Big Red Rage - Introducing Lecitus Smith

Talk to an agent today at eight hundred State Farm and buy Arizona Cardinals podcasts, Visit acy Cardinals dot Com, Slash podcasts, The Reds, Rising Guard, temperaturizing vision, flurring, rage taking over. Here's Paul Calvc. I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Wolflee, it doesn't get any better than that, boy. Unleash the fiards. I'm speaking that into existence here off the top of the Big Red Rage. Doubted you know, Wolf just for that.

When I graduated college, I swore that not only would I never read another word of Shakespeare, but I would never be the guy who quotes Shakespeare. Okay until now? All right, what are you gonna do? Paul King Lear Wolf and the famous quote from King lear and it goes like this, and I do quote, nothing will come of nothing. If you invest nothing, you will gain nothing. And that brings us and I think capsualizes the offseason. Invest in nih offseason, NFL, so thou shalt reap a

bountiful regular season. So the rest of the league doesn't say wherefore art thou in the postseason? You went deep right there, right off the top. Well, I saw the rookie minicamp, which we're going to talk about, and then we're gonna talk to Lucida Smith, that rare sixth rounder who might actually make a run of some serious playing time. Just saying a little bit of a prediction. We'll see, we'll talk to him. I think you'll be impressed with

Lucida Smith. We'll go from there. But Wolf, this is where you guys put in that time that you hopefully right and because once again, nothing will come up nothing unless you get your keyster out there and make it happen. That's right, Paula. You gotta have something. You got to have something, even if it starts with nothing. And that really is what the rookies are doing for the most part. They're starting with nothing because if you don't know what

you're doing, Paul, really doesn't matter. All the goodness that God has given you, all your physical abilities, your physical talent, all of it, Paul, none of it matters if you don't know what you're doing, all right, you need that roadmap. You need to master the offense. You need to be able to master the defense. You need to do that before you can actually go out and perform. You know what. I don't know if you saw on Acy Cardinals dot com and the YouTube channel right, but there was a

wired of Trey McBride. We're gonna play a little clip, but at the very end of the full piece, Cliff Kingsbury says essentially that Wolf, I mean evidence of a guy who spent ten years in the NFL locker room. Because Cliff Kingsbury's message was, look at how much better we were today than yesterday because everybody had that much more of a grasp of the playbook and knew what they were doing, and we're actually able to see the athleticism guys. Guys weren't as much thinking as they were playing.

And so that is part of the challenge for the rookies and Trey McBride, the highest drafted rookie in this claft class in this second round. He was miked up at Cardinals rookie camp. And here's a clip. Here we go, here we go getting this ball. Damn, I got a mug in my ear. You just got to tighten it down on that on follow if you're number three, just because you gotta get over there. Let's go here we have ballade. He's the same palm trees football paradise. That's right.

Come on, we gotta catch that man, catch the ball all day. Bring it up, bring up, bring up, hey, good job today, man, high energy, keep it up, man, keep rolling team on three two three? About it a montage from rookie camp, Tray McBride, you hear the football paradise. That was a reference to what Cliff Kingsbury told him over the phone when they drafted him as a kid who was from Colorado, played at Colorado State, first team All American. You're John Mackey Award winner, is the top

tight end in college ball. And there he is leading the white little bit of leadership at rookie minicamp. Yeah. I like that, PAULI. Of course, um he is the highest pick, of course, in this year's draft day second rounder, knowing that to the Arizona Cardlson Steve Come used Marquis Brown to actually absorb the twenty third pick overhaul in the first round. That was very nice. Um, Trey McBride, I am jacked up on Polly, I really am, because what is he six four paul, two hundred forty six

pounds is not what he is right there? Six four two. That's interesting because George Kittle six four two fifty. I'm just saying, Paul, I'm just saying, can you imagine right now Trey McBride has a little something something coming out of the side of his neck. I think his future is not as a move tight end. I think his future is as the why now he can play both right now, Paully, And that's the great thing about it.

He can play both. So if you do get Max Williams back, and you do have zach Ertz as that move tight end guy, now all of a sudden you've got a backup for either, or if something happens to zach Ertz in a game he gets nicked up, or maybe Max Williams. Now, all of a sudden, you got a guy that you could plug in and who knows, Polly, he may actually start coming out of training camp. Think

about this. He led d one tight ends with ninety catches for over eleven hundred yards receiving right, it's pretty good ball. But he told the media, you're gonna like this. He told the media that over seventy percent of his snaps and his job in college was blocking. Yes, so think about the production. Despite the fact that, according to him, more than two thirds of their time he's on the field, he was required to block. Yes. Now, once again, you're

gonna have to prove it to me, Polly. You know this. You know how I feel about this. I was a rookie once myself. I was a rookie once myself. I came in. Not a lot of fan fair Paul, not a lot of fans a fullback, and they didn't throw a fourth round fullback. It was not a lot right there, even though I was one hundred and fourth overall tasted, Polly, there's a flex. I'm just saying. I wasn't. Yeah, I wasn't. I came in, but man, I can't tell you how

many other rookies I've seen come in. Paul is a ten year veteran in the National Football League, and man, I had scouts telling me watch his kid. Watch this kid. This kid is gonna change everything. And suddenly, you know what, there was a problem because the scout thought he was going to change the way we played football. He just couldn't play. That was that was the problem. And I see, Paul,

