Stramp on the boots and scrape up the knuckles. Hold ahead. He got jacked.
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert Mary's.
Gonna score touchdown, slim to the ground by Buddha Banker Like a torpedo. He came flying into the backfield.
The rage is brought to you by santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway in bal Vista Seek your Ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals dot com, Slash podcast A.
Red Seats, Rising Up.
Temperature, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage.
Ober, here's Paul CALVICI I'm ready.
I'm one hundred percent ready.
I'm telling you I'm ready.
And Ron Woolpley, it doesn't get any better than.
That leash the flore.
Not too long ago, when the SpaceX rocket blew up, unmanned, no injuries, they didn't say at SpaceX, dang our billion dollar rocket blew up. SpaceX actually issued a statement and they called it and I quote, a rapid unscheduled disassembly. I bring that up because the same thing goes for
the NFL Draft. You can be sitting in your NFL war room and you could have your plans all laid out for months and months, and you think it's going one way, and then come home a rapid, unscheduled disassembly happens while you're on the clock.
Also known buy as a wedge bust. Just sayence, just saying.
It's one reason that the NFL Draft is on four kind of four different networks this year. It's on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network in ESPN Deportees because it is the original reality TV and it goes down in real time and we are here to cover it all the way up until Draft night. It is the big red Rage. Paul Calvi, you se Ron Wolfy all presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We are santan Ford soon to be joined by
Cardinals cornerback coach Ryan Smith Ron Wolfley. Would you say cornerback would be an area of need slash want in this draft as.
A matter of fact, Paulie, I think there's no doubt about that. I think it's one of the biggest needs for the Arizona Cardinals. I see four really big needs, but I think they have a need for the most part, in almost every area not called quarterback for the most part, Paully, But I do see that. I see corner being a big need right now, and it's not going to be
a surprise. It's that way for many many teams in the National Football League going through a bit of a flex if you will, becoming very flexible in regard to the type of corner that you have to have in today's NFL. You've got to have a guy that can play that pressman cover, and you also have to have a guy that can actually play in a zone room because that many times is where picks happened.
You know what I made at number one on my big board, the big board of wants and needs number one. You know why, because you have one proven corner and every team needs at least three, if not four. Now you have Garrett Williams, who's coming off a pretty darn good rookie season. But beyond Sean Murphy bunting Cardinals are in the market, we'll get into corner.
Speaking of one, though, Paul, what are you gonna do for one? Being Kyler Murray meaning a wide receiver of course, Oh, I see, what are you going to do for one?
Well, if you're Mike Tannenbaum, and I bring this up because we're going to get into some of these mock drafts. This is my favorite slash worst mock draft of the mock draft season. If you don't recall a month ago or so, he had the Cardinals drafting JJ McCarthy at number four. Let there be a fourth QB he had going to the Cardinals. They then traded Kyler Murray a third round pick to Minnesota for number eleven and twenty three. Cardinals with then draft Quinny and Mitchell at eleven and
then get Ladd McConkie at number twenty seven. So if you were a follow that and the only reason to bring this up is because he's a former NFL GM, otherwise I would ignore this. But if you were to follow that formula, you end up with JJ McCarthy and Ladd McConkie instead of Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Junior.
So what was he doing, bawd. We all know what he was doing. We all know what my data Bob was doing. Look everybody click here, please.
Okay, go on, all right, so let's ignore that. Let's go to another former NFL GM, Scott Pioli on NFL Network and he's just sort of breaking down what this two week stretch up to draft night looks like in.
A war room.
There's a lot of little detail work that needs to get done at this point in time, but the work that's being done on your front board shouldn't really exist. The top players you should know exactly where they're at. You're just doing a little bit of clean up work on some of those top players and you've got the final thirty visits coming to your team. You've got private workouts that you do.
Now.
The other thing is this you're thinking about strategy. There's the evaluation process of the draft, and then you have strategy. So you're spending a lot of time on the phone with your close friends in the industry that are either coaches meaning head coaches or general managers, trying to figure out where you may be able to find value in trades.
Ahha, Do you.
Think the Cardinals are in the market for a potential trade at number four?
Ron WOLFLINGK, Yes, I do. I think you have to plow the road for the most part, Pauli, this is where you're going to pick up the phone. You're just going to call a guy and say, hey, listen, we're not doing this today, but would you be interested would you be if I gave you this kind of scenario, would you be interested in being part of that scenario?
So I think you're going to plow the road a little bit at this point in time, Paulie, and I would also say, right now, you're still setting your boards. That's what I think, because there are still some interviews that are going on with the Top Thirty interviews, I think your board is close to being set, but I don't think it is set at this point in time, not quite yet.
