Big Red Rage - Checking In From The Combine

Talk to an agent today at eight hundred State Farm and buy Arizona Cardinals podcasts, Visit acy Cardinals dot Com, Slash podcasts, The Rods Rising Guard, temperaturizing vision, flurring, rage taking over. Here's Paul cal VC. Get the popcorn ready, It's gonna be a show, and Ron will fleep. It doesn't get any better than that. Unleash the far who says that real headlines Ron Wolfley never come out of

the combine. I mean, come on, you know it's almost always and only the speculation and the conjecture by design right that comes out of the combine. I mean, not only this week, but every stinking year. We get it right. The deflection, the line, the misleading, double speak, from the nuance and the nonsense to the hogwash and the balder dash. You know what, not this year, not today, we got real news that you can sink your teeth into like

a Ron Wolfley double Pepperoni sandwich. As the first signings of the offseason happened to be the GM and the head coach through two thousand twenty seven, as we say, welcome into the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert. We are Santan Ford, Paul Calvci here, Ron Wolfley there. You know, Polly, don't don't you don't make me tell you my combines because you know, Paul, you

know that story. We have no time for that. PAULI were thankfully time whatsoever the very first combine ever right here in temper Arizona at ASU. Paul, don't make me tell that story yet. I'm glad you got me distracted. At Polly, where do you begin on the news of the day with Steve Gaiman Cliff Kingsbury getting extensions. I'm about the fact that it's scooped everybody who saw it come to show a hands. I mean, come on, now, right, I mean, you know, look, did it start when they

started seven and zero, ten and two? Were we talking about it back in November. I specifically remember us having the conversation around Thanksgiving, like, hey, wait a minute, m guess what you know? The head coach, the defensive coordinator, the GM these are all guys who seemingly would be in line for a contract extension, and obviously that was put on pause and for good reason through December and January.

But you come up for air, You put up the periscope, You look around, you examine the landscape, and you say, okay, you know one. You'll like the continuity, you like the stability. You figure that these two work real well together. You're at some of the jokes at each other's expense. At the combine yesterday where Cliff Kingsbury is able to joke, you know what, any tough questions direct him to Steve Kim.

He's going to speak at three and then Kim saying if there's any you know, smoke when it comes to dollars and cents, Cliff doesn't want any of that smoke. So there's a good working relationship there when you really dive deep into it. No, you're right about that, Polly. Honestly, listen, Steve Kim to me was not as a brize. It was not as a brise to me, I totally think he should have gotten a contract extension based on the fact that he's built two different, two different playoff teams

in his nine seasons. You know what, two different franchise quarterbacks. He's actually done that with Polly, he did it with Carson of course, and he's done it with Kyler. Listen, Steve Kim would be the first one to tell you that he needs to draft better. There's no doubt bought it of PAULI in the year twenty twenty two. In the NFL, you don't build a team just on the draft. You don't do it anymore. As a matter of fact. You build, you build that, you build around the draft.

And yes, it still is a nucleus in my opinion of any organization. But right now things are changing. And if you don't believe me, just look at the La Rams. Hey, no one, and I mean no GM has had a worst recent draft history than the guy in Seattle who recently got a big time contract extension in John Schneider. Schneider, go examine the last eight years worth of his draft picks. So and you're right, then there's other ways to go about it. You look at the trade history. Is Steve

Kime what he's been able to accomplish. So I agree with you on that front. He's a room for improvement come you know, April Draft. Absolutely, But it goes beyond that, doesn't it. Yeah, it does. I mean, once again, a GM's job in the year twenty twenty two of our lord in the NFL is to build the best roster that he can and so much of the time, Paulie, as you well know, it's a year to year proposition in the NFL. It is a year to year proposition. We've seen teams. How many teams go from worst to

first and first to worst. We've seen it over and over and over again. Now, listen, trades are a big part of what you do. And you stop and think about this as a general manager. Did he did he win the Carson Palmer trade? Oh, my goodness for a seventh round pick. You gotta be kidding. Did he win the Chandler Jones trade? Yes? Did he win the DeAndre Hopkins trade? Did he win the Rodney Hudson trade? Oh? Yeah, I mean we're talking about all pro players here, We're

talking about great players. It's gotta be factored into the equation. And when it comes to the head coach, let me just say that there's a guy in LA who's doing a real good job of leveraging the Amazon TV analyst job against Stan Cronky. And if Sean McVay is about to go ahead and sign on the line that is dotted for some Mondo Mega head coaching deal, that might

