Overhyped Cardinals
Photo: Tyler Drake Arizona SportsBy Walter Mitchell
The constant hype-filled idolatry that some Cardinals' fans continue to spew regarding high draft picks and favorite free agent signings has created an alarming disconnect between fantasy and reality.
As I have tried to plead with the stans --- putting a player on pedestal is the worst thing you can do for him. For three salient reasons:
1. It puts the player in isolation.
2. There is only one way to go ---> and that's down.
3. It creates all kinds of excessive expectations and inevitable disillusionment.
Here are some prime examples:
Paris Johnson Jr.
Stans: "Paris Johnson Jr., is an elite left tackle."
The reality: he's a good, but not great (yet), left tackle.
The red flag: injuries (missed 5 games last two years), landing him on the season-ending IR in both his seasons at left tackle.
The blue-chip factors: talent and leadership.
Contract dilemma: Does he get the Kyler Murray treatment of getting paid as an elite player after three years when he hasn't as of yet earned that status?
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Stans: "Marvin Harrison Jr. is a generational, surefire Hall of Fame wide receiver."
The reality: he's a good, but not great (yet), wide receiver.
The red flag: skittishness over the middle resulting in dropped passes.
The blue-chip factors: size, talent, TD magnetism and legacy.
Contract dilemma: Is he and his father going to want him to be paid as a top 10 WR ($30M+ a year) after next season and will they, like Kyler Murray and Eric Burkhardt, hold out for it?
Will Johnson
Stans: "Will Johnson is a lockdown cornerback, the best cornerback in the 2025 draft class."
The reality: he's a very good zone player, but below average press man-to-man player and tackler.
The red flag: injuries (missed 5 games) and he runs hot and cold too often.
The blue-chip factors: pedigree, ball hawking ability
Dilemma: Do the coaches have to cater the whole defense to his strengths and weaknesses?
Garrett Williams
Stans: "Garrett Williams is one of the elite slot cornerbacks in the NFL."
The reality: he's outstanding in zone coverage but is a liability in man-to-man. He's not really a slot cornerback; he's more of a high or low zone safety.
The red flag: injuries (has missed 16 games during his three seasons), plus alarmingly poor tackling (29.1 in 2025).
The blue-chip: superb playmaker in zone pass coverages
Dilemma: Do the coaches have to cater the whole defense to his strengths and weaknesses?
Mack Wilson Sr.
Stans: "Mack Wilson Sr. was arguably the MVP of the defense last year."
The reality: he is not suited to play MIKE linebacker.
The red flag: injury cost him 9 games and, as with Will Johnson, do the coaches need to play a preponderance of zone defense? Plus, he seems out of touch with reality regarding Nick Rallis.
The blue-chip factors: enthusiasm and pass rushing ability.
Dilemma: click on video
https://x.com/i/status/2044123481005273353
There are so many things wrong about what Mack Wilson Sr. is saying here.
1. "The players wanted Nick Rallis retained?" They freaking quit on him.
2. Wilson personally, most likely, wanted Rallis to
return because Rallis is the only DC in the NFL
who would play him at MIKE, where he struggled
last year (60.1 O 98th/NFL, 53.4 RDEF, 41.9
TACK, 80.6 PRSH, 59.8 COV).
3. "We liked where we were heading last year until injuries set in?" The injuries were on the offensive side of the ball. Wilson was the only Week 1 starter on the front 7 would wasn't still starting Week 17.
4. Players who started 15+ games: Sweat,
Campbell, Tomlinson, Robinson, Collins, Davis-
Gaither, Baker, Thompson and Burke.
5. Let this sink in, the 2025 Cardinals allocated
$135M of the cap to the defense which was
10th most in the NFL, while the Seahawks were
22nd, 49ers were 25th and Rams were 31st. Yet,
let's chart the rankings:
Scoring Defense: SEA-1; LA-10; SF-13; ARI-29
Yards Allowed: SEA-6; LA-17: SF-20; ARI-27
Stopping the Run: SEA-3, LA-12, SF-13, ARI-25
Tackling: Cardinals were #32 in the NFL with a 28.6 grade.
6. The defensive players last year exhibited classic signs of not being coached by anyone with the gravitas to hold their noses to the fire. And not being coached by anyone who could ever make adjustments to a "caution and cushion" scheme that did not change one iota from Week 1 to Week 17.
7. And now the word to the players from Nick Rallis during the first day of OTAs, according to Zaven Collins, "there may be some minor changes, but there are not going to be any real major changes this year to the defense."
8. Mack Wilson Sr. said he and the players wanted Rallis back, "because we know the defense."
That's the major problem in a nutshell, right there.