I'm sure you see the problem right there. Right. Well, look, once upon a time the Cardinals took Troy Nicholas in round two. Yes, and that was a specimen six six, two fifty plus, get out of my way. And we both remember standing there in his rookie camp, right, and he was a little banged up to start, which pretty much typified his entire career. But when he got healthy in the middle of training camp, what did he do in his first old line D line drill? He stood

up Darnell Dockett. Yeah, and we all said, whoa man. Now, obviously his career did not materialize. So I'm not making any sort of predictions here, but I am going to share what Cliff Kingsbury said he likes about his rookie tight end, Trey McBride. He's a smooth route runner. You know, we won't know until he puts the pads On. We watched the film. We love the physicality on tape, but

this is a different level. But as far as running routes, great athlete, you know, three sports star in high school, so it really has an ease about the way he runs routes and does things. And here's what else the head coach likes about Trey McBride. And this is according to Trey McBride who shared with the meeting we talked about this last week that coach Kingsbury would like to

disguise the offense a little bit more. And so if you have a true duel tight end like a Max Williams, a guy who comes in and isn't an automatic tell whether you're gonna throw or run the football, well, you know what more that more better if you will no doubt about it, Pali. That is what is fantastic in regard to going to more of two tight ends set. And zach Ertz is a willing blocker. He's not a

why he's not a Max Williams. He's not going to come off the ball and remove somebody forcibly against his will. But zach Ertz is a guy that will stick his face into the fan and now maybe you've got a situation where Trey McBride could be that guy, Polly. I just think this is the evolution that needs to happen with this offense going forward. Do you know my thoughts

on this. I'm not saying that suddenly it's going to look like every other offense in the National Football League for the most part, where they really blend the shotgun with putting quarterbacks under center. I don't think we're going to see that dramatic of a change, but I do believe we're going to see a lot more of two tight ends, and I think we need to look historically, we've seen tight ends after the first round over the

past decade. The numbers say only nine. Only nine tight ends have been selected in the first round over the past decade, so that's usually where teams will start drafting the tight end. Now, running back, we also know that you can find a running back back on day two, even day three, which brings us to Keyante Ingram, a guy who I think beyond Trey McBride, has the best chance to get on the field right away because behind

James Connor it is wide open. And Cliff Kingsbury was asked about a six round running back out of USC. Just a work ethic, the character, all those things checked all the boxes. I can play special teams, big physical back, and we just felt he fit what we do and that role. That can be your third fourth guy that plays special teams and can come in and played a high level on offense as well. Right, So Wolf is a guy who spent a decade in a running back room.

You tell me is a realistic You can think the rookie can come in and challenge a Jonathan ward and an Eno Benjamin. Yeah, Paully, I do believe that you could come in and challenge. Will you actually win the spot? I don't know about that, but it was interesting to hear Cliff Kingsbury say that third or fourth spot? Was it involved? He did say that it was a third or Paul, He wasn't in the second spot. It was that third or fourth you know what. I like that? But is it a deference to the guys to you

know and Jonathan Warden? Oh, without a shot all of a doubt. Yeah, you know what, Hey, listen, rook You're gonna have to come in and you're gonna have to prove it. That's what I love right there. Cliff Kingsbury given the rookie a little sugar, given him some acknowledgement, and at the same time letting him know, hey man, we're talking about third or fourth here. You know. I love that. That's great. That's the way it should be. Makeam learn it. By the way, it's prove it every day.

