TEMPE, Ariz. -- Bruce Arians delivered the quintessential Bruce Arians line when he and Cardinals general manager Steve Keim sat down at the podium Tuesday to address their contract extensions.
"Everybody in the building helped get us a raise, so the first round's on me," Arians said.
The Cardinals announced extensions through 2018 for both their coach and GM on Monday, but the deals, which have an option for a fifth year (2019), were actually agreed upon last week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Keim had two years remaining on his previous contract while Arians had three, so both expressed surprise that team president Michael Bidwill made it happen so soon.
"Michael approached us, and I'm not going to say no," Arians said. "It was very, very surprising and humbling for me."
"Looking back on the last two years in this journey, I never thought in a million years we'd be sitting back here today addressing our contact situation," Keim added. "To me, that says, more than anything, volumes about this organization and in particular, Michael Bidwill, and the leadership he has given us.
"I don't know many owners that would approach someone this early in the contract."
The pair was rewarded for winning 21 games in consecutive seasons, which tied the franchise record, but the move by Bidwill also lent further support to the notion that these Cardinals operate nothing like previous years.
"Hopefully, we'll come to a happy agreement on both sides," Keim said.
Dockett has posted some tweets recently that muddy the waters on that front.
GINN'S RELEASE AND THE CAP
People ask me am I gonna play in az next year. My response is "ill be in az next year 1way or another rather ... http://t.co/VposAGsBh7
— DARNELL DOCKETT (@ddockett) February 19, 2015
The Cardinals freed up $2.5 million in cap space Monday when they released receiver/kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., but Keim said it had less to do with Ginn and more to do with the depth the Cardinals have built at wide receiver with John Brown and Jaron Brown behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
"Moving forward, we have to continue to monitor the salary cap and roster," Keim said. "Before we get to March 10 (the start of free agency) we have to make sure we're able to be proactive and aggressive which is always going to be our philosophy."
By cutting Ginn and reworking Larry Fitzgerald's contract (a move on which Fitzgerald has oddly declined comment), the Cards have saved about $15.3 million in cap space for 2015.
The new salary cap won't be set until March 10, but projections have it at $143 million. Per azcardinals.com, the Cards will carry over about $4.2 million in cap space from last season, putting their 2015 cap number just above $147 million. With about $139 million to $140 million committed right now, the Cards still have some work to do if they are going to be aggressive in free agency.
-- The facility upgrades at the Cardinals complex are due to be completed by mid-June, with a revamped locker room the final piece of the puzzle. Upgrades include a full-service kitchen, an expanded weight room, more meeting rooms, a coaches' locker room and an auxiliary locker room to account for the additional players on the 90-man offseason roster.
-- Arians expressed excitement at the idea of linebacker Larry Foote joining the coaching staff, but he added that Foote has not made a final decision yet on whether he wants to continue playing.
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VIDEO: Bruce Arians discusses keeping Larry Fitzgerald in a Cardinals uniform.
