Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
On the eve of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals' GM Steve Keim and HC Bruce Arians find themselves in the advantageous position of being able to foster and enhance the impressive growth that the Cardinals' franchise has manifested under the auspices of their leadership.
One of the major reasons why BA&SK have been able to "change the culture" in Arizona is the up-front and faithfully honest way in which they have set the standards of excellence for the players and, better yet, the way they have held the players accountable to the new Cardinal Rule.
The results have been astonishing---I mean, when have we as long-time Cardinals' fans EVER been able to say that the Cardinals have been competitive in virtually every game over the span of 33 games?
A good deal of credit for the team's dependability goes to Steve Keim for building the talent and depth of the football team and to Bruce Arians and his venerable staff for preparing the team each and every week.
In the past, you never knew from week to week what to expect from the Cardinals. There were numbers of games on the schedule where it quickly became stunningly clear that the Cardinals didn't even show up for the game and thus were summarily trounced in embarrassing fashion.
The thing is---the culture in Arizona prior to BA&SK's emergence was one in which the players ruled the roost, not the coaches. If the players didn't feel like showing up for games, especially games they felt they couldn't win, they would, as one-time 49ers' QB Alex Smith proclaimed, "fold up their tents."
Under BA&SK the players no longer rule the roost because they are expected to be bona-fide championship contenders on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis. There's no middle ground. There's no solace in winning one week and acting like everything is all right, until the players decide they want to really try win another game.
Too much preparation and accountability is factored into the culture now for the players to take the pedal off the metal, so to speak.
Not every player, however, has reciprocated the kind of commitment the revamped and revitalized organization has given the players.
The most egregious example is linebacker Daryl Washington. Washington put on his best Janus-face and in the midst of being disciplined by the NFL for failing drug tests to the tune of 4 games, he managed to con Michael Bidwill and the BA&SK duo into believing that those failed drug tests were a thing of the past.
So---last year at this time, in a generous act of faith---the Cardinals decided to pay Washington the $10M bonus he was due in his contract---and now that the Cardinals have mailed him two $5M check in the past 12 months (can you imagine what it was like for Michael Bidwill to recently sign that 2nd $5M check?)---and because of repeatedly failed tests and even reports of missed tests and---on top of that---a heinous domestic violence charge---Daryl Washington has not played in a single game since December 28th, 2013.
The Cardinals remain in no-man's land with Washington because he has not been re-instated by the league and the team may not hear about Washington's availability for another few weeks. Through this entire interim, BA&SK have stated unequivocally that the Cardinals, until Washington is re-instated, "are not considering him in their plans."
Then---a couple of games into the 2014 season, RB Jonathan Dwyer, who was signed to form a productive RB tandem with Andre Ellington, was indicted himself on an domestic violence charge. Unlike Washington, Dwyer was dismissed from the team immediately. Fortunately, the Cardinals did not have $32.5M tied up in Dywer and his contract, the way they do with the furtive Washington.
Interestingly---in the interim---Michael Bidwill has been appointed as the chairman of the NFL's new player conduct committee.
Plot thickens.
In recent months it has been rumored that the Cardinals are one of the handful of teams interested in trading for the Vikings' All-Pro, Hall of Fame caliber RB Adrian Peterson. Hmmm.
If you are Michael Bidwill and you are not only the guiding force of this revamped franchise, but you are now the chair of the new conduct committee, how can you legitimately and conscientiously entertain the idea of trading for a player who last year was banned by the NFL for beating his little son with a switch?
To make matters worse---just how contrite has Peterson been in the whole process of being reinstated by the league? Peterson and his agent, Ben Dogra, have made it clear that they no longer want any part of the Vikings' organization---as if the Vikings are the bad guys in all of this.
One would think Peterson would feel grateful to have a chance to resume his illustrious career and do so with the organization that drafted him---you know the one that has paid him mega-millions.
Dogra has even gone as far as throwing a hissy fit in the faces of Vikings' GM at the recent Scouting Combine.
It's a wonder as to why even the Vikings still want to deal with Peterson and his agent.
This just in: last year Peterson screwed the Vikings, his coaches, his teammates and the Vikings' front office and fans. Not the other way around.
Worst of all, Peterson most likely scarred his young son for life.
Regardless, for the next three days, the Cardinals are going to be mentioned numerous times in connection with these spurious Peterson trade rumors.
One could argue that the Cardinals' players would be ecstatic if Bidwill were to pull off a trade for Peterson, because it would immediately ascend the Cardinals into the discussion as one of the top 3 or 4 Super Bowl contenders.
This just in: the Cardinals are already in the Super Bowl contenders conversation. Steve Mariucci stated on NFL Network the other night that he believes the Cardinals are going to win the ever-tough NFC West.
