Mike LaFleur’s staff rumors and hiring updates….

[Dayman]

What defensive players has Rallis helped develop since he has been here? All of Monti's draft picks COMBINED for 5.5 sacks last year. The defense gave up more ppg last year than they did in Kliff's final year, and that was with a ton of money invested last offseason. A pair of 2nd round CBs didn't have a pick all season. It was a disastrous year for this defense. Bringing back the guy who was in charge of it makes absolutely no sense.

And keeping Frye is even more baffling. The Oline fell off significantly last year with basically the same guys as they had the year before. If anything, it seemed like they were coached down.

The only defense is that we should blindly trust Mike and Monti, which is what we heard the last time they put together a coaching staff that failed miserably.

 

[BritCard]

LOL… for a week you basically mocked anyone worried that Rallis was coming back because he was still on the website, implying you thought there was no way he’d be the DC moving forward.

And now that he is back, the only logical answer for that is that the coordinator who has never coached a good defense in his career, had to be the best man for a coach for the job.

Nope, I absolutely did not suggest he would not be back. I said not to take any notice of the website because it's always out of date in the offseason.

Autry Denson is still on their as the RB coach and we hired a new RB coach a week ago. Drew Terrell was on their for a week after he went to the Bills.

Ryan Smith is still on there and he went to the Cowboys 2 weeks ago.

Are those guys actually staying too?

You can interpret it how you like but the website is a garbage source of info.

 

[Syracusecards]

Adjustments with WHAT? The Rams had one of the best offenses in the league, with a HOF offensive minded HC, and the league MVP at QB. The Cardinals were playing with 3rd string rookies scattered throughout their D at that stage in the season. This is not my opinion. These are stone cold facts. Did you not follow the Cardinals Inactives List throughout the season? They literally set an ALL TIME NFL RECORD for injuries in one season. We were literally dying by 10,000 cuts.

I know you have been a fan for a lot of years just like I have, but I think you probably have been a fan longer than I have. It’s inexcusable in this day and age to use injuries as a reason for why you can’t perform. A good defensive coordinator will look at the upcoming opponent and figure out how they can shut down their biggest advantage.

I don’t care that we were injured. The first two years. He was able to scheme in adequate players to make a good play. All of a sudden he gets good players, and our defense sucks.

 

[kerouac9]

You don't take an interview for the job if you're not interested in the job.

You absolutely do when there are only 32 opportunities in the entire industry. People remember when you say no to an interview, and the experience of sitting for these is rare and invaluable.

 

[JerkFace]

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[BritCard]

I have interviewed for 5 jobs I had no interest in to use as leverage for a pay raise. Why wouldn’t anyone do this?

1 might, but not all of them. Statistically extremely unlikely.

 

[azgreg]

You absolutely do when there are only 32 opportunities in the entire industry. People remember when you say no to an interview, and the experience of sitting for these is rare and invaluable.

Also you learn a lot when you interview for a job. It helps in future interviews.

 

[BritCard]

You absolutely do when there are only 32 opportunities in the entire industry. People remember when you say no to an interview, and the experience of sitting for these is rare and invaluable.

What's the opposite of Hopium? Hatium?

You just said it yourself, there are only 32 jobs. To think all 3 guys they interviewed did so for giggles and said "Nah, I'm good" to an offer is deluded. As I said, maybe one did, but all 3? Nah.

But what is it? Can you guys settle on one darkside scenario?

Was it they never wanted to come here because the Org sucks and they didn't want the job despite all 3 getting offers. So we had to settle on Nick?

Or was it that we wasted their time and Mike B was always going to force Rallis on Mike because of money?

 

[Cheesebeef]

That is another option, but an unlikely one. More likely than the scenario being pushed here but unlikely.

You don't take an interview for the job if you're not interested in the job. Maybe 1 guy might be on the fence and wants to hear the pitch but decides that ultimately he's happy where he is, but not all 3, and certainly not Bullen who knows exactly what he is getting in AZ.

You do if you get offered an insulting contract offer and/or hear a plan that sounds like it won’t just work but could kill your long term prospects of ever being a DC again after being set up to fail in Arizona.

Both of which are totally believable scenarios considering how historically cheap Bidwill is and inept Monti has been.

 

[gimpy]

I hate this choice. SMH. With that being said, I am still a Cardinals fan.... but just barely.

 

[Cheesebeef]

What's the opposite of Hopium?

Realism.

 

[azgreg]

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[BritCard]

You do if you get offered an insulting contract offer and/or hear a plan that sounds like it won’t just work but could kill your long term prospects of ever being a DC again after being set up to fail in Arizona.

Both of which are totally believable scenarios considering how historically cheap Bidwill is and inept Monti has been.

Ah we have a 3rd and 4th entry in the darkside scenarios.

Others did actually want the job but the contract offer was insulting. Well, all these guys have agents that the interviews are booked through and the offer/ask is on the table before any interview. Certain in general if not specifically. This ain't interviewing for assistant manager at Taco Bell. So nah.

And it was already reported they offered Bradley more than the Titans, so obviously money isn't an issue.

