Big Red Rage - Grigson Talks Scouting, Draft Prep

hundred State Farm and buy Arizona Cardinals podcasts. Visit Hacy Cardinals dot com, Slash podcasts, The Rods, Rising Guard, Temperaturizing Vision, Flurry Rage, take it over. Here's Paul KELVC. 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

an so friendly. A reminder Ron Wolfley that this past season, the NFL two twenty, you do realize, you do remember that there was a game every single day of the week, as in the actual day of the week on the calendar, not just Sunday Game Day or Monday Night Football or Thursday Night Football or Saturday games in December, but there were also games played on Tuesday Wednesday and Friday all last season, the first time that had happened in NFL

history in a quarter century. So with that in mind, welcome in Ron Wolfley to a Wednesday edition of The Big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We are Santana. You know what, Paula. You gotta be flexible, do you not? You have to be flexible at all times. Position flexibility, of course, is taking over the National Football League. You gotta be flexible on a Big Red Rage as well, Paul Yeah. And just so you know, this is not

voluntary for you, Okay, it is in your contract. I know for players in the NFL right now, it's that mandatory minicamp. Everything else is considered voluntary at least that's the way it stands right now, based on the memo from rog. But right here, right now, Boom, we're ready to go because you're right. Two weeks from tomorrow the NFL draft. Let it wash over you. And since Ron Wolfley, they've yet to authorized our key cards for entry into the war room. Yes, which is never going to happen.

Just fyi, we get the next best thing and a key figure in that war room on this edition how about Director of player Personnel Drew Grigson going to be our special guest coming up a little bit? Well, I love that, Polly. First of all, Director of player personnel, Polly, I know, on the sideline as you're walking around there as a sideline reporter of course for the Cardinals year. Maybe not. I don't know, run into contact with Drew Grigson from time to time, ball, But this is that

would not be good for me? Is I basically run into him exactly? Dress three of me? Well, you can bench press at least three of me. Yes, of course, here's a guy that has influence in personnel not only at the college level but also at the pro level. Thus the director or player persadel, are you going to ask him? Or am I going to ask him for an update? I'm Larry Fitzgerald. Let's just hash that out right here right now. I honestly don't think we should ball.

I mean, honestly, put him under the gun run like that. I mean, this guy, he's not he's not the general manager, not yet. But oh my goodness, the director or player personnel that is a stepping stone title to a general manager position, is it not? You want to hear my latest theory, I'm Larry by Way with ball. Thanks for asking. I think that this is a big ploy so he can miss the entire offseason, so he can miss the OTAs, so he doesn't have to participate in the virtual Zoom sessions.

Maybe he shows up for the mandatory mini camp in June. But you know what, year three in this offensive, Cliff Kingsbury, he knows the offense. I mean, you know he's going into his eighteen season. Eck, hey, just go play some more golf, you know what, PAULI that's not a bad suggestion by you. That's not a bad proposition right there. The fact that because we know he's got to be waiting for something, right at least that's my feeling on this.

I think he's waiting for something, and what that something is I do not know. Now. Maybe he's waiting for a team to be able to scrape together the requisite amount of money that he would be willing to play for. And maybe that conveniently also means he's going to miss a lot of the offseason as he's waiting for them to scrape it together. Paul, I mean, maybe it's a

faux contract holdout. Maybe he's just staging this, you know, this holdout for more cash perhaps, or is stalling the negotiations just so he convenely misses all of April and May and most of June. So as Fitz, he's listening to you talk right now, how badly do you think he's just shaking his head and smirking, Paul? How badly you think he's doing that? Hey, I'm not the guy who used the two words thus far on a podcast this week. Wolf, I'm gonna leave you with this on

the Larry subject and it won't come up again. But he was on a golf subpar podcast on a Whisper Rock. Okay, Wolf, another another area, just like the war room where you're never gonna gain entry to Whisper Rock Country Club once

gotten a fight outside of Whisper Rock. Paul, I see, no, we don't want we don't have time for the dark days right now to talk about that, and so On this podcast, he was asked very little football, ninety eight percent golf, but he was asked about his longevity and now he's only missed a handful of games in his NFL career. He said, Yeah, I've been fortunate thus far. What is that he didn't talk about his career in

the past. Tense Ron wolf Lee. I know, Paul, I know exactly the cut you're talking about, the sound you're talking about, Paul, don't go deep on that. Just let the man speak and now don't read into it that Deepaul. You're on the grassy knoll. Guess what the Cardinals depth chart just got deeper. Running back that's next on the big red rage. I'd just gets the shotgun, snap, gives it to Connor, sweeps the left side, got a block in the ten corner down James Potter sweeping the weft side,

takes it in from twelve yards out. Hodges will throw the Connor out of the back field, makes him an messing. It's a the twenty conner down the sideline of the ten and he's gonna walk it in and for the touchdown. Now. Former Steelers running back James Earl Connor. That's his middle name, by the way, Roun wolfley On one of his parents are big fans of Darth Vader and James Earl Jones.

