Red Sea ReportRed Sea Report - Browning Return, Reported Sweat Addition Strengthen Cardinals Rush
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Here we go, one hand to catch it a touchdown?
Oh baby, how's that fail?
Here's Craig Griolu, Paul Calvic and three time pro bowler Kyle Vandenbosch.
So on this stay tuo of the two day negotiating window before the official starts the new league year on Wednesday. And I'm glad to see that the two of you have to return and not go for the greener pastures. If perhaps, Kyle, there were some greener pastures, but we are glad that you have opted to remain here on the Cardinals Red Seat Report.
Yeah, I demanded a trade to a super Bowl contender, and then I was happy to see the way the Cardinals' roster is looking, and obviously a pay bump helped me convince me to come back in the building.
I'm trying to get Rob Frederickson to sign elsewhere. To be honest with you, yeah, after last week he started the show by blaming yours truly for driving Ron Wolfley into retirement and out of the booth twenty years combined cumulative of dealing with my personality, according to Rob and his sources. So we took that personally as we should have, and I'm doing everything I can to see if we can find Rob a new home, whether he likes it or not.
Kyle, you mentioned the trade request, which apparently now is the thing to do in the NFL, and then just get extra cash and you're forget about everything that you said or spending a week in New Orleans during the Super Bowl as far as wanting out of a city. But the pay rays that you just mentioned, does that include maybe a new gig? Are you to Paul's point? Are you are you gonna be stiled next to Dave Patch come Sundays this season?
Wow? Here we go, Here we go.
Dave's been through a lot. The last thing he needs is to turn to me.
That's good, Craig, though you got asked, you got asked, Yes, what we do if you don't know what stores? That could happen? He says, no, all right, Craig gets you know, he can't make it official till tomorrow. Don't put that Okay, Okay, now, it's just legal tampering.
My apologies, it's just according to reports. By the way, good segue there, Paul, because according to reports, the Cardinals here have made two moves in free agency, at least as we get underway here on the Cardinals Red Sea report here on this Tuesday, the big name Josh Sweat coming over on a reported four year deal better than seventy six million dollars forty one million guaranteed. And yet, Kyle, it certainly does answer a question that we have now had for going back to last offseason, but a position of need when you look at the edge rush and getting pressure on a quarterback. Again, nothing official until he puts pen to paper, which we anticipate sometime after Wednesday or Wednesday win free agency officially begins. But when the news broke, what do you think I think it's huge.
It's huge in a number of ways. One, he is consistently a very good, too great football player, having made a Pro Bowl, Han't had a double sack double digit sack season, having played well under Jonathan Gannon and the defense he ran in Philly when he was there. It's a guy that we know can fit this system that they're familiar with. They know how he's wired, they know how he prepares, they know what he brings to this locker room if nothing else. You know, I think what we've been through the last couple of years, and I think that Monty Asen for Jonathan Gannon Michael Bidwill have taken the correct approach and being cautious and free agency because often big mistakes are made, a lot of money's handed out, you know, regrets can surface fairly early in in some of these signings. But this signals to the team, signals to the fan base, it's time to win, It's time to turn that corner, you know, And going from four wins to eight wins, we're right on the precipice of, you know, not only being a playoff team, but being a consistent threat to win the division. Consistently being in the playoffs because again, one of the things that Mantia Support has done with this roster is the floor has been raised and this team has the ability to compete against anybody and beat anybody on any given Sunday. Now it's just a matter of finding some of those elite type playmakers that can help us turn that corner, take that extra step that can, you know, not only get us into the playoffs, but help us do some damage once we get there.
There are needs and there are wants. This is most definitely a need coming off the edge. Jonathan Gannon said as much at the combine. And I really like the fact he's considered a three down player. He's not a liability against the run. He's not a situational pass rusher. He is a guy who can hold the edge, can play all three downs. He can be a guy out there that, yes, you use in rotation. That's exactly what the Eagles did and they had a loaded defensive front. Really curious to see what he looks like when he's featured. When he really is a has a prominent role. He gives opposing offensive coordinator something to think about, something a game plan for. That's something that Cardinals didn't have a whole lot of last year when it came to getting after the quarterback. So there's a reason, there's a method behind this. And at the same time, and I can't believe I'm saying this, forty one million guaranteed is reasonable in today's NFL.
So you know, you like the price tag that came along with it, under twenty million per year when you look at the annual average value. So yeah, that is again, that's what it takes to land big fish in the free agent waters, as the Cardinals have reportedly done with Josh What. Both of you have mentioned as far as the known, there's a lot of unknown when it comes to free agency, but in this case, there is a known because Josh What does have ties with Jonathan Gannon going back to when jg was a defensive coordinator with the Eagles, something that at the combine Gannon was asked about when it comes to certain free agents without naming names, as far as having maybe a little bit better intel.
