Intersting comment on the Clancy, Card's CB's and first draft priority.
Team Report: Inside Slant
Inside Slant | Notes and Quotes | Strategy and Personnel
In retaining Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator, new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt gave an early indication that he won't just load his staff with cronies and attempt to duplicate everything that was done in Pittsburgh.
Whisenhunt did, however, hire an old friend, Todd Haley, as offensive coordinator. Whisenhunt will call the plays, something at which he quickly has acquired a solid reputation in the league.
The Cardinals have played a base 4-3 defense for a decade and with Pendergast being chosen to stay on from Dennis Green's staff, it is unlikely they'll be switching to a 3-4.
Pendergast will be working with an entirely new staff of assistants. He is the only coach who has been retained from the previous regime.
Pendergast is regarded as Whisenhunt's equal as a crafty schemer and game-planner, on the opposite side of the ball. With injuries piling up along the line and saddled with a pair of corners who were lame, Pendergast was forced to do more with less, and he kept the unit competitive during his three seasons with Green.
"I compliment Clancy on the job that he's done in the past and I'm very excited," Whisenhunt said. "We had a couple of long discussions about philosophy and where we want the defense and I'm excited to get that done with him.
"I think he's an extremely bright young coach and he's had some success here. I think that the value of continuity with our defense will be a good thing instead of having to learn new on both sides of the ball."
The only thing that gave Whisenhunt pause was the Cardinals defense plummeting to 29th in the NFL from eighth this season.
"I just wanted to find out why the defense had slipped a little bit last year after having been successful the year before," Whisenhunt said. "It was not an issue of pointing fingers or blame on anything. I was very comfortable with what he's done and where we go from there."
The Cardinals have solid personnel in place throughout the defense, although cornerback is their top priority during the off-season. Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor are a formidable pair of pass-rushing ends, Karlos Dansby is an athletic playmaker at outside linebacker, Gerald Hayes is an emerging stud at middle linebacker and strong safety Adrian Wilson was selected for the Pro Bowl.
Haley was passing-game coordinator and receivers coach at Dallas the past three years. The Cowboys' offense raked fifth in the league in 2006. He and Whisenhunt coached together on the New York Jets in 2000 and have remained friends.
"Obviously he's had success," Whisenhunt said. "He's worked hard in this business and come up in the ranks.
"I think he'll be valuable as far as organizing a plan and being involved with putting it in and making sure the staff is on the same page. I think it also gives me a crutch to lean on as far as not having to be as involved in the planning aspect of it, but still having the time to prepare, especially for calling the games."
But it took the resignation of Cowboys coach Bill Parcells for Haley to become available to Whisenhunt, who initially was denied permission to talk with Haley. The Cowboys interviewed Haley for their coaching position and then released him.
There are many players in place in the Cardinals offense to make an offensive guru slobber, although the line -- and especially unrestricted free-agent-to-be left tackle Leonard Davis -- pose a big question.
But with quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner, running back Edgerrin James and receivers Anquan Boldin, a Pro Bowler this year, and Larry Fitzgerald, a Pro Bowler last year, the skill position personnel is as good as any.
Coordinators Pendergast and Haley join assistant head coach and offensive line coach Russ Grimm, defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, linebackers coach Billy Davis, tight ends coach Richie Anderson, running backs coach Maurice Carthon, special teams coach Kevin Spencer and strength and conditioning coach John Lott on the Cardinals new staff.
Whisenhunt is expected to make a couple of more hires.
Team Report: Inside Slant
Inside Slant | Notes and Quotes | Strategy and Personnel
In retaining Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator, new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt gave an early indication that he won't just load his staff with cronies and attempt to duplicate everything that was done in Pittsburgh.
Whisenhunt did, however, hire an old friend, Todd Haley, as offensive coordinator. Whisenhunt will call the plays, something at which he quickly has acquired a solid reputation in the league.
The Cardinals have played a base 4-3 defense for a decade and with Pendergast being chosen to stay on from Dennis Green's staff, it is unlikely they'll be switching to a 3-4.
Pendergast will be working with an entirely new staff of assistants. He is the only coach who has been retained from the previous regime.
Pendergast is regarded as Whisenhunt's equal as a crafty schemer and game-planner, on the opposite side of the ball. With injuries piling up along the line and saddled with a pair of corners who were lame, Pendergast was forced to do more with less, and he kept the unit competitive during his three seasons with Green.
"I compliment Clancy on the job that he's done in the past and I'm very excited," Whisenhunt said. "We had a couple of long discussions about philosophy and where we want the defense and I'm excited to get that done with him.
"I think he's an extremely bright young coach and he's had some success here. I think that the value of continuity with our defense will be a good thing instead of having to learn new on both sides of the ball."
The only thing that gave Whisenhunt pause was the Cardinals defense plummeting to 29th in the NFL from eighth this season.
"I just wanted to find out why the defense had slipped a little bit last year after having been successful the year before," Whisenhunt said. "It was not an issue of pointing fingers or blame on anything. I was very comfortable with what he's done and where we go from there."
The Cardinals have solid personnel in place throughout the defense, although cornerback is their top priority during the off-season. Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor are a formidable pair of pass-rushing ends, Karlos Dansby is an athletic playmaker at outside linebacker, Gerald Hayes is an emerging stud at middle linebacker and strong safety Adrian Wilson was selected for the Pro Bowl.
Haley was passing-game coordinator and receivers coach at Dallas the past three years. The Cowboys' offense raked fifth in the league in 2006. He and Whisenhunt coached together on the New York Jets in 2000 and have remained friends.
"Obviously he's had success," Whisenhunt said. "He's worked hard in this business and come up in the ranks.
"I think he'll be valuable as far as organizing a plan and being involved with putting it in and making sure the staff is on the same page. I think it also gives me a crutch to lean on as far as not having to be as involved in the planning aspect of it, but still having the time to prepare, especially for calling the games."
But it took the resignation of Cowboys coach Bill Parcells for Haley to become available to Whisenhunt, who initially was denied permission to talk with Haley. The Cowboys interviewed Haley for their coaching position and then released him.
There are many players in place in the Cardinals offense to make an offensive guru slobber, although the line -- and especially unrestricted free-agent-to-be left tackle Leonard Davis -- pose a big question.
But with quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner, running back Edgerrin James and receivers Anquan Boldin, a Pro Bowler this year, and Larry Fitzgerald, a Pro Bowler last year, the skill position personnel is as good as any.
Coordinators Pendergast and Haley join assistant head coach and offensive line coach Russ Grimm, defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, linebackers coach Billy Davis, tight ends coach Richie Anderson, running backs coach Maurice Carthon, special teams coach Kevin Spencer and strength and conditioning coach John Lott on the Cardinals new staff.
Whisenhunt is expected to make a couple of more hires.
