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Speaker 1: Edge Rush offensive line. Yeah, the Cardinals really can't go wrong.

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Speaker 1: Plus the national pundits all agreed, there's a lot to

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Speaker 1: like about Michael Before got Danny Surrek with the Berg Gang.

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Speaker 1: We're doubling up one more time. This week. Dan Graziano

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Speaker 1: and Ben Solak from ESPN joined us at the Scouting

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Speaker 1: combine what they saw from the Cardinals last year and

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Speaker 1: what they expect to see from the Cardinals this year

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Speaker 1: at Cardinals Cover two, Episode nine eighty four and it

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Speaker 1: starts now.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.

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Speaker 3: POA Baker, What Heart?

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Speaker 1: What rent? This guy's unbelievable.

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Speaker 2: Cardinals Cover two is presented by Hyundai, proud partner of

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Speaker 2: the Arizona Cardinals, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast visit Azycardinals

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Speaker 2: dot Com slash podcast.

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Speaker 4: Right up the five hit the ends up for the

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Speaker 4: Cardinal touchdown.

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Speaker 1: Drey McBride, He's been an absolute monster.

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Speaker 2: Here's Craig gre hell.

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Speaker 1: Well. I would like to welcome everyone, all the Bird Gang,

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Speaker 1: all Cardinal fans to the final Friday of the year.

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Speaker 1: That's right, this is it because the new league year

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Speaker 1: begins next Wednesday, March eleventh. Now, things could happen before

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Speaker 1: March eleventh, because there is this quote unquote legal tampering

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Speaker 1: period that begins Monday at nine am Arizona time. By

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Speaker 1: the way, Danny, don't forget. You don't have to do

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Speaker 1: anything over the weekend, but just make sure that you

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Speaker 1: realize that you are now on Pacific time when you

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Speaker 1: wake up Sunday.

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Speaker 3: Morning, and not behind everyone in Central and.

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Speaker 1: Eastern Yes, so when you pick up the phone and

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Speaker 1: call mom and dad and your family, just realize that

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Speaker 1: they'll be an hour.

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Speaker 5: So I got to remind my sister with my nephew

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Speaker 5: not to want to call on the way to school.

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Speaker 5: The sun will still be hours away from rising.

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Speaker 6: Here.

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Speaker 1: Good morning, let me tell you what's ahead today. Yep, Nope,

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Speaker 1: too early, call back later. So, yes, daylight savings time

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Speaker 1: ends this weekend. So that's why Monday at nine am

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Speaker 1: the legal tampering period. It's when teams are allowed to

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Speaker 1: start negotiations with free agents or representatives of free agents.

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Speaker 1: Word will break, news will leak. Teams can't officially say

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Speaker 1: anything until Wednesday afternoon, and again that's when the expected

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Speaker 1: official release of Kyler Murray is expected to happen as well.

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Speaker 1: So we are getting closer and closer to where new

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Speaker 1: players will be walking into this building, Danny and hopefully

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Speaker 1: sitting down with you and also us here in the

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Speaker 1: podcast studio.

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Speaker 6: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: I mean, look, the season's been over for the Cardinals

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Speaker 5: for almost two months at this point, and the fact

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Speaker 5: that the Super Bowl has been over for a couple

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Speaker 5: of weeks now, But this is truly when the new year,

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Speaker 5: the new season everybody's getting ready for. That's when it

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Speaker 5: kind of restarts for everybody across the board.

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Speaker 1: Quick item on free agency. Saw this on NFL dot

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Speaker 1: com listed every team's free agency needs for the Cardinals

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Speaker 1: three positions, and I for one can't argue they list

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Speaker 1: in this order offensive line, quarterback, running back, and I

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Speaker 1: think all three of those positions make sense for me,

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Speaker 1: and I think Danny y are in agreement. It's more

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Speaker 1: so offensive line, considering Jonah Williams, Kevin Beachen, wilh Hernandez

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Speaker 1: all free agents to be all players who the Cardinals

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Speaker 1: counted on not only this past season, but seasons prior

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Speaker 1: along that offensive line. So you could have a major

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Speaker 1: shift along the offensive line outside of left tackle and center.

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Speaker 5: I mean you can make it offensive tackle, guard, Those

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Speaker 5: could be your top three. I mean, the reality is

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Speaker 5: is there's no true allegiance. I mean to a certain extent, yes,

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Speaker 5: with the general manager, but you've got a new head

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Speaker 5: coach and a new staff. So just because somebody is

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Speaker 5: not a free agent, they might not fit what the

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Speaker 5: plan is and the scheme. And these coaches might have

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Speaker 5: connections with players who are going to be free agents,

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Speaker 5: and they might have interest in Arizona that that you

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Speaker 5: and I don't really have on our radar right now.

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Speaker 3: So a lo a lot can happen in free agency.

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Speaker 3: Typically it comes in waves like it'll come.

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Speaker 5: Right for those first few days, and then it'll die down.

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Speaker 5: And then maybe as people get closer to the draft

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Speaker 5: and have a better idea of where they're going to

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Speaker 5: be selecting what players might be available, any sort of

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Speaker 5: final assessments or measurements with pro days, you might see

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Speaker 5: another small way throughout free agency before the draft at

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Speaker 5: the end of April.

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Speaker 3: But next week mid mid next week is when it'll

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Speaker 3: really be a push.

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Speaker 1: And all teams say they're active, all teams say they'll

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Speaker 1: be aggressive. It's just a matter of what kind of

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Speaker 1: activity and how aggressive a team will be. Remember, this

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Speaker 1: team spent a lot of a lot of capital, draft

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Speaker 1: and free agents dollars on defense a year ago. Do

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Speaker 1: you do that again or do you switch it to

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Speaker 1: the offenses?

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Speaker 2: So out of the ball.

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Speaker 1: But to your point, Danny, it's you've got a brand

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Speaker 1: new head coach who has his own philosophy, bringing in

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Speaker 1: a new offensive coordinator who has his own ideas. Does

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Speaker 1: that change the approach to free agency coming into twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty six and what you have on the roster versus

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Speaker 1: what you think you might need in order to be

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Speaker 1: competitive in.

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Speaker 3: The NFC West.

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Speaker 5: You can't completely build a whole new roster, right, So

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Speaker 5: it doesn't work that way. So when you start to

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Speaker 5: get specific offensive line is where my mind goes first

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Speaker 5: is what kind of scheme do they want to run?

