Do Cardinals Go for Dino Vasso?


                                     
                           
By Water Mitchell

In studying Anthony Campanile's attack-style Jaguars' defense, it is so creatively aggressive that I began to wonder whether Coach Camp could emerge as the NFL's defensive version of Sean McVay. Needless to say, I was very disappointed to see the Cardinals pass on him. Yet, if there is one young defensive coach who also could be a defensive coaching star in the making, that coach is the Texans' secondary coach, Dino Vasso. With all of the young talent the Cardinals have drafted over the past three years the thought of Dino Vasso as the new DC is compelling. Go look at how the young Texans' secondary attacks the football:

LCB Derek Stingley Jr. R1 2022 - 24 years old
SS Jalen Pitre R2 2022 - 26 years old
FS Calen Bullock R3 2024 - 22 years old
RCB Kwamie Lassiter R2 2024 - 23 years old

When Mike LaFleur was asked about what he's looking for in a DC, he said he wants an aggressive style of defense that "attacks the football."

Dino Vasso is the coach who imo is best at bringing an attack style of football where everyone swarms the ball, whether it's on the ground or in the air. If Mike LaFleur wants Dino Vasso, then he had better act quickly. Todd Monken and the Browns are reportedly narrowing in on him for their DC opening now that Jim Schwartz has left the team. Coach LaFleur preaches urgency so maybe he acts on Dino Vasso before the Bowns can get to him.


"Since his promotion to defensive backs coach, Vasso has produced one of the league's best secondaries. Working alongside All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., nickel defender Jalen Pitre, rising star safety Calen Bullock and potential Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter, the Texans bolstered the league's top-ranked defense this past fall."

"Amid a 12-win campaign, the Texans' defense ranked second in points allowed and first in fewest yards, allowing just 277.2 yards per game. They also ranked second in takeaways, with four different defenders totaling at least four interceptions."

"Since his promotion to defensive backs coach, Vasso has produced one of the league's best secondaries. Working alongside All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., nickel defender Jalen Pitre, rising star safety Calen Bullock and potential Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter, the Texans bolstered the league's top-ranked defense this past fall."

"Amid a 12-win campaign, the Texans' defense ranked second in points allowed and first in fewest yards, allowing just 277.2 yards per game. They also ranked second in takeaways, with four different defenders totaling at least four interceptions."

Career History (per Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Vasso#:~:text=Martin%20Dino%20Vasso%20(born%20November,the%20National%20Football%20League%20(NFL).

Awards and highlights

Please Mike LaFleur, go for Dino Vasso as defensive coordinator!

And pair him with a veteran defensive advisor.

Comments

  1. CardsFan31February 7, 2026 at 7:05 AM

    I’m sold on Vasso. You make a very compelling case, which means the Cardinals won’t hire him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Since 61February 7, 2026 at 10:14 AM

    Rams and McVay hiring Kliff as their OC. The best get even better while we hire the N Hacketts of the football world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since 61February 7, 2026 at 10:16 AM

      PS if McVay wins another SB in next 2 seasons, he'll go into broadcasting and I would not be surprised to see Kliff promoted to HC for the Rams

      Delete
    2. UnfortunateFanFebruary 7, 2026 at 2:41 PM

      Unless McVay actually gives up play calling duties, it kind of seems like a waste of Kliff's talents to be honest.

      Delete
  3. Simpleman 2026February 7, 2026 at 12:51 PM

    It will be interesting to see who Kliff recommends for their QB for future. (Trinidad at 61?) I also think Sean steps away if he and Stafford win another SB.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnfortunateFanFebruary 7, 2026 at 2:43 PM

    This would be a great hire. Does LaFleur have any connections to him?

    ReplyDelete
  5. TMAttyFebruary 7, 2026 at 4:21 PM

    In case anyone hasn't seen the news, the Cardinals requested an interview with Dino as of a few days ago. After the latest podcast, I saw the news that the Cards had requested interviews with both Vasso and Pleasant within a couple hours. Walter, Kyle, and Sam appear to have some pull!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
 Clayton Tune: The Fateful Path of an NFL Legacy by Walter Mitchell photo: @azcardinals.com via Instagram During the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft, Clayton Tune received a call from the Green Bay Packers. The Packers wanted to assure Clayton of their interest in drafting the University of Houston quarterback at some point on day three.  When the Arizona Cardinals selected Clayton Tune with the #139 pick a day later, he was surprised, given that the Cardinals had not expressed any significant interest in him during the pre-draft process. The Cardinals were not one of the six teams that brought him in for 30 visits (Texans, Saints, Browns, Steelers, Bucs, Giants). Tune had also been given a private workout by the Rams. The eventual link the Cardinals had to Clayton Tune was that Israel Woolfork was one of his coaches at the Senior Bowl. At that time, Woolfork had just finished his second year of a Bill Walsh/Bill Willis coaching fellowship with the Cleveland Browns.  A...
Read more
Image
 Was Will Johnson's Red and White Interception Staged? by Walter Mitchell photo thanks to Tyler Drake at Arizona Sports Cardinals' 2nd round pick, CB Will Johnson of Michigan, is off to a fabulous start just 10 days into training camp.  Will Johnson has come to the Cardinals just as advertised. He is a keenly instinctive zone cover corner who reads his man and the QB extremely well, which enables him to jump routes and make timely pass breakups and interceptions.  In man coverage, he lacks the requisite recovery speed to stay sticky on speedy receivers. But that's ok, as long as the coaches match him up with receivers whom he can run stride for stride with.  We have yet to see whether the 2024 concerns about Will Johnson's tackling, which may have been due to injuries. With him presumably taking over Sean Murphy-Bunting's starting role, the coaches will have to hope that he tackles way better than SMB (29.4 2024 PFF tackling grade). If you look at Will's 2023 ga...
Read more
Image
  Drew Petzing Deserves More Praise Than Derision                                       image courtesy of @azcardinals.com By Walter Mitchell On X yesterday, there was this chance for Cardinals' fans to grade Jonathan Gannon, Drew Petzing and Nick Rallis thanks to @BirdmanofAZ. Bird Droppings @BirdmanofAZ Bye week report card.......coaching staff Jonathan Gannon ________ Drew Petzing ________ Nick Rallis ________ Here are the average results thus far of the fans' grades: Jonathan Gannon: D Drew Petzing: F Nick Rallis: C Why is it that Drew Petzing has drawn such abject scorn from Cardinals' fans? Going back to last year, the PHNX Cardinals media site has been waging a daily campaign to see Drew Petzing get fired, that is if he can't coach up a weekly magical connection between Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. This season, in light of Kyler Murray's inconsistencies and Marvin Harriso...
Read more