But wait, Kyler wanted CeeDee, Wirfs and Creed
By Walter Mitchell
This is the most frequent rebuttal from Cardinals' fans when someone claims that Kyler should never have been involved in the Cardinals' draft considerations.
So here is this fan's rebuttal to the rebuttal:
1. Again, this is Kyler acting like he's smarter than anyone in the draft room, which is bound to create conflict and an element of distrust between the QB and the front office.
2. It's not wrong per se for Kyler to want WR CeeDee Lamb, T Tristan Wirfs or C Creed Humphries --- what's wrong is his making his preferences public. It's also wrong for him to neglect the team's glaring needs on defense, as if all that matters is the offense. Imagine what it must be like for a player to be drafted by the Cardinals only to find out that the team's QB had other wishes.
3. Context matters. Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, Steve Keim had already made the blockbuster trade with the Texans for WR DeAndre Hopkins. In doing so, he gave up the team's 2nd round pick, which left him with one pick on Day 1 and one pick on Day 2.
4. In addition, he and the coaches were excited to re-sign RT Marcus Gilbert whom they believed, back at full health, could dominate at the position the way he had been for years with the Steelers.
5. By trading for Hopkins and re-signing Marcus Gilbert, Keim was paving the way in this draft with only 2 of the top 100 picks to take his highest rated defensive player in the draft. His #1 target was DT Derrick Brown of Auburn. Yet, with pick #7, one slot ahead of the Cardinals, the Carolina Panthers snagged Brown.
6. Keim's #2 highest defensive grade was LB Isaiah Simmons of Clemson. His #3 was CB CJ Henderson of Florida. Quite frankly, at the time, none of the top draft pundits expected Simmons, the 2019 Butkus Award winner and consensus All-American to be on the board at pick #8. Here's proof:
Mel Kiper:
4. New York Giants
Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson | Highlights
The Giants should take an offensive tackle with one of their first two picks, but I wouldn't pass on Simmons, who has rare athleticism and versatility. Stick him at outside linebacker and let him chase down ball carriers, rush the passer and cover tight ends. Simmons never has to leave the field. New coach Joe Judge will love him.
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Todd McShay:
4. New York Giants
Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson
The Giants defense needs everything, and everything is exactly what Simmons brings to the table. He was a factor in every single statistical area in 2019 for the Tigers, and his blazing 4.39-second time in the 40, wild 39-inch vertical and ridiculous 11-foot broad jump took Indianapolis by storm. It was one of the best workouts we've ever seen from a linebacker. A converted safety, Simmons fits what NFL teams are looking for today and can affect so many areas of the game. New York handed 28.2 points per game to opponents last season, more than all but two other teams. Let's jump start the defensive rebuild with a true difference-maker.
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Daniel Jeremiah:
School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)
This could also be a spot for Derrick Brown or a trade back. I think Simmons would be a perfect fit with the way Matt Rhule likes to build his teams. Speed!
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Dane Brugler:
7. Carolina Panthers – Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
As Matt Rhule builds the roster his way, he is looking for dynamic athletes with football character and Simmons falls in that category. And especially with the retirement of Luke Kuechly, Simmons brings another impact player who can fill multiple roles.
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6. The problem with picking Isaiah Simmons was not a matter of talent (supreme length, agility and sub 3.8 speed)size, it was a matter of handing him over to Vance Joseph and Billy Davis. To make matters far more challenging, the pandemic intervened and Simmons was not given the benefit of on-the-field training that would have been crucial to his assimilation into the Cardinals defense and into the NFL. Not only was Isaiah Simmons a unique talent, he came with a unique learning style that required special accommodations like the ones Brent Venerable gave him at Clemson. Simmons never quite received those kinds of accommodations from Joseph and Davis.
People will say well yeah Simmons has sucked as a pro and was a complete bust for the Cardinals. That notion is hyperbolic.
2020 --- 54 tackles, 43 solo, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, coverage grade: 69.9
2021 --- 105 tackles, 70 solo, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, coverage grade 56.0
2022 --- 99 tackles, 68 solo, 5 TFL, 4 sacks, coverage grade: 69.9, his overall grade of 67.7 was 4th best among starters (with over 500 snaps) behind Budda Baker (73.7), Zach Allen (72.7) and JJ Watt (68.3).
What Isaiah Simmons was unable to deliver for the Cardinals was a justification for making him the #8 pick in the 2020 draft. But, then again, neither has Kyler Murray as the #1 pick in the 2019 draft.
7. In 2021, what some fans don't realize is that Kyler had lobbied for both WR Rondale Moore and C Creed Humphrey. However, Steve Keim had already traded for C Rodney Hudson. And with the 49th pick in the 2nd round the Cardinals took Moore. Creed Humphrey was selected with the 63rd pick by the Chiefs.
8. In 2022, after knowing that DeAndre Hopkins had been suspended for the first six game for PED violations, Kyler lobbied for Michael Bidwill to trade the team's 1st round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for WR Hollywood brown. Bidwill flew Brown to the Cardinals' draft celebration to revel in the trade. The problem was, with Rodney Hudson now threatening to retire, trading the 1st round pick cost them the opportunity to draft 2021 Rimington Award winner C Tyler Linderbaum of Iowa. Linderbaum has been a model of excellence throughout his 4 years in the NFL:
2022 - 71.5
2023 - 78.5 - Pro Bowl AFC
2024 - 79.5 - Pro Bowl AFC
2025 - 76.6 - current ranked 6th this season among NFL centers (over 10 starts)
9. Kyler has been given a "who's who" of highly talented WRs during his years with the Cardinals. Since 2021, he has been unable to maintain a consistently productive connection with any WR, save perhaps Christian Kirk who wound up getting a whopping 4-year $72M contract.