Nick Rallis' MIKE ILBs:
2023 --- Kyzir White (MIKE): 58.7 (123rd/NFL);
Josh Woods (WILB): 31.8 (175th)
2024 --- Kyzir White (MIKE): 48.1 (156th);
Mack Wilson Sr. (WILB): 63.8 (90th)
2025 --- Mack Wilson Sr.: 60.1 (93rd); Akeem
Davis-Gaither (WILB): 49.9 (141st)
Kicker: Nick Rallis was the LB coach in PHI
Nick Rallis
Cardinals Stans: "Nick Rallis is going to be a head coach next year."
The reality: coached the #31 ranked, worst tackling defense that was the 10th highest paid in the NFL in 2025 and players are not being properly positioned or developed.
The red flag: Appears to have no capacity to make weekly or in-game adjustments.
The blue-chip factor: As an assistant coach, helped the Eagles' defense rank #1 in the NFL in 2022.
Dilemma: Monti Ossenfort and "the players wanted Nick Rallis retained." (Mack Wilson Sr.)
Conclusion:
While there are blue-chip qualities that Paris Johnson Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr., Will Johnson, Garrett Williams and Mack Wilson Sr. possess, not only are the players' stans out of touch with the reality of how well they are playing, it appears that Monti Ossenfort, in similar way, is also out of touch with reality --- not only in his own outlooks of the players, but in his assessment of his overwhelmed defensive coordinator. Monti's top draft picks are under-achieving as a result of him putting them in the hands of coaches who lack the gravitas and knowledge to develop them into confident players.
Hopefully, Mike LaFleur and his new coaching hires will bring significant changes and improvements.
I think as fans we all fall prey for our desire to see some semblance of success in the desert. For that we all get caught up in the hype mechanics of the organization. The reality is the Cardinals players themselves are wasted, used incorrectly, and lack any development they get at other organizations. Why? I think it is related to Mr Bidwill and his coaching hires. Nobody wanted to work for his dad, nobody wants to work under Mikey either.
ReplyDeleteWorst owner in the league. You could say the Bears, Bengals and Raiders are worse but their owners didn’t meddle when it came to finding a future franchise QB. This qb current mess in AZ is nothing new for the Bidwill family for decades, a microcosm of how the current Bidwill meddles in all aspects of the franchise. History can repeat itself. A percentage of the privilege who grow up rich, spoiled and attend high society schools tend to think you’re smarter than everyone, always need control and surround yourself with yes men, that is the definition of this owner and the fans will continue to suffer. Monti will do whatever Mike wants on draft weekend.
ReplyDeleteHype-filled idolatry.....Sometimes Card fans(and Cardinal GMs) remind me of someone who is so overly desperate for a relationship that they overlook anything negative about the person they end up with. I cringe when I've seen it with my friends. You can't say anything because it will ruin the friendship, but your common sense tells you this is not going to end well. When you are a fan of a team with the history this team has, it's easy to become delusional. Card fans are caught between wanting to get excited and root for a winner each season and the reality of rooting for a team that has a long tradition of F'ing things up. It's sad to watch because it's all being done in a league that rewards ever franchise no matter how poorly it is run. The talented coaches and GMs steer clear of this team and there is only one reason for that. Until this franchise is sold to someone who can draw the talent this team needs to succeed, Card fans are left to endure mediocracy as their realistic highs which unfortunately breeds fits of fantasy.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I really like this larger font Walt. Super easy for me to read.
I thought you might like the larger font, Jethro! Men who put women on pedestals are NFL, not for long. Everyone deserves a partner who looks at them straight in the eyes, not someone casting fawning glances upward.
DeleteAhhh NFL - not for long. That's a good one. Cardinal fans deserve better, especially long-time Card fans. I've been a fan since '88 but have been watching this team since the '70s. If you combine the way St Louis felt about this team with the way the greater Phoenix area feels about this team after 38 years in the desert, it's easy to see what the problem is. Change is sometimes good and I'm rooting for Mike LaFleur and his staff work a miracle.
DeleteI think LaFleur was saddled with Rallis or didn't have many options left once he was hired. The assistants he has brought have engineered a way around Rallis if he flops again. Player development defensively has flat lined. The defense spending stats are eye openi g. Why should we give an under performing coach more assets?
ReplyDeleteMax Melton posted "FUCK" when he heard Rallis was retained — and honestly, that one word has more analytical depth than anything Mack Wilson Sr. said defending him.
ReplyDeleteNo PFF grades. No cap breakdowns. Just a rookie cornerback who immediately understood what Monti Ossenfort apparently still doesn't.
The stans think Rallis is a future head coach. The guy actually playing FOR him doesn't agree. No one can convince me, regardless of the recent publicity, that Melton's teammates don't overwhelmingly agree with him. If Melton was the lone wolf on this, he'd be moved asap. He still might and it would be a blessing for his career.