Cardinals Cover 2 - Offseason Takeaways From Mike LaFleur’s First Work As Head Coach
Ep. 1011 - And that’s a wrap; the offseason work - the official work, anyway - is done. Nothing now until training camp. That doesn’t stop Craig Grialou and Darren Urban from looking back at what the Cardinals accomplished over the past nine weeks under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. Craig and Darren discuss the good news like the overall health of the team, especially about what LaFleur had to say about Garrett Williams; the guys also talk about the uncertainty at quarterback, how LaFleur handles rookies, and the one position battle that’s been settled. From there, Craig and Darren speak about how many Cardinals they think will make this year’s NFL Top 100 list and whether or not they believe Calais Campbell, who has said once again “this is probably going to be my last year.”
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Speaker 1: And that's a wrap the offseason work. The official work
Speaker 1: anyway is done, got Darren Urban, Wienberg Gang. Of course,
Speaker 1: our work here is never done. But on Wednesday, the
Speaker 1: Cardinals gathered one final time before a well earned break.
Speaker 1: The next time everyone is together again training camp. Our
Speaker 1: biggest takeaways from Micha Leffor's first work as head coach
Speaker 1: at Cardinals Cover two, and it starts now.
Speaker 2: Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 1: Puda Baker, What Heart? What rent? This guy's unbelievable.
Speaker 2: Cardinals Cover two is presented by Hyundai, proud partner of
Speaker 2: the Arizona Cardinals, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals
Speaker 2: dot Com slash podcast.
Speaker 3: Right at the five hit to the ends, up for
Speaker 3: the Cardinal touchdown.
Speaker 1: Drey McBride, he's been an absolute monster.
Speaker 3: Here's Craig Griolo.
Speaker 1: So this is year what for you covering the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaker 3: I believe this is twenty seven.
Speaker 1: So you're going into your twenty seven yeah?
Speaker 3: Season twenty seven yeah.
Speaker 1: So twenty six different off season slash mandatory mini camps.
Speaker 1: So let's kind of play the back in my day
Speaker 1: when Darren Urban first covered the Arizona Cardinals. Rob Frederickson
Speaker 1: brought this up when we were talking, and he's brought
Speaker 1: this up several of the former Arizona Cardinals, Ron Wolfley,
Speaker 1: Kyle Vanenbosch on how it was were off season work
Speaker 1: was in pads.
Speaker 3: Yes, two days and for mini camp yet oh yes
Speaker 3: for mini camp, not for yeah yea for mini miniamp
Speaker 3: Frederickson was talking about.
Speaker 1: It was two days on Friday, two days on Saturday.
Speaker 1: Sunday was one day and they were done until.
Speaker 3: Twenty k There were five practices correct, This would be correct,
Speaker 3: I do think, and that was eleven and eleven and up.
Speaker 1: And the money is a lot different. So that's why
Speaker 1: things have changed because you want these players.
Speaker 3: Well, no, I'm going to disagree with you there. It's
Speaker 3: not because of the money. It's because of the collective
Speaker 3: bargaining agreement. One of the things that happened in the
Speaker 3: twenty eleven collective bargaining agreement when the owners wanted to
Speaker 3: put in a rookie sal scale and not just have
Speaker 3: a wild West when they signed the draft picks, among
Speaker 3: other things, there were other things involved. Well, the owners
Speaker 3: have to give back something when they're trying to take something.
Speaker 3: From the players, and one of the things they gave
Speaker 3: back in quotes was cutting back on what you could
Speaker 3: do this time of year and making it all voluntary
Speaker 3: except for the one mini camp, and cutting down the
Speaker 3: hours that you could be in the building and all
Speaker 3: that stuff, because it wasn't just that you had the
Speaker 3: two practices a day. I think they basically could be
Speaker 3: in here like eight hours a day. You can't be
Speaker 3: I think you can be in even for mini camp.
Speaker 3: I think it's six hours. Maybe maybe it's four. So
Speaker 3: that's why it changed was because in the collective bargaining agreement,
Speaker 3: the owners had to give something back, and hey, big surprise.
Speaker 3: Owners don't really care how much the coaches hated it.
Speaker 3: But the owners are like, what, that doesn't hurt us
Speaker 3: at all if we give if to get what we want,
Speaker 3: we just say they have to practice less in June.
Speaker 1: So preserving the body then for regular season work and
Speaker 1: making sure guys exit the off season work healthy is
Speaker 1: just more of a byproduct yes to the fact that
Speaker 1: you're not on the field, not nearly as much as
Speaker 1: you use.
Speaker 3: Yes. Now again, you can make the argument that that's
Speaker 3: the smarter way to go. Anyways, there's a lot that
Speaker 3: has changed beyond just the CBA since Rob Frederickson's Mini
Speaker 3: camp days, including the fact that they monitor how many
Speaker 3: steps these guys are taking, and they have ways to
Speaker 3: manage bodies that goes into the into physiological analytics that
Speaker 3: they didn't have back then. All of that plays into it.
Speaker 3: But yeah, so.
