June 30, 2025 • 31 mins
Ep. 897 - Last year, the Seahawks made a coaching change. This offseason, they’ve shaken things up even more—bringing in a new quarterback and wide receivers. In short, the 2025 Seattle Seahawks will look quite different. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman kick off their annual offseason tour around the NFC West, starting with Seattle. They’re joined by Seahawks.com senior reporter John Boyle to break it all down. Topics include the arrival of quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak—and what their presence means for an offense that still features its top two running backs. On defense, Seattle returns 10 of 11 starters, including Cardinals nemesis Leonard Williams, and has added veteran pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. The trio also looks at which of the Seahawks’ 11 draft picks could make an immediate impact.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
So it doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Double
digit wins is not an automatic entry into the playoffs.
Just asked the twenty twenty four Seattle Seahawks God Zacher's
been with me will be joined by John Boyle, Senior
reporter for Seahawks dot Com. It's time to begin our
off season tradition, taking a look around the rest of
the NFC West. It's Cardinals Cover two, Episode eight ninety seven,
(00:27):
and it starts now.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Puda Baker, What Heart?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
What rent?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
This guy's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Cardinals Cover two is presented by Hyundai, proud partner of
the Arizona Cardinals, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals
dot Com slash podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
He's at the ten half of five.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
He's it again.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Some more Hurry magic.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Whow Here's Craigcreolo.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And the Spirits Bill Belichick, We too here on Cardinals
Cover two, presented by Hyundai, probably partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Zach,
we believe in no days off.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
No what's the day off?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
That is true? You don't. We don't get many of them,
and it's not and it's not it's not time off.
Remember what Jonathan Gannon said. It's not time off, it's
time away.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
And sometimes time away is good because it lets the
body recharge, and you know, it gets the gets the
mentals right. But we just love Cardinals Cover two so
much that we can't stay away.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
And it's not so much for us the physical nature,
it's just the mental break. I mean, there's nothing physical
about Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
But my mentals are always the best one ever. I'm
with you, so I'm actually doing myself a service by
being here.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
You clip that, Cody appreciate that for the preseason, and.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
All the listeners are like, God, give it up, already,
talk some football, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So before we all enjoy the fourth of July holiday
and hopefully it's an extended holiday weekend for many of you,
Bird Gang, we do this every time or every year,
at this time, we ask what is going on outside
our bubble, what is happening with the other three teams
in the NFC West. First stop, the Seattle Seahawks. We
had a chance to speak with John Boyle, senior reporter
(02:24):
for the Seattle Seahawks Seahawks dot com, and this is
a Seahawks team that a year ago Zach missed the
postseason despite ten wins and having a first year head coach,
and this offseason the changes involved their quarterback and their
wide receiver room. But this is a team that many
believe could take another step forward in year two under
(02:46):
Mike McDonald.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, a lot of returning faces on the defensive side
of the ball, a completely new offense on that side
of the ball. But look, when you think about it
to the twenty twenty four season. We're going to talk
about it with John Boyle in a little bit. That
game against the Los Angeles Rams week seventeen, when when
Kyler Murray you know, threw a rocket and it hit
off of Trey McBride's face mask and the Los Angeles
(03:09):
Rams were able to have that interception that all but
clinched them winning the division the NFC West. If that
result would have been different, the Cardinals would have won
that game. It was the Seahawks division to win, so
a lot they were very close, and with a new
head coach and Mike McDonald, it's encouraging for that team
and there are going to be one to watch as
twenty twenty five rolls along.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's the one team the Cardinals could not they'll figure
out within the division last season, so we'll see if
that changes in twenty twenty five. And that's again you
have to be able to take care of home field
and then you hopefully get one on the road at
some point least split within the division.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Not only that, the games against the Seattle Seahawks is
really when the tides start to shift with the Arizona Cardinals.
You go into that bye week and Week eleven and
you're you're in first place in the division. You're feeling
all the Then you go to a rainy Seattle and
they end up beating you, and that's when the skid began,
because then you go to Minnesota and you put up
a great fight. The defense controlled Sam Darnold quite well
(04:10):
in that game, but the offense wasn't able to put
points on the scoreboard. And then you come back to
State Farm Stadium the following week, which was very interesting
to play the Seahawks twice in three weeks, and you
end up falling in that game as well. So that
is really when the tides started to shift and start
to change with the Arizona Cardinals. It's kind of been
the kryptonite of the Cardinals has been Gino Smith. Now
he's no longer in the picture. We'll talk with John
(04:31):
about that as well. So twenty twenty five, the Cardinals
are going to have Seattle Thursday night football primetime matchup.
That's gonna be their chance to get their get back.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, the Cardinals will see the Seahawks team in Week
four for the first time and get a look at
all the different changes and changes that we talked about
with John Boyle. So how about we hear about all
of what has happened in Seattle in this offseason. Here's
our conversation with John. So before we talk about what's
been happening, John, can we talk about how last season ended.
(05:04):
How did the Seahawk fan process not making the playoffs
despite a ten win season.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, you know, I think there's some mixed feelings about it.
Some people look at, hey, you didn't make the playoffs again,
so you fell short. But I think the more fair
assessment that a lot of fans are looking at is
you made some very big changes, most notably at head coach,
and still won ten games, missed the playoffs on a tigebreaker,
(05:30):
and most importantly finished the season on a strong note.
They went through some struggles midway through the year. I
think at one point they lost four or five or
five or six, and then they finished win six or
the last eight. That defense that Mike McDonald was brought
in here to really help make the team go. The
defense got a lot better in the second half of
the season. So you know, there's obviously a lot we
(05:51):
got to find out about this offense. Well, we'll get
to those changes, but I think people feel really good
about the direction the team's going in a big picture
under Mike McDonald after his so.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
A new head coach last offseason, a new quarterback this offseason.
Gino Smith traded, which Zach we and you and I
were discussing. We're big fans of this because Gino Smith
undefeated against the Cardinals, so we like that move. What
do we think of Sam Donald and his signing with
the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, I mean the Seahawks are really excited about Sam Darnold. Obviously,
he's coming off a you know, season in which he
made the Pro Bowl and helped the Vikings win fourteen games.
It's been an interesting offseason because you know, I don't
think it was just you know, the GM and coach
making up stories at the combine when they told us
like they they're hoping to resign Geno Smith and extend
(06:41):
him and DK Metcalf and go forward with those guys.
But I give the front offs a lot of credit,
like when they recognized things weren't going that way, they
were able to pivot quickly to Okay, if we let
this drag on and don't get a deal done, we're
going to be in a bad spot. Whereas by making
those trades at the start of the league year, you're
able to go out and get the best quarterback available
free agency in Sam Donald. You're able to go out
(07:03):
and get Cooper Cup. You know, they knew the Rams
were likely going to cut him and that is what
came to fruition. So big changes. But they're excited about
Sam Darnald. You know, he worked with the new Seahawks
offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak in San Francisco when he was
the backup there, so they've got a little bit of
background on him coming in. But yeah, it's you know,
it's big changes, and you know a lot of staff
(07:23):
fans really like Gino Smith, so it's tough on those
fans to take. But I do think there's a lot
optimism about what this offense can be with a new
scheme and with the new people they brought in.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
See, it just shows how much could change in the NFL.
And just the span of a few weeks because Clint
Kobiac comes in and he says they have a lot
of really good players over there in Seattle and rattles
off Gino Smith and DK Metcalf And then a few
weeks later, Gino Smith is on his way to Las Vegas.