James Earl Connor a one year deal with the Arizona Cardinals as all of a sudden, you know what the old line likes to call the straight ahead run game the pound game. They now have the running back to go with that pound game. And it's curious now what exactly that means for the Arizona Cardinals and the style of run game. Perhaps this year it's the Big Red Rage presented by satan Ford in Gilbert. We are satan Ford, Paul kelvc Ron Wolfley, soon to be joined by Director

of Player Personnel Drew Grigson. We'll get his thoughts on James Connor. But wolf you're a bad leadoff. Give us your thoughts, you know, Polly, I love this. I really do six one, two hundred and thirty three pounds. He's not the fastest guy in the world. He's not going to take the ball and rip off a forty yard run. He's not going to rip off a sixty eighty yard take it to the house run unless he's breaking tackles the whole way. Not going to do that. But he's

a first downmaker, is what he is. Paul. This is a guy that's going to line up and get you four. He's going to rip it in there. I call him a ground pounder. That's what he is. You might say the offensive line likes to pound it. This is a ground pounder running back, and this is exactly what I was hoping the Cardinals were going to bring in. James Connor I thought was the best option that was still

out there. And I also, Polly, I like what it implies, what it might mean for this offense and the mindset of this team going forward. You know, in that montage coming back on Westwood one, he had the rushing touchdown and the receiving touchdown. Did I nat hear your brothers say something along the lines of longtime Steelers analysts and Steelers legend from that offensive line that that might be an underutilized part of his skill set the receiving game. Yeah,

there's no doubt about it. He texted me and told me about this kid a little bit. He said he's a three down back, Paully, That's what he said. He said he will stone blitzers, which is great when you have a run down back, a back that is first and ten, second and one to six. If in fact, you are going to put Kyler Murray a little bit more under center, if you're going to do that, you better have a running back that can actually hold up

and blitz pick up. The reason being Paully is because here comes a play action, right, there comes a play action, and that running back's gonna fake like he's getting the ball and it's gonna freeze everybody for the bost part. But then you might blitz in a rundown situation. If you're a defensive coordinator, man, that running back better be ready to pick up that blitzer, right, he better have his eyes open and be capable of doing it. And this dude is capable of doing it. He's six one,

two hundred thirty three pounds. You know what, two thoughts here, what Kyler Murray does for James Connor, and then what Connor does for the direction of this run game, which you hinted at. Let me get to the first one. You know. It was that very first training camp we hadn't even gotten out of August and Chase Edmonds was talking about what Kyler Murray does for the run game. He's like, quote an extra blocker. Yes, well, James Connard obviously did not have that dynamic in Pittsburgh with Big

Ben who's a big statue back there. So think about that and how because it's not like if he gets a little more room, and the defenses are respecting Kyler's legs a little bit more. That benefits Connor, doesn't it. I love that you brought that up, Polly, because once again, I do believe the Arizona Cardinal's offense is going to be tweaked a little bit this year. Going forward, I think we're going to see Kyler Murray a little bit more under center. I think we're going to see more

traditional running plays at the point of attack. I think we're gonna see that, Polly. But it doesn't mean it's gonna be exclusive. There's gonna be a blending, right, a blending of the old and the new. That's what I expect to see. I expect to see James Connor lined up in the gun next to Kyler Murray and here comes an inside zone play, a play where you're going to hand that bafe. Maybe it's going to be his own read as well from time to time. But I

see a blending of the old and the new. And Craig also was talking about the fact that James Connor has a good feel for hitting angles, good angles in a power scheme. He has a really good feel for doing that. Not a great cutback runner, Craig said, and that to me tells me he's not a great runner in zone schemes. He might be a much better punch the hole into the defense type runner, a guy that

uses great angles on power scheme plays. And that could signal a little foreshadowing here as to how this run game offense might be tweaked a little. I agree. We talked about it with Rob Frederickson last month. Kyler under center, yeah, a little bit right, and then all of a sudden, guess what, do you have? A bit more of a downhill running game, And the way you described James Connor, he seems to be the perfect fit and that sort of scheme. We saw a little different approach in December.