Now that we are on the eve of the draft---this draft itself may well put the Cardinal Rule to the ultimate test.
Steve Keim basically laid out his newest and freshest Cardinal Rule for acquiring players when he stated:
"At the end of the day, if they are smart enough, if they can learn and they love it, you've got a chance."
Suddenly and ironically, questions have arisen regarding whether the Cardinals would be willing to take a flyer on OLB Randy Gregory or OLB/DE Shane Ray upon the speculation that both players will slide quickly down the first round due to marijuana related transgressions---Ray's coming just two days ago when he was pulled over and found in possession of close to an ounce. And reports are that Gregory, who failed a drug test at the Combine, was such a chronic pot smoker in college that Nebraska stopped testing him in fear that they would have to suspend him for games.
Some might think---wow, those players---both of whom at one time were considered top 10 picks in this draft---would be a steal with the #24 pick.
Well, if Steve Keim is serious about his Cardinal Rule---there is no way either of those players are even on the Cardinals' list of players whom they are considering at #24. No way.
"Smart enough?" Um, no.
How remarkably obtuse was Shane Ray? A mere day after getting the best possible multi-million dollar promotion in this draft from Bill Polian who let the world know that he likens Ray to Robert Mathis---Ray is busted for going over the speed limit and for possessing marijuana?
Then---to compound matters---when Ray was interviewed yesterday after the fact, he said: "These things happen."
Oh, really?
Ray went on to say he has owned up to the truth for anyone who wants to know, but that "this doesn't change who I am as a person"...and better yet..."I am still going to enjoy my life."
When i saw and heard that---as much as I fancied seeing Ray in Cardinal red---I thought it sounded like Johnny Manziel all over again.
At least when Steve Keim took a gamble on Tyrann Mathieu, a clear 1st round talent who slid to the 3rd round because of his suspension at LSU for repeatedly failed drug tests, Mathieu was contrite and fully cognizant of the severity of his situation.
While the Cardinals did take a gamble on Mathieu---a gamble which so far has paid off fairly handsomely---all things considered---for the Cardinals and the Honey Badger---I would be surprised to see BA&SK take many of those types of gambles like that again---certainly not in the first round.
Why?
The best and simplest reason is: they don't have to.
BA&SK, the coaches and the scouts head into this draft with a board of 130 players whom they consider to be Cardinal worthy. These players are team leaders, captain-types, high-end achievers, and the kinds of team players who coaches and teammates rave about.
One of the major reasons why BA&SK have been able to "change the culture" in Arizona is the up-front and faithfully honest way in which they have set the standards of excellence for the players and, better yet, the way they have held the players accountable to the new Cardinal Rule.
The results have been astonishing---I mean, when have we as long-time Cardinals' fans EVER been able to say that the Cardinals have been competitive in virtually every game over the span of 33 games?
A good deal of credit for the team's dependability goes to Steve Keim for building the talent and depth of the football team and to Bruce Arians and his venerable staff for preparing the team each and every week.
In the past, you never knew from week to week what to expect from the Cardinals. There were numbers of games on the schedule where it quickly became stunningly clear that the Cardinals didn't even show up for the game and thus were summarily trounced in embarrassing fashion.
The thing is---the culture in Arizona prior to BA&SK's emergence was one in which the players ruled the roost, not the coaches. If the players didn't feel like showing up for games, especially games they felt they couldn't win, they would, as one-time 49ers' QB Alex Smith proclaimed, "fold up their tents."
Under BA&SK the players no longer rule the roost because they are expected to be bona-fide championship contenders on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis. There's no middle ground. There's no solace in winning one week and acting like everything is all right, until the players decide they want to really try win another game.
Too much preparation and accountability is factored into the culture now for the players to take the pedal off the metal, so to speak.
Not every player, however, has reciprocated the kind of commitment the revamped and revitalized organization has given the players.
The most egregious example is linebacker Daryl Washington. Washington put on his best Janus-face and in the midst of being disciplined by the NFL for failing drug tests to the tune of 4 games, he managed to con Michael Bidwill and the BA&SK duo into believing that those failed drug tests were a thing of the past.
So---last year at this time, in a generous act of faith---the Cardinals decided to pay Washington the $10M bonus he was due in his contract---and now that the Cardinals have mailed him two $5M check in the past 12 months (can you imagine what it was like for Michael Bidwill to recently sign that 2nd $5M check?)---and because of repeatedly failed tests and even reports of missed tests and---on top of that---a heinous domestic violence charge---Daryl Washington has not played in a single game since December 28th, 2013.
The Cardinals remain in no-man's land with Washington because he has not been re-instated by the league and the team may not hear about Washington's availability for another few weeks. Through this entire interim, BA&SK have stated unequivocally that the Cardinals, until Washington is re-instated, "are not considering him in their plans."
