WEBVTT - Big Red Rage - Grigson Talks Scouting, Draft Prep 0:00:02.000 --> 0:00:05.480 Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles ahead. 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:10.360 He got Jack. This is the Big Red Ray presented 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:14.720 by Santanford in Gilbert. Harry's gonna score touchdown. He's up 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:17.320 for bets, goes up and begs the game. When it 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:22.840 catch Larry Luncheon does it again. The Rage is brought 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:26.479 to you by satan Ford in Gilbert. Or are you 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:30.960 Satanford State Farm? Talk to an agent today at eight 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:36.560 hundred State Farm and buy Arizona Cardinals podcasts. Visit Hacy 0:00:36.640 --> 0:00:45.360 Cardinals dot com, Slash podcasts, The Rods, Rising Guard, Temperaturizing Vision, 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:49.720 Flurry Rage, take it over. Here's Paul KELVC. Get the 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:53.280 popcorn ready. It's gonna be a show and Ron will fleep. 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:57.920 It doesn't get any better than that. Unleash the far 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:04.400 an so friendly. A reminder Ron Wolfley that this past season, 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:08.280 the NFL two twenty, you do realize, you do remember 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:12.880 that there was a game every single day of the week, 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:16.720 as in the actual day of the week on the calendar, 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:19.840 not just Sunday Game Day or Monday Night Football or 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:23.679 Thursday Night Football or Saturday games in December, but there 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:29.000 were also games played on Tuesday Wednesday and Friday all 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:31.200 last season, the first time that had happened in NFL 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:33.440 history in a quarter century. So with that in mind, 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:36.280 welcome in Ron Wolfley to a Wednesday edition of The 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:39.280 Big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:41.640 are Santana. You know what, Paula. You gotta be flexible, 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:44.320 do you not? You have to be flexible at all times. 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:48.320 Position flexibility, of course, is taking over the National Football League. 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:50.800 You gotta be flexible on a Big Red Rage as well, 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.720 Paul Yeah. And just so you know, this is not 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:57.600 voluntary for you, Okay, it is in your contract. I 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:00.400 know for players in the NFL right now, it's that 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:03.640 mandatory minicamp. Everything else is considered voluntary at least that's 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:05.360 the way it stands right now, based on the memo 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:08.400 from rog. But right here, right now, Boom, we're ready 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:11.440 to go because you're right. Two weeks from tomorrow the 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:15.639 NFL draft. Let it wash over you. And since Ron Wolfley, 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:19.000 they've yet to authorized our key cards for entry into 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.880 the war room. Yes, which is never going to happen. 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:25.840 Just fyi, we get the next best thing and a 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.760 key figure in that war room on this edition how 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:31.920 about Director of player Personnel Drew Grigson going to be 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:33.760 our special guest coming up a little bit? Well, I 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:36.919 love that, Polly. First of all, Director of player personnel, Polly, 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:39.240 I know, on the sideline as you're walking around there 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:41.639 as a sideline reporter of course for the Cardinals year. 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.679 Maybe not. I don't know, run into contact with Drew 0:02:44.720 --> 0:02:46.840 Grigson from time to time, ball, But this is that 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.280 would not be good for me? Is I basically run 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.160 into him exactly? Dress three of me? Well, you can 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.560 bench press at least three of me. Yes, of course, 0:02:56.639 --> 0:03:00.280 here's a guy that has influence in personnel not only 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:02.960 at the college level but also at the pro level. 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:06.600 Thus the director or player persadel, are you going to 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:08.960 ask him? Or am I going to ask him for 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:12.280 an update? I'm Larry Fitzgerald. Let's just hash that out 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.119 right here right now. I honestly don't think we should ball. 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.079 I mean, honestly, put him under the gun run like that. 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:20.160 I mean, this guy, he's not he's not the general manager, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.960 not yet. But oh my goodness, the director or player 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:27.280 personnel that is a stepping stone title to a general 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:30.280 manager position, is it not? You want to hear my 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.239 latest theory, I'm Larry by Way with ball. Thanks for asking. 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:38.200 I think that this is a big ploy so he 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:42.000 can miss the entire offseason, so he can miss the OTAs, 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:46.440 so he doesn't have to participate in the virtual Zoom sessions. 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:49.880 Maybe he shows up for the mandatory mini camp in June. 