Speaker 1: We are speaking here on Wednesday, early afternoon, just moments
Speaker 1: after Mike Laflor held his final off season press conference. Yes,
Speaker 1: the Cardinals did cancel the final mandatory mini can't practice
Speaker 1: players though, And let me make this clear, players though,
Speaker 1: are in the building. It's not like they're not doing
Speaker 1: anything today. There seems to be a sentiment on social
Speaker 1: media that why is this team not practicing?
Speaker 3: Well, if you go by social media, yeah, some people
Speaker 3: think I should be practicing every day of the year.
Speaker 3: If they're not playing.
Speaker 1: Twenty four to seven, why are you not, which focused
Speaker 1: solely on.
Speaker 3: If I do say so myself, Craig, that would harm that,
Speaker 3: that would be a concern on where on the body.
Speaker 1: But that's just me and the mental and.
Speaker 3: The mental But people don't care about that because they
Speaker 3: see these guys as robots. I guess I don't know.
Speaker 1: So no, digress, but there was a walkthrough team is
Speaker 1: meeting as well, and I did find an interesting when
Speaker 1: Lafloora mentioned I believe it was your first question out
Speaker 1: of the gate as far as okay, let's explain why
Speaker 1: this was canceled. Yeah, could very easily had canceled and
Speaker 1: had no availability and players couldn't even be in the building.
Speaker 1: But it was a day of work. It just wasn't
Speaker 1: a practice. So I walk in. Let's be honest, as
Speaker 1: we've talked about not a game, not a game practice,
Speaker 1: but OTAs in mini camp. It's almost a what a
Speaker 1: little bit extra of a walkthrough. I mean, it's not
Speaker 1: it's not that much different.
Speaker 3: No, it really isn't. And again, when you start talking
Speaker 3: about the the grand scheme of all this, you know,
Speaker 3: Michae Lafleur was saying they got ten on field workouts
Speaker 3: in like that's enough, Like how many more do you need?
Speaker 3: And and he.
Speaker 1: Especially when you're not practicing in past.
Speaker 3: Yes, you're not practicing in pads. He mentioned the fact
Speaker 3: they're going to training camp earlier because of the extra
Speaker 3: preseason game. So that's a whole extra time frame that
Speaker 3: they that they that's going to more than make up
Speaker 3: for one miss. And quite frankly, I don't remember the
Speaker 3: last time Cardinals coach and this goes across the league,
Speaker 3: but I don't remember last time the Cardinals coach didn't
Speaker 3: cancel last day. I do not remember it.
Speaker 1: It's a reward. Coaches use it as a reward for
Speaker 1: the work that has been put in for the Cardinals
Speaker 1: this season. The offseason program began nine weeks ago April seventh,
Speaker 1: So guys are here, they're participating, they're learning, and then
Speaker 1: you want this send them off on this six week break.
Speaker 1: By the way, training camp players were reports on July
Speaker 1: twenty second, that was announced by lafor. So you want
Speaker 1: these players going into this break feeling good about themselves
Speaker 1: as opposed to coming off a practice or whatever it is.
Speaker 1: Because as Lafar also mentioned that he hates today, he
Speaker 1: does not like this final mandatory mini camp day because
Speaker 1: players maybe aren't always.
Speaker 3: Engaged and mean, they're like space.
Speaker 1: It's the last day of school before summer vacation. And
Speaker 1: then also for the coaches, it's well, you can't watch
Speaker 1: this film with the players because you're certainly not going
Speaker 1: to do it July twenty second when they report because
Speaker 1: this film today, what there is in any you wouldn't
Speaker 1: have any chance to go back and review it, so
Speaker 1: I understand why it's done. Heck, some teams like the
Speaker 1: forty nine ers canceled the entire mini camp session, so
Speaker 1: that's it's not a big deal that there was nothing
Speaker 1: on field, at least for the media to watch.
Speaker 3: No. I again, I don't think it's a big deal.
Speaker 3: I'm not surprisingly. I tweeted out this morning about how
Speaker 3: the practice was canceled, and of course you get a
Speaker 3: bunch of people saying they should be practicing every day.
Speaker 3: They're one of the worst teams in league. How do
Speaker 3: they now be? You know, It's just I mean, come on,
Speaker 3: I mean, you mentioned at whatever point that this is
Speaker 3: my twenty seventh year. I'm telling you right now, the
Speaker 3: the overall arc of the offseason work helps I you know,
Speaker 3: not to denigrate anything that Rob Frederickson did back in
Speaker 3: his day when he's doing the five mini camp practices.
Speaker 3: I don't think the league looks any different now that
Speaker 3: players do a lot less in the offseason and don't
Speaker 3: do it as hard in the off season as back
Speaker 3: then when they were, you know, having these hard five
Speaker 3: practice mini camps. I just I don't see it. I
Speaker 3: just don't see it.
Speaker 1: Coaches will learn about these players in training camp, when
Speaker 1: you are practicing in pads. You kind of get an
Speaker 1: idea of what they can do now, but you'll get
Speaker 1: a sense of what they really can do, where their
Speaker 1: strengths are, where their weaknesses are when you're going one
Speaker 1: on one, when they're is contact, when they're his physicality.
