Cardinals Cover 2So just how much better is the Cardinals defensive front Welcome bird Gang on today's show, Paul calvc joins me, of course, we won't really know the answer to that until the regular season, but that's certainly not stopping people like us from speculating, predicting. I mean, it has to be better, right. Also, it is a mock draft Monday at Cardinals Cover two, episode eight sixty three, and it starts now.
Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.
Bud to Baker, what Heart?
What rent?
This guy's unbelievable.
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He's at the ten half of five. He's it again, some more hurry magic.
Whoa, here's Craigcrioler.
So a question for you, Paul, and no, I'm not going to ask how your bracket is because quite frankly, it's much like fantasy.
Football, no one cares a much bracket. That's true my golf game, you know the bracket, there's certain things nobody cares about. And by the way, in the future, based on this question, I might require all questions to be pre screen, pre podcast, so we'll see how this goes.
Okay, well, there's the question, do you know what happens one month from today?
One month?
And because I know you're so good with dates, let me just let you know this. So we speak here. It is Monday, March twenty fourth.
See, I take it one podcast at a time, that is one deadline at a time. I'm definitely that guy. But I would surmise that a month from today is right there around draft time, day.
One of the twenty twenty five NFL Draft, It will be here before you know it. And yes, I think we can all look forward to those days because it eliminates a lot of talk about the pre draft process. Got a couple of new mock drafts with two new names to talk about. We'll get to that in a moment. But you know what, it also is this time of year, and this kind of goes through the entire offseason, but it is the start of list season. Everyone has a list. One of the first lists I saw NFL dot Com ten best moves of the twenty twenty five NFL offseason so far. The Cardinals did not make the lists. Really I'm just curious because I went back and I looked, and Okay, they have the Bears hiring Ben Jonson, the Bears rebuilding their offensive line, the Bengals extending both Jamar Chase and t Higgins, the Seahawks signing Sam Darnold, the Vikings signing Jonathan Allen, Rams get Devanta Adams, and I'm looking at like, Okay, that's great. A couple of wide receivers, Debo Samuel they have on the list of the Commanders acquiring him, Drake Greenlaw going to the Broncos. But the Cardinals, I would think, Paul, based off the amounts of money that they invested here in free agency, ly along the defensive line in that front seven, why wouldn't the Cardinals be among the teams that have the best moves. Why wouldn't you include Josh Sweat or Dalvin Tomlinson as one of the best moves for the price too here in.
Five Yeah, that's truly a no comprendo. There's no I mean, look low and attention. NFL dot com, that's what it is, NFL dot com. Yes, was there a team with a bigger need than the Arizona Cardinals had at edge rusher, say no, was it, although the Bears offensive line close very close in the same name. I'm just saying, was there a bigger need you can be tied, all right? Was there a team that somehow signed, acquired, recruited, obtained, kidnapped, whatever you want to call it? A bigger name than Josh Sweat. So right there, big need, big name, big dollars. I mean, if you can throw Sam Donald on there, Yeah, that.
One was a real head scratcher because the only reason they signed Sam Donald's because they traded Gino Smith. So that's not really I mean, that's kind of a wash, right, I.
Mean, I get it. It's a win for Seattle from the aspect of they got a round three pick and then they got a quarterback who was gonna take the salary they wanted to pay. Said quarterback they wanted to pay in the mid thirties. Gino Smith reportedly wanted in the mid forties. They couldn't agree. See you later, he gone, They ship him out. They get a third round pick in return. Please tell me DK Metcalf did not make that list, because if you're the Steelers, you gave up a second round pick and paid through the nose for a guy who last year had more penalties than he did touchdown catches. To me, that was one of the biggest overreaches desperation moves we've seen in the off season.
DK Metcalf not on the list. The Buccaneers resigning Chris Godwin, though, is on the list. Now, that just seems like a no brainer. Why would you not bring back Chris Godwin. It's like the Eagles resigning Zach Bond on the list. I mean, that's again, that's kind of a no brainer because it's the known, and you want the known to remain in your building.
Although I did see where Jason Light, former Cardinals assistant GM and longtime GM of the Buccaneers, said that there was a team out there writing him blank checks. Every time the Buccaneers made an offer. This team told team Godwin, no, no, we'll do better than that. You come here, we're gonna give you significantly more than that. And so Chris Godwin actually took a home down discount in every sense of the term, and he stayed in Tampa Bay.
Milton Williams could be one of those players as far as Okay, what's the highest bid, because on that Monday it was always going to Carolina. Wait wait, hold on, yeah the Patriots, and oh yeah, the Cardinals are interested, and then more time went on, more time went on, Oh yeah, I'm gonna sign with New England because the Patriots were not going to be denied. According to reports, they were gonna give Milton whatever it took for him to be a New England Patriot.
Yeah, there was a hot moment there on social media where it was like here coming to Cardinals, right boom, and it's a two horse race. No wait a minute, secretary just closed from behind and one by eight lengths. Because once they got to about twenty six million a year for Milton Williams, I think that's where, sensibly, feasibly and thankfully the Cardinals bowed out of that sweet steaks right there, especially in a loaded D line draft. I thought that that was above and beyond. But once again, like we said week fifteen, when the Patriots came in a state farmed stadium last year, you looked at that roster, did you not, and you said, wow, they got one dude on this team, Christian Gonzalez. Other than that, this roster is totally breft of talent. New England has to do something. And when you're at that stage in any sport, a lot of times you have to overpay to get those To get the big fish, you got to spend big dollars above and beyond the norm reset the market in so ways. You know, every losing team that starts a turnaround typically as that one guy, that one signing they made the Cardinals.