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Speaker 5: How do they want to run the ball? And do

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Speaker 5: you have the offensive lineman currently to get you there

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Speaker 5: to where you want to go? Do you have the

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Speaker 5: current running backs room and maybe giving new contracts depending

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Speaker 5: free agents of what you want to accomplish there. So

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Speaker 5: it's going to be pretty nuanced I think in those

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Speaker 5: two rooms specifically of where they're going to fit with

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Speaker 5: the scheme. Now, the reality is, I mean it's a

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Speaker 5: collaboration it's the general manager who's making the decisions.

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Speaker 1: It's going to be fast and need to see what

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Speaker 1: happens again. The new league year begins next Wednesday, that

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Speaker 1: is March eleven. Some free agent talk with the two

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Speaker 1: gentlemen that are joining us on today's show. Dan Graziano

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Speaker 1: and Ben Solac from ESPN again joined our conversations with

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Speaker 1: the two of them while we were in Indianapolis last

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Speaker 1: week for the combine. Wanted to get a chance to

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Speaker 1: play those interviews again before things really pick up next

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Speaker 1: week when the new league year begins. So with Dan

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Speaker 1: and Ben, we got their thoughts on whether the Cardinals

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Speaker 1: might lean edge rush or offensive line in the first round.

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Speaker 1: Get their thoughts on last year's draft class. A handful

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Speaker 1: of players flash and again, regardless of what happens at quarterback,

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Speaker 1: there is talents on that side of the ball. So

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Speaker 1: if you turn on ESPN at any point during the day,

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Speaker 1: chances are good chances are you will see and hear

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Speaker 1: this gentleman Dan Graziano joining us here from the scouting combine.

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Speaker 1: Senior NFL insider. Those four letters keep you pretty busy,

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Speaker 1: do they not?

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Speaker 6: They do? They do? They like to they like to

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Speaker 6: work us, that's for sure.

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Speaker 7: I've had something on the website today that I did

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Speaker 7: with Ben Solik about trade candidates, and uh, you know,

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Speaker 7: I have NFL Live today, get up on Friday morning,

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Speaker 7: and yeah, keep me busy.

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Speaker 3: What does a typical day the combine look like for you?

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Speaker 6: Yeah, a lot of ten minute conversations, right, but this

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Speaker 6: is your favorite one? Right? Yeah? Absolutely, no, These these

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Speaker 6: are fun now.

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Speaker 7: I mean, like, you know, flag down a GM or

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Speaker 7: A or an offensive coordinator or an assistant GM.

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Speaker 6: You know, just like that.

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Speaker 7: The reason I come here is because the whole league

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Speaker 7: is here. And so every year you're you're you're making

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Speaker 7: new friends, you know, slash sources, You're you're reconnecting with

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Speaker 7: with old ones. Like there are people that I'm gonna

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Speaker 7: call or text throughout the entire year, and this week

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Speaker 7: is the only time I'm gonna see them in person.

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Speaker 7: So it's it's a pretty important sort of relationship building

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Speaker 7: and relationship maintenance exercise, and uh, it's exhausting, but it's

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Speaker 7: it's essential part of what.

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Speaker 1: You do that coaching search, and specifically when it comes

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Speaker 1: to the Arizona Cardinals, they choose to part ways with

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Speaker 1: Jonathan Gannon hire Mike Lafleur around your sources, people you

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Speaker 1: speak to on a daily basis, what are you hearing

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Speaker 1: about the fit Lafleur with the Arizona Cardinals.

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Speaker 7: So I mean, I think you have a sense of

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Speaker 7: what the offense will look like, right because it's Lafleur,

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Speaker 7: like his brother coaches the Packers. They all come from

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Speaker 7: Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay. Like half the league is running

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Speaker 7: this offense or some variation of it, So you can

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Speaker 7: you can figure out where that's, what that's going to

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Speaker 7: look like, and what they wanted to be assuming, you know,

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Speaker 7: I imagine we'll get to the quarterback question at some point.

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Speaker 7: But I think Mike has been a guy that has

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Speaker 7: been with the right people for a long time. He's

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Speaker 7: in that club. He's very close with the with the

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Speaker 7: Kyle Shanahan's Robert Salas. You know, Sean mcvay's obviously his brother.

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Speaker 7: I've known Mike al wile. I think he's been very

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Speaker 7: good at his job as an offensive coordinator. Uh, he

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Speaker 7: wasn't a play caller under Sean McVay, but he does

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Speaker 7: have that experience. So I'm fascinated to see what he's

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Speaker 7: like in in the big job because I know he's uh,

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Speaker 7: you know, he's been a guy that's been wondering for

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Speaker 7: a while if he would if he would ultimately get it,

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Speaker 7: and you know, here's his shot. So my my thing

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Speaker 7: is like, when when you get the shot, you got

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Speaker 7: to be you and uh, and I think Mike will

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Speaker 7: be will be authentic in their respect. Players tend to

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Speaker 7: respond to that.

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Speaker 5: He brought it up. So we'll we'll talk about the

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Speaker 5: quarterback position. And the good news is is outside of

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Speaker 5: the quarterback the Cardinals still have some strong foundational pieces

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Speaker 5: of Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Junior. So that

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Speaker 5: helps with whatever decision is made here in the next

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Speaker 5: few weeks at the start of the new league.

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Speaker 7: Year, right, there will be selling points, you know. They

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Speaker 7: you know, you can throw to Trey McBride one hundred

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Speaker 7: and fifty times like like that's and he'll catch them all,

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Speaker 7: you know, So I think that'll be And also, you know,

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Speaker 7: Lafleur and people know the offense and you know, like

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Speaker 7: let's say you wanted to get Malik Willis, you know,

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Speaker 7: you probably have pretty good information on him because of

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Speaker 7: the connection there.

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Speaker 6: So I think it'll be.

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Speaker 7: I've done a few of these tables and a lot

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Speaker 7: of the I'm saying the same thing. A lot is

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Speaker 7: with like everything's on the table. The team doesn't know

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Speaker 7: what the quarterback room is going to look like, yet

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Speaker 7: once they do, will have a sense of the plan.

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Speaker 7: You know, you know what the possibilities are. It doesn't

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Speaker 7: seem like there's a slam dunk answer in this year's draft.

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Speaker 7: There are free agency options, but they dry up pretty quickly.

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Speaker 7: There are, you know, potential trade or cut options other places,

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Speaker 7: but you know, Kyler's one of them for other teams.