But with Sam Darnold, how has he begun to learn
Clint Kubiak's system and how much does it help knowing
(07:54):
that everybody's kind of in this together, knowing that they're
learning a new offense.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Yeah, this talk when when they resigned, Drew Locke I
talked to him about this and he said, it's it's
an interesting thing, like all three quarterbacks are learning a
new offense at the same time. It's not where you
have one or two guys who were back in returning
guys and one guy learning. So they've in Donald spoken
this too, like it's a good experience for them to
kind of all be going through this together. Now, Donald
(08:19):
does have a little bit of a leg up because
what Kubiak is gonna run here will have a lot
of overlap with both what he did in San Francisco
and also what you know, what Kevin O'Connell is doing
in Minnesota because he's in that Shanahan coaching tree as well.
So I do think, you know, Donald's probably little heading
this offense than the other two guys, but they're all
going through this together, learning it, and I think you
(08:41):
know that the Seahawks are really excited about, you know,
what the scheme can be, how it can help the
run game, and just sort of, you know, get this
offense more balanced, a little tougher, you know, more physical
than it was a year ago.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Before we move on to the rest of the offense,
there is another quarterback I've got to ask about, and
that is third round pick Jalen Milrow. Well, I was
reading watching there was a question asked McDonald about Milrow
and he kind of dismissed it as far as starting
ahead of Donald. But once upon a time there was
a young quarterback in Seattle who started ahead of a
(09:16):
free agent veteran in Russell Wilson. So is this something
that was just picked out of thin air by the
media up there, or is there a real competition or
is it now that's a future pick.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean, I think it's a future pick with a
side of he can help you now in some packages
because he's such an outstanding athlete. I get that comparison.
A lot of people have brought it up, and I
see it, you know, free agent quarterback versus a third
round pick. But two big differences I think people are missing.
There is Matt Flinn in twenty twelve. It started like
two games, and Sandronald's a guy who just started a
(09:52):
whole He's started a ton of games and he's coming
off a Pro Bowl season in which he was the
starter for the whole year. And the other big thing
is is great as I think Jenilen Milroe can be
all the tools he has, the athleticism, he's got a
huge arm. Russell Wilson was a much more polished passer
coming out of call. He was much more ready I
think for the NFL in terms of as a thrower.
(10:13):
So it's not really an apples apples thing to me. Again,
Milroe is a super excited player and just an outstanding kid.
I mean a little bit. I've gotten to talk to him.
He is really smart. You can tell he's a leader.
You can tell he's very polished being in a big
program like Alabama, so as they kind of give him
some time to grow in this offense, not having to
be the starter, I think that the ceiling is huge
(10:36):
for him. But yeah, I don't think there's any real
question of who's starting this season.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I didn't think so either, But I found it interesting
that conversation that was happening based off what had happened
previously in twenty twelve with the Seattle Seahawks. But back
to Darnold, who's protecting him? How many jobs are open
along that offensive line?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Yeah, I mean tackle should be said, as long as
everyone's healthy. You've got Charles Cross, former first round pick,
coming back, and then Abe Lucas who was in that
same draft classes as Cross, really good rookie year, and
then he's bout some knee problems, but he's finally this
has been his first healthy offseason. He's looked really good
out there, So those seem pretty set. It's gonna be
a pretty big surprise at the first round pick. Grey's
(11:19):
abel is not the starting left guard. He's you know,
they're plugging him in there right away. He's obviously got
to earn it and hold on to that role. But
I again, i'd be pretty surprised if he's not. So really,
the two competitions are center and right guard. Center Olu
Oluis Timmy finished the year in that starting job after
Connor Williams was kind of a mid season big surprise
by retiring, and Olu is solid. They they really like
(11:42):
what he can be, you know, standout player in college,
you know, really smart guy, a good leader on that line.
He'll be competing most likely with Jaln Sondell, who was
an undrafted guy last year, super athletic, played all over
the line. It was a left tackle to finish his
college career, but can really play anywhere and the athleticism
really fits that zone scheme. And then right guard, you know,
(12:04):
they've got a few different guys. Anthony Bradford started the
most there last year but battled some injuries. He is
probably battling with Christian Haynes, a third round pick last year.
There's a guy named Setela Laumeya who started some games
last year as a rookie. And then even you know,
there's a possibility that someone like Sundell, who's played everywhere,
(12:24):
if he's not the starting center, could work his way
into that competition. They also drafted a couple of guys
in the later round, so that right guard and center
spots are gonna be pretty real competitions, and I think
the other three it'd be surprising if they don't go
the way we're thinking they will.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Now you mentioned Gray's abel, and I think a lot
of Cardinals fans were introduced to him when he was
projected in one of Daniel Jeremiah's mock drafts to go
to the Cardinals at sixteen, and a lot of people
are saying, in North Dakota State Bison a Division one
double A prospect, how is he going to integrate into
the interior offensive line? Obviously the Cardinals go into your
defensive line with Walter Nolan, but during a time during
(13:01):
OTAs and mandatory mini camp where offensive lineman nobody's in pads,
they can't really show too much of that physicality. But
just how much has Gray is able been able to
show so far?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Yeah? I mean the two things You're right, you can't.
I mean, there's so much you can't show without pads on.
But the two things that have really you know, made
coaches happy so far is just like the learner he
is and the attitude he has and the way he's
approaching it. And then also the athleticism can show up.
I mean just you know, coaches talking about him being
like his get off at the snap is as good
as anybody on that line, and you watch them when
(13:33):
they're you know, doing stuff that puts the linemen in motion.
He he moves very well. So yeah, he's a guy
that you know, obviously being from a smaller school, people
want to question that, but I think his senior Bowl
for you know, not just Seahawks, but a lot of
the NFL really era Saint Dallas, when he was going
out and dominating guys and in one on one drills
and all that against some of the best competitions. So yeah,
(13:53):
he's a guy. I mean, he's checked every box so
far for the Seahawks. The big test for him will
come when they put the pads on, and when when
and you start getting much more physical. But they love
what they've seen so far.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
We began this conversation talking about the big change at quarterback,
but maybe the biggest surprise has been the change at
wide receiver. Tyler Lockett released, DK Metcalf, traded. You mentioned
Cooper Cup is now in that room. It sounds odd
to say, how odd is it to see on the field.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
It is, I mean both. I mean, Tyler Lockett was
here a decade, so him not being here is weird
in its own way. But that was probably the least
surprising the moves. Just one of those that, unfortunately you
can look at the cap number and kind of see
where that one was probably headed. And even Tyler, I mean,
he was pretty open talking about it late in the
season that he knew, you know, this could be his
(14:41):
last game, this could be his last home game, all
those kind of benchmarks along the way. So I mean,
all time great Seahawks and fans love him and will forever.
But that one maybe was less surprising. But yeah, the
DK Metcalf one, we you know, I think everyone thought
they were gonna try to get an extension done but
just didn't work out. And as John Schnei explained it,
Metcalf just told him that he want a fresh start
(15:03):
and want to be traded, so they made that happen.
Once that happened, Cooper Cup seemed like a very real possibility,
both because his availability and then you can connect the
dots to the local ties. He grew up in Yakamal,
which is about an hour and a half away, and
went to college at Eastern Washington, which is in the state,
so kind of a fun homecoming for him. There's, you know,
(15:24):
understandably there's gonna be the questions about his health, but
he's still been really productive when healthy, and he coming
into this offseason healthy and looking great, so they're excited
about him. But yeah, it's going to be a very
different positioner mother than Jackson Smith and Jigba, who was
really by the end there he was their number one
guy in terms of production last year.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
One more question about the offense before I let Zach
turn it over to the defense, and that's running back
Kenneth Walker and Zach Sharboney near identical numbers last season.