Speaker 1: Very difficult to evaluate that at this point.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean again, as you know, Lafleur was calling it,
Speaker 3: what was he calling it flag football or whatever he
Speaker 3: was calling.
Speaker 1: It was like, look like it's a swimming trunks.
Speaker 3: Swimming some way, he said, swimming trunks. You know, BA
Speaker 3: used to call it soccer. They're playing soccer out there.
Speaker 3: Like again, it's not you can go through and you
Speaker 3: can teach. Okay, this is what the plays look like.
Speaker 3: They can be in a lot of ways, glorified walkthroughs,
Speaker 3: just at a higher speed and you're doing stuff. But again,
Speaker 3: defenders aren't allowed to like jump and try and defend passes.
Speaker 3: You're not touching the quarterback. There's so many things out
Speaker 3: there that don't look like what the NFL game is
Speaker 3: going to look like. Once you get to August that
Speaker 3: there's only you know, you can only get so far
Speaker 3: with this.
Speaker 1: Let's go over what Lafleur did say, because I think
Speaker 1: it became a little bit of a Newsy Wednesday afternoon,
Speaker 1: maybe a little bit more yeah than people anticipated.
Speaker 3: Bring it off.
Speaker 1: The quarterback situation, which is a story I do not
Speaker 1: believe is going to go go away anytime soon. It's
Speaker 1: been a topic all off season. It remains a topic.
Speaker 1: In the words of Michae Laflorer quotes, it is too
Speaker 1: early right now to name a starting quarterback and he
Speaker 1: doesn't play. The also made we don't play, So.
Speaker 3: Look I don't I don't have a problem with that.
Speaker 3: Like literally, I don't know why he would name a
Speaker 3: starting quarterback now. In my opinion, we all know what
Speaker 3: the Jacoby Brissett situation is. We all are waiting to
Speaker 3: see how that gets resolved. If it gets resolved, I
Speaker 3: would expect him to have a good chance to be
Speaker 3: the guy if it turns out that he's around. If
Speaker 3: he's not, who knows. If they're all in camp, maybe
Speaker 3: he does want to see them all in his offense
Speaker 3: and who might execute it the best. But he I
Speaker 3: can understand why he's not going to name a QB one.
Speaker 3: I mean that the Vikings didn't name a QB one,
Speaker 3: and you still have Kyler seeming a little a little
Speaker 3: bothered by the fact he's not getting more reps. So
Speaker 3: it's like there's no there's no winning. And I think, look,
Speaker 3: we saw what happened most of the offseason, and which
Speaker 3: is Gardner Minshew looks like he's been taking the first
Speaker 3: team reps for now. Keyton Slows is still getting reps
Speaker 3: in a lot of ways above Beck. But I think
Speaker 3: there's a there's a lot that's going to go into it.
Speaker 3: And again, the other part about this is you have
Speaker 3: four preseason games you can use to like judge these
Speaker 3: guys as well. So honestly, I don't I don't have
Speaker 3: a problem with him not naming a QB one because
Speaker 3: you probably don't know who your QB one is.
Speaker 1: The problem though, is what was and what has been
Speaker 1: reported early in the offseason that Jacoby was informed he's
Speaker 1: the starting.
Speaker 3: Quarterback and assuming that's true.
Speaker 1: And again that's and that's we don't know what's been
Speaker 1: said or what's not, but that I think is that's
Speaker 1: where this started rolling down hill. That Jacoby was told
Speaker 1: something that I'm gonna throw.
Speaker 3: This back at you. Then if Jacoby was told indeed
Speaker 3: early on that he was going to be QB one
Speaker 3: and then he doesn't show up, I mean, don't think
Speaker 3: can't things change?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 1: Absolutely, they're the reason why things can't change. But if
Speaker 1: you're told something, and we are told that he wants
Speaker 1: a reworked contract because he's the starter, he didn't get that.
Speaker 1: So that's why supposedly he hasn't been here, okay, and
Speaker 1: there's no guarantee that he will get it right.
Speaker 3: No, I'm not sure what the next point. I'm just
Speaker 3: having to feel like we're on the same side.
Speaker 1: We are. I'm just like, I'm trying to this idea
Speaker 1: that this is. I don't know if it's a it's
Speaker 1: a concern, but it has been a story that won't
Speaker 1: go away because.
Speaker 3: Well, it's not gonna go away until it's resolved.
Speaker 1: Until he should well until it's until until it's resolved.
Speaker 3: Yeah, resolved. Well that's what I'm saying. He can show
Speaker 3: up to camp, it might not be resolved even if
Speaker 3: he's at camp. Until it's resolved, We're not gonna we're
Speaker 3: not gonna know the full picture. We're not gonna know everything,
Speaker 3: which is yet another reason why the hell would Michae
Speaker 3: Lafleur say anything of crete right now? He too cannot
Speaker 3: until it's resolved. He can't. Why Why why would you
Speaker 3: box yourself in because we're all anxious to have him
Speaker 3: say something, because that's how it feels right now. It
Speaker 3: feels more like we want we want concrete so that
Speaker 3: we can run with concrete and talk about it and
Speaker 3: then if something changes that makes the story even better.
