New Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort spent an ample amount of time learning from one of the NFL’s greatest minds.
For once, Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwiill did the right thing. Instead of promoting within the organization, he went out and snagged an outsider in Monti Ossenfort as the team’s new general manager.
And if Ossenfort has one huge advantage in his corner, it’s that he learned under one of the NFL’s greatest minds in New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick. Ossenfort held several job titles while working for Belichick, including personnel assistant, area scout, national scout, assistant director of college scouting, and ultimately, director of college scouting.
That said, it’s safe to say Ossenfort knows a thing or two about not just building a winning team, but a dynasty. And if you’d like a ringing endorsement, consider the following quote from Bidwill:
"“I have a lot of faith in his plan because he spent years in New England. He was invited back twice. Talking to (Patriots owner) Robert Kraft, they would have him back in a minute. He was a big loss when he left.”"Michael Bidwill, via CardsWire
Ossenfort bringing a winning formula to Arizona Cardinals
If there is one thing we know Bill Belichick for, it’s that he has built and continues to build his teams through a blend of free agents and draft picks. The formula is rather simple: Fill any gap you can in free agency, and fill your remaining needs in the NFL Draft.
But don’t just fill the roster with luxury names and draft picks. This was always a foolish mistake that Ossenfort’s predecessor, Steve Keim, never learned. Instead, Ossenfort will look for specific types of players to fit the Arizona Cardinals roster, and you can expect these players to fit into the system head coach Jonathan Gannon expects to run.
Stability is something the Cards needed after the fiasco that Keim and former head coach Kliff Kingsbury created. While Keim went for luxury that rarely ended in a boom and often ended in busts, Kliff tried to force-feed his ill-fated “Air Raid” offense onto his players, while former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph never seemed to find consistency in running the defense.
The result was an all-too familiar one for fans, and it forced Michael Bidwill to turn the page on Keim and Kingsbury. While there is no guarantee Ossenfort’s plan is going to work, he knows what didn’t work, and that involved Keim’s habit of acquiring players via free agency and the draft that may or may not have fit Kingsbury’s system. You won't see Ossenfort do that with Gannon.
At the end of the day, it cost the duo their jobs, even if Keim technically resigned. Ossenfort’s plan looks good on paper, so hopefully it comes into fruition and yields different results from what we saw under Keim.
Source: Owner Michael Bidwill impressed with GM Monti Ossenfort's plan for Cardinals by Jess Root, CardsWire.USAToday.com.