just reset the head coaching salary structure. That might explain why you want to get ahead of that that get Cliff Kingsbury paid in today's dollars versus what might be coming down the pike with a Sean McVay. So there

are other factors at stake here. We mentioned how you know what, the first signings of the offseason happened to be the head coach and then GM And there's a reason why, because you don't have to work them under the salary cap like you would a franchise quarterback that is so difficult and so nuanced and takes so much

time that it's just much easier to do that. And that's just up to the discretion of ownership because that's simply that is not subject to any sort of salary cap restrictions about that I honestly, right now, I will tell you I was surprised that Cliff got the extension. I was surprised that he got it this year. I will admit that I thought he was going into a

prove it mode in twenty twenty two. But I will tell you this right now, Cliff Kingsbury really showed me an awful lot and he has been the coach that has developed Kyler Murray. This is how it works. You're the coach. You've got a quarterback. Kyler Murray came in year one, he one Offensive Rookie of the Year, and then two and three he is a Pro Bowl player. Kyler Murray has gotten better every year on and off the field. Now does he still have room for improvement? Yes,

he does. He's got to get better. And this is what I want to see him embrace going forward. I want to see him embrace the idea that he's got to do better and get better on and off the field. But if you look at him, Cliff Kingsbury was the guy that developed Kyler Murray and brought him along from year one to where he is in year three. Right now?

Is it perfect? No, it's not. Paul again, is there a lot of room for growth, yes, But right now, the interesting thing is the Arizona Cardinals handed Cliff Kingsbury the one thing he needed, and that is a metaphorical battle axe, Paul, because now all of a sudden, he's not going anywhere. And I think that is exactly the next step for Cliff Kingsbury. It's my own opinion, Paul, it's my own take. But man, he's got to take that next step and become the alpha in the room.

And he just did. And in a few minutes, we're going to talk to Darren urban Hasy Cardinals dot com Cardinals insider out at the combine, and I'm gonna ask him that question, what does long term security like that do for a head coach? In the locker room, We'll get into some of that Wolf hit rewind it three years ago. Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray were they a package deal? Yes? Say yes, I did. Then Okay, so

there you go to me. If you're trying to consider whether Kyler Murray is your future quarterback, then I think this is a real tell. This is obviously foreshadowing. I think ownership views them as a package deal. We'll see whether that is something that has decided this offseason. Next offseason, does it go into a fifth year like a Lamar Jackson. We'll see how that plays out. We know this much that Steve Kim, now that his deal is done, as to start working on other deals, starting with his own

free agent class of twenty plus guys. And here he was at the combine just talking about some of the decisions that loom in the very near future. I think that we have a lot of tough decisions to make, and that's a good thing one year in my position, because we had twenty one understricted free agents on our roster last year, so we have some really tough decisions to make move forward. We'll have conversations this week with

a number of their representatives. But again, a lot of guys that came in and in my opinion, have put themselves in a position to be rewarded. We'll see what he has in mind of free agency this year. I think you name some of those trades that were executed right over the past few years. Think about, oh, I don't know, James Connor, who was signed off the street. Do you think that was one of the names he

didn't want to name Polly, I mean James Conner. I mean think about getting him from under two million dollars. I'll think about that. Eighteen total touchdowns in a Pro Bowl appearance for James Connor. Yeah, no doubt about it, Polly. I think when you think of some of the free agents that are out there, and we've talked about this many many times, but guess what poly it looms right now?

Is it not March second, Paul? It is marked second, and now all of a sudden, here it comes March fourteenth, Paul, the legal tampering period where you can pick up the phone and call some of these guys and start talking to him and offering contracts. It is looming right now, James Connor, change the fabric of this team on the field and off the field. I'm just wondering what it's

going to take to get him signed. What is it going to take, because it only takes one team out there, Paul, with a lot of cap space that it looks at that tape last year looks at six one, two hundred thirty two pounds catching the ball with one hand, coming out of the backfield and trucking people. It takes one session of sitting down and watching that tape where one general manager go, man, come down. I'll tell you what, No, I need that guy and I get him all right.