The Walker did miss much of the back half of
last season, So I ask you, as you go into
what is going to be this offseason break and training up,
who is RB one.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It's still Ken Walker as long as he gets healthy.
He's doing the real minor ankle thing. He was doing
a little bit in mini camp but wasn't full go
by any means. But you know, this offense is what
they say, it's going to be what they want it
to be. I think they're looking at as sort of
a one A and one B thing where it's you
want both of those guys to touch the ball a
lot because you want to run the ball a lot.
I mean, that's weird. When we talked to Abe Lucas,
(16:24):
I've said this few times, I think more important than
anything we saw in obvistly work as of what we
heard from players, and like Abe Lucas was talking about,
running the ball is going to be non negotiable in
this offense, and he talked about how they're you know,
they're not going to do a ton of things, but
they're gonna be e leade at certain things and running
the ball is going to be one of them. So
that big emphasis on the run game this year should
(16:44):
create opportunities for both those guys. And as everyone knows
who watched the NFL, the the unfortunate reality of that
position in particular is like guys get banged up. It's
such a physical position. So you know, i'd say going
into Week one, you expect Kenneth Walker to be your
top guy and get the most touches, but I would
think Pulp those guys will factor very prominently into the
offense all season.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, came over at the defense. I have to start
by asking about NICKI man, Warriy. You have this guy
coming in from South Carolina, all American talent, and now
he gets to go to a defensive minded head coach
like Mike McDonald, who has made guys like Kyle Hamilton
and Marlon Humphrey during his time in Baltimore be those
all pro caliber talents that we saw out there on
(17:24):
the East coast. Just how has Nick started to embrace
Mike McDonald's scheme. And I know you, I think you
wrote about just the versatility and how they're moving him
all over. What have you been able to see so far?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, I mean he's one of the more in I mean,
Gray is able to obviously the first round pick, so
and he's going to probably start and play be an
every down player, So he's probably gonna have the biggest
impact in that way. But when you look at this
rookie class, maybe the most intriguing guy and really on
the whole defense, given his versatility, and we don't know
how they're gonna use him. Is Nick Nick even Worriy.
He's a guy that you know, they had a first
(17:57):
round great on him. They were taught calling teams eight
on Thursday of the draft about moving up to try
to go get him. Trade didn't work out, but they
were able to go up and get him early in
the second round and instead. But yeah, I mean, they've
got two safeties they really like in Julian Love and
Kobe Bryant, so they're not necessarily going to force him
into a starting role right away. But you know, we
saw it in Baltimore, we saw glimpses of it last year.
(18:19):
If they've got three safeties they like Mike McDonald will
get find ways to get all three on the field.
And that's especially true when you have a guy that
big and fast, who you know, we've seen him already
playing in the box. They talked about him being kind
of a Nickel type guy. They've put him on the
edge a few times the Russia passers. So you mentioned
Kyle Hamilton, that's obviously an easy comparison because of the
(18:42):
Mike McDonald connection and kind of the size and athleticism
but more an inning right now what he's really winning
them over with how much he's eager to learn. Julian
Love talked about how much they've been talking. Mike McDonald
was joking that he just shows up in his office
unannounced and just walks in and is you know, kind
of bugging him too much? Almost? But it's yeah, I mean,
(19:04):
he's the guy they're very excited about. I don't think
they know yet exactly what his role will be, but
there's a lot of different things he could do to
help the defense.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Another addition, defensive end to Marcus Lawrence. After eleven seasons
with the Cowboys, he's now up there on the Pacific
Northwest and it's a lot of familiarity on that defensive
side of the ball. But with him coming in as
far as a role, is it more of a part
time role or do you see him maybe having a
significant role on that defensive front.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Yeah, I mean he's not gonna mean every down guy,
and they don't really want anyone on that line to
be that's one of their deeper position groups. If you
kind of add outside linebacker in with the with the
defensive front, they you know, I think he'll kind of
be in a rotation with sort of the top four
edge guys. I think you're gonna see be Chennan Duosu Boy, Mafe,
Derek Hall, and then also DeMarcus Lawrence. So it's like,
(19:58):
you don't need him to be playing seven eighty snaps,
but they see a big role for him. He's a
guy who's been very disruptive in the run game. He's
a good pass rusher, and you know, they love the
veteran experience. He can bring that group as well. But
it's kind of an ideal situation where he can really contribute,
but you don't need him. You've got the depth there,
you don't need him to just be doing it all
every snap.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Can we make sure Leonard Williams is not on the
field every snap? I mean, he was a real problem
in the two games against the Cardinals. We need him
off the field.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Yeah, I mean his finished the last season was pretty fantastic,
and he's, uh, you know, obviously a long time veteran
and if anything, I I you know, I'd hate to
worry you or anything, but I think he's gonna come
this year a little more pissed off and with a
chip on his shoulder than even last year because he
was left off the All Pro teams and did not
make the Pro Bowl until he was a late addition
(20:50):
as a as an injury placement, to which he went.
But you could tell he was kind of like, well,
I should have been in the first place, so he'll
have a little extra motivation coming in the air. But yeah,
he's a guy that you know, when I talked about
that defensive line depth, they love him because he's so
productive and they can use him in so many different roles.
He can kind of line up all over the field.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Craig, we could talk about how you might not want
to have big cat Leonard Williams out there, but then
there's people projecting Byron Murphy the Second is going to
be the breakout player on the defensive line for the
Seattle Seahawks. John, what have you seen from that year
one to year two jump? I know that that's something
that us in the building here have talked a lot
about with players like Marvin Harrison Junior and Darius Robinson.
But for the twenty twenty four first round pick, Byron
(21:30):
Murphy the Second, how has that year two jump look
so far?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yeah? I mean it's again kind of like when we're talking
about the offensive line. There's only so much a D
lineman can show in a practice of no pads on.
But yeah, they're expecting. I mean, you talked to coach
about him last year and the numbers weren't there. I mean,
it statistically is a pretty choe fear. But they loved
what he was doing. They were just partly because of
the Leonard Williams Biron, Murphy wasn't getting a lot of
(21:54):
pass rush situations because kind of that role was that
interior pass rush was usually going to Byron really and
to a lesser extent, Jaron Reid, who had a really
good vetterner in another really good year. But yeah, they're
expecting more out of him. They're out defensive coordinator Adam
Dirday and also Mike mcwollugh have talked about, you know,
wanting to find more ways to highlight his abilities, let
(22:15):
him rush to passer more.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
So.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think that year two leap he's probably the guy
they're counting on to make the biggest leap and really
go from being you know, solid into your guy who
was quietly having a good season to guy who's making
some flashy plays and really showing up on the.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Stat sheet, I mentioned the familiar familiarity on that side
of the ball, and I took it right off your
story on seahawks dot com about the ten of eleven
starters coming back. And then the quote that you had
from Ernest Jones telling you and the media up there
that the defense is quote going to be something crazy.
