HEADLINES

Steve Keim

Cards Expected To Extend Arians, Keim

January 16th, 2015 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Cardinals have yet to win a postseason game since hiring Steve Keim as their general manager and Bruce Arians as the head coach in 2013, the team has played extremely well during its two seasons, winning 21 total games despite playing in one of the league’s most competitive divisions and having its roster decimated by injuries in 2014. Now, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, team president Michael Bidwill is making it an offseason priority to extend the contracts of both Keim and Arians, ensuring they’re locked up and properly compensated for their strong work.

“Yes, it’s on my radar,” Bidwill said. “I intend to get that done this offseason. We’ve got a bright future, and I’m excited about a third offseason with Steve and Bruce.” Asked about when he intends to open negotiations, Bidwill would only go so far as to say it will happen “sometime after the Super Bowl,” writes Somers.

There’s no real rush to finalize anything with either Keim or Arians right away, since both men remain under contract for multiple seasons. Keim’s deal has two years left on it, while Arians is under club control for three more years, with the Cards holding a team option for the 2017 season. Still, Somers notes that extending those contracts would “make a powerful statement” about the organization’s direction and future.

If and when the Cardinals work out new agreements with their GM and head coach, the deals figure to be more lucrative than the duo’s current contracts. Arians, who was named the PFWA’s Coach of the Year this week, is believed to earning between $3-4MM a year — a new deal would likely bump him up into the salary range of coaches like Rex Ryan and Jason Garrett, who signed contracts this week reportedly worth $5.5-6MM annually.

Cardinals Notes: Thomas, Arians, UDFAs

May 10th, 2014 at 4:19pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians stated that Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas will be playing quarterback for the team, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Thomas has experience as a tight end, but Arians noted that his struggles with accuracy can be easily fixed.

Here are some other notes from Urban about the Cardinals draft day three:

  • Yesterday Arians said that he liked the three quarterbacks on the team’s roster, writes Urban (via Twitter). This turned out to be a smokescreen, with Arians saying today “I lie pretty good.”
  • Arians held his intentions to draft a quarterback close to his chest, because he was afraid a team would try to jump in front of the Cardinals to target Thomas in the fourth round, writes Urban (via Twitter).
  • Cardinals’ general manager Steve Keim noted that he wants to add two running backs and between three and five offensive linemen as undrafted rookie free agents, reports Urban (via Twitter).

NFC Draft Links: Cards, Rams, Eagles

May 4th, 2014 at 7:06pm CST by Ben Levine

There hasn’t been a single first-round pick from the 2011 draft who has signed an extension and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com investigates the matter. While a solid portion have had their fifth-year options picked up, Florio says it’s “curious” that even a handful of the players have yet to ink a longterm deal. According to the writer, a league insider suggests that the lack of extensions is an indication of collusion among the teams.

The list of players includes Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Falcons receiver Julio Jones. These players could holdout (and pay a hefty fine of $30K a day), with Florio adding that Peterson hasn’t ruled out that option.

Let’s take a look at some draft notes from around the NFC…

  • Cardinals general manager Steve Keim makes it sound like he’s in favor of trading back, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “You are going to get third-round players in the fourth and fifth round,” Keim said, “guys who can come in and be immediate impact players for you.”
  • 2014 will be a crossroads year for the Rams, says Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead are in their third year on the job, and the writer opines that if a general manager/coach duo can’t succeed by year three then “you have to wonder if they’ll be able to get it done at all.”
  • The Eagles are committed to drafting the best available player in each round, but in each instance that could potentially be a wideout, writes Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As a result, Berman says that it’s essential for the team to identify receivers they like and where in the draft they’ll be selected.
  • Eagles general manager Howie Roseman isn’t impressed by the safeties in the upcoming draft and hinted that the position may not be a priority, writes Les Bowen The Philadelphia Daily News.

NFC West Notes: ’Hawks, 49ers, Cards, Rams

March 24th, 2014 at 8:49pm CST by Matt Feminis

Achieving dynasty status is very, very difficult in today’s parity-driven NFL where salary cap restraints dictate constant roster fluctuation. The Seahawks are equipped to defy the odds, however, believes ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha, who says, “What the Seahawks have working in their favor is the knowledge that they’ve put themselves ahead of their competition with creative scouting and innovative management.”

In other NFC West division notes:

  • The 49ers, who already boast one of the league’s deepest rosters, now possess six of the first 100 picks in the upcoming draft. Accordingly, the team has the currency to be very aggressive, writes ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson.
  • Cardinals GM Steve Keim will travel to Montreal on Thursday to be on hand for the pro day of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an ascending Canadian offensive tackle prospect, according to John Kryk of the Ottawa Sun. Duvernay-Tardif shares some similarities to the Cardinals’ new left tackle Jared Veldheer, who signed a five-year deal earlier this month. Like Veldheer, who was drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Hillsdale College, Duvernay-Tardif is an under-the-radar, relatively raw prospect with intriguing tools to coach up. He also has outstanding intangibles, an element of the scouting report that helped land Veldheer in free agency, as Keim explained in a brief video interview with CBS Sports. Duvernay-Tardif, who will also fly to meet with the Cardinals, has other visits scheduled with the Seahawks and Browns, says ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
  • Meanwhile, Cardinals standout linebacker Daryl Washington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault stemming from a domestic violence incident last year, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Washington, who received the first installment of a $10MM bonus option earlier this month, could face up to two years in prison when he is sentenced late next month.
  • Offensive tackle is the top draft need for the Rams, according to NFL.com, and they’d be in position to draft Auburn’s Greg Robinson at the top of the first round.