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:53.000 But you know what, year three in this offensive, Cliff Kingsbury, 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:55.960 he knows the offense. I mean, you know he's going 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:58.880 into his eighteen season. Eck, hey, just go play some 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:01.200 more golf, you know what, PAULI that's not a bad 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.480 suggestion by you. That's not a bad proposition right there. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:06.480 The fact that because we know he's got to be 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:10.120 waiting for something, right at least that's my feeling on this. 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:13.160 I think he's waiting for something, and what that something 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:16.120 is I do not know. Now. Maybe he's waiting for 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.880 a team to be able to scrape together the requisite 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:22.320 amount of money that he would be willing to play for. 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:26.800 And maybe that conveniently also means he's going to miss 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:29.320 a lot of the offseason as he's waiting for them 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.960 to scrape it together. Paul, I mean, maybe it's a 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:36.920 faux contract holdout. Maybe he's just staging this, you know, 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:41.359 this holdout for more cash perhaps, or is stalling the 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:45.080 negotiations just so he convenely misses all of April and 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:47.359 May and most of June. So as Fitz, he's listening 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:49.880 to you talk right now, how badly do you think 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:52.680 he's just shaking his head and smirking, Paul? How badly 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.040 you think he's doing that? Hey, I'm not the guy 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.680 who used the two words thus far on a podcast 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:00.919 this week. Wolf, I'm gonna leave you with this on 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.599 the Larry subject and it won't come up again. But 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:08.599 he was on a golf subpar podcast on a Whisper Rock. Okay, Wolf, 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:11.120 another another area, just like the war room where you're 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.080 never gonna gain entry to Whisper Rock Country Club once 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:17.760 gotten a fight outside of Whisper Rock. Paul, I see, no, 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:19.240 we don't want we don't have time for the dark 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:22.120 days right now to talk about that, and so On 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.960 this podcast, he was asked very little football, ninety eight 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:28.440 percent golf, but he was asked about his longevity and 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.520 now he's only missed a handful of games in his 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:34.200 NFL career. He said, Yeah, I've been fortunate thus far. 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:37.640 What is that he didn't talk about his career in 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:40.200 the past. Tense Ron wolf Lee. I know, Paul, I 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:42.839 know exactly the cut you're talking about, the sound you're 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:46.080 talking about, Paul, don't go deep on that. Just let 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:49.440 the man speak and now don't read into it that Deepaul. 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:53.599 You're on the grassy knoll. Guess what the Cardinals depth 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:55.920 chart just got deeper. Running back that's next on the 0:05:55.960 --> 0:06:01.960 big red rage. I'd just gets the shotgun, snap, gives 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:03.880 it to Connor, sweeps the left side, got a block 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:11.120 in the ten corner down James Potter sweeping the weft side, 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:14.520 takes it in from twelve yards out. Hodges will throw 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:16.520 the Connor out of the back field, makes him an messing. 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:18.680 It's a the twenty conner down the sideline of the 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:23.280 ten and he's gonna walk it in and for the touchdown. Now. 0:06:23.600 --> 0:06:29.400 Former Steelers running back James Earl Connor. That's his middle name, 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:31.039 by the way, Roun wolfley On one of his parents 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.320 are big fans of Darth Vader and James Earl Jones. 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:37.480 James Earl Connor a one year deal with the Arizona 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:40.040 Cardinals as all of a sudden, you know what the 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:42.039 old line likes to call the straight ahead run game 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.159 the pound game. They now have the running back to 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:48.560 go with that pound game. And it's curious now what 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:52.040 exactly that means for the Arizona Cardinals and the style 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:54.280 of run game. Perhaps this year it's the Big Red 0:06:54.360 --> 0:06:57.520 Rage presented by satan Ford in Gilbert. We are satan Ford, 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:00.360 Paul kelvc Ron Wolfley, soon to be joined by Director 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:02.919 of Player Personnel Drew Grigson. We'll get his thoughts on 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.480 James Connor. But wolf you're a bad leadoff. Give us 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:08.120 your thoughts, you know, Polly, I love this. I really 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.720 do six one, two hundred and thirty three pounds. He's 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:12.680 not the fastest guy in the world. He's not going 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:14.920 to take the ball and rip off a forty yard run. 