Viewpoint: It’s time to let go Steve Keim

The time for grace has ended. Keim’s Time must come to an end.

The Arizona Cardinals should fire general manager Steve Keim at this point.

Seemingly out of favor in Arizona, the front office leader in charge of the franchise’s longest run of success has expended all of his goodwill. The Cardinals are now the Cleveland Browns after Bruce Arians left the organization after the 2017 campaign.

The Arizona Cardinals have only managed to win three of their last 20 games as of this writing. They have a first-round QB AND a rookie head coach for the second time in a row.

Oh, and during this time, the front office has seen two more DUI arrests than professional bowlers have.

Woof.

For the record, Keim’s issues did not arise after Bruce Arians left for his (temporary) retirement. Personnel problems have dogged Keim since his somewhat below-average draft performance in 2013.

None of Steve Keim’s first-round picks have even hinted at a second deal thus far. What’s worse is that most of them (Jonathan Cooper and Robert Nkemdiche) burn out before they reach their fifth year of option. That has resulted in a remarkable decline for a team that made it to the 2015 NFC Championship Game.

Under Keim and the company’s close supervision, draft hits like Tyrann Mathieu, Markus Golden, and John Brown witnessed a gradual decrease in their play. With different franchises, each has found a fresh life. Tony Jefferson was an underappreciated undrafted gem who was signed to a four-year, $34 million contract by the Baltimore Ravens, a well-run team.