Speaker 3: That's how it feels like a little bit.
Speaker 1: It's something that will continue to be discussed, even on
Speaker 1: that first day of training camp.
Speaker 3: But I think back back when Denny Green finished his
Speaker 3: first mini camp. I think it was mini camp, and
Speaker 3: in some there was some years where the mini camp
Speaker 3: was first or in the middle, and then you'd finish
Speaker 3: with an ota whatever. It was the last workout of
Speaker 3: Denny Green's last first off season two thousand and four,
Speaker 3: he decided he wanted to name his starting lineup in
Speaker 3: his press conference going into training camp.
Speaker 1: I do not remember that at all.
Speaker 3: Well he did, uh, and it was it was all
Speaker 3: eleven on offense, all even on defense. So that's when
Speaker 3: we so he handed us a story on the platter
Speaker 3: that Dexter Jackson, who had six interceptions of the year
Speaker 3: before and played pretty well and had been a high
Speaker 3: profile free agent, was not going to be the starter.
Speaker 3: It was going to be Quintin Harris at free safety.
Speaker 3: It was when we learned that even though Marcell's ship
Speaker 3: had had a really good year the year before and
Speaker 3: Emittt Smith had been hurt half the time, that Emittt
Speaker 3: Smith was going to be the starting running back. So
Speaker 3: we went running to Marcel's ship and said, I guess
Speaker 3: you're not the starter, and which this wasn't the story
Speaker 3: that day, but it was later. His starting center was
Speaker 3: Pete Kendall, who he decided to cut before training camp
Speaker 3: even started, and that became a huge story. And that
Speaker 3: would have been a huge story anyways, but literally, like
Speaker 3: you named him your starter and then cut him when
Speaker 3: no football was played, like you weren't even around each other.
Speaker 3: And so where I'm getting at is as a reporter,
Speaker 3: obviously you want the sexy headlines and stories. I don't
Speaker 3: get me wrong, Danny Green was awesome for that. But
Speaker 3: if you go by this right now, like I don't
Speaker 3: understand what the point would be other than everybody's like,
Speaker 3: we want grist for the speculation mill and the and
Speaker 3: the conversation mill for these next six weeks when you're
Speaker 3: not gonna be around, So give us something right now.
Speaker 1: It's what has been reported that I think has clouded
Speaker 1: a lot of this.
Speaker 3: Well again, I'm gonna go back to if you're talking
Speaker 3: about the report that he was QB one, which by
Speaker 3: the way, I've only seen I only saw one report
Speaker 3: like that. There have been the local Okay, there have
Speaker 3: been and then okay, when again when?
Speaker 1: And then that was back in what was it, February March.
Speaker 3: Yes, things have changed, you name them. One he decides
Speaker 3: he wants a better contract, he doesn't get it. Well,
Speaker 3: then things.
Speaker 1: Change, Yes, do you move on?
Speaker 3: And now you've so again that's why I don't. I don't.
Speaker 3: I don't have an issue with it. And again, and
Speaker 3: we don't know what's being said behind the scenes. We
Speaker 3: don't know what's been said to Jacoby. We're assuming that
Speaker 3: those reports are correct.
Speaker 1: No, it's there's a lot of speculation out there. And
Speaker 1: because it's the quarterback position. We talked about this on
Speaker 1: Cardinals Underground. If it's any other position, it doesn't get
Speaker 1: nearly as much attention or we.
Speaker 3: Have talking about it on it because it's always about
Speaker 3: the quarterback.
Speaker 1: It is, but it's always about.
Speaker 3: That's why you keep trying to force this whole QB
Speaker 3: one thing.
Speaker 1: Because it's fun. And he clicks Darren and put that
Speaker 1: head QB one in the headline. How about this for
Speaker 1: a surprise. Yes, on Wednesday, I was not anticipating to
Speaker 1: hear Garrett Williams ready for possibility of being ready week one.
Speaker 3: So I will say this. I had been told.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it was quote we'll have a chance for
Speaker 1: a week.
Speaker 3: Yes, I was told and again off the record, and
Speaker 3: I had a fine text conversation with Tim Ring about
Speaker 3: the meaning of off the record. By the way, off
Speaker 3: the record does not mean anonymous sources. Off the record
Speaker 3: means literally you don't talk about it in republic. It's background.
Speaker 3: If you go find another source and say I've heard this,
Speaker 3: and you get another source to confirm it, that's fine.
Speaker 3: But off the record does not mean they just didn't
Speaker 3: want their name on it, but go ahead and run
Speaker 3: the information. That is not what off the record is.
Speaker 3: But okay, thanks for coming by Ted talk. Anyways, I
Speaker 3: had an off the record conversation about Garrett Williams, and
Speaker 3: I was anticipating, you know, maybe he doesn't. I mean,
Speaker 3: he had that he heard himself in December and it was
Speaker 3: nasty and I was told at the time, I'm sh
Speaker 3: and this is even better. But like when I first
Speaker 3: heard this, it was I'm sure Garrett'll be on pup
Speaker 3: when training camp starts, but I they're talking about having
Speaker 3: him come back maybe in September, and I'm like, whoa.