Anytime you have like real time experience with a player, you kind of kind of know a little bit. You know, free agency is just like all players. There's a little bit of unknown with all those guys that decreases the unknown with me because I was with him for a couple of years. So we'll look at all the players in free agency see if they fit us. I know there's a money component to everything, but at the end of the day, we'll do what's best for us and try to acquire guys that are going to help us win.
Now, the other name that was tied to the Cardinals on the onset of Monday's negotiating window opening up was Milton Williams, another player JG had ties with in Philadelphia. But as you just heard Gannon mentioned, there is a money component. I think the price just got too high to match what was out there for Milton Williams. But going back to Josh Sweat, and now you've got someone Paul, he don't have to take off the football field. He played almost sixty percent of the defensive snaps a year ago, twice played at least seventy percent. And now you have someone that you don't have to tell the opposing offense All right, well here comes Josh. What Now we know it's an obvious rush. No, he might set the edge, you might drop back. You have no idea. And I think That's why this coaching staff likes what David Collins brings. Why Baron Browning was brought back on a two year contract. It's those type players where defenses can keep offenses guessing.
You know, I've heard signing a free is a kin to buying a used car from a private party. Of course, you go to Arizona or a Zona four dealers. You know, you can get a warranty, the whole deal. But if you go to a private party and you buy a used car, how much better do you feel about that purchase? If you know the person, if you know the history.
Of that car.
You know, Am I gonna buy a car from Kyle over here when he's driving around like Joey Logano in the NASCAR circuit? No, but I'll buy a car from his grandparents because I know it's a gentle used car. Okay, you have knowledge of its history and its service history and that whole thing. That's why I feel good about this Josh Whatt because Jonathan Agann and Nick Ross know him, know him first hand. You're not going to run into a Jordan Phillips situation like you did five years ago or so. That that to me is a key in this signing. If you're going to spend that kind of money and you want a first string plug and play edge rusher, you know, a guy in the prime of his career. Turns twenty eight later this month. I feel really good the knowledge that this coaching staff has in this free agent, like he's just explained from the combine.
Not only a great player, but a good person. Because how important have we seen through two years, Kyle, how important that locker room and making sure you bring in the right people to wear that Cardinals uniform.
Yeah, and I think that's the important piece to signing a free agent. Like Pauli just said, it's what you know. And again, Jonathan Gannon got to see firsthand, how does this guy work, what does he bring to meetings, what does he bring to the locker room, how is he on the practice field. Otherwise you're relying on the information from you know, strength coaches, from position coaches, from head coaches, and you know, Frankly, again, you look at first round hit rates players that you keep and get that second contract. Almost every position is either at fifty percent or under fifty percent. So it's a coin flip whether the guy you take in the first round in spite of the due diligence you do whether he's going to even be on your team for a second contract. But when you sign a free agent, I mean you've got you know, with Josh Sweat, you've got seven years that you can look at. You can see how he plays, does he bring consistent effort? You know, is he on the field? Is he available? And you know so you not only have that film, you also have you know, the face to face experience. You know what type of person is, you know how he's wired. So you're spending that extra money because it is more of a slam dunk. All of you have the years of him competing against not just college players, you know, or a small college guy that he's beating like a drum. You have him going against some of the best tackles in the league seeing how he fares. You also, and I think this is vitally important, when you sign a guy to be a playmaker, you want to see how he plays in the biggest games. And all we have to do is look back just a few weeks to what he did in the Super Bowl and how he stepped up and dominated and was a huge part of what they did to win that Super Bowl.
Yeah, I saw this from next Gen stats. Josh wet now is top five and total pressures over the last three post seasons. He had six in the Super Bowl and two and a half sacks Patrick Mahomes. So that was the big move. There was a second move made as well, and that as adding an inside linebacker a Keen Davis Gaitheer who turns twenty eight in September, someone who has spent his entire season with the Cincinnati Bengals, but much like mac Wilson Senior. As Darren Urban and I were talking about this move, Paul was someone that might have gotten a little bit taste of starting experienced late last season because of an injury, and the Cardinals sees something in him that perhaps the Bengals didn't or another team didn't. Now you bring him in.
Is he the starter? Is he a.
Replacement for someone? Or does he add depth at inside linebacker?
Yeah.