They didn't get a return on investment with David Johnson and they decided not to go ahead and go long term in on Kenyan Drake. But James Connor is a different dude. He was the beating heart of that offense for most of this past season? Was he not Ron Wolfee? Him and his brand of bullyball is exactly what the Cardinals needed, especially in the NFC West, No doubt about it, PAULI, And again, I think that's gonna happen. We'll see. Yeah, Hey joined the Airs on a Cardinal season ticket priority

lists for the twenty twenty two season. Opponents include the traditional NFC West fos plus the Bucks, the Saints, the Chiefs, the Charges, the Patriots, the Eagles, a loaded home schedule. Asy Cardinals dot Com slash priority for more info. As advertised, we are going to the combine Darren urban oh Man,

I think he's had a busy couple of days. We'll get the latest from the Cardinals Insight or an asy Cardinals dot Com as we continue with a combined addition to the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert, I think all of our long term goal appears to have Kyler v our quarterback, and he understands that, and he understands my view of him and how I feel

about him. And once again I'm gonna refer it back to the business side of days, and that's not something that I deal with, but it's all part of the business right now and things that we're continue to work through. In regards of the statement, I know everybody's seen that. I think it's an agent throwing his job. I have a lot of respect for Eric Brookhar obviously Kyler Murray. From my standpoint, any negotiations, any conversations and dialogue will

be certainly held confidential between the three of us. Any of that was taken personal. It didn't show up at the podium yesterday, at least in front of the media. That was yesterday at the combine Steve Kime, the GM Cliff Kingsbury, the head coach, talking about the quarterback when asked about Kyler Murray and the long term status. Ron Wolfley here on the Big Red Rage presented by santan

Ford and Gilbert, we are Santan Ford. Here's the stat over the last decade, quarterbacks picked in round one to sign a long term deal before their fourth season. There's a half dozen of them. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and then Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill. I'd say those teams are batting fifty fifty when it comes to mega deals for those quarterbacks. So now the question becomes, all right, what is next, if anything this off season

for Kyler Murray. But guess what. First it was the head coach and the GM and that was the first question we posed to our insider at the combine, Darren Urban. We caught up with Darren Urban via zoom about an hour ago. All Right, so, Darren, you know, because you were there at the combine yesterday, Cliff Kingsbury meeting the media, among other things, he said that the Cardinals long term

goal is to have Kyler Murray be the quarterback. Well, we didn't realize was that the long term answer came for the head coach himself and the general manager at

Cliff Kingsbury and Steve Kime. Your reaction, well, I mean I was a little surprised Paul, And I'm going to say that in part because it felt a little misdirection because all we've been talking about for two weeks or longer is Kyler Murray situation, whatever part of the offseason Kyler Murray situation that we've been talking about, and obviously

most recently his potential contract extensions. So I wasn't even thinking about that, which in hindsight probably was a mistake from the standpoint of you've got two guys in Steve Kim and Cliff Kingsbury who had been going into their final year of their contract, and it's tough if you're a coach or you're a GM being a lamed up quite frankly, so maybe we should have been giving more thought to that going into it. But from that standpoint and from stability standpoint, it makes a lot of sense.

And you know what, in hindsight, if you go back to the combine twenty fifteen, coming off the twenty fourteen campaign and eleven win season, what happened, both Steve Kim and Bruce Arians got contract extensions seemingly out of the blue. So there is precedent, and we do know that the Cardinals valued continuity and stability. We know that Kim and Kingsbury work well together. This certainly isn't a Trent Balky

Jim Harbaugh situation, right. I mean, I think all those things make sense, Paul, and you know, again managing this situation for Michael Bidwell, who's the owner, who's making the

decisions on these things. I mean, look, this team won eleven games this past season, and the reality is, I think in some ways that if if the playoff game goes a little bit differently, if everything else stays the same and the playoff game goes a little bit differently, even if the Cardinals don't find themselves on the winning side, maybe maybe a lot of the conversation is different around this team over these last two months or so. But

you know, they won eleven games. You could argue that Steve Kim, if you go over the history of this team, could you could say that Steve Kim is arguably the most effective GM that this organization's ever had. Given some of the successes and I know for some fans it's not as much success as they would want, but it doesn't mean that he has not had some success here, do you think and we're on board with Darren Urban Cardinals Inside or easy Cardinals dot Com coming to us

from the combine. Do you think that the contract extension gives Cliff Kingsbury something that basically no one else in the locker room has, and that is long term security through two twenty seven that he can look at anyone in that locker room and say, you know what, I'm the future. If you want to be part of the future, guess what. I'm firmly in charge. I'm no longer a head coach going in to the last year of his contract. Does that make a difference you think? I mean, I

think it does. And like I just mentioned, I mean, if it's the flip side and you have a lame duck situation and it doesn't matter what sport you'd be coaching or anything, I mean, those you know, issues can come up with that. I mean, just even players going into the last year of their contract. It brings with it an extra narrative that is real and you can't