What plan do you think they are going to hear with your brand new shiny head coach in the room? I'd love to hear this. "Yeah, so thanks for interviewing. I want to be clear from the off that you're our designated scapegoat, even if you do a good job". I mean what do you think? It's the DC's job in the interview to bring his plan for what he wants to do.

I mean, I can see how you guys might think I defend the Org. But you say some insane crap that needs calling out. Just come on, man.

 

[BritCard]

Realism.

Nah man, Hopium is putting a positive spin on something. Realism is base 0.

The insane imagined negative crap that gets thrown around here is something else.

 

[TruColor]

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[Cheesebeef]

No, but I already said weeks ago that the defense was heavily influenced if not directly controlled by JG and that Rallis should be given the opportunity to put his own stamp on it. Now that might go with the good aspects too, the two years previous to last it outperformed it's talent, maybe that was JG too.

I wouldn't have minded fresh blood either, but considering we are not going to have a playoff quality QB next year I don't see any harm in seeing what Rallis can do on his own for a year. He's 32 years old with 3 years play calling experience and considered (from what I have read) a bright young mind in the game.

Cool! Monti’s 2nd redshirt year out of 4 on the job where he can already put a fresh head coach behind the eight ball before his tenure even begins!

Plan worked so well in Monti’s first regime… totally get why he’d run that plan back again.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Nah man, Hopium is putting a positive spin on something. Realism is base 0.

The insane imagined negative crap that gets thrown around here is something else.

LOL. We’ve had 1 winning season in a decade. 0 playoff wins in a decade. And after coming off the worst 4 year stretch in Cardinals history, you think fans have to imagine negative crap to throw around here.

That Brit is truly insane.

 

[PACardsFan]

I know you have been a fan for a lot of years just like I have, but I think you probably have been a fan longer than I have. It’s inexcusable in this day and age to use injuries as a reason for why you can’t perform. A good defensive coordinator will look at the upcoming opponent and figure out how they can shut down their biggest advantage.

I don’t care that we were injured. The first two years. He was able to scheme in adequate players to make a good play. All of a sudden he gets good players, and our defense sucks.

You’re right. For the most part, injuries don’t matter in the NFL. But, there are different levels of injuries. And in 2025, there were more injuries than I have ever seen as a Cardinal fan since 1964. So, there comes a time when injuries DO MATTER. That time was last year.

Rallis is HIGHLY respected around the NFL & I know for a fact that the Eagles would hire him as their DC if we let him go. Vic Fangio really wants to retire & Howie Roseman, the BEST GM in football, LOVES Rallis. When the Eagles tire of Siriani, Rallis will likely be their next HC.

 

[NMCard]

MB will be pulling this same stuff in 3 years.

 

[some dumb guy]

That Brit is truly insane.

It's all that tea! lol

 

[TheCardFan]

No, but I already said weeks ago that the defense was heavily influenced if not directly controlled by JG and that Rallis should be given the opportunity to put his own stamp on it.

Oh...you said it so it must be true? You have zero evidence to back this up.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

LOL. We’ve had 1 winning season in a decade. 0 playoff wins in a decade. And after coming off the worst 4 year stretch in Cardinals history, you think fans have to imagine negative crap to throw around here.

That Brit is truly insane.

As some around here prove again and again, they'll take whatever slop the FO gives them and like it!

 

[TheCardFan]

First of all - it's not vs MLF its vs McVay.

2023 we gave up 26 and 37

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[Chopper0080]

You're right, I absolutely cannot help myself using logic and not jumping to wildly unserious conclusions.

My option is the interviewed a bunch of guys and Mike liked what Rallis offered over the other guys he interviewed.

The option being pushed is that was all some kind of smokescreen and it was always going to be Rallis because despite the small sum involved apparently Mike B didn;t want to fire him.

Only one of these makes any sense.

Logic is recognizing that two on the main individuals who have perpetuated the misery of this franchise over the past three seasons were the ones in on the decision.

Logic is recognizing that maybe Bidwill was not willing to allow the defensive coaches brought it to have the level of control with players on the roster that they wanted.

Logic is that Mike lacks self awareness and truly thinks it was just a Gannon, Kyler, and Petzing problem.

All of those seem far more logical than Rallis, a guy who has been in the role for three years and never produced anything better than a 15th ranked scoring defense, being the "best" choice. The guy who hasn't been able to develop or hire staff to develop the young defensive players that have been added to the roster. The same guy who assured reporters that Darius Robinson is doing all of the things he needs to do despite not generating stats on the stat sheet or grading highly on PFF which you consistently will champion.

I get being open to the idea that Rallis can be better than he has shown to be, but I shake my head at the arrogance in talking down to people who are using the three season sample size Rallis has provided to voice concerns about him being the option moving forward.

 

[Chopper0080]

Tear down in 2023 & his D actually outplayed the offense in both 2023 & 2024 with almost NO TALENT. 2025 decimated by injuries & he was forced to play way too many younger players when the injuries just never stopped coming. Wouldn’t be surprised if JG was in Matt LaFleur’s ear to tell his brother that it would be a huge mistake to hire someone with zero play calling experience over Rallis.

This sounds like a victim making excuses for their abuser. I'm sure he will be different this time.