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:17.720 He's not going to rip off a sixty eighty yard 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.200 take it to the house run unless he's breaking tackles 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:23.320 the whole way. Not going to do that. But he's 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:25.520 a first downmaker, is what he is. Paul. This is 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:27.600 a guy that's going to line up and get you four. 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:29.480 He's going to rip it in there. I call him 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.760 a ground pounder. That's what he is. You might say 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.280 the offensive line likes to pound it. This is a 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:38.600 ground pounder running back, and this is exactly what I 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.040 was hoping the Cardinals were going to bring in. James 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:45.720 Connor I thought was the best option that was still 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.160 out there. And I also, Polly, I like what it implies, 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:52.440 what it might mean for this offense and the mindset 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:56.120 of this team going forward. You know, in that montage 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.720 coming back on Westwood one, he had the rushing touchdown 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:02.640 and the receiving touchdown. Did I nat hear your brothers 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.640 say something along the lines of longtime Steelers analysts and 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:08.360 Steelers legend from that offensive line that that might be 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.800 an underutilized part of his skill set the receiving game. Yeah, 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:14.600 there's no doubt about it. He texted me and told 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:16.600 me about this kid a little bit. He said he's 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:19.160 a three down back, Paully, That's what he said. He 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:22.240 said he will stone blitzers, which is great when you 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:24.800 have a run down back, a back that is first 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:27.160 and ten, second and one to six. If in fact, 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:29.280 you are going to put Kyler Murray a little bit 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.640 more under center, if you're going to do that, you 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:33.840 better have a running back that can actually hold up 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.360 and blitz pick up. The reason being Paully is because 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:39.160 here comes a play action, right, there comes a play action, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:41.440 and that running back's gonna fake like he's getting the 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:43.960 ball and it's gonna freeze everybody for the bost part. 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:46.920 But then you might blitz in a rundown situation. If 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:49.839 you're a defensive coordinator, man, that running back better be 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:53.280 ready to pick up that blitzer, right, he better have 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:55.920 his eyes open and be capable of doing it. And 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:59.200 this dude is capable of doing it. He's six one, 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:02.840 two hundred thirty three pounds. You know what, two thoughts here, 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.880 what Kyler Murray does for James Connor, and then what 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:10.040 Connor does for the direction of this run game, which 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.160 you hinted at. Let me get to the first one. 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.160 You know. It was that very first training camp we 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:17.439 hadn't even gotten out of August and Chase Edmonds was 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:19.720 talking about what Kyler Murray does for the run game. 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:23.480 He's like, quote an extra blocker. Yes, well, James Connard 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:26.440 obviously did not have that dynamic in Pittsburgh with Big 0:09:26.440 --> 0:09:30.240 Ben who's a big statue back there. So think about 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:33.520 that and how because it's not like if he gets 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.600 a little more room, and the defenses are respecting Kyler's 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:39.160 legs a little bit more. That benefits Connor, doesn't it. 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.400 I love that you brought that up, Polly, because once again, 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:44.040 I do believe the Arizona Cardinal's offense is going to 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.760 be tweaked a little bit this year. Going forward, I 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.240 think we're going to see Kyler Murray a little bit 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.720 more under center. I think we're going to see more 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:55.480 traditional running plays at the point of attack. I think 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.520 we're gonna see that, Polly. But it doesn't mean it's 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:01.400 gonna be exclusive. There's gonna be a blending, right, a 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.679 blending of the old and the new. That's what I 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.720 expect to see. I expect to see James Connor lined 0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:11.040 up in the gun next to Kyler Murray and here 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.480 comes an inside zone play, a play where you're going 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:16.920 to hand that bafe. Maybe it's going to be his 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:19.720 own read as well from time to time. But I 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:21.840 see a blending of the old and the new. And 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:25.320 Craig also was talking about the fact that James Connor 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:29.920 has a good feel for hitting angles, good angles in 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:33.000 a power scheme. He