argue it. And you're right now, Cliff Kingsbury has that security to be in the locker room and when he's talking to players and he's talking and trying to make his points, that is a pretty hefty, powerful statement behind him. So yeah, I agree, that's something. I mean, obviously, look, you don't know what all is going to happen. They're signed through twenty twenty seven. You don't know necessarily that means they'll be here through twenty twenty seven, because things

happen in the league all the time. But I do think they are. Both of them are coming from a position of strength now whenever they're they're talking about the direction of the team because Michael Bidwell has given them that power. And you're right, it does eliminate any speculation in the off season in sort of any sort of potential distraction. Right In questions from the media, do you think the Kime and Cliff extensions make it any more likely that Kyler gets a new deal this offseason? That

I don't know. It's it's hard to It's hard to know where that is right now because I think so

many things go into the Kyler Murray contract situation. I mean, look, he made it clear through his agent that he wants that contract extension now, and I completely understand where Kyler and and his people are coming from in terms of some of the things he's accomplished on the field kind of where he stands in terms of how he's helped this team be better the last three seasons, and also where some of the other quarterback extensions have come in

the timing of those. I also completely understand where the Cardinals might stand on this, where you are going to want to do your full due diligence and take your time when you're talking about a contract of this magnitude. So um, I get both sides. I understand the emotions that can be involved in this. I could understand being emotional if I was had the potential to make millions of dollars. Heck, I get emotional when I think about

potentially asking for a small raise. So um, you know, I get where everybody's coming from in this, and it's let's face a Paul, it's part for the course in some ways. I mean, I think this happens a lot on professional sports when you're talking about this Kyler Murray and looking for this contract extension and having it be a story. He is not the first quarterbacks slash NFL players slash professional athlete where this is going to be a story, and he's certainly not going to be the last.

And look, it might be a matter of known versus unknown. You know, if you feel like, okay, Steve Kime is a known. Cliff Kingsbury now after three seasons is a known. What is Kyler Murray at age twenty four? Is he the two time Pro Bowl quarterback? Or is he the quarterback who faded down the stretch the last two years? You flip on is Highlights and accrdinals dot Com, it's top ten plays and you realize, oh my gosh, that's

a skill set that nobody possesses in the NFL. So you can go back and fourth and then ultimately, if they do extend him this offseason, guess what the cap is going up. It's going up the next couple of years big time, And so it might be prudent to pay your quarterback now in today's quarterback dollars, because thirty five to forty million a year might be a bargain a couple of years from now. So I could see

it go either way. It's funny bring that up. Michael Bidwell mention this on Arizona Sports last week, where he talked about how contracts like that are complicated. He didn't get into a lot of detail of why, but I think some of the things that you bring up are good examples. It's it's not just it's not just what are the incentives and is all the legal ease in place, or even having the cash flow for a big bonus

up front. It's not just those things. It's also all the things you just mentioned, which in terms of like where does it fit in the hierarchy of other quarterbacks? You know what timing fits well for the team, what timing fits well for the cap. Where are we with some of these other free That's what makes all this stuff so complicated, And so I understand again, I understand where both sides are coming from, and I understand why it's a heavy lift. No matter what you decide to do.

And like we've talked about, the head coach and the GM don't have to fit under the salary cap. You don't have to worry about all those details, right, So that's why it's infinitely more difficult when you have a franchise quarterback and you're getting a long term deal done, it has to fit within the cap and be cap

friendly to some degree going years into the future. All right, as far as the combine goes and Darren Urban covering the combine for what twenty plus years now, do you get a sense as to what position groups the Cardinals might be targeting more than others. Did you get a sense that for all the misdirection that is won by the people talking about where they're going to go in the draft? What do you think that where the Cardinals

are angling this year? You know, I think I think it would have to be more paul less of you know, it would be more reading the tea leaves. I think ultimately, I mean, we don't know what they're going to do in free agency. We don't know how this roster might stack up by the time the draft arrives in late April. I mean, I think if Chandler Jones doesn't come back, I think edge rusher has to be something that you

have to look very careful at. If they lose both Aj Green and Christian Kirk and free agency, I think a big young receiver might be something they have to think very carefully about. I think an interior offensive lineman makes a lot of sense. I mean, I don't think you necessarily I'm glad I'm in Indianapolis. There's been a lot of news here. I don't think you necessarily have to be here to kind of see that might be the case, and again taking what they do in free

