Why the fuss? Good plan

[CaptTurbo]

Graves revealed a short list of candidates including Ron Rivera (Bears defensive coordinator), Norm Chow (Titans offensive coordinator), Mike Sherman (Texans as assistant head coach/offense) Ken Whisenhunt (Pittsburgh offensive coordinator), Russ Grimm (assistant head coach/offensive line), and Jim Caldwell (Colts assistant head coach/quarterbacks). The Cardinals have contacted the coaches’ current teams but have not directly spoken to the candidates.

“This is a working list and we’ll just continue to build on it as we need to,” confirmed Graves. “But we feel like those are very good candidates.”

Sherman is confirmed for a Thursday visit and Graves said the team expects to have more confirmations in the next couple of days.

The Cards did retain offensive line coach Steve Loney, wide receivers coach Mike Wilson, defensive line coach Larry Brooks, assistant head coach/linebackers Frank Bush, defensive quality control coach Rick Courtright, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Kruzcek and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast from their current staff.

“We felt like these guys would certainly fit in with our future but those coaches are going to be evaluated, along with my input, by the new head coach and then we’ll see ultimately where their status will fall.”

 

[CaptTurbo]

Glad Graves was kept. Like the list in the above quote. And the assistants will be evaluated. The new coach can can them if he wants basically.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Graves needs to be evaluated.

 

[Duckjake]

Graves needs to be evaluated.

Graves needs to be in the back seat of Denny's car when it leaves town.

 

[Stout]

Glad Graves was kept. Like the list in the above quote. And the assistants will be evaluated. The new coach can can them if he wants basically.

Apalled Graves was kept, because we'll trade the 5th pick for 2 1st rounders with which we'll draft a 2nd and a 3rd rounder. We need a football guy.

And, no, we have no idea if the new coach has the choice to can the assistants if he wants. Graves said HE will have a say in it too.

 

[jmr667]

And, no, we have no idea if the new coach has the choice to can the assistants if he wants. Graves said HE will have a say in it too.

After seeing what Buddy Ryan and Green did with bringing in some of their cronies it seems reasonable they are not letting the new HC pick his assistants without "input" from Graves or someone.
Hopefully Graves input will be something like "prove to me your replacement choice has more and better experience than who we already have".

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

After seeing what Buddy Ryan and Green did with bringing in some of their cronies it seems reasonable they are not letting the new HC pick his assistants without "input" from Graves or someone.
Hopefully Graves input will be something like "prove to me your replacement choice has more and better experience than who we already have".

What cronies did Buddy bring in as coaches? Please tell me you are not referring to his sons. They have more knowledge about defense than McGinnis, Tobin, and Pendergast put together. Rex's defense was ranked #1 and Rob's is ranked #4 in the entire NFL. When was the last time the Cards had a defense ranked in the top 5? Oh, I forgot Rob and Rex where the coaches.

Buddy stunk as a GM, and Dave Atkins was a horrible selection as an offensive coordinator, but Buddy never to my knowledge brought in coaches anywhere as incopentent as Green did.

 

[Duckjake]

What cronies did Buddy bring in as coaches? Please tell me you are not referring to his sons. They have more knowledge about defense than McGinnis, Tobin, and Pendergast put together. Rex's defense was ranked #1 and Rob's is ranked #4 in the entire NFL. When was the last time the Cards had a defense ranked in the top 5? Oh, I forgot Rob and Rex where the coaches.

Buddy stunk as a GM, and Dave Atkins was a horrible selection as an offensive coordinator, but Buddy never to my knowledge brought in coaches anywhere as incopentent as Green did.

People get confused all the time about Ryan's tenure in Arizona. He brought in older players that had played defense for him in the past and ran off anybody under 35 who played on the offense.

He didn't bring in "buddies" as asst. coaches.

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

People get confused all the time about Ryan's tenure in Arizona. He brought in older players that had played defense for him in the past and ran off anybody under 35 who played on the offense.

He didn't bring in "buddies" as asst. coaches.

True, he turned a good young offense into a bad old one. No arguments that he was a terrible GM. His tenure here at Arizona would have been a success if he tuned down his ego and simply retained Jerry Rhome as OC from the Bugel staff.

When he was fired I was certain the Cardinals would never hire a coach with such an ego. Green's quotes during his first two years make Buddy (by comparision) seem somewhat humble.

 

[Duckjake]

True, he turned a good young offense into a bad old one. No arguments that he was a terrible GM. His tenure here at Arizona would have been a success if he tuned down his ego and simply retained Jerry Rhome as OC from the Bugel staff.

When he was fired I was certain the Cardinals would never hire a coach with such an ego. Green's quotes during his first two years make Buddy (by comparision) seem somewhat humble.

Sadly, if Green could have had a defense like Buddy's 1994 defense we'd be talking about what time the tailgate started for the playoff game in Glendale this weekend.

 

[Stout]

After seeing what Buddy Ryan and Green did with bringing in some of their cronies it seems reasonable they are not letting the new HC pick his assistants without "input" from Graves or someone.
Hopefully Graves input will be something like "prove to me your replacement choice has more and better experience than who we already have".

And that attitude will get us a 2nd-tier coach. If you're trusting a coach enough to give him the job, you have to trust him enough to make these kinds of decisions. If you don't trust him, you don't hire him.

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

Sadly, if Green could have had a defense like Buddy's 1994 defense we'd be talking about what time the tailgate started for the playoff game in Glendale this weekend.

I hear you. We can never seem to put it all together.

 

[Duckjake]

I hear you. We can never seem to put it all together.

That pretty well sums up Green's tenure in Arizona. The team would look good for a while then fall apart for a while then get back on track. Happened at all levels, individual drives, single games, and entire seasons.