And if you track all the reports, and Craig Grielu does just that and does a spectacular job, there are nearly thirty Top thirty visits that have occurred for the Cardinals, They've almost completed all of them. And if you follow all the reports, one quarter of those visits have been by receivers. Wow, including the Big Three. Okay, so all right, where does that leave the Cardinals? Will they even be there at number four to take one of the Big Three?
Do they go down to six with the New York Giants and then still nab one of the Big Three? Or do they go all the way down to eleven, because would you agree that the most noise in terms of a potential trade partner is coming on in Minnesota. No, not about it, bully, all right, so theyre gm Quasia. Dolfo Mensa. There he was earlier today meeting the media, and here's what he had to say, just on risk associated with moving up for a quarterback.
You know, I think just because something's risky doesn't mean you have to stay away from it. There's a it's it's something that is hard to grasp. But if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right, and that's something you have to weigh and measure. You can't look at these decisions in the vacuum, you know, you look at the whole portfolio of decisions that go around it, the things you have to do. But just because something's risky doesn't mean you know, you're scared from it, you're
scared of it. It's uncertain, right, it's uncertain, and we got to we gotta take our swing. But that doesn't give us any pause.
Okay, mister Rodolpho Mensu, I guess he's moving up, Paul. Is that the way you translated that? Right there?
You know, you know, just say that's sort of you know, just like SpaceX. Instead of saying our rocket blew up, they called it a rapid unscheduled disassembly. That's the way the Vikings GM said, you know what, we're taking a swing.
You know, at some point it's time, PAULI don't you try to hide your true intention at some point he's coming up. I'm just saying right now, there's still doubt about it. The Minnesota Vikings have targeted the top five and they're coming. You just better get out of the way right now.
And guess what.
What's it gonna take.
Guess what, mister Quacy, here's the deal. If you wait till five, or you try and do a deal with the LA Chargers, well, guess what. There are four and only four franchise quarterbacks that you can be certain of. Okay, you can wait around for Michael Pennix or bow Nicks or what have you. But in this case, let there be a fourth QB. And if indeed, JJ McCarthy is
that guy. And there are plenty, plenty of mock drafts that have JJ McCarthy going number two to Washington, by the way, including Tom pellisera who reported at the league.
Karni, you know that's real, believe it. Yes, And Paulie, the best part of all of this discussion right now is the fact that Arizona Cardinals are sitting in what I do believe is the cat bird seat, yep of this draft, being there at number four. And you know what's best about that, Money doesn't have to do anything because we'll sit right where we are and we're gonna
get an impact player. Now a lot of us, we all kind of think it's gonna be a wide receiver, and we all kind of think, you know what, it could be Marvin Harrison junior. Okay, now, there's a lot of there's a lot of debate that is going on out there, a huge narrative surrounding that pick at number four. But to me, the good news is Mani doesn't have to do anything. You do, though, and that's why he's in a great spot.
And look, if he doesn't do something in Minnesota, there's Denver, there's the New York Giants, there's the Raiders. So there's enough suitors, enough teams desperate for a quarterback. And if next year's draft doesn't have any, the best quarterback in next year's draft is first named Jack, last name Squat. Then all of a sudden, guess what, the price goes up?
And there are multiple reports now the Mania support is looking for three count them, three first round picks, looking for the whole Trey Lance deal.
I was just gonna say, why would you not start there?
Well, think about it. Are the Vikings really going to go through all the next season with Sam Darnold, Nick Mullins and Jaren Hall.
In their quarterback round? A nice four?
Broh Denver is gonna come out of the gates with Jared Stidham and Ben Denucci.
Really?
I mean, your season's over before it starts. So guess what. There are teams that you can leverage against each other. There's limited supply, there's plenty of demand. And this year, unlike a year ago when you traded out and Will Anderson was a target, this is a quarterback, so there will be a quarterback surcharger, quarterback kicker.
It's gonna cost you.
And by the way, this whole thing is building towards the ears on a Cardinals Draft party all presented by Arizona four Dealers. It is Thursday, April twenty fifth, on the Great lawn all right. Been doing this for a decade plus. It is a great time. You can see players, you can hear from draft picks, coaches, cheerleaders, Big Red. For all the details, go to aisycardinals dot com slash Draft Party Up next. Cardinals quarterbacks coach Ryan Smith on the Big Red Rage, brought to you by Santan Ford.
In Gilbert.
Pit's intercept of the thirty down the sideline to the fifty yard line, it's Murphy bunty to the thirty to the twenty to the fifteen.
Of his hand.
Sean Purfy punting is my hero tips down to a pick.
Six piney can it deflicted and it looks like it's intercepted.
Sean Murphy bunting up the hands down there and seventy five a box and it's Murphy bunting down the sideline, mine brush going down the middle and it was intercepted on a falling down tip.
Sean Murphy bunting pads just picked off the pass of Aaron Rodgers.