agency and then adding that to the equation. Yeah, I'm with you. You know, it's a deep class supposedly at receiver. I could see them using the round two pick on a receiver, especially when you consider the likes of Cooper Coup and Navante Adams and Deebo Samuel have all been found outside round one. I could see him going edge rusher. I could see him going cornerback, you know, with that

first pick. Cornerbacks and good possibility. You know, but they do have a finite number of interviews, right, so they have to choose carefully correct well on the interviews. Yes, but you've still got zooms, you've got individual workouts. Just because you don't talk to one of those, make one of those players for the forty five you talked to here formally, it doesn't mean you don't have a chance

to talk to these people. Okay, So, finally, have you asked Kenny Pickett about his hand size because apparently this is a thing at the Combine this year. Kenny Pickett hand size, if you asked him yourself. Unfortunately, Paul Kenny Pickett when he talked to the media, was right in the middle of the Cliff Kingsbury Steve Kame announcements, so I was otherwise busy. All right, Well, think of what you witnessed over the years and the evolution to the combine.

Because it's gonna start up tomorrow night in primetime. There's gonna be music, there's gonna be production. I mean, it is a full fledged theatrical show, Darren Urban, A far cry from when you first started covering it more than two decades ago. I'm very exciting. Yeah, yeah, thanks for the insight and the analysis. All the way from Indianapolis. We continue with a big red rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert god Gun step Lawrence three step drop

open in the pocket fires across the middle. It's intercept that it was deflected and picked off by Byron Murphy. Lawrence takes turns, gives to hide. It's a police flicker, pitching it back to Laurence Heason. Crumbill jump off past, picked off near side by Murphy at the thirty running it back to the left of the twenty tenth five cut down Byron Murphy after a horrible mistake by the rookie with a pick six and the Fightinals are back in front. Twenty three and nineteen Byron Murphy was all

over that. That's a great read by a young guy coming of age, no doubt, great call, Passion Wolf, They're great plays by Byron Murphy. At Jacksonville Week three, remember the pick six after the kick six to end the first half, Cardinals trailed in Jayvill and then Boom came back and secured the win. Byron Murphy. Obviously a big part of that. It is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert. We are santan Ford, Paul Kelbc,

Ron wolf Ley and Wolf. Can I just say that an underrated aspect the Cardinals fade down the stretch last year was losing number three corner Robert Alford. Yeah, to me, losing Robert Alford just threw that secondary and that cornerback group into disarray. And it started with that Week fourteen loss on Monday Night against the Rams where they gave up three catches of forty or more yards and that was as many forty plus yard catches as they had

given up all season combined. Yeah, Paul, that really is That was something about the first I want to say, twelve weeks of the season, somewhere around there, approximately twelve weeks of the season. The corner Room had played so except well, if you remember that, Paul, you go back and you look at the tape. Marco Wilson, this fourth round pick out of Florida, this rookie out there on the field was playing very very well. And Byron Murphy

of course was playing well. And you're right, Robert Alford was holding it up out there and showing why I was so high on him the first time they went out and grabbed him. Now that was three years ago, but I was so high on Robert Alford, and he finally showed the dog that he is out on the field, got the opportunity to go out and ball out and did a great job. And then he eventually got hurt. But you know Marco Wilson too, Polly, I think he hit a wall. I do. We talk about this all

the time. I think the rookie wall is real for some guys. That everybody, but for some guys, I think the rookie of the rookie wall is real, and I think it was real for Marco Wilson. Yeah, he lost Robert Alford. He lost Marco Wall to a certain degree because that rookie Wall, although he was close on a lot of plays and just yeah, and as Christian Kirk told us on this very show, it wasn't like Marco Wilson got roasted. It's not like he got absolutely embarrassed

in schooled out there. But but you know, they'll go at the rookie until he proves he can handle it. And the Rams Rams made the Cardinals pay not only a Monday Night, but in the playoff game against Marco Wilson as well. And for that reason. Cliff Kingsbury at the Combine yesterday was talking about that position group. I think we all feel we need to add some pieces there. Marco as a rookie, I thought got better and did

a nice job. But Byron as a guy, we'd like to move around, play inside, play outside, and so you'd like to find a couple more pieces that you feel good about going on the next year. I mean, Ron Wolflee, if you're sitting there at number twenty three in late April round one of the draft and you have a legit number one corner on the board, do you hesitate at all to take that position, No, Balb. You know what, honestly, this is this is what I think they ought to do. Polly.