The MacWilson senior comparison I think is apt because he got a lot of reps. He got a starting gig. MacWilson Senior did the end of twenty twenty three in December and January, and all of a sudden he puts stuff on film. You didn't realize he was capable. I've never really had a chance to show in the past. So now all of a sudden, all right, a keen Davis Gaith and those last half dozen games he's able to start. He had nearly sixty tackles in those six games. He was really effective, and all of a sudden, you realize, wait a minute, maybe there's more here than just a core special teamer. That was mac Wilson's first three or four years in the league. Same with adg I guess is what we're going to call him here?
Right?
And he has a similar body type six two two thirty eight. And guess what, Nick rosis loves to have these guys that are versatile, the positional flexibility you can use in different situations where on a key third down, wait a minute, who's playing what position, who's dropping where, who's coming, who's gone? And so all of this leads to I think some real possibilities in that front seven. And if you want to zoom out on that front seven, and now that you have your edge Rusher and Josh Swett and you re signed Baron Browning and b Joe Jilari knock on Wood is going to come back with a vengeance. And then you take my guy, James Pierce Junior, sixteen overall out of Tennessee. Now is Zaven Collins? Off the ball is Zavin Collins? And off the ball linebacker. You have your four guys in rotation off the edge. I'm really curious because we haven't heard much on Kayzer White and we don't know where that might be tracking, if anywhere. I'm just curious how this all fits into a big picture.
The other thing you like about a cheam is this past season a team captain first time in his career. Again, Kyle goes back to bringing in the right people for this locker room.
Yeah, a good locker room guy really stepped up and filled a role for them. Somebody that's been selfless, played a lot of special teams. And to your point, you know, this roster is full of versatile players that can be used in multiple spots, and he fits that role as well.
Again, both those moves according to reports, we will wait until we get those officially announced by the Cardinals. We do know that the team has brought back a handful of their own free agents, and we'll discuss that next. As we continue, it's the Cardinals Red Sea report here on the final day of twenty twenty four, at least when you talk about the NFL calendar. Free agency officially begins on on Wednesday at one he am. This is the Arizona Cardinles Radio network.
Evan is taking my crown. It's annoying. He's super strong. He's pissing me off. Honestly, I hope he sees it. But nah, he's super strong, so it's fun to have a guy in there in Paris is also, he's so long, but he's also stupid strong, makes no sense.
He plays smart and he's actually super athletic. Like he's the only other offensive lineman that I've been around that I feel I can compete with me, like we run jump or something. You see him. He's not built like a buggalot SpongeBob, you know what I mean. Like he's just built like a block, you know, like our roblocks character or something. But he can move, you know. And that's my joke. My dude, you're a freaking athlete. Like he's a real athlete.
So now that Evan Brown is back on a a two year contract, agreeing to terms earlier this week, one of those Cardinals free agents brought back in twenty twenty five. We need Paul you to go into that locker room and get yelled at for ro Holt and Paris Johnson Junior, who we both heard talk about Evan Brown, and actually with those three, maybe it's just you and Evan and put together a little bit of a weight training session for everybody.
Yeah.
Well, when they get around to the big weight, let me know. I'll jump in if that's where you're going with that one. Yeah, he is a certified meathead, and that is a complimentary term. You know. They pride themselves on that in there. They get in and they get after it in the weight room. But to Paris's point, Evan Brown, he can get out and move. And unless you are able to be a polling guard in this scheme, guess what, You're not gonna play a lot. You won't be featured. I don't think you'll be coveted by Drew Petsing and Jonathan Gannon. They want guys who can get to the second level. They want guys who can get out to the edge and be lead blockers and do a little bit of everything, so they can be dynamic. And you saw Evan Brown at different times in different schemes, in different run philosophies and approaches, all in the same season. You know, do a lot of different things. And so you know, another season in the weight room for Evan Brown and get ready for Big Kat Williams against Seattle. That was the only issue, that was the only drawback, and that went for the entire Cardinals interior offensive line. Got to figure that out in the offseason.
Only Yelda played more snaps than Evan Brown offensively this past season. One hundred What do you mean? One thousand and seventy snaps played by Evan Brown who was the starting left guard for all seventeen games after a one year deal after he was with the Seattle Seahawks. But you bring him back now, Kyle, and all of a sudden, it's okay. You liked what you saw that pairing with Paris and Evan on the left side.