How much is this Seahawks team going to be maybe
(22:51):
leaning on that defense or is it a nice balance
with the offensive changes and the defense and the continuity
on that side of the ball.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Yeah, I mean they're they're you know, obviously they're the
goal going in is to be balanced. They're expecting this
offense under Clint Kubiak to be, you know, really really
compliment what they want to do defensively, be tough, run
the ball, but also be explosive. So, by no means
are they just saying we're going to lean on our
defense and the offense can do whatever it wants. Like
they expect all three phases to contribute. But that being said,
(23:19):
like you, if this team is going to be, you know,
go from ten wins and missing the playoffs to maybe
twelve wins and contending for the division, I think it's
gonna because they're going to have one of the league's
best defenses. I mean, as you said, it's ten to
eleven guys who fish here as starters are back and
the one change is Draymont Jones is gone and DeMarcus
Lawrence is then replacing him. But it's the fact that
(23:41):
you know that defense is hard to learn. It's you know,
you look at Baltimore after Mike McDonald got there year
one to year two in his defense when he was coordinator,
I should say, was a big leap there. And you
know early last season they started strong, they went through
and oh and then they really struggled for a while.
They weren't stopping the run. They were you know, pretty
media ycre statistically across the board. Then over that last
(24:03):
eight game stretch in which the team went six and two,
they were you know, top five defense in terms of
points allowed, yards allowed, passing defense. So they're expecting to
pick up where they left off, if not be even better.
And really, you know, with that continuity a second year
Mike McDonald's scheme, and then also just personnel wise, a
lot of continuity, not too much on the guys they add,
(24:24):
they really sick this defense to be able to carry
the team if they need it.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
To last one. For me, John, how strange is it
after fourteen seasons to see Pete Carroll roaming the sidelines
of a different organization.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, it's it's definitely a little different, but I mean
I love it. I'm happy for Pete. I mean, he
obviously did amazing things here, brought the teammate's first Super
Bowl and you know, just great guy, establish a great
culture here. I'll always root for him, So seeing him
get that chance, I'm very happy. You know, you always
worry with an older coach that even if he's capable
of the job, nobody's gonna take that chance on him.
So happy for him to do it. Glad it's in
(24:58):
the AFC so I can kind of root or him
without it necessarily affecking the Seahawks. But yeah, I mean
it's it's a little strange to see, for sure, after
so long here, but mostly just really happy for him
to get that chance, and also cool to see him
and Gino doing it together.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Now, Well, you're a great guy, John. Always appreciate the time,
the information. Good to catch up and enjoy what you
have left of the offseason.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
You as well, always appreciate John Boyle again, senior reporter
for the Seattle Seahawks Seahawks dot com. You can follow
him at John P.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Boyle.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Always has good information. Although I didn't like the fact
that he pushed back on the Leonard Williams narrative that
I'm trying to forecast into the future, because again, that's
that's been the It's the interior push along that defensive
front that has given Kyler Murray trouble regardless of team,
(25:50):
but specifically in those two games against the Seahawks, Leonard
Williams was a problem.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
He certainly was. And and to go back to the
point I made earlier on the show, that is really
when you start to see some of the areas that
the Cardinals need to improve on start to get exposed
a little bit, especially that interior offensive line pressure. Isaiah
Adams was still learning the position. You had Tristan Cologne
also getting some snaps there at right guard, and Leonard
(26:17):
Williams truly had his way, and I think he made
such an impact in that first game in Week twelve
that he was in the back of everybody's mind and
in the front of everybody's mind when they came in
Week fourteen to State Farm Stadium, and he still was
able to make the most of it with him talking
with John mentioning how he's still playing with that chip
on the shoulder and now it might have even grown
(26:38):
even more. That's gonna be, you know, a player to
watch out for in twenty twenty five. And something also
that John wrote about on the Seahawks website was about
how their defensive room, especially in the defensive line, they've
been talking about their whys a lot during the offseason,
and they've been showing photos of family photos of them
and as kids playing the sport reminded them of why
(27:00):
they actually got into this game. When you look at
a connected team, we talk about the Cardinals being a
very connected group through community events, all the different type
of stuff that they've done Seattle. It's year number two
of that regime with Mike McDonald. That's a connected group.
So they're gonna be one to watch for.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Sam Donald. By the way, his twenty twenty four season
ended at State Farm Stadium. Yeah, Vikings, Rams playoffs, wild Card,
and now Cardinals will see him in a Seahawks uniform
in Week four at State Farm.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Stay.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
I hope that that lingers in the back of his
mind when he thinks back to the last time he
played the Cardinals, how much he really struggled in that
game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And then he
thinks about, and I'm at State Farms Stadium where I
just so happened to lose very big on a national
stage to the Los Angeles Rams. I don't know if
I'm cut out for the NFC West. I hope that
(27:56):
that's what he's starting to think.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Also, kid a dream, Yes, also something to think about.
As I mentioned that ten wins not an automatic entry
into the playoffs. The twenty thirteen Arizona Cardinals won ten games,
and Bruce Arians his first season, did not make the playoffs. Again,
it's not it doesn't happen a lot, but I do
(28:20):
think now, all of a sudden, when you think about
double digit wins and a seventeen game regular season, for
me anyway, it's eleven wins. I think that has to
be your goal. Yes, win the division, you make the postseason.
But if you're far as you don't win the division
and you're trying to get in as a wild card,
I think the magic number now is not double digits.
(28:42):
It's eleven within a seventeen game season.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Looking have they go to eighteen games and make it too,
you know, two preseason games every time the NFL and
they changed the rules and they add another game. That
means another win has to be added to your total.
So I totally agree eleven wins is a benchmark. Now
if you think about it, Cardinals in games when they
were lost by only one score. If you flip that
(29:05):
record around, the Cardinals have those eleven wins and they
would be in that they would be in the driver's
seat of winning the division. And it's because you think
back to games like Minnesota, you think back to the
game against the Los Angeles Rams, which we previously talked
about the one score games in the NFL. It truly
is what it comes down to is what do you
do in the fourth quarter? How are you able to
(29:26):
make the most of it. We know the Cardinals struggled
towards the back end of the season in those later quarters.
That's something that Kyler Murray is going to need to
seriously step up. And you need your quarterback when the
clock is ticking to make big time plays. He has
to be able to evade that interior pressure because Leonard
Williams is going to be there, Byron Murphy the second
is going to be there. Kyler Murray needs to do
(29:47):
what he can to get out the pocket, find his targets,
do whatever he can do to make sure that the
Cardinals put up more points than the opposing team. As
Drew Petsing likes to say, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Just score one more point. That's the goal of every offense,
the goal of every team. And we'll see what happens
with the Cardinals this upcoming season. By the way, Zach,
any big holiday weekend plans or you laying low around
the holiday.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I'm just gonna sing God bless America and just enjoying.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
It all just as long. What are you not singing publicly?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Oh no, I'm grabbing a microphone in making the most.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I can't microphone in studio.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I might take this microphone with me so that I
look more official. So when they say, hey, who is
this random dude singing? Well, I got a Cardinal's logo.
Clearly I'm somebody important.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
It's all about the brand, Zach.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Elevating the brand, dealing what's right, That's what I'm all about.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Well, and you enjoy you know. I don't know yet.
Probably just stay cool because you know it's usually hot out,
so you probably, you know, enjoy the air conditioning. Stay
around town. Who knows, case something breaks, you want to
be on the be ready and prepared. Unlike some people
in our department who just like go off on plays
(31:00):
and travel.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I don't walk. Look, I think that you are doing
a disservice to the great state of forty eight by
staying inside on July fourth, just for the air conditioned
ooh okay, maybe we'll have.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
To visit this. We'll have to revisit this conversation out
a later day.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, I definitely will also be inside.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
And on that note, we'll put a lid on this
edition of Cardinals Cover two, presented by Hyundai, probably partner
of the Arizona Cardinals. As always, special thanks to our
executive producer Jim Amhunter, our associate producer Coddie Fincher for
Zach Gershman, I'm Craig reallou enjoy the fourth of July,
Bird Gang. We'll talk to you next time you're on
Cardinals Cover two
So it doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Double
digit wins is not an automatic entry into the playoffs.
