It is Super Bowl week finally and it has been a little while since there was any news in the search for the new Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator. After interviewing Miami Dolphins secondary coach Todd Bowles, Ken Whisenhunt said that he was very impressed but that he would wait to make a decision until after he has had a chance to interview candidates on the staffs of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.
While Keith Butler and Ray Horton are Steelers coaches long connected with the Arizona vacancy, no names have come up from the Green Bay staff. Thanks to some work from the Arizona Republic's Kent Somers we have some new information to chew on.
Regarding Packers coaches, two names come up as possibilities. LB coach Winston Moss has been connected to the Raiders and the Eagles with their vacancies, and according to Somers' tweet, is itching to become a DC. He does not know Whisenhunt well, so he would need to impress like Bowles did if he were to interview.
Another Green Bay name is S coach Darren Perry. He has previously worked under Dick LeBeau and Dom Capers and knows the type of defense that Whisenhunt seems to want to run.
There was a new revelation with Keith Butler. I previously wrote that there was a report saying that Butler has language in his contract making him the DC-in-waiting in Pittsburgh. He refuted that, although he does not know if he would be granted permission to interview. Likewise, he is very happy in Pittsburgh and was, in his words, "paid a lot of money" to stay with the Steelers.
So in the end, there really is nothing of substance. Just a few more rumors and some conjecture. I think the Cardinals like it that way. Whisenhunt likes to play close to the vest. Personally I get the feeling that Bowles will be the guy unless Butler can be interviewed and the Cardinals will pay him more than the Steelers will (I doubt that more and more). Both Perry and Moss are intriguing, but at this point they would have to be underdogs.