Red Rain Podcast 2019: Canton Highlights, 53 Man Roster Thoughts
Saguaro Sam
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufm62GEF8kA
Spotify:
Apple:
Red Rain Episode 219: Hall of … - Red Rain Podcast with Walter Mitchell - Apple Podcasts
Cardinals' Rookie Performance Grades in HOF Game:
* RG Chase Bisontis 85.1
* QB Carson Beck 91.7
* WR Reggie Virgil 80.3
* LB K. Sharar 63.7
* LT Jayden Williams 76.8
* C Ka'ena Decambra 89.0
* WR Harrison Wallace III 76.4
* TE Jameson Geers 56.1
* CB Elijah Culp 66.6
* ED Cameron Robiertson 66.3
* S Wydett Williams Jr. 62.9
* DT Damonic Williams 56.7
Was this the best rookie performance in a Cardinals' first pre-season game that comes to mind?
As a follow up to my comments on the podcast re our OL-
ReplyDeleteHow does a franchise stare at the one weakness that decides whether its quarterback survives — the right side of the line — and answer it with Elijah Wilkinson and a prayer?No blue-chip tackle, no marquee signing, nothing. Just look at who they're asking to hold up against Garrett, Bosa, and Verse six times a year: Wilkinson graded 62.9 last season — 67th of 89 in pass protection, bottom third — with 46 pressures, six sacks, and a position-worst 12 penalties. Behind him? Fryar (53.1) and Jacobs, one of the worst-graded tackles in football at 137th of 140. That's the contingency plan?
And RG Adams has posted sub-60 grades in both his NFL seasons — with a gun charge clouding his availability — while the alternative is a rookie who already coughed up a sack on his first big third down.
Consider who they brought in to "solidify" the line: Matt Pryor, a 31-year-old on his sixth stop who's literally been traded at cutdown before; Oli Udoh, a 29-year-old on his fourth team in four years; Demontrey Jacobs, who graded as one of the worst tackles in football in 2024 — 137th of 140. That's not competition, that's roster filler. Stacking replacement-level veterans and calling it depth is what a front office does when it never had a real plan.In a rebuild explicitly built around finding and protecting a franchise quarterback, they left the protecting half to journeymen and hope.
Will it sabotage promising improvement on offense?
I actually feel very confident about our O-line and would like to see it play out for a little bit before I would share any of your concerns.
DeleteObjectively, I think we both agree that the center and left side is in good shape. Where we differ is I think right guard is also in good shape with Adams or Bisontis, who looked fantastic in the Hall of Fame game. A second round pick to fix the right guard position is a heavy investment to make so it isn't as though Monti did 'nothing' to address it. I also think that we have excellent depth with either Adams or Bisontis, with Gaines, Fryar and Williams. Fryar looks to excel in pass protection more so than run blocking and with another year under his belt, should be better then last year. Williams looks like an outstanding 7th round pick.
I am higher on Wilkinson than you, who should be great in the run game and at least above average in the pass game. His was thrown into RT as a result of injury late in the preseason (after playing more guard then tackle) and certainly needed some time to gel with his line mates. His second half of the season was better than the first half and I believe with a full training camp working with the same teammates and the same position, it would be reasonable to expect a better showing than he had last year.
I also think that if you have 1/5 of your offensive line that is subpar (if it turns out that he is), that is easy to address with game planning (chips and help form TE's etc). The problems come when you have multiple positions subpar. I don't believe that is us this year.
I am curious, what would you have done differently to address what you saw as a weakness on the right side of the line?
Also, Verse is in Cleveland :)
DeleteLike. Watching Elijah Wilkinson is one-on-one pass blocking reps, his feet look quicker than ever previously, and his upper body strength is an asset. He doesn't look as top heavy in his pass pro sets as he has at times in the past. His base looks good. That said, as with just about any tackle on the planet, he is going to need some chip help with Myles Garrett, which Sam and others are very understandably concerned about.
DeleteThe Cards are 30th in active spending. I believe that Ossenfort is just doing what he is being told by MB. Kyler not working out and still having to pay him 35.5M this season has traumatized MB and caused him to go into spending shut down mode. I bet that MB had to double up on his shrink appointments because of it. Being so hesitant to give JB the salary bump he deserved is a direct reflection of this. To me it looks like Bidwill was so pissed that he listened to Keim and gave the approval to extend Kylers contract that he went and took his anger out on fans and players like JB. Classic silver spoon personality disorder.
Deletehttps://overthecap.com/cash-spending
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DeleteTo be fair it was a pretty weak FA class at OT. Drafting Mauigoa instead of Love would have had merit though. Let's not forget he signed one of the top LGs on the market and drafted a RG at the top of the 2nd round.
DeleteNSCard, I'll be thrilled if you are right and I'm completely wrong about the right side of the OL this season. Regardless, MO should've and could've done a better job assembling it.
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