Just asked the twenty twenty four Seattle Seahawks God Zacher's
been with me will be joined by John Boyle, Senior
reporter for Seahawks dot Com. It's time to begin our
off season tradition, taking a look around the rest of
the NFC West. It's Cardinals Cover two, Episode eight ninety seven,
(00:27):
and it starts now.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Puda Baker, What Heart?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
What rent?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
This guy's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Cardinals Cover two is presented by Hyundai, proud partner of
the Arizona Cardinals, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals
dot Com slash podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
He's at the ten half of five.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
He's it again.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Some more Hurry magic.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Whow Here's Craigcreolo.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And the Spirits Bill Belichick, We too here on Cardinals
Cover two, presented by Hyundai, probably partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Zach,
we believe in no days off.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
No what's the day off?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
That is true? You don't. We don't get many of them,
and it's not and it's not it's not time off.
Remember what Jonathan Gannon said. It's not time off, it's
time away.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
And sometimes time away is good because it lets the
body recharge, and you know, it gets the gets the
mentals right. But we just love Cardinals Cover two so
much that we can't stay away.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
And it's not so much for us the physical nature,
it's just the mental break. I mean, there's nothing physical
about Cardinals Cover two.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
But my mentals are always the best one ever. I'm
with you, so I'm actually doing myself a service by
being here.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
You clip that, Cody appreciate that for the preseason, and.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
All the listeners are like, God, give it up, already,
talk some football, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So before we all enjoy the fourth of July holiday
and hopefully it's an extended holiday weekend for many of you,
Bird Gang, we do this every time or every year,
at this time, we ask what is going on outside
our bubble, what is happening with the other three teams
in the NFC West. First stop, the Seattle Seahawks. We
had a chance to speak with John Boyle, senior reporter
(02:24):
for the Seattle Seahawks Seahawks dot com, and this is
a Seahawks team that a year ago Zach missed the
postseason despite ten wins and having a first year head coach,
and this offseason the changes involved their quarterback and their
wide receiver room. But this is a team that many
believe could take another step forward in year two under
(02:46):
Mike McDonald.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, a lot of returning faces on the defensive side
of the ball, a completely new offense on that side
of the ball. But look, when you think about it
to the twenty twenty four season. We're going to talk
about it with John Boyle in a little bit. That
game against the Los Angeles Rams week seventeen, when when
Kyler Murray you know, threw a rocket and it hit
off of Trey McBride's face mask and the Los Angeles
(03:09):
Rams were able to have that interception that all but
clinched them winning the division the NFC West. If that
result would have been different, the Cardinals would have won
that game. It was the Seahawks division to win, so
a lot they were very close, and with a new
head coach and Mike McDonald, it's encouraging for that team
and there are going to be one to watch as
twenty twenty five rolls along.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's the one team the Cardinals could not they'll figure
out within the division last season, so we'll see if
that changes in twenty twenty five. And that's again you
have to be able to take care of home field
and then you hopefully get one on the road at
some point least split within the division.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Not only that, the games against the Seattle Seahawks is
really when the tides start to shift with the Arizona Cardinals.
You go into that bye week and Week eleven and
you're you're in first place in the division. You're feeling
all the Then you go to a rainy Seattle and
they end up beating you, and that's when the skid began,
because then you go to Minnesota and you put up
a great fight. The defense controlled Sam Darnold quite well
(04:10):
in that game, but the offense wasn't able to put
points on the scoreboard. And then you come back to
State Farm Stadium the following week, which was very interesting
to play the Seahawks twice in three weeks, and you
end up falling in that game as well. So that
is really when the tides started to shift and start
to change with the Arizona Cardinals. It's kind of been
the kryptonite of the Cardinals has been Gino Smith. Now
he's no longer in the picture. We'll talk with John
(04:31):
about that as well. So twenty twenty five, the Cardinals
are going to have Seattle Thursday night football primetime matchup.
That's gonna be their chance to get their get back.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, the Cardinals will see the Seahawks team in Week
four for the first time and get a look at
all the different changes and changes that we talked about
with John Boyle. So how about we hear about all
of what has happened in Seattle in this offseason. Here's
our conversation with John. So before we talk about what's
been happening, John, can we talk about how last season ended.
(05:04):
How did the Seahawk fan process not making the playoffs
despite a ten win season.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, you know, I think there's some mixed feelings about it.
Some people look at, hey, you didn't make the playoffs again,
so you fell short. But I think the more fair
assessment that a lot of fans are looking at is
you made some very big changes, most notably at head coach,
and still won ten games, missed the playoffs on a tigebreaker,
(05:30):
and most importantly finished the season on a strong note.
They went through some struggles midway through the year. I
think at one point they lost four or five or
five or six, and then they finished win six or
the last eight. That defense that Mike McDonald was brought
in here to really help make the team go. The
defense got a lot better in the second half of
the season. So you know, there's obviously a lot we
(05:51):
got to find out about this offense. Well, we'll get
to those changes, but I think people feel really good
about the direction the team's going in a big picture
under Mike McDonald after his so.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
A new head coach last offseason, a new quarterback this offseason.
Gino Smith traded, which Zach we and you and I
were discussing. We're big fans of this because Gino Smith
undefeated against the Cardinals, so we like that move. What
do we think of Sam Donald and his signing with
the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, I mean the Seahawks are really excited about Sam Darnold. Obviously,
he's coming off a you know, season in which he
made the Pro Bowl and helped the Vikings win fourteen games.
It's been an interesting offseason because you know, I don't
think it was just you know, the GM and coach
making up stories at the combine when they told us
like they they're hoping to resign Geno Smith and extend
(06:41):
him and DK Metcalf and go forward with those guys.
But I give the front offs a lot of credit,
like when they recognized things weren't going that way, they
were able to pivot quickly to Okay, if we let
this drag on and don't get a deal done, we're
going to be in a bad spot. Whereas by making
those trades at the start of the league year, you're
able to go out and get the best quarterback available
free agency in Sam Donald. You're able to go out
(07:03):
and get Cooper Cup. You know, they knew the Rams
were likely going to cut him and that is what
came to fruition. So big changes. But they're excited about
Sam Darnald. You know, he worked with the new Seahawks
offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak in San Francisco when he was
the backup there, so they've got a little bit of
background on him coming in. But yeah, it's you know,
it's big changes, and you know a lot of staff
(07:23):
fans really like Gino Smith, so it's tough on those
fans to take. But I do think there's a lot
optimism about what this offense can be with a new
scheme and with the new people they brought in.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
See, it just shows how much could change in the NFL.
And just the span of a few weeks because Clint
Kobiac comes in and he says they have a lot
of really good players over there in Seattle and rattles
off Gino Smith and DK Metcalf And then a few
weeks later, Gino Smith is on his way to Las Vegas.