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Speaker 7: Obviously if they were to release him, he's not an

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Speaker 7: option here. So it's very difficult to predict who the

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Speaker 7: quarterback of the Cardinals is going to be if they

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Speaker 7: choose to move on from Kyler, which it seems like

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Speaker 7: there have been indications for a while that that's at

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Speaker 7: least a possibility. So yeah, I think it's they're like

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Speaker 7: the Jets. They're like the Browns, you know, where the

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Speaker 7: whole field is sort of open to you and you

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Speaker 7: have to fit figure out which are the potential paths

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Speaker 7: and build your team around. Oh, if we get this guy,

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Speaker 7: then this is what we're going to look like, but

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Speaker 7: if we get this guy, it'll be a little different.

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Speaker 7: So that's a long, rambling non answer, But I really

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Speaker 7: do think that this is one of those teams that

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Speaker 7: doesn't know what the answer is yet.

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Speaker 1: Because it's the quarterback position, and if you have one, great,

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Speaker 1: If you don't, you're looking for one. We always see

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Speaker 1: here in the offseason the quarterback carousel. Is this off

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Speaker 1: season any different than previous seasons?

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Speaker 7: I think so, because it seems like, you know, I

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Speaker 7: don't think it's a one quarterback draft, but I think

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Speaker 7: there's one quarterback in this draft that people feel like

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Speaker 7: it's like, all right, that's the guy that he can

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Speaker 7: be the franchise guy. Everybody else is going to be

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Speaker 7: some kind of projection or some kind of project Do

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Speaker 7: we bring this guy in? Can we build him into this?

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Speaker 7: So if you are in a situation where you're looking,

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Speaker 7: you don't want that to be the only thing you do.

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Speaker 6: Maybe you do.

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Speaker 7: Maybe it's a fourth round guy that, oh, we really

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Speaker 7: like what he's got, but he's not gonna start for

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Speaker 7: your Week one, So bring him in, but also go

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Speaker 7: get you know, someone someone else to trade for Mac

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Speaker 7: Jones or you know, something along those, not that the

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Speaker 7: Cardinal they probably can't in the division, but you know

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Speaker 7: that kind of thing. So I think it's a matter

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Speaker 7: of building out the whole entire plan and seeing what

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Speaker 7: comes out of it. It's probably the right approach on

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Speaker 7: some level, because you don't get in a situation where

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Speaker 7: you're like, oh, we have this one guy, we don't

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Speaker 7: know where we're going to go off of that, so

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Speaker 7: we better give him, you know, fifty million dollars a

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Speaker 7: year now, and now all of a sudden, you're the

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Speaker 7: Dolphins and you're stuck with a you know, a guarantee

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Speaker 7: for a guy you don't necessarily want. So I think

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Speaker 7: it's probably the right approach to stay open minded in

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Speaker 7: this year's market because there are so few sort of

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Speaker 7: obvious slam dunk this is the answer, And you know,

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Speaker 7: the team that just won the Super Bowl did it

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Speaker 7: with a you know, with a guy that's making mid

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Speaker 7: range quarterback money.

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Speaker 6: And I think there's a good lesson in that it is.

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Speaker 5: A non quarterback heavy draft, and since the Cardinals are

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Speaker 5: sitting at three, provides them with some opportunities. Now you

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Speaker 5: just said not a ton of slam dunks, but who

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Speaker 5: are possible slam dunk options.

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Speaker 6: For number three for them, Oh, not a quarterback.

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Speaker 3: Not not a quarterback, right, just open up to position.

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Speaker 6: You know.

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Speaker 7: I think probably people feel like the edge rushers in

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Speaker 7: this year's draft, you're like, if you need that, which

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Speaker 7: everyone always does, like, it's never a bad idea if

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Speaker 7: you have the third pick to take somebody who can

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Speaker 7: rush the passer.

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Speaker 6: So you know, i'd look there.

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Speaker 7: I mean, I you know, it seems like defensively they'll

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Speaker 7: they'll make some changes obviously with a new scheme. So

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Speaker 7: if there's someone there that that screams at the coaching

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Speaker 7: staff like this guy can anchor our what we want

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Speaker 7: to do on defense, I would look there. Offensive line

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Speaker 7: is another position where you can never get enough, and

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Speaker 7: I think you know that that's probably whoever's going to

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Speaker 7: be play quarterback. You're gonna want to make sure they're protected.

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Speaker 7: So yeah, I mean, you did wide receiver at four

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Speaker 7: a couple of years ago. You've got it. It seems

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Speaker 7: like you got something in Michael Wilson. Obviously the tight end,

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Speaker 7: so playmaker probably not necessarily the priority that high. I mean,

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Speaker 7: I guess I would probably look for somebody big on

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Speaker 7: one side of the ball or the.

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Speaker 1: Other because everyone looks at what the Super Bowl champion

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Speaker 1: does and everyone tries to copy the past two Super

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Speaker 1: Bowl winners, the Eagles Seahawks with the pass rush. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: bringing a number of different pass rushers. Is it a

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Speaker 1: trend now across the league that maybe that is a

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Speaker 1: if you have a choice, do you look for the

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Speaker 1: edge rusher versus the pass protector?

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Speaker 6: Yeah? I mean again, I don't think it can go wrong.

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Speaker 7: I think if you're sitting at three and that's your question,

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Speaker 7: you just take whichever guy you think is better, right

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Speaker 7: like that?

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Speaker 6: Like that, I don't know.

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Speaker 7: I think edge rush and offensive line have they hold

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Speaker 7: up in terms of like we look at over the

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Speaker 7: over a number of years, how many first round draft

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Speaker 7: picks hit or get to a second contract with the

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Speaker 7: same team or a lot those positions do pretty well

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Speaker 7: in those metrics. So I think, you know, if you're

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Speaker 7: not in a position where you need or there's an

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Speaker 7: obvious quarterback, like I think, you just take the best

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Speaker 7: player at that high value position because offensive tackles and

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Speaker 7: edge rushers cost a lot of money. And if you're

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Speaker 7: you know, if you're going into free agency and you

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Speaker 7: need a safety and an edge rusher. The smart economic

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Speaker 7: player is probably to try and find the safety and

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Speaker 7: free agency and the edge rusher in the draft because

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Speaker 7: you'll get more value out of that pick on its

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Speaker 7: early on its rookie contract. So yeah, don't I don't

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Speaker 7: think it's as cut and dried as like, oh, we

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Speaker 7: need to take edge or we need to take tackle

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Speaker 7: at three. I think it's, you know, take the best

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Speaker 7: guy you're at three. The goal is to not be

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Speaker 7: back at three for a long time, so get a

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Speaker 7: guy that can help you avoid.

