Jonathan

Gannon

Sure, that’s a perfectly normal story to drop ten minutes before the draft. The Cardinals did seem to firm up their selection of Jonathan Gannon awfully quick after the Super Bowl, and the Cardinals self-reported that GM Monti Ossenfort had a conversation with Gannon before the Super Bowl. But we’re still surprised the Eagles were able to come away from the dispute with a high third-round pick. Arizona will likely look to recoup some picks by trading down from their third overall selection and/or moving off DeAndre Hopkins.

The Cardinals continue to be a popular candidate to trade back on draft day, as several teams could swarm for their No. 3 pick if Bryce Young is the only quarterback off the board when they’re on the clock. With arguably one of the worst rosters in the league, Arizona would be wise to consider a trade that could fetch them multiple picks in return. Head coach Jonathan Gannon will spend most of his first season rebuilding a team that finished 21st in points per game (20.0) and 31st in points allowed per game (26.4) and is likely headed for another top-five pick in 2024. Any high-end picks that can be acquired early in the rebuild should expedite the process and move the Cardinals into more competitive territory.

Schefter didn’t disclose who those six teams were, but there were reports last week that the Titans could be interested in moving up for the third overall pick. A quarterback-needy team would undoubtedly love to move up to the No. 3 spot, which should be enough to at least pique the interest of the Cardinals, who recently signed Kyler Murray to a long-term extension. Arizona has arguably one of the worst rosters in the league, making any extra picks they can acquire all the more valuable. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them trade the pick away for a substantial haul before draft day.

Most notably, Arizona native Drew Terrell will serve as the team’s new passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Terrell brings five years of NFL coaching experience to the retooling franchise, including serving as the wide receivers coach for the Washington Commanders for the previous two seasons. Former NFL running back Autry Denson was hired as the running backs coach, his first look at coaching at the professional level. A full list of the recent hires can be found on the Cardinals’ official website.

Several teams have requested interviews with Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who remains under contract with the team. While many believe Gannon would run the defense next season given his background as a defensive coordinator, he’s not ready to commit to that just yet. Gannon is expected to hold a 30-minute meeting with every coach on his staff after his introductory press conference, so it’s possible we have more clarity on Joseph’s future with the team soon. For now, this is nothing more than something to monitor as Gannon prepares to build his staff.

Return of Gannon. After telling reporters following the NFC Championship game that he’d be back in Philadelphia, late-charging interest from the Cardinals after the Super Bowl lands him in the desert. We’ll have to see who the Cardinals hook on with as an offensive coordinator before we can understand the fantasy impact on Arizona’s best players, but this looks likely to be a mulligan year with Kyler Murray coming back from a late-season ACL tear. The Cardinals not feeling strongly enough about Murray to tie in someone who would specifically be about getting him back to square one is interesting. Gannon coordinated the Eagles defense for the last two seasons and oversaw major improvement in 2022 (yes, even if the Super Bowl wasn’t pretty) -- the Cardinals defense was extremely aggressive last year and Gannon could bring some upheaval in 2023.

For those keeping score at home, that would suggest Giants OC Mike Kafka is no longer in the running for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy. Weinfuss added in his report that the team could make a decision on its coach as early as Monday night, bringing an end to one of the longer searches of the offseason. The Cardinals have already met twice with Anarumo and are scheduled to meet with Gannon on Monday. The Cardinals struggled offensively last season even when Kyler Murray was healthy, but their defense left a lot to be desired, ranked 31st in points allowed per game (26.4) and 21st in yards allowed per game.

Life comes quickly in the NFL. Less than 24 hours after losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Eagles are on the verge of losing offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to the Colts and could see Gannon leave for the desert. Gannon’s defense became the latest to fall victim to two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes, but there’s no denying his role in the Eagles run to the Super Bowl. Gannon’s defense ranked sixth in total DVOA this season (-9.7%) and was eighth in points per game (20.2). Gannon would have several offensive weapons at his disposal in Arizona, including quarterback Kyler Murray, but has work to do on a defense that ranked 31st in points allowed per game (26.4).

Gannon is already on record saying he plans to remain with the Eagles in 2023, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Gannon will meet with the team on Monday. Gannon met twice with the Texans for their head coaching vacancy earlier this offseason and was also on the radar for the Broncos’ head coaching job. In addition to Gannon, the Cardinals also have Giants OC Mike Kafka and Bengals DC Lou Anarumo high on their list of potential candidates to fill the position.

He was speaking to a local news crew, but it sure sounds like Gannon will be back as Philadelphia’s DC next season. Gannon had interviewed with the Texans (lending credence to the idea that DeMeco Ryans will be their head coach next season) and had reportedly drawn interest from the Broncos and Cardinals earlier today.