Puffles up on the far side and it scoops down.
It's picked up by Murphy bunting running right ti left at the thirty home story, Oh I.
Throw an interception and on the return Sean Murphy Bunting.
And there's a pick right on Joe.
Sean Murphy Bunting and boring his hit lost the ball.
The Tights had picked it up and bawling on it.
Inside the twenty is Murphy Bunny.
He ripped it out.
Sean Murphy Bunting has made the play.
He might have caught the voice of Dave passionate voice of the Cardinals. And he figures to call the name Sean Murphy Bunting a lot more this coming season. Ron Wolfe, would you say, if you're a cornerback, you need to be able.
To compete, Yeah, Pauli, I would say that's a very very good trait for a corner.
Because a few weeks ago, when Shawn Murphy Bunting was our guest in the Big Red Rage about five feet to your left, he got up after the segment and he wanted to show us how he could do the kip up like Buddha Baker, and he literally did it right on the court right here, and he said he's working on it. He's only three weeks in. He's gonna have it down by training camping. He's going to compete with Buddha in the kip up.
You know what, PAULI, I'll do that after we talked to coach.
No, you won't. No, but that is our segue. Ryan Smith is our guest Cardinals cornerbacks coach. Coach, how are we doing?
I'm doing well? Thanks for having me.
He is that sort of guy, isn't he? Sean Murphy Bunting effect. When he was asked by the media about his connection with Cardinals coaches, he said he saw something to me that I saw in myself. And someone followed up on that, and then he went into how he is a competitor, and I'm just here. I'll just start there the position itself. I mean, what does it require to be a top notch corner.
I think you're hitting it right on the head. A competitor, bottom line, right, A guy who can show up playing in play out, day in day out and compete at a high level, you know. And I think that's a trait that you seek at seek out for that position, you know, along with the confidence and the resiliency. I think some traits that stick out when I think of an elite corner.
So coach also too. One of the things I would think is to have a versatile corner as well, maybe a guy who could actually walk up over a receiver and play some press man and actually hold up and do well with that, also back off and play in his own room as well, and actually makes some plays maybe maybe even interception. That way, when you look at Sean Murphy Bunting, what do you see in terms of his physical talents, how does he hold up?
I mean, Shawn's got a skill set that really translates to a high level corner in this league. You know, there's things that he can do with the line of scrimmage, his coverage, his zone instincts, his awareness, you know, things that really translated in So we saw that in him and in our evaluation during free agency, and it was across the board from the personnel side to the coaching side.
We saw the traits that were there, and you know, as a guy that can come in and really be an impact guy on this.
Defense, versatility really matters to this coaching staff, doesn't it.
Absolutely? Absolutely?
I mean, versatility is huge from our philosophy of being being a defense that can adapt to our personnel. You know, you can put guys in different spots, put them in different situations.
And a guy that like Sean who has the capacity to.
Learn and and can play different different techniques, different coverages. And you see that on this film in Tampa Bay and in Tennessee. And then you get down to the nitty gritty and you talk to the people that's been around him the last couple of years, and they all spoke so highly of him and how he was as a professional. You knew that he would come in and he would be able to integrate this in this culture pretty smoothly.
Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith our guest here in the Big Red Rage Presentabody, santan Ford and Gilbert. He started as a nickel or slot corner in Tampa, really made his mark. But the last couple of years he's played outside, and it sounds like he wanted to play outside. He wanted that challenge. Just how different they might be listed as corners, But how different are those two spots inside and outside?
Well, I mean the guys on the outside, you know, are are covering the outside bigger receivers. But you know what, there's a lot of the skill set translates. You know, you see him play on the inside and he's covering guys. There's still man instincts that you've got to know and you've got to be able to feel and do to be able to to be able to cover in this league, you know, because it's not like, Okay, I'm going from the inside to the outside and I'm covering a lesser player.
The slots in this league are just as good as the outside guys, you know.
And I think with Sean's versatility being able to play inside and show that on tape, but also as a guy that has the length to be able to challenge number one receivers Excell and Z on the outside, I think that's where his is really going to be.
Able to fit his skill set.
His backstory is amazing. He was a three sport athlete in high school, and because he didn't do a lot of the football camps and stuff, he was considered a zero star recruit and they went to Central Michigan. By the time he's done with college ball, he's a Round two draft pick. I mean, miraculous, right the rise and his game and once again we come back to the competitor in him and what coaches saw on him. Here's Sean Murphy bunting.
They see a dog pretty much playing as simple. They see a guy that can go out there and shut people down. And that's just what I see in myself, and that's what I do. And so we believe in the same philosophies. They want me to mix up some things I know how. They want me to do certain techniques that I know how to play. I know how to play pretty much everything I've played in many different systems.