Speaker 3: And now you hear Lafleur in his final press conference
Speaker 3: today saying got a chance to be back at camp
Speaker 3: maybe and guy has a chance to be available week one.
Speaker 3: That is crazy to.
Speaker 1: Me, probably not the starts of camp, but yes, realistically
Speaker 1: maybe at some point.
Speaker 3: I'm not gonna tweet how crazy it is because I
Speaker 3: know people go crazy about that stuff on social media.
Speaker 3: Mentioned the fact that Patrick Mahomes getting acy never.
Speaker 1: Mind, I see what you did.
Speaker 3: Of course you did, but anyways, so I mean that
Speaker 3: would be a big deal. Although again we look at
Speaker 3: that that room, those combined rooms, when you talk about
Speaker 3: adding safety, they've got a lot of people fighting for
Speaker 3: not a lot of playing time.
Speaker 1: We have seen Garrett Williams out during the open portion
Speaker 1: of practice without shoes by the way, which I just
Speaker 1: especially in this weather and walking on concrete. I just
Speaker 1: don't understand.
Speaker 3: Walking on concrete most of the time in.
Speaker 1: Order to get to the grass.
Speaker 3: My god, Grandpa, Griolu, what the hell.
Speaker 1: It's it's hot. It hurts your feet, Darren. But I
Speaker 1: do think that's been a good sign to see him,
Speaker 1: because if you're not seen, it means you're not even
Speaker 1: close to getting out onto the football field. So that
Speaker 1: will the big thing with Laflour mentioning that yes, there's
Speaker 1: a chance that Garrett Williams is back week one. Now,
Speaker 1: one of the bigger takeaways that I had this entire offseason,
Speaker 1: even before Wednesday, centered around Garrett Williams's position, nickel corner
Speaker 1: and seeing Sean Murphy bunting not only on the field
Speaker 1: after missing all of last season, but working with the safeties.
Speaker 1: That was one of the if you want to go
Speaker 1: headlines of the offseason that doesn't include the quarterback or
Speaker 1: Josh Sweat, it's Sean Murphy bunting. Position switch well, one,
Speaker 1: he's healthy and then two position switch although it's a
Speaker 1: position that he played once before. That was now all
Speaker 1: of a sudden's like, Okay, we're all excited about SMB back.
Speaker 1: Is he gonna be needed or at least maybe rotation
Speaker 1: or depth.
Speaker 3: But again, if you get guys playing at a decent level,
Speaker 3: then all of a sudden, you love the depth, just
Speaker 3: like you love the depth in the running back room.
Speaker 3: Now they're not all gonna be able to play. Somebody's
Speaker 3: gonna have to play teams here if you're on this roster.
Speaker 3: I don't know what this means for SMB, but but
Speaker 3: just having Garrett Williams able to be available if week
Speaker 3: one does not mean he's ready to go full bore,
Speaker 3: and then all of a sudden, it's like, okay, we're
Speaker 3: working him in. If he's close enough week one, do
Speaker 3: you do the thing where you're like, you put him
Speaker 3: on ir uh at the on final cuts and then
Speaker 3: bring them back in week four after he's had some
Speaker 3: I mean, that's another possibility too. We're gonna we're gonna
Speaker 3: find out what all this looks like. But just in general,
Speaker 3: I mean, and I know you'll get to Caleb Procter
Speaker 3: in a minute, but otherwise it's like for him to
Speaker 3: say that basically everybody is expected to be back in camp. Now,
Speaker 3: I think he kind of implied the first day of camp,
Speaker 3: I'm guessing you'll probably still have some PUP guys. I
Speaker 3: would not be shocked if Trey Benson was on PUP
Speaker 3: right at the beginning, or James Connor was right at
Speaker 3: the beginning, or Tip Ryman. But to know that they're
Speaker 3: all going to be back in camp, that's a pretty
Speaker 3: significant thing.
Speaker 1: And those three James, Trey and Tip, I don't think
Speaker 1: as a surprise we would have included Garrett on that
Speaker 1: list as well. Maybe still. But the great news is
Speaker 1: Michae Lafuer mentioned is that Williams is put in a
Speaker 1: lot of work in rehab. And then Walter Nolan, as
Speaker 1: he has told everyone, told you as well at Mac
Speaker 1: Wilson's charity basketball game that he should be ready for
Speaker 1: training camp, and that was confirmed by Lafleur.
Speaker 3: Yes, so I mean again health wise, and if you
Speaker 3: want to dial it back, another reason why he canceled
Speaker 3: this last practice is Okay, we're in a really good place.
Speaker 3: Let's not temp fate and put him out there one
Speaker 3: more time and have something stupid happen to somebody.
Speaker 1: I don't know if it happened at some point it happened.
Speaker 1: But Caleb Proctor.
