Stramp on the boots and scrape up the knuckles. Hold it ahead, he got jacked.
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Tack it over.
Here's Paul CALVICI.
I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready.
I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Woolfley, it doesn't get any better than that.
Fre Okay. Look, if a three hundred and sixty six pounds defensive lineman can run the forty yard dash today at the NFL Combine, if Andy Reid can reveal to the media that Taylor Swift actually baked homemade hop tarts for the offensive line earlier this season and in fact, the head coach didn't get one. And if Kyler Murray can take a picture with d Book and Corbyn Carroll at a charity event, right, and it's labeled best in
the valley of all that can happen. Ron Wolfley, in fact, speaking to Kyler, you realize his our Franchise QB tweet has now been viewed more than twelve million times and we haven't even finished out the week.
Yeah.
See, we can absolutely do the big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are Santane Ford, Paul Calvic here, Ron Wolfley there.
And Paulie too. When that tweet came out, that acts if you will. When that came out, remember that was the first day of the combine right there. To me, Paully, that truly does mark the first day of the offseason, the new NFL season. Now technically it's not, of course, we all know that doesn't start until in March. But for me, that is the start of the new NFL season, the first day of the combine.
Yeah, we know it's March thirteenth, the official start, because there are various things that happen five days after March thirteenth. The Denver Broncos would owe Russell Wilson some thirty seven million guaranteed. So everybody now, Russell Wilson will not be the Denver Broncos quarterback by the time that date rolls around. But as for right here, right now, in fact, moments ago, you had Jared Verse, the Florida State defensive ends sixty four two fifty four, running a four to six flat
forty the identical same time as Will Anderson. They have almost the exact same measurables last year NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Chop Robinson, the edge player out of Penn State who has been linked to the Cardinals and a lot of mock drafts, ran a four to four to eight.
Oh no, he didn't, Paul, Did he really run a four to four eight?
And you know why he's named Chop because when he was born, he was fourteen pounds at birth and his nickname was pork Chop. And they just.
Still don't weigh fourteen pounds.
All right, let's get down to it here, Okay, Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert.
Look.
A little bit later, we're gonna get a one on one with Daniel Jeremiah from the Combine, Darren Urban, Danny Surrette, Craig Griolu. All there, we got boots on the ground in Indianapolis. Danny's gonna go one on one with Jonathan Gannon. We'll hear that a little bit later. We're gonna hear all about Garrett Williams. We'll continue our close examination of just a just a robust rookie class from a year ago.
But let's go into the trenches here. Maniasin Ford talking to the media and he was answering the question, all right, you know what, you gotta find the player, but you also have to find the person what goes into that.
Anytime that we add a player to our building, it's it's gonna be we're gonna talk about the fit not only on the field, it off the field as well. And so that's why this week is such a big step in that process, is that we can we can meet with players, we can compare the information that we have coming in here to our take once we get a chance to sit down across from them. Ultimately, we owe it to the locker room to bring in people that have the right mindset.
Ron wolf Lee, would you say that the new decision makers, Maniasapborn head coach Johnathan Gattin, they have made that a premium part of hitting the reset button, finding those sorts of players, not just what they see on film, but what they encounter in person.
Yeah, Paulie, We've been talking about this for a long long time, ever since Manias and Fort and JG started voicing their opinion on culture and what the culture they were looking for and what they wanted to build here. I mean, this is not a surprise whatsoever. They have a clear cut dude in their head. It doesn't matter, paul if you're a cornerback, if you're an edge player,
if you're a running back, whatever where it is. I think Mani, Austin, Fort and JG have a clear cut image in their head as to what kind of person they want to be that player. And that really is the difference right now, Pauli. And that's why the interview process this week is going to be huge at the combine.
When many usin Fort tells the media this week quote that I would put the character in the football makeup of a player and rate it as much as important as the on field ability end quote. You realize the importance, right and when you have Jonathan Gannon asked at the Combine, all right, so what is culture to you? And he said, it's who you are, it's how you behave. Culture is just a fancy word for those two things that player
has to fit a locker room. You know what we value and if you have enough of those guys, you will win. That's according to Jonathan Gannon.
Yeah, and you know again, that's why these interviews are so critical at the Combine. I think Paulli forty five, you're forty five in views at the Combine, and I believe they are twenty minutes long. Can you imagine sitting all of those all of those meetings, Paul, And you know me, I'd love to be one of the guys sitting around that table just so I could look at it, dude and say, why, sir do you play this game? Why do you play the game of football? I'd love
to hear that answer right there. But man, forty five dudes for twenty minutes, I don't know, Paul.
All right, So, speaking of those meetings, jonathanana has asked, what do you hope to learn from the prospects when you have that precious fifteen or twenty minutes per.