We saw more bootlegs for Kyler. We did see him under center a little bit more. I agree with you. I think we're more up to see a little bit of everything. And for James Connor, guess what, he's reunited with a running back coach he had in twenty eighteen and Ptsburg during his Pro Bowl season. In fact, here's James Connor talking to the media about the opportunity in Arizona. I feel brand new, you know, I'm excited for this opportunity.

Is definitely a change of scenery for me, you know, being in Pittsburgh eight years and this was all that time in Pittsburgh was just prepping me for where I'm at right now in my life and his journey that brought me out here to a zy and I felt like I was well equipped, you know, just everything I've been through and continue to go through on his journey and leads me to hear So, man, I'm excited to

be in this rid. I'm excited. It's a blessing. He's like a local already, you know, calling it asy, you know it's well done by him. But twenty eighteen, Wolf, we're talking about a guy who had nearly fifteen hundred yards from scrimmage, over five yards per touch, thirteen touchdowns all with James Saxon is yes, and I would just miss that if he was thirty or thirty one. But he's gonna be twenty six next month. That was a

long time ago. Ding, Ding, That's exactly right, PAULI. Once again, I don't want to make it sound like suddenly Kyler Murray is going to be under center for forty percent of the snaps I'm not saying that. I'm just saying twenty five twenty five percent. Maybe we'll see how this offense evolves. But I can tell you right now you got a guy that's gonna stoke it in between those tackles, and you know that gets me Jack Paul. And by the way, it's a one year deal. He'll be motivated.

It's cap friendly. Yeah, less than two million dollars total. He's also competing with another guy who's in a contract year, Chase Edmonds. So these are gonna be two guys pushing each other if you're Drew Grigson. Next on the Big Red Rage presented by Satan four in Gilbert snap the Wilson Cardinals bringing some pressure. It's picked up Wilson the time of the pocket now and trouble and sacked about

four Cardinals in the backfield. But it's Isaiah Simmons of the Rookie that gets the Russell Wilson first to force a fund. Shotguns snap to Wilson straight drop back, steps up in the pocket, takes off running far side at the forty and drilled by Simmons at the forty one. Isaiah Simmons is balling shotgun stat Wilson quick throw to the left flat Metcalf caught it at the thirty eight, dropped by Isaiah Simmons for a loss at the thirty

seventy yard line. Simmons has played terrific football tonight, the rookie really starting to get comfortable out there. Two of his best games against the Seahawks. You heard the montage there day PASH Cardinals Radio Network. Yeah, the overtime win at home against the Seahawks on Sunday night where I remember Wolf Russell Wilson have been thirty and oh in the regular season when leading by ten at the half

and the Cardinals came back for the win. There. Then at Seattle, Isaiah Simmons had that game with the team

I ten tackles and a sack. He was the first round pick a year ago on that big board of the Cardinals, the top one twenty in the war room where once again we are not allowed, So we do the next bes thing here on the big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert, and we say good evening and welcome to the Director of Player Personnel Drew Grigson, who joins us fresh off being promoted a couple of months ago, Drew, how are we doing. Is the adrenaline

flowing yet? With a draft in two weeks away. Oh, you can't get burned out this quick yet. It's a marathon. You can't. It's gotta pace yourself right now. Yeah, Drew, you know I'm going to start off with a big fat softball right here. But talk about how roster talk about how roster building has changed in the year twenty twenty one of our lord, How is it changed, the emphasis on the draft, free agency, roster building trades. How much has it changed from ten years ago? Oh, it's

I mean, it's it's different every year now. I mean obviously COVID throwing us the curveball that it did, and uh, the salary cap changing and and and with you know, the inability to to make visits this year, every everything changed, UM on our side and and UM and building the rosters has become more difficult. But there's nothing you could do but adapt. And UM, any anything, any curveball that gets thrown to you have to you have to take it.

Across the league, everyone has the same rules, which is which which helps UM. And we're all playing with the same hand here. So Uh, there's no excuses. We just got to find a way to to to work around all these issues and make the best of it with no combine this year, how has it been? How has it been? I know teams have really gone and had to attend these pro days. So how would you say, is your accessed information enough that you're going to feel

confident about making draft picks? We will because I feel good about the information. And UM, you know, I I've been saying for the last couple of weeks to the guys, I the amount of information that we did gather this year not making visits is it's astounding. UM. I credit our scouting staff for doing that because I mean they were they were scouting from their their offices at home, from their kitchens, from the basements, and um, and we

pulled in quite a bit of information. UM. The unfortunate thing is that you don't have those uh, you don't have those experiences that you do when you go to the school when you get a feel for the kid and you go room to room and you talk to everyone, UM, and you get a you know, a real strong conviction one way or another. UM. But uh, we again, we we we we We've done a great job um figuring out who we who are targets would be UM not having the combine we again, what did we We didn't