Well that's always says, prove it, not one time, but every day. Just prove it, Polly. That's all we need right there, It implies every day. Episode thirty the Dave Pash Podcast featuring Cardinals defensive end J. J. Watt, available now. To catch up on all the episodes, follow the Day Pash Podcast of a year preferred podcast provider. Get the latest updates via Twitter at Pash pod. Fact. We'll hear from jj Watt a little bit later in this edition of The Big Red Rage. But this is going to

star Lacidas Smith. You're sixth rounder out of Virginia Tech. We heard what Quentin Harris said about him, called him a steel Pro Football Focus called him quote a steal. Now you'll hear from the sixth rounder yourself, right, A big guy with a nasty attitude. So that's a good start, and he is next Lucida Smith on the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert Jaw not selected all right, So that was the Cardinals pick live from

Mexico City, Yes, international. It was being back to Las Vegas, where, of course the draft was being conducted after the decision was made from the Cardinals war room and phoned in from Tempe, which is where we are now, Dignity Health Training Center, the Arizona Cardinals, and right in front of us in person is Licitas Smith, all six foot three, fourteen pounds of him, and right off the top. Did you ever think your pick would come from the south of the border, No, sir, I actually did not think

it was gonna happen like that. But I'm very glad he did. And I'm very glad I'm here, and I'm glad they got your name right now. I am pronouncing it right correctly. Yeah, so you are, because he is a guy whose last name is seven letters, and it gets butchered all the time. You know, how often do people screw up laciitis all the time? And I'll tell you what I get the most anxiety when you know, I was in grade school and we have a substitute teacher, because I know that teacher does not know how to

pronounce it and likely is gonna say it wrong. And then now I got the whole classmaking jokes and stuff. So what's the most common mispronunciation over the years. I think lositissitis or no lectis. I give that a good bit that sounds biblical almost lectis, Like, you know, that's so so okay. It's been like, I mean, you've been in the NFL now ever since your name was called right, two three weeks, right, what sort of whirlwind has your life been like? It's actually been very very cool. Um,

it's been an eye opening experience. You know, being on the outside of the NFL, it just kind of seems like, oh, there's this huge uproar within the NFL from fans and stuff like that when a draft comes around, and then next thing you know, boom, it's time to play preseason games and it's time for the season. But I'm actually

being a part of it. You get I get to see day by day when our professional athletes have to go through as far as you know, being in a playbook all the time, making sure you're where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there making sure you're doing all the right things, making all the right calls and the right checks, you know. So it's actually really cool to be um behind the scenes and see how everything works. Like I said, glad to be here.

By the way, take us behind the scenes on draft day. What was the phone call like on your end? We heard the call in Cardinal's flight plan and you were adamant when you were talking to the GM Steve Kime, and I'm looking to the quote here you were saying, I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent and ready. I'm telling you I'm ready, quote unquote. So what was it like

on your end? It was, Actually it was. It was very cool once I actually got the call, because trust me, once that sixth round came around and I'm sitting back and I see some you know, guys going ahead of me, I'm like, oh my god, I may go undrafted. Like I was sitting and I'm like, oh man, how is this gonna happen? This is so crazy. But um, at the end of the day, it did happen, and when it did, I was really at shock. Um. I did not think it was gonna be Arizona like I said,

I'm very glad it was. I'm happy to be here and being coached by coach Coogler, you know some of those other coaches, even the special teams coaches. But like I said, I'm glad it happened. I'm glad it happened here. But yeah, it was. It was definitely shocked. It was shocked. Our guests, Lucida Smith, Cardinal's sixth round pick of Virginia Tech. What are you most curious to find out about the NFL.

I'm actually curious about what it's like when camp comes around and now you actually get on the field with the big dogs. Because we've had Ricky Mine Camp, which is a three day camp for US younger guys. The older guys weren't even in town, and now we have some of the older guys, but the OG veterans aren't even here yet. So you still have guys like Beecham and and Kyler Murray and just guys you know who you know still aren't here yet who I have yet to meet. So when when those guys get into town,

I know it's it's on. Take me to Cardinals training camp. Have you had the thought there's gonna be an old line D line drill, full pads, full contact, and there's a chance that i could line up in a three point stance and I'm staring straight across at ninety nine J J. Watt. That's gonna be a welcome to the NFL moment, won't it? Yes? I think it will be. I'm anna pray that it won't. I'm an pray that you know, he doesn't teach me a lesson right there and you know, right after that point. But um, I'm

gonna definitely try to hold my own. I mean, the guy is definitely a legend, undoubted Leah Hall of Famer, So I mean, I hope he can teach me a thing and two from that rep or those reps I'll take against him. But it's definitely like I'm gonna be staying across looking like, oh my god, I'm about to take a rep from JJ Wise. It's gonna be crazy, hey, J. Look.