If they love ball and if they're team guys. First, it's awesome meeting with them, getting to start them to know them as people before you really dive into the tape, but really looking for what I call the price of admission if they fit that. So we've had a lot of good guys that we've already talked to. We've got a lot more meetings schedule the next couple of days, so it's really cool process for us.
Now, a lot of these guys are coached up Wolf. So how tough do you think it is to discern what's truly in side a player, what truly motivates a guy.
Yeah, PAULI, I think you've got to ask him directly what he loves about the game and then listen to his answer, because Paulie, you know this. These scouts they've already seen this guy on tape. Right, Manti assen Ford has already seen this guy on tape. They got that what you go to the combine for. It's the interview process, yes, but you're looking for verification for what you've already seen on tape. You're looking for a guy to go out there and compete and verify what it is that you
have seen right there. And maybe sometimes if a guy does so well, you're going to go back to the tape and you're going to look at it right now. But when you listen to that, Paulie, and you listen to a guy that is talking about love ball, you gotta love ball? Will you define that for me? What does that mean? That's a statement, he's got a love ball, But when you get right down to it, what does that mean? That's why the interview processes oh critical.
So one player who has really stolen some of the spotlight is Terry and Arnold the corner. Most rate him the number one corner in this draft out of Alabama, and he told the media earlier today that Jonathan Gannon told me to get up, get up from my seat during the interview and demonstrate my press technique. And I said, coach, you want me to hit you for real? And JG said, yeah, hit me, go ahead, and he said, I hit him.
I showed him my press technique. And Darren Urban actually confirmed that with Jonathan Gannon confirmed that moment moment really happened. Can't you see that happening with Jonathan Gannon and some of these players.
Totally, I totally see that happening. So gotta be kidding me bad. I mean, it is so cool right there. But again, you know what's cool about this? If you ask your guy. I was kind of joking with you, but Paulie, I really would why do you play this game?
What? Why do you love the game of football? Listen to what the guy says, and then think of the tape, Paul of the tape, right is what he's saying. Does that match up to what you actually see on tape. It's got to do that ball and if it does, man, it's gonna be very impressive, and I'm sure his grade is going to be higher and he's gonna go up well Gann.
It was also asked about playing rookies because the Cardinals did that more than any other team, and he said, yeah, we put the guys out there we think can win the game. But the quicker they get to play the quicker, you see what they are. He said, that could be good or that could be bad, but you get to see him and then you're able to make your evaluation. And that's where that evaluation really starts. Right now in
person with so many of these interviews. In fact, we'll talk in death about Garrett Williams is a great story. Monio Support recently told about meeting Garrett Williams last year. At this time, Hey joined the Cardinal season ticket priority list for twenty twenty four. Home opponents include the Bears, Chargers, Patriots, Jets, Lions, Commanders, and the NFC West. Go to Asycardinals dot com slash priority list. We continue with a big red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert.
That's one of the challenges of the draft is trying to anticipate. You know, I don't think we're quite at that point yet where we're going to try to figure out what's going to go on in front of us. We're still in the evaluation of our own board and trying to get guys where we think and the value and putting them where we think for our team, you know, further down the line, maybe once we get into the middle of April, the last couple of weeks leading up to.
The draft, then we'll start to try to predict what.
Might happen in front of us, behind us, around us, And that's part of the strategy of the draft.
There you go Cardinals, GM MONIASI for this week at the NFL Combine twoenty twenty four, continues through the weekend, and in fact you'll see on the weekend Saturday quarterbacks, receivers and running backs, and then on Sunday offensive line today, d line and linebackers tomorrow DB's and tight ends. That's how it's going down, Paul calvic Ron Wolfley the Big
Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert. Later in his media session at the Combine, Many austin Ford said, yeah, you know what, I'm sure calls will start to come in at number four and quote, we're going to make our fair share of calls too, end quote. What is your expectation? What are the odds considering the Cardinals traded on a number three a year ago, what are the chances they do the same thing and trade out a number four this year?
Paulie, I think it all depends on who is there at number four. This is just me, you know my take on this. I could be dead wrong right now. Many austin Ford could actually be listening to this and just laughing hysterically. Somehow, someway, he's actually listening to this and he's going, man, we'll play you so far off
it's not even funny. But I think if Marvin Harrison Junior is there, I think the Arizona Cardinals will, this is just my opinion, will draft Marvin Harrison Junior at number four if he's not there, or if they get an incredible offer they cannot say no to. Because I do believe there will be teams that are desperate for a wide receiver, one who might move up and give you the house. If that happens, maybe I could see Mani ausin Fort moving down like he did with Paris
Johnson Junior, and then coming back up. Maybe they moved down to number thirteen somewhere around there, right where the Raiders are actually picking, and then they come back up. I could see that scenario happening, because Mani's already done it. You know.
