Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals have done quite a bit with the offensive side of the ball this offseason. The main new component is head coach Mike LaFleur, the former OC of the Los Angeles Rams.
New receivers, new offensive linemen, new quarterbacks, new tight ends, new long snapper, new running backs, and a new OC.
RELATED: CARDINALS FANS THINK MCBRIDE WILL LEAD IN RECEIVING THIS YEAR
The quarterback situation remains unsettled. Will Jacoby Brissett be named the starter again? Veteran Gardner Minshew got plenty of work in the OTAs and minicamps. Backup Kedon Slovis and third-round draft pick Carson Beck were also at every event the team has offered.
A new head coach and OC mean a new system. Everyone has to not only study a new playbook, but also be shown on the field new terminology and schemes.
Recently, “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast scheduled Cardinals tight end Trey McBride as a show guest. Any Cardinals fan will tell you that McBride is an awesome tight end. It’s really weird how little media attention McBride gets, despite being in the same category of greatness as Travis Kelce and George Kittle.
LINK: BUSSIN’ WITH THE BOYS PODCAST
The show hosts, former NFL players OT Taylor Lewan and LB Will Compton, asked McBride a ton of questions in their show bus, along with their show minions.
A big question he was asked was what his impression is of the new head coach, Mike LaFleur.
“I came to Arizona with an offensive coach in Kliff Kingsbury. That was a big whirlwind for me because it was my rookie year and learning the offense. It was really a college offense with no huddle, signaling everything. Then, getting into Jonathan Gannon, who is a defensive coach. I loved JG. He was an awesome coach. We just didn’t win games, so it’s hard to keep the guy. With Mike, I just like the offensive-minded thing. He’s in every meeting and running the offensive meetings. He’s teaching the receivers and tight ends how to run routes. It’s cool to hear it straight from the head coach exactly what he’s looking for. It’s cool having the head coach in your corner.”
Since Coach LaFleur came from other programs under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, has McBride seen any cultural differences so far?
“Yeah, the culture is obviously trying to be built and the foundation. He’s doing a great job of keeping his core guys on board and getting them to believe in what he is doing. His offense is pretty fun. They love the tight end. We’re running the same offense but have three tight ends on the field. I think we’ll be pretty successful on offense.”
McBride was asked about the incoming rookie class.
***“I sit next to Jeremiyah (Love). He’s very quiet. Hardly talks at all. That dude’s a f***ing stud. Seriously. The few practices we had together, his route running, and his ability to make plays are pretty cool. I’m excited...