DJ Humphreys has been there many times going against Chandler Jones, the Cardinals starting left tackle, and he's told us in this very show how much better Chandler Jones made him as a young guy, and he knew if he could hold his own against Chandler Jones. He was ready to go for the regular season. He was ready to go for the rest of the schedule. And look, I'm not saying you're not capable. I mean there's been a lot of praise when it comes to you in your career

at Virginia Tech. In fact, the VP of Player Personnel, Quentin Harris, was on the Passpod recently and he was asked, okay by Dave, you know, give us a guy from day two or day three in this Cardinal's draft class that stands out to you. I really like Lucida Smith, our guard we took out of Virginia Tech. This guy is athletic, he's an excellent pooler. He's tough, he's physical, and a lot of times, you know, you watch NFL lineman and you're like, ah, he's tough, he's strong, but

he's slow footed. This guy is everything. He was a still in my opinion for us. He went on to say that he also likes your temperament. And when I looked at one of the Scotter reports on you, I think it was NFL dot Com. One of the things they listed first, what's plays with an attitude? True or false? Very true, very true. And what does that mean? Translate that?

The way I think about it is, you know, once it's time to step in between those white lines, and you know, I'm biting down on my mouthpiece and I'm ready to go. Where this a run play? Hopefully it's a run play. You know, offensive lineman love run plays. Hopefully it's a run play. And like I said, I'm

ready to go. Whether it's a double team or I'm working alone against a three technique or whatever it may be, it'll be me against that other guy and me trying to finish him, and not only to do my job, but do it very well to the point where I finish him. He can't affect to play whatsoever. That's just kind of the mentality I have at the end of the day. Just make sure my man does not affect

the play. And I think that if every you know, all five guys up front had that mentality, we can definitely run for a lot of yards, which I mean the Cardinals do that every year anyway, so I won't be nothing new for them. And if you finish that play, are you vocal about it or your trash talker? You know what? Surprisingly, No, some people may think I am, especially with the nastiness I play with. But no, and that's for two reasons. For one, I'm not a very

good trash talker. For two, it usually backfires. So I don't want to, you know, get to mouthing off at a guy and that he makes a play and I'm like, dake it. I should have never said what I just said, Like you know. So those are really the two reasons that I don't. You know, I may get really I guess into it or filled with a journalist where I finish a guy and I get up and I'm just I'm grunting, I'm feeling it. But nine times out of and I don't really go off at a guy. I

don't get to mount an at a guy. We're on board with Lucida Smith Cardinals, rookie old lineman out of Virginia Tech. All right, So this is what I find interesting is that Steve Kim talked about how powerful you are as a run blocker, said you're a great pulling guard plane in space as well. We'll get to that in a moment. But in the same sky report a NFL dot Com it said that you're better in pass

protection than as a run blocker. But when you were asked for your strength with the media, you said, I pack a punch in the run game, and I come off the ball with a lot of power. So were there skyter reports out there that you sort of shook your head at during the process? They wait, a minute, where are they getting this? Or do you feel like you have to dispel anything that was out there pre draft? Yes, sir,

crazy enough. I did see at one point that are heard at one point that some teams are concerned with my weight, that I may have a weight problem. I never had a weight problem. Ever, as a former tight end, I find that surprising that you'd have a weight problem exactly you play at three fourteen or so. Yes, okay,

So I don't know where they get that from. What's funny is even going into my last season at Virginia Tech, my fifth year of Virginia Tech, I've seen a lot of articles that stated that I was pretty good in the run game, but talking about my lack of I

guess ability in the passing game. So that was something I focused on that last season at Virginia Tech, and that's why I think coming out there were a few teams that touched on or just a few reports that touched on the fact that, you know, I looked pretty good in the passing game. That was something I really wanted to get better at, so people didn't think I was a guy. I was just gonna be really good in the run scheme and a problem in the passing game. How much weight did you have to gain to go

from tight end to old line? I think I put on about fifty five to sixty pounds because I was two hundred and sixty pounds and I ended up at three fifteen. How would you do that? You know, when I first got the Virginia Tech. When I first got there was a tight end. They kind of gave me that option to you know, they tried me out a tight end and they were going to see how it

worked out. So I was on a treadmill every day even after workout, was getting extra runs, and just you know, when we go to the Dinah Hall and I'm going with you know, my class, the class that I came in with some of the guys. We go there and I'm eating a salad. Everybody else has chicken and other things, and I'm eating the salad. So when that switch actually happened.

I was pretty happy about it. I embraced it, so you know, I was able to sit at the table with the offensive line and with the big dogs and eat steak and shrimp and the whole nine, and you know, didn't have to feel bad about it. I was able to get that weight up it. It wasn't very hard

for me. Yeah, it sounds like you enjoyed it, sir, Well Ceter Smith, our guest Cardinals rookie offensive lineman, you still have the hands, by the way, as a former tight end, I mean, could you be like a goal line option and sort of a you know, a jumbo package without a doubt, without the simeon any route I'm routing anybody up. The hands are still there. See that's how your team up with jj wat because he was part of the mega Watt package last year and a

goal ie deal. And you think he has three touchdown catches in his career. So the two of you might be a good combo this year. Let's see this on how about off the field? Give us a Scott report because speaking of eating, uh, your rumored to have a YouTube cooking show. Yes, sir, I do. Me and my girlfriend heaven m so we actually started the channel during COVID.