It's interesting. Daniel Jeremiah, and we'll hear an extending interview with him momentarily. He was asked earlier about, Okay, what would it take the Raiders to move from thirteen to number three? That was a question. So, considering the Cardinals are in number four, he estimated the value to that team would be the thirteenth overall pick. It would be your first round pick and third round pick next year, and your first round pick in twenty six. Ooh, that's pretty enticing.
That is steep.
Yes, so there's that. As for Marvin Harrison junior, maniasin Fort was asked about him at his pre session and he said, quote, We've done a lot of work on Marvin Harrison junior. Ah, yes, that's all he said, though.
But Paully, no, he did not. You know. He also followed that up with this is a very very deep wide receiver class. Yes, okay. Now I've just thought you want as a general manager, you want your opponent, You want anyone out there who is watching you to believe you'll do whatever they don't want you to do. You will do it. Whatever you don't want me to do, I'm going to do. You want to keep all your doors wide open.
Say you want my sleeper trade candidate.
Yeah.
The New York Giants at number six, we keep hearing about Atlanta. At eight, keep hearing about Minnesota and Denver in Vegas. Right eleven through thirteen, there's a lot of chatter about the Giants and how they can cut Daniel Jones after this coming season and save about nineteen million. They met with Caleb Williams. Why so, there's a lot of thinking. So think about that. If they come up to the Cardinals at four and the Cardinals go down to six, oh, you could still get a Roma doonsay?
You could still get a Terry and Arnold the top. You could get the top edge guy, the top d tackle. I mean, six would be a great spot, and you get some further draft capital, perhaps from the New York Giants. I like that potential scenario.
Yeah, no, I like it as well. But see what's cool about this is you've already got how many picks in the top ninety one, Paul? How many?
Six?
Yes, six picks in the top ninety one?
Eleven total and eleven.
Total of course, but man, six picks in the top ninety one right now, and you've got a wide receiver, one who could be a generational talent, a kid that is a bit of a freak. When you look at Marvin Harrison Junior and the fact that did you see this, Paul, have you heard this story where they stood Marvin Harrison Junior, who's six ' four next to his dad, Marvin Harrison
and Paul. Their hipline was exactly the same. What. Yes, Marvin Harrison's only six feet tall, his son is six ' four, Yet the hipline was the same, which explains why he runs such good routes. His legs aren't really long, his torso is long ball. This is the kind of thing right now that happens at the combine, right.
Well, it's an epic receiver class between Marvin Harrison Junior, Roma Dunesay, and Malik Neighbors. So you know there's all that. I mean, what do you make of it? Well, guess what. Greg Griilu, Danny Sirek a good get, and Daniel Jeremiah. They sat down with him at the twenty twenty four combine.
This week, I've read a number of different mock drafts, including yours.
Quarterbacks do that to yourself quarterbacks.
Going one, two, and three. So where the Cardinals sit at number four?
Good position?
It's an awesome position. Yeah, I mean it's pole position because they're literally they're more than likely going to get their pick of any other position in the drafts. It's your choice and if you want to auction it, if you feel like you want to auction it, you might have a chance to do that. If somebody wants to them up for Marvin Harrison Junior, you might have a chance to move the pick. But I think more than likely we do have quarterback. Quarterback quarterback. I don't need trades
and mock drafts. So it's kind of switch it up and put a different quarterback to a different team. Did it with the Giants. But I think if you know, if three New England does not want to take a quarterback, they'd be almost dumb to stick and pick when they could get something for that pick for somebody coming up. Which again Cardinal's sitting there staring at everybody.
Which positions are deepest in this year's draft class, Well.
I almost feel like it's the same every year.
Now.
As wide receiver we are this is college game is just spitting out wide receivers left and right, so we have a ton of wide outs. That's the deepest position in the draft. I would say offensive tackles would be next. It could be a record setting year for first round tackles. I think that there's a chance we see eight. I think seven, I want to say, is the record. So it's a really really good group. After you get to those first you know, eight to nine guys. I think
it starts to fall off pretty good. I don't know that this draft is a great depth draft. You know, rounds five and six, don't you know There's been other years I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm in Ross Saint Brown's They're in the fourth round, Like, how that possible? This year's not that, it's it's a it feels to me like a three round draft. It's really really good for those three rounds, and those probably have two deepest positions.
Wide receiver and offensive tackle, two positions the Cardinals need Crag absolutely.
And in your latest two point zero as far as your top fifty prospects, you have three wide receivers in your top four, four in your top sixteen number one wide receivers, all three of those names. How do you differentiate what is a best fit for a particular team.