Lead by example, Lead the younger guys that they have in the room, show them that everything is possible, but at the same time having an experience behind it as proof that everything that I'm saying is it's happened.
You know, an offense, JG says, no block, no rock. If you're a receiver, you better block. If you're a corner, you better tackle in this defense, right.
Coach, absolutely absolutely.
I mean you can't in the NFL, you can't hide, right, So you've got to be able to as a corner. You've got to be able to come up in a run game, set edges, keep the cup as we call it, keep the ball on my inside pad. And when I'm asked to tackle, I got to I've got to show up all right, because if you can't, offenses are good enough, they're the ball is gonna find you.
Right.
So to answer your question, absolutely.
So you know a coach for me right now, being a former player, I'm fascinated with how things work in the NFL, right because there's always that curtain as a player, not as a coach, but as a player, there's always that hurt that's hanging in front of you. How does it work? How do these guys actually do it right here?
So when they determined that they wanted to know a little bit more about Sean Murphy Bunting, did they come to you and ask you specifically, we want you to break this guy down and help us out in regard tell us what you think of this guy. Did they do that?
Absolutely? Absolutely?
And I think that's what I love about this organization is we're all on the same page. So they asked from my opinion, they asked for the opinion of Pat Tony. Our secondary coach, Nick Rowlis jg all of us had a hand in this decision that MANI took our input and made the move because we were all on board and we had a plan and we saw a guy that really fit.
What we wanted to do on defense coach, would you watch this together?
Would you all watch it together?
When breaking it down, there was just well not initially, so we all wanted to formulate our own opinion. And I think that what I love about how this staff does it is we don't We're not a staff that's just going to sit in the room throw and throw a guy up. One guy has an opinion and then everybody's a subject to group thinks saying yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go get that done.
Right.
So we all worked.
Independently, came back together in the meeting room, and we shared our opinions on our thoughts, and we there was a consensus around the room, you know. So that really raises our excitement of you know, we can't wait till OTA's kicks off the guys get in. We can start working with these guys and uh, just see the excitement of the guys that we have, especially the new guys that are on board.
Cardinals Corners coach Ryan Smith is our guest Some Big Red Race presented by Santan Forid and Gilbert. All right, let's learn a little bit more about you. You played college ball, William and Mary last Cardinal's affiliation. I remember was Mike Leech, Cardinals long snapper for a good decade. Great dude went to William and Mary and then you played for a college football coaching legend, didn't you detail that?
Absolutely so, Jimmy Laycock was my head coach. If you've played at William and Mary, you've probably been coached by Jimmy Lacock. He was the head coach there for thirty nine years. I think he won two in the forty nine games.
But just some of the names include Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott.
Absolutely, absolutely, There's there's been a lot of coaches that have come through there. You know, Dan Quinn was on one of his coaching staffs. You know, Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, was a player.
For him as well.
So you know, there's been a lot of a lot of guys that have come through that program. There's a lot of pride that goes with that, you know, And I'm proud to be a tribe a lum.
You know what's amazing about that. When I think of Mike Tomlin and I think of Sean McDermott, I think of leaders of men. That's what I think was coach like this.
Yeah, he was.
He built a program, he built a standard, and everybody that walked in the building knew the standard, you know.
And I grew so much in my time there.
I arrived on campus as a as a school start walk on, so you know, I had to try out when I got there, and I learned the hard way, and nothing was really given to me. You know, when I my first day of practice, they ran out of practice Jersey, so I had a I had one of the ones in the back that didn't have a number on it. So I'm run out there without a number,
you know. So I come from humble beginnings, from a from a collegiate athlete perspective, and then I was able to work my way up and eventually be a scholarship guy and a starter, you know.
So it's it's it was.
It was a cool journey and through the whole way, you know, I really looked at Jimmy Laycock as a leader and a guy that I could follow and emulate, and you know, it's there's there's many reasons why I got into coaching, but he was he was one of them. Just seeing how he ran that program and the impact that he had on a lot of guys.
In high school. You went to the Blue Ridge School in Saint George, Virginia. I would not use the word humble for that one. I would use prestigious based on online that what sort of experience was that.
Well, you know, I went there for my last three years of high school, got in there as a sophomore, and you know, I grew up with a single mother. It was just me and her, and you know, we made this decision. We thought it was the best thing for my future to go to this school. It was good academics and good athletics, and it's tucked away in
the mountains of the western part of Virginia. And you know, it's definitely a different experience, you know, living on your own as a fourteen fifteen year old and being in a dorm, not going not riding a bus to school like I was used to. But it really taught me lessons, you know, and really prepared me for college. And you know, when I got to college as a freshman, my mother just dropped me off and left, like she didn't stay
for any orientation or anything like that. Because I've been out the house the last couple of years, so I was you know, it kind of set me up and prepared me for walking on.
At William and Mary. And you know, I was in the right head space at that time.