I do believe that you should look at position when you draft. You should you should have needs when you look at it. Now. Again, that doesn't mean just because your need is there, that you're going to take one player over somebody else. You do want to take the best player available. But Polly, the Arizona Cardinals are in a situation right right now where they can look at corner. I think they can look at interior offensive line, in

particular a guard. I think they can look at wide receiver. Paul. Yeah, I think they could take those three positions and say, whoever is the highest rated player on our board at those three positions when number twenty three comes rolling around, let's take them. And you heard our conversation with Darren Urban. If the Cardinals lose Chandler Jones and that edge rusher is there, you know, yes, yes, Polly, yes, you don't want to become the Atlanta Falcons who had eighteen sacks

as a team last year. T J. Watt had more sacks than you had as a team. So you don't you don't want to become that's right, So there's a need obviously, Why is that doll Polly once again, why is that so important that you can actually get pressure on an opposing quarterback? Well, think of how much better that does make your secondary in your corner's look. Right, So you better have a bunch of lockdown, shutdown guys if you can't rush the passer. Here's the other thing.

The Arizona Cardinals in twenty twenty two really need the two twenty one draft class to take that next step, starting with Zaban Collins. Zaven Collins sixteen. Overall, he's a guy who needs to come in and needs to be a big part of that big red d and fact Cliff Kingsberry was asked about last year's first round rookie. We see him as an inside becker as him now,

and we do feel like there's there's enough snaps. So we got to do some things differently, defensively, things schematically to make sure we're maximizing those two guys, and that'll be a big part of our offseason. How big a question mark is Zaven Collins still? In your mind, it's a question mark, probably only because he hasn't done it right now, But I will tell you. I love what I see from this guy. I think he is going

to explode. And the reason why I say that is, think how much better Isaiah Simmons was in year two from year one? Oh yeah, oh, PAULI I mean think how much better he would now? Listen. I would have loved to have seen Isaiah Simmons finish over the last four or five games of the season a lot better than what he did. He want to talk about a young guy developing that may have hit a wall. That guy may have hit a wall, But I am bullish on him because he is a football player. You watch

him on tape, you watch him play. He's not afraid ball. This is the reason why I'm jacked up about Zaven Collins, because I think he's going to get a lot better with an off season where he can actually hang out, he can actually absorb the defense. He's going to have all sorts of time to learn the defense again and learn all the checks out there so he can go out with confidence, go out in play, not only do his job, but tell everyone else what to do. He's

a bright kid, Paul. He's a really smart kid, and he's a great athlete. And now now here's the best part. Zaven Collins is not afraid. He will stack his face into the fan. And that's what I wanted to see, all right. So he was the round one pick. Round two was Rondelle Moore. We spoke with Sean Jefferson here on a recent edition of The Big Red Rage of Cardinals Wide Receivers Coach and the plans they have for Rondelle Moore to move him outside and get him more

targets downfield. We know about that, and that receiver room is in a state of flux with free agents like Christian kirk and and aj Green if they get that far into the middle of March here, and after they lost DeAndre Hopkins, obviously that was maybe the biggest factor down the stretch of fact. That's not us, that's Cliff

Kingsbury yesterday talking about the loss of the hoop. You know, after doing some reflections, and the biggest thing was when we lost hop I didn't do a good job schematically adjusting some things that could have taken some pressure off of Kyler. I think you lose a piece like that, you gotta find a way to be more creative, I think, and I gotta be better at that, but I think

we've we've improved each year offensively. Obviously didn't like the way we've finished, but we got to continue to be creative and then try to put Kyler and positions to be successful and surround him with talent that can make place. What do you think he means by that, Paully? What do you think he means right there when he says schematically, I got to do a better job. What do you Honestly, I'm asking you do you think? What do you think

that exactly entails? Bolly? Well, we talked about this with Sean McVeigh. What did they do? They lost Robert Woods, who isn't a DeAndre Hopkins, but was vital to their scheme. They ran so many four wide receiver sets they led the league in that category. And once they didn't have the personnel, once they didn't have the talent, they went three games in a row and lost. They had a three game skid, and he figured, you know what, I gotta put this offense on blocks. I got to rebuild

the engine. We got to go back to a different schemes. So I presume was that scheme they went back to. It was a It was more of a balanced rushing attack running between the tackles like they did back in the day with Jared Goff. Yes, yes, and that I'm I'm wondering, Paul. I'm wondering because I wonder if that's what Cliff means. I wonder if that's what he's thinking about. I need to do a better job at that. Now.

