Cards should pony up for proven winner

Dennis Green was successful in spite of starting eight different quarterbacks during his Vikings tenure.

Updated: January 7, 2004, 12:15 PM ET
By By Darrell Trimble | NFL Insider
The Arizona Cardinals still have a coaching vacancy but they are gearing up to get their man. Vice presidents Michael Bidwill and Rod Graves flew Tuesday to San Diego to interview former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green for a second time and were sufficiently impressed. After they returned home the Arizona Republic reports they made a contract offer to Green.

Green has yet to accept the offer as financial details have yet to be ironed out, but if the Cardinals are wise they will offer him whatever it takes to sign on the dotted line. The New York Giants just inked former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin to a four-year deal averaging nearly three million a year. It will no doubt take a similar commitment from the Cardinals' ownership to land Green.

Green is worth it. Sure, his regular season record of 97-62 is impressive, as is the fact that he made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons. But the most striking thing on his resume is how he did it. Green was successful in spite of starting eight different quarterbacks during his Vikings tenure.


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