has a really good feel for 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.880 doing that. Not a great cutback runner, Craig said, and 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:39.640 that to me tells me he's not a great runner 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:43.520 in zone schemes. He might be a much better punch 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:47.080 the hole into the defense type runner, a guy that 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:50.880 uses great angles on power scheme plays. And that could 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:54.960 signal a little foreshadowing here as to how this run 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:58.400 game offense might be tweaked a little. I agree. We 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:02.640 talked about it with Rob Frederickson last month. Kyler under center, yeah, 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:04.920 a little bit right, and then all of a sudden, 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:06.280 guess what, do you have? A bit more of a 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:10.640 downhill running game, And the way you described James Connor, 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:13.480 he seems to be the perfect fit and that sort 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.080 of scheme. We saw a little different approach in December. 0:11:16.120 --> 0:11:18.439 We saw more bootlegs for Kyler. We did see him 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:20.439 under center a little bit more. I agree with you. 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:21.960 I think we're more up to see a little bit 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:25.959 of everything. And for James Connor, guess what, he's reunited 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:28.440 with a running back coach he had in twenty eighteen 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:31.200 and Ptsburg during his Pro Bowl season. In fact, here's 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.760 James Connor talking to the media about the opportunity in Arizona. 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.640 I feel brand new, you know, I'm excited for this opportunity. 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:39.920 Is definitely a change of scenery for me, you know, 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:42.400 being in Pittsburgh eight years and this was all that 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:45.000 time in Pittsburgh was just prepping me for where I'm 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:47.800 at right now in my life and his journey that 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.040 brought me out here to a zy and I felt 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:52.640 like I was well equipped, you know, just everything I've 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:54.880 been through and continue to go through on his journey 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.360 and leads me to hear So, man, I'm excited to 0:11:57.360 --> 0:11:59.760 be in this rid. I'm excited. It's a blessing. He's 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:02.400 like a local already, you know, calling it asy, you 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.200 know it's well done by him. But twenty eighteen, Wolf, 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:08.120 we're talking about a guy who had nearly fifteen hundred 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:12.400 yards from scrimmage, over five yards per touch, thirteen touchdowns 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:15.000 all with James Saxon is yes, and I would just 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:16.960 miss that if he was thirty or thirty one. But 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.600 he's gonna be twenty six next month. That was a 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:23.640 long time ago. Ding, Ding, That's exactly right, PAULI. Once again, 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:25.800 I don't want to make it sound like suddenly Kyler 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:28.360 Murray is going to be under center for forty percent 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.240 of the snaps I'm not saying that. I'm just saying 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:35.439 twenty five twenty five percent. Maybe we'll see how this 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:38.839 offense evolves. But I can tell you right now you 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.720 got a guy that's gonna stoke it in between those tackles, 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:46.959 and you know that gets me Jack Paul. And by 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.839 the way, it's a one year deal. He'll be motivated. 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:53.600 It's cap friendly. Yeah, less than two million dollars total. 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:56.560 He's also competing with another guy who's in a contract year, 0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:59.320 Chase Edmonds. So these are gonna be two guys pushing 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.000 each other if you're Drew Grigson. Next on the Big 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:10.720 Red Rage presented by Satan four in Gilbert snap the 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.480 Wilson Cardinals bringing some pressure. It's picked up Wilson the 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.439 time of the pocket now and trouble and sacked about 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:20.240 four Cardinals in the backfield. But it's Isaiah Simmons of 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:22.840 the Rookie that gets the Russell Wilson first to force 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:26.120 a fund. Shotguns snap to Wilson straight drop back, steps 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.600 up in the pocket, takes off running far side at 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:31.800 the forty and drilled by Simmons at the forty one. 