Yeah, I don't think that gets talked about enough. How well the offensive line played last year. You know, you're talking about unit that finished third. They had the third most rushing yards in Arizona Cardinals history. They finished they had the feat gave up the fifth least sacks, and Evan Brown, like you said, played over a thousand snaps and is credited with only giving up two sacks. So, you know, I think, as much as you can, I think continuity is important. There were games last year where, you know, in spite of how well James Connor runs, in spite of the things Kyler Murray can do, it's pretty clear that the offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. And I remember talking about it a number of times postgame, just how how the line of scrimmage was constantly moving, how the defensive line was getting knocked off the ball. And so I think, you know, while you're always looking to tweak your roster, try to upgrade here or there, the offensive line was was a strength of this team last year. And so bringing back Evan Brown in the middle, And as we've talked about before, particularly with Kyler Murray, but as with any quarterback, having a strong pocket not allowing teams to get that inside push either over the guard or over the center, is vitally important. And then one last thing with Evan Brown, like we talked about with some of the defensive players on this team, he provides positional versatility, having played center, having played guard in a pinch, you can move him to any of the three spots on the interior of the offensive line.
Yeah.
And I was going to back that up and say, look, in an ideal world, you're bringing in more competition at guard. There were reports out there the Cardinals were in the mix for Will Fries, for example. Is there another free agent guard perhaps coming in over the next twenty four to forty eight hours, maybe over the next week. Who knows? Could Tyler Booker be coming the Cardinals way at number sixteen from Alabama, the best guard in the draft, and he would be plug and play at left guard, right next to your franchise left tackle if that's the case. Evan Brown, to Kyle's point, is an excellent backup interior offensive line, can play either side, can play center. He was the backup last year to Yell to Rohole. Thankfully, knock on Wood, you didn't need his services at that position. But two years, ten million guaranteed or so with another million and incentives. Guess what, that's so really nice signing by Mantiasa for it. That provides a good spot under the cap and a good spot in that o line room.
Now you just wonder about the other side, the right side. Is that Isaiah Adams who we saw late last season, or do you bring back Well Hernandez, Tristan Kloner to your point, Paul, someone else as far as competition, and you figure out who works best on the left side versus who works best on the right side.
I mean both honestly. You know, third round pick Isaia Adams going into year two. Obviously he's on this roster, and he's had a really good offseason by all accounts, right, getting stronger, finished very well according to the coaches in December and January, really ascended in terms of his game film and what he was doing the right guard. And then Will Hernandez. Everyone will love to have Big Will back, and it might be a one year prove it deal, considering he's coming off the torn a. He's a great fit in that room. His mentality is a great fit. It's exactly what the Cardinals want in terms of Kramat vertical. So if you brought back both guys, and again they both have versatility to play either side, that would make a lot of sense to me.
The other old lineman the Cardinals brought back Calvin Beacham, who will return for a fourteenth season, sixth here in Arizona. We talk with him Kyle at the end of last season and he said, yeah, my wife has given me the thumbs up. If I decide I want to play, I'll play. He wants to play. Cardinals wanted him back. And someone to your point earlier about the offense not line not getting talked a lot about. Here's someone who was quote unquote your backup and all of a sudden, what do you do?
Well?
He had twelve starts, ten at left tackle, two at right tackle. And the value that teams have for that backup tackle, the swing tackle, if you will, Calvin Beacham's perfect for that.
Yeah, and you know your left tackle is going to get paid a ton. Right tackles get big money in this league as well. But frankly, there may be no more valuable position on an offensive line than the backup swing tackle because you're gonna miss some snaps with one of your tackles, and the ability to play both sides. Again, it's incredibly underrated, but offensive tackles they get used to a side, they get used to their footwork, they get used to training at certain to eye, they get used to a defensive end or a defensive tackles footwork coming off of that side. And for you know, Calvin Beacham, since he's been here, it seems like it's seamless when he goes out on that football field and he's thrown in at either right tackle or left tackle in you know, what a what a gift last year that he was able to step in and this offense didn't miss a beat when he was on the field. And you know, at again, having played as long as he did, having had sixty two starts in the last five seasons here and being thirty five probably I don't know when he turns thirty six, but to still go out there and shut down some of the best pass rushers in the game, some of the best pass rushers in our division, because again, you know this division, in order for us to make that ascension, you know, it needs to be done in the trenches. And just because of the guys that we've seen on the defensive line in our division, you know, I'm comfortable that if we need to, Calvin Beachum can go out there and get the job done at tackle.
You know how beach finished last season right as a starting left tackle. There was a moment in the locker room in late Decemmery. I said, Beach, refresh my memory. You've started the most games of any position. You've played a left tackle right And he looked at me and paused, and he gave me I spent six seven years as a starting left tackle in the league. I mean, his experience is vast. You don't realize it. His middle name should be I Got this, because no matter what you ask him to do at any position on the line, he's like, I got this. He's never phased, he never panics. I mean there's zero anxiety. He's just got ultimate confidence to go in against any assignment, whether it gets any help off the edge or not. He's just always seems to be ultra confident in playing offensive line in the NFL.