We were stuck in the house like everybody was, didn't have much to do, couldn't really get out like we want to m So after, you know, I wake up every morning, of course I get my workout there. We'd probably do some cardio, going to hike us something, and then after that we're just back at the house. So, um, you know, she kind of came up with the idea, what if we start a YouTube channel, So it kind of started off with funny just a little funny VIDs

and stuff like that. But yes, I do love to cook. Um. I believe we did upload a cooking video on there. She actually wanted to do one before I left to come here because she's back in Blacksburg, but we didn't get around of that, but we will soon. Do you have a specialty because the Old Line has an annual cook off led by the head coach or the Old Line coach Sean Coogler, right, and and he fashions himself as a foodie and also the owner, Michael Bidwell has

been caused come in as a judge. And I think DJ Humphreys is a reigning champion. By the way, the left tackle. But if you were to give him a run, what dish would you prepare? Um, I think I have a pretty good recipe for pork chops, so I'd definitely do pork chops with a side of with a side of white rice. I may go with either baked broccoli or baked asparagus, one of the two. But it's really really good, by the way, as you might guess, I've

never played offensive line over here. Okay, Paul Pencilnick, Okay, So what is the best thing and the worst thing about being a big guy? All you guys in the old line room, right, and you're in the ninety nine percentile all the world in terms of size. What's something that's really good about being big? And what is something that just stinks about being a big guy? Am I putting you on the spot with that question, Lasidas, No, not exactly. But something ain't good about being a big

guy is especially playing football. I mean, you're usually rolling guys off the ball. You're a guy that went it's time to lift. You don't have to go on the rack with the smaller guys and the scale guys, and you know, do the little weights. You get to lift with the big guys or the big dogs. Um, something that sucks plane travel like a coach ticket. That's got to be a travel Oh my goodness, that's a great one. I wasn't even thinking that. That's the really outside the

box one that's see. For me, every seat is a first class seat. That's great, you know, because I had plenty of room. But a guy like you, that man, that's gotta be misery, right, yes, sir, it is all right. So last thing for Lucida Smith here is wrap it up on the big red rage. You heard the words steel. That was Quinn Harris. Pro Football Focus had you as the eighth best interior old lineman in the entire draft. They called you, quote a steel for Arizona. Do you

feel like you're a steel for this team? I mean, that's something I never really thought about. Um, I do feel like pretty good at what I do. But at the same time, it's kind of weird to say, only because all I've done was at the college level, So I can't say I'm good at what I did at the college levels. All I'm trying to say having made my mark, having did a thing in the NFL. So I can't sit up here and say, oh, I'm this and that guard or you know, interior office of lineman

in the NFL, and I'm this and that. Good I can't speak on that. What I can't say is I'll go out here every single day with my guys or my teammates, gained their trust and give them all every single practice and strive to be the best player I can be. So as far as it steal some I never really thought about, but at the end of the day, I do want to be the very best I can be. It's a great answer. We appreciated everything here. Thank you, and good luck going forward here. Thank you very much. Okay,

there you go. Lucida Smith will come back and continue with a big red rage presented by Santan four and Gilbert. Give him to Henry. Hitting the backfield by J. J. Watt who got off a block and drags it down. Knocked down and complete. It's j J Watt got his hands up, he bumbles them all. It's Lows on the far side another takeaway. J J. Watt force the fumble leveled in the backfield by JJ Watt. J J. Watt gets the penetration white at the point of attack. Hitting

the backfield and down he goes for a loss. Jj Watts snailed him in the eighteen yard line. Mitchell running straight ahead gets dropped for a loss. Jj Watt in the backfield with the takedown penetration on the backside. That is jj Watt baby tip then complete. It was Tim and it was jj Watt who got it and the Cardinals stopped him on forchdown again. When healthy, jj Watt

was a playmaker. He was a difference maker over the first half of last season for the Arizona Cardinals, and not only on the field but on the sideline as well. I can tell you that much. It is a big red rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert will get to jj Wat some of his comments to day pass on the Pash podcast. But we brought up jj Watt with Lucida Smith Wolf, the six round rookie offensive lineman.

