the final decision and who is in charge of the dog pen?

I am interested in seeing how the dynamics play out. I am fairly certain Mike B over ruled Keim and hired Wilks against SK's wishes...
it is the only thing that explains how uncomfortable SK looked at the press conference and why Mike B spent so much time praising his GM when he was there to introduce his coach.

 

[juza76]

I am interested in seeing how the dynamics play out. I am fairly certain Mike B over ruled Keim and hired Wilks against SK's wishes...
it is the only thing that explains how uncomfortable SK looked at the press conference and why Mike B spent so much time praising his GM when he was there to introduce his coach.

Yes I noted also a different keim that time
At this point we should expect michael bidwill making the pick in the 1st round

Im sure keim wanted to stick with bettcher and having bruce arians as advisor