Shane Waldron can help Arizona Cardinals offense get back on track
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals would be doing their offensive unit a big favor by hiring Shane Waldron to be the team’s next head coach.
Almost three weeks have gone by since the Arizona Cardinals parted ways with head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Quite a few names have been linked with the vacant position, but the job is still up for grabs.
There’s actually an intriguing individual from Arizona’s very own division who has yet to secure a solitary interview. Shane Waldron, the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, would certainly be worth looking into. Would the Redbirds consider offering the position to someone who has flown under the radar the entire offseason?
One prerequisite for the club’s next hire should be to land a coach who possesses an ability to get the most out of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The 25-year-old took a huge step back this past season following a pair of Pro Bowl appearances and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award back in 2019. Waldron’s track record indicates that he could very well be the perfect remedy for what is ailing Murray.
Waldron has made his bones in the league for the past six campaigns with both the Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. Back in 2017, Sean McVay hired the Portland, Oregon native to coach the Rams tight ends. Waldron was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2018, and one year later added quarterbacks coach to his duties with Los Angeles.
Arizona Cardinals need a head coach who can get Kyler Murray back on track
The success he enjoyed with the Rams under McVay led to Waldron’s current gig as the coordinator of Seattle’s scoring attack. If there’s any doubt about what he could do for Murray, take a look at what Waldron managed to accomplish this past fall with Seahawks signal-caller Geno Smith.
Originally acquired to be nothing but a “bridge” quarterback for Seattle, the 32-year-old Smith blew that perception right out of the water. The veteran passer enjoyed his first Pro Bowl campaign, completing 69.8% of his throws for 4,282 yards and an NFL-best 30 touchdown tosses. Smith also guided the 9-8 Seahawks to a postseason appearance, a phenomenal feat for a squad that many believed would win no more than four or five games.
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If Waldron could work that kind of magic with a journeyman like Smith, imagine what he could do with a talented youngster like Murray. As owner Michael Bidwill promised, the Cards have cast a wide net in their quest to find a replacement for Kingsbury. It would not be completely surprising if the long and drawn out search ends with the organization rolling with a viable candidate like Waldron.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
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