Steve Keim Time: Arizona Cardinals GM talks depth at linebacker, injuries and preseason expectations
Aug 10, 2015, 10:27 AM | Updated: 11:10 am
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Sometimes, it’s best to go straight to the man in charge.
And when it comes to the Arizona Cardinals’ roster, that man is Steve Keim.
Arizona’s general manager since January 2013, Keim has overseen a transformation that has led to 21 wins over two seasons. His deft touch with the draft and free agency has led to the team becoming a contender in the NFC.
Lucky for us, Keim happens to be a weekly guest on the Doug and Wolf Show, right here on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. And since what he has to say is important, we thought it would be a good idea to put his words into print, allowing you to read what the GM is thinking. So, without further ado, here’s this week’s edition:
On when football season officially starts for him:
“Football never stops for me.”
How has training camp gone for you?
“It’s been great. I dont’ know that I’ve ever had hte type of intrigue that I’ve had for this camp, with so many different positions and so many questions to be answered. It’s been fun to see — particularly when you have a couple guys go down, like Troy Niklas with the hamstring, Gresh — we’re trying to get Jermaine Gresham up to speed health-wise. He’s cleared physically, he just has to get in football shape, and he’s pretty close right now. But to see guys like Momah step up and some of the things he’s done in practice with the mismatches that he creates on the interior with his speed, his length and his athleticism, and then Darren Fells, how drastically he continues to improve, which has been really, really fun to see at that position.”
Is the tight end room a weapon for this team?
“You know what, it’s funny how you come out of the spring with it being a little bit of a concern because of the questions. Darren Fells still hasn’t played a ton of football. Momah was a guy that we found at the Veteran Combine here in Tempe this offseason, and was a little undersized for the position. But some of the things he does in the passing game is really unique, and he continues to shine. We always questioned whether he would be able to do it when the pads came on because he was really pretty in shorts and ran around and catch balls and look great on air, but could he do it with matchups and stuff where he had to block in line, and he has looked fantastic. And then to be able to add Jermaine Gresham in free agency this late in the season is really unique. Very few times are players of his caliber still around in late July, early August, and it was great to be able to have an opportunity to sign him.”
Are you concerned about Michael Floyd getting back on the field?
“No. Going into this offseason, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Michael so focused. Just the few days that he was available, he was having a fantastic camp. Looked like he got a little looser up top, worked on his flexibility, and was really playing with a high level of consistency. I know Michael is determined to come back, he knows what’s at stake this year both personally and team-wise, and I think that it’s hard to put a timeline on it, but Mike will be back as soon as possible.”
Tell us how Lyle Sendlein ended up back in Arizona
“It was one of those things where we released him in March for contractual reasons but wanted Lyle back all along. I think it was time for him to get off the couch and quit changing diapers.”
Looking at the roster, you will have to part with some NFL-caliber players, right?
“I think there will be some tough decisions, whether we release them or have some trade opportunities remains to be seen. I really do like the depth and some of the things we’ve seen. The additions of Corey Peters and Cory Redding — Corey Peters has had an excellent camp so far, Cory Redding has stepped in and become an instant leader. And then you have the young guys like Rodney Gunter, wow, does he still do some things. He’s still raw, but every day Brentson Buckner is working with him and some of the things he does with his hand strength, his ability to stab, are things that you don’t see naturally in a young player.”
Do you think Gunter can play nose tackle in the NFL?
“No question. His hand strength and the snap that he creates through his hips is again, really, really impressive. I called him a head-snapper in the spring. He comes off the ball and he’ll snap offensive linemen’s heads, and that was at the college level. So the concern was can he do it to the big boys, and when you see him do it to Iupati, Coop and Lyle Sendlein every day in practice, you know this guy’s the real deal.”
Where is Jonathan Cooper on your scale?
