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Cardinals' unorthodox roster moves have team two wins away from title
The Cardinals beat the Lions that afternoon, 42–17, to improve to 4–1. But in their lopsided victory they also lost outside linebacker Alex Okafor (strained right calf) and reserve backer Kenny Demens (left ACL).
Quentin Harris, Arizona’s director of pro scouting, knew exactly where to find a replacement. The Cardinals keep two logs: an Excel database of between 1,500 and 2,000 players they want to keep eyes on; and what they call their Ready List of the five to 10 best-available options at every position. Harris knew one name on that Ready List well. Freeney, a pass-rush specialist with 111½ career sacks in the NFL, had been his college teammate at Syracuse.
Quentin Harris, Arizona’s director of pro scouting, knew exactly where to find a replacement. The Cardinals keep two logs: an Excel database of between 1,500 and 2,000 players they want to keep eyes on; and what they call their Ready List of the five to 10 best-available options at every position. Harris knew one name on that Ready List well. Freeney, a pass-rush specialist with 111½ career sacks in the NFL, had been his college teammate at Syracuse.
It’s early January, nine days before that playoff showdown against Green Bay, and rain pelts Arizona’s facility as the architect of the most-balanced roster in football watches over practice. Keim, 43, wears a neatly trimmed goatee and a cardinal Cardinals hat that covers his bald head. Like every other GM in football, he wants to build primarily through the draft. What makes Keim different is how he rounds out the roster, with castoffs and calculated risks signed to incentive-laden one-year contracts. Freeney, for instance, joined for a base salary of $684,705, but collected $200,000 after his fourth sack this season, plus $100,000 for every two sacks thereafter.
The composition of Keim’s 53-man playoff roster—22 drafted players, seven rookie free-agent signings, two players acquired through trades, and 22 free-agent signings—speaks to his look-anywhere, sign-anyone approach. “That’s how we want to build,” he says (adding, almost sheepishly, “not every player has worked out”). This philosophy, Keim says, was born of two crucial factors. One is a coaching staff with a combined 222 years of NFL experience. (It’s an insane 480 years if you count college.) Arians and his assistants can school newcomers quickly and are not afraid to play the best players, regardless of draft status or contract size. The other factor is a locker room stocked with veterans who simply don’t care whether the guy next to them was signed last year, last month or last week.
The composition of Keim’s 53-man playoff roster—22 drafted players, seven rookie free-agent signings, two players acquired through trades, and 22 free-agent signings—speaks to his look-anywhere, sign-anyone approach. “That’s how we want to build,” he says (adding, almost sheepishly, “not every player has worked out”). This philosophy, Keim says, was born of two crucial factors. One is a coaching staff with a combined 222 years of NFL experience. (It’s an insane 480 years if you count college.) Arians and his assistants can school newcomers quickly and are not afraid to play the best players, regardless of draft status or contract size. The other factor is a locker room stocked with veterans who simply don’t care whether the guy next to them was signed last year, last month or last week.
Enter the Ready List. Keim and his staff do the tracking, courting and signing. They consult with coaches and players from their own roster for scouting reports on specific free agents that they know or played with, or they have Cardinals players evaluate potential signees on film. Arizona’s defensive backs, for instance, graded safety D.J. Swearinger as a fit before he signed in December. “Most teams aren’t bringing in guys off the street,” says fellow defensive back Jerraud Powers. “They’ll move a guy up off their own practice squad, because that guy knows their system.”
Once a player signs, Arians and his staff take over. With someone like Freeney, they don’t give him the full playbook; they start with specific packages (like third-and-long) and specific responsibilities (chase the quarterback). With in-season signings like this, Arians considers a 90% success rate to be ideal. And to remind his players that they must compete daily for their jobs, he works out as many as 10 outsiders every Tuesday.
Once a player signs, Arians and his staff take over. With someone like Freeney, they don’t give him the full playbook; they start with specific packages (like third-and-long) and specific responsibilities (chase the quarterback). With in-season signings like this, Arians considers a 90% success rate to be ideal. And to remind his players that they must compete daily for their jobs, he works out as many as 10 outsiders every Tuesday.
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