And to that point, offensive coordinator Drew Petsing earlier this season asked about Kevin beacham and what he brings to the team. Yeah, Petsing couldn't say enough good things about Beach.
He's seen so much football, he has such great experience to pull from. So I think he's the type of guy, whether it's in a starting role, in a backup role. Whenever he goes in the game. I think mentally he's very prepared. He has a great process throughout the week. You know, he's a guy that I lean on sometimes or Hey, like, how's the plan? Do you feel like we have enough?
End?
Do you feel like it's the things are making sense, it's clicking your brain. So I have no doubt if he's the guy that's called up to play, that he's going to do it at high level.
And look, every player wants to start Kevin Beacham is no different. Yet at the same time, Kyle, you have to weigh as you get older, and Beach will be thirty six in June, you're not who you used to be ten fifteen years ago. You still want to play. I just might not be able to play the role that I used to, but I could for an extended period of time if needed. I don't know if the Cardinals were playing on twelve starts from Beach as your swing tackle, But at this point in his career, if he still wants to play, this is the role for you right now.
Yeah, and in this league. As your body starts to break down, like you said, you're not necessarily break down, but you can't do some of the things.
You used to do.
You make up for that with the experience, like you talked about. I mean, he's seen everything. He's played against everything, He's played against every type of body type at defensive end, he's been in every type of scheme, and you just find little tricks, little ways to win, little ways to you know, take advantage of the film study. And you know, again, I think we talk about this a lot, but it's obviously important to Mantia sapport and to Jonathan Gannon is to bring in the right type of people. Well, you know, maybe outside of Drew Petson, Calvin Beacha might be the smartest guy on the offensive side of the ball, just just listening to him talk, knowing what he's all involved in, knowing the type of person he is. So with that, you not only get a guy that can go out there and run your offense and you know, do the things that you ask him to do. But it's tremendous leadership to that to that offensive line room because he has seen everything, and he has been through everything. He's been through playoff seasons, he's been through seasons that are a struggle and He is just kind of your steady eddie guy that everybody can turn to in any moment because he has seen it all. And I think that that experience is so valuable to this team and what they want to do this season. If you're hanging around the offensive line and you know this Craig that they're always finding each other for certain offenses, okay, like talking to the media or talking to the media, and the scrum impedes another player's locker.
Okay. So at the end of the year, we blew the lid off this investigation and it was yelled of Froholt. He manages and tracks all the fines. He's sort of the accountant, okay, the CFO if you will, but if you if you choose to appeal, and there isn't a fuels process, Calvin Beacham is the judge and jury as the older statesman of the room.
As well, he should be, by the way, the other offensive notes on the Cardinals according to reports, and this happening within the last forty five minutes or so. Zay Jones, wide receiver, according to reports, agreeing to terms on a one year deal, didn't see a lot of production from Zay but remember he was unavailable the first six games of last season, only picked it up late in the year. We'll see and talk more about his return as we continue in the days to come. This is the Arizona Cardinals Radio Network.
He takes the snat Cardinals rush four backs to pass in trouble and sack by Browning back at the twenty yard line, loss of eight of the play dird and.
Long, Oh David, can you say arm under coming from the blind side? Getting little Drake made grease Baron Browning with that arm under and gets the edge.
Eight games we saw Baron Browning in action after a mid season trade with the Denver Broncos. As we say, welcome back. It is the Cardinals Red Sea report here on a Tuesday Craig Rail, Loupaul Calvic, and Kyle Vannenbosch and yes, Baron Browning is back, agreeing to terms on a two year deal with a reported fifteen million plus incentives, something Kyle, I think a lot of us. When we had the list of twenty unrestricted free agents the Cardinals had going into the offseason, Browning was maybe, if not at the top, near the top of the list based off what we saw when he was with the Cardinals for those final eight games. And then when you make the investment in a draft pick, regardless of what number it is, you want to see a return on that investment. The Cardinals saw enough last season to bring him back for two more years.
Yeah, and what we saw. Look, I don't know if there's anything more difficult than getting traded mid season, having to join a new team, pick up the defense, and go out there and be expected to make plays. And that's what he did. He went out there, he was made some for this defense, showed some you know, really good things pass rush wise, but again, a player that shows a lot of versatility, you know, was able to drop into coverage, was able to rush. You know, I saw him chasing plays down from the backside. So he plays with a good motor, good energy, and you know, the more snaps he gets because he's been limited, he's he's had some good games, he's had some you know, good seasons, but it's been limited because of injuries. You know, if he can have a healthy season, have a full off season this year to continue to develop, figure out you know, some more pass rush moves, I think he can be a real contributor and again, you know with Josh Sweat and that addition and you get some of the defensive tackles back healthy. Hopefully we add some more guys to the trenches between Baron Browning, uh bj Ojalai Xavier Thomas. I expect one of those three to elevate and get the eight to ten sacks opposite of Josh Sweat this year.