have a chance to interview the guys in person. So what Quentin Harrison I did is we put together basically a combined style interview process that we that we did from the draft room. So instead of having players brought up brought in in front of us one by one, we did it over zoom and it's the only way we could do it. And we did it, like I said, combine style, twenty minutes on with one kid, next kid comes in, he's ready, zoom, next guy comes in, and we just did it down the line, just like we

wouldn't indu so wet we don't. We didn't. We weren't there in person, but we still got the information, still got to talk to the kids, still got to feel comfortable about him, talking to him about talked to him about XS and os, and get comfortable with his mental capacity all that stuff. So, so, Drew, where are you guys right now in the draft process? Have you already stood on the table, Drew? Have you stood on the table and had it out as to one kid is

better than one kid. This kid is better than that kid. What are you doing? You're out of your mind? Have you have you had those meetings yet? The shoeprints around the table wolf there, they're there. The board is up and we feel good. Right now, there'll be some minor massaging and um, you know, we're still going to do a few more interviews over the next couple of days and um, and uh, we still have to do a

medical meeting. Obviously that's going to be a big, a big piece to it in terms of you know who we feel good about long term medically and you know short term and that affects your board greatly. But in terms of ability, it's up and we feel good about it, and we feel confident about it. And um, like I said, right now, it's just gonna be. It's just there's gonna be little little moves from here on out and and

we're ready to draft a director of player personnel. Drew Griggson joining us on the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. How true is that as you're formulating the big board and everyone's around the big table in the war room, are you guys all truly in the trust tree. Does it get pretty spirited? You all know each other pretty well, so I presume you're not taking a personal but it does it get pretty animated

in there? It does? It does? I mean when when a guy does sometimes you know, two three years of work on a guy, um, and he feels strong and convicted about a guy and he feels that this guy could help our team and someone doesn't agree with him. Yeah, it hit a little spirited. But I think we do a great job of keeping it professional. And you could still be convicted and strong with your opinion and and you know, and still you know, again be professional and

doing it. And if I feel that it's going the wrong way, I said, you know, gentlemen, let's let's let's

calm down a little bit. And and uh, you know, let's but but yes, and you want that you want the conversation to You want your your scouts to be excited about a guy, and you you you you want him to have conviction of a bottom one way or another, because that's how you hit on a player, and that's how you miss on a player if you're not listening to those guys, because like I said, sometimes those guys are doing three years of work on those guys, so um, yeah,

it get spirited in a good way. Drew Bill Belichick is famous for actually interviewing a coach and even though he may secretly agree with what the coach is saying, he'll actually take the opposite side of the argument just to see how he responds. Okay, now that's diabolical to me as far as I'm concerned. But do you or do that with some of your guys? Do you take

the opposite side? Do you be a contrarian that somebody gets up and says, I love this guy, and do you just say I want to hear how convicted you love this guy? Sure a little bit. Yeah, you know you not necessarily want to be a contrarian, but um, you know I'll question them and we just because you want to get him in the right place on the board. And you know, if I want to make sure that the information they got maybe it's is it any different

than what I got? And I you said this, but that you got this from this guy, but I got this from this guy. You sure you feel good about that? And um, you know, just checks and balances and making sure that the information that they're presenting is again, they feel strong about it, and we feel good about where that guy's going on the board. Director of Player Personnel Drew Griggs and joining us. All right, how about a quick scunner report on your most recent signing, James Connor,

who joins the backfield. Yeah, I was. I was a big fan of James coming out and you know his you know obviously what he went through medically, you know, the story starts there and what he came back from that tells you about who he is as a person um and how he's able to bounce back. I mean, I can't even get you out of my car day to day. You know, my back hurts so bad. And this guy's beating cancer and you know, go into Pro Bowl.

So he's That's that's where it starts. And again we've added a lot of pieces in free agency of men, of the leaders of Alpha's and that's what we want to keep doing. And that's what he is. And uh then you look at the ability, and you look at a big back with outstanding feet that could catch the ball, that's going to be great on third down, that can block um and and he's gonna be good in short

yard and goal line situations. He's tough, and I just think he adds a great you know, one two punch with with Chase Edmonds with his skill set, so you know, a little thunder and lightning. I think I think it's gonna be a good mix. You know what's amazing about it, too, Drew is I had a coach, an old coach, who was really fond of saying, if you pack a locker room with enough dogs, even the cats start barking. Okay, So right, good guys. You guys have done an unbelievable job.