I had matured enough to be able to understand that, all right, this isn't given to me.
This is another challenge that I just have to.
Overcome and coach. What position did you play?
I played wide receiver and I played cornerback.
Okay, wide receiver and cornerback, so two sides of one coin obviously.
Yeah in high school. When I went to college, I played cornerback. Yeah, college, and I couldn't cover like Sean could run. Well, you know, they they tried to roll the safety over top of me because I wasn't as fast as I. They would have liked her to be cover too. We were playing a whole lot of Cover two to help it out. So I was definitely on the cloud.
Side, all right.
But but what I did, though, what I did because I had to ride that pine from you to tackle.
Though I could, I could, I wasn't going to turn that down a little corner.
I had that mentality, had I had a mentality about my game, you know, But it was for me. It was uh, I had to I had to sit and watch the first couple of years, first three to four years, and I was on scout team for for a couple of years. So I really learned a technique part of it because I could not have a misstep. If I stepped the wrong way, I was done. There was no recovery speed.
And that helps you. Now though, Where's a coach.
Absolutely absolutely that prepared me and especially wanted me to Like in my mind, I was like when I when I graduated from Williamare, I felt like I could coach. I could coach corners at a high level just because the technique and the study that I that I had to.
Do just to be able to touch the field.
You know, with something that was able to grow my game from a knowledge a knowledge perspective that set me up to be a good coach.
Well, you had three rookie corners last year get a lot of time, so you know, I mean it's to their benefit they have a technician as a coach. Give us a quick rapid fire thumbnail on Garrett Williams and what you saw last year and what he's supposed to do this year.
Oh, Garrett is a pros pro and that was evident through the draft process last year. That was evident him showing up as a rookie. His mentality, his mindset, his determination. You know, he's going to be successful in whatever he does. Right, So for for him, like to speak on Garrett, I'm
so excited for the future. He's put in so much work, you know, and then coming off the injury that he had in college, getting incorporated into the NFL game mid season there and then having a full off season of being in good health is you know, I think the sky is the limit for Garrett Williams.
And give us a quick skun report on Key Troll Clark, especially since you recruited him three different times in college at three different universities. Oh yeah, and you finally ended up together in the NFL.
Oh you didn't know that stuff.
Yeah.
I was at Elon University recruiting Key Trail and uh, he told me no. And then then I then we move on to James Madison. So my head coach I was working for got the job at jam You going to JAMU was the same recruiting cycle, so I try to get him at the end of the recruiting cycle I was actually in his living room and he ends up committing to Liberty.
During that process, he told us no, okay. So then then the next time, I was at Virginia Tech when he when he transferred from.
Liberty after he bowed out as a freshman, balled out at as a freshman. I had just got the Virginia Tech and I was fighting tooth and nail for Key Traill and he says he's going to Louisville. So I was old for three and then when he came out here on his thirty visit, it was like almost felt like fate. And then we drafted him and we me and Key Trull, we talk all the time like, man, this is it is crazy how things shook out.
It was almost like it was meant to be.
WHOA yeah, yeah, So me and Key Trull go go go back pretty far.
He began last year as a starter and then there's playing time declined. If there's one takeaway, one area of his game where he can get better going into year two, what would it be?
Well, I think truth, he's he's he's he's a guy that has worked on every part of his game that he thought that or that and we've talked about that he can improve on, like coming in and getting thrown in the.
Fire as a rookie.
You know, he's faced a lot of adversity and you know, as we talked about at the beginning of this this show, is resiliency is one of the critical factors of being a high level corner. And we're talking about a guy who was a rookie that's you know, that started last year, you know, beat those odds, beat guys out in camp, and started the year as a starter, you know, and to be able to endure what he what he endured
right not playing towards the end of the year. This guy's man, he's in a headset or a headspace and a mindset that he's he's.
Hungry, and you know, I'm proud of him.
Of his maturity level and how he how he handled everything, and I'm excited to see how he's gonna respond and how he shows up for OTAs.
How do you coach a guy when you know that he's got to be confident and resilient, and you know that confidence is going to help him be resilient, yet at the same time, you got to tell him the truth.
Well, yeah, I mean, you've got to You've got to tell him the hard truth right in the NFL.
And what I've learned is be upfront and honest with guys.
But the thing that helps helps us out, especially the guy like he Trail and even I'm even Star, even Devar Wilson Newt like we have those conversations.
We're not running from those conversations.
We're willing to address the problem, face it head on, and then continue to grow our relationships as we as we as.
We continue to grow. That's that side of their game.
Coach, Thank you, coach. We enjoyed it, really appreciate it.
Well.
If his mom, by the way, served as a senior chief in the US Navy, you could use some of that discipline as a young man growing up.
And dude, thank you. Coach.