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Speaker 5: That raining Super Bowl champs Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West,

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Speaker 5: which was arguably the toughest division this past season, as

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Speaker 5: the Cardinals looked to be more competitive, what is the

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Speaker 5: secret to being competitive in the NFC West that they

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Speaker 5: need to improve upon? When you're going against San Francisco,

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Speaker 5: LA and Seattle.

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Speaker 7: Well, you got to be able to stop them, and

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Speaker 7: I think you saw what you saw in Seattle the

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Speaker 7: last two years. They move on from Pete Carroll. One

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Speaker 7: of the driving reasons was they felt like Pete's defense

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Speaker 7: had gotten stale and was just getting routinely smashed by

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Speaker 7: McVeigh and Shanahan every single time they played him, So

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Speaker 7: they say, I are a defensive genius who beats both

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Speaker 7: of them in the playoffs like it could Like you

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Speaker 7: couldn't have written it better if you were the Seahawks.

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Speaker 6: It's exactly what you hoped would happen.

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Speaker 1: Uh.

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Speaker 7: So you got to be able to stop and you

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Speaker 7: gotta be able to build a defense that can that

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Speaker 7: can create problems for what McVay and Shanahan want to

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Speaker 7: do on offense. And and look, Seattle's offense is is

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Speaker 7: is the same like it was is Clint Kubiak. Now

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Speaker 7: they got the new coordinators from San Francisco, so you

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Speaker 7: know what you're going to be facing six times a year.

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Speaker 7: Uh And and you got to be able to stop it.

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Speaker 7: And then again simple answer, every single time, you gotta

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Speaker 7: at a quarterback. And Seattle found a guy that fit

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Speaker 7: what they wanted to do. And obviously, the Rams once

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Speaker 7: upon a time traded for Matthew Stafford won the Super

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Speaker 7: Bowl right away.

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Speaker 6: And and the San.

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Speaker 7: Francisco forty nine ers got luckier than any team's ever

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Speaker 7: gotten at the quarterback positioned and and and blew it

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Speaker 7: on Trey Lance and then saved themselves with the last

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Speaker 7: pick in the draft. So you got to find something,

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Speaker 7: whether it's a calculated move, whether it's an expensive move,

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Speaker 7: or whether it's a lucky break like you gotta find

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Speaker 7: that quarterback.

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Speaker 1: Seems to be the sentiment that we're hearing a lot

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Speaker 1: here from Indianataolis.

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Speaker 6: Dan.

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Speaker 1: Always a pleasure, enjoy your work, and I know you're

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Speaker 1: in much demand here at the scouting Combine, so appreciate

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Speaker 1: you sitting down with us for a couple of minutes.

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Speaker 6: My pleasure.

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Speaker 1: Thanks so for you and your role at ESPN. How big,

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Speaker 1: how important is this particular week?

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Speaker 4: Extremely? Right, I think it is for everybody. Now. You've

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Speaker 4: got guys who do a lot of reporting for us,

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Speaker 4: right I'm looking at Dan Graziano over your shoulder right now,

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Speaker 4: and Jeremy Fowler, and they're, you know, fifty thousand meetings

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Speaker 4: a day. And then you've got guys like our Matt

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Speaker 4: Miller and r Jordan Reed and our field Yates who

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Speaker 4: are you know, all the draft coverage and they're watching

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Speaker 4: all the prospects and they're in the building. And then

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Speaker 4: I'm somewhere in the middle, right, I have a nice

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Speaker 4: time where I get to spend my morning taking meetings

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Speaker 4: and hearing this and talking about that, and then the

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Speaker 4: draft stuff starts, the combine stuff starts, and I got

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Speaker 4: to run myself into the stadium and we got to

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Speaker 4: get some grades on some guys. So I'm ready to

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Speaker 4: do our draft shows. And so it's a busy week,

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Speaker 4: but it's a it's a glorious week, it really is.

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Speaker 4: It's a lot of fun.

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Speaker 1: Let's start with the draft in particular because recently you

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Speaker 1: ranked deepest and thinnest positions in NFL free agency and

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Speaker 1: the draft, but specifically about the draft because I know

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Speaker 1: a lot of time about edge rusher and you wrote this,

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Speaker 1: which I thought was fascinating. If your favorite teams general

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Speaker 1: manager can't find a good fit at edge rusher this offseason,

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Speaker 1: tell him to take a hike.

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Speaker 4: Get him out of here.

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Speaker 6: Man.

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Speaker 4: I mean, there's so many guys this year at edge,

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Speaker 4: just free agency, end draft combined and so. And what's

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Speaker 4: nice about that is that edge tends to be a

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Speaker 4: position where it's different strokes for different folks. Everybody needs

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Speaker 4: kind of different flavor. And also even within a team,

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Speaker 4: like not even like you know, within just oh you know,

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Speaker 4: comparing team to team, we like big guys, we like

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Speaker 4: fast guys, even within a team. You need somebodyho's gonna

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Speaker 4: push the pocket. You need somebody's gonna beat this outside

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Speaker 4: rusher for you, guy who's got like a tween your

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Speaker 4: body type. And so they're you know, you start at

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Speaker 4: the top with your Trey Hendrickson's, your Dafe always and

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Speaker 4: you're Jalen Phillips. But you go down to your Khalil

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Speaker 4: Max and your boy Mafe's and your your uh, I

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Speaker 4: can't remember any more names. Apparently you're You've just got

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Speaker 4: such a deep gamut of guys this year who are

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Speaker 4: coming out who can fill different roles for you at

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Speaker 4: different price tags. And so if you're at a spot

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Speaker 4: where you're you've find an edge rusher need and you

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Speaker 4: don't want to walk into the draft with these big

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Speaker 4: laying needs, then you should be able to find yourself

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Speaker 4: a free agent right at Jadavian Colony at Kings Landing

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Speaker 4: bare as these names come back to me that fills

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Speaker 4: that role for you, at least on a short term basis,

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Speaker 4: and that way you don't walk into the draft for

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Speaker 4: that debilitating need.

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Speaker 1: With the draft specifically, is there a hierarchy for you

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Speaker 1: as far as the names that everyone mentions. David Bailey

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Speaker 1: Rubin Bain. I bel Reese if you believe he's an

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Speaker 1: EDG rusher versus an off the ball linebacker preference or

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Speaker 1: does it matter.

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Speaker 4: So this is a great example right where it's Bailey

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Speaker 4: and Baine could not be more different in terms of

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Speaker 4: edge rushers.