I don't think overpaid for Josh Sweat or for Dalvin Tomlinson. If you look at the numbers on overthecap dot com with Josh Sweat, I mean it's a it's yes, it's a four year deal, there's a votable fifth year, but there's no guaranteed money in twenty seven and twenty eight, so it's really a two year deal. Dalvin Tomlinson no guaranteed money in twenty six. So it's very shrewd from GM money Austin for on acquiring these players, and again you make them motivated for beyond twenty five, twenty six and twenty seven.
Well, look at Miles Garrett right forty million a year, Max Crosby thirty five ish a year. I saw Danil Hunter the Texans just in the last few days did a one year extension thirty seven and change. Cardinals are under and they end up just under twenty million a year on Josh Sweat or so the average annual value. So and look, Josh Wett hasn't put up numbers consistent with A Miles Garrett. He doesn't have an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. You know, Dean Neil Hunter has had some big time sack numbers. And we all know Max Crosby, although remarkably the last four or five games of the year, the Raiders had a much better a QB pressure percentage minus Max Crosby than they did with Max Crosby to date in the twenty four season, which was both curious and confounding. But you know, Mark Davis loves himself some Max Crosby, and he paid big time dollars to keep him in Vegas. So to me, considering where the Cardinals were, I mean, how else are you going to fill a need at that position? Craig, how else are you going to get that guy unless you're drafting the top five. And even if you are drafting the top five, is that guy even there? Abduall Carter? I guess is that guy this year? I guess, but we'll abduel Carter even measure up, you know, ever measure up to a Miles Garrett, even a Will Anderson junior. Was there a couple of years? You know, Drew Stands made that comment last week on the Red Sea Report or the Big Red Rage, and so, yeah, we you haven't needed that position, you know. To me, that's why the competitive advantage for the Cardinals was obviously Jonathan Ganny Nick Rowlis. If not for that, I think the Cardinals would have had to pay more to bring him to a completely unknown team.
Otherwise it's the known versus the unknown, and why the Cardinals you go out in free agency, Yeah, you have to spend, but you're spending on a known commodity. Yeah, you're hoping, knock on wood, that they stay healthy. But the draft is a roll of the dice. You have no idea. There is no such thing as a sure thing. Yeah, maybe handful of players a Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Peyton Manning though won Super Bowl win Indianapolis, Andrew Luck no Super Bowls. So it's do you really know about these players coming out of the draft. And the other thing that the Cardinals historically sometimes have relied too much on players they select to come in right away to perform, and while all of a sudden, now you're looking at Okay, well that's our starter, that's our edge rusher, and it's this kid that has no time to really get his feet underneath him and really learn what it takes to be a professional at the NFL level, and it takes a little while. That's why I like what the Cardinals did in free agency, Paul, because you're not relying now on that pick sixteen or pick forty seven to come in and be a starter. If they win the job, great, but they don't need to come in and be that guy that everyone is relying on, like.
A year ago.
Is Marvin Harrison Junior, Hey, you're our wide receiver number one, Darius Robinson, you're our best defensive lineman next to Justin Jones of Blon Nichols. Well are you healthy?
Are you ready for that spotlight?
And I think with Marvin he was, but the expectations were so high and Darius, well we had to wait and I don't think we even did see what he's really capable of doing unless you were at State Farm Stadium during training camp. That's the only time you really got a glimpse of what d Rob can be in the NFL. Well, but you know that that's half speed at best, and you're going against your own guys. So are they really Are they really pushing you that hard? Especially throughout an entire training camp?
And you brought in a couple of line of scrimmage position coaches who you think are excellent teachers, who come from a level of the game where teaching is paramount the college game. You're bringing justin Frye, you bring in coach Debo, and now all of a sudden, you know what, there's a fresh set of eyes on your linemen. There's maybe some new teaching tech niques, and you're trying to get the most out of them. And I'm with you on that one. You know, every single draft prospect that's coming out, they're gonna have shortcomings, they're gonna have weaknesses, they're gonna have traits that don't measure up. But it's the teams that can forecast look into the crystal you know, the crystal football, if you will, and be able to project where can this player be, what sort of ceiling do they have, and don't make a lame analogy here. How many times have you seen the Bob Dylan movie? Okay? Once have you really?
Oh?
Yeah? Okay, because I was gonna go see it the other day and I didn't, do you recommend it? I do?
I enjoyed it. I didn't know much about the backstore. I mean, I know Bob Dylan's music, but not much about how he reached that point. Very interesting, cat, I'll just say that.
So Timothy's Shallow May, the lead actor who was nominated for an oscar. He learned how to play the guitar, he learned how to play the harmonica, he learned how to sing, and then they said you need to learn a dozen songs, and he learned forty of them. Apparently. I mean, you talk about completely immersing yourself into your craft. If Timothy Schallo May can learn how to play the guitar at a Bob Dylan level, sing harmonica, perform songs, then I think some of these NFL prospects can add to their game from one off season to the next. They can evolve and they can improve. It's a matter of the coaching staffs getting the most started these guys. And I would say that this Cardinals coaching staff has excelled in that area. So like for me, you're talking about the mock drafts Uh, there's one out there, and it's this is an interesting one of me because you're gonna get to some of the big names. But NFL dot com is a mock draft out by Mike band b a n D.