But with Sam Darnold, how has he begun to learn
Clint Kubiak's system and how much does it help knowing
(07:54):
that everybody's kind of in this together, knowing that they're
learning a new offense.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Yeah, this talk when when they resigned, Drew Locke I
talked to him about this and he said, it's it's
an interesting thing, like all three quarterbacks are learning a
new offense at the same time. It's not where you
have one or two guys who were back in returning
guys and one guy learning. So they've in Donald spoken
this too, like it's a good experience for them to
kind of all be going through this together. Now, Donald
(08:19):
does have a little bit of a leg up because
what Kubiak is gonna run here will have a lot
of overlap with both what he did in San Francisco
and also what you know, what Kevin O'Connell is doing
in Minnesota because he's in that Shanahan coaching tree as well.
So I do think, you know, Donald's probably little heading
this offense than the other two guys, but they're all
going through this together, learning it, and I think you
(08:41):
know that the Seahawks are really excited about, you know,
what the scheme can be, how it can help the
run game, and just sort of, you know, get this
offense more balanced, a little tougher, you know, more physical
than it was a year ago.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Before we move on to the rest of the offense,
there is another quarterback I've got to ask about, and
that is third round pick Jalen Milrow. Well, I was
reading watching there was a question asked McDonald about Milrow
and he kind of dismissed it as far as starting
ahead of Donald. But once upon a time there was
a young quarterback in Seattle who started ahead of a
(09:16):
free agent veteran in Russell Wilson. So is this something
that was just picked out of thin air by the
media up there, or is there a real competition or
is it now that's a future pick.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean, I think it's a future pick with a
side of he can help you now in some packages
because he's such an outstanding athlete. I get that comparison.
A lot of people have brought it up, and I
see it, you know, free agent quarterback versus a third
round pick. But two big differences I think people are missing.
There is Matt Flinn in twenty twelve. It started like
two games, and Sandronald's a guy who just started a
(09:52):
whole He's started a ton of games and he's coming
off a Pro Bowl season in which he was the
starter for the whole year. And the other big thing
is is great as I think Jenilen Milroe can be
all the tools he has, the athleticism, he's got a
huge arm. Russell Wilson was a much more polished passer
coming out of call. He was much more ready I
think for the NFL in terms of as a thrower.
(10:13):
So it's not really an apples apples thing to me. Again,
Milroe is a super excited player and just an outstanding kid.
I mean a little bit. I've gotten to talk to him.
He is really smart. You can tell he's a leader.
You can tell he's very polished being in a big
program like Alabama, so as they kind of give him
some time to grow in this offense, not having to
be the starter, I think that the ceiling is huge
(10:36):
for him. But yeah, I don't think there's any real
question of who's starting this season.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I didn't think so either, But I found it interesting
that conversation that was happening based off what had happened
previously in twenty twelve with the Seattle Seahawks. But back
to Darnold, who's protecting him? How many jobs are open
along that offensive line?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Yeah, I mean tackle should be said, as long as
everyone's healthy. You've got Charles Cross, former first round pick,
coming back, and then Abe Lucas who was in that
same draft classes as Cross, really good rookie year, and
then he's bout some knee problems, but he's finally this
has been his first healthy offseason. He's looked really good
out there, So those seem pretty set. It's gonna be
a pretty big surprise at the first round pick. Grey's
(11:19):
abel is not the starting left guard. He's you know,
they're plugging him in there right away. He's obviously got
to earn it and hold on to that role. But
I again, i'd be pretty surprised if he's not. So really,
the two competitions are center and right guard. Center Olu
Oluis Timmy finished the year in that starting job after
Connor Williams was kind of a mid season big surprise
by retiring, and Olu is solid. They they really like
(11:42):
what he can be, you know, standout player in college,
you know, really smart guy, a good leader on that line.
He'll be competing most likely with Jaln Sondell, who was
an undrafted guy last year, super athletic, played all over
the line. It was a left tackle to finish his
college career, but can really play anywhere and the athleticism
really fits that zone scheme. And then right guard, you know,
(12:04):
they've got a few different guys. Anthony Bradford started the
most there last year but battled some injuries. He is
probably battling with Christian Haynes, a third round pick last year.
There's a guy named Setela Laumeya who started some games
last year as a rookie. And then even you know,
there's a possibility that someone like Sundell, who's played everywhere,
(12:24):
if he's not the starting center, could work his way
into that competition. They also drafted a couple of guys
in the later round, so that right guard and center
spots are gonna be pretty real competitions, and I think
the other three it'd be surprising if they don't go
the way we're thinking they will.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Now you mentioned Gray's abel, and I think a lot
of Cardinals fans were introduced to him when he was
projected in one of Daniel Jeremiah's mock drafts to go
to the Cardinals at sixteen, and a lot of people
are saying, in North Dakota State Bison a Division one
double A prospect, how is he going to integrate into
the interior offensive line? Obviously the Cardinals go into your
defensive line with Walter Nolan, but during a time during
(13:01):
OTAs and mandatory mini camp where offensive lineman nobody's in pads,
they can't really show too much of that physicality. But
just how much has Gray is able been able to
show so far?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Yeah? I mean the two things You're right, you can't.
I mean, there's so much you can't show without pads on.
But the two things that have really you know, made
coaches happy so far is just like the learner he
is and the attitude he has and the way he's
approaching it. And then also the athleticism can show up.
I mean just you know, coaches talking about him being
like his get off at the snap is as good
as anybody on that line, and you watch them when
(13:33):
they're you know, doing stuff that puts the linemen in motion.
He he moves very well. So yeah, he's a guy
that you know, obviously being from a smaller school, people
want to question that, but I think his senior Bowl
for you know, not just Seahawks, but a lot of
the NFL really era Saint Dallas, when he was going
out and dominating guys and in one on one drills
and all that against some of the best competitions. So yeah,
(13:53):
he's a guy. I mean, he's checked every box so
far for the Seahawks. The big test for him will
come when they put the pads on, and when when
and you start getting much more physical. But they love
what they've seen so far.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
We began this conversation talking about the big change at quarterback,
but maybe the biggest surprise has been the change at
wide receiver. Tyler Lockett released, DK Metcalf, traded. You mentioned
Cooper Cup is now in that room. It sounds odd
to say, how odd is it to see on the field.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
It is, I mean both. I mean, Tyler Lockett was
here a decade, so him not being here is weird
in its own way. But that was probably the least
surprising the moves. Just one of those that, unfortunately you
can look at the cap number and kind of see
where that one was probably headed. And even Tyler, I mean,
he was pretty open talking about it late in the
season that he knew, you know, this could be his
(14:41):
last game, this could be his last home game, all
those kind of benchmarks along the way. So I mean,
all time great Seahawks and fans love him and will forever.
But that one maybe was less surprising. But yeah, the
DK Metcalf one, we you know, I think everyone thought
they were gonna try to get an extension done but
just didn't work out. And as John Schnei explained it,
Metcalf just told him that he want a fresh start
(15:03):
and want to be traded, so they made that happen.
Once that happened, Cooper Cup seemed like a very real possibility,
both because his availability and then you can connect the
dots to the local ties. He grew up in Yakamal,
which is about an hour and a half away, and
went to college at Eastern Washington, which is in the state,
so kind of a fun homecoming for him. There's, you know,
(15:24):
understandably there's gonna be the questions about his health, but
he's still been really productive when healthy, and he coming
into this offseason healthy and looking great, so they're excited
about him. But yeah, it's going to be a very
different positioner mother than Jackson Smith and Jigba, who was
really by the end there he was their number one
guy in terms of production last year.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
One more question about the offense before I let Zach
turn it over to the defense, and that's running back
Kenneth Walker and Zach Sharboney near identical numbers last season.