He said, yeah, that's gonna be a welcome to the NFL moment if he has to square off against ninety nine and no line D line drill in training camp. But what I'll struck you about the interview with Lucidas, Boy, Polly, that is a great question because honestly, you know, I think he's a square dude. And when I say a square dude, I mean literally square, and I also think he's squared away. He is a square dude. Ball six three,

three hundred fourteen pounds. Man, you look at him, his shoulders, his hips, his but everything lines up where he is a square guy. But also, Polly, I have to tell you, man, the articulation, how articulate he was. Intelligent? Yeah, confident man. I'll tell you what, Polly. He sounds like one of those classic offensive line But his temperament is something that really is something that is very intriguing as well, because I want to see him brawl. And when I say braul,

I don't mean get into a fight. I mean go out there and try to forcibly remove somebody from the line of scrimmage, because according to Lucidis, that's what he does and that's who he is. In fact, his answer, I said, you know these scatter reports say you play with an attitude, true or false? He said, true, very true,

very true. If you know, if you go on YouTube and you look for some of the micd up Virginia tech stuff, you'll get a sense of just how intense he is as articulate and thoughtful as he was in that interview. Man, he does flip a switch between the white lines. And what I loved about that, Pauli was just the fact he said he wasn't a good trash talker. He wasn't good, so he doesn't do it. You know that, Man, that is an offensive alignment. For the most part, that

is a wise thing to do. You can have that temperament, just don't open your mouth. There's nothing wrong with wanting to drive somebody into the ground and lay on top of him and slime block him after the play is over. There's nothing wrong with doing that. Just don't anger your opponent, don't trash talk him. A lot of offensive lineman, I'm telling you, paul I would say maybe ten percent, ten percent of the offensive linemen I've played with in ten

years were trash talkers. The vast majority they stay silent. Well, look, he's also smart enough to know that as a rookie, you don't know what you don't know. So he wasn't making any proclamations. In fact, he said it. He said he'll know it's it's on when the big dogs come into camp, when the veterans, when the JJ Watts the Kelvin Beach Hims, the DJ Humphreys, when those guys show up. Although he did say went about his hands, he said, I still have the hands as a former tight end.

So that was the only post we really got out of him was on the hands. So I thought that was great too. Probably that's funny, but anyway, speaking to J. J. Watt, you want great, just queue up the Day Pash podcast. Take a listen, and you talk about young guys, the last two first round picks for the Eros on our Cardinals, Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins. We know how key and central they are to the Cardinals defense and the Cardinal's success overall this year. And JJ Watt was asked, just okay,

how can they excel? I think it's all about time you put in, and I think it's about repetition and

just consistency. I think that the more time that you're able to commit to the job and that you're able to learn and grow, and the more time that you have to learn the playbook and the plays and see as many looks as possible, whether it's walk throughs, whether it's practice, whether it's offseason program, training camp, whatever it may be, and being able to do those things over and over and over again, that's when you really get good.

I think that having an off season program is going to help them a lot, because we haven't had one true offseason program for a few years, especially since they've been in the league. It is a legitimate question, though, isn't it Well, especially as Collins is concerned, is that mic linebacker replacing Jordan Hicks. Yeah. No, it's a huge, huge issue. I would say going into training camp, one of the things that we're going to be watching very

very closely the development of Zaven Collins. But you heard JJ Watt right at the M PAULI he's exactly on top of this thing. It's not a surprise because having an off season where you've got Isaiah Simmons now who can actually get out on the field and go through his reps and get his reps and go through the playbook and totally continue to grow in Zaven Collins, in particular as a MIC linebacker, a guy that is probably going to be wearing the green dot. I would imagine

this to me is imperative. This offseason is just as important as the season Zaven Collins just went through for his development. And then there's Kyler Murray, and of course JJ Watt was asked about the development of the Cardinals franchise orderback and how he takes the next step. Here's j J. Watt with Dave Pash. He's done it, He's played at extremely high level. I think it's just obviously we need to finish out of season better. I think that's not just him, and that's on all of us.

I think that it's being able to take us to where we need to go from a playoff standpoint and to go win a super Bowl. And every year in the league, you get better, you mature, you have you learn the game, you played differently a year to year because you have more knowledge base, you have more experience, you're a year mature and wiser. So I'm looking forward to seeing his progress and looking forward to seeing the step that he takes this season. That's what I want

to continue to see from Kyler Murray. Polly. I don't know about you, but I think we'd all agree that his rookie year to his second year, he got better. Ye have no doubt. His second year to his third year he got better. Yeah, I want to see him continue. You know, you're talking about a guy that has been to two Pro Bowls. But I still believe he can be better. He's not a finished product. He's nowhere near it.

