Assessing Steve Kiem

[Wanderer]

I am trying to really wrap my head around what Steve Kiem likes to do in free agency and the draft. It appears based on the success of the 2019 draft he will be here for awhile.


What is his method of operation in free agency?

What are some of his patterns in the draft?

 

[juza76]

I am trying to really wrap my head around what Steve Kiem likes to do in free agency and the draft. It appears based on the success of the 2019 draft he will be here for awhile.


What is his method of operation in free agency?

What are some of his patterns in the draft?

He likes team captains, students of the game

 

[Wanderer]

It appears in free agency he is a tier 2 guy.

Phillips, Kennard, Hicks, Pugh etc

Guys who make real money, but are not the big top of the market guys.

Although he has traded for 2 in Jones and Hopkins. In fact what he has gotten with 2nd round picks is criminal.

 

[Wanderer]

I have a hard time with the draft especially round 1, he seems to go back and forth between traits guys (Simmons Nkemdiche) and team captain types (Reddick)

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I have a hard time with the draft especially round 1, he seems to go back and forth between traits guys (Simmons Nkemdiche) and team captain types (Reddick)

Don't worry about it. Keim has a hard time with the draft in R1 too.

 

[SoonerLou]

I have a hard time with the draft especially round 1, he seems to go back and forth between traits guys (Simmons Nkemdiche) and team captain types (Reddick)

Saw this elsewhere, but

Nkemdiche is why he passed on DK.
DK is why he took Simmons (obviously Simmons was far more productive).

 

[Wanderer]

Draft

-Rarely takes small school guys with picks before day 3.
-Has only gone 1 draft without taking an OLmen
-Probably a little too many position change guys in round 1

 

[Cardiac]

I think like most GM's he tries to fill holes during FA so he can go BPA in the draft. Of course most years there are still holes going into the draft.

He trades up more in the draft than back.

He is evolving and learning from his mistakes but still needs to improve somewhat with his drafting.

I hope he does make a trade or two because it truly is a strength of his.

 

[TaylorSwift]

His drafting or lack there of is where the concern is at

 

[cardsfanmd]

Keim has been phenomenal. To think otherwise is almost funny.

 

[GatorAZ]

Keim has been phenomenal. To think otherwise is almost funny.

Just out of curiosity what winning % constitutes “phenomenal”?

 

[Wanderer]

Just out of curiosity what winning % constitutes “phenomenal”?

I know winning percentage is something they are judged on, but you have to look at things in a more micro way than that.

Those Wilks loses look bad in a winning percentage, but they may have set the team up for its best run in history.

As weird as it is to say, those were productive loses

 

[Wanderer]

He looks better now that a couple of his project picks have really clicked in Reddick and Hump

 

[Wanderer]

Saw this elsewhere, but

Nkemdiche is why he passed on DK.
DK is why he took Simmons (obviously Simmons was far more productive).

Nkemdiche was a really bad pick. I think everyone on the planet new his football character was bad.

Really strayed from his “love football” stuff there

 

[TJ]

This is Keim's eighth season as GM. Keim has re-signed only four of his draft picks to multi-year contract extensions (David Johnson, Mathieu, Humphries, Baker). The 2016 draft was a complete disaster (no one from that draft is on the team any longer). Due to his incompetence in the draft, he's had to pay heavily for free agents and trades. Keim is currently above .500 for the first time since 2015. Under his tenure, Keim has had the opportunity to hire three head coaches and draft two QBs in the first round in consecutive years. He has a super extreme DUI on his record, which caused him to be suspended five weeks and fined $200k. Michael Bidwill has had a tremendous amount of patience with Keim despite several poor choices in and out of work. I guess the record hides a lot of his failures, but overall, his resume is pretty depressing.

 

[dscher]

His drafting or lack there of is where the concern is at

Yep. He's not a true team builder through drafting...but his trades and free agency snags have been a big bright spot for the most part. If it wasn't for Kyler and KK package, he'd be toast. Glad he listened to some of us on Asfn.

 

[oaken1]

Bait post

 

[Krangodnzr]

I think Keim is having a bounce back on some levels:

1. Murray was a ballsy pick. Hell half of you wanted to stick with Rosen! I think Murray may one day end up being the player everyone thinks of when they think of the Cardinals.

2. Hiring Kingsbury took balls. I think he's going to be a good one. He has some faults, but he crafts a good game plan and is a good play caller.

3. Baker was a signature move. He is the best defender on the Cardinals and that's not a bad thing. He makes plays all over the field.

4. Murphy looks to be a good CB. He's best in the slot, but many teams beat you from the slot.

5. DJ Humphries is becoming a really good LT this year, and he's still young and on a great contract. Mason Cole is solid and there is a lot of depth on the OL. Having Jones waiting in the wings to take a spot is huge. Justin Murray looks like he can take one of the guard spots on a team friendly deal.