You shared with me with this earlier in the day, and I was, I gave you a I gave you, I gave you a weird look.
Let's just put it that way to be polite. Okay. So he's not known at all. In fact, he's a newcomer in terms of having his mock draft posted on NFL dot com. But it's the twenty first straight year he's done it. And he's a next gen stats guy, and he says it's a research driven approach, blending data including insider reports, team needs, scheme, philosophies to that team and all and even the odds. He'll he used some of the bookmakers, bet MGM and stuff and he connects all the dots and boom, he puts it into his model whatever it is, and out comes James Pierce Junior, which is the I've been stumping for the whole time, the six foot five edge out of Tennessee who ran the four four seven forty, which is a full second faster and anyone in his position group. And most importantly, if you read some of the sky reports, I think it's lance zerlineh posted has displayed relentless pursuit at Tennessee. That is a double ding right there. He's got all the traits, he's got all the skills, and he's got the motor hashtag Max Crosby, right, and so here's a guy who also is said to be very flexible in terms of his positional flexibility. So all this there, I could absolutely see that as a draft pick. And yeah, he's had some shortcomings and I guess he's a little light in the pants. And maybe they say he has narrow hips whatever that means. Chandler Jones, would you have said he had narrow hips? I mean, come on, right, And so all that being the case, I thought it was very interesting. And by the way, he actually cited his track record. Over the past five years, he has ranked fifth and overall accuracy amongst seventy five expert mock drafts, and last year among one hundred and seventy two expert mock drafts he was number two in accuracy. So anyway, I throw that out there because he's a newcomer.
Okay, I guess we'll have to start paying attention to his name again. Was Mike Band Mike Band? Okay, by the way, Bucky Brooks who is expected to come out with his three point zero sometime this week. I read he had James Pearce Junior mocked to the Cardinals in his first Okay first mock draft and wrote that Pierce is an explosive athlete with a developing game as a pass rush specialist. But here's someone that was the Bednarik, Lombardi and Walter Camp Player of the Year semi finalists, two time first team All SEC led Tennessee and tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback curries. So yeah, that would be a nice fit within that front seven. And again coming in whomever it is at sixteen, if it is at along that front seven, you know you've got Josh on the other side. You brought back Baron Browning, so you don't have to be that pre eminent pass rusher. You don't have to be Chandler Jones coming out week one. You can kind of sit back a little bit. Not that it wouldn't be any pressure or spotlight on you, because people would wonder, well, why aren't you doing anything yet? But it's kind of like the heat is not nearly as hot, that spotlight is not nearly as bright.
If you were the only guy.
That Baron Browning wasn't resigned, you didn't land Josh what and here comes this young kid to be your edge rusher. That's that's too much on someone.
And let's face it, we're on the trust tree around here. On Cardinals cover two, bjo Jali is still an unknown. Tons of upside love the work ethic, love the character, love the athleticism, the skill set. What he was putting out in that field the first half of Cardinals camp last year, it was excellent, but never saw it in a regular season game last year obviously seasoned any knee injury. What's he gonna be like? Is he going to be that player who's able to come back immediately Adrian Peterson and have a two thousand yard rushing season, or is he going to be that guy who doesn't really recover until year two after the injury, akin to a Dennis Gardak. Most recently if we want to talk about Cardinals ed rushers edge rushers, So you don't know, I guess is my point. And here's all we do know. If they go James Spears Junior, for example, or another edge guy, he might be like, well, wait a minute, they just spend all this money on Josh Sweat and Baron Browning's coming back. Well, do you know the team that led the NFL in sacks last year? I did not know this. I saw this out in my head. I do not Denver sixty three sacks led the league. I bring that up because what did Denver do as a team last year? They broke an eight year playoff drought with a rookie quarterback. Quarterback, get to the quarterback, and then protect that quarterback. Those are the three axioms. So this Cardinals team that is still loading up the roster has still done the purge, as we like to talk about. If you can improve this pass rush significantly, that is one formula to the playoffs. Denver just proved it with a rookie quarterback who really didn't get traction to the second half of the season. And then, obviously the team that just won the Super Bowl, what they do They hit and harassed Patrick Mahomes. So that to me, if you do go that position, I don't think it's overload because at this point for this team, it was their biggest knee going in the offseason. Are they regular season ready right now at where it stands? Sure? I think so. But James Pierce Junior still makes a lot of sense in a really loaded draft.
