Opinion: Why Arizona Cardinals fans weren’t happy about recent trades
By Sion Fawkes
Arizona Cardinals fans were collectively unhappy about the Josh Jones and Isaiah Simmons trades that netted the team a fifth and seventh round pick, respectively, last week. Respected Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds, part of SB Nation, ran a poll, and 43% of those polled gave the team an F for the two trades.
Overall, 66% of those polled gave the team a D or lower, and an astounding 89% gave them a C or lower. So why are Cardinals fans so angry about trading away a former first round pick who consistently underachieved and a tackle who was never good enough to be a full-time starter?
It’s important to remember that the fans still aren’t used to the new method of doing things, nor should anyone expect them to be, following a decade of Steve Keim engaging in the 180-degree polar opposite approach. Keim was known for trading away mid-to-late rounders for players that some saw as at least serviceable, but we now know in hindsight that it got the Redbirds into nothing but the mess that culminated with a 4-13 record last season.
Arizona Cardinals fans aren’t yet used to the ‘New Way’
What is the ‘New Way’ led by general manager Monti Ossenfort? It involves trading away players who are bad fits for the new regime and the new system, mainly Keim guys, if you’ve been keeping track.
It also entails acquiring as many draft picks as you can, and building this team the way Keim should have built them years ago - through the NFL Draft, so these players have a chance to jell as one unit from their very first day in the league. Keim traded away too many draft picks, and for those he kept, barring a hallowed few like Budda Baker, he had even more swings and misses.
It was almost like Keim tried building this team much in the same way Steve Yzerman is trying to build the Detroit Red Wings over in the NHL. He literally threw a bunch of players together (mostly) and hoped that they would click.
This rarely ends well, but at the moment, it’s what the fan base is used to, and many in the Red Sea who take part in these polls won’t think highly of Monti Ossenfort’s moves until the results show on the field. And by results, I don’t necessarily mean W’s and L’s just yet, but development, and to at least be competitive in games.
And when you’re used to the way things are done, it’s hard to welcome new methods, especially after a decade of “Keim Time.” Therefore, it’s understandable as to why the results of this poll are what they are, but when the on-field results start coming, the Red Sea will slowly, but surely, realize that Ossenfort’s method is better than anything Keim tried in the past.
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Source: Cardinals Reacts: Arizona Cardinals fans hate the trades of Isaiah Simmons and Josh Jones by Seth Cox, Revenge of the Birds