Speaker 3: Is rookie fourth round defensive lineman.
Speaker 1: Perhaps, as Laflour mentioned, going to miss quite a bit
Speaker 1: of time. Those were his words, and then he added
Speaker 1: maybe the entire season with a moniscous injury. So that's
Speaker 1: that's unfortunate for him. But that seems to be the
Speaker 1: only sustained injury, if you will, during this offseason work,
Speaker 1: whether it significance of significant. Yeah, the bumps and bruises
Speaker 1: and stuff like that. Carson Schier is dealing with a
Speaker 1: hamstring injury. Shouldn't shouldn't be an issue for him to
Speaker 1: be ready for his training camp. Probably more just making
Speaker 1: sure he doesn't do any more damage to that hamstring.
Speaker 1: But Caleb Procter, and as was mentioned as why I
Speaker 1: walked in to the studio was Cardinals just don't have
Speaker 1: any luck when it comes to defensive linemen, rookies or
Speaker 1: free agents that are new to the building.
Speaker 3: The tweet I got was, Man, the scriptwriters are getting
Speaker 3: lame because here we are with another rookie defensive lineman
Speaker 3: who's going to be dealing with an injury. Not ideal.
Speaker 3: I really like the Caleb Procter pick when it happened.
Speaker 3: You know, it opens up some possibilities for some of
Speaker 3: the other people on the roster that I think Caleb
Speaker 3: Proctor would have taken, and we'll see where it goes. Well,
Speaker 3: you know, at some point he's going to be put
Speaker 3: on IR. We'll see if that means he's got a
Speaker 3: chance to come back at any point this season. It'll
Speaker 3: depend if they put him on IR before they get
Speaker 3: to final cuts he's done for the season, so we'll
Speaker 3: know then if it comes that early. If it waits
Speaker 3: and they kind of carry him through training camp on
Speaker 3: the ninety man roster, then then maybe there's some hope
Speaker 3: there that it can still come together for him as
Speaker 3: a rookie.
Speaker 1: Unfortunately, because I had the chance to speak with him
Speaker 1: here in studio, and one, he's got a great story
Speaker 1: coming from a small school and now all of a
Speaker 1: sudden being that first player drafted out of an FCS
Speaker 1: school in twenty twenty six and now perhaps missing his
Speaker 1: entire first season. So that was the only quote unquote
Speaker 1: negative if you will, on Wednesday, and the fact that
Speaker 1: we might not see Caleb Proctor this season. As far
Speaker 1: as some things that I notice with michae LeFleur as
Speaker 1: a first time head coach, out on the practice field,
Speaker 1: the tempo of practice, the different drills that we have
Speaker 1: seen many of the position, different individual position groups have used.
Speaker 1: It's subtle, not next level, but it is a little
Speaker 1: bit different and then something that different coaches have a
Speaker 1: different perspective or a plan in place when it comes
Speaker 1: to rookies. But none of the rookies in this year's
Speaker 1: draft class are being handed anything. Jeremiah Love is behind
Speaker 1: Tyler Algier, Carson Beck is behind Keaton Slovas, and Chase
Speaker 1: Besonts is behind Isaiah Adams at least as we break
Speaker 1: the offseason here in mid June. They those players are
Speaker 1: going to have to earn their way out onto the
Speaker 1: football field, and I have no problem with that, even
Speaker 1: as a even if you're a first round pick and
Speaker 1: selected top five.
Speaker 3: I will say this if, for instance, if Jeremiah Love
Speaker 3: is not taking first unit reps from the very first
Speaker 3: practice at training camp, we will not be very far
Speaker 3: into training camp before that happens. That's my prediction. So
Speaker 3: it makes sense right now. But I think he in particular, we.
Speaker 1: All know it's gonna happen. It's something, but I.
Speaker 3: Mean it's gonna happen very quickly, like there's gonna be
Speaker 3: no football between now and the opening of camp. Would
Speaker 3: I be shocked if Jeremiah Love was running first team
Speaker 3: from the.
Speaker 1: First open practice, first open practice of training camp.
Speaker 3: First practice, I haven't looked.
Speaker 1: The first practice that we're allowed to happen.
Speaker 3: Well, no, I mean it could be before we could
Speaker 3: say what's happening? Just no, we'll know that doesn't mean
Speaker 3: he's not doing it.
Speaker 1: So it's coaches sometimes will slow play rookie year or
Speaker 1: at least let them get their feet wet, especially now
Speaker 1: they have never been in the bill. They need to
Speaker 1: know what their assignments are and then can they handle it?
Speaker 1: And then all right, throw them out there and give
Speaker 1: them a little bit more, But no, it won't be long.
Speaker 1: And then, as we've discussed previously, how much do we
Speaker 1: see Love and Algier together more of those two running
Speaker 1: back sets? A year ago in training camp it was
Speaker 1: RB one and one A and one B with James
Speaker 1: and Trey, and that a long time ago. Could that
Speaker 1: potentially be the storyline at some point in twenty twenty
Speaker 1: six where you see them sharing the backfield or one
Speaker 1: split as a wide receiver.