Then---a couple of games into the 2014 season, RB Jonathan Dwyer, who was signed to form a productive RB tandem with Andre Ellington, was indicted himself on an domestic violence charge. Unlike Washington, Dwyer was dismissed from the team immediately. Fortunately, the Cardinals did not have $32.5M tied up in Dywer and his contract, the way they do with the furtive Washington.
Interestingly---in the interim---Michael Bidwill has been appointed as the chairman of the NFL's new player conduct committee.
Plot thickens.
In recent months it has been rumored that the Cardinals are one of the handful of teams interested in trading for the Vikings' All-Pro, Hall of Fame caliber RB Adrian Peterson. Hmmm.
If you are Michael Bidwill and you are not only the guiding force of this revamped franchise, but you are now the chair of the new conduct committee, how can you legitimately and conscientiously entertain the idea of trading for a player who last year was banned by the NFL for beating his little son with a switch?
To make matters worse---just how contrite has Peterson been in the whole process of being reinstated by the league? Peterson and his agent, Ben Dogra, have made it clear that they no longer want any part of the Vikings' organization---as if the Vikings are the bad guys in all of this.
One would think Peterson would feel grateful to have a chance to resume his illustrious career and do so with the organization that drafted him---you know the one that has paid him mega-millions.
Dogra has even gone as far as throwing a hissy fit in the faces of Vikings' GM at the recent Scouting Combine.
It's a wonder as to why even the Vikings still want to deal with Peterson and his agent.
This just in: last year Peterson screwed the Vikings, his coaches, his teammates and the Vikings' front office and fans. Not the other way around.
Worst of all, Peterson most likely scarred his young son for life.
Regardless, for the next three days, the Cardinals are going to be mentioned numerous times in connection with these spurious Peterson trade rumors.
One could argue that the Cardinals' players would be ecstatic if Bidwill were to pull off a trade for Peterson, because it would immediately ascend the Cardinals into the discussion as one of the top 3 or 4 Super Bowl contenders.
This just in: the Cardinals are already in the Super Bowl contenders conversation. Steve Mariucci stated on NFL Network the other night that he believes the Cardinals are going to win the ever-tough NFC West.
Now that we are on the eve of the draft---this draft itself may well put the Cardinal Rule to the ultimate test.
Steve Keim basically laid out his newest and freshest Cardinal Rule for acquiring players when he stated:
"At the end of the day, if they are smart enough, if they can learn and they love it, you've got a chance."
Suddenly and ironically, questions have arisen regarding whether the Cardinals would be willing to take a flyer on OLB Randy Gregory or OLB/DE Shane Ray upon the speculation that both players will slide quickly down the first round due to marijuana related transgressions---Ray's coming just two days ago when he was pulled over and found in possession of close to an ounce. And reports are that Gregory, who failed a drug test at the Combine, was such a chronic pot smoker in college that Nebraska stopped testing him in fear that they would have to suspend him for games.
Some might think---wow, those players---both of whom at one time were considered top 10 picks in this draft---would be a steal with the #24 pick.
Well, if Steve Keim is serious about his Cardinal Rule---there is no way either of those players are even on the Cardinals' list of players whom they are considering at #24. No way.
"Smart enough?" Um, no.
How remarkably obtuse was Shane Ray? A mere day after getting the best possible multi-million dollar promotion in this draft from Bill Polian who let the world know that he likens Ray to Robert Mathis---Ray is busted for going over the speed limit and for possessing marijuana?
Then---to compound matters---when Ray was interviewed yesterday after the fact, he said: "These things happen."
Oh, really?
Ray went on to say he has owned up to the truth for anyone who wants to know, but that "this doesn't change who I am as a person"...and better yet..."I am still going to enjoy my life."
When i saw and heard that---as much as I fancied seeing Ray in Cardinal red---I thought it sounded like Johnny Manziel all over again.
At least when Steve Keim took a gamble on Tyrann Mathieu, a clear 1st round talent who slid to the 3rd round because of his suspension at LSU for repeatedly failed drug tests, Mathieu was contrite and fully cognizant of the severity of his situation.
While the Cardinals did take a gamble on Mathieu---a gamble which so far has paid off fairly handsomely---all things considered---for the Cardinals and the Honey Badger---I would be surprised to see BA&SK take many of those types of gambles like that again---certainly not in the first round.
Why?
The best and simplest reason is: they don't have to.
BA&SK, the coaches and the scouts head into this draft with a board of 130 players whom they consider to be Cardinal worthy. These players are team leaders, captain-types, high-end achievers, and the kinds of team players who coaches and teammates rave about.
The love of money and power can be a huge problem. Not enough letting go.