Remember he went on injured reserve early in the season in Denver in September with that foot injury, and then he came back and he definitely wasn't one hundred percent and he got squeezed out of the rotation and then the Broncos paid a couple of their guys. They said, okay, you know what, he's expendable going into a contract year. Cardinals got him for a six round pick, and he slowly steadily got better, he got more healthy. My understanding was, and this was in December, they really thought he was getting his stamina back, and so to Kyle's point, he could really go and in that second half he still had that motor and he had that drive. And next Gen Stats had a really interesting stat that the QB pressure rate, which is their analytic for how effective you are off the edge. From weeks ten to eighteen, Baron Browning jumped up to nearly sixteen percent, which was the fourteenth best mark among all the edges at least one hundred pass rushes. Here's what's notable. He was in between Brian Burns and Miles Garrett iween weeks ten and eighteen. Now, nobody's put him into that classification, bod after you gave him a six round pick and he got a little taste to what he's capable of. Former third round pickout out of Ohio State. He definitely has some skills and so to your point, Craig, you know what, bring him back and just see what sort of upside he has at this point.
Twenty one total quarterback pressures eighteen over his last five games, according to Pro Football Focus. His defensive coordinator, Nick Roalis back in December, was asked about Browning's impact on the defense.
It's been kind of well balanced, helping us in many different ways, whether it's pass rush, his ability to set edges in the run game, but then also he can do all the cover stuff with ease. You know, he's got such a versatile background playing inside, playing on the edge that he really just fits everything you know for a second down, third down, and all of it.
That's something that again when you hear the word versatility and Josh, what three down player, it's different than what a lot of people believe your edge rusher needs to be, where it's just Okay, you're gonna go get the quarterback. We're gonna give you a boatload of money because you get sacks, you get double digit sacks, you wreck games. Yet within this defense gon we've seen it time in and time again, not only do they rotate along that front seven, but they want guys that can do a number of different things and not have to be taken off the field because it's a run situation or the play that you're expecting is not suitable to your skill set.
And that's every defensive coordinator's dream is to have a number of versatile players, particularly in the front seven. We saw games where Nick Rosis did a masterful job of just dialing up you know, unconventional blitzes, sending four to a side and dropping everybody on the backside. You know, the the game against the Vikings comes to mind, where he was Nick Ross is able to dial up things and really confuse the protection of the Minnesota Vikings. And you know, that's what you do when you have players that can do everything and do everything well. Is if you're trotting on your third down pass rush specialist every time it's either second, long or third down, it becomes predictable what you're gonna do. But if you have guys that can either pressure the quarterback, drop into coverage, set hard edges in the run game, like Nick Rolis talked about, now, you can just rotate based on number of plays on the field, based on how many series you've had, based on how fresh you are throughout the course of a ball game, and you don't look to the sideline and say, well, you know, this is a fifty to fifty down. We can't put this guy on the field because he doesn't hold up against the run. And you know, again, that's what this defense is being pieced together with is guys that have talent but also have versatility and are able to do a number of things in this Nick Rollis defense.
And it's one thing for us to talk about that well. Jonathan Gannon talked exactly about that weeks back in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine. What this defense what the Cardinals defense wants.
In an edge rusher.
Can you rush the passer? Can you whoop a guy in the run game? It's a little bit of drop kind of the scheme that we play, you know, But I think the first thing that you know you're looking for is can this guy be disrupted in the passing game? And I think that's one of the things, you know, taking the full three sixty five look at us. I think that's a way that we can improve our team is to disrupt the quarterback a little bit better.
It's why Xavion Collins this thought so highly about. It's perhaps maybe we get to the point with the b Joe Julari, maybe a Xavier Thomas, but with Baron Browning, Zavin and Josh, what you have guys that you can keep on the field for all three downs?
And what if what if Nick Ralis didn't have to be a mad scientist?
Right?
What if Nick Rawlis didn't have to do what we call the eleven card pickup where guys are just walking around the box. Who's coming?
Where?
Where is this guy lining? Wait a minute, what did they innovate this week? You're Matthew Stafford At the end of the season, say, the Cardinals really had some complex, innovative defensive schemes blitz packages. Players told us at the end of last year that other teams were copying some of the stuff that Nick Ross and Jonathan Gannon had innovated. They started seeing it on film when they're watching other teams late in the year. But a lot of that was out of necessity. What if you only needed to rush for? What if you could make like Vic Fangio in the Super Bowl and never rush more than four at least have that in your arsenal at your disposal. That's how you can truly keep an offense honest where they don't know are you gonna rush for because you can get home with four or do you need to bring five or six because guess what, that's the only way you're gonna affect the quarterback.
