Grimm not out of picture.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Can somebody explain why Russ Grimm was never promoted to Offensive Coordinator, and why he's the only position coach to be considered qualified to be a head coach? I'm not against him, just don't get it.

 

Very good question. I don't really know much about Russ Grimm other than his outstanding playing career, and the great success he had coaching Washington and Pittsburgh's offensive lines.

 

I do know that Andy Reid was never a coordinator before he was a head coach.

 

I also know that Mike Singletary was never a coordinator before he was a head coach.

 

I know that the late Bob McKittrick was one of the most respected offensive line coaches in football and was considered to be one of the true gurus of the West Coast Offense.

 

There are very few positional coaches who've had the opportunity to become head coaches. The recent ones have done pretty well.

 

On the other hand, there are hundreds of coordinators who were mediocrities as head coaches.

 

What does this all mean?

 

I don't know but I wouldn't personally disqualify a coaching candidate based upon him never having been a coordinator. And I wouldn't underestimate a person like Russ Grimm.

 

He's not even close to my first choice for Bills coach but really, what do any of us really know? Even GMs have a low batting average when it comes to hiring coaches. What I'm getting from this board more than anything, day after day, week after week, is that a lot of fans want to see a big name, period. If only it were that simple.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

His leadership skills have led to one of the worst rushing attacks in the league, he is the running game and O-line coach guru in Arizona.

 

People like him because he looks the part and his name is always mentioned every time a coaching spot opens up.

 

Krumrie was a badass player and tough guy but I wouldn't want him running my organization.

 

I hear a lot of shallow criticism of the fact that Arizona is not a premier running team. It's more oversimplified criticism in our oversimplified world. The Cardinals are a passing offense. They are last in the NFL in rushing attempts.

 

Yet in spite of this, they had the same yards per carry (4.1 yards) as Minnesota, New England, Cincinnati, NY Giants and ranked 12th in rushing touchdowns. Some of Grimm's critics point to their lack of a running game but if the yards per carry and rushing touchdowns are good in spite of the fewest rushing attempts in the league, is that a valid criticism of Grimm?

 

Of course not. Also, many on this board wonder at the success that Mike Gandy had as a left tackle after sucking in Buffalo. Is it possible that the coaching of Russ Grimm (he developed many linemen in Washington and Pittsburgh) has something to do with this? Might not this talent bring great value to a team rebuilding with young offensive linemen?

 

Gball, did you know that Arizona, Indianapolis and San Diego are all in the bottom five in rushing yards in the NFL this season?

 

Yet all these teams are elite offenses with strong offensive lines. Teams that don't have a lot of rushing yards are usually teams that don't run the ball that often.

 

Grimm is arguably the best offensive line coach in football. His virtual Hall of Fame playing career, and his association with many excellent football teams (he has 4 Super Bowl rings, 1 as a coach) all qualify him as a legitimate head coaching candidate.

 

If you don't think so, fine. But your reasoning is awfully thin.

[gball77]

I hear a lot of shallow criticism of the fact that Arizona is not a premier running team. It's more oversimplified criticism in our oversimplified world. The Cardinals are a passing offense. They are last in the NFL in rushing attempts.

 

Yet in spite of this, they had the same yards per carry (4.1 yards) as Minnesota, New England, Cincinnati, NY Giants and ranked 12th in rushing touchdowns. Some of Grimm's critics point to their lack of a running game but if the yards per carry and rushing touchdowns are good in spite of the fewest rushing attempts in the league, is that a valid criticism of Grimm?

 

Of course not. Also, many on this board wonder at the success that Mike Gandy had as a left tackle after sucking in Buffalo. Is it possible that the coaching of Russ Grimm (he developed many linemen in Washington and Pittsburgh) has something to do with this? Might not this talent bring great value to a team rebuilding with young offensive linemen?

 

Gball, did you know that Arizona, Indianapolis and San Diego are all in the bottom five in rushing yards in the NFL this season?

 

Yet all these teams are elite offenses with strong offensive lines. Teams that don't have a lot of rushing yards are usually teams that don't run the ball that often.

 

Grimm is arguably the best offensive line coach in football. His virtual Hall of Fame playing career, and his association with many excellent football teams (he has 4 Super Bowl rings, 1 as a coach) all qualify him as a legitimate head coaching candidate.

 

If you don't think so, fine. But your reasoning is awfully thin.

 

I watch Arizona on a weekly basis and have seen the line play, the line is iffy. Kurt Warner does an outstanding job of releasing the ball and has great targets. I do respect your opinion and fact finding but he coordinates the run game and offensive line only and not the passing game, which is what carries Arizona. Not saying that makes Arizona a bad team but they can not run the ball. If you had a great passing offense, don't you think the running game would be available considering a team wouldn't load the box? What is the biggest weakness of Arizona? The line. What does Grimm coach?

 

How come KC went with Haley and not Grimm? How come Cowher recommended Gailey and not Grimm to succeed him in Pittsburgh?

 

What is a virtual hall of famer??? You are or your not... Great players don't always make great coaches anyways.

 

For the record Mike Gandy gets owned on a weekly basis, watch the Super Bowl last year and tell me how much he has been coached up.

[apuszczalowski]

Can somebody explain why Grimm is being considered as a head coach as only an O-line position coach? Why has he never been promoted to O Coordinator? Since he's never run an offense or defense, how does anybody know if he'd be a good coach?

You don't have to be a co-ordinator to be a Head Coach, they are different positions that require different things, and its the reason why Head Coaches have Co-ordinators. The thing is that the path usual goes positions coach to co-ordinator to Head Coach. The Head Coach doesn't have to deal with the X's and O's of the game like the co-ordinators do, they need to be the motivators and game planners. They assemble the staff of guys to do the X's and O's stuff for them and call the games.