DeAndre Hopkins --- in 2022, he missed the first 6 games (PED violation), then elected to sit out the last two games and then wanted no part of staying in Arizona the final year of his contract. Hopkins had a fair share of good games in 2020 and 2021 (before injury), but the way his tenure in Arizona ended was a major disappointment, particularly when no team would trade for him because of his contract.
Hollywood Brown --- in 2022-2023, due to skipped OTAs, injuries, being late to meetings with Kyler, averaged 59 catches on 104 targets (57% completion rate) for 642 yards and 3.5 TDs.
Rondale Moore --- from 2021- 2023, Moore averaged 45 receptions, for 401 yards and 1 TD a season, and was traded in 2024 to the Falcons for QB Desmond Ridder.
Marvin Harrison Jr. --- in 2024, Marvin averaged 6.8 targets and 3.7 receptions for 52.1 yards and 0.47 TDs per game. In 5 games with Kyler Murray in 2025, Marvin averaged 6.2 targets and 4 receptions for 61.2 yards and 0.4 TDs per game. The best stat is Marvin's 10 TDs in 22 games with Kyler.
Michael Wilson --- in 25 games with Kyler Murray, Wilson was targeted 4.3 times for 2.6 receptions for 29.2 yards with 0.24 TDs per game.
One of the reasons why it is necessary to point out these WRs' numbers in Arizona is that there is no guarantee that had Steve Keim drafted CeeDee Lamb that he would have produced in the way that he has with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
10. The fact that Cardinals fans can keep pointing out that Kyler wanted CeeDee, Wirfs and Creed is excatly the reason why QBs should not publicly lobby for draft picks. Typically, NFL will welcome their QBs to provide some degree of input on draft prospects, but GMs and scouts do not want their QBs to lobby in public for their preferences. Why? Because inevitably each draft pick is the result of a team effort --- after considering both the team's offensive needs and the team defensive needs. It's one of the great balancing acts of roster building and there needs to be a level of trust between the front office, the coaches and the players that each pick is what's best for the team in that particular year at that particular time.
Walt just described KM's work environment with great examples of a franchise that doesn't have a process nor a clue when dealing with talent.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to say this and remind us that no one fails entirely on their own in this world. Caveat: I still blame Kyler Murray first for why he never became the Cardinals’ quarterback of the future. But let’s not pretend he operated in a vacuum.
From 2019–2025, the Cardinals surrounded him with instability at every level. The defense was a yearly catastrophe—consistently one of the NFL’s worst in points and yards allowed. In fact, Murray had the worst defensive support of any quarterback with at least 25 starts over a three-year span. The offensive line veered from mediocre to downright disastrous, swinging between middle-of-the-pack and bottom-tier in both overall performance and pass protection.
The coaching and development environment wasn’t any better. The prevailing view around the league is that the Cardinals’ front office and coaching staff were inconsistent, underperforming, and often stuck in the NFL’s bottom half. Murray’s current 2 season QB coach and offensive coordinator came into the job with zero quarterback coaching experience at any level of football. That’s who was tasked with developing a franchise QB.
And above all of it sat an owner whose long-running dysfunction, regression, and annual near-last-place ratings from his own players only deepened the chaos.
Murray didn’t fail alone—but he failed all the same.
Well said, 61. The ultimate blame goes to Bidwill for caving in with that absurd exorbitant, poison-pilled contract. By the way Red Rain members, I apologize for the typos in the blog. For whatever reason when I went to do the editing it wouldn't take.
DeleteI don't think I can addd much to Since's comment. Was Kyler at fault, Yes! Was he only issue or person to take fault, NO!!! The organizational decisions of its owner are baffling for a twelve year old boy learning game of football. By all means Mr Bidwill keep running the show, your stadium sits empty (save opposing team fans). You still won't/don't care because your trust fund keeps accruing interest.
DeleteThanks, another good read Walt. I think the problem is the NFL business model. There are only 32 teams and if you own one of them, you basically can run it throwing darts at a dart board to make all major decisions, and you still make a profit. Sometimes I think MB would be better at it throwing darts. I feel like MB always surrounds himself with the wrong people giving him the wrong advice. You know the entourage that continually blows smoke up his ass because he inherited one of 32 NFL teams. As they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day hence, the Kurt Warner & Brice Arians - Todd Bowles eras.
ReplyDeleteRight now I have no hope in this team as it stands management wise. I realize that it's just a game but as fans we invest out time watching and supporting them and our time is the most valuable thing we all have to give. I appreciate players like McBride, Brissett, PJJ, Nolen for still giving their all in a fulgy season but it's not enough. This team is just plain hard to watch and support anymore. That said, I'll be back next season with my usual blind optimism from a long hot Arizona summer with no football but boy oh boy do I wish the NFL would offer a greater reward for fielding a team that consistently contends instead of rewarding perennial losers.
So right, Jethro. So glad to hear you are coming back strong next year! It's a true test of character at this point!
DeleteCan’t top what other commenters have shared. Only that all the mistakes of ownership and the current regime have led to a 12.6% increase on my season tickets. I’m sticking with it, but more sane people are not going to be around in 2026!
ReplyDelete