He can be better with the intangibles. He can get better as a leader, he can get better in terms of preparing to go out and play a game, even though he's got this wild talent, this incredible talent. The most improvement right now for Kyler Murray comes in between the years. You know on Cardinals Underground the podcast this week, well if I throw out a comparison, I said, you know what the Cincinnati Bengals culture was in making a Super Bowl run? It was Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow was

the culture. And to me, that's the next step for Kyler. Now, it's a tall task, but if you're going to be a forty million dollars a year quarterback, guess what it's

uni your job description. Yeah, you have to be the culture, the guy who leads all the other guys who are not the franchise quarterback and that and you know what, you might be missing your marquee wide receiver in DeAndre Hockkmins like you were the last half of last season, and like you're going to miss him for the first six games of this season, and you're gonna have to figure that out, because you know what, the Aaron Rodgers of the world, they make no name receivers into playmakers

and that's how you win games. And so Cliff Kingsbury for the first time when it comes to DeAndre Hopkins meeting the media after the draft and after the rookie minicamp, and he was asked, Okay, your plans on offense dealing with d hop and his suspension, Marquis will help. I mean, he's a dynamic playmaker and we just had to play better as an offense. It's unfortunate that he won't be available,

but I'm excited when we get him back. We struggled the second half of the season, and you know, when we get him back, I think that'll be a real shot in the arm for that back half and I know we'll get his best. How scared are you? Simply put, the last we saw the Cardinals offense minus d hop it wasn't a lot to write home about. It was a much different offense. What's your expectation the first six games of this season? Yeah, you know what, paul I should be scared. I should, but I'm not. I'm not.

In the reason being is because I believe there's going to be a paradigm shift once again undown situation. I think there's gonna be more two tight ends. I don't think there's gonna be Listen, if the Cardinals suddenly start trying to run more wide receivers onto the field after losing their best wide receiver, I think you've got an issue.

But if they go ahead, Paulie and start running out some two tight ends, a little bit more two tight ends in rundown situation which is first and ten, second and one to six, I really think this is going to help them develop their base offense so that when you get d hop coming back, he can just go ahead and improve it, and you'll get him back there in week seven. You'll get him on a short week Thursday Night football against the Saints, So he's not even

gonna have a real practice man to go through. Although if there's any player in NFL history who can excel without practice, it's got to be DeAndre Hopkins, right, so go the end. Look, maybe we'll find out during training camp because he's eligible all the way through the month August and the preseason, we'll figure out what plan he has.

If you remember, Patrick Peterson would simulate game days. Every Sunday those first six that he missed, he'd go out and do his own three hour workout and simulate a game day. So we'll see. And speaking of game days, Arizona Cardinal season tickets available now at asy cardinals dot com slash season for all the information that's easy Cardinals dot com slash Season. All right, we'll come back and we'll continue in fact, speaking of that schedule, what's ahead,

And there was announcement today regarding the Cardinals schedule. All that and more. Next The Big Red Rage presented by satan Ford and Gilbert. We are Santanford. Here's a little story about Patrick Mahomes. I did his first game that

he started. We do that production mean, I'm talking to Andy Reid and he says, the thing that surprised me the most is that Patrick Mahomes has a photographic memory, Like I can tell him something, you know, in training camp week one, and he'll remember it in week fifteen, you know. And when you combine his athletic ability, his ability to throw the ball, how pretty that ball is, his ability to escape and throw at different angles. And then you combine that with this mind that can have

this recall like a Tom Brady. Now you know why he can be so good, and you think about the future and what he could do. That was two years ago. That's Jay Feeley, former Cardinals kicker now CBS Network analyst on Patrick Mahomes in his conversation with Andy Reid, reminds you Andrew luck who supposedly that Stamford big brain had photographic memory as well. And that is app that little

clip right there, Ron Wolfley. As we continue and wrap up this edition to the Big Red Rage brought to you by santan Ford and Gilbert because the Earlson our Cardinals open with Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, let's just get right to a cliff. Kingsbarrow

was asked about Week one against his former Texas Tech quarterback. Yeah, I was really thankful to the schedule makers for given us a young quarterback that hadn't quite found his way in the league just yet, you know, still trying to figure it out. So no, it's it'll be fun. He sent me like the little Imoji before it even came out, so he'll be rebbed up. Will definitely have some Texas

Tech fans tune into that one. I'm sure. Yeah, that former you know that Patrick Mahomes guy, former Super Bowl champion, former MVP. You know the team that's hosted the last four AFC Championship games, those Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, you know what, PAULI is going to be really interesting though, If in fact, I had my brothers, if you told me, Okay, you're gonna play the Kansas City Chiefs, well, when would

you like to play the Kansas City Chiefs? I'd say week one of the NFL season, really, week one, yes, indeed, Paul. And the reason being is, especially when you're dealing with an offense that is going to be trying to find itself without Tyreek Hill, I will say week one, please, because I really do believe without Tyreek Hill they're gonna have to find a different way to play football offensively.

