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Cardinals Announce the Hiring of Two Additions to Their Coaching Staff

February 12th, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

The Cardinals have added to their coaching staff Tuesday with a couple of assistants, as the team has announced Don Shumpert will join the coaching staff as a participant of the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship, and Rusty McKinney is coming aboard as a defensive assistant.

McKinney spent the past three seasons as a defensive quality control coach with the Dolphins.

Before joining the Dolphins, McKinney worked as an intern for two seasons with the Browns and spent five years coaching at Bentley University.

Shumpert arrives in Arizona after working as an offensive assistant last year with the Giants.

Shumpert, a former receiver who spent time with the Bears and Chiefs, served as a graduate assistant for two seasons at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. He assisted with the receivers and with special teams.

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Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson Says He’s ‘Here to Stay’ in Arizona

January 31st, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

Cardinals All-Pro CB Patrick Peterson doesn’t want to leave Arizona, and while it was a tough season for he and the team, he’s now saying that he is “here to stay” in Phoenix.

Peterson had stated that he wanted to be traded, but now that the offseason is here and cooler heads have prevailed, the cornerback doesn’t want to go anywhere.

“I just want to apologize to everybody for asking for that trade in the middle of the season. I’m here to stay, baby,” Peterson told the teams’ official website.

“I think we’re definitely moving in the right direction… I’m happy with the decisions that ownership made this offseason.”

Last season was a disaster in the desert for the Cardinals, as the team went just 3-13 under head coach Steve Wilks, who was fired at years end.

The team will have the first overall pick in the NFL Draft for new head coach former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, and look like they can rebuild in a hurry and be back to being competitive in the NFC West.

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Cardinals Hire Longtime NFL Assistant Tom Clements as Offensive Assistant

January 22nd, 2019

CJ

Posted in News

Longtime NFL assistant Tom Clements has been hired as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach on the staff of new coach Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona.

The 65-year-old Clements, who has been out of the NFL the past two years, will be the primary offensive assistant because there will be no offensive coordinator on the staff, with Kingsbury calling plays and doing other coordinator-type duties.

Clements coached for the Green Bay Packers for 11 seasons. He was quarterbacks coach there from 2006-2011, offensive coordinator from 2012-14 and associate head coach/offense in 2015-16.

In Green Bay, Clement helped develop Aaron Rodgers and he’s counted on to do the same kind of work with Josh Rosen, who just completed a difficult rookie season, a 3-13 campaign that resulted in coach Steve Wilks being fired.

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Cardinals Interview Former Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson for OC Position

January 19th, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

The Cardinals on Friday interviewed former Browns and Raiders head coach Hue Jackson for their vacant offensive coordinator position, Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic reports.

Jackson, 53, went 3-36-1 in two and a half seasons with the Browns before being fired at midseason this past year.

He was hired by the Bengals and served as Marvin Lewis’ assistant for the remainder of the 2018 season until both men eventually were fired.

Jackson went 8-8 in his only season as head coach of the Raiders in 2011. He was fired after just one year in the job.

Jackson is the sixth known candidate the Cardinals have interviewed for their offensive coordinator job under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who will do all of the play calling on offense.

He has coached in the NFL since 2001 with stops with the Redskins, Falcons, Raiders and Bengals.

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Cardinals Interviewing Former Vikings OC John DeFilippo

January 15th, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

After getting fired as the offensive coordinator of the Vikings in December, John DeFilippo seemed to lose all the traction he had built as a young, hot-shot candidate to become an NFL head coach.

The 40-year-old could be back in the league very soon, though, and it could be with the Cardinals, Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic reports.

DeFilippo has interviewed with the team for its vacant offensive coordinator position, according to multiple reports. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM was the first to report the news.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals apparently have hired a running backs coach, luring James Saxon away from the Steelers, according to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala. Saxon has served in that role for Pittsburgh for the past five seasons.

Saxon played eight seasons in the NFL as a running back, spending time with Chiefs (1988-91), Dolphins (1992-94) and Eagles (1995) before beginning his coaching career at Rutgers (1997-98). He’s been a running backs coach in the NFL for 19 seasons, previously working for the Bills (2000), Chiefs (2001-07) and Dolphins (2008-10).

DeFilippo has been coaching for 19 years, 12 of which have been spent as an NFL assistant. He was a quality control coach for the Giants (2005-06), a quarterbacks coach for the Raiders (2007-08), Jets (2009) and Eagles (2016-17). He also served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015. Additionally, DeFilippo also has college coaching experience at Fordham (2000), Notre Dame (2001-02), Columbia (2003-04) and San Jose State (2010-11).

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Could the Cardinals Actually Dump Josh Rosen if Kyler Murray Enters the Draft?

January 10th, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News, NFL Draft

Could the Cardinals dump last year’s top draft pick Josh Rosen in favor of QB Kyler Murray, who announced today that he was interested in being considered for the NFL draft?

Don’t doubt for a second that it couldn’t happen.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter states that the Cards would not only want to grab Murray when he finally comes out for the draft, but that they would then deal Rosen.

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury says he wants to draft Kyler Murray No. 1 overall … @AdamSchefter says it's possible. pic.twitter.com/1sMPWk0DdY

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 10, 2019

In an interview with Kliff Kingsbury, that took place back in October that recently resurfaced has him stating that he would draft Murray with the top pick if it was his, and guess what, now he’s got that with the Cards.

“I’d take him with the first pick in the draft if I could. I know he signed up to play baseball, but he is a dominant football player and I would take him with the first pick,” Kingsbury said.

There’s plenty that can happen between now and the draft, but that’s a rather big statement for the Cards new head coach, and Schefter seems to be on top of it stating it might just happen.

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USC Trojans OC Kliff Kingsbury to Interview with the Cardinals About Coaching Opening

January 2nd, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

The Card continue to be in the market for a new voice at the head coaching spot, and one new name that has popped up is former Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach and current USC Trojans offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports states that Kingsbury has scheduled interviews with the Jets as well as the Arizona Cardinals.

Kingsbury is one of the best offensive-minded personalities in the college ranks, and could revamp what was a more than bland Jets offense if he gets the position.

In Lubbock, Kingsbury was able to mentor some quarterback named Patrick Mahomes, who might end up as the league MVP for the Chiefs this season after throwing 50 touchdowns.

Kingsbury has also worked with the likes of Case Keenum, Davis Webb, and Baker Mayfield.

Don’t fall asleep on Kingsbury, as he could be the answer to what the Cards are looking for.

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Rams QB Coach Zac Taylor to Interview for the Cardinals Head Coaching Job

January 1st, 2019

Matt Loede

Posted in News

Now in the market for a new head coach, the Cardinals will chat with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor about the opening created on Monday.

Albert Breer of The MMQB reports that Arizona will talk to Taylor on Saturday about the job. He will chat with the Bengals on Friday.

Taylor was promoted to the QB coach of the Rams after Matt LaFleur left for the Titans. A 13-3 record for the Rams and a bye in the first-round haven’t hurt his stock whatsoever.

The Rams QB coach was the teams’ assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 and served as the University of Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator in 2016 before moving to Los Angeles.

It’s thought the team will look for a young and up and coming offensive mind after going the defensive route with just fired coach Steve Wilks.

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