I'll go back to what you had said earlier as far as name me a team that had a bigger need than the Cardinals at edge rush or just along that entire defensive front, because I include the defensive line because a lot is unknown and there weren't not a lot of household names, so improving that defensive front was a priority. I don't think I'm going out on limb on saying that. And if you look at what the Cardinals did have done so far in free agency, Pro Football Focus has noticed. In fact, they had want to talk about lists, they had another list. They listed five most improved units. Okay, and they did this in alphabetical order, so it's not a one, two, three, four, five or account or anything like that. But again, Bears are on here again with their offensive line because for the Bears, there was no place to go but up with what they did. The Vikings improve their offensive line, the giant secondary, and the commander's supporting cast on offense. That's kind of a broad term, but I guess you want to include Debo in there, and okay, it makes sense. But they had the Cardinals their most improved unit, the defensive line and the front seven overall. According to PFF, Cardinals in twenty twenty four had the fifth lowest graded defensive line last season. So what the Cardinals do? They have invested almost one hundred and twenty five million dollars on the defensive front. And again, that's Josh, that's Dalvin Tomlinson, that's bringing back Baron Browning. It's where this team needed to get better, not just on paper, but on the football field and make that jump. Yes, from four wins to eight wins. Now, okay, you need to get that ten eleven to twelve wins. And how do you do it? Well, yeah, you need an offense, but just need to stop teams. And I think the Cardinals went into this offseason free agency.
We'll see what.
Happens in the draft. We need to be better along the front seven. We need to have a better defensive line, not just getting into the quarterback, but how about stopping the run. Do that a little bit better so you can get to third down and obvious passing situations and unleash Josh wet A, Baron Browning, Bjo Julari and company to get this team more successful on those passing situations. Defensively, you know, we tend to forget.
I know I do. Because the Cardinals started six and four and went into the break in first place. But early in the season there were some intermittent issues in stopping the run, and Nick Rowls and Jonathan Gannon had to make some adjustments. They had to vote extra resources not just to getting after the quarterback, but in stopping the run. So once again, if you can rush four and get home, I mean, that is always the goal. Has Nick Ross ever enjoyed that luxury in his two years as Cardinals defensive coordinator, not very often. Probably count in one hand how many games he's able to rush for and still get home really affect the quarterback. So when last season ended Week eighteen, here were the defensive linemen who dressed and played. Darius Robinson, l J Collier, Roy Lopez, Dante Stills, Nai Kwan Jones, Kyrie's Tonga. You come out at least on paper right now, Dalvin Tomlinson, Justin Jones, Ballal Nichols, d Rob l j Collier, Dante Stills, and then maybe a rookie, maybe a rookie on day one, maybe a rookie on day two. Nobody would be surprised if the Cardinals, if not at sixteen over, were at forty seven or maybe even in round three, ended up with a pretty talented defensive lineman. How many different analysts and the combine Craig told you this is that is that the deepest position in this draft defensive line.
As far as the talent level top to bottom. I mean there is a drop off between you know you're up their tier, but set that second and third tier are still higher than several other positions across the board. But you can find quality defensive line play in the second and third round yeap.
For that reason, if the Cardinals went d tackle in round one, if they went corner in round one, if they went offensive guard in round one, and then any of those three positions in round two, leaving D line to round three, I would not be shocked. I think it's that deep, and the Cardinals are that confident in the war room and their scouts that they can probably find a dude who would come in, you know, and have a nice career in the NFL at that position. Considering how deep this is at de tackle.
Right now, they've got six solid defensive linemen that you could have a rotation. Now do you add a seventh in there? Do you carry seven defensive linemen? Typically we've seen this team use a three man fronts. But does that change because the talent has been upgraded and all of a sudden, maybe you see a little bit more guys with their hand in the dirts up near the line of scrimmage. Maybe maybe rawless does change things a little bit. Being adaptable something Jonathan Ginnon loves to say, whether you're on offense or defense. What's it gonna take for us to win that particular week? Do we need four down linemen? Do we need three? How many times last season late when they needed to have a pass rush, there was one or two defensive linemen with their hand in the dirt because they had to figure out they had a manufacture. They had to scheme up pressure. But going back to what you said about the Philadelphia Eagles just rushing four.
Okay, well what four?
And then how many different ways can you rush for and make it not look like it's four. Maybe it looks like it's five or six, but guys are peeling back and all of a sudden the quarterback is confused.
It was later in the year and it was Zaving Collins in the Big Red Rage told us just how often he been sucked inside to a five technique or three technique on an obvious passing down at six, five, two seventy, And they would, you know, Nick Rawls would be very creative with Xaving Collins, big dude who can run, because we also see him in deep coverage at times. And then I started watching the last month of the year and like, man, it's even more exotic and creative than I even realized, because a lot of times that sort of stuff kind of gets lost in the wash and the chaos at the point of attack. So to your point, once again, okay, do you put six? Do you put seven on this final roster? We do know this. Jonathan Gannon has said more than once he loves to keep those linemen fresh, and so if they had a legitimate talent pool who all deserved to have a jersey on game day, then I think they would. I think they would find room because I think that's the way ultimately they want to play, bringing in waves, just like the Eagles did in Suit Bowl fifty nine.
I'm curious because we always talk about that rotation, but you look at how many snaps Josh Swett played last season, Dalvin Tomlinson played last season. They were all on the field for sixty percent of the defensive snaps. David Collins played fifty five percent. He was the highest among outside linebackers. There was no defensive aligneman that played more than fifty percent of the defensive snaps. So, yeah, you want that rotation, but maybe that rotation is not a series or a quarter. But DT comes out, but he's right back in there after a snap or two. Because again, if you're going to invest that much money on Josh what and Dalvin Tomlinson, you want them on that football field. You don't want them to be cheerleaders on the sideline standing with next to you, Paul, no offense, but I want to see Josh Wett on the football field, not chumming it up with you on the sideline.
