Jonathan Gannon is just another bad idea for the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Jonathan Gannon is not the type of candidate the Arizona Cardinals should be looking at in their search for a new head coach.
When it comes to finding a new head coach, the Arizona Cardinals seem to be looking in all of the wrong places. Interviews with Vance Joseph and Aaron Glenn are clearly a waste of time, and now Cards general manager Monte Ossenfort is preparing to have a sitdown with yet another uninspiring candidate.
According to Denver Broncos insider Benjamin Albright, Arizona is arranging to meet with Jonathan Gannon, the defensive coordinator of the 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles. The 40-year-old arrived in the “City of Brotherly Love” in 2021, when Nick Sirianni became Philly’s head coach. So what exactly is wrong with the seemingly up and coming Gannon?
On paper, Gannon appears to be doing an outstanding job with the Eagles defense. The unit ranked 2nd in the NFL this past fall, with only the San Francisco 49ers yielding less yards per game. Numbers don’t tell the entire story, however.
“Soft” would be the best way to describe the type of scheme that Gannon prefers to roll with in Philadelphia. This past Christmas Eve, Dak Prescott absolutely had his way with that anti-aggressive alignment during a 40-34 Dallas Cowboys triumph. When Gannon’s ineffective zone look was employed, the Cowboys quarterback completed every one of his 24 pass attempts for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
One week later, Gannon allowed a washed-up signal-caller to carve up that cushion-crazy zone coverage. New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton completed a ridiculous 18 out of his 22 throws during a 20-10 win over the Eagles.
Overrated defensive coordinator is the wrong choice for the Arizona Cardinals
Sure, Philadelphia won the most games in the league this past season. But in all honesty, the players on the defensive side of the ball seem to get the job done in spite of Gannon. It’s an incredibly-talented bunch that consists of stud defenders such as Javon Hargrave, Haason Reddick, James Bradberry, T.J. Edwards, Brandon Graham, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay.
Living just a 12-minute drive from Lincoln Financial Field has allowed Yours Truly to witness Gannon’s head-scratching performance on a weekly basis. The Eagles are number-one in the hearts of the fans around here, and there’s a strong belief that Sirianni’s squad will win next month’s Super Bowl. However, the one person who the Philly faithful has very little trust in is the much-maligned Gannon.
Related Story. Aaron Glenn is a bad choice for the Cardinals. light
Any Cardinals followers who scoff at the idea of Joseph or Glenn being handed the head-coaching gig would not be happy with Gannon. Ossenfort’s first hire could legitimately make or break his career. The fact that Gannon is being considered for such an important position is yet another red flag for Arizona’s brand-new GM.
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