Davis Webb as Cardinals' Head Coach Proposal


                                                                Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

By Walter Mitchell

One of the hottest young QB whisperers in the NFL is the Broncos' Passing Game Coordinator/QB coach Davis Webb. Kliff Kingsbury said that if he had a son who plays QB, he would want Davis Webb to be his coach. 

Webb was one of Kliff Kingsbury's QBs at Texas Tech (pictured above) from 2013-2015. He then played his final year at the University of California. His career stats: 841/1,367, 61.5%, 9,852 yards, 83 TDs, 34 ints., 137.1 RTG. 

Webb was drafted by the New York Giants in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played in just two games as a pro, one game for the Bills and one game for the Giants, before he decided to go into coaching. 

Check out Jordan Schultz's pitch for Davis Webb as a 2026 head coaching candidate:

https://x.com/i/status/2003604544920703230

While it may behoove the Cardinals to sign a head coach with head coaching or significant OC/DC experience, if Davis Webb could put together a package of veteran coordinators, seeing as the Cardinals appear to be in a position to draft Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore or Ty Simpson, then Davis Webb as HC could make a ton of sense. 

I am of the belief that the Jacksonville Jaguars not only put Trevor Lawrence in the best of hands when they hired Liam Coen as their new HC in 2025, they also did the smartest thing imaginable in letting Coen help decide who the team's new GM would be. 

The odds of signing any new coach should be higher for the Cardinals if they are amenable to pairing a new head coach with his choice of GM. 

The Webb Plan

* Sign a GM/HC tandem of Reed Burckhardt and Davis Webb

Broncos promote Reed Burckhardt to assistant general manager; announce 2025 scouting department updates (denverbroncos.com)




Reed Burckhardt, who enters his fourth season with the Broncos, was promoted to assistant general manager after spending the previous three seasons as Denver's director of player personnel. Before his time with the Broncos, he spent 13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings as the director of pro scouting, assistant director of pro scouting, pro scout, area scout, BLESTO scout, personnel department assistant and operations intern.

Sean Payton Speaks Strongly on New Broncos Assistant GM

“He’s real important to our process," Payton said on June 12 (when he promoted Burckhardt to assistant GM). "We have a good group… He’s passionate, and you have to be in that business. It can be lonely. It’s not for everyone. Hotels, laptop computer, film. He has a real good eye for talent. He’s not afraid to give you his opinion even if it’s contrary to maybe what you want to hear.”

Davis Webb



Davis Webb has a "don't handcuff them" philosophy for developing QBs that I believe is about as smart as it gets. Watch him elaborate on this here:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Xj7f8XoSXBc?feature=share

* Sign Tony Sparano Jr. (IND OLC) as offensive coordinator


from: 
Tony Sparano Jr. (colts.com)

Sparano Jr. is in his third season with the Colts as the team's offensive line coach. He has 15 years of coaching experience, including the last 14 seasons in the NFL.

Since 2023, Indianapolis has scored at least 20 points in 25 games, which ranks tied for eighth in the NFL.

For the second consecutive season, Indianapolis ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (137.1 – eighth) in 2024. The Colts tied for the seventh-fewest sacks allowed (32) and ranked sixth in games with no sacks allowed (four). Sparano Jr.'s group helped running back Jonathan Taylor finish fourth in the league in rushing yards (1,431). Guard Quenton Nelson was an Associated Press Second Team All-Pro choice and was named to the Pro Bowl (seventh selection).


The Cardinals can take a page out of the Cowboys' book when they hired Klayton Adams to be their OC with the expectation that new HC Brian Schottenheimer would be calling the plays. 


* Sign Jim Leonhard (DEN defensive passing game coordinator) as defensive coordinator



from: 
Jim Leonhard (denverbroncos.com)

Jim Leonhard enters his second season with the Denver Broncos and first as defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach in 2025. He was hired by the club on Feb. 14, 2024.

Under Leonhard's coaching in 2024, cornerback Pat Surtain II became just the second player in franchise history to be named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. On the season, Surtain allowed the fewest passing yards (306) and second-lowest passer rating when targeted (59.1) among cornerbacks with at least 375 coverage snaps per NextGen Stats.


As first reported by Red Rain Podcast's color commentator "61 Sam", Sean Payton brought Jim Leonhard in to galvanize the Broncos' secondary in ways that Vance Jospeh was unable to. Imagine then what he should be able to do with the young, but unrefined talent the Cardinals have at the cornerback and safety positions.


* Sign Mike Groh as senior offensive advisor and Frank Bush as senior defensive advisor. 



 


per: Mike Groh (giants.com)

Mike Groh, who has 25 years of collegiate and NFL coaching experience, is in his fourth season as the Giants' wide receivers coach.


per: 
Frank Bush (tennesseetitans.com)

Frank Bush spent four seasons with the Texans, the first two as a senior defensive assistant (2007-08), working primarily with the defensive line, before serving as the team's defensive coordinator (2009-10). During his time in Houston, he saw the emergence of defensive end Mario Williams and linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing as Pro Bowl players, with Cushing earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

Before joining the Texans, Bush spent three seasons (2004-06) with Arizona as the linebackers coach, adding the assistant head coach title in 2006. While he was with the Cardinals, Karlos Dansby, a second-round rookie in 2004, produced three-year totals of 222 tackles, 17.0 sacks, five forced fumbles and four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. In that span, he was one of only four players to produce at least 200 tackles, 15.0 sacks, five forced fumbles and four interceptions and the only one to score multiple touchdowns.

In his time with Denver (1995-2003), Bush earned two Super Bowl rings (XXXII and XXXIII), serving several different roles, including special teams coach (2001-03), secondary/nickel coach (2000) and linebackers coach (1995-99).


Free Agent Signings:


T Braden Smith (IND)

G Zion Johnson (LAC)

WR Deebo Samuel (WASH)

NT Teair Tart (LAC)

DT Sebastian Joseph-Day (TEN)

ILB Justin Strnad (DEN)

ED Arden Key (TEN)

CB Roger McCreary (LAR)

LS Morgan Cox (TEN)

 

In House Free Agent Signings:


UFA


P Blake Gillikin



RFAs


TE Travis Vokolek

K Chad Ryland

RB Emari Demercado

RB Bam Knight

CB Starling Thomas V


ERFA


NT P.J. Mustipher


2026 NFL Draft:


https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mockdraft


What grade would you give this proposal?








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