Way-too-early Monti Ossenfort Performance Review

Monti Ossenfort has done more good than not for the Arizona Cardinals


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Crimson Warrior

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Peter King wrote that "The Arizona Cardinals own the 2024 draft", a fair statement based on the measure of our 2024 draft capital vs. other teams'.

In what past or present universe has a similar statement ever even been conceived? That this sad sack franchise controls an iteration of the league's most critical avenue to building a championship team?

And who orchestrated that? Monti. Dear sweet Monti.

Disappointed in the tampering. Disappointed that Allen and Murphy walked. Underwhelmed by FA. Not super surprised Hopkins was cut. Jury is still way out on this year's draft class. Kind of excited about the coaching staff. Stoked that he put the franchise in a draft position it's never even dreamed of before. This last trumps everything else. By a lot.

So Monti gets a B for his work to date.
 

football karma

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i took the cop out route

i believe he has ownership instituted constraints and is working within them:

something along the lines of "we can only spend X this year, but by next year the budget goes up by Y"
 

Zalixar

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I think we need slightly if we include strongly.

In that case I'd say slightly agree.
 

dreamcastrocks

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I think we need slightly if we include strongly.

In that case I'd say slightly agree.
A lot of rating systems use the 5 point scale that was chosen. If you are somewhere between agree and neutral, pick the one that speaks to you more.
 

Zalixar

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A lot of rating systems use the 5 point scale that was chosen. If you are somewhere between agree and neutral, pick the one that speaks to you more.

Yeah, 5, 7, or 10.

I'd say you don't even need strongly for this one (as a "way too early" for funsies poll). Just do you agree or not (and neutral). But yeah not a big deal.
 
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BurqueCardFan

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I was kinda on the fence but I think the Hopkins release put me more on the bad side. He did some good things in the draft setting up next year. But many of the actual picks this year were questionable, along with the complete whiff of free agency. Also, the tampering issue was ridiculous. So more bad than good for me
 

dreamcastrocks

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I was kinda on the fence but I think the Hopkins release put me more on the bad side. He did some good things in the draft setting up next year. But many of the actual picks this year were questionable, along with the complete whiff of free agency. Also, the tampering issue was ridiculous. So more bad than good for me
I'm not happy to see our best player leave, not at all.
I'm also not happy our best player was a suspended scratch for 6 games and a healthy scratch for 2 games. Almost a half a season where our best player wasn't on the field due to nobody but himself.
 

CardsFan88

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Tangibly he's torn down the roster, failed to re-sign young talent, botched potential D-hop trade and got nothing for him, pissed off Baker, failed to sign anyone that projects to be a long-term starter, traded down and got a lesser talent, stupidly tampered, reached for picks, and left a gaping hole at center. Might have missed a couple of things.

On the plus side, he signed some lunch pail guys that can contribute in the next year or two.

That's about it. Those are the things he did.

Now for the future, he's done some things we can't tell the effect of yet. He's removed some negatives.

The trade-down netted us a projected top 5 pick. We can't judge this yet since it could technically be #32 next year. Additionally, wherever it lands, he has to make a pick and that guy has to hit. If it doesn't land, it was a wasted trade. He could also, in theory, trade back with the pick and those details need to play out to judge. There is great potential there, but it could be a big whopping zero. So as of now, it's not really a positive. He added some magic beans for delivery next year.

He's taken the cap space lumps. Again, this isn't a positive. It portends to positive things down the road, but again, there's nothing tangible here to hang your hat on.

So as of now, today, it's 'strongly disagree', because he really hasn't done anything but a controlled demolition and created potential opportunity in later seasons.

This doesn't mean that some of the things he's done aren't the right moves long-term, but as of now, you can't call them good moves. (well you can, but you know what I'm getting at)
 
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I'm not happy to see our best player leave, not at all.
I'm also not happy our best player was a suspended scratch for 6 games and a healthy scratch for 2 games. Almost a half a season where our best player wasn't on the field due to nobody but himself.
This. But personally I would prefer to have him play for the Cardinals vs not. He's still one of the most talented players in the league. I know he's not so much of a team player in the off season but come game time he's definitely a baller & will give it his all. Imo of course. ;)
 

Dayman

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Aside from getting the Texans' 2024 first round pick, I don't think I have really liked anything Monti has done so far. I continue to believe that Nick Caserio saved Monti from a disastrous first offseason.

Piling up all this cap space feels extremely overrated to me. You know who had the most cap space going into the offseason? The Bears. Do you know who still has the most cap space? The Bears. Cap space doesn't mean much if your team is horrible.

Then it gets down to the tanking issue, which I believe more and more is just a way to justify Monti's inaction. I also don't trust Gannon and a group of hungry young coaches not to go all out to win a few meaningless in December and January and blow our draft position. I'm sure Kyler will be motivated to keep out of the top 2 picks, too.

Lastly, trying to transform the culture into one of professionalism and accountability seems really contradictory to tanking. Kind of like giving Prater a new contract when you are trying to clear cap space. Some of these pieces of the alleged plan sound good on paper, but when you put them all together there are serious continuity issues.
 

Billy Bob

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I'm not happy to see our best player leave, not at all.
I'm also not happy our best player was a suspended scratch for 6 games and a healthy scratch for 2 games. Almost a half a season where our best player wasn't on the field due to nobody but himself.
Hopkins is a me guy, the team wants we guys, something Hopkins doesn't posses!
 

BirdGangThing

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I think everyone here knows I kinda really wanted Will Anderson lol - I wasn't happy with the trade down - I wasn't happy with the first pick - I was even more unhappy when we didn't draft a Center to go/grow with the first pick but when it all comes down to it I more than approve of (Sears' and) Monti's first draft

As for cleaning out the closet and wiping the books Monti has also been very efficient, some argue too efficient and I get it but you either want a clean slate or you don't

Wanted his head coach so badly he made sure he got him, cost us (part of?) a draft pick but nothing like people were fine with giving away for Sean Payton - who btw didn't coach in last year's Superbowl

Let's see... do I wish he had gotten something for Dhop? Sure but that contract made it a lot more difficult and Monti wasn't trying to co-pay for another team to take him off our hands - draft pick be damned

On the real tho I think it's way too early for this public hearing, I mean dude barely pulled out his brushes and folks are already karate kicking his easel

Let the man paint
 
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Snakester

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Outside of next year’s draft picks, he hasn’t improved the team at all. Actually the team is worse. We went from having two good defensive linemen to none. We had one good CB in Murphy and he let him leave so we have no good corners. The strongest position on the defense the linebacking unit he adds a decent free agent and a second round pick. Had the chance to pick the best player in the draft and didn’t.

On the offense we had three strengths. WR,OT and TE. He released our best player in Hopkins. Drafted an OT with our first pick when we already had three tackles that could start and play well. Our pick in the second round should have been a center. Not only could we have had any of the top centers, but it was a huge need and the best guard in the draft was also sitting there for the taking. If it wasn’t for getting a couple high picks in next years draft I would grade him an F- as GM. Because of those picks a C-.
 

Harry

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Incomplete grade from me imo.
I agree. Owning the 2024 draft only means something if they have a great draft. I thought 2023 was mediocre aside from the extra picks. If they make those 2024 picks payoff the way it should and pull in some power FAs things could get good fast. However, I‘ve bought in too often to the Cards telling me how good it’s going to be.
 

BullheadCardFan

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I agree. Owning the 2024 draft only means something if they have a great draft. I thought 2023 was mediocre aside from the extra picks. If they make those 2024 picks payoff the way it should and pull in some power FAs things could get good fast. However, I‘ve bought in too often to the Cards telling me how good it’s going to be.
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