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.559 Isaiah Simmons is balling shotgun stat Wilson quick throw to 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.000 the left flat Metcalf caught it at the thirty eight, 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:41.320 dropped by Isaiah Simmons for a loss at the thirty 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:45.440 seventy yard line. Simmons has played terrific football tonight, the 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:49.199 rookie really starting to get comfortable out there. Two of 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:53.120 his best games against the Seahawks. You heard the montage 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:57.120 there day PASH Cardinals Radio Network. Yeah, the overtime win 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.439 at home against the Seahawks on Sunday night where I 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:02.959 remember Wolf Russell Wilson have been thirty and oh in 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:06.320 the regular season when leading by ten at the half 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:08.840 and the Cardinals came back for the win. There. Then 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.840 at Seattle, Isaiah Simmons had that game with the team 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:14.440 I ten tackles and a sack. He was the first 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:16.679 round pick a year ago on that big board of 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:18.880 the Cardinals, the top one twenty in the war room 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.800 where once again we are not allowed, So we do 0:14:21.920 --> 0:14:23.960 the next bes thing here on the big Red Rage, 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.400 presented by santan Ford and Gilbert, and we say good 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:31.080 evening and welcome to the Director of Player Personnel Drew Grigson, 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.320 who joins us fresh off being promoted a couple of 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:35.400 months ago, Drew, how are we doing. Is the adrenaline 0:14:35.400 --> 0:14:38.560 flowing yet? With a draft in two weeks away. Oh, 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:43.800 you can't get burned out this quick yet. It's a marathon. 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:47.680 You can't. It's gotta pace yourself right now. Yeah, Drew, 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:49.280 you know I'm going to start off with a big 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:54.000 fat softball right here. But talk about how roster talk 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:58.360 about how roster building has changed in the year twenty 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.240 twenty one of our lord, How is it changed, the 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:06.840 emphasis on the draft, free agency, roster building trades. How 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:10.280 much has it changed from ten years ago? Oh, it's 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:12.040 I mean, it's it's different every year now. I mean 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:15.880 obviously COVID throwing us the curveball that it did, and uh, 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.800 the salary cap changing and and and with you know, 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:22.920 the inability to to make visits this year, every everything changed, 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.720 UM on our side and and UM and building the 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:29.480 rosters has become more difficult. But there's nothing you could 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:32.560 do but adapt. And UM, any anything, any curveball that 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:34.080 gets thrown to you have to you have to take it. 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:37.000 Across the league, everyone has the same rules, which is 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:40.480 which which helps UM. And we're all playing with the 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:43.080 same hand here. So Uh, there's no excuses. We just 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.920 got to find a way to to to work around 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:49.320 all these issues and make the best of it with 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:51.600 no combine this year, how has it been? How has 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:54.120 it been? I know teams have really gone and had 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:56.800 to attend these pro days. So how would you say, 0:15:56.880 --> 0:16:00.000 is your accessed information enough that you're going to feel 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.280 confident about making draft picks? We will because I feel 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.520 good about the information. And UM, you know, I I've 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:09.400 been saying for the last couple of weeks to the guys, 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:11.800 I the amount of information that we did gather this 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:15.440 year not making visits is it's astounding. UM. I credit 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.240 our scouting staff for doing that because I mean they 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.240 were they were scouting from their their offices at home, 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:24.160 from their kitchens, from the basements, and um, and we 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:28.200 pulled in quite a bit of information. UM. The unfortunate 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:31.160 thing is that you don't have those uh, you don't 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:32.720 have those experiences that you do when you go to 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:34.320 the school when you get a feel for the kid 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.120 and you go room to room and you talk to everyone, UM, 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.160 and you get a you know, a real strong conviction 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:43.720 one way or another. UM. But uh, we again, we 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.720 we we we We've done a great job um figuring 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.760 out who we who are targets would be UM not 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.520 having the combine we again, what did we We didn't 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:55.680 have a chance to interview the guys in person. So 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:59.280 what Quentin Harrison I did is we put together basically 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:02.880 a combined style interview process that we that we did 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.320 from the draft room. So instead of having players brought 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:07.480 up brought in in front of us one by one, 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:09.240 we did it over zoom and it's the only way 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.200 we could do it. And we did it, like I said, 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:14.360 combine style, twenty minutes on with one kid, next kid 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:16.879 comes in, he's ready, zoom, next guy comes in, and 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:18.240 we just did it down the line, just like we 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.639 wouldn't indu so wet we don't. We didn't. We weren't 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.960 there in person, but we still got the information, still 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:24.800 got to talk to the kids, still got to feel 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:27.320 comfortable about him, talking to him about talked to him 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:29.680 about XS and os, and get comfortable with his mental 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:32.560 capacity all that stuff. So, so, Drew, where are you 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:36.240 guys right now in the draft process? Have you already 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.000 stood on the table, Drew? Have you stood on the 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:42.320 table and had it out as to one kid is 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:45.600 better than one kid. This kid is better than that kid. 