I mean, from the very beginning of this offseason and roster building of bringing in guys that have a reputation for being physical and guys also that are leaders. That's no action and is it not at all? I mean, you know, that's the philosophy that Steve kime Um set forth, and it's our job, between Clinton and Ida to kind of stress that to the staff. And that's the those guys are gonna take priority. And you know, I know Steve's talk to you guys about it on the radio before.

But you know, if we're if we're setting the board and the guys are that we're looking at two players and and they're close inability grade. Those guys that are that are the alphas, that are the guys that are tough, that we feel are a football character. Guys they're gonna they're gonna go above the other guy. And that's how that's how we break the tie on a lot of guys.

And like we're going to keep filling our locker room with those guys and and and will if you know about playing a long season and in week thirteen, fourteen fifteen, when things start to fall apart, you know, those are the guys that hold it together and those are the you know, and we need those guys in our locker And that has been a uh that has been a major factor for us in the last couple of years um in terms of, you know, what we're what we're addressing,

and what we're targeting in the draft end free agency. See you sign JJ Watt, there's a pass rusher, right, you get the corner and Malcolm Butler, you just got the running back. You've you've obtained offensive linemen. So there doesn't seem to be that glaring need in the draft. If you look at the mock drafts, Drew and I know you guys at times will laugh and mock the mock drafts. But Cardinals have been look anywhere from corner to receiver, to all line to running back to tight end,

everything all over the board. I take it that's a good thing right now where the outsiders are really wondering what direction you might go in round one, that's that's a good point. That there's yeah, that there's no glaring, you know, hole um, and that just gives us a chance to take the best player. And that's just I know, I know it's very cliche to say, but it is. It is so true that you just can't pass any

good players, no matter what, no matter one position. And and uh, even if you feel full at that spot, like if we have a guy up with a high grade and you know we and we need a linebacker and and it's in the that high players at a position that's not you still got to take him because, like you know, you've heard Steve say a thousand times, you're your needs in in April aren't the same, aren't gonna be the same in October. So you just need as many good players and your roster as possible. Have

you guys actually run mock drafts yet? Have you done that yet? I personally I try to stay away from him. Um, I think it take you get Uh, I think you can mess you a little bit. I think you just have to stick to what you and your staff believe. UM, because I've looked at mock drafts. When I have looked at mock drafts, I just think they're so off sometimes that I just sit and time. I just can't. You know,

I just can't. I can't. I can't do it. So UM, I typically typically typically do not mess with summer or attention. So what about you guys, Drew? I mean, I know, do you guys ever go through the process of running a mock draft as well? What? Absolutely ye have done

that yet? We have not yet? We can do that, uh, you know towards the end, right before the draft, and you know, uh, what we try to do is just try to create as many scenarios as possible before we get to our pick, whether it's trades or whether it's um you know, uh, you know a guy that no one in the room thinks we'd go before. Just so when we get to our pick. Okay, and here's the guys left, Now, what are we gonna do? Right? You know, okay, which can we should we trade back? Here? Um? Uh?

You know what what's that? What? What other? So we have two guys? We take this guy? So, um we do that every year. Um. We go around the room basically look at basically the teams and needs of everyone in front of us, and then each scout picks Okay, who who are who are the Jags taken? Who are the Jets taking? And we get to our picks that we do it. Do you care to divulge? What? Who you guys? Like? I know you're not a score. Where is the draft? Ships? Where is the draft the deepest?

You were you know, long time director of college scouting? Where do you see the most depth in which positions in this draft? Something I never say pass rusher. It's it's a very interesting draft for pass rusher, for inside linebacker. You know, usually it's receiver. Um, just because there's so many bodies and it's never pass rusher. Now it's not as I don't think it's as deep up top, but it's like the second third round, it's gonna get real interesting.

There's a lot of counted guys um in the you know, second third, fourth round. They are they're gonna fly off the board. It's there's gonna be a run from them at some point, because there's it's a very very good group. Drew. How's your arm rustling coming? I mean, is that I'm looking hired. I no longer participating in arm wrestling. But now, wait a minute, are they still twenty? Are the guns still twenty? They're they're hanging in there. Um haven't. I

haven't measured in a while. But you know what, the white the wife still approved, so I must feel something, right. He's one of the few executives the NFL. He has a workout bonus in his conte. There's still got a motor. That's the good. Love you, buddy, Thank you so much. I got to get it in the morning. Guys, absolutely, Drew, thank you, appreciate the infus. Okay man than the director of player Personnel and uh yeah, well it was by

design adding the leaders in the alpha. Yes, And we'll go through some more what Drew had to say about the twenty twenty one draft. Next on the Big Red Range breaking news. J J. Watt is going to the desert. WHOA that is not photos? I know, he said. Adam Schepter just reported it Wow. The first thing I did was take a look at the tape and quickly realized that m J. J. Watt still look like J. J. Watt In my opinion, Jen, he walks on the field.