I mean, some days you wake up and you feel like going for a run. Some days you wake up I feel like going for a bike ride. You know, some days you might want to do some polities. I don't know if it's just like they're all they're all whatever flavor that you want. What do you what are you looking for. I mean, if you want the run after catch and the explosiveness, you're gonna love Neighbors for what he brings there.
You know.
Marvin Harrison Junior kind of is, you know, a complete package obviously with all the size that he has, and a Duneza is the one who can go up and get contested catches and play above the rim. And he's actually better at that than Marvin is in terms of
contested catches. So they all have distinct strengths. You know, I have it Marvin Harrison Junior at Dunesay, then Neighbors just from my personal preference because I feel like when you get to third down, red zone and then in the playoffs, the windows shrink, and those are those that's how you win games, That's how you win championships as guys who can win in crowds, and that to me is why I had the bigger guys over Neighbors.
You can feel like a risk to potentially use the fourth overall pick on a wide receiver a dependent position. It's worked out well in the past for the Cardinals and they drafted Larry Good.
Yeah, he worked out all right.
Which attributes are telling when a wide receiver is really good in college and can transition those skills into the pros.
Well.
I look at it like the flip side of what should be a warning sign if you're if you're going in on a receiver. To me, when you have this is like the killer traits here when you're stiff, when you have inconsistent hands, and you have a limited route tree. Those are like if you find a guy who has all three of those things, it's like blinking lights buyer beware. Now with these guys, you know, neighbors will let some balls get into his chest every now and then, but
he's got reliable hands. None of the top three guys have any of those warning sets.
Defensively, the Cardinals need help as well. Line of scrimmage. Secondary edge rusher I think, at least for me, would be the biggest need. Where do you see those positions relative to the depth of the prospects on this.
Yeah, I mean, if you're going to look on the defensive side of the ball, corners that is the deepest there's as a really you know, deep crop of corners. So if you're going to say, you know, man, I've got an edgeresser, I like in a corner. I like you take the edge rusher, that would be you know, the move to make there with that second pick. What it's number twenty seven, right, so you're looking at you know, if this chop Robinson get there, potentially from Penn State
would be an option there, Darius Robinson from Missouri. Those that's kind of like the collection of you know, those types of players you're looking at that point in time.
Which positions do you prioritize in this specific draft that can have a trickle down fact to have a positive impact on the rest of the defense.
Why I always you know, everybody has different thoughts on it. I'm still a front to back believer that if you can build up the front, it'll take some ease, some pressure off the back.
You know.
Bill Belichick kind of famously towards the end of his career kind of flip that and just said, let's put our resources in the secondary and I can manufacture a pass rush. So you can do it either way. But I still think that's the way you do it. And I think when you look inside the division, it's what
the forty nine ers have done. You know, they are strong front to back and that's how they're built, So that to me is where the priority would start and that you know, look free agencies where you can get a leg up there. But I think to me they need to double down and continue to add resources to that front.
So when you're looking overall arching, what would you say are the most glaring needs for the Cardinals to address with some of their I mean they've got eleven draft picks, They've got six in the top one hundred, most in the league. What are the glaring needs for the Cardinals to address?
I think if they come out of this draft and they get an impact player on each side of the line of scrimmage, offensive line, defensive line, and then they could get two dynamic players. Now you can one of those guys probably gonna have to be raw when you think about the receiver or the dB. But just getting some juice, some explosiveness, you know, with the receiver in a defensive back and with the resources they have, I think that's accomplishable. But you know, the old it's like
the old Sunday school of visual though. If you want to get all that stuff in the jar, you know, the rocks, the sand, the water, like you got to get the big rocks in first.
So to me, you don't want to leave the first.
Round without a big So if we're going to dedicate that fourth pick to taking the playmaker, I think that that next pick has to be an offense or a defensive one.
That's great stuff. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Draft analyst right with Craig Griglu Danny Surrek. For the entire interview. All you have to do is search Cardinals Cover two every year podcast, go to the Cardinals YouTube page. So that's interesting, Wolf, we know offensive tackle, we know receiver is really deep.
He says corner is deep as well. You know what that makes me think with the Cardinals first pick in the first round, it's going to be either edge or d tackle because you can get those other three position groups later in a loaded draft, but there's not nearly as many guys to play along the defensive front.
Yeah, it's really interesting, Polly, I would disagree with you. I think this is all gonna be about building around Kyler Murray, and that means you've got to protect Kyler Murray. And the best way to protect Kyler Murray is to go ahead and get him a offensive lineman, maybe an interior offensive lineman. Graham Barton. Maybe an offensive tackle Paully
you bring him in, Tyler Giden. Maybe it's a situation where you also have a Marvin Harrison junior that is a huge force for him in the secondary and maybe gets the ball out quicker because he can see him that much easier a guy that is running such excellent routes. I think it's all about protecting Kyler Murray, and you do that via offensive lineman and targets. He can throw the ball too.