The Walker did miss much of the back half of
last season, So I ask you, as you go into
what is going to be this offseason break and training up,
who is RB one.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It's still Ken Walker as long as he gets healthy.
He's doing the real minor ankle thing. He was doing
a little bit in mini camp but wasn't full go
by any means. But you know, this offense is what
they say, it's going to be what they want it
to be. I think they're looking at as sort of
a one A and one B thing where it's you
want both of those guys to touch the ball a
lot because you want to run the ball a lot.
I mean, that's weird. When we talked to Abe Lucas,
(16:24):
I've said this few times, I think more important than
anything we saw in obvistly work as of what we
heard from players, and like Abe Lucas was talking about,
running the ball is going to be non negotiable in
this offense, and he talked about how they're you know,
they're not going to do a ton of things, but
they're gonna be e leade at certain things and running
the ball is going to be one of them. So
that big emphasis on the run game this year should
(16:44):
create opportunities for both those guys. And as everyone knows
who watched the NFL, the the unfortunate reality of that
position in particular is like guys get banged up. It's
such a physical position. So you know, i'd say going
into Week one, you expect Kenneth Walker to be your
top guy and get the most touches, but I would
think Pulp those guys will factor very prominently into the
offense all season.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, came over at the defense. I have to start
by asking about NICKI man, Warriy. You have this guy
coming in from South Carolina, all American talent, and now
he gets to go to a defensive minded head coach
like Mike McDonald, who has made guys like Kyle Hamilton
and Marlon Humphrey during his time in Baltimore be those
all pro caliber talents that we saw out there on
(17:24):
the East coast. Just how has Nick started to embrace
Mike McDonald's scheme. And I know you, I think you
wrote about just the versatility and how they're moving him
all over. What have you been able to see so far?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, I mean he's one of the more in I mean,
Gray is able to obviously the first round pick, so
and he's going to probably start and play be an
every down player, So he's probably gonna have the biggest
impact in that way. But when you look at this
rookie class, maybe the most intriguing guy and really on
the whole defense, given his versatility, and we don't know
how they're gonna use him. Is Nick Nick even Worriy.
He's a guy that you know, they had a first
(17:57):
round great on him. They were taught calling teams eight
on Thursday of the draft about moving up to try
to go get him. Trade didn't work out, but they
were able to go up and get him early in
the second round and instead. But yeah, I mean, they've
got two safeties they really like in Julian Love and
Kobe Bryant, so they're not necessarily going to force him
into a starting role right away. But you know, we
saw it in Baltimore, we saw glimpses of it last year.
(18:19):
If they've got three safeties they like Mike McDonald will
get find ways to get all three on the field.
And that's especially true when you have a guy that
big and fast, who you know, we've seen him already
playing in the box. They talked about him being kind
of a Nickel type guy. They've put him on the
edge a few times the Russia passers. So you mentioned
Kyle Hamilton, that's obviously an easy comparison because of the
(18:42):
Mike McDonald connection and kind of the size and athleticism
but more an inning right now what he's really winning
them over with how much he's eager to learn. Julian
Love talked about how much they've been talking. Mike McDonald
was joking that he just shows up in his office
unannounced and just walks in and is you know, kind
of bugging him too much? Almost? But it's yeah, I mean,
(19:04):
he's the guy they're very excited about. I don't think
they know yet exactly what his role will be, but
there's a lot of different things he could do to
help the defense.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Another addition, defensive end to Marcus Lawrence. After eleven seasons
with the Cowboys, he's now up there on the Pacific
Northwest and it's a lot of familiarity on that defensive
side of the ball. But with him coming in as
far as a role, is it more of a part
time role or do you see him maybe having a
significant role on that defensive front.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Yeah, I mean he's not gonna mean every down guy,
and they don't really want anyone on that line to
be that's one of their deeper position groups. If you
kind of add outside linebacker in with the with the
defensive front, they you know, I think he'll kind of
be in a rotation with sort of the top four
edge guys. I think you're gonna see be Chennan Duosu Boy, Mafe,
Derek Hall, and then also DeMarcus Lawrence. So it's like,
(19:58):
you don't need him to be playing seven eighty snaps,
but they see a big role for him. He's a
guy who's been very disruptive in the run game. He's
a good pass rusher, and you know, they love the
veteran experience. He can bring that group as well. But
it's kind of an ideal situation where he can really contribute,
but you don't need him. You've got the depth there,
you don't need him to just be doing it all
every snap.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Can we make sure Leonard Williams is not on the
field every snap? I mean, he was a real problem
in the two games against the Cardinals. We need him
off the field.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Yeah, I mean his finished the last season was pretty fantastic,
and he's, uh, you know, obviously a long time veteran
and if anything, I I you know, I'd hate to
worry you or anything, but I think he's gonna come
this year a little more pissed off and with a
chip on his shoulder than even last year because he
was left off the All Pro teams and did not
make the Pro Bowl until he was a late addition
(20:50):
as a as an injury placement, to which he went.
But you could tell he was kind of like, well,
I should have been in the first place, so he'll
have a little extra motivation coming in the air. But yeah,
he's a guy that you know, when I talked about
that defensive line depth, they love him because he's so
productive and they can use him in so many different roles.
He can kind of line up all over the field.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Craig, we could talk about how you might not want
to have big cat Leonard Williams out there, but then
there's people projecting Byron Murphy the Second is going to
be the breakout player on the defensive line for the
Seattle Seahawks. John, what have you seen from that year
one to year two jump? I know that that's something
that us in the building here have talked a lot
about with players like Marvin Harrison Junior and Darius Robinson.
But for the twenty twenty four first round pick, Byron
(21:30):
Murphy the Second, how has that year two jump look
so far?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yeah? I mean it's again kind of like when we're talking
about the offensive line. There's only so much a D
lineman can show in a practice of no pads on.
But yeah, they're expecting. I mean, you talked to coach
about him last year and the numbers weren't there. I mean,
it statistically is a pretty choe fear. But they loved
what he was doing. They were just partly because of
the Leonard Williams Biron, Murphy wasn't getting a lot of
(21:54):
pass rush situations because kind of that role was that
interior pass rush was usually going to Byron really and
to a lesser extent, Jaron Reid, who had a really
good vetterner in another really good year. But yeah, they're
expecting more out of him. They're out defensive coordinator Adam
Dirday and also Mike mcwollugh have talked about, you know,
wanting to find more ways to highlight his abilities, let
(22:15):
him rush to passer more.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
So.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think that year two leap he's probably the guy
they're counting on to make the biggest leap and really
go from being you know, solid into your guy who
was quietly having a good season to guy who's making
some flashy plays and really showing up on the.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Stat sheet, I mentioned the familiar familiarity on that side
of the ball, and I took it right off your
story on seahawks dot com about the ten of eleven
starters coming back. And then the quote that you had
from Ernest Jones telling you and the media up there
that the defense is quote going to be something crazy.
How much is this Seahawks team going to be maybe
(22:51):
leaning on that defense or is it a nice balance
with the offensive changes and the defense and the continuity
on that side of the ball.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Yeah, I mean they're they're you know, obviously they're the
goal going in is to be balanced. They're expecting this
offense under Clint Kubiak to be, you know, really really
compliment what they want to do defensively, be tough, run
the ball, but also be explosive. So, by no means
are they just saying we're going to lean on our
defense and the offense can do whatever it wants. Like
they expect all three phases to contribute. But that being said,
(23:19):
like you, if this team is going to be, you know,
go from ten wins and missing the playoffs to maybe
twelve wins and contending for the division, I think it's
gonna because they're going to have one of the league's
best defenses. I mean, as you said, it's ten to
eleven guys who fish here as starters are back and
the one change is Draymont Jones is gone and DeMarcus
Lawrence is then replacing him. But it's the fact that
(23:41):
you know that defense is hard to learn. It's you know,
you look at Baltimore after Mike McDonald got there year
one to year two in his defense when he was coordinator,
I should say, was a big leap there. And you
know early last season they started strong, they went through
and oh and then they really struggled for a while.