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Speaker 6: Right.

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Speaker 4: Bailey out of Texas deck is a stand up player.

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Speaker 4: You know, he's a speed rusher. He wins with a finesse, right,

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Speaker 4: He's got those inside outside moves, He's got that great

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Speaker 4: first step. And then you have Baine, who's this thick,

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Speaker 4: densely built guy, goes through your chest right, he can

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00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,479
Speaker 4: kick to the inside. I prefer Baine a little bit

440
00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,359
Speaker 4: to Bailey. I think that you're going to find the

441
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,119
Speaker 4: league largely prefers Bailey to Baine. But we're talking about

442
00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:49,399
Speaker 4: guys who are gonna fill different roles in the NFL,

443
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:50,679
Speaker 4: and so a lot of it depends on what you need.

444
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,919
Speaker 4: Then you have Reese's this wild card because Reese can

445
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,240
Speaker 4: stand up and play out backer, right stackbacker, or he

446
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,040
Speaker 4: can go and play the outside of the linebacker spot.

447
00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:58,879
Speaker 4: The league is going to value him as an edge

448
00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,320
Speaker 4: rusher because the league general really values edge rushers more

449
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:03,040
Speaker 4: than the linebackers, and so the teams that great him

450
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:04,920
Speaker 4: as a linebacker won't want to take him with a

451
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,639
Speaker 4: sixth overall pick because that's not a high priority position.

452
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,000
Speaker 4: The teams that do grade him as an edge rusher

453
00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:11,880
Speaker 4: will be okay taking him at that spot because that's

454
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:13,800
Speaker 4: a high priority spot for them. And so I think

455
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,840
Speaker 4: you're going to see Hi drafted as an edge I

456
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,000
Speaker 4: struggle with him a little bit because I do think

457
00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:19,879
Speaker 4: that it's gonna take a little bit of time with

458
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:21,320
Speaker 4: the NFL if you wanted to be an every down

459
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:22,879
Speaker 4: edge player, for him to get his eyes right and

460
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,520
Speaker 4: to get his technique right. He's, you know, not as

461
00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:27,359
Speaker 4: raw as sushi, but he's close there. He's Tuna tar

462
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:28,879
Speaker 4: tar in terms of playing there on the edge. And

463
00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,480
Speaker 4: so I think you're gonna see Reese go more to

464
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,440
Speaker 4: a team that has a little bit of time that's

465
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,040
Speaker 4: just accumulating talent that's willing to become, you know, to

466
00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,000
Speaker 4: move him around on defense and let him find his

467
00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,760
Speaker 4: best spot versus those teams that like, for example, have

468
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:42,880
Speaker 4: a Josh Sweat, have a Avan Collins and just maybe

469
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,040
Speaker 4: want to bring like a speed element to the equation.

470
00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:46,880
Speaker 4: You're gonna see them feel like, all right, we're gonna

471
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 4: go take our David Bailey and run.

472
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,119
Speaker 1: I love that analogy, by the way, that was pretty

473
00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:56,640
Speaker 1: good the debate, the back and forth with Cardinal fans

474
00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,800
Speaker 1: at number three, we just talked about edge. Do you

475
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:02,720
Speaker 1: get an edge rusher to get the quarterback or do

476
00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,720
Speaker 1: you want do you prefer someone to protect the quarterback,

477
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,560
Speaker 1: meaning you want to tackle to pair with Paris Johnson.

478
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,520
Speaker 4: So I think in this draft I prefer the edge

479
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:13,840
Speaker 4: rusher class to the tackle class. I think Francis Mauyo

480
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,720
Speaker 4: is a solid player, but I do think that bild wise,

481
00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:18,560
Speaker 4: he looks more like a guard to me than a tackle.

482
00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:19,840
Speaker 4: I think that he's going to get a chance to

483
00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,840
Speaker 4: play tackle first to the NFL level. But even when

484
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,560
Speaker 4: those guys succeed at that spot, right, we have like

485
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:26,399
Speaker 4: Braden Smith coming out in free agency, who is a

486
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,400
Speaker 4: classic like going to convert to guard in the NFL.

487
00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,240
Speaker 4: He actually held his water at tackle him out Auburn.

488
00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:31,560
Speaker 6: But you watch him. What he loses.

489
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,440
Speaker 4: He loses to what you'd expect. He lose to these long, big,

490
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,000
Speaker 4: elite rushers. So you just don't want to be spending

491
00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,000
Speaker 4: the third overall pick on a guy that you hope

492
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,119
Speaker 4: can figure it out at tackle to then just go

493
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,000
Speaker 4: and lose in the playoffs to the Jared Versus of

494
00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,159
Speaker 4: the world and you know whatever elite other edge rushers

495
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,240
Speaker 4: DeMarcus Lawrence are gonna find in the NFC runs. And

496
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,639
Speaker 4: so to me, I lean more at that early of

497
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,800
Speaker 4: a pick to go for the edg rusher spot because

498
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:53,520
Speaker 4: of where the value in this class is. I think

499
00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,120
Speaker 4: that if they potentially move back out of that spot,

500
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:57,200
Speaker 4: which I think you're going to see a lot of

501
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,800
Speaker 4: these teams in the top five try to move back,

502
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:00,720
Speaker 4: I don't know how active that mark end up being.

503
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:02,320
Speaker 4: That if they moved back out of that spot, then

504
00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,440
Speaker 4: I think you fall more into the mawiino A range,

505
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,280
Speaker 4: you know, the Spencer Funal range. But to me, like

506
00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,200
Speaker 4: this tackle class does not have a joelt Rashaun Slater

507
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,200
Speaker 4: caliber of a guy who typically see go and those

508
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,119
Speaker 4: first you know Membu went and pick six, to me

509
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:14,679
Speaker 4: that that dude's not there in this class. So if

510
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,480
Speaker 4: you're going tackle early, I'd like to move back before

511
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:16,720
Speaker 4: I do it.

512
00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,760
Speaker 1: Different tackle discussion defensive tackles. We look back at last

513
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,280
Speaker 1: year's draft class. You were very high on several of

514
00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,760
Speaker 1: the Cardinals' rookies on your NFL or rookie team, in particular,

515
00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 1: Walter Nolan, the third who didn't play a lot but

516
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,760
Speaker 1: made enough an impression on you that you had to

517
00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,440
Speaker 1: put him or find some way to make him on

518
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:39,840
Speaker 1: either the first or second.