I think part of it, though Rawless does like to hay a little bit of that difference maker as far as dialing things up a little bit differently, because he likes to be creative. To your point, PAULI, maybe he doesn't have to, but you can.
With just four?
What four?
Who are those four guys and a given play that are gonna come after the quarterback and then be able to drop seven back and force the quarterback to find an open receiver.
Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, yes, you know, bringing a linebacker, bringing a safety, bringing a corner off the edge, doesn't necessarily mean blitz to your point. As long as you can get there with four, then now we're not putting other players on the back end in a bind because if you're sending five, if you're sending six, you've got man coverage. And with some of the wide receivers in this league, it's impossible for some of these corners and safeties to stay with some of these receivers for more than you know, two or three seconds. So again it is important. You know, you don't have to get there with two defensive ends and two defensive tackles, but you do need to be able to generate pressure by sending four and by winning up front and guys that can win one on ones. And so that's where your versatility comes. I mean, we have linebackers off the ball, linebackers and safeties on this defense that can beat offensive linemen and pass for us, which you don't always see. And we have outside linebackers that do a good job dropping into coverage that can stay with a tight end man to man for a couple of seconds. So just the ability to yes, confuse quarterbacks, to confuse young offensive lines, to just you know, dial up different looks so that offenses don't have you pegg they don't figure you out in the first quarter and are able to take advantage of things in the second quarter and second half. So again, and I know we talked about it a lot, but particularly with this defense, with the amount of versatility at key positions, you know, Nick Rollis has to be licking his chops at the opportunities. He has to, you know, continue to be creative, but at the same time, if need be, you know, just send for and be able to clapch the pocket on quarterbacks.
Here are the numbers when it comes to disrupting the quarterback. Cardinals had forty one sacks. That was thirteenth, which is right there with the Eagles and the Browns. But they had the seventh lowest pressure rate. And that's what we keep hearing from Jonathan Gannon. Get that pressure rates higher on a more consistent basis. Regardless of you're bringing four, you're bringing five, you're bringing six.
Yeah, and especially in the Cardinals division, right, Matthew Stafford is excellent at getting rid of the football. Geno Smith was very hard to corral. Now you don't have to worry about that. It's Sam Darnold. But this is the challenge of being in the division. And like JG says, affecting the quarterback, you give Rock Purty all those weapons, right, he did a very good job of getting to his second, third, and fourth progressions. You can't give him that much time to make all those reads.
Speaking of the division, what has gone on within the NFC West, we'll touch on that next here on the Arizona Cardinals Radio network.
Jacobs and you have to hand off Sam rocked up in the backfield.
Sweat got there first, had a loss of two for this Packers offense.
So now it's Mayfield.
That's a throw again steps away for pressure, but not the next one.
As he gets dropped.
Josh Sweat gets home in Mayfield somehow hold out.
Of that ball.
Joe's a moment, didn't release it.
He's sacked inside the twenty five.
Josh Sweet Lawrence a druggle.
He is sacked.
Josh Sweat with the.
Sack it's fourth of the season.
Laurence said, as he throws. That was Josh Sweat who got a portion.
Of Lawrence's arm and heels under pressure again slung down twenty nine yard line.
Josh Sweat, Stafford.
Stepford so much back and Josh Sweat sacks Matthew Stafford.
Here is Harris again, try to get him going and he gets waxed.
Just nowhere to go.
Josh Sweat was there.
Here's the home's pressure right away, the whole sacks.
Josh Sweat gets home eight sacks in the regular season, two and a half sacks in the Super Bowl. Josh Swtz some of the highlights from his twenty twenty four season, his last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to reports, on his way to the Arizona Cardinals on a four year deal. And the question now is who will he be sacking within the NFC West. We know yes, Stafford is back. Rock Party remains in San Francisco, and I think the biggest surprise, Kyle might be what is going on in Seattle because Geno Smith dealt to the Raiders for a third round pick. Reunited with Pete Carroll and Sam Donald. Maybe the biggest surprise of twenty twenty four with the Minnesota Vikings now quarterbacking the Seahawks a three year deal worth reported one hundred million, with better than half of that guaranteed.
Yeah, the question is, who's Sam Donald gonna throw the football too?
And that's true as well.
