Wyche: 1-and-done Wilks might be giving Cardinals candidates pause

Potential head coach candidates for the Arizona Cardinals wonder what the presence of general manager Steve Keim will bring, an NFL Network reporter said.

On Thursday, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche said on Bickley & Marotta that coaches might worry about their leash after former head coach Steve Wilks was fired after one season.

Candidates wonder, “How much are they going to allow me to build the team in my image?” Wyche said on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

For some, if they aren’t assured of the power they want, it might be an issue. For coaches who are content with heavy involvement from the general manager, it may be a different matter.

“We don’t know if that’s a deterrent or if that’s something that some coaches don’t want to deal with, in terms of adding personnel,” Wyche said.

That’s part of the equation that Wyche said is creating “varying opinions” on the Cardinals opening.

In an ESPN piece, a handful of people inside the NFL collectively ranked Arizona as the second-least desirable opening, but the cap space, quarterback on a rookie contract and key pieces including Patrick Peterson, Chandler Jones and David Johnson gives the coaching job some credence.

Wyche said the number of general managers who retained their jobs is strange while there’s “a lot of talent in the GM pipelines,” but he doesn’t necessarily count Keim among that group that should be fired.

“Keim has more respect than some of these other general managers who are going to keep their jobs,” he said.

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