Well and Swet says he's a three down guy, So okay, But to your point, if it's third and one, who do you want in the trenches a young Darius Robinson or Dalvin Tomlinson. Certain guys are more suited to certain situations. So if you have the ability to sub, then yeah, there are certain guys that are going to go in based on down and distance, no doubt about it. But that's why you like to have a variety of body types, of variety of different guys who you know would be needed in different situations. So you know that one's interesting. In terms of other mock drafts that are out there, what is it? Mel Kiper and the Associated Press put out their first one, Will Johnson cornerback out of Michigan going to the Cardinals. I know mel Kiper was on with Wolf on his radio show in Arizona Sports and he said, Will Johnson is quote a pick six waiting to happen. Six to two plus really runs. I mean, when you read this Scout report, the name that keeps jumping into my head Jalen Ramsey, big dude, ridiculously athletic, crazy ball skills, aggressive, So I didn't give it much consideration when this whole process started. But if will Johnson, who dealt with injury and sort of had a muted final year at Michigan, otherwise he'd probably be a top ten pick if he's there at sixteen, and the Cardinals, like the Medicals, I could see that happening, especially when you look at the stinking Rams. Adding Devonte Adams right another big receiver. We know Pukainakua is a problem. I mean, you know the Niners, Brandon ayuk Is, he's still in the trade block, we don't know. And then you know Jackson Smith and Jigba you know, more of an interior guy, but he was a headache last year. Obviously, I think Garrett Williams and Jackson Smith and Jigma are going to be those guys are going to battle for the next five years. Mono I mono. But right now in the division, it's not just about stopping the run, because we know the Seahawks want to run more than ever and Christian McCaffrey's going to be back and Kyen Williams. That was a big improvement by the Cardinals defense this year. But if they can get that dude who john and again and Nick Ross can start their game plan every single week saying, all right, our number one corner is on your number one receiver, a luxury they have not had since Patrick Peterson. I could definitely see that happening.
Good size, Well Johnson six' two one ninety. Four you brought up the injury. Concerns six games played last season because of a toe, injury and this is a position that back In, January Matt, MILLER Espn draft expert Mocked corner to The cardinals with his first round pick and second round, pick and he got. Mocked and we talked to him about it When danny AND i were In indianapolis at the scouting, combine and he mentioned it was looking at the value of those particular players at sixteen and forty. Seven now you see mel Kiper junior mockt and, okay wait a. Second it's one thing When Matt miller does, it another thing when mel Kiper junior does. It but what The cardinals have put themselves in position to do based off their free agency is draft the best player, available and if It's, corner it would be a little bit of a surprise it does and fall along the line of scrimmage that typically we refer to when we're talking about. Money how do you want to build this? Team how do you want to? Win you want to win at the line of. Scrimmage, yet, Well johnson's in intriguing, prospects AND i know they've invested a lot at that cornerback, position but there's no Guarantee Starling. Toma there's no Guarantee Elijah, jones which we haven't seen in a game. Yet he's going into his second, season really his first though after an, injury yeah, field rookie. Season so what do you really have in that cornerback room outside of A Garrett williams who's done it now.
Consistently is there?
Anyone And Sean Murphy bunting wouldn't put him in that category because he's more of a veteran that's probably further away than guys that you want to build. Around AND i THINK i would not have a problem if cornerback is the, position because you've set yourself up to take whoever you think is that number one guy available when your.
Pick is on the. Clock so you Said Matt miller put out that mock In, january, correct he Has if we're in the trust tree here and we always are. THERE i Was polly Pencil, neck and we all fashion ourselves as, gms and we're standing there training camp and it's a dog days of, camp. RIGHT i remember having a CONVERSATION i think it was With wolf on the, sideline, going you know, what take a looking at this roster right, here right, now without even having played a preseason, GAME i would surmise The cardinals go cornerback next year round. One it just seemed to. Be now over the course of the, Year Starling THOMAS i think definitely improved and evolved more than we all. ANTICIPATED i had no idea until late in the year until he's on the Big Red rage That Starling thomas ran up four to. Eight it is pro. DAY i did not know. That and by the, way, anyone if you want a really well done story In Starling thomas his, backstory just go to The cardinals YouTube page YouTube dot com Slash Azy cardinals and it is worth your twelve minutes of viewing. Time really one to well done feature by The cardinals video. Crew Emmy award Winning by the, way this one might be enlightful. One we'll, see very well done. Yep but in terms of the cornerback. Position, Yeah Elijah jones total unknown at this, point he's a year, behind unfortunately because of all the. INJURIES i Thought Max melton played really well in his last four or five, games but he's far from a shutdown corner at this. Point and Then Sean Murphy bunting is at a. Point you know how gms like to work a year ahead of tell you so a year from. Now at this, time as a Veteran Sean Murphy bunting and the way his contract is, constructed it could or would make sense to come off that contract at the end of this coming, season at which, point you know. Whatever if you took A Will johnson or some other cornerback On day one Or day two of this, draft then, boom it would be a natural just to slide him into that.
Position if A Will johnson is comparable to What Patrick peterson was capable of, doing and that is takeaway half the football, field then all of a, sudden, yeah you have to seriously consider that prospect at, Sixteen Garrett, williams you keep.