He don't think there's anybody in the reading better than him. It feels like the Arizona Cardinals are going all in. We had the opportunities to make some reason to be aggressive. You know, it's business at the end of the day, and you know thing's gonna change to get traded to Arizon. It's a pleas of anyone to the best days of my life, a little different, thing different. There isn't enough energy in the valley already. We're gonna try and turn

it up even a few more notches. The unmistakable theme of flight Plan, season four of the Emmy Award winning series Cardinals. Flight Plan. It premiers next Thursday, April twenty second, at seven o'clock on the Cardinal's YouTube channel, and a lot of great insight stuff. You're from a lot of the newcomers in there, starting with JJ Watt and all

the way down to retaining Mark Scolden and Wolf. We just served the director of player Personnel, Drew Grigson here on the big red rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert saying that quote adding men, adding leaders, adding alpha's in response to your question whether it was by design, So yes, it was a definitive Yes, that was the plan. You know what, Polly, it really is and it's a plan,

no doubt. Steve Kim has already talked about that he needed to get more physically said, and he needed to better leadership, he thought in the locker room, and those two things they have gone out. And my goodness, Paul, Honestly, every signing, every acquisition, every trade, every roster spot that they actually brought in, it really checks those two boxes right there, even right down to an AJ Green, who is a big get off the press, physical type wide receiver.

If you ask him to block, he's gonna block. I mean we talked about it after the signing of AJ Green, for example, if you were to name the top three receivers at making contested catches over the last decade, DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and A J. Green. Honestly, so you're right, a guy who'll fight for the football, whether it's Rodney Hudson and Brian Winters. Would you call those two guys maulers? Right,

Malcolm Butler who had over one hundred tackles as a cornerback. So, Paula, I'll tell you right now, Matt Prador will walk bull legged grash you on a Saturday night. Gay. Yeah, maybe me, but not an NFL player. I got ball. This guy is full on kick or right in a grizzled veteran at that. So I love it, man, I just love the moves that they've made right now. This was not an accident. And James Connor is the cherry on top

of this offseason as far as I'm concerned. And look, it gets back for everything that everyone says about Cliff Kingsbury and they mistakenly called the air raid offense and so forth. Okay, it still gets back to running the ball, yes, and stopping the run to such a large degree, Paul, isn't that crazy, Paul? I mean, think about it right now, the football universe, Paul, what you just said, it's still even though the way you do it might be changing. The way you do it, the how is different, but

it's still football, isn't it? Ultimately? And because of what you just said right there, man, I think this is exactly the direction the Arizona Cardinals are headed in. Now, will it result in more wins? I don't know, but I guarantee you this much, it's going to resolve a lot more and a lot more bloody noses from opposing players. And look, I know the analytics guys right now are saying, calvci,

where are you. It's a passing league. You know, Kyle Outguard is somewhere right now taking my name in vain. But here's my response to that is that when the Cardinals was truly rolling the second half of twenty nineteen, in the first half of two twenty, what was a common denominator? An effective running game? You got that right? And where did the Cardinals fail on defense in the

most critical moments? And Vance Joseph was pretty darn honest about it with us a couple of months ago here in the Big Red Rage, they finished into the bottom third and run defense. So when I look at jj Watt for everything that he brings, and there's a lot, we just fill a whole show talking about his resume, the fact that he led the NFL and tackles for

loss against the run last year. Yes, that's huge. And that's my intro here to Jim Trotter in the NFL Network, just talking about jj Watt here recently in that interior presence that he provides. Talking in Advanced Joseph, one of the things that jj Watt brings besides leadership is an

interior presence. In the Nickel package, they haven't got much pressure up the middle when it comes to the pass rush, you know, when they go to that package, and they believe that with jj Watt they're complementing Chandler Jones, they should be able to generate that pressure. And Wolf DJ talked about it with us, especially when you're thinking about putting jj Watt and Chandler Jones on the same side

of the line. Yeah, you right, Paulie. But you've got to get to those third and Nabby pass situations, right, You got to get to those situations where you can use all that talent, and that means you got to stop the run first. It still is. It is an amazing thing. Look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the offense that they actually run, right that is, paul there's a lot of elements that are right out of nineteen ninety five Okay, Paul, I'm just gonna tell you that