 

Grimm is well respected and usually his name comes up as a candidate for HC jobs whenever ones available, so most of the league sees him as a possible HC even without the co-ordinator experience

[murra]

Grimm is well respected and usually his name comes up as a candidate for HC jobs whenever ones available, so most of the league sees him as a possible HC even without the co-ordinator experience

 

I think you're overlooking a very important fact in the issue you've brought up: Teams have brought his name up for a long time, and yet he has remained an assistant.

 

Wouldn't that speak more truth to the side against your case? By that I mean, if he was HC material, why have so many teams opted to not hire him over the years?

 

Clearly, I'm playing devil's advocate here, but I don't see how him being a candidate immediately qualifies him for the position. Are the people who run for the Presidency under obscure parties actually presidential material simply because they're on the ballot?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I watch Arizona on a weekly basis and have seen the line play, the line is iffy. Kurt Warner does an outstanding job of releasing the ball and has great targets. I do respect your opinion and fact finding but he coordinates the run game and offensive line only and not the passing game, which is what carries Arizona. Not saying that makes Arizona a bad team but they can not run the ball. If you had a great passing offense, don't you think the running game would be available considering a team wouldn't load the box? What is the biggest weakness of Arizona? The line. What does Grimm coach?

 

How come KC went with Haley and not Grimm? How come Cowher recommended Gailey and not Grimm to succeed him in Pittsburgh?

 

What is a virtual hall of famer??? You are or your not... Great players don't always make great coaches anyways.

 

For the record Mike Gandy gets owned on a weekly basis, watch the Super Bowl last year and tell me how much he has been coached up.

 

Excellent reply.

 

I would say that very few excellent offensive teams are well balanced. I think it's difficult for a team to be extremely proficient in both areas. Go down the list of top offenses and I think you'd find my statement to be largely true. The exceptions have tended for some reason to be west coast offenses.

 

You hear analysts say from time to time, it's hard for an O-line that is constantly dropping into pass protection to fire off the ball and knock guys off the line of scrimmage. Good offenses usually have an identity and it's mostly they are a good passing team or they are a good running team. Rarely are they both. The Cards are a great passing team.

 

As for the job Grimm has done, he's been lauded for his work in Washington and Pittsburgh. Arizona is not an overly talented offensive line. I think this might have something to do with your assessment that they're not that good. And yet for the second straight year, they're deep into the playoffs. Grimm deserves some credit for this.

 

I would also mention that the Cards are not a bad running team. As I mentioned, their yards per carry and rushing TDs are very respectable. They've had several big rushing games during the second half of the season. Beanie Wells seems to be coming on.

 

Finally what is a virtual Hall of Famer?

 

Well, virtual means "being such in essence or effect though not formally recognized or admitted." So a virtual Hall of Famer is someone not in the Hall of Fame who for all intents and purposes is as good and/or deserving as many of the people in the Hall of Fame. People like Andre Reed. People like Cris Carter, John Randle, and Dermontti Dawson. People like Russ Grimm.

[Thurman#1]

Can somebody explain why Grimm is being considered as a head coach as only an O-line position coach? Why has he never been promoted to O Coordinator? Since he's never run an offense or defense, how does anybody know if he'd be a good coach?

 

 

In fairness, he's not "only an O-line position coach."

 

He has three titles:

 

1) offensive line coach

2) assistant head coach

3) running game coordinator

 

The Cards do NOT have an offensive coordinator. They have a running game coordinator and a passing game coordinator.

 

And you know what? You NEVER know if a guy will be a good head coach till he is the head coach. Marv Levy was a special teams coach, as was Bill Cowher. It seemed to work out for them.

[Orton's Arm]

Arizona’s Grimm given permission to talk to Bills [5:29 PM]

AP reports: '“I don’t know what the time schedule is on that,” Grimm said. “I’m not really worried about it right now. I’ve got a few important things to take care of first.”'

 

 

Blantant disrespect of the Bills in my opinion. Im so sick of this kind of attitude and rhetoric towards the Buffalo Bills. What does freakin' Russ Grimm have thats more important than the opportunity to become a head coach in the National Football League? If im RW,BN,or RB , and read this comment from a potential candidate , I would immediately remove his name from contention.........Fuc*ing Russ Grimm.

There are people within the Cardinals organization--players, other coaches, etc.--who are counting on Grimm to do the best possible job he can between now and his team's game. Interviews for head coaching positions can take many hours. His schedule is going to be very tight between now and the game.

[Thurman#1]

His leadership skills have led to one of the worst rushing attacks in the league, he is the running game and O-line coach guru in Arizona.

 

People like him because he looks the part and his name is always mentioned every time a coaching spot opens up.

 

Krumrie was a badass player and tough guy but I wouldn't want him running my organization.

 

 

People actually like him because he took some pretty bad o-linemen and made a pretty good o-line. Here are the ratings of the Cards o-linemen, according to profootballfocus.com:

 

LT Gandy 68 out of 77 tackles

LG Reggie Wells 81 out of 84 guards

C Sendlein 22 out of 34 centers

RG Lutui 46 out of 84 guards

RT Levi Brown 72 out of 77 guards

 

The best player, Lutui, is mediocre. The next-best, the center is below average. The other three are genuinely awful. The two tackles are reminiscent of ours, that's how bad they are. And yet, the Cards offense is very good.

 

 

Yet the Cards were 14th in overall offense and 11th in points scored. Look at overall rushing yards and you see that they were 28th, and you think "Hmmm," but then look at YPC, the key measure, and they got 4.1 YPC behind that offensive line. That's 19th, so it's not terrific, but with that group of linemen, it is very very good, and if you average 4.1 YPC, you have a successful running game.

 

Grimm has been successful as a coach everywhere he's been. He would make a very good HC, IMHO.