“He looks just like he did when we drafted him. Has lost the little hitch he had in his movement last year with his knee. Really was concerned how last year, when he came back from the injury, didn’t quite look like himself athletically. And now, just so far into camp, you see the natural knee bend, the athleticism, the quickness and he is playing at a pretty high level right now as well. So to be able to watch him and Mike Iupati at practice — I know in the time I’ve been here, which has been a long time, we haven’t had a pair of guards that are this talented.”
Has J.J. Nelson surprised you?
“Here’s what I knew when we drafted him, he wasn’t fast, he was real fast. What you don’t know, and this was the same as John Brown, is he going to be able to understand the pro game when it comes to leverages and concepts in the passing game. How does he run the route tree, how are his ball-skills, particularly when he’s challenged in a crowd. And when you watch J.J. Nelson so far in camp again, and it’s early, his routes have been precise, his ability to make tough catches in a contested crowd, for a thin, lean guy, have been really, really good. And there’s no question it’s scary the way he creates separation. When he runs that 9-route or some of the things he does down the field, it’s pretty tough to see any of our corners keeping stride with him step-for-step.”
If making a trade, do you go for best player available or target a specific position?
“If the opportunity comes up at this time of year, in trade talks, regardless of position, to get a talented guy, there’s no question that we would consider pulling the trigger. But generally, this time of year, talking to other general managers, you tend to focus on positions of need. Whether it’s a depth situation or it’s a guy you need to come in and play right away. But you look at some of the positions that we have on our team right now that are a little bit concerning, and inside linebacker — whether we’ve got to keep our guys healthy — running back right now, love the talent in the room, just got to get those guys healthy and back on the field. Offensive tackle went from a position of strength, Rob Crisp and D.J. Humphries have two injuries, so again, from a depth standpoint there are concerns at different positions, but when we’re healthy on the field I feel pretty good about this football team.”
What is the status of Andre Ellington?
“Expect to get Andre back out there this week. We’ve had some nagging issues with hamstrings here and soft tissue issues, but that’s no different — I’ve seen some other teams around the league that are going through those things. So we’ve got to get everybody back on the field. If there were a time to have some injuries I’m glad it’s right now instead of midway through the season.”
Do you worry about the size of Jerraud Powers and Tyrann Mathieu?
“No I don’t. And it’s the same thing I tell our scouts when they go out on the road. Guys, there are very few guys that fit into the category of ideal measurables, meaning that they have the perfect length and athleticism and speed for the position. So what do you have to have? You have to have compensating factors, and both of those guys have the compensating factors that are a necessity to play the position, which are eyes, instincts, awareness, foot speed, quickness in a short area. And at the end of the day, they both are competitive as hell, which is exactly what you want at that position.”
What do you want to see from your team in the preseason opener?
“I want to see physicality and improvement up front on both sides of the ball, which I think we’ve done. I just want to be able to see it when the lights come on. And you want to see young guys step up. The guys that you’re excited about right now, the Markus Goldens, the Gunters, the D.J. Humphries, the Momahs — guys like that who are doing things every day in practice that excite you, but this isn’t real football yet even. Even when you put the pads on in practice, it’s pointing in the right direction but I want to see it against someone else in University of Phoenix Stadium.”
What kind of camp is Kevin Minter having?
“He’s having a really good camp. You know, it’s funny. When you look at different positions, and you talk about guys, and Coach (Arians) and I were talking about this last night. Sometimes you draft guys and they come in and they instantly make a difference. And sometimes we forget these are young men that need to mature and grow in a system, and sometimes it takes a little while for the light to come on. Kevin’s a guy that we have high expectations for, and so far in camp he has played at a high level. When we drafted Alex Okafor out of Texas, he was a guy that came in, was a little slow to get started, the light hadn’t come on yet. Last year the light started to come on and I think he ended with eight sacks and missed four games. And he looks like another guy who has continued to grow. Looks looser in his hips, looks like he could really be a double-digit sack guy if he continues trending in the right direction.”