Yeah, I mean it's actually kind of crazy how you know, we're all excited about a couple of editions here, but the landscape, but the nc WES is going to be dramatically different next year. And and yes, Seattle's intriguing. I mean, there's you can't argue with what we saw from Sam Donald last year and what was up until his last two games a fantastic season, looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the league, played like one of the top quarterbacks in the league. But again, you're looking at what he had around him, You're looking at you know, his play caller, and it's it. You've just got to wonder whether he can sustain that type of success throughout the three year contract he got with Seattle. You know, he Paul had alluded to earlier. You know, Geno Smith did his best when he was under pressure and teams that tried to blitz him and speed him up. You know, he was able to operate at a very high rate, whereas Sam Donald at times seems to really kind of crumble under pressure, seems to have a hard time identifying quick answers. So it'll it's an interest in the experiment, you know. I'm they went with, you know, a bit of the unknown versus the or versus the known in what they had with Gino Smith. So it would be interesting to see how Sam Donald fits in that offense.
How Donald do in those last two games the last season, right, I mean, Detroit got all that pressure and Jack stomped him. And then in the playoffs he looked terrible against the Rams because that Rams defensive front was able to eat. Guess what Seattle has not been able to do in a decade build an offensive line. They got that jank offensive line in Seattle, and now you're going to put Donald behind that. They better have it planned upgrade that offensive line, in my humble opinion, or Donald's not going to be a very good fit. Or you're really going to have to run the ball. And that's the reason they fired their offensive coordinator after one year. They want to run the ball. Well, guess what with no receivers other than JSN, they might not have any choice.
You didn't see that Josh Jones, former Arizona Cardinals draft picks were signed by the Seahawks. I did see that, even though they lost their starting guard Lake and Tomlinson. So yeah, things are things are interesting in Seattle. I'm claud Geno's out of the division. He went six to zero against the Arizona Cardinals as the starting QB with Seattle. Now, maybe questions with Seattle offensively? There are a ton of questions, though, Kyle, when you look at the San Francisco forty nine ers. All credit here to one of the reporters who covers the forty nine ers, cam Enman of the Bay Area Sports Group noted that eleven of the twenty two starters are gone from the Super Bowl in twenty twenty four, so the twenty twenty three season. So a year has gone by, and that forty nine ers offense and defense half are gone either by trade or been released or signed elsewhere.
Here's another stat on top of that, twenty five of their forty one players that had two hundred and seventy five snaps last season are no longer with the team. So they have sixteen or forty one players that you know, register two hundred and seventy five snaps. So you're not only losing, you know, tremendous playmakers. I mean, you go up and down this list. There's a lot of forty nine Ers fans going into their closet and throwing away a lot of jerseys today because there's some really good players that are leaving that roster and it will be almost an impossible task to try to replace or even come close to the talent that's walking out that door. So yeah, like I said, the landscape of the MC west is changing no place more than the San Francisco forty nine Ers, who to my knowledge up to this point, have only signed a blocking tight end in free agency.
Meantime, Meantime, their former assistant GM Adam Peters is co rushing it with Washington, is he not? If I'm owner Jed Yorke, I'm wondering if I got the wrong end of that John Lynch. Was John Lynch the guy to keep or should you have kept Adam Peters? Based on what Adam Peters has done in a season and a half, it's been really impressive in rebuilding Washington.
Laramy Tunsel now with the Commanders helping Jayden Daniels on that offense side. So yeah, it's it's going to be interesting what the forty nine ers decide to do. Kyle Yuschek and Leonard Floyd the latest to be told you are going to be released. And then with the Rams as we go to the final team in the division, the big news, at least from me, Kyle, is that DeVante Adams is now going to be on the receiving end of Matthew Stafford passes because Cooper Cup, if not traded, is going to be released by Wednesday.
Yeah, and that's a big pickup. I mean, I liked Cooper Cup. I you know, I think he's gonna have a good bounce back here. But DeVante Adams is the type of receiver, and you saw this on the Netflix Receiver Show. He's the type of receiver that elite receiver study. I mean, his route running, the way he approaches the game, his preparation, you know, he's he's a phenomenal wide receiver. In pairing him with Pooka Nikua is going to make that offense extremely dangerous.
Now, for some reason, they gave two to two out well ten million dollars next year. Four touchdowns in four years. Didn't really understand that one, but he's fully the number three or worse.
And Jimmy g is back as well to back up Stafford. So we'll see what happens in la Hey special. Thanks behind the scenes here on this Tuesday, our executive producer Jim Mamahundro, Associate producer Couldie Fincher, Technical director Matt Lazareth for Cob Nabash, Paul Calvic, I'm Craigriolou. We'll talk to you in one week's time. Here on the Arizona Cardinals Radio Network.
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