Cardinals GM Keim: I think we can add another player or two who can help
Jun 10, 2016, 7:30 AM | Updated: 1:16 pm
Cardinals GM Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians watch a mini-camp practice. (Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
(Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
Some of the biggest contributors to the Arizona Cardinals’ success over the last three seasons joined the team late in the process.
In 2013, Eric Winston and John Abraham came on board just before training camp.
In 2014, Tommy Kelly was added after Darnell Dockett was lost to an ACL injury during training camp, while last season Lyle Sendlein and Chris Johnson were brought in after camp had already begun, and Dwight Freeney was signed weeks into the regular season.
Winston started 16 games at right tackle, Abraham made the Pro Bowl after notching 11.5 sacks and Kelly provided stability along the defensive line. Sendlein re-assumed his role as the starting center, while Johnson went on to lead the team in rushing and Freeney did the same in sacks.
General manager Steve Keim’s ability to locate talent and head coach Bruce Arians’ ability to squeeze production out of players who many thought had little left to give has helped give the impression that while the Cardinals may be plenty happy with the roster they have now, it’s unlikely they have finished tweaking it.
A guest of Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Thursday, Keim talked about how he’s not done building the 2016 Cardinals.
“You know, you guys have seen me enough to know that I’m going to continue to stay active, so if there is a player out there — and we’ve monitored a few different players going into this time of year — we’ll bring him in and we’ll be aggressive about it,” he said. “Now, it takes two sides: it takes one side to give an opportunity, obviously, and the other side has to be on board from a financial perspective.
“I really do think that we may be able to add another player or two that can contribute and help us out this year.”
Some of the biggest names still available on the free agent market are receiver Anquan Boldin, cornerback Leon Hall, safety Donte Whitner and guard Louis Vasquez. Freeney is also unsigned, and has expressed a desire to return to Arizona if the team wants him.
A look at the Cardinals’ roster would identify few true needs, though it would not be a surprise if the team added some veterans along the offensive line or in the secondary.
Then of course, there’s always the possibility of injuries necessitating a move, though that cannot be predicted.
For Keim the process of signing a player, even if he is added later in the year, began a few months ago.
“I mean, generally, more than likely we’ve had conversations with these players at the start of free agency, but because of injuries or other factors, let’s be honest, their price drops,” he said. “The later it gets in the year, guys’ expectations come down and the later it gets, the more they have to become realistic.
“So, that’s a part of it, but at the same time, I’ve always talked about it, you have to judge the person; I mean, it’s got to be the type of guy that’s not in it for the dollars, that’s in it to win a championship, to be a part of a team, and has probably had some success.”
Keim pointed to Freeney and Johnson as examples of the type of player he would be looking for at this point.
“They have to have a mental makeup, and again, that mental makeup is to be a rare competitor, to be a guy who just wants to play football and again, it’s not about the paycheck,” he said.
Are those players out there? Maybe. But even if they are, would they be able to fill one of the team’s few needs?
Keim said when observing the market, he looks at the person and the value of the player as well as what position they play.
But since the Cardinals are as deep as they are, he is mostly focused on the last of the three factors, with an eye on what his team may be searching for down the road.
“I’m more focused on positions of need, where I think we can not only add a player who can help us on game day, but from a depth standpoint as well,” he said. “Positional versatility is huge — and that’s the one thing about when I look at our roster that excites me, is that we have so many players with positional flexibility. Guys who can play inside, outside, who in a pinch because of injuries can play in different spots. And you know, as it gets later in the year and injuries do occur, versatility is a key.”