Even with Patrick Mahomes, I think Tyreek Hill is one of these rare, rare individuals Paulli that impacts the defense on every play that he's in the game, every play, even when he doesn't have the ball. That's a big deal. And you've got to learn how to play differently without Tyreek Hill. I'm not going to disagree with that. A few years ago, when the Cardinals went to Kansas City, every time Tyreek Hill would go in motion, the entire defense,

the front seven and beyond would lose their mind. Everyone would start pointing at him. Okay, and everything would change accordingly. You're absolutely right on that. My hesitation or apprehension is that the Cardinals offense will be trying to find itself minus d hop in Week one, So it's a daunting challenge. That's a possibility, Paully. But go back and start looking over the last couple of years at some of the upsets that happen in Week one of the NFL season.

Why is that? I think, listen, if you're gonna jump up a team, if you're gonna surprise a team, that's the best time to actually do it. And you know what, that's a great point because maybe the best example was the Cardinals Week one jack stomping at Tennessee last year. There it is, Poli Hamedy. People gave the Arizona Cardinals a chance of going in and beating the Tennessee Titans. Yeah,

that's the good news. The bad news is you open with Kansas City, then you go to the playoff Raiders, who now have Davante Adams and Chandler Jones, and then you have the Super Bowl champion Rams at home. Those are your first three games. And remember the recent historic stat the teams that start oh and two make the playoffs less than ten percent of the time. Can you

feel that body? Huh? Now? Right now? As as for prime time, the Cardinals have four four games in prime time and you know three of them are at home. The fourth one is technically a home game. It's in Mexico City against the forty nine ers. Cliff Kingsbury asked about the prime time slate, It's awesome. I mean, you can't ask for to me a better set up when you look at some of those games. First one, get a team like the Chiefs to see where you're at,

play Bill Bellijack on Monday night, play Tom Radio. And Christmas. I mean, there's some some big time games to go to Mexico City, play Arrival. I mean it's gonna be a lot of fun. And AFC West, you know, lining up with them this year with getting wrestle is a challenge, but anytime you look at a NFL schedule, it's it's not like you can go down and take up a bunch of wins. You know, they're all tough and everybody's

facing kind of the same deal. See. And the good news to me, Wolf is those are all home games except Mexico City, and so you don't have the dreaded You play at night and then you get home in the middle of the night, and then it checks up the next week's schedule those games, especially that Thursday night game at home. That's something JJ Watts cited. Yeah. No, I think it's really really cool the way that it

sets up for the Arizona Cardinals. Now again, you know, and I don't care how many nationally televised games they play. I really don't. It doesn't impact us, I don't think in any way, shape or form. But I love the fact that Week seven they have that mini bye against New Orleans on Thursday night and they're doing it at home. That's a big deal to have that mini bye after the first third of the season, roughly third of the season, and then two thirds of this season through at least

you get the bye week at week thirteen. That to me, Paulie that's another good break right there. Listen, if the Cardinals are good, you're gonna love the fact they have the bye that late in the season. If they're good, and that's the hope, they're gonna be good because hopefully that'll give them a little boost getting ready to make that playoff run. By the way, the Saints at home on Thursday night, that's the first primetime game the game you said it there. How are the Saints signing anybody?

Didn't We start this off season with the Saints being seventy million plus over the cap, and all of a sudden they're signing Tyron Matthew to big money, Jarvis Landry to big money. I just you know, Sean Payton, I thought left because they were in cap hell, and all of a sudden, the Saints are making it happen. So I'm not saying the NFL should investigate, but somebody's cooking

the books down there, the big easy. Yeah. Not only that, Paul, I mean they haven't made all their cuts yet either, So hold on to that because I'm sure there's going to be some type of justification coming to that roster. By the way, Cardinals signal game tickets available now, Easy Cardinals dot com slash tickets to secure your seats today, and the preseason slate was finalized today. Go toasy Cardinals dot com and you can see the dates and times.

I'll just sum it up for you. You have Game one in Game three on the road at Cincinnati at Tennessee. Both those are gonna be on twelve News. In other words, Ron Wolfley will go viral. Okay, the rest of the nation will be like, who's the guy with all the energy and the wrestling voice. So that's what will happen there. And then the Baltimore home game, the middle preseason game is actually gonna be on Fox nationally televised. How about that? Wow?

So all right for Jim Almandro and Cody Fincher for Lcidas Smith our Special and Ron Wolfley Paul LVC. This has been the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert A Number one. Kyler. You've been listening to the Big Red Rage presented by Santanford in Guildall, aren't 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