Steve Keim may be infamous in Arizona Cardinals circles these days, but he still gives his insights. Here are three major takeaways from his recent remarks.
Steve Keim won’t make the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor any time soon, and you can make the argument that he should stay out of that realm entirely. Poor drafting and lack of on-field success caught up with Arizona’s former general manager, and he ended up showing himself the door when he took an indefinite leave before resigning from his post.
Keim has been silent over the past few months, but he made an appearance on the Green Light podcast with Chris Long. During the segment, he and Long talked extensively about the Cardinals. Here are three major takeaways from that interview.
What did Steve Keim have to say about the Arizona Cardinals?
1 - About Kyler Murray’s Work Ethic
"“Does he know what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady knows what it takes to be great? No. Does he work? He does work. I think it’s just that side of the game – the film study, the attention to detail part – that he can continue to improve upon and I think he will.”"Steve Keim, via AZ Central
Listen, we know that Kyler Murray’s work ethic and attitude wasn’t close to where it needed to be in 2022. We’ve seen takes from the likes of Patrick Peterson, Kelvin Beachum, an unnamed teammate, and now Keim.
Listen, if Murray can do no wrong in your eyes, that is fine. But the fact of the matter is, there’s a definite issue here. The good news? I actually, for once, agree with Keim: Murray is going to improve that portion, and I think we’re already seeing it if his most recent video clues us in on just how far he’s come in such little time.
Murray’s going to be fine if he stays consistent with his rehab, which should morph into consistency regarding his study habits, attitude, and overall work ethic. I’ve been hard on Murray over the past year, but I’ll also admit that I’m excited to see what he can do for the Cardinals this season.
2 - About DeAndre Hopkins Status
"“The problem is his current contract. I think it’s $30 million in (salary) cap, it’s $20 million in cash. So those pose some serious problems to teams, particularly teams who probably have a quarterback and it’s taking up a large number of the cap itself.”"Steve Keim, via AZ Central
Hmm, wonder who created that problem, Mr. Keim? Yeah, thanks a lot for that one. Anyway, Keim’s correct in his statement, regardless of how you want to look at it: The contract is a major issue, and you can’t necessarily blame teams for refusing to gamble on what will be a 31-year-old receiver who’s missed time thanks to injuries and a suspension.
Even so, the Cardinals can still get a second round pick for Hopkins. Sure, their options are limited, but if current general manager Monti Ossenfort can hard sell the star receiver’s value to a team figuring to compete, then he will get what he wants for Hopkins.
But what if he gets no takers? Hey, this Cardinals team could be better than most pundits want to believe. If Murray makes it back in time for Week One and Hopkins is still with the club, along with the plethora of pass catchers, and what’s basically an offensive line committee, this team will surprise a lot of people.
3 - About the NFLPA’s Player Poll
"“Our stuff was functional. When Rocky beat Drago, how did he train?”"Steve Keim, via AZ Central
Of course, Keim was lighthearted about it, but here’s my take. First and foremost, I will admit that I used to train in gyms that comprised aging, rusty equipment, and dust-laden corners. The only way to get air conditioning in the summer? Open up the garage doors, and bam, it’s there.
Yeah, their warehouse full of machines were more than functional, even if they looked as though they’d been around since the 1970s. That’s always good.
But I’ll tell you this: I will never train in those places ever again. Not after being introduced to cleaner, more climate-controlled gyms back in 2012. That said, you can probably guess which one I’d give a passing grade to, and a failing grade to, right?
This isn’t to say the Cardinals weight room and facilities resemble those dated, old school-style outlets, far from it. But what I’m getting at is, in today’s day and age, people have expectations on what a gym, or in this case, a weight room and team facilities should look like. Upgrade them!
Source: Former Cardinals GM Steve Keim talks Hopkins, Murray, more on Chris Long podcast by Bob McManaman, AZCentral.com