Arizona Cardinals lack of aggressiveness a bit alarming
By Jim Koch
While their NFC counterparts are gathering quality components, the Arizona Cardinals are doing nothing to keep pace with them
Perhaps it’s the calm before the storm for the Arizona Cardinals. The front office’s lack of aggressiveness this offseason would make one believe that they’re fresh off of a Super Bowl championship. General manager Steve Keim’s nonchalant approach to improving the roster so far is a bit perplexing, to say the least.
While NFC clubs that the Cardinals need to leapfrog are wheeling and dealing to get better, our team is basically sitting still. Trades that wouldv’e made sense for Keim to explore are being executed by conference rivals. The once-proactive, two-time NFL Executive of the Year has seemingly become complacent.
It hasn’t been totally quiet down at Cards’ headquarters. There was the somewhat depressing report this week that Arizona has asked the once-dynamic Tyrann Mathieu to take a pay cut. The defensive back’s poorly-constructed contract of two years ago being the reason for such a request.
There was also the news that the team has tendered four exclusive rights free agents. Olsen Pierre, John Wetzel, Elijhaa Penny and C.J. Goodwin are all nice players. None of the four would be considered difference-makers, however.
Meanwhile, NFC powerhouses are pulling out all the stops to improve their Super Bowl chances. Slowly but surely leaving the Cardinals in their dust with each transaction they make.
Despite being over the salary-cap at the present time, Philadelphia Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman found a way to add Michael Bennett to their defensive line. The talented, former Seattle Seahawk was acquired for a measly fifth-round draft pick, and an unheralded wide receiver named Marcus Johnson. Roseman even convinced Seattle to send him back a seventh-round pick in the deal.
The Cards need to look no further than their own division for another example. Los Angeles Rams’ GM Les Snead added not one, but two, Pro Bowl cornerbacks over the last couple of weeks. Whoever Arizona gets to play quarterback for them is going to have to throw against both Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters twice a year when they face the Rams.
What exactly is Keim waiting for? Any of the three players mentioned in this article would have looked great in a Cardinals uniform. And none of the three were overly-expensive to acquire, either.
Next: For Arizona Cardinals, free agency approaching fast
There’s still plenty of time for Keim and new head coach Steve Wilks to deliver on their promise to be aggressive this offseason. It can’t denied that at least two of the franchises they need to get past in 2018, the Eagles and the Rams, have gotten a head start on them. Ground needs to be made up, so hopefully the management team has a detailed plan in place that’ll make the Cards viable again.