Once again, you gotta have a quarterback who wants to get under center, wants to get under there and running mail a more balanced offense in my opinion, and just very curious because of the relationship of course that Cliff Kingsbury has with Sean McVeigh and what the Rams did to your point, and you know what, if that's if that's the way you're translating that and that's accurate, then I would say James Connor is priority number one because you're gonna need that big back who can stoke it

between the tackles. Now, Darren and I hash this out on Cardinal's Underground the podcast. Yeah, I'm more apt to go after a free aging wide receiver then I am drafting one in round one. The hit rate especially we're at number twenty three, I know it's a deep draft class. I get it, but it's been so unpredictable as whether a first round, second round receiver can help you out. And I know there's been a bunch of great second round receivers who are among the best of the game

right now. You know what Cooper Cup was round three, But a Davante Adams, you know, I mean, you think of some of these guys who came out side round one. But to spend some money on a free agent wide receiver walf that you can plug and play and he can be a legit number two, what would that do for this offense? Yeah? No, I think that'd be a big thing right there, Paul, honestly, But here's the problem once again, you just never know how much money that's

going to take. How much money is that going to cost right there at a high profile position like wide receiver. I don't know what the answer is on that. I know that you're not getting maybe a one. You already have your one in DeAndre Hopkins. Of course, Rondel Moore, you already mentioned that you hope to see him really prove, really take up, Polly, if there's one guy, if there was one guy. You got me sidetracked on Rondel Moore.

But if there's one guy Polly that I'd love to see take off this year because of the impact he would have, it's Rondel Moore. Yeah, it is he would You want to talk about a little aid comfort and shelter over the top of DeAndre Hopkins and gave him a lot of room to operate. Oh my goodness, it'll be a scary proposition if you're doubling d hop and

you've got Rondelle more one on one. And I hate to say it, but I think there's going to be a heck of a market for a Christian Kirk I think, right, I'm not expecting him to come back, And at the same time, I'm not expecting the Cardinals to have the ability when you're paying DeAndre Hopkins. His cap number is going to be twenty five million this year. Now, whether

they do something about that, I'm not exactly sure. You're not going to be able to go out and sign the Chargers Mike Williams for example, right, or Alan Robertson Robinson. You know, maybe a Chris Godwin coming off the ACL. Probably not Michael Gallup coming off a toorn ACL. But what can you get there. How about maybe a Juju Smith Schuster will four, Maybe a Jarvis Landry who had a down year, maybe on his way out at DJ Shark six foot four from Jacksonville. That could be a

kind time special on a one year deal. Tell me when Chris Godwin is ready to go, Tell me when that guy's ready to go. Okay, coming off at acl All right, we'll tell you where the Cardinals are gonna go. Yes, an international game this season. Next on the Big Red Rage. Look for a shot into the end zone here Johnson and the lead of the last Bowl to the Fitzgerald the right time at a Jiel back to help protect Joshua.

Count than one of the seventeen to count back to twelve and a long in the ends one far side. Fitzjoel goes up pick down for summer Larry Fitzgiel for the second of the year. How about it a young Dave pass rolling his RS there international style from Mexico City of seventy five hundred feet in the air, the elevation as Stadio as Tecca. Ron Wolfley, do you remember that two thousand and five road trip to Mexico City, Pauli. As a matter of fact, I do remember it. Two

things in particular I think stand out. Just how big the city of Mexico City. Oh yeah, just how big it is? That was number one. And number two was how many times you left the hotel the party ball? That was number two. Those two things, Yeah, I do remember your Lyne courtesy of Jim Almahandro has a much better memory than me, but it was an all timer.

When you said Rolando Khanto was so popular in Mexico, it was like Ricky Martin showed up at an all girls school and would just say, Rolando Kanto, former Cardinals offensive lineman. Is he a large man? Rolando Kanto, He's as big as the city. Yeah, we didn't realize how big he really is until we went to Mexico City and he was more popular than the Cardinals. And he's been doing work behind the scenes ever since. I mean it mean just great work, and it establishing a Cardinal

