The Cardinals took a big step backward from 13-3 in 2015 to 7-8-1 in 2016, and they’re eager to change things in a hurry.
Cardinals G.M. Steve Keim said the Cardinals’ priority in free agency will be players who can make an immediate impact.
“We’ll certainly be aggressive and keep our foot on the gas pedal, try to keep pushing this thing in the right direction,” Keim said. “There’s no doubt we took a step back last year. We’ve got to pick up the pieces and make some good decisions this offseason.”
Keim acknowledged wanting to win while the 37-year-old Carson Palmer and the soon-to-be 34-year-old Larry Fitzgerald are still around, although he said he considers himself an aggressive G.M. all the time.
“There are guys like Carson and Larry where you know the end is sooner rather than later. So you have to try and build around them and, so to speak, go for it now,” he said. “But that’s our mindset every year. We’re never in a rebuilding phase. To me, you owe it to your fanbase to go for it every year, to be aggressive either in free agency or the draft. But you also have to keep in mind that you are going to do the right thing for the organization for the long-term. That’s the biggest challenge.”
If the Cardinals don’t improve this year, it may be rebuilding time, even if Keim never wants to think of the team in those terms.