I'll say this, though, the Cardinal's first four draft picks, if it ends up being offensive tackle, defensive line, corner, and receiver in some order, you know, I mean, I think it's probably gonna be those four positions in some order. The question is who exactly comes first in that sequence. And I'll say this, Jonathan Gana and Maniasivor talked about
how they value versatility and defensive lineman so much. They told the media that again, it does make me think of Darius Robinson, the guy that Daniel Jeremiah named out of Missouri. He plays anywhere from the one technique all the way out to the edge. He tore it up with the Senior Bowl. He's supposedly going to test really well, and he was just a force at Missouri.
Yeah, he was a force, no doubt about it. I like Chop Robinson as well. I really like this guy, PAULI. Did he run an excellent forty times? Were you just talking about four eight four four four to eight, PAULI? From a guy that's two hundred and fifty pounds in Job Robinson right now? I like that out there on the edge. But let me just say, Polly, I really loved that. Daniel Jeremiah reacted to the number four spot and called it the pole position in this draft. Isn't
that interesting? Paul? He called it the pole position because quarterback, quarterback, quarterback is the way he sees this going. And then the draft starts when you get away from the quarterback and you got a position, a position room you might want a draft.
And well, if I know you're flying the flag for the Marvin Harrison Junior fan Club, I get it. But did you also catch where he said roma Doonsay had more contested catches, Yes, than the Ohio State All American And it's true, I got it right here. He had twenty one Marvin Harrison Junior at thirteen and by the way, Roma Doonsay is six three two fifteen and might run a sub four four. He was the high school state two hundred meter champion.
Yeah, I'm just saying. He did say that Marvin Harrison Junior was the complete package. She did.
All right, listen to your favorite Cardinals podcast. All you have to do is search Cardinals podcast, Azycardinals dot Com Slash podcast. We continue at a Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert.
I do think that we have a good plan in place to improve our players and get better culture. Guys is people and how you behave.
That's it.
It's not some fancy word.
It's like, hey, like, who do you have and how do we behave on a daily basis? Right, So it's my job to hold them to that set, say hey, this is what we want and then let's make sure we do it, and when it's right, we point that out, and when it's not right, we point that out. And then ultimately the locker room took that.
Over This year, there go Jonathan Gannon, really interesting and he's really fourth right with the media, and you know they asked him for example, Okay, as a new head coach, What did you learn your takeaways year one? He said, you know what I learned to delegate. I learned to trust people, you know. And he said, I made my biggest jump as a position coach from year one to year two, and I expect that out of myself in my second year as a head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
There he was from the combine. In fact, that is where we have boots on the ground, Darren Rman, Danny Sirek, Craig Greeley, which is the big red rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. We are Santan Ford, Paul Kelbc, Ron Molfley. Well, if would you have enjoyed playing for Jonathan Gannon?
Yes, I believe with all my heart, Polly, that I would have fit really, really well into this kind of culture right here now listen. He doesn't have a full back steam fall, so I doubt that I would have been here. But in terms of the culture, yeah, I think I would have fit like a glove. I really do. I mean, this is one of the things I love about these two guys many as and Ford and Jonathan Gannon. It's the fact they know exactly the type of human being they want inside that locker room.
In fact, with no further ado, let's just kick it to Danny Sirec. She had a chance to sit down with Jonathan Gann and the Cardinals head coach here this week and they got into some big picture topics about the big red.
You've said, you talk every day with general manager Mani asin Ford, especially this week when it comes to player evaluations and interviews. When it comes to finding the right fit, it's about the price of admission, which not everybody pays. How much is the price of admission to become an Arizona Cardinal.
Yeah, it's a lot. And what we're talking about there is the people that they are in their football character. So we like to look for certain things, you know, just as they're going through their college career, what that looks like for us when they submerge into our culture with the Arizona Cardinals, what we think is needed to get the job done. And last year's draft class all paid that price of admission, so mining his staff and we did a really good job on that.
So that's what we're looking for this year.
Reflecting on last season, four wins defensively twenty ninth passing defense, thirty second in the run. What's required to turn things around and become a threatening defense and just one.
Off set a lot obviously not where we need to be to win enough football games to be relevant in January, as I would say, and I think continuity of the coaching staff and some of the things that we did last year moving into year two will help the players that are here. And then you know, obviously excited about the acquisition phase too. You know, free agency in the
draft always add new people to the room. But the guys that we have back, they did a good job of trying to do what we wanted them to do, and I think obviously there's a big area and a big room for a jump and improvement going into year two.
