PHOENIX —
Just tell fans you're rebuilding
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the Cardinals’ plan, they are building for the future. Same reason they let DE Zach Allen or CB Byron Murphy go elsewhere. Same reason they haven’t spent big money in free agency and are open to trading star WR DeAndre Hopkins. This offseason is all about finding new talent and seeing which young players on the roster are worth building around. This roster needs depth – and the only way to get that is to hit on years of draft picks, especially on the OL and DL. But new head coach Jonathan Gannon is happy with the small moves. "You don't win any games in free agency, I know that," he told 12Sports at the league's annual owner meeting.
"So I feel really good about the pieces that we added. We had a very clear vision of why we added them. We know why they know why they're coming here, which is huge to me. They know their role and what we're going to ask them to do and how we're going to ask them to fit in. I'm excited to get to work with those guys."
I understand the need for a positive spin, but hope-on-a-budget is a tough sell when you raised season ticket prices coming off a 4-13 season. Fans aren’t dumb. Just tell fans you’re rebuilding the roster and culture to create a strong foundation for future success --- at least that’s the truth.
Michael Bidwill is making changes
Failing – the Cardinals ranked near the bottom of the NFL Players Association’s team report card. Players gave them F grades in several categories, mainly when it comes to the team facility. Gannon claims he hasn’t read the report but they’ve made big-time changes since his arrival and owner Michael Bidwill is leading the charge. Bidwill telling Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort that he "wanted a fresh set of eyes on everything.” Gannon went on to say, “food, weight room, facilities, contracts, Michael (Bidwill) has been fantastic.” Gannon has stressed since day one that all decisions will be player driven. “He (Bidwill) came in my office the other day saying he wanted technology. We had a couple meetings with the heads of departments and we said 'we need this this and this, we don't need this,' and he's pulled the trigger on all of it. Everything I've said that I felt we wanted or needed has come to fruition."
Gannon confirmed the Cardinals fired long-time head athletic trainer Tom Reed and it was not related to the NFLPA report card. Former Texas Tech Assistant AD of Sports Medicine Drew Krueger has accepted the head athletic trainer position with the Arizona Cardinals.
“No decision that I make is going to be predicated on a report card or a media story or a narrative out there. I don’t do business like that. We’ll evaluate things how we want to evaluate things and make changes from there. All I can speak to is talking to the players and talking to Michael and Monti. We wanted to do to improve our operation standpoint, and we have done that."
Waiting on DeAndre Hopkins and Kyler Murray
Gannon tells 12Sports he has no timeline for Kyler Murray’s return. He’s recovering from a torn ACL.
“I'm not really concerned with a timeline,” Gannon said. "There is a long time before we line up and play a game. When Kyler is fully ready to play mentally and physically, that's when he will play. He was in Dallas with his surgeon this last week and he’s doing well. They like where he’s at. He’s going to start doing some things in the strength room. He’s coming along well.” As of now, the Cardinals are rolling with backup QBs Colt McCoy and David Blough. "We feel good with David and Colt. We have had good conversations with both those guys. They are both raring to go. They both were asking (offensive coordinator) Drew (Petzing) for the playbook and I was like, 'No, you don't need the playbook yet.' They are champing at the bit."
Gannon also doubling down on his NFL Combines comments to 12Sports about DeAndre Hopkins – as long as he’s on the roster, he’s a Cardinals. “Right now, I’m operating under the premise that Hop’s our starting X and people are going to have to defend him,” Gannon said. “He’s been great and I’m looking forward to get to work with him.” There was a report this week that the Cardinals gave teams permission to speak with Hopkins to facilitate a trade.
Beach is on board
Gannon responds to re-signed right tackle Kelvin Beachum’s comments on Kyler Murray. Earlier this month, Beachum on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM defended Murray’s leadership but said the quarterback "needs to grow up a little bit."
"I didn't hear those comments,” Gannon said. “I know Beach is on board with how we want to do things. He's a team-first guy. All of our guys know it's got to be team-first because that's how you build a winner."
New jerseys?
Are the Cardinals getting new jerseys this season? Cardinals insider Mike Jurercki recently reported the team will have new jerseys for the upcoming season. Social media is starting to put together signs that they’re coming….
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