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:47.879 What are you doing? You're out of your mind? Have 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:52.359 you have you had those meetings yet? The shoeprints around 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:57.000 the table wolf there, they're there. The board is up 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:59.880 and we feel good. Right now, there'll be some minor 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.840 massaging and um, you know, we're still going to do 0:18:02.840 --> 0:18:04.760 a few more interviews over the next couple of days 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.359 and um, and uh, we still have to do a 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:09.520 medical meeting. Obviously that's going to be a big, a 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:11.600 big piece to it in terms of you know who 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:13.800 we feel good about long term medically and you know 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.359 short term and that affects your board greatly. But in 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:19.040 terms of ability, it's up and we feel good about it, 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:21.720 and we feel confident about it. And um, like I said, 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:23.400 right now, it's just gonna be. It's just there's gonna 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:26.119 be little little moves from here on out and and 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:29.040 we're ready to draft a director of player personnel. Drew 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.080 Griggson joining us on the Big Red Rage presented by 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:34.040 santan Ford and Gilbert. How true is that as you're 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:37.359 formulating the big board and everyone's around the big table 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:39.960 in the war room, are you guys all truly in 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:43.240 the trust tree. Does it get pretty spirited? You all 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.080 know each other pretty well, so I presume you're not 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:47.760 taking a personal but it does it get pretty animated 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:50.680 in there? It does? It does? I mean when when 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:53.600 a guy does sometimes you know, two three years of 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:56.239 work on a guy, um, and he feels strong and 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:58.520 convicted about a guy and he feels that this guy 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:02.000 could help our team and someone doesn't agree with him. Yeah, 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.040 it hit a little spirited. But I think we do 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:06.480 a great job of keeping it professional. And you could 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:09.560 still be convicted and strong with your opinion and and 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.399 you know, and still you know, again be professional and 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:15.000 doing it. And if I feel that it's going the 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:17.920 wrong way, I said, you know, gentlemen, let's let's let's 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:20.080 calm down a little bit. And and uh, you know, 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:22.800 let's but but yes, and you want that you want 0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:25.320 the conversation to You want your your scouts to be 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:28.120 excited about a guy, and you you you you want 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:30.320 him to have conviction of a bottom one way or another, 0:19:30.760 --> 0:19:33.240 because that's how you hit on a player, and that's 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:34.840 how you miss on a player if you're not listening 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:36.720 to those guys, because like I said, sometimes those guys 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.760 are doing three years of work on those guys, so um, yeah, 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:43.320 it get spirited in a good way. Drew Bill Belichick 0:19:43.480 --> 0:19:46.920 is famous for actually interviewing a coach and even though 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:49.960 he may secretly agree with what the coach is saying, 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:53.480 he'll actually take the opposite side of the argument just 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:57.280 to see how he responds. Okay, now that's diabolical to 0:19:57.359 --> 0:20:00.199 me as far as I'm concerned. But do you or 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:02.320 do that with some of your guys? Do you take 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:07.040 the opposite side? Do you be a contrarian that somebody 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:09.199 gets up and says, I love this guy, and do 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:11.719 you just say I want to hear how convicted you 0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:15.040 love this guy? Sure a little bit. Yeah, you know 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:18.800 you not necessarily want to be a contrarian, but um, 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:21.600 you know I'll question them and we just because you 0:20:21.600 --> 0:20:23.160 want to get him in the right place on the board. 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:25.159 And you know, if I want to make sure that 0:20:25.200 --> 0:20:27.639