He saw eight games with your franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. His presence immediately rejuvenated the offense the team as a whole offensively, What pieces are missing where, if addressed, can elevate his play and in turn, the offense is play as a whole of EI.
Yeah, I wouldn't say miss and I would just say we're looking to add good football players everywhere, and the offensive line, I always think in my mind that's where I look to first, you know, because there's five guys on that and they got a tough job and they're running pass game. And then and then how many playmakers can we surround Kyler with? You know? So, and that comes in all kinds of different shapes and sizes and forms and positions. So as long as we add good football players will be.
On our way.
You've said this offseason you want to tear things down with your staff and keep them on their toes. What good are you carrying over from last year to build.
Upon a lot?
Yeah, I mean I think like certain things, just our standard of our you know, our way of doing certain things I think was good, and the players liked it and they're comfortable with that, and they showed improvement with that. But I want us to really what I was talking about with that comment was I want us to have a growth mindset and making sure that we're talking and thinking about everything that we're doing and to make sure
that it's the best thing for the players. And as long as we're improving I say, individually and collectively, then the players will improve. So that's what I wanted done this offseason. They've done a good job with it.
First year as a head coach, check done. What was the biggest lesson learned?
I got to delegate, got to delegate a little bit, I got, I got we have really good people in the building. Michael went out and you know, the people that he'd let us hire were exactly what I was looking for, and so I listened to those guys. So I listened to them and then I delegate some responsibility at times. But it was it was fun. But I'm looking forward to the growth for myself in year two as well. Just being on a job, you know, the
the greatest experiences experience. So going into year two, I have to improve my game too, So I'm working on that.
At what point what week did you realize I got to delegate a little bit more?
Training camp?
Okay, training camp?
Yeah, training camp.
It kind of hit me. So but that was cool.
People were ready to do that, you know what I mean. So that that was That was kind of a neat experience for me a little stressful, but it was good.
You were pretty hyped in the war room last year's draft, which makes sense money also for it was making big moves. How prepared are you for the Manti magic this.
Yeah, I was just gonna sit back and you know, get your popcorn ready.
It's good stuff right there. Jonathan Gannon with Danny Sirek. Catch the entire interview YouTube dot com slash Az Cardinals. All right, so in order of appearance there, uh talking about player acquisition and we've obviously talked a lot about the draft and that comes from the combine free agency. Ron Wolfley because on Arizona Sports last week, the owner Michael Bidwell said we're going to be active in free agency. In fact, you use the words very active. MANI said
we're going to be active in free agency. What does that mean? I can't spell that out right now, Dot dot dot. What do you think that means?
You know what, Paulie, I really don't think we're going to see a big free agent splash. That is just me. I don't think that is the Mani Austin fort way. You know, Mani asin for Paulie. You talked to him as well, and I just think that Mani Austin Ford is more about building through the draft in supplementing with free agency. Of course, I don't know if we're going to see a big signing via free agency based on what he did last year. I thought it was very
very interesting. He brought in a bunch of pros. Paul guys who were pros brought him in here. Kaiser White is a guy that I will point to and say, this is a pro. Kaizer White didn't go, of course to the Pro Bowl. Hasn't been in the Pro Bowl. We know that. But Kaizer White, he only played eleven games last year. This is a guy who is a pro and a guy that's going to go out there and he's never going to get you beat at the NFL level. That's what I think. He's going to be
looking for more and more and more guys. Now they actually paid Kaiser White, actually gave him a little bit of money, But I don't think we're going to see a twenty million dollars signing a year Pully. I think Manti asen Ford is about building through the draft and then using free agency to supplement.
Yeah, I had forecast. I would agree with you. I would say this though. The reason I think in part they gave Kaysier money the most money Kayser White the most money of any free agent is because they knew him so well. True, is there a defensive lineman out there, they trust an edge guy, they trust a corner out there, because right now the defensive line room it's an empty cupboard. I mean, you need guys and you could really use a game wrecker in so, yes, I wonder about that
and the difference from last offseason. You have about fifty million available in spending power.
Yeah, that's right, Paully. You know it's it's very interesting because just listening to you talk right there, would you say Fletcher Cox would be a guy that time? You might just you know what I mean? There he is and we all know that. Fletcher Cox, of course a guy that has been an awesome three technique and the National Football League for a long time. He's thirty three years old right now he might be at that point where suddenly it's going to be a change of scenery
for him. What could you possibly get Fletcher Cox for Paul? And what kind of discount might he actually give Jonathan Gannon and Manti Assin for it to come out here to Arizona, beautiful Arizona and play that. That is the question that I have right now, Paul. Would he give him a hometown discount so to speak? That's right.