right now. Even further back than that, like a seven man slide protection, Okay, I mean this is this is still a league where you've got to be physical on the lineup scrimmage, and JJ Watt is going to go a long, long way and helping the Arizona Cardinals be more physical in terms of stopping the run. You've got to keep a three dimensional approach to the game of football. You've got if you're an offense, you've got to make the defense wonder what it is you're gonna do. Are

you gonna run it, Are you gonna throw it? Or are you're gonna act like you're gonna run it and then throw it. You gotta keep them guessing, Paul. And you know what, speaking at JJ Watt and Chandler Jones, how about Drew Grigson moments ago telling us that the most depth in this draft is a pass rusher. And

you never say that, So it makes me wonder. As wrong as the mock drafts are typically and annually, everyone who thinks the Cardinals are going corner or maybe a receiver at sixteen, if that edge guy is there, don't forget Chandler Jones in the final year of his contract. JJ Watt is above the age of thirty Marcus Golden on a two year deal. I would not be surprised if they go edge rusher at number sixteen. That's a good point, Paul. It's going to be very interesting to

see who's there at sixteen. I'll tell you this much. They can get a great football player at sixteen, Penn. Again, if it's that deep, maybe that edge guy, maybe that pass rusher comes in round two. We'll see where. Two weeks away tomorrow night from the NFL Draft, we continue with a big red rage presented by Santan Board in Gilbert Rooppolo back to path, throws over the middle behind the attendive receiver, and a diving interception at the five

yard line. It's Jalen Thompson with a pick. I think Jayalen Thompson is just scratching the surface of what he could possibly become. Quick bro over the middle. It's broken up at the forty yard line incomplete by Jalen Thompson. Made a good play breaking on the receiver. You watch Jaalen Thompson right there lined up there to slop that was just what a corner would typically do the way

he broke on that slam Sarron Wolflat. It was joined by day Pash there the collective voice of the airs on a Cardinals and the Airs on a Cardinals radio network. Here on the Big Red Rage, you might be asking yourself, well, why was there a montage of Jalen Thompson there from our fine producer Jim Almahandro And the answer is that, you know what, it's an astute observation that Jalen Thompson has yet to have a traditional offseason. He's actually yet to have an offseason of any sort in the NFL,

and he's entering his third season in the NFL. Because if you were a call as a rookie, he was taken in the supplemental draft in July and then just showed up for training camp. And then, of course last year, the entire offseason was wiped out except being held virtually because of the pandemics. So here we go again, as the NFL released a memo to teams today, it's going to be a nine week offseason schedule. Everything will be

voluntary wolf except for one mandatory mini camp. Yeah, Paul him one mandatory mini camp and everything being voluntary in the off season, it's really really important, I think that you get your work out there, especially for the young guys. Paul. It's so difficult to make a roster coming in as a rookie unless you're a high round pick, a guy that's taken in the first, second, third round, even the

fourth round. I would say anything after that. It's kind of a toss it up in the air proposition right now. It's difficult to make a team, and you got to know what you're doing before you can actually make a roster an Ota, they go a long, long way for a young guy to actually get the offense down, get the defense down, and then maybe go out and try to execute and play. And I should say the NFL has allowed for rookie mini camps in the weeks following

this year's draft, so that has been provided for. But starting Monday, they're going to start having virtual zoom meetings two hours per day and that's going to be the beginning of the NFL offseason work. And look, this has been a process obviously between the league and the NFLPA. In fact, the president Brown Center JC Tredder, he was on the rich eisens Show was asked if he thinks there's going to be a boycott of these voluntary workouts. I don't think boycott's the word. I think to start

the off season is voluntary. And I think guys right now are making an informed decision about what's in their best interest when it comes to their health and safety. And that's what being a professional is all about, is making it formed decisions for what's best for your your health, your career. And guys, you're doing that and we're seeing those those people come out and come forward and say

what they want to do moving forward. That's well said right there, Polly, it really is, because everyone's situation is different, Paul. Everyone's situation not only when it comes to making a football team and making a roster. Everyone's situation is different. But everyone's personal health situation even at home, is different as well, and every situation state by state is different.

