00:00What have you thought of cross so far, B?
00:03I like cross.
00:04I mean, sure, a tackler, a guy who's very much into the game.
00:08And I think what we saw over the last few years, we didn't see good tackling.
00:13He's going to do that.
00:14And whether it's a running play, he can come up for support,
00:18or as a pass play, you know, guy catches the ball, he's going down if Nick's around.
00:22So I'm looking forward to it.
00:24As I've stated many a time, the defense is going to dictate this season.
00:30Many people can say it's the offense.
00:32I understand.
00:33But you have Jayden over there, you're going to get that.
00:34But the defense, not allowing a lot of points, not allowing those big plays
00:38like we were seeing four or five of them in the game, you can stop that,
00:41then you give Jayden a chance to go out there and cook.
00:45Cross, in the last two seasons since he became the starter in Indianapolis,
00:48hasn't missed a game.
00:49I love that.
00:50In the last two seasons has.
00:53What would that be?
00:56266 tackles, four interceptions.
00:59To your point, sure tackler on the back end.
01:04And I think the durability and one thing I like with Nick, look at this photo.
01:10B, that's his headshot photo from the Colts, right?
01:15Yeah.
01:15He has a level of seriousness about him.
01:18Like he's always polite, civil, you know, he's a pro, happy to do the interviews,
01:22whatever, but there's a level of seriousness about him that I think will be well served
01:27in the back end of this defense.
01:29I think when you've got guys that have been in this league long enough as he's been
01:33and you can lead by that.
01:35Like, you know, I was a guy, the pitchers, yes, but when I got to my business, I meant it.
01:41You know, and I think guys can pick that up.
01:43Now, I'm not going to say that I got in practice, I didn't make it lively,
01:47because you've got to get through practices all the time.
01:49Sure.
01:49And it was a little more strenuous back then than it is these days.
01:53But a guy that's serious about his job and you're considered a leader,
01:57you can help the rest of the guys because they're going to normally imitate what you're doing.
02:02And I think he can lead.
02:03What do you think?
02:04It seems like the dime packages here, I think we're going to see three safeties on the field
02:11more than we see three corners on the field.
02:14Do you agree with that, or do you think it's because we haven't seen Trey Amos still?
02:19I think you're going to, based on how the league runs now,
02:23you're going to see a lot of nickel and dime stuff out there.
02:25Right, but the nickel seems different in that it's three safeties and two corners
02:28rather than three corners and two safeties.
02:30I think in this defense with Durante Jones,
02:33it's no telling what we're going to see at any given time.
02:36And I think if you've got teams that run the ball effectively, have bigger receivers,
02:42you may see more of those safeties out there.
02:44If you see a team with a little quicker receivers, you're going to see more DBs.
02:47I mean, more cornerbacks out there.
02:49I just think that he's the guy who's going to game plan for the game, not the situation,
02:54not just, oh, this is what we run, we're going to run it.
02:57Dan Quinn was asked about the safety group particularly.
02:59We've seen a ton of Jeremy Reeves out there,
03:02but Dan Quinn talking about this safety group put together here in Washington.
03:14We're having a little bit of computer trouble.
03:17Basically, Quinn was saying he believes the safeties have a lot to prove.
03:22And, all right, here we go.
03:25I think it's early, and we've got a lot to prove at that spot.
03:28That's a talented position group for us.
03:31And so, it may not be just two.
03:34We may, how do we feature different guys?
03:35And the more depth you have there, obviously, then, okay, what does three safeties look like?
03:39How could we fit that in?
03:40You know, so different packages.
03:42Who's high?
03:43Who's low?
03:43How can that be interchangeable?
03:45Who's got nickel flex?
03:46So, we're each day a little experimenting, a little moving around of the shell game.
03:51Okay, he's here, he's here.
03:53And it's valuable because it also increases their knowledge of the system.
03:57But it'll take a while to sort out.
03:59So, when you look at the safety group, Reeves has been playing a lot.
04:03Stallion keeps mentioning that.
04:04All right.
04:05We've noticed that Will Harris seems to be running a lot with the twos.
04:09And they kind of move guys around frequently.
04:11So, like, you don't necessarily want to draw too much conclusions of, like, some semblance of a depth chart.
04:17But it appears to me, when they're in the three safety look, you're looking at Cross, Reeves, and Quan Martin.
04:27Then, elsewhere, you still have Tyler Owens.
04:33But you still have Will Harris.
04:35Butler.
04:35Butler.
04:36I wonder where Harris' role goes.
04:40Because last year, he was brought in to kind of be the starter.
04:42And was playing fairly well.
04:44Got hurt.
04:45Had that, I think he broke his leg, too, if I recall.
04:48Came back late in the year.
04:50And I remember DQ talking about it.
04:52Maybe they were just desperate for something.
04:54But DQ was like, yeah, we think our defense could be a lot different with Harris back on the field.
04:58And to some degree, it was.
05:00And Harris does multiple things.
05:01And he's a thumper.
05:02He's a thumper.
05:03And he also plays.
05:05He can play inside.
05:06Like, he's played some of that little nickel type of corner stuff.
05:10So, I mean, that.