Him in the, slot you move him to.
Outside you Like Darling, Thomas Max melton on the opposite side of A Will johnson And Keith garrett in the slot because he's, very very. Good and now all of a, sudden you've got you've improved your pass, rush which can only help and benefit those guys on the back. End so again it's that. Position you're, like wait a, second it's all about the liner, scrimmage offensive, line defensive. Line you're gonna give, Us you're gonna mock a, Corner you're gonna take a corner at. Sixteen he's a second cornerback off the board on mel Kiper junior's three point. Zero Travis hunter is the number one corner and he's gonna play a little offense or you, Know so all of a, sudden the best corner not Named Travis hunter Is Will johnson and he's available at. SIXTEEN i, mean that's that's that's very tempting when you look at what The cardinals have done and what they're projected as far as the players that they've already select in the draft a year ago at the cornerback. Position, now all of a, sudden you've got that rotation in the. Secondary and, oh by the, way the head, coach that's his area of. Expertise Cornerback Jonathan gannon so nobody puts a higher value in that position than the head coach. Himself but speaking of working a year, out for, example if you take a corner at sixteen and that ends up being the ultimate successor To Sean Murphy bunting a year from. NOW i noticed in AN nfl Dot com to start the week there's a four round mock From Chad. Reader and in this, one SOMEONE i have heard about and read ON nfl dot, com.
By the, way as The cardinals taking a corner in round Four Kobe bryant out Of. Kansas now this is this is the third different spelling Of Kobe. Bryant. Okay now The seahawks out Of Kobe, bryant which was spelled different than The, lakers you, Know, superstar this one is spelled cob.
Ee Brian kobi e correct Like seattle.
Ye so, anyway that's neither here nor. There what's intriguing is that The cardinals in this mock they Do that's something we brought up about a month or two, ago and that is, okay if The cardinals are done with quantity and leading THE nfl two years, ago and rookie starts in rookie snaps and then follow that up with a twelve player draft, class not even including the undrafted rookie free agents who have made this team over the last couple of, years from A Starling thomas To amari De Mercado Elijah, higgins And i'm probably forgetting one or two. More this, case he has The cardinals trading up to thirteen and Taking TEXAS o Lineman Calvin, banks and you're, like wait a, minute they don't need a. Tackle, well hang, on he has the ability to play. Inside so there's your guard that you were thinking about. Taking you, Know Tyler booker toty. Plummeted by the, way, man if there's one thing that has happened in the last, month ever since you were at the, COMBINE i Mean Tyler. Booker when all these mocks, started he was going tenth overall To. Chicago he was going thirteenth overall To. Miami there's most mocks now don't even have him in the first. ROUND a COUPLE i saw had him fallen all the way to The lions at twenty. EIGHT i could definitely see. That and the only thing worse than that is if he ends up falling all the way To Kansas city at thirty one and The chiefs get to Replace Joe tooney With Tyler booker out Of. Alabama that would be Vaccine Our chiefs fatigue would only grow exponentially at that. Point, anyway the point here is At Calvin banks alignment out Of texas sixty five three point, Fifteen cardinals move up in this. Mock they would swap their round three For miami's late round four and they move up three. Spots and you're talking about a kid who coming out of high, school top ten prospect. Nationally he was a Freshman All american and then he was a starter the moment he stepped on campus all three years including last, year two years, ago first Team All Big, twelve last, year first Team All. American and we're talking about the left tackle won The Lombardi, award won The Outland trophy is the outstanding off defensive lineman in the. Nation and one skin of REPORT i looked at On Calvin banks, said arguably his best game was as a freshman against Will. Anderson let that hang in the air for a, Minute so, anyway could you see. THAT i could definitely see That cardinals give up a little extra because now it's not as much about quantity as. Quality they get A Calvin, banks they put him inside at guard for this coming, season and then next year After Jonah williams has done with his two year, Contract, boom there's your starting right tackle going forward for the next. Decade the, position the, player no. PROBLEM i just.
Hesitate, again we only even Seen Manti Austin ford work the draft. Twice and to move up unless he's moved back first of, all as he did two years ago in order to move, up because he did move up to Get, PARIS i just and when you only have six draft picks going, IN i get. It that's my only. Hesitation but, again and going in and the conversations In, indianapolis the number of people that we talk to that there is there is not a consensus when you talk about the twenty twenty FIVE Nfl, draft there's not a consensus as far who the number one pick, is who the best quarterback. Is NOW i think there's become more of a, consensus but it's only by. Default it's not a solid quarterback. Class but when you talk about that ten to twenty, range it could go a number of different. Ways someone's eleventh best prospect could be another team's thirty seconds true best. Prospect so if but, again if you're sitting there at sixteen and you see this start, guy he's still on the, board he's still on the, board then, YEAH i. Would If i'm a general manager AND i have, conviction or If i've got a guy's around, me hey we need this guy, Mania Austin fort will pick up the. Phone there's no doubt in my mind that he has the ability to trade. Up it's just that first time would be the first time in the first. Round now he's done it other, days but going from sixteen to thirteen at what costs just depends.