Speaker 3: Very possible and actually probable because it's already been talked
Speaker 3: about in multiple ways.
Speaker 1: The only position battle that has been one kyd Ryland
Speaker 1: is your starting kicker, woo as least says up right now.
Speaker 3: Anyway, No, I think that's pretty safe to say, because
Speaker 3: if you if you were thinking about doing anything else,
Speaker 3: it was kind of goofy to get rid of Josh Cardy,
Speaker 3: I would think. But I think, you know, Chad Ryland
Speaker 3: missed a couple of kicks last year that he'd love
Speaker 3: to have back. I think generally he's done a very
Speaker 3: very good job in two years, and that makes sense
Speaker 3: to me.
Speaker 1: Anything else stand out big picture as I put you
Speaker 1: on the spot from No. Nine weeks of off season work.
Speaker 3: I mean again, I think I think the rookie thing
Speaker 3: is interesting because, as Michael Floor keeps talking about, there
Speaker 3: are very few rookies on this team, and you know,
Speaker 3: their undrafted class was very small, and they only had
Speaker 3: the seven draft picks. It's not like they had extra
Speaker 3: So most of these guys have been in the league
Speaker 3: and have done this before, and you know, once they start,
Speaker 3: once they figure out the quarterback thing and had headed
Speaker 3: in the direction. Concretely, I think a lot of things
Speaker 3: fall into place. I mean, this is an interesting team,
Speaker 3: especially offensively and providing health. I'm very curious to see
Speaker 3: what this looks like under Michael.
Speaker 1: Floor knock on wood. This team is healthy going into
Speaker 1: the offseason. Some other eye itams here before. Actually, you know,
Speaker 1: there is no break for us, Darren, the players, the coaches,
Speaker 1: they I'll leave the building yet we will be here
Speaker 1: every day.
Speaker 3: That's what we do, no days off, That's all we do.
Speaker 1: The NFL Top one hundred was announced. The press release
Speaker 1: went out It will premiere Monday, June twenty seconds and
Speaker 1: went back in looked. Last season, the Cardinals had three
Speaker 1: players make the list. That does include Josh what technically
Speaker 1: was a Cardinal player but hadn't played in a Cardinals game.
Speaker 1: He was at ninety five, Trey McBride sixty five, Buddha
Speaker 1: Baker thirty four. Guessing all three of those players make
Speaker 1: the list this year, although I'm predicting Josh Wett moves up.
Speaker 1: Trey McBride better move up and move up significantly.
Speaker 3: And if he doesn't, Craig's coming for you. Yes, NFL
Speaker 3: players who voted on this, by the way it.
Speaker 1: Looked, Brock Bauers last year twenty four, George Kittle thirty one,
Speaker 1: Travis Kelce thirty seven, and Trey was sixty five.
Speaker 3: He had a great year the year before.
Speaker 1: So that's got to change.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it'll change.
Speaker 1: Trey will make a significant job.
Speaker 3: Trey top twenty, I would I hope top.
Speaker 1: He should be. I'm gonna say top thirty. I will
Speaker 1: be disappointed if he's not top thirty because some.
Speaker 3: Because I'm going to tell you right now, I've been
Speaker 3: in the locker room for multiple years when I've watched
Speaker 3: these players get the ballots.
Speaker 1: Yes, it can be entertaining, it.
Speaker 3: Can be entertaining, but they get they get what twenty spots.
Speaker 3: I think they get twenty spots. Many many of them
Speaker 3: don't fill them all out. Many other ones of them
Speaker 3: are putting their buddies in there. Uh, it's it's not
Speaker 3: exactly scientific.
Speaker 1: And it's done what December.
Speaker 3: Somewhere late November December, So.
Speaker 1: The season is still going on before.
Speaker 3: It's before Pro Bowl, before they ask him to vote
Speaker 3: on Pro Bowl.
Speaker 1: But so seasons haven't been completed.
Speaker 3: No, Yeah, like they're not looking at Treyman Brian saying
Speaker 3: he had one hundred twenty six catches because they would
Speaker 3: have voted before then.
Speaker 1: So let me ask you this, then, Michael Wilson as
Speaker 1: well as he finished last season, not nearly enough to
Speaker 1: warrant consideration. So he's probably another year away.
Speaker 3: If he has another year like like this.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's got to be a full season, not
Speaker 1: just what you did. The final they just wasn't and
Speaker 1: as you mentioned, they were probably.
Speaker 3: Voting with four games left in the season. And then
Speaker 3: it's like, Okay, at that point, what has he.
Speaker 1: Done anyone else outside of Sweat, Trey Buddha, anyone.
Speaker 3: Not that I can think of, but you never know.
Speaker 1: Okay, do you know the list?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 1: No, no, you get things well in advance.
Speaker 3: I get them in advance of you because I'm better
Speaker 3: than you. But no, I don't have it at this point.