519
00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,840
Speaker 4: And I, Yeah, initially he was below my snap threshold

520
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:43,879
Speaker 4: that I was going to use for that piece, and

521
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:45,359
Speaker 4: then I was looking at the defensive tackle room. I

522
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:46,440
Speaker 4: was like, naw, I'm going to change it so I

523
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,360
Speaker 4: can get with Nolan on here, just because the play

524
00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,080
Speaker 4: was so impactful at the moment he got on the field.

525
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,160
Speaker 4: Nolan is a unique cat, right. We don't typically see

526
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,119
Speaker 4: guys who have this level of density and you know,

527
00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,159
Speaker 4: the strength in their body, who are this slippery. Right.

528
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,320
Speaker 4: He has a penetration players, a movement player on these

529
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,000
Speaker 4: stunts and these twists. He really is quite a handful,

530
00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,400
Speaker 4: right Like that that pops immediately popped at Ole Miss

531
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 4: and then you see it again there in Arizona. And

532
00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:08,520
Speaker 4: so he's the sort of guy if he can stay

533
00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,240
Speaker 4: on the field for more downs, then the pass rush

534
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:12,960
Speaker 4: plank can start to be built around a player like this.

535
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:14,639
Speaker 4: You can start and say, okay, it's our third and

536
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,639
Speaker 4: long opportunity we're going to get to our Walter Nolan plays.

537
00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,399
Speaker 4: That needs to be earned though with with you know, tenure,

538
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 4: you got to be able to stay on the field

539
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,440
Speaker 4: in order to kind of get those opportunities. But the

540
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,960
Speaker 4: talent is very very clearly there. So Nolan is to

541
00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,480
Speaker 4: be an exciting piece. You fit great with Kalais. You

542
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,080
Speaker 4: don't know if Klaus is going to decide to come back,

543
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,000
Speaker 4: how much longer he wants to play. And so when

544
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,439
Speaker 4: you have a player like that who's got great movement ability.

545
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,639
Speaker 4: He can go from tackle to tackle right, and he

546
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:38,080
Speaker 4: can line up anywhere, and he can cut inside of

547
00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:39,920
Speaker 4: these gaps, he can penetrate, he can make plays, you

548
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:41,760
Speaker 4: do need to have a running mate for him, because

549
00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:43,399
Speaker 4: if you have one versatile player and then everybody else

550
00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,240
Speaker 4: is stuck in their roles, you have no versatile players.

551
00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,800
Speaker 4: He's got to fill that last spot, and so defensive

552
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:49,480
Speaker 4: tackle and finding a running mate for Nolan, a guy

553
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,280
Speaker 4: who can, you know, think about what they're hoping to

554
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:52,880
Speaker 4: get out of Jordan Birch in terms of being able

555
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,440
Speaker 4: to play some inside and outside stuff. Having that guys

556
00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,760
Speaker 4: is going to be valuable for Arizona, for Rales going forward.

557
00:23:57,760 --> 00:23:59,359
Speaker 4: They need to figure out who we're gonna pair him

558
00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:00,439
Speaker 4: with if Klais come back.

559
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,760
Speaker 1: And we saw it a couple of times again six games,

560
00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 1: but the attention on Walter opened up plays for Josh Sweat,

561
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,400
Speaker 1: David Collins on the outside to get into the backfield

562
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,240
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, Okay, if you're an offense,

563
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,560
Speaker 1: you break the huddle. Who are you pointing at to

564
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,480
Speaker 1: stop and make sure it doesn't beat you anyone else

565
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:19,800
Speaker 1: but not that particular player.

566
00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,159
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I'm interesting to see, you know, it's Rales

567
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,359
Speaker 4: now without Gannon there, right, And I'll be curious to

568
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,080
Speaker 4: see how much that changes. How much does Ralis want

569
00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,119
Speaker 4: to start blitzing and sending guys and dropping guys. Obviously Gannon,

570
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,199
Speaker 4: you know, defensively, they did a lot of creative stuff there,

571
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,440
Speaker 4: the two of them over the years. But you really

572
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,520
Speaker 4: would have liked to have had a four down pass

573
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:36,960
Speaker 4: rush that you could have hung your hat on a

574
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,840
Speaker 4: little bit more, right, And that was a lot of

575
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:41,040
Speaker 4: what McGann successful in Philadelphia that he was really never

576
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,560
Speaker 4: never able to manufacture there in Arizona, was we can

577
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 4: just trust these four on the field to go get

578
00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,399
Speaker 4: a brusher out of the quarterback. And so I'll be

579
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 4: I'm very interested to see how much investment you see

580
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,600
Speaker 4: on the defensive line for Arizona and this offseason specific Lakes.

581
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,800
Speaker 4: I think that'll tell us if Ralis wants to be

582
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:56,280
Speaker 4: a little bit more of a blitzing four to three

583
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,399
Speaker 4: and a little bit more of some of the Vikings

584
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 4: background that he had previously, or if you're just going

585
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,399
Speaker 4: to see them poor resources into that front and say, hey,

586
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 4: we want to be able to drop seven and rush

587
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:06,359
Speaker 4: four and really know that our four are going to

588
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:06,639
Speaker 4: get home.

589
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,480
Speaker 1: You rush four, It protects or makes it easier for

590
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,640
Speaker 1: the secondary to cover. They're not asked to be out

591
00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,600
Speaker 1: there for two and a half three seconds in that secondary.

592
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:15,840
Speaker 6: Though.

593
00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,040
Speaker 1: Will Johnson the other guy that impressed you and there

594
00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,800
Speaker 1: were no snap count issues with him, you landed him

595
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,960
Speaker 1: on your first team All Rookie for twenty twenty five.

596
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,080
Speaker 4: Why Yeah, what was funny because Burke had the more

597
00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,359
Speaker 4: flashy production, right in terms of some of the interceptions.