Well in most mock drafts don't have him getting past The bears at ten because The bears still do need a tackle and a left tackle in particular to complete that, rebuild that reset or their offensive line Under Ben. Johnson or Remember Ben johnson comes from A lions. Outfit that what they do with their very first draft Pick Brad holmes And Dan. Campbell they Took Penny, sewell just sort of like The cardinals with Montiyassa word And Jonathan gannon Took Paris Johnson. Junior so there's some similarities. There when you want to build football, tough as we like to say about The Arizona cardinals and their. Philosophy but if he's still, There Calvin, banks and will he get Past? Miami, now a lot of other mocks Have miami at thirteen taking that offensive. Lineman so that's why you have to come, up do a deal with The dolphins and try and get the. Guy perhaps that you would cover it in that. Regard but, remember here's the, Thing craig about the whole quality versus. Quantity at least this is What i'm telling. Myself you tell me If i'm on point with this or. Not it's one thing when You're maniacibor And Jonathan gannon and you're cutting other people's draft picks and there's only three left from the previous four draft classes that preceded maniacin for. It but because you've had so many rookies come, in so many acquisitions over the last two, years there's only so many spots on the final, roster fifty three of them unless they've changed that as one of the offseason rule. Changes so it's much more difficult to start cutting your own guys that you have attachments, to that you believe. In that you've personally scouted and. Coached so in that, case if they were to give up a draft, pick AND i get, it they only have six and they value them as much as any team in the. League but if they had to do that to get that guy to complete the offensive, LINE i think they.
Would here's another name to, Consider Daniel. Jeremiah his three point zero offensive linemen can play cross the. Board North Dakota State's Gray zabel six six three twelve love the. Size, yes it's AN fcs, Program yet here's someone who can play right, tackle left, tackle can play the guard. Position going back to the biggest question THAT i think a lot of us have on that offensive side of the ball is who's the right?
Guard?
Now can you plug in a rookie There sandwich next To Jonah williams Or Kelvin beacham next To yell Defrolt i'd have no problem with that because you've got veterans bookending a. Rookie and, again you can kind of get lost at the guard. Position it doesn't stick out much like a tackle, would where you get. Beat everyone sees it kind of hide a little bit as a, guard especially if you're a younger. Player all, Right Gray zabel kick him out to the tackle spot after his first year six, six three. Twelve that's hard to. Move and he was one Of Daniel jeremiah's big players as far as The Senior bowl was. Concern in, fact called him a day one starter and the overall practice player of the week in The Senior. Bowl that's a poll OF nfl. Executives, again those practices much more important than the game. Itself that's Another, again the position just a different, name and there you would stay at sixteen and select offensive.
Alignment, yeah he had to have it That Senior. Bowl That Senior bowl week is no more important to anyone than a guy coming From North Dakota state because you got to prove it against the big boys from the big. Schools and he. Did he held his own and then SOME i saw Or lancero line put a tough guy profile on this prospect own In North Dakota. State, who by the, way he played four different positions over his career in, college and he had ample opportunity to go to THE fbs to Go division one for big. Money he said he left a significant amount six, FIGURES i mean a lot of money on the table to stay At North Dakota, state play with his, brother try and get the national. Championship he did do. That he checked both those boxes and from all accounts they say his frame at six six three twelve has room for additional body masks and. Strength so if that's the, case to your, point, yeah start him, inside kick him outside at some point early in his, career not unlike A Calvin banks out Of texas if you want that direction either, WAY i could easily see The cardinals calling that, name especially when you hear the two words tough. Guy they like. That they like that bit of nasty in the. Trenches but then, again don't forget About Isaiah. Adams to, me that is the sleeper of the. Offseason where is he in the squad? Rack how much strength does he put? On as he had one of Those Zach allen off seasons between his rookie year and his sophomore year in THE nfl where he gets, stronger he gets, bigger and he comes back a totally different. Player because they did like what they saw In Isaiah adams on the. Film now he just has to have more than ability to compete and hold his own strength, wise and they think he definitely has the ability to achieve that.
To cornerback and offensive. Line as far as the mock drafts are, concerned The cardinals did make a couple of moves since our last, show both at the cornerback position and offensive. Line Jalen jones has been signed to a one year deal to bolster up that cornerback, room and His Ole miss Teammate Royce newman signed a one year deal to again give That cardinals offensive line more. Depth not saying either one of these guys are coming in to be a, starter but at this, point when you're trying to build that ninety man, roster, yeah at this point you're gonna see names guys coming. In maybe you catch lightning in a, bottle or maybe they're that death, player or As Nick rlis likes to, say someone loses a. Shoe well you've got someone to come in and play or start if need. Be like we Saw Jackson, barton one of those players who hangs around does enough coaches don't want to see him walk out the, building and all of a, sudden he's starting a couple of games for you because guys ahead of him get. Hurt who's to say if that's Not Royce. Newman this, Season, Hey.
Jackson, barton that one game he, had he didn't make it through the entirety of the. Game he was somewhere in the fourth, quarter ran up what the toe, injury and that plagued him the rest of the. Year but, hey he graded out pretty well in the coach's. Eyes and HE i mean at that point he was the third string right tackle and he came in and he acquitted himself real. Well Royce newman's. Intriguing you know why because as a rookie he started sixteen games With Green bay at, guard and then since his rookie, year the last three years he Hasn't he's had another eight, starts but he, obviously you, know the action has been, intermittent and last year he only got one game of action With. Tampa so wait a, minute what is still under the? Hood can The cardinals untap a little bit of? That is that something where it just was a matter of a poor, fit you, know the last couple of teams he's been. With but here's a guy six, five, three ten fifty two career games and after starting sixteen as a rookie three years, Ago, hey he kicked the tires in that and see what he's.