6. Having a crew of solid to good young skill players on cheap contracts is great. Kirk, Edmonds, Arnold, Isabella are all cheap and decent and have room to improve with Murray.

7. Stealing Hopkins. It could be a franchise altering move. He is the centerpiece of the passing attack right now, and his connection with Murray could still get better.

8. Depth. This is a much deeper team. It's taken a few years, but we're seeing some of the past moves payoff. So far losing an All Pro pass rusher hasn't hurt because solid scouting to fin players like Gardeck paid off. Even Reddick is starting to pay off.

As much as his detractors want to point out his failings over the past 3-4 years, this year's team has Keims fingerprints all over it. People forget the 5 WINNING SEASONS. IF this is a winning year again, then that would make 6 out of 10.

 

[Krangodnzr]

This is Keim's eighth season as GM. Keim has re-signed only four of his draft picks to multi-year contract extensions (David Johnson, Mathieu, Humphries, Baker). The 2016 draft was a complete disaster (no one from that draft is on the team any longer). Due to his incompetence in the draft, he's had to pay heavily for free agents and trades. Keim is currently above .500 for the first time since 2015. Under his tenure, Keim has had the opportunity to hire three head coaches and draft two QBs in the first round in consecutive years. He has a super extreme DUI on his record, which caused him to be suspended five weeks and fined $200k. Michael Bidwill has had a tremendous amount of patience with Keim despite several poor choices in and out of work. I guess the record hides a lot of his failures, but overall, his resume is pretty depressing.

Not a mention of the 50 wins prior to the BA ship sinking.

 

[BritCard]

I am trying to really wrap my head around what Steve Kiem likes to do in free agency and the draft. It appears based on the success of the 2019 draft he will be here for awhile.


What is his method of operation in free agency?

What are some of his patterns in the draft?

I would suggest that's because he doesn't seem to have a long term strategy. He seems to work year to year plugging holes where required.

Take his 2019 draft. He drafted 3 WR's in an average WR class, when all the talk was that the 2020 class was going to be a goldmine for WR's. And here we are half way through year 2, one of them isn't on the team, one of them is a scratch and the other isn't doing squat. They don't even trust him to use his speed on KR/PR.

So we spent last year with a piss poor defense we could have bolstered in the draft and no WR help.

 

[juza76]

I would suggest that's because he doesn't seem to have a long term strategy. He seems to work year to year plugging holes where required.

Take his 2019 draft. He drafted 3 WR's in an average WR class, when all the talk was that the 2020 class was going to be a goldmine for WR's. And here we are half way through year 2, one of them isn't on the team, one of them is a scratch and the other isn't doing squat. They don't even trust him to use his speed on KR/PR.

So we spent last year with a piss poor defense we could have bolstered in the draft and no WR help.

I don't get the he dosent have long term strategy
In the free agency he used to spend money on players under 30, despite some one year deal on veterans
Regarding big free agents signings ( multi year contracts)
Vakdeher was 26 when signed
Iupati 27
Pugh 27
Sweezy 28
Peters 27
Dennard 28
Philpps 27
Gresham 27
Hicks 27

The only one I remember over 30 was Alford
Suggs was basically a one year deal

The only problems he couldn't fill some spots with rookies

He had a couple of very bad draft

 

[Wanderer]

1st Round Picks

Really Good

Humphries
Kyler

Solid

Bucannon
Reddick

Bad

Nkemdiche
Cooper
Rosen

Simmons obviously to soon to judge

 

[Wanderer]

2nd Round Picks

Really Good

Hopkins
Jones
Budda

Solid

Murphy
Kirk
Golden
Minter

Bad

Niklas

 

[Wanderer]

3rd Round Picks

Really Good

Mathieu
Johnson

Solid

Cole
Allen

Bad

Martin
B Williams
C Williams

 

[Weenus O'Baggins]

I am trying to really wrap my head around what Steve Kiem likes to do in free agency and the draft. It appears based on the success of the 2019 draft he will be here for awhile.


What is his method of operation in free agency?

What are some of his patterns in the draft?

He is obsessed with drafting 6 foot and below receivers. He became GM in 2013 and that was his first draft class (correction from before but he still took a 6 ft or smaller wr)

2013 Ryan Swope
2014 John Brown
2015 JJ Nelson
2016 No WR Drafted
2017 Chad Williams
2018 Christian Kirk
2019 Andy Isabella
2020 No WR Drafted

This bias is why we drafted Isabella over Metcalf. Keim is a firm believer in the myth of the small speedster "taking the top off the defense"