Speaker 1: That was well done last night. I'm here for Darren,
Speaker 1: since you've can covered this team for so long going
Speaker 1: into year twenty seven. Yes, former Arizona Cardinal Kalais Campbell, Yes,
Speaker 1: do we believe him this time? He told reporters on
Speaker 1: Tuesday that quote, Baltimore reporters, this is probably going to
Speaker 1: be my last year. Now. He did add in this quote,
Speaker 1: I know I said that last year and that year four,
Speaker 1: but I generally meant it at the time.
Speaker 3: I was standing there in Denver when we talked about it.
Speaker 1: We had this conversation a year ago.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we did. I think this. I I personally do
Speaker 3: think there's a chance that this is it. I think
Speaker 3: once he got so close to Jim Marshall's record to
Speaker 3: play games played by defensive lineman, which he only needs
Speaker 3: to play four to break the.
Speaker 1: Record, five to surpass.
Speaker 3: Oh, five, I'm sorry, five, four to tie, four to tie. Okay,
Speaker 3: my bad. I thought story I read I thought he
Speaker 3: was two seventy nine and Marshall was too eighty two.
Speaker 1: Story I read said he needed five to surpass.
Speaker 3: Well, I think you're wrong. But whatever, that's fine. The
Speaker 3: story could be, but anyways accurate. Bottom line is never
Speaker 3: believe you check that for us, will you? But bottom
Speaker 3: line is, I think once he got close to Jim Marshall,
Speaker 3: I think the draw. First of all, I think Klais
Speaker 3: has a hard time not whanting to play. He says
Speaker 3: he it's almost like he talks about retiring like he
Speaker 3: knows he's supposed to do because he's forty. But he
Speaker 3: definitely still loves the game, and he was very effective
Speaker 3: last year. And uh, I think I think ultimately once
Speaker 3: he knew he was close to that record and he's
Speaker 3: gonna break it early in the season, that I think
Speaker 3: that that's a draw that you don't want to walk
Speaker 3: away from. Here's oh no, I'm wrong, God dang it.
Speaker 1: Here's something that we need to mark and check over there.
Speaker 1: Producer Cody Jim Marshall to eighty two. Yeah, Bruce Smith
Speaker 1: seventy nine, that's what I'm thinking of. LEAs Campbell seventy.
Speaker 3: Eight, son of a biscuit. So okay, And.
Speaker 1: As we discussed earlier, Uh, if you're gonna play your nineteen,
Speaker 1: why don't you just shoot under your twenty.
Speaker 3: We didn't discuss that.
Speaker 1: You brought it up because twenty sounds a heck of
Speaker 1: a lot better, or it's a nice round because he's
Speaker 1: going to be.
Speaker 3: Forty two years old getting beat around like by twenty
Speaker 3: some year olds. That and you know again, that starts
Speaker 3: to doesn't your body ache when you do something physical
Speaker 3: at this point in your life.
Speaker 1: Every single day? But I'm not. But I'm not an
Speaker 1: athlete the caliber of kalais.
Speaker 3: I understand that I'm not saying he's as messed up
Speaker 3: as you. I'm just saying he's gonna feel it.
Speaker 1: I did like this from Khalaiz when he was talking
Speaker 1: about he believes that this is going to be his
Speaker 1: final year. I'm probably going to have to turn somebody
Speaker 1: down next year. That's the ideal scenario. As of right now,
Speaker 1: I'm playing this year as if it's my last.
Speaker 3: Year, which is he said all those things. I mean, if.
Speaker 1: Someone wants you, it's easier to come back, first of all,
Speaker 1: but it's also maybe makes you feel good. Yeah, he
Speaker 1: just turn him down, like I can still play, but
Speaker 1: I want to walk away.
Speaker 3: It's the Larry Fitzgerald. You want to retire before they
Speaker 3: retire you.
Speaker 1: Yes, you're never going to retire, are you?
Speaker 3: Probably not?
Speaker 1: You can't Retirecardinals dot Com do without at cards Chattow.
Speaker 3: We don't open this up to the people. They'll we'll
Speaker 3: get some comments there and they probably won't make me
Speaker 3: feel very good.
Speaker 1: I think everyone loves themselves. There are Cardinals.
Speaker 3: I think you're absolutely wrong.
Speaker 1: I'd say, enjoy your break, but I'll see it tomorrow
Speaker 1: and the next day and the next day after that.
Speaker 1: So true, We're not going anywhere here on Cardinals cover too.
Speaker 1: The content is they say never ends, but that's good
Speaker 1: because there's always something to talk about. So we will
Speaker 1: continue to do that, even though the players will not
Speaker 1: be in the building, nor will the coaches be in
Speaker 1: the building. In many of the front office personnel not
Speaker 1: be in the building until probably sometime in July. But
Speaker 1: day a well deserved, well earned break for everyone here
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six. On that notes, we will put
Speaker 1: a lid on this edition of Cardinals Cover two, presented
Speaker 1: by Hundai, proud partner of the Arizona Cardinals Special Thanks
Speaker 1: as always to executive producer Jim Momuer, Producer Cuddy Fincher
Speaker 1: for Darren Urban, I'm Craig Real Lou. We'll talk to
Speaker 1: you next time here on Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 2: H