Ryan Smith joined us here on the Big Red Rage. We continue all presented by santan Ford and Gilbert.
And up up the middle, b j o Jalari is there to grab Rodriguez at the line of scrimmage. Snapped the jackson he's gonna throw from the pocket, looking in trouble, wrapped up and thrown down for a sack. Pjo Jalari gets his first sack. The rookie out of LSU gets a big sack here on Lamar Jackson.
Closed down Lamar Jackson quickly and got the sack. That is big time by bj.
Heinecke playfake in trouble hits had sacked by bj Ojalari back at the ten yard line, a loss of.
About ten oh. That is a big sack.
Back to pass goes Heinikey with time now the pocket collapses head Heinicky sack back at the nine yard line. Bj o Jalari having a breakout game with his second sack forcing a punt.
All the rookie once again would not be denied.
That following week, in the back right corner of the Cardinals locker room, the guys are calling a two sack Laurie bj Ojalai two sack Laurie. And if there is one guy who could take that big step in year two, my vote would be for bj Ojelari because the Cardinals as a defense need to get to the quarterback. They need that pass rusher. The other team has to account for,
where are you gonna get that guy? Well, these days try and trade for that guy out to cost you almost as much as a quarterback and then try and find that guy in free agency. They don't exist, and if they do end up in free agency, they get
ridiculous money. The latest this week is Josh Allen a Jacksonville five years, one hundred and fifty million, eighty eight million gaeron tied so here on the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert Paul Calvici Ron Wolfley in special thanks to get to Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith Wolfe. To what degree is getting an edge rusher a priority in this year's draft?
Well, it is critical, Paul. I think there's no doubt about that. We're talking about wide receiver, we're talking about corner, we're talking about edge, and we're talking about interior offensive lineman. As far as I'm concerned, those are the top four needs for the Arizona Cardinals right there. And when you talk about edge, first of all, I just want to say Bjogelei. I expect bj to get significantly better this year. He's that type of player ball. This is who he is.
He's got a great football IQ. First of all, he loves the game and he's really really smart. To me, you're gonna take your lumps as a rookie. You're gonna go ahead and do that. And I think bj took his loomps as a rookie at a hard start as a matter of fact, getting out of the practice field to actually start, so that really set him back as well. I think he's going to be a bit of a late bloomer on this so I think we're gonna see
him really grow in year number two. I'm expecting that he can set the edge and he can get the edge.
Yet four sex total in limited playing time. Some of that dude injury got a late start on the year, got a late start during the regular season. Even so, his position coach ab Rodriguez saw enough to be happy with the progress.
That kid has had to work so hard, and people don't realize that's why rookies who come into this league don't just jump in here and start rushing the passers, because they need to learn how to rush with the proper angles.
You can't just run around people in this league.
You're not going to play a Division one DOAA team every four weeks and get a couple of sacks. That's not how it works.
You have to fight.
You're playing against the best every week. That kid has had to get healthy, he's had to mature in this league, and he's had to learn those things, and it is a child by fire. It's an uncomfortability for such a long period of time, some guys can start to doubt themselves. This guy's had such a great head on his shoulders and he's just worked his butt off.
I know Kyle Vanenbosch on the Red Sea Report has said repeatedly really likes what he saw in film, what he saw in the field from bjo Joli. Hear ago and look, Cardinals have to get better in that department. Not only did they have one sack in the final six games, which we keep citing, right, but if it's about affecting the quarterback, as Jonathan Gannon says, now, oh
doesn't always come down to just the sack numbers. Realized that the Cardinals as a defense allowed this second highest passer rating in the NFL last year, and they allowed the second highest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. So I'm guessing a lot of that is tied into how much time those quarterbacks had to throw.
Yeah, Paula, You're right about that, no doubt but I also would say, let's go to rundown situation as well, first and ten, second and one to six. The Arizona Cardinals were the last team in the league in terms of stopping the run. Wow, and you know that. So again, many times these offenses weren't very good situation to go ahead and convert on third down. And a lot of these situations, it all starts with being able to stop
the run. That's one of the reasons why your edge guy has got to be capable of setting that edge, being very very physical on that edge, and also being a guy that can get off blocks and make a play as well, because it all starts there. And that's one of the reasons why I'm encouraged with bjo Jalari.
So let me ask you this then, b jo Jilari Xavin Collins, who figures to be in a contract year, Dennis Gardak, I mean, you have dudes, highly drafted dudes in the first two at the position. If you're sitting there, either at twenty seven or because of a trade, you end up in the middle of the first round. Are you going after a Byron Murphy the second a game wrecking defensive tackle before you go for the edge because it starts from the inside out.
