Arizona Retirement

Insert One Coach Of A Certain Age

So the rumor on ESPN is how Andy Reid is the favorite to take the coaching job in Arizona, and to all of my friends out there who feel like this is a good sign of hope, and how you might get a two-fer with him resurrecting QB Kevin Kolb's career. Heck, maybe he can even bring Michael Vick with him. That's always good for exciting people who haven't really, well, watched Vick for the past couple of years.

Well, um, OK. Sure. All of that is better than the other three twinkies the Cards put under center this year. But there's bigger problems afoot than that. Most notably, that you might be in the most difficult division in the NFL, and the other three teams all have the kind of defenses -- heavy pressure outfits that don't allow for the kind of longer route schemes that have been the source of Reid's bigger successes. He also inherits what might have been the worst offensive line in the NFL this year, and unlike Philadelphia, there's no immediate band-aid hope of the starters coming back healthy. Oh, and he's got maybe one decent change of pace scatback (LaRod Stephens-Howling, too small for constant use, not that Andy ever uses any RB constantly), one world-class WR on the downside of his career (Larry Fitzgerald), no TEs and no credible QB option if Kolb doesn't wash out. The defense is top-notch, but some of the better parts (S Adrian Wilson, LB Paris Lenon) are getting long in the tooth, and while the CBs are solid, I think we all know what happens to a Reid coached team with poor safety play -- lots and lots of big gains to the tight ends.

So what we have here is a guy who is more of a name than a current asset, going to a place where he's got family. He's also going to a place where people retire in just about the same rate as they do in Florida, and he brings with him a track record where his most notable coaching achievement, beyond the NFC Championship games, is the near spotless record after a bye.. to wit, when he has more time to prepare, not less. In a division where the top two teams might wind up playing each other for the NFC Super Bowl ticket, and the third place team went 4-1-1 in the division while breaking in a new coach.

In short...Eagle Fans, I'm pretty sure you aren't going to have to worry too hard about him getting to a Super Bowl before you. And also, that Andy will give us one last reason to cheer if he gets this gig, since the Cardinals are scheduled to visit the Eagles next year...