They weren't stopping the run. They were you know, pretty
media ycre statistically across the board. Then over that last
(24:03):
eight game stretch in which the team went six and two,
they were you know, top five defense in terms of
points allowed, yards allowed, passing defense. So they're expecting to
pick up where they left off, if not be even better.
And really, you know, with that continuity a second year
Mike McDonald's scheme, and then also just personnel wise, a
lot of continuity, not too much on the guys they add,
(24:24):
they really sick this defense to be able to carry
the team if they need it.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
To last one. For me, John, how strange is it
after fourteen seasons to see Pete Carroll roaming the sidelines
of a different organization.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, it's it's definitely a little different, but I mean
I love it. I'm happy for Pete. I mean, he
obviously did amazing things here, brought the teammate's first Super
Bowl and you know, just great guy, establish a great
culture here. I'll always root for him, So seeing him
get that chance, I'm very happy. You know, you always
worry with an older coach that even if he's capable
of the job, nobody's gonna take that chance on him.
So happy for him to do it. Glad it's in
(24:58):
the AFC so I can kind of root or him
without it necessarily affecking the Seahawks. But yeah, I mean
it's it's a little strange to see, for sure, after
so long here, but mostly just really happy for him
to get that chance, and also cool to see him
and Gino doing it together.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Now, Well, you're a great guy, John. Always appreciate the time,
the information. Good to catch up and enjoy what you
have left of the offseason.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
You as well, always appreciate John Boyle again, senior reporter
for the Seattle Seahawks Seahawks dot com. You can follow
him at John P.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Boyle.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Always has good information. Although I didn't like the fact
that he pushed back on the Leonard Williams narrative that
I'm trying to forecast into the future, because again, that's
that's been the It's the interior push along that defensive
front that has given Kyler Murray trouble regardless of team,
(25:50):
but specifically in those two games against the Seahawks, Leonard
Williams was a problem.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
He certainly was. And and to go back to the
point I made earlier on the show, that is really
when you start to see some of the areas that
the Cardinals need to improve on start to get exposed
a little bit, especially that interior offensive line pressure. Isaiah
Adams was still learning the position. You had Tristan Cologne
also getting some snaps there at right guard, and Leonard
(26:17):
Williams truly had his way, and I think he made
such an impact in that first game in Week twelve
that he was in the back of everybody's mind and
in the front of everybody's mind when they came in
Week fourteen to State Farm Stadium, and he still was
able to make the most of it with him talking
with John mentioning how he's still playing with that chip
on the shoulder and now it might have even grown
(26:38):
even more. That's gonna be, you know, a player to
watch out for in twenty twenty five. And something also
that John wrote about on the Seahawks website was about
how their defensive room, especially in the defensive line, they've
been talking about their whys a lot during the offseason,
and they've been showing photos of family photos of them
and as kids playing the sport reminded them of why
(27:00):
they actually got into this game. When you look at
a connected team, we talk about the Cardinals being a
very connected group through community events, all the different type
of stuff that they've done Seattle. It's year number two
of that regime with Mike McDonald. That's a connected group.
So they're gonna be one to watch for.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Sam Donald. By the way, his twenty twenty four season
ended at State Farm Stadium. Yeah, Vikings, Rams playoffs, wild Card,
and now Cardinals will see him in a Seahawks uniform
in Week four at State Farm.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Stay.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
I hope that that lingers in the back of his
mind when he thinks back to the last time he
played the Cardinals, how much he really struggled in that
game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And then he
thinks about, and I'm at State Farms Stadium where I
just so happened to lose very big on a national
stage to the Los Angeles Rams. I don't know if
I'm cut out for the NFC West. I hope that
(27:56):
that's what he's starting to think.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Also, kid a dream, Yes, also something to think about.
As I mentioned that ten wins not an automatic entry
into the playoffs. The twenty thirteen Arizona Cardinals won ten games,
and Bruce Arians his first season, did not make the playoffs. Again,
it's not it doesn't happen a lot, but I do
(28:20):
think now, all of a sudden, when you think about
double digit wins and a seventeen game regular season, for
me anyway, it's eleven wins. I think that has to
be your goal. Yes, win the division, you make the postseason.
But if you're far as you don't win the division
and you're trying to get in as a wild card,
I think the magic number now is not double digits.
(28:42):
It's eleven within a seventeen game season.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Looking have they go to eighteen games and make it too,
you know, two preseason games every time the NFL and
they changed the rules and they add another game. That
means another win has to be added to your total.
So I totally agree eleven wins is a benchmark. Now
if you think about it, Cardinals in games when they
were lost by only one score. If you flip that
(29:05):
record around, the Cardinals have those eleven wins and they
would be in that they would be in the driver's
seat of winning the division. And it's because you think
back to games like Minnesota, you think back to the
game against the Los Angeles Rams, which we previously talked
about the one score games in the NFL. It truly
is what it comes down to is what do you
do in the fourth quarter? How are you able to
(29:26):
make the most of it. We know the Cardinals struggled
towards the back end of the season in those later quarters.
That's something that Kyler Murray is going to need to
seriously step up. And you need your quarterback when the
clock is ticking to make big time plays. He has
to be able to evade that interior pressure because Leonard
Williams is going to be there, Byron Murphy the second
is going to be there. Kyler Murray needs to do
(29:47):
what he can to get out the pocket, find his targets,
do whatever he can do to make sure that the
Cardinals put up more points than the opposing team. As
Drew Petsing likes to say, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Just score one more point. That's the goal of every offense,
the goal of every team. And we'll see what happens
with the Cardinals this upcoming season. By the way, Zach,
any big holiday weekend plans or you laying low around
the holiday.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I'm just gonna sing God bless America and just enjoying.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
It all just as long. What are you not singing publicly?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Oh no, I'm grabbing a microphone in making the most.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I can't microphone in studio.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I might take this microphone with me so that I
look more official. So when they say, hey, who is
this random dude singing? Well, I got a Cardinal's logo.
Clearly I'm somebody important.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
It's all about the brand, Zach.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Elevating the brand, dealing what's right, That's what I'm all about.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Well, and you enjoy you know. I don't know yet.
Probably just stay cool because you know it's usually hot out,
so you probably, you know, enjoy the air conditioning. Stay
around town. Who knows, case something breaks, you want to
be on the be ready and prepared. Unlike some people
in our department who just like go off on plays
(31:00):
and travel.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I don't walk. Look, I think that you are doing
a disservice to the great state of forty eight by
staying inside on July fourth, just for the air conditioned
ooh okay, maybe we'll have.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
To visit this. We'll have to revisit this conversation out
a later day.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, I definitely will also be inside.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
And on that note, we'll put a lid on this
edition of Cardinals Cover two, presented by Hyundai, probably partner
of the Arizona Cardinals. As always, special thanks to our
executive producer Jim Amhunter, our associate producer Coddie Fincher for
Zach Gershman, I'm Craig reallou enjoy the fourth of July,
Bird Gang. We'll talk to you next time you're on
Cardinals Cover two
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.