Got twenty three of his twenty four starts have either been at right guard or left.
Guard there you.
Go so now all of a, sudden you've got and maybe it's that, position that right guard, position or you're just flooding. Everybody, okay we've got, three, four five different.
Guys go. Compete and here's the reality check THAT i keep telling myself because you, KNOW i, think like a lot Of cardinals fans and those of us who cover the, team because we really like not only the, player but the person is, like Oh, jesus Is Will? Hernandez when Is Will hernandez coming? Back or, uh guys they are. White you know, What guess, what it's THE. Nfl it's a. Business if they haven't returned, Yet i'm not expecting them to. Return if they, do BECAUSE i have no inside, knowledge then, great that's. Gravy but as of right, Now i'm proceeding as if they are not part of the twenty twenty Five Arizona. Cardinals AND i think is signing like This Royce newman maybe further solidifies that they got a guy with starting experience In. Garden let's see what he looks.
Like a week from, today excuse, me a week from tomorrow Is april, first and the closer you get To april and Then may and again if you're still that phone hasn't rung yet and you're a man without a, team then all of a sudden it becomes, okay maybe it's closer to training camp before you actually, Sign and especially someone Like Will hernandez coming off IN acl. Injury just how healthy are you right? Now and does it serve the team better to wait a little while to get see where you're at before they're gonna put pen to paper and get you to.
Sign who's the guy to look out, for by the, way among our work colleagues On april, FIRST i, mean what do you? Think AND i don't know.
What, well both of us just automatically turn to my left you're right and are looking At cody behind the. Glass, Yeah cody fits that profile a little, bit the quiet guy kind of lives in the. Shadows and then all of a, sudden boom right out of.
Nowhere, yeah head on a swivel Around. Cody On april, first who was the who else would be a, prankster a? Jokester Probably Zach. Gershman, yeah, Yeah. Gershman you KNOW i could see it some of the stuff he brought out of the frat house just two short years ago could find its way into the. Workplace we'll see about That darren urban sleeper and That, No darren's too, busy he's got buttoned, Up he's got too much other stuff going, on you, KNOW i, mean you know he has to ASSESS hr. Violations he can't be committing. Them so, Yeah i'm gonna start thinking about. That maybe we'll have a power pole here. Soon those most likely to be on the business end of An April fool's, Prank.
Cody Of air just all of a sudden perked up and when he Mentioned april, first right around the, corner AND i Believe, paul will you AND i will be on the Air april.
First that is Red sea reported as A.
Tuesday so we'll just have to figure out what SoundBite we might be throwing to and all of a sudden it throws us under the.
Bus NO. Kvb But Rob frederson could be that. Guy Frederick's freddie could be that guy On april. First we'll. See by the, way you want my favorite Stat i'm gonna avoid mentioning your dead last right now on the offense when time out.
Timeout, okay as we come full circle here the last topic of discussion here On cardinals cover. TOO i am not dead. Last i'm near last, place not dead. Last there's a, Distinction. Paul i'm not the last Place San francisco forty nine. Ers i'm not quite that.
BAD i. See, okay we'll be, bad just not that. Bad you. Know what is even worse was the three point shooting in That Arkansas Saint john's. Game do you Realize arkansas And Saint john's combine to shoot four of forty one from three point range in that? GAME i, mean what is going? On are you? Serious arkansas shot two of nineteen from three point, range gave up twenty eight offensive, rebounds and somehow still Beat Rick. PATINO i don't know how that happens, exactly but it's the beauty Of march. Madness, so, okay we'll See. Craig there's still plenty of time to. Go you. Know we look forward to attaching those two last place to not only The, niners but To Craig.
Grielow, yeah we'll just have to see how the next couple of weeks, go and who, knows MAYBE i will be the last place forty nine.
Ers here On cardinals cover. Too by the, way it can always get, worse it just. DID i look to my, RIGHT i see Cam ward's pro day at THE, u And i'm reminded of the twenty six point comeback he engineered in the second half against on the road, too by the, way on the road against someone's Almost saturday, night STINKING Espn college game day was In. Berkeley we had it, all we were killing. It the whole day was, ours and then Cam ward comes back and wins the game by one. Point it was like thirty six thirty five or some, ridiculous absolute heart and soul crushing loss by The alma. Mater i'ven't felt that bad since this past week WHERE i got food. Poisoning so anyway.
There, jeez, yeah all, right let's let's give let's Give paul a. Break he's been through a, lot both here at working apparently at home. Too so on that, note we'll put a lit on this edition Of Cardinals cover, two presented By, hyundai proud partner of The Arizona. Cardinals as, always special thanks to our executive Producer Jill Mama Hundre our associate Producer Coddy. Fincher keep an eye On cody over there For Paul. Calvic I'm Craig Real. Lulu we'll talk to you next time here On, Cardinals cover, Two Where's My?
Chicken? Broth And Graham crackers
