Coach Ken Whisenhunt's staff of assistants will have a much different look in 2009, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
There are currently three openings on the staff. One was created when offensive coordinator Todd Haley took the Chiefs' head-coaching job. The other two were the result of Whisenhunt deciding that change was needed.
He fired defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and quarterbacks coach Jeff Rutledge.
Whisenhunt prefers to fill the jobs from within, and that could create several changes on offense.
He already has talked to assistant head coach/offensive line Russ Grimm about becoming coordinator and planned to interview his other assistants as well.
It's likely that former NFL receiver Dedric Ward will move from quality control coach to receivers. Former receivers coach Mike Miller is a candidate for the coordinator's job, and it's also possible he could move to coaching quarterbacks.
If Grimm takes the coordinator's job, Whisenhunt will need to hire an offensive line coach.
No matter whom he chooses as Haley's replacement, Whisenhunt will call plays in 2009. He compared the situation to that of the 2007 season, when he called most of the plays, gradually turning the duties over to Haley.
Defensively, the two leading candidates to become coordinator are linebackers coach Bill Davis and secondary coach Teryl Austin. There are been reports that Whisenhunt is interested in Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler, but the Cardinals have not asked the Steelers for permission to interview him.