Where Michigan is right now, you can understand the reason the Lions players may have voted the way they did, which is very different than a lot of other states. So yes, well that ruined your summer plans, then they Polly, going back to the Motor City wheren't you going back there, Paul wolf Um. You know I'm going to take the fifth. I'm not being able to see the in laws this summer, so all right, I'm sorry, Paul. Probably shouldn't answer on

whether that's a plus or a minus. Anyway, what I was going to bring up was the fact that look at last year in the off season, and I wonder, you tell me you spent ten years in the league. Do you think the veterans are saying, Hey, maybe everyone overestimated the importance of these offseason programs. Oh, there's no doubt and the preseason games, of which there were none, right, I mean, they just went into the season last year

and dropped the plow and went straight forward forward. And now I wonder what some of these players are thinking, Yeah, there's no doubt, Paul. And if you're an established player too, maybe you're just thinking to yourself, Man, I don't need to be out on that field. I don't need to be I do know this right now, the Union is going to use OTAs it's going to use this offseason and the experience of COVID and this pandemic and the

way that it's impacted the offseason. I think they're going to use that as a bargaining chip going forward, because that's what any good union would do, is use it as a bargaining chip going forward to get something may want down the line. And guess what, the owners just got seventeen games, and so you know, this is a pollie to a lot of people, say, wow, that's CBA.

Now that's a decade away, and listen, they can always put an addendum to it, and they talk throughout the length of ANYCBA to begin with, no doubt, there's no doubt. I also wonder if it contributed to the direction the Cardinals went was signing a lot of veterans this offseason. You know, when you get guys in their thirties around the age of thirty. You know, James Connor was kind of conspicuous by signing that he's in his mid twenties.

Most of the other guys that Cardinals said, well, guess what, those guys are plugged in play in an uncertain offseason where you might not have the ability to practice together as a team very much. No, that's right, Paulie. It's gonna be really, really interesting. But I just love the fact you said James Connor once again. Listen, first down maker, hand him the ball off run some power schemes in between the tackle. Watch him hit the angles and hit the hole and punch a hole into that front seven.

I want to see that, Paul. Yes, somebody tells me he's going to dear himself to you and the style of football you love. We know he endeared himself to the Steelers fans. He grew a mullet in twenty eighteen just to fit in in Pittsburgh. Walk You realize that he was a fan favorite just based on his mullet, and of course everyone else grew it as well. PAULI, I'm mimicking him. Yeah, so it was. It was part of the Yinzer culture. We need to brother on to

explain the yser culture in the burg. Back to wrap up this ddition to the Big Red Rage presented by Santan four in Gilbert Connor sweeps the left side, got a block at the Tim Connor the five the touchdown, Well, you just brought him another leader. This guy doesn't take a second place to anybody. He's a great young man to the Pro Bowl a couple of years ago. I just have a lot of respect to the young man and what he's done and what he's accomplished in a

very short period of fact. He's an above average pass catcher out of the backfield. I think that's an area they can explore more with him because I think he's capable of flipping the field a lot like Levian beld It back in his a day. That's a good yet, And you had an inside angle. I'm your big brother, Craig Wolfley this week and on eight SEVENFM Arizona Sports. There he was talking about James Conner, a player with which he is very familiar from day one as Steelers

radio analyst. And wolf you tell me what else did your brother tell you about James Conner. Well, just the fact that he's a great guy. But I think we already know that about James Connor. He's not flashy polly like we were talking about earlier. He's not a take it to the house type running back. He's a guy that's going to move the chains. And to think about short yardage. We've already talked about it, short yardage and goal line situations. He's going to improve the Arizona Cardinals

odds in those short yardage and goal line situation. He runs well between the tackles, he can hold up in play action. What I also love about it, Paulie, is just the fact that he knows he's running a four to six. Okay, he he's not going to try to run sideways, He's not going to try to run around you. He knows he's running a four to six. And that means here comes a little giddy up. Oh at six one, two hundred and thirty three pounds, a little wiggle and then pick a side and rent And that's what I

can't wait to see. And you know what, I can't wait to see him in those situations. Like you just said it, I'll sit a specific one. Remember the loss at New England. It was week twelve, just a vexing loss, yes, so many different ways as New England at scoring drives that covered forty six and thirty five and thirty one and thirty three yards and cam Newton had a passer rating under thirty and somehow the Patriots found a way

to win that game. Well, if you remember, right before the half the final play four in goal at the Patriots won and the Cardinals were stone. They were stopped no points. Now you hand that ball off to James Conner and how do you like those odds? See, this is why you're such a downer ball and we're playing the music and suddenly you bring off that play right there. That was diabolical to happen to a team right before

the half. You know. The only thing worse is a linebacker picking the ball off and running it back yards. Were a touchdown? No no, and Larry Fischild running an Antrell role on the sideline as James Harrison's going the other bits. Well, if we had such a great show, what are you doing? I know you brought us down, palling. I mean that's where my brain went when you brought us down. I thinking right now, Drew Grigg's the same footprints are on the table on the ball room. That's

me right now. Okay, Special Banks, Jim Almahandro, Cody Fincher, the director of player Personnel for Upball. That's the Big Red Rage Number one. You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford in Guildall are you? Santanford State Farm talk to an Agent 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