The Niners got Javon Hargrave, So Cardinals go after Fletcher Cox. Yeah, there you go. That'd be a by the way. He also mentioned Kyler Murray in that interview, and it was interesting to hear Jonathan Gannon tell the media in Indianapolis that you know what the game is going to go through one and then he talked about how it's one thing to be a cornerback in a new system, but when you're a quarterback in a new scheme and you don't have an entire offseason actually rep it because you're
coming back from a knee injury. You know, we saw some of Kyler's best ball at the very end. It makes sense, and he still thinks there's plenty of upside Kyler in this offense.
Yeah, PAULI no doubt about it. And what do you gotta do. You got to protect Kyler Murray. That's what you gotta do. I loved his answer right there when Danny asked him what pieces are missing to help Kyler, he said, the offensive line is where I look first, and then how many playmakers can we surround him with? There?
It is right there offensive lineman to protect him and also to protect him with wide receivers who are going to get open and run the right routes and be in the right spot to get the ball.
I keep citing the Detroit Lions, the Honolulu blue print, if you will. Yes, they went and they got Calvin Johnson and he was a Hall of Famer. What to do for their postseason fortunes. But when they started focusing on the offensive line and they shunned Jamar Chase or they didn't have a shot at him, they ended with Penny Sewell right then boom. They just they focused on that offensive line. And so whether it's that, whether it's the defensive line, whether it's corner, we'll talk about that
when we come back and name some names. It's the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert we Are.
Santane forward, shotgun snap Smith moves to his left, rolling that way, hump fake now throws harside.
Picked off at the one yard line, It's intercepted by the rookie Williams out of Syracuse, his first game after missing the last twelve months doing an injury suffered at Syracuse in the middle of the season. He makes a huge play picking off Geno Smith in the Red zone.
He knows mea level ls he Gara Williams, Lizizi present the Welcome to the NFL Wuchacho Garra Williams as Luis Hernandez, preceded by Dave Pash. Yes, that is the interception times to English and Spanish. That was his debut in the NFL, after coming back from the knee injury that Kurt tailed his final season at Syracuse. There he was mid season at Seattle. As soon as he was available. He was in the lineup, the starting Nickel and Boom comes away
with the takeaway. It's the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert. We are santan Ford, Paul calvic Ron Wolfley our special NFL combine addition, and you go back to the combine where the Cardinals were blown away by Garrett Williams. At least that's the story Monyosip Fort and Jonathan Gannon have told recently where there they were wolf And you mentioned it earlier. You got like thirty interviews in a row, right, all fifteen minutes a piece
at speed dating. You get to the end of the day, it's ten o'clock in the evening. You are dragging and worn out, and they said the very last interview was Garrett Williams, and within the first minute he had them on the edge of their seat, and by the time he left that room in the interview, they looked at each other and said, if we have a shot at that guy, we're going to turn in the card with his name on it. And sure enough it happened in the third round.
Yeah, you know, Paul, I also thank Gerrett Williams two is going to be the starting corner for the Arizona Cardinals and the nickel corner. I think that that really is where his future is now. Once again, I'm not saying that Garrett Williams can't play on the outside. He's big enough to actually play on the outside. He's five ten, about one hundred and ninety two pounds. He's big enough to actually play out there. He proved that of course
last year. But I really think the future for Garrett Williams is inside that nickel corner over maybe a number three receiver in the slots. I think that's where his future is. But having said that, they need to find more guys like him, Paul.
Yeah, Well, it was after that interception. The very next week we had him on the Big Red Rage. And you might remember when we asked Garrett Williams about playing slot corner.
Things are moving fast, but you got to adjust with it, you know. So definitely a big adjustment because when you're at a corner, your vision is just so different than when you're playing this slot. When you're a corner, you can kind of see everything around you. When you're in the slot, you kind of got to search a little bit more, you know, to see the full formation and things like that.
You know, what else stands out to me about that interview just to what degree he's a thinking man's coin.
Yeah.
Look, I'm not blowing your cover by saying you're not exactly the biggest fan of college football, and he agreed with you for the same reason because to him, college football is a little bit simplistic and he's not even a year removed from the college game. And he talked about how he enjoys how complex the NFL is.
Yeah, and you know, Pall two. Garrett Williams is a physical guy as well. I think he's a good from what I saw, He's a good open field tackler for the most part, and an he tackles with some physicality. Once again, it's not a surprise to me because this is exactly what JG and maniassin Ford are looking for, guys that are physical football players. When you say our culture is going to be about physicality, and that's one
of the things. That's one of the things they look for in a football player is a guy that is physical. When you say that, you're talking about blocking and tackling, and it does no matter what position the guy plays. You're looking for somebody who plays it physically. Garrett Williams is that guy.
