Eric Sorenson
The Arizona Cardinals continue to search for their next head coach after firing Ken Whisenhunt over two weeks ago. Wednesday Brad Cesmat talked to NFL insiders Albert Breer from The NFL Network and Yahoo! Sports Jason Cole. Each shared their views on the remaining candidates and their chances of landing with the Cards.
Breer-on Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians: “He’s certainly been able to work with young quarterbacks so if you’re planning on drafting someone in the first round he’ll do that. He’d be able to bring experience after working with Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, and Peyton Manning. He also has experience at the wide receiver position. With a guy like Larry Fitzgerald there he’s going to have a pretty good idea of how to use him and how to maximize him. Can you take [the success he had with Colts] over the past six or seven months and project it over five, ten years? Is it going to work long-term? Those are fair questions to ask.”
Breer-on Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell: “He’s got experience developing young quarterbacks. Having worked with Russell Wilson, having got the most out of Brett Favre all those years and having managed all those personalities, too. He’s shown he’s a leader. He’s shown he’s an innovator. He’s shown he can adapt to the talent on hand. Bevell definitely has his high points. He’s a guy who has a body of work, who’s been a head candidate choice in the past. He’s certainly a guy who NFL teams think is ready [to become a head coach].”
Breer-on Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley: “I think for Todd going to Arizona would be different than going anywhere else. Todd’s reputation in Arizona is different than his reputation with the other 31 NFL teams. Todd would walk into Arizona and immediately have the ear of the best player on the team, Larry Fitzgerald and I think that would help him get control of the locker room and be able to really get the most out of the team. I think he’d make a lot of sense for them. If I were you guys I wouldn’t read into how many times he’s been interviewed because they know exactly what they’re going to be getting out of him. I think it’d be a very interesting hire and something they should seriously consider.”
Cole-on Bevell, Haley, and Arians as possible candidates for the Cardinals: “Bevell is okay to me, maybe not great. I think Haley’s relationship with the organization may be able to trump Bevell. Arians is probably going to be more impressive than Haley in an interview situation. If you were going to go in order it would be Arians, Haley, and then Bevell.”
Cole-on the type of coach the Cards are looking for: “They want an offensive guy just like everybody else. I think all six of the coach’s hired so far are offensive guys so I think the Cardinals are following suit. I expect Jacksonville will follow suit, but they’re probably going to go with [San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator] Greg Roman.”
