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As we rapidly approach training camp...only a few more days, I would like to turn you towards Steve Keim, the general manager for the Arizona Cardinals.
Kent Somers wrote a great piece about Keim for AZCentral that spoke of the confidence that Keim has in himself doing his new job.
One of the things, you may recall when he was hired, was that he said he wanted to build a more physical offensive line and create that staple for the team moving forward.
He himself was an offensive lineman, so he knows what to look for.
In fact, when it comes to having a guy doing a new job, Keim has the perfect personality -- he has the persistence of a bulldog. He has worked hard at everything he has done and has been successful. That is, minus one thing -- being a pro football player.
However, he did learn one thing, and a quote from Somer's article stood out to me. It revealed something about his offensive lineman philosophy.
"One of the first things I learned in scouting is I didn't want to acquire players who were like me: short, squatty, short-armed players with limited athletic ability."
Now the quote I am sure was intended to be on the funny side, but there is always a little bit of truth.
I just want to store that away for several months, until college scouting reports start coming out and rating the lineman prospects. If any are on the short end or don't have the arm length, we'll see if he steers clear of them, without regard to fight or determination.
Why? Well, if there ever were that type of lineman that could have success in the NFL, Keim would have already been that guy. Instead, he now leads the Cardinals in the front office.
is he the guy you trust to build a line that will create offensive stability for seasons to come?
More from Revenge of the Birds:
- 2013 Arizona Cardinals training camp: Previewing the wide receivers
- Arizona Cardinals success with Bruce Arians would be changing history
- Arizona Cardinals training camp 2013: Previewing the tight ends
- Adrian Wilson talks Patriots, Patrick Peterson, No. 24 with local radio
- The Arizona Cardinals running game: Alan Faneca, Jonathan Cooper and Andre Ellington
Keep up with Cardinals news and opinions when you are not on the site. Follow Revenge of the Birds on Twitter at @revengeofbirds and "like" us on Facebook. You can follow me individually at @senorjessroot.