Buddha Baker knows that guy when he sees one. Right, here's the six time Pro Bowl or Buddha Baker when he was asked about Garrett Williams.
Garrett is a pro.
You know, he knows the ins and outs of what his job is supposed to be. And it's definitely special to have, you know, a young guy like that understand his job and know what to do each and every place. So he's going to continue to get better as a player, continue to gain knowledge on the field as well, and you know, sky's the limit for him.
And look, he wasn't the only rookie to play. Starling Thomas was a starting corner for quite a bit of the latter part of the season. They started this season with six round rookie Key Troll Clark as a starter. You know, well, if we talk a lot about O line, D line in this draft, receiver obviously, but could corner be the sleeper pick? For example, Terry and Arnold, we mentioned how he met with the Cardinals. The Alabama corner
considered the top corner prospect in this draft. I mean, if he ends up being the Cardinals pick, maybe not at four, but if they trade down the middle of the first round, would you be surprised by that?
You know, no, I would not, Paully, I would not be surprised. And cornerback for the most part, once again is probably the second Yeah. As a matter of fact, Daniel Jeremiah said that, yep, cornerback was probably the second deepest position in the draft right now. As a matter of fact, there are estimated ten cornerbacks that are going to go in the first seventy picks of the draft. Wow, ten, Pauli in fifteen overall, so in the top one hundred. So that's going to be interesting to watch because I
think the Cardinals at number twenty seven. Could be very interested in who is there.
Here's some of the top names we mentioned, Terry and Arnold from Bama, Quinny and Mitchell from Toledo. He bawled out and just went way up everybody's draft board at the second BA get to it, paul Then you have Ennis Rakestraw from Missouri, Okay. And then you at number four Nate Wiggins of Clemson. By the way, he says he ran a four to two seven recently and he's good. He's going to be a Blazer, a burner in the forty. And then the fifth one on the board that I saw was Cooper de jan from Iowa.
Okay.
Wait a minute, late, kool Aid mckinstree.
You did have kool Aid mckinstreet ball. You might have the best name in the entire draft. And you know this is a guy that was down in the SEC playing ball for Bama.
Well, he was opposite Terian Arnold and those two would push each other. So you're right. I mean, could kool Aid McKinstry be the Cardinals pick at thirty five, for example? I could definitely see that happening.
I don't know, Paulie. I've got my heart set on Graham Barton at thirty five right now. I think he's probably gonna go higher. I think he'll probably go in the twenties somewhere, but who knows. He might fall in this draft. And if he does, man, I've got Graham Barton slated for number thirty five.
By the way, based on what all the coaches and GM's were saying at the combine this week, here's my forecast. I'm gonna look into the Crystal Football and I'm gonna project a few things. You ready, justin fields traded to Atlanta, that's gonna happen. Caleb Williams will be drafted by the Bears. Russell Wilson will go to Pittsburgh after he's cut because based on what Sean Payton was saying to the media,
that decision is coming really soon. By the way, it's interesting to hear the Broncos GM George Payton say we've gotten no trade calls on Russell Wilson, so that was interesting they gave that up. I'm thinking the Seahawks are gonna rock the world and take Michael Pennox number sixteen. Overall, they're gonna keep him in Seattle. And I also think that the Cardinals will trade out from number four, and it's going to a team in desperate need of a quarterback,
whether it's Minnesota, Denver, the Giants, the Raiders, whomever. And I think JJ McCarthy is gonna be that guy who's gonna climb the draft boards. Maybe Bo Nicks. But you know, our new saying, our campaign slogan is let there be a fourth QB, because then Manti asen Fort is presented with the option of either trading out and taking the bonanza from a quarterback desperate team, or you stay at four and take the best position player.
You know. Once again, Paulie, I absolutely love it. I can see that possibly happening, number four being there and MANI trading back again and then jumping back up after collecting some more picks, including another first round pick. I mean, I love that scenario right there, as long as Marvin Harrison Junior isn't there at far.
Speaking of receivers, the Vikings gym called Justin Jefferson quote the best receiver, the best non quarterback in the NFL, and he should be compensated as such. He realizes he just lost all leverage there right by making that comment to the Media. A Cardinal Student Pass allows college students to get in full on Cardinals internships, discounts, networking events, ticket offers, and Morgodaisycardinals dot Com Slash Student Pass Special.
Thanks to Craig Grielu, Danny Surrek, Darren Urban for all the content from Indian Apple Listen the NFL Combine Special. Thanks as always jim O, Mohundro, Cody Fincher, Matt Lazarus, Ron Wolfley on Paul Calvic. This has been the Big Red Rage as the NFL Combine continues through the weekend, all presented by santan Ford. We are santan Ford.
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