Monti and His Coaches BLOCKING Team's 2026 NFL Draft Pick Developments
By Walter Mitchell
One of the surefire ways to impede the development of an NFL team's draft picks is to do precisely what Monti Ossenfort is doing this year by favoring his own free agents over the rookies --- and/or overdrafting at a position
Cases in point:
1. Tyler Allgeier RB1 --- Jeremiyah Love RB2 (#3 pick in 2026). To this day, J. Love has never been listed on the team's depth chart as RB1, even when he was healthy. Not only has the coaches' plan for Love looked thoroughly uncreative, it speaks volumes that in New York with 4 downs to win the game from the 3-yard line, despite his HC saying afterward Love was a full GO, he, who scored a nifty bounce out TD versus the Chargers during his first drive as a pro, was kept off the field for all 4 plays.
2. Chase Bisontis (#34 pick 2026) --- was this a concession that the GM had already given up on Isaiah Adams (pick #71 in 2024) and Jon Gaines II (pick #122 in 2023), not to mention Hayden Conner (#211 pick in 2025)? Given the team's glaring needs on defense, adding a 4th drafted guard in 4 years seemed superfluous. This is one of the ways GMs fail at roster building --- by over-addressing certain positions in the draft at the expense of under-addressing positions of higher need.
3. Gardner Minshew QB2 --- Carson Beck QB3 (#65 pick 2026) --- fact is, in Monti's 4 years as GM he has mishandled every QB under his watch. The handling of Carson Beck --- not signing him until the first day of training camp --- then benching him for the final three pre-season games while Gardner Minshew and Kalen Slovis got hundreds of snaps was imo outrageous. The whole lingering rib injury claim was a sham. Dude played a stellar level of ball after he suffered the injury and did not look the least bit inhibited by it. Now they had to have a special workout for him, when he should have been the QB2 all along.
4. Kaleb Proctor (#104 pick 2026) --- IR --- was expected to be in the DT rotation --- adding to the uncanny list of DT draft pick injuries (Robinson-calf, Nolen-calf) under Monti's and his trainers' watch.
5. Kendrick Bourne WR2 and Zay Jones WR3? --- Reggie Virgil (#143 pick in 2026)
6. Jack Gibbens WLB1 --- Cody Simon (#115 pick in 2025), Karson Sharar (#184 pick in 2026)
7. Elijah Wilkinson RT1 --- Jayden Williams (#217 pick in 2026) --- Jayden Williams, one of the great 7th round steals in the draft looked in the pre-season like the best, most athletic RT on the roster.
Another disturbing mishandling of a major talent is what the GM coaches have been doing to S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (#104 pick in 2024) who was a perfect choice to succeed Jalen Thompson. First by signing Andrew Wingard in free agency and then after the Rabbit played a strong game (72.6) in the win over Rams starting for the injured Wingard, the coaches thought it would be a good time to replace Rabbit at FS with Garrett Williiams for his first start ever (53.1) at free safety versus the Broncos.
Tackling Grade versus Rams: Taylor-Demerson 79.4 in 18-16 W
Tacklinmg Garde versus Broncos: Garrett Williams: 29.4 in 30-16 L
Pass Coverage Charts
Over the past 4 years, Monti has drafted 7 CBs and 3 safeties. Look at these pass coverage charts:
Safeties
Linebackers
This is a major reason why the Cardinals have given up the most points per game this far this season.
What a waste of valuable draft capital by putting these players in the hands of incompetent coaches.
You agree?
Totally agree and MO has earned his firing. Doesnt take a football savant to know this will be his last NFL job-just like Keim. Bottom of the barrel failure stays at the bottom of the barrel.
ReplyDeleteHire Kurt Warner as President of Football Operations.
Atlanta just did this. Blank cleaned house, created the role, and handed it to Matt Ryan — zero front office experience, final say on football, ran the coach and GM search himself. Vegas has Brady with 5% and real input. Jerry’s might be doing the same with Aikman
Warner is the only man who ever got this franchise to a Super Bowl, he lives here, and he’s spent fifteen years breaking down quarterbacks on film — the exact thing Monti has botched with every QB he’s touched.
And it’s Bidwill who wins most. He’s refused to hire a football ops president, and now there are billboards. Hire Warner and the heat moves off the owner’s box. If it works, he’s the guy who finally stepped aside. Doesn’t work, it’s on our most accomplished leader who the fanbase will be most behind and patient with.
Call the man.
Yes!
DeleteI’ve been saying the same regarding hiring past Cardinal as team President only I’ve been suggesting Fitzgerald. I may be wrong here but I tend to think Warner doesn’t trust or respect Bidwill and ultimately wouldn’t have any interest in working underneath him. Warner would be an incredible “Matt Ryan” type hire though. My inclination is Larry Fitzgerald would bring the same instant credibility to the front office that Warner would, so I’d be over the moon about either. For whatever reason I think Fitz would have a greater interest in the role. If Bidwill had a brain he’d offer 1 or 2M more than Atlanta is paying Ryan, give either of them
DeleteFull control and get the hell out of the way, letting a Cardinals legend actuate their vision for the franchise. Certainly it’s all a pipe dream as Mikey has likely zero interest in ceding control. We can always dream.
