Darren Urban announced via his Twitter page yesterday that the Arizona Cardinals have promoted Steve Keim, the former director of player personnel, to vice president of player personnel.
To take his position, the Cardinals have brought back Jason Licht, who was a member of the Cardinals' personnel staff back in 2008, according to a press release. He spent the past three seasons as the director of pro personnel for the New England Patriots.
With these two moves, the Cardinals are not only rewarding their staff for a great job in the scouting department, but they are also making sure that they keep the pieces that they need to build towards the future.
Many have criticized the Cardinals over the years for letting key pieces of their football team walk because the organization was simply unwilling to pay them. Since Michael Bidwill has come into charge, that trend has changed drastically. Players such as Larry Fitzgerald and Darnell Dockett have been paid their rightful dues and remain part of the franchise to this day.
The Cards do not overlook the other people involved with the day to day football operations, either. The team has always expressed their feelings towards Steve Keim and praised his work in the personnel department. After almost leaving this spring to join the St. Louis Rams as their new general manager, it seems that the Cardinals felt that they needed to do something.
As far as what Keim plans to do with his new title, Darren Urban reports that he plans to only make a few minor adjustments to how the front office operates. He will work alongside his old friend, Jason Licht, who was re-hired after T.J. McCreight decided to take a position with the Indianapolis Colts.
So, with the promotion to vice president of player personnel, the Cards are hoping that they can keep Keim around for a long time. He will be entering his 14th season with the organization, and hopefully, he will remain with the team for many years to come.
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