598
00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:30,680
Speaker 4: You go and you watch some of these like the

599
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,120
Speaker 4: Cowboys one whatever, like you know, okay, like good job

600
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,159
Speaker 4: catching the football. Sometimes dbs don't do this, but some

601
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,520
Speaker 4: of Burke's production I think was right place, right time

602
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,000
Speaker 4: sort of stuff. Nothing wrong with that, but I think

603
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,639
Speaker 4: it clarifies a little bit versus Will. I think more

604
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,359
Speaker 4: consistently got lined up against top receivers. I think that

605
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,440
Speaker 4: Will's combination of size and quickness, especially lining up from

606
00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,920
Speaker 4: off cover, is really really nice. Again talking about what

607
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,360
Speaker 4: Nolan is in terms of we don't typically see bodies

608
00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,159
Speaker 4: this big, move this way. Will's got some of that

609
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,399
Speaker 4: as well, and that was clearly a priority in that

610
00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:58,760
Speaker 4: draft for awsoin for it right. Nolan was a player

611
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:00,880
Speaker 4: who came into the draft with some because of health,

612
00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 4: and then Johnson was a guy who came into the

613
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,439
Speaker 4: draft with some risk because of health, and Monty went

614
00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,159
Speaker 4: after both of them, like you know, we need field tipping,

615
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,119
Speaker 4: math changing players on this defense. I think Will obviously saw,

616
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,520
Speaker 4: you know, you got a little bit banged of this year,

617
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,359
Speaker 4: but generally played more. You saw that what that impact

618
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,600
Speaker 4: could be. Now, Will, like a lot of young players,

619
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,920
Speaker 4: likes the guests, especially a corner right. These guys like

620
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,720
Speaker 4: to think they know what's common in the NFL. Moves

621
00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 4: a little quicker than that, and you know, the film

622
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 4: prep is a little bit different, and so Will. You know,

623
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:28,639
Speaker 4: it's very rare to see a young corner walk in

624
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 4: and have no lumps, right to have no mistakes. And

625
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,240
Speaker 4: Will fell into that large group of guys who the

626
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,280
Speaker 4: film is exciting. The movement skills are great, the high

627
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,480
Speaker 4: impact coverage players are there, pass breakups down the field

628
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,680
Speaker 4: track and the football playing physical through contact. It's all there.

629
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 4: He also got got by good route runners and that's

630
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,640
Speaker 4: going to happen. And I and always fans of rookie

631
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:47,159
Speaker 4: corners always, you know, like it's easy to create a

632
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:48,680
Speaker 4: low light tape where it's all right, this guy doesn't

633
00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:49,800
Speaker 4: got it, they'll smooth out.

634
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:51,440
Speaker 1: They'll smooth out of him. Will's gonna be a player

635
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,080
Speaker 1: before we let you go. Curious to get your perspective

636
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,879
Speaker 1: now again, quarterback is a big question mark. But with

637
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,440
Speaker 1: a brand new head coach and offensive minded head coach

638
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,720
Speaker 1: and Michaele or harrying him with Nathaniel Hacket, with a

639
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,400
Speaker 1: Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison, junior, Michael Wilson, what you potentially

640
00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,040
Speaker 1: could see offensively for the Cardinals to compete in a

641
00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 1: division that I think is the best at least in

642
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,360
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five was the best in the league.

643
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,679
Speaker 4: Unbelievable division. It was very, very fun to watch all

644
00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,240
Speaker 4: these games. It's interesting. I think that it's impossible answer

645
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 4: anything it's seeno the quarterback position because they're like, it's

646
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:24,600
Speaker 4: very clear what Mike Potent wants to be and what

647
00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:26,840
Speaker 4: Mike's influences are from. Is Kyle Shanahan days from a

648
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:28,720
Speaker 4: Sean McVay days. Well, now you get to have a

649
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,760
Speaker 4: conversation about what style past or do we want to

650
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,240
Speaker 4: bring in and does he fit what we want to do.

651
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:33,960
Speaker 4: Then I think you get a lot more under center.

652
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 4: You get a lot more of these condensed sets that

653
00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,480
Speaker 4: you saw from from the Rams and from the forty

654
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,760
Speaker 4: nine ers, and that's where you start to get excited about. Okay,

655
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,560
Speaker 4: Marvin Harrison now in a little bit of a reimagined role,

656
00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,240
Speaker 4: playing a lot closer to the core of the formation,

657
00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,200
Speaker 4: running more outbreaking routes, getting more free releases off of

658
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,160
Speaker 4: this motion. You know, can we get we were hoping

659
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:51,720
Speaker 4: to get out of this guy with the fourth overall pick.

660
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,199
Speaker 4: I think it's going to be unbelievable for Trey McBride

661
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,800
Speaker 4: if they get that sort of an offense rolling as well,

662
00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,080
Speaker 4: but again it's it's pretty conditional on who the quarterback is.

663
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,600
Speaker 1: His name has been Solac. You can follow him on

664
00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:06,200
Speaker 1: X Benjamin Solac, ESPN NFL Analysts. My first time talking

665
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 1: with you. Love the conversation. We'd sit here all afternoon

666
00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 1: long if we could, but I know you're in demand

667
00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,800
Speaker 1: and very busy here in the scouting combine, so appreciate

668
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,040
Speaker 1: you taking some time to speak with us.

669
00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:16,040
Speaker 4: Thank you, Greg, you take care.

670
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,879
Speaker 1: I can't thank Dan and Ben for joining us in

671
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,959
Speaker 1: Indianapolis here on Cardinals cover two. By the way, if

672
00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,560
Speaker 1: you want to follow Dan Graziano ESPN, NFL Insider, it's

673
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 1: at Dan Graziano, ESPN, Ben Solac, ESPN, NFL Analyst at

674
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,920
Speaker 1: Benjamin Solac. Both do a great job. Dan's moore of

675
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:40,440
Speaker 1: the insider type as far as signings, firings, changes, and

676
00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,440
Speaker 1: Ben does a great job as far as analyzing a

677
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,080
Speaker 1: lot of the talent not only in free agency but

678
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,680
Speaker 1: the draft. And in our conversation he was very high

679
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,360
Speaker 1: on what he saw limited amount of time with Walter

680
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,800
Speaker 1: Nolan on the football field and Will Johnson. So again

681
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 1: as we talk about change with the Arizona Cardinals, yes,

682
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: a change at head coach, a change at quarterback and

683
00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,520
Speaker 1: then changes along the roster. But there are pieces, whether

684
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,960
Speaker 1: that's the offensive side or the defensive side of the ball.

685
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,560
Speaker 1: So you're not going into twenty twenty six with a

686
00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,840
Speaker 1: cupboard that is bare. There are some valuable assets, if

687
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,120
Speaker 1: you will, including on offense as far as the skill

688
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,720
Speaker 1: position players. But in order to get the ball to

689
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 1: your playmakers, it starts at the line of scrimmage, whether

690
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,520
Speaker 1: that's offensive line or defensive line. You protect the quarterback,

691
00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,760
Speaker 1: you get after the quarterback. So I think we're both

692
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,160
Speaker 1: in agreement, even though we might talk ourselves or try

693
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,480
Speaker 1: to talk ourselves out of a running back, an inside linebacker,

694
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,480
Speaker 1: a quarterback at number three.