I don’t see Larry committing to that job or lifestyle-he plays way too much golf- see him almost everyday teeing it up. Belive me he knows as well as Warner that Mikey’s a POS. Frankly, this job requires an exec with stature and experience. No more wannabes learning on the job
DeleteI’m sure you’re right. Such a damn shame what a buffoon he is
DeleteThis team reminds me of that series "Arrested Development" in their dysfunction which starts at the top. A waste of valuable draft capital is exactly what I've been thinking plus the way this team selects top ten picks reminds me of what a 10-year-old would do which is why I believe MB makes the final decision on all high 1st rounders. From top to bottom, this team is consistently one of the most poorly built teams in the league. Its only seven games in and LaFleur is already showing signs of emotional deterioration. I'm betting the under on how soon LaFleur looks like he needs psychological help asap. It's happened to every Cardinal HC since BA.
ReplyDeleteThis team is valued at over 8 billion dollars. Bidwill could sell and live a lavish lifestyle that most of us can only dream about but instead he chooses to torment his fan base when the entire fan base clearly despises him. That's a special type of "Asshat Ownership". My guess is that this team will make a trade before the deadline to try and distract fans from the real problem and MO will be fired in the offseason. Sorry for the rant but I appreciate the opportunity to make it without it being deleted because I'm supposed to only post what nice new clothes the emperor has.
Yes, again!
DeleteThis constant rebuild needs to continue WITHOUT Monti and Bidwill involved.
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteI leave each draft that Monti has overseen absolutely furious, same goes for every free agency period. It’s been a long 3 years for this Cards fan as I knew when we lost to KK and a rookie qb 42-14 just a few games into Monti tenure that we had the wrong guy at GM. Fast forward 3 years a few weeks back and we are still getting our ass kicked at home by an OC we’d fired just months prior.
ReplyDeleteBidwill has absolutely no spine and either does Monti. The way he threw JG (who wasn’t a good hire by any means) under the bus to save his own skin was despicable. He suffers from
all the same smartest guy in the room tendencies with player evaluation that Keim did while having none of the free wheeling trade and bargain “Keim time” free agency signings that move the needle (C Jones, John Abraham, D Hop, Carson Palmer, Golden, Cromartie, Freeney etc). I fully believe that any Cards GM working with the handicap that is Bidwill, needs to be a player in the trade market and that Keim having an 80-80 record over a decade despite how poor he was in the draft, is evidence of as much. The fact Monti thinks he can stink at all avenues of player acquisition and be completely allergic to the trading for impact player market, Is one of
dozens of examples why he’s such a terrible GM, and unfortunately an epic loser (17-41 record).
Since MO took over as GM, the team has been run like it has no interest in competing. I know some people just want to blame MB, and he certainly deserves much of the blame, but Keim was at least proactive, making trades for Palmer, Chandler Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins. People want to talk about MB being cheap, but the team did spend cap space in the Keim years, foolishly sometimes (remember the Sam Bradford contract?) Keim went 80-80-2 as GM. Monti is 17-41.
ReplyDeleteMonti has the team in perpetual tank mode. There is a logic to doing that for a year and stockpiling assets, like the Jets did last year if you feel your roster needs a reset. Monti has loaded this team up with young players and yet they are still tanking in his 4th year.
Worst GM in nfl and it’s not even close. His portfolio of draft picks, free agency signings and trades is heinous. Listening to him stumble through interviews with innumerable umms and constantly tripping over his words never once showing even a glimmmer of charisma it makes me steam come out of my ears that someone so unequivocally unworthy of the position even exists. He’s going to go down as the worst exec in AZ sports history and he’ll have an objective argument for top 10 worst all time nfl history. Everything he touches turns to shit.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMatt Millen's NFL worst career win % was .270. Monti sits at .293. If the Cardinals only win 0 or 1 more games Monti will be below .270 at the end of the year.
Delete“Everything he touches turns to shit” the Bidwill Doctrine
DeleteI'd never even THOUGHT about that... Monti might end up with the worst winning % of any GM in history (non-Ran-Carthon or Tom Telesco who only were there 1 year)
DeleteI’ve been tracking the possibilities regarding Monti having a cogent argument for worst ever GM starting summer 2026. It’s not just hateful fan rhetoric, he’s really been historically awful. It’s no surprise when you look at his personnel portfolio, it’s littered with an unconsciable miss rate.
DeleteHard to imagine that he spent 14 years with the Patriots during their hay days.
DeleteJ Sweat won’t be going to Chicago now. SF, Seattle, Bears making moves. Will Buddha or Sweat just stay in Dallas Sunday night?
ReplyDeleteBudda might make a bit of a longer trip over to Carolina or Jacksonville
Delete