You know where I'm going on that one. I mean, I'm just PAULI honestly right now, I do believe edge is a huge area of need. But if you tell me Byron Murphy is sitting there, we're talking about a three technique, a guy that is the Listen, the most difficult thing to stop in the football universe is a
destructive three technique. That's all I'm saying right now. If he were there in that situation, I would have to say, Okay, even though I don't think it's this massive area of need for the Arizona Cardinals after free agency and what they did in free agency, if Byron Murphy was there in the middle of the round and you were gonna draft, I might say, Okay, hey, we got a wrecking ball.
And you know the way I feel about that, because those three techniques they impact not only the running game big time with the blocking schemes and rundown situation, but also that interior push that has become so important in today's NFL to be able to get in the face of a quarterback and do it in the interior, in that interior pocket.
Because this draft does not have an edge rusher by most estimates worthy of number four. Overall. There's no Miles Garrett, there's no Nick Bosa. Right the guys that are considered the top edge rushers in this draft at best are going tenth, eleventh, or twelfth. Whether it's Dallas Turner, Leatu Latu, whether it's Chop Robinson, Jared Burse, these are all guys who are projected to go in the middle of the first round at best for the most part.
You know, it's also interesting to Paul. I saw a lot of mock drafts that had Chop Robinson right around twenty three. I'm just saying, you know what, Hey, hey, listen, not saying anything. I'm not trying to tip off my in any way, shape or form in regard to pulling off some type of trade. But I'm just saying, at twenty three interesting.
What's interesting is that Cardinals don't currently own twenty three.
That's the Vikings mixed exception. You're already I get assumption, sumption.
That's exactly they're trading out of four and doing a package with the Vikings to get eleven and twenty three and twenty seven.
PAULI, is that karma is that? What is that an omen?
Paul?
What would you call that?
Right?
So, Carbinger, think about that. If you're at eleven and you go, oh, I don't know, you go with a top corner in the draft, harry On Arnold or a Quinyan Mitchell, and then at twenty three you go with a Byron Murphy the second and or a Chop Robinson. And then at twenty seven you probably won't get Byron Murphy the second, but maybe you get a Braidon Fisk out of Florida State, you get a.
Maybe there's a Grand Barton there. I'm not twenty so.
I'm talking about defense in front here.
Oh okay, Bali, I'm just talking about the first round.
See to me, you could go the whole first round and get three defensive building blocks corner, D, line and edge. You're right, and then wait to get receiver at thirty five. I think that's where we differ. Yeah, we do differ there, PAULI. That's great.
You could go ahead and you know you're gonna build the defense on all three levels. Paul, that's great. I'm gonna get Kyler somebody to throw the ball to.
How effective was justin Jefferson last year after the quarterback went down. Okay, receivers don't make the quarterback. Quarterbacks make the receivers.
And then when you're a young guy, though, you need that so badly. You need a guy who knows what he's doing, who can get open because that allows you to go through your read and get the ball out quicker.
Right, do you know deep this draft is in tackles and receivers?
Do you know? Do you do?
I have to break out the list of the All Pro and Pro Bowl receivers who are not drafted in the first round. I'm just saying, there is so much telly beyond the big three at the receiver position. I'm willing to wait because you have so many other pressing needs in so many different spots. And guess what, the supply isn't nearly what it is a receiver. The supply is much much less at some of these other spots.
Yeah, in the nineteen eighty five draft, there was a full back. His name was Ricky Moore from Alabama, Okay, and then the next full back taken was Ron wolf Lee from West Virginia, Paul. There was a massive difference between those guys. You go ahead. You've gotta sometimes just eat it and draft the better guy. All right.
I learned more about the Cardinals season tickets, premium seating, group tickets, and the all new luxury field seating experiences today. All right, do you just go to Azycardinals dot com slash tickets. I mean, if Wolf's wanted to throw himself under the bus to make his point, how do I argue with that? Once again, Azycardinals dot com slash tickets. In fact, we'll get a draft memory from Wolf when we come back on the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert Shaw.
As a draft was coming up, I had my family come down. We were having some fun parties and living it up because this was a moment that you know, you don't get an experience but once.
In your life.
And we had a tea time, me and my brothers and my dad that morning, and everybody was like, you're going to miss the draft. They're going to call your name. You're going to be on the golf course. I said, don't worry, I'm not going in the first round. I knew that I wasn't going to be a first round pick.
We went and played golf.
I was extremely tired from partying two three nights prior. So I was I went to a back room at the hotel we were at. There's still five picks in the first round. I'm going to go lay down. I'm going to catch a little sleep. And so I was asleep when I got drafted.
Jake Plummer, known for being ultra cool, calm clutch. He wasn't even awake when his name was called forty second overall, the Arizona Cardinal's second round pick, unknown to Jake until his agent came.
In day've done.
Came and tapped me on the shoulder and woke me up, and I and I came to He said, hey man, you're you're an Arizona Cardinal. I said, oh wow, okay.
