The Arizona Cardinals have seven possible coaching candidates. Let’s explore why each candidate is a good fit for the team.
Well, it’s official. Frank Reich is off the market, having signed with the Carolina Panthers. Reich would have been a great fit for the Arizona Cardinals thanks to his ability to coach with marginal competition at quarterback. And since Kyler Murray suffered a setback in performance last season, Reich could have brought Murray back to his early 2021 form.
But there are other coaches capable of such a feat, plus others who would serve the Cardinals well in their own ways. Below, you will find coaching candidates who the Cardinals are interviewing, will interview or have interviewed. What makes them great fits for the Redbirds? Keep reading for more.
Why Sean Payton is a good fit for the Arizona Cardinals
For one, who wouldn’t Payton be a good fit for? He has experience in taking teams to and winning Super Bowls. Therefore, Payton is a hot commodity, likely for the remaining teams looking to find a coach.
Drew Brees was a great quarterback, but he wasn’t great before he linked with Payton. This shows us that Payton’s influence can accomplish something similar regarding Kyler Murray. Murray, the top pick in 2019, has all the intangibles you look for in a franchise quarterback, even if he’s fallen short in nearly every capacity. With Payton, that may not be the case, and Murray can thrive in such a system.
Look for the Arizona Cardinals to hard sell Payton. Even if it means giving compensation to the New Orleans Saints.
Ejiro Evero
In 2022, the Denver Broncos were a terrible football team when you consider their win-loss record. But regarding Evero, you need to look deeper, because Denver’s poor record was at no fault of the defense’s.
Overall, it was a bad football team with a top-tier defense thanks to Evero’s presence. And the Arizona Cardinals happen to have a budding nucleus of young talent on defense. That bodes well with a candidate like Evero, who could help transform them into one of the league’s better units.
Many in the Red Sea love DeMeco Ryans here, but honestly, I like Evero more. One main reason is because the cards that were stacked against Evero favored Ryans. Ryans was a defensive coordinator for a good football team, Evero wasn’t, yet his defense still thrived.
Aaron Glenn
Next to Vance Joseph, Glenn is my least favorite name on this list. His defense in Detroit has always been historically bad, so Glenn is basically Evero’s opposite, with the 9-8 Detroit Lions offense serving as the main catalyst for their winning record.
But that doesn’t mean Glenn shouldn’t garner consideration. With Jeff Okudah turning his career around this season and Aidan Hutchinson bursting onto the scene, it indicates Glenn has sound player development skills.
And once again, I’d like to point out that the Cardinals have a few players on defense who could thrive on Glenn’s coaching. Plus, there’s Kyler Murray, who showed us last season he of all people needs some guidance.
Glenn could be that coach. And as farfetched as it sounds, could be a solid hire if the Arizona Cardinals bring him on.
DeMeco Ryans
Why would I not want Ryans to be the Arizona Cardinals next head coach? Because I was in high school when he was drafted, and I’m going to feel a bit of age creeping on if I see Ryans heading up a team. But there’s also a first time for everything, so why delay the inevitable, right?
Anyway, one reason to roll with Ryans is that he had some pretty big shoes to fill when Robert Saleh left for the New York Jets. And if you haven’t noticed, Saleh’s done a good job in changing that culture around. So much, that I’m convinced Gang Green is a quarterback away from being a playoff football team.
Looking at what Ryans did with the defense, it’s clear he was taking some notes. It’s safe to say he knows what it takes to not just lead an elite defense, but also to change the culture for a franchise in dire need of one.
Plus, Ryans started his coaching career in 2017 as a quality control coach and just six years later, is in the running for a head coaching position. That’s pretty impressive.
Brian Flores
Brian Flores’ tenure in Miami couldn’t have started off worse, as it seemed like his Dolphins were always suffering from blowout losses en route to an 0-7 start. But Flores got it together and finished his tenure in Miami with a 24-25 record (24-18 after his 0-7 start).
So Flores knows a thing or two about turning around a team’s fortunes, plus he has three seasons of head coaching experience. He is also familiar with Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort, so that too could be another plus. If he and Ossenfort worked well together in the past, then there is some familiarity and therefore, chemistry, here.
He is also one of many coaches to have served under Bill Belichick. And while former Belichick assistants flamed out at least once in their respective coaching tenures, Flores does have the knowledge of what it takes to build and sustain a winner.
Vance Joseph
While Joseph is the least popular name on this list, let’s address the obvious: The Arizona Cardinals have familiarity here. And this means you won’t see any dramatic changes to the system, at least on defense. This also means no learning curve is necessary.
Sure, Joseph has his obvious drawbacks, but he also has experience as a head coach, even if that experience was tumultuous at best. He also never had stability at quarterback, and he might just have that in the desert if Kyler Murray comes back and returns to form.
Overall, I don’t foresee Joseph landing this job unless every other coach on this list rejects the Arizona Cardinals offer. But if he gets this job, he does have an upside and while I would be disappointed to see Joseph back on the sidelines, he’s (probably) still a better option than Kliff Kingsbury.
Article Source: Breaking down how the Cardinals’ head-coaching candidates might fit by Josh Weinfuss
Want your voice heard? Join the Raising Zona team!