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

And that attitude will get us a 2nd-tier coach. If you're trusting a coach enough to give him the job, you have to trust him enough to make these kinds of decisions. If you don't trust him, you don't hire him.

I could not agree more. Yesterday was ruined by this backward thinking. Can you imagine any decent coach taking the job with half of his staff selected. I realize it is not set in stone that they have to keep the current assistants, but this puts them in a tough situation when accepting the job. They have to go through each hand selected assistant and decide who stays and who goes. Why would you keep anyone of this current staff other than the OL coach and QB/OC? I can guarantee that pressure will be applied to retain several of the current assistants. As a new head coach I would want to select the entire staff. The executive offices in this organization never fail to amaze me.

 

[JeffGollin]

Graves needs to be evaluated.

I agree. His MO prior to the arrival of DG was to play it a bit conservative and (contrary to his statements yesterday) a little late on the trigger when it came to bringing in and signing free agents.

His decision to bypass Terrell Suggs in favor of trading down to draft Bryant Johnson and Calvin Pace seemed ill-advised then and, on hindsight, still an unsound move. (On that fateful draft day, the impression I had was that Rod wanted to prove to the world that he was a shrewd manipulator of the draft process and, therefore, "fired for effect" instead of making the best move for the team.

Here we are three or four years later. Rod has had the benefit of working with Dennis on what seems to have been three pretty good drafts conducted under a different philosophy (i.e. "a 'best athlete' policy will net you better talent at each pick" rather than a policy of "fill the need" or "draft the guy you really want a round earlier than necessary so that you'll get him").

So for me the burning question must be: Has Rod learned much during his past 4 years as VP Player Personnel? Or is he likely to return to the Bad Old Days?

If he's learned from his mistakes and will continue to work the present plan, I think it will be to the team's benefit to keep him. Otherwise, ownership would be well-advised to bring in a keener football mind to run the personnel show.

 

[football karma]

I could not agree more. Yesterday was ruined by this backward thinking. Can you imagine any decent coach taking the job with half of his staff selected. I realize it is not set in stone that they have to keep the current assistants, but this puts them in a tough situation when accepting the job. They have to go through each hand selected assistant and decide who stays and who goes. Why would you keep anyone of this current staff other than the OL coach and QB/OC? I can guarantee that pressure will be applied to retain several of the current assistants. As a new head coach I would want to select the entire staff. The executive offices in this organization never fail to amaze me.

Why is the thinking of keeping the OL and QB coach correct, and the org's thinking backward when the only difference is the number of coaches retained?

The Cards let go any coach that had a tie to Green.

They kept under contract for now those that didnt. In effect, it gives the new coach the first right of refusal on any current assistant.

I think people need to calm down.

 

[Sandan]

I agree. His MO prior to the arrival of DG was to play it a bit conservative and (contrary to his statements yesterday) a little late on the trigger when it came to bringing in and signing free agents.
If he's learned from his mistakes and will continue to work the present plan, I think it will be to the team's benefit to keep him. Otherwise, ownership would be well-advised to bring in a keener football mind to run the personnel show.

1 year Jeff, 1 year only.

 

[Stout]

1 year Jeff, 1 year only.

Then we have Wendell Bryant too. What did Graves do before Green that we should give him credit for?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Then we have Wendell Bryant too. What did Graves do before Green that we should give him credit for?

1. Being $30 million under the cap and coming away with Frank Garcia, Emmitt Smith, Jeff Blake, Cameron Spikes, James Darling, JAmes Hodgins, and Dexter Jackson - a collection of nobodies and has-beens that provided us the "belly" (anybody else remember that Graves classic?) of the worst Cardinals team in the Arizona era.

2. Not getting anything for David Boston when he was one of the marquee names on the FA market.

3. Getting ten cents on the dollar for Thomas Jones.

4. Extending the likes of Bryan Gilmore, Ray Thompson, and Damien Anderson because we were so far under the cap stemming from an inability to convince legitimate players to come here in free agency.

5. Calvin Pace and Bryant Johnson.

5. Since Graves was named VP of Football Operations: 4-12. 6-10. 5-11. 5-11.


The proof is in the pudding folks, we have somehow gotten worse since Graves got promoted. But I guess since he's a sweetheart and tries really, really hard we should give him a lifetime contract to drive this organization further into the abyss.

 

[devilalum]

1. Being $30 million under the cap and coming away with Frank Garcia, Emmitt Smith, Jeff Blake, Cameron Spikes, James Darling, JAmes Hodgins, and Dexter Jackson - a collection of nobodies and has-beens that provided us the "belly" (anybody else remember that Graves classic?) of the worst Cardinals team in the Arizona era.

2. Not getting anything for David Boston when he was one of the marquee names on the FA market.

3. Getting ten cents on the dollar for Thomas Jones.

4. Extending the likes of Bryan Gilmore, Ray Thompson, and Damien Anderson because we were so far under the cap stemming from an inability to convince legitimate players to come here in free agency.

5. Calvin Pace and Bryant Johnson.

5. Since Graves was named VP of Football Operations: 4-12. 6-10. 5-11. 5-11.


The proof is in the pudding folks, we have somehow gotten worse since Graves got promoted. But I guess since he's a sweetheart and tries really, really hard we should give him a lifetime contract to drive this organization further into the abyss.

What respectable head coach is going to want to become a member of the Bidwill circus with Graves acting as Ringmaster?

The silver lining is that I won't fooled into optimism again no matter who they hire to be the new coach or draft in April.

The only thing that will me excited at this point is going 5-1 to start the new season.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The only thing that will me excited at this point is going 5-1 to start the new season.

We do usually have a good record in the preseason so this prediction might be right on. It's the those measly last sixteen games which we seem to struggle in.