Arizona Cardinals would benefit by reuniting with Ray Horton

Patching things up with their former assistant coach could help bring respectability back to the Arizona Cardinals defense

Back in 2013, Arizona Cardinals assistant Ray Horton was convinced that he was on the verge of a major promotion. After serving as the club’s defensive coordinator for two seasons, the well-respected Horton was hoping to succeed Ken Whisenhunt as the head coach of the franchise. That dream was crushed, however, when Cards general manager Steve Keim elected to hire Bruce Arians instead.

That decision did not sit right with Horton, and rightfully so. Apparently, Arizona’s front office had led him to believe that the job was going to be his. According to reports, Horton and Keim had a heated exchange, and the boss of the squad’s defense was released from his contract.

Now, six years later, Horton has once again become a popular figure on the Cardinals message boards. Vance Joseph, the team’s current defensive coordinator, is expected to be relieved of his duties at the end of the year. Is there any chance that Keim would extend an olive branch and attempt to convince Horton to be the incompetent Joseph’s replacement?

Sure, there was bad blood between the two men when Horton left the Cards back in ’13. Nevertheless, it’s been said that time heals all wounds. Many fans feel that Horton would be an excellent choice for the position, and would succeed in bringing some much-needed respectability back to Arizona’s defense.

After joining the Cardinals back in 2011, Horton’s unit ranked 18th-overall in the NFL, and forced 19 turnovers. In 2012, the group’s performance was much more impressive. Horton’s crew jumped to 12th-best in the league, and caused a whopping 33 turnovers during his second campaign.

At the moment, Horton is the defensive backs coach of the Washington Redskins. Returning to the Cards to be their coordinator would be a step up in his career. Whether Keim and Horton can let bygones be bygones so that a reunion can happen remains to be seen.