Spanish radio network south of the border. And all that being said, it's official. The Cardinals are going to play again a regular season game in Mexico City this coming season. And if you remember this past season, as part of Cardinals Folk Tales Are Documentaries, we went back in time and chronicled the Cardinal's trip one time in Mexico. What were your thoughts I'm playing in Mexico. First of all, it was great. It's a great sparions to get outside the world and uh and world, you know how we

do it. I thought it was one of the biggest moments of my career, believe it or not. I mean one games, but the way Stadios Deccan Mexican people reacted to that flag, I got goose bumps under here. I mean, it was absolutely in Fuego. We're about to come into the biggest arena in Latin America, and I think a style stack got really prided that day. I come to the coach and Dannis Green is actually happening. An NFL professional game is being played here? One that counts. It

actually happened. It definitely counted, and it will always stand as NFL history. An amazing scene flashbaults popping for the first ever National Football League regular season game abroad. That's right, never before had an NFL regular season game been played outside the United States. This is Cardinals Folk Tales presented by seventy two sold where we go in depth into Cardinal's history all Time anecdotes through the personal recollections and

memories of those who lived it. It was in freaking incredible. It was called the birth of international football for the NFL. And that's our audio trailer. The original Cardinals Folk Tales podcast entitled One Time in Mexico. More podcasts available searching Cardinals Folk Tales wherever you get your podcast. The whole series for Cardinals Folk Tales. Video versions available at YouTube dot com. Slash a Ze Cardinals Wolf, you were there.

You remember Robert Griffith. We heard his voice, he carried out the Mexican national flag. And then the NFL record crowd at the time of one hundred three thousand plus enjoyed that Cardinals win over the Niners. Oh you know what's incredible about it too. Do you remember when Neil Rackers came out to te the ball up plus Oh my goodness, they were going nuts that they brought the kicker out of the field, that we're going to kick this ball off to start the game. That's what I remember.

Every time they'd kicked, Neil Rackers would kick off, whoever the other kicker was would kick off, Oh my goodness ball. If they would burst out into this yeah. I mean you want to talk about a soccer crowd. Yeah, there was a soccer crowd, but man, they love football too.

And you know what, Neil Rockers was going nuts because he wanted to shot at a seventy yard fuel goal because it's about the same elevation as flagstaff and the ball just rockets through the air in that, in that thin air, and he never got a chance at an

NFL record fuel goal. It's him. But I'll also say this quickly about Neil Rockers at the time after he kicked that ball off, I don't think I've ever seen him run as hard down the field trying to get a pound of flash, trying to do something to satisfy these these fans. I don't know Bali, but he was into it. Yeah, And that's saying something because he would cover a kick and there's no doubt about it, not like Jay Feeley. Now, let's get carried away, Jay Pheley,

stick his face into the fan. Yeah, Hey, how about some As long as we're throwing out some props, how about one of your favorites of all time in that Cardinals locker room. How about the father of our own Jim. I'm a hundred. John o'mahondro. JOHNNYO just honored at the NFL Hall of Fame. How about that induction and as part of the inaugural class of all time athletic trainers

in NFL history. Think about this right now. One of five guys, one of five guys, the inaugural class of trainers that are being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Think about that for a minute right there. That fits like a glove from Johnny Oh yeah, and our Jimmy O is nursing a shrimp cocktail hangover from Saint aubya Is steakhouse over the last twenty four hours. So that was great stuff as well. Wolf. By the way, we got to look into the backyard over the block wall,

into the backyard of our NFC West neighbors. Did you happen to see Seattle today at the combine coach double rainbow saying that Russell Wilson isn't going anywhere? Yes, So for all the reports and the proclamations. And then Jimmy G is Jimmy I R again he got shoulder surgery on his throwing shoulders. So does that do the Niners and their plans to most likely trade him this auce. Yeah, Paul, there are people out there saying, oh, it's not going to hurt his trade value. What come on? What it's

his throwing shoulder. He's not going to throw for four months. Suddenly, all of a sudden, you're gonna say, well, everything's gonna be fine, don't worry about it. He's gonna re rehabing that thing. He's not gonna throw for four months, and suddenly you're gonna pull a trade off. I think his value is plumbering even as we speak. Yeah, guess what Pittsburgh was calling? Denver, Indie, Carolina, Washington, Tampa. They're not calling anymore when he's not gonna be able to throw

a football until late June, early July. So that is very interesting there as well. All right, special thanks Darren Urban for joining us. Are Jim Almajandro, Mitch Verreldis, Ron Wolfley on Paul Calvc. A combined edition of the Big Red Rage and contract extensions for the head coach and the General Manager, all presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We are satan Ford number one. You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford in Guilder. Are

you Santanford State Farm? Talk to an atent today at eight hundred State Farm and by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts visit Acy cardinals dot com Slash podcasts. This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals Football Club