695
00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,840
Speaker 3: I think this who's talking about inside linebacker at three?

696
00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,880
Speaker 1: Well, the gentleman that sometimes sits in that chair during

697
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:49,160
Speaker 1: the Red Sea Report sometimes has brought up inside linebacker. No,

698
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,240
Speaker 1: Paul snuck it in a little bit on this week's

699
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,360
Speaker 1: edition of Underground, and that got.

700
00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,280
Speaker 5: Me for suggesting an off ball linebacker pick number three

701
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,480
Speaker 5: for this fan base, and I killed him that Yes, yes,

702
00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:05,120
Speaker 5: not gonna happen.

703
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,760
Speaker 1: But again, that's that's what you have. Between now and

704
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,040
Speaker 1: April is a lot of discussion. But again, if you

705
00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,800
Speaker 1: want to be I think the smart decisions are a

706
00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,560
Speaker 1: line of scrimmage, whether that's offensive line or defensive line.

707
00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,960
Speaker 1: And I think again I'm again leaning more towards offensive line,

708
00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,400
Speaker 1: just because you have an offensive minded head coach who

709
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:27,720
Speaker 1: wants to be able to score some points, and you

710
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,080
Speaker 1: can't do anything if you don't have a solid offensive line.

711
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:31,280
Speaker 3: One wants to score points.

712
00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,120
Speaker 5: Craig, the game is one in the trenches, though I

713
00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:35,800
Speaker 5: think a lot of this is based upon the moves

714
00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:38,160
Speaker 5: and free agency and what the Cardinals are able to

715
00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,040
Speaker 5: do with maybe some of the offensive linemen that are available.

716
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,840
Speaker 5: Offensive line makes a lot of sense at three. Edge

717
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,080
Speaker 5: rusher makes a lot of sense at three, but given

718
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:50,640
Speaker 5: the depth on that defensive position, it's leaning towards it

719
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:52,600
Speaker 5: is a lot more likely that Arizona will go with

720
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,560
Speaker 5: an offensive lineman with their first pick.

721
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,680
Speaker 1: Ben Solec said that he could see up to six

722
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,880
Speaker 1: edge rushers go in the first round. Obviously the big

723
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,640
Speaker 1: names David Bailey, Rubin Bain Junior, and r bel Rees,

724
00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,160
Speaker 1: but Daniel Jeremia even talked about the strength of this

725
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,520
Speaker 1: draft class at edge rusher. If you don't get him

726
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,400
Speaker 1: at three, you could certainly get them in the second

727
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,840
Speaker 1: round in the third round and see about building the

728
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,880
Speaker 1: defense that way because you do have Josh Sweat on

729
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,520
Speaker 1: that side of the ball. B Joe Julari, how much

730
00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:27,640
Speaker 1: could you see him develop going into twenty twenty six. Again,

731
00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,760
Speaker 1: a lot of options for the Cardinals. I'm just anxious

732
00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,160
Speaker 1: that we have the first domino of the quarterback position

733
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,560
Speaker 1: to fall. Now, Danny is just a matter of what

734
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,240
Speaker 1: pieces do you surround whoever is going to be the

735
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,200
Speaker 1: quarterback for twenty twenty seons.

736
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:43,840
Speaker 5: You know, when you talk about defense and you mentioned

737
00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,719
Speaker 5: those players, you want players to grow and develop. Obviously,

738
00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,720
Speaker 5: you want them to flourish, especially draft picks that you

739
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,920
Speaker 5: put a lot of investment in time into. You have

740
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,200
Speaker 5: to look though at the starting point, and when you're

741
00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,120
Speaker 5: looking at the starting point, anybody not named Josh Sweat

742
00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,320
Speaker 5: was not as productive and effective as they needed to.

743
00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,000
Speaker 5: And that's just not outside linebackers. That's the defensive line

744
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,760
Speaker 5: as well, with pressuring the quarterback, with stopping the run.

745
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,480
Speaker 5: So while you're going to keep some of those pieces,

746
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:12,960
Speaker 5: and I think there are players who played well on

747
00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,920
Speaker 5: an individual standpoint and have potential to continue to grow,

748
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,600
Speaker 5: The reality is is you're going to have to address

749
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,680
Speaker 5: that spot because what your foundation is was not putting

750
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,400
Speaker 5: up the numbers last year.

751
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:24,920
Speaker 3: Now you have a new head coach.

752
00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,400
Speaker 5: And I'm sure that keeping the same defensive coordinator and

753
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,440
Speaker 5: Nick Rawlis You're going to have changes under Mike Laflor,

754
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:35,280
Speaker 5: but you need help in that area, all three levels.

755
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,960
Speaker 1: Of the defense. And yeah, it's going to be fascinating

756
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,800
Speaker 1: to see what happens next week. Again, the new league

757
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,680
Speaker 1: year on Wednesday, March eleventh, So as I say to

758
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,760
Speaker 1: everyone here on Cardinals Cover two, an early happy new Year.

759
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 1: And again, Danny, don't forget daylight savings. We do not

760
00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 1: follow it here in Arizona. But for those that have

761
00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:58,400
Speaker 1: family and relatives outside of Arizona, they're either going to

762
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,640
Speaker 1: be an extra hour ahead of you, or if you've

763
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:05,160
Speaker 1: got people friends and family in Alaska or Hawaii, they'll

764
00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,480
Speaker 1: be an hour further behind you. So just pay attention.

765
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,200
Speaker 1: Especially you don't want to wake up Danny during the

766
00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:12,880
Speaker 1: week to tell them about how the excited your day

767
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:14,080
Speaker 1: is going to be, especially if.

768
00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:14,680
Speaker 6: You're the waker up.

769
00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,440
Speaker 1: Do you don't want to do that. Please don't wait

770
00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,600
Speaker 1: until it's daylight on both coas thank you. On that notes,

771
00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:22,880
Speaker 1: we will put a lid on this edition of Cardinals.

772
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,560
Speaker 1: Cover two presented by Hyundai, proud partner of the Arizona.

773
00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,600
Speaker 1: Cardinals has always special thanks to our executive producer Jim

774
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,880
Speaker 1: I'm Hundre, our associate producer Cody Fincher. For Danny Sirek,

775
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:33,760
Speaker 1: I'm Craig, Rayal Lou. We'll talk to you next time

776
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,120
Speaker 1: here on Cardinals Cover two