Since Todd Haley was fired as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, many have speculated as to where he would land next. According to reports, Haley is still weighing an option to join the New York Jets offensive staff with Tony Sparano to become the playcaller/assistant head coach. Along with the Jets, the Cardinals have been named as a possible destination for Haley, especially after they fired quarterbacks coach Chris Miller earlier this week.
For this post, I want to go over some of the reasons on why Haley would be a great fit to return as the offensive coordinator for the Cards. Tomorrow, I will give you a counter-argument, listing reasons as to why he should not be hired back on board.
After the jump, let's look at the pros of Todd Haley replacing Mike Miller as offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
First of all, let's look at what Todd Haley was able to do as the Cardinals' offensive coordinator in his first go around. As the OC, Haley led what was arguably the most explosive offense in the league to the Super Bowl during the 2008-09 season. The offense that he directed was extremely pass heavy, but it worked well with a future Hall of Fame quarterback named Kurt Warner under center. During that same season, he helped Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston surpass 1,000 yards receiving. That marked just the fifth time in NFL history that a trio of receivers all passed the 1,000 yard mark.
Steve Breaston was once considered a only a returner that would never be a highly productive receiver in the NFL. Since then, he has moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs after signing a large free agent contract. So, we have seen what Haley can do in terms of assisting young receivers and helping to maximize their potential. There is a huge possibility that he would be able to do the same thing with both Andre Roberts and Early Doucet as well.
During Haley's tenure in Arizona, fans were able to witness an offense with no boundaries and plenty of ingenuity. Gadget plays were called frequently and when Haley was orchestrating them from the sidelines, they were usually executed successfully. Plays such as this one from the Super Bowl playoff run are key reminders of what Haley can bring to the table. Arizona's offense looked very stale and predictable at times this past season. Haley could definitely rejuvenate it with his coaching talents.
Lastly, Mike Miller, the current offensive coordinator for the Cardinals, struggled at times with his playcalling duties in 2011. In 2009, the Cards were the most efficient red zone team in the league, scoring touchdowns on 70% of their trips inside the 20 yard line. That day has come and gone, as Arizona was 15th in the league in terms of red zone efficiency last year. From what I have seen, the team has even struggled in executing something as simple as a screen pass with Miller as the OC. Miller may not have the talent to work with that Haley once did, but I'm not sure that he used what he did have to the best of their abilities, either.
What do you think, fans? Is Haley a must hire for this Arizona Cardinals coaching staff? Remember, tomorrow I will give you a list of my reasons as to why Haley should not be hired back and then we'll take a poll.
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