And now you understand why Jake was so clutch in the clutch in the fourth quarter, because he was so cool, nothing rattled him. Chill, Chill, brouh And I tell you that is Jake Plumber, Unfiltered, unplugged. And if you go search wherever your favorite podcast, go search Cardinals Folktales Drafting Jake and it's the story of his pick in the
second round of the nineteen ninety seven draft. And by the end of his second season, guess what, the Cardinals had their first playoff win in nearly half a century. Great story. Cardinals would add Pat Tillman, his teammate at ASU and the very next draft and the rest is history. As they say, we're wrapping up this edition of the Arizona Cardinal's Big Red Rage Special. Thanks again to the cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith for joining us earlier. Right, he
had a bunch of rookies in his room a year ago. Wolf, what's your draft mean? Where were I don't know if I ever heard this. Where were you when your name was called in the fourth round nineteen eighty five?
Yeah, PAULI you know what. I was in West Virginia, West by God Virginia, of course, getting ready to actually move back, had a U haul. I was packing up on draft day and I watched the first couple of rounds and my agent told me, ment, you could go as high as round three, and I laughed at him, Ah, you're just so full of bit And I also thought, you know, I could go as late as round seven or eight somewhere in there. Then Bill Parcells called me.
He called me before the draft started. Bill Parcells, and he said, Ron, I just want you to know right now, if you don't get drafted today, we'd love to have you.
That's what he said.
Bill Parson thought it's a totally true story right there. Of course, what happened was Larry Wilson of the then Saint Louis Cardinals picked up the phone and called me and said, Ron, this is Larry Wilson and we're getting ready to draft you here in the fourth round, one hundred and fourth overall. And I said, this isn't Larry. I did no. I came on. I thought it was one of my boys, one of my buddies, actually playing
a prank on me. I said, this isn't Larry. He said, no, Ron, this is this is this is Larry Wilson of the Saint Louis Cardinal You know. I.
By the way, kids, they didn't have caller ID in nineteen eighty five, that's right, So it was common for kids in college to bust on each other with these pranks.
Exactly.
Yes, yes, and.
That's the way that went. But the best one I have to tell you, and I hope I have time for this, is when Craig was drafted by the four time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hello.
We had the whole family at forty five Hotson Road in Orchard Park, New York. There they all were Pully, and all of a sudden, the phone rings. Craig had walked out because he thought he was going to go in the third round and we were we were literally there in the sixth round, right, and it was going on and it was the I'm sorry, the fifth round, and he was nervous and he walked out of there
and suddenly the phone rang. My sister Joy My answers the phone, and she's saying, okay, yes, all right, why okay, who is this? Okay? And all of a sudden she's giving us the thumbs down like this. Come to find out. She hangs up the phone and we're like, what who was it? She said it was the Steelers, they drafted him in the fifth round. We were like, why are you giving us the thumbs down on this on the phone call? She said it wasn't the Bills. Oh that's
what That's what she said, Paul. Here it was the four times Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who had just drafted Craig in the fifth round. Oh my goodness, he had gone for a walk in our and in a gravel pit in our backyard. We drove down that gravel pit and we greg you got drafted. He just fell to the ground. It was really incredible.
Meanwhile, your sister hung up on Chuck Noll.
Chuck Noll basically just was giving it a thumb down, you know, and they.
Stinks get out the hometown bills didn't take them. Then you know, Okay, it's uh no, that's that's good.
That's the way that it goes. Man, it really is. It's one of those days you're not going to soon forget.
And look the last two years the Cardinals have executed trades in round one Hollywood Brown two years ago, then of course last year trading down from three to twelve, coming back up to six. It's amazing how many of these mock drafts have Mani Jasiford doing the exact same thing, training out of four and then coming back up to get one of the big three receivers around six or seven.
I would also say it's very interesting to see the way this has been a paradigm shift here because when the mock drafts were first coming out, is that Noah Brighter. It's Marvin Harrison Junior to the Arizona Cardinals at number four. Now, all of a sudden, everybody is on that bandwagon.
Well, three first round picks? Do you pull the trigger? If you're Moni and you get three first round picks? Do you trade out?
Sold?
There you go, and you know what it's all going to go down two Thursday nights from now. The Arizona Cardinals Draft Party presented by Arizona four Dealers the Great Lawns State Farm Stadium for all the info and it's a great and then they put the party into draft Party. Go to Azycardinals dot com slash Draft Party Special. Thanks as always Jim imanor Cody Fincher, Matt Lazarus, Baran Wolfley on Paul KELBC. This has been the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert Chaw.
You've been listening to the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Board and Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway and Valvesta. The rage is brought to you by seat Geek your ticket to Great Seats and by Arizona Cardinals podcasts. Visit azycardinals dot com Slash podcast. This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals football Clock