Former GM Takes Shots at Cardinals

Former Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim didn't hold back on his podcast.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim (left) and owner Michael Bidwill watch pre-game warmups before playing against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 10, 2021. Nfl San Francisco 49ers At Arizona Cardinals / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has just begun his second regular season at the helm of the organization, and though strides have been made since his arrival, the Cardinals still have some considerable holes - more specifically on the defense side of the ball.

That's the opinion of former Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, who offered the following on Ossenfort's defensive structure - suggesting he was on a budget this offseason from owner Michael Bidwill.

“He’s certainly on a budget. I think we all know football well enough to know that if you have to manufacture pressure, you’re going to get caught," said Keim on the Arizona Football Daily podcast (h/t Kyle Odegard).

"They don’t have guys on the edge that can get pressure naturally with a four-man front. So when they do have to bring it, it’s just a matter of time (before they get burned). You get the big lead, and then you give up that big lead because of your inability to consistently pressure the quarterback. He sits back there all day, and if it’s a guy like Josh Allen, who is a tremendous talent, it’s going to catch up to you eventually. 

“That, to me, is probably the most concerning thing, is that we (the Cardinals) weren’t able to put our foot on their throat when we had them down. So, again, underfunded, under-talented.”

The Cardinals currently have $23.5 million in effective cap space, according to OverTheCap. Next offseason, they're projected to have $106.4 million.

This offseason, four of the Cardinals' top five free agents (money-wise) came on the defensive side of the ball:

Cardinals Top Spending in Free Agency

1. Justin Jones (3 yr/$31.1 million)
2. Jonah Williams (2 yr/$30 million)
3. Sean Murphy-Bunting (3 yr/$25.5 million)
4. Bilal Nichols (3 yr/$21 million)
5. Mack Wilson (3yr/$12.75 million)

In total, the Cardinals only have three players with cap hits over $10 million for the 2024 season: Kyler Murray ($49.1 million), Budda Baker ($19 million) and Jalen Thompson ($12.4 million).

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