05:12Listen, bro.
05:15I'm loving it.
05:16I wouldn't want to be the person to have to choose who's going to stay and who's going to go.
05:19Who's going to go.
05:20Yeah.
05:20I would think from a straight-up roster build.
05:25I mean, we can count the definites, right?
05:28Like, Cross.
05:30Reeves.
05:31Yeah.
05:32I would say Kwon.
05:35I would say Harris.
05:37That's four.
05:37Generally, you're going to keep ten defensive backs.
05:42And I don't know.
05:44Like, of the corners.
05:47Does one of those safeties allow you to keep a safety that can be a guy that can utilize the
05:53corner type stuff?
05:54Like, of the corners, who's on the team?
05:56Amik.
05:57Sammerstil.
05:57Amos.
05:59I'd say Rasul.
06:00Rasul.
06:01Yeah.
06:01That's four.
06:02After that, man, like, Antonio Hamilton gave them some good reps late last season.
06:09Yeah, he did.
06:09Carlin Vigors has been in this program for some time.
06:12Fred Davis is an undrafted rookie, I think, that has shown some promise.
06:17I don't know that there's a fifth corner.
06:21Like, I would say Sammerstil, Amos, Amik, Rasul are definites, right?
06:28But if you're keeping ten DBs, generally, you would keep six corners and four safeties.
06:34That's like your general roster math.
06:36I don't know that there's six corners on this roster you have to keep if it means you have to
06:40cut one of these safeties
06:41and if your defensive scheme has more safeties on the field than necessarily other schemes.
06:48Mm-hmm.
06:48Like, if they go five and five.
06:52Sorry, I got a terrible itch on my head.
06:56If they go five and five, I'd kind of be all right with that.
07:00I'm not going to put that hat back on.
07:01I know, but there's a lot going on.
07:02That hat is toe up from the floor up.
07:04I'm trying to comb it.
07:05I'm just saying.
07:06I'm trying to comb it.
07:08Sorry.
07:08Sorry to anybody watching if my hair looks ridiculous.
07:12Like, say you go Sammerstil, Amos, Douglas, Amik Robertson, and then quarterback X.
07:22I don't even know that I would identify some person that's stood out more than others.
07:27DBs, you're going to go Butler, Cross, Harris, Kwon, Revo.
07:34I mean, that's five.
07:36And, like, Butler's a guy that's gotten contract extensions here.
07:39Reeves has gotten contract extensions here.
07:41Yeah.
07:42Kwon's going into the last year of his rookie deal.
07:44Cross, they just brought in.
07:45Harris, they brought in last year.
07:47Like, I kind of think all five of those make the 53, and we haven't even mentioned Tyler Owens yet,
07:53who athletically.
07:55They love him.
07:56The only dude whose athletic profile might, I would say, does surpass Owens is Stiles.
08:06Like, Owens athletically just met the measurables and he's off the charts.
08:10Athletically, he's ridiculous.
08:12He may be the fastest guy on that football team.
08:16Like, I think they could still add a corner if somebody gets released when we get through roster cuts.
08:21I just, I don't, that DB room continues to kind of be a bit of a mystery to me.
08:27Is there a corner I haven't named that has popped for you?
08:30The dude Witherspoon just retired.
08:32Yeah.
08:33I mean, you've got Darius Rush.
08:35What the hell?
08:35They just brought in on Moreau.
08:37Yeah, you're right.
08:38Baby Moreau.
08:39Let's think about that.
08:39And Moreau played the last two seasons for Durante in Minnesota.
08:43He's at least going to have a level of familiarity and comfort.
08:48What did you say, Jeffrey?
08:49I'm sorry, you said something to me.
08:52Okay.
08:54Another cut from Quinn talking about Reeves kind of stood out.
08:59And Reeves has been playing a lot of defense so far in camp.
09:03He's primarily a special teamer for a few years.
09:05Now he's all over the field.
09:07Here's DQ talking about Reeves.
09:08He's earned it, Nicky.
09:10So he's earned the right to have these reps.
09:12And he's got very high standards about how he wants to go.
09:16So in that space, he's very much in the mix from a defensive standpoint.
09:22As you're starting a new system, kind of everybody's on, you know, the same level to say, where's it going
09:27to go?
09:27So to see him take advantage of that, that's a big deal.
09:31He's always had unique leadership communication qualities.
09:35So it's nice to see that, you know, coming out on the defensive side as well.
09:40Reeves' leadership, probably unmatched out here.
09:44Totally.
09:44I mean, he's a one-of-one in that kind of capacity.
09:49Seeing his increased snaps over the years is truly like a product of super hard work.
09:55Hard work.
09:56And consistency.
09:58Because Reeves is the guy where as he was getting better in what he was doing, he stayed on top
10:07of everything else.
10:08You know what I mean?
10:08And when you watch teammates and the other players around him, the way they reacted to him and how they
10:15acted towards him, told you he was more than just that special teams guy.
10:20It's funny going back to the 24 season when Jeremy Chin played a big role for this defense.
10:25Then they kind of let Chin walk in free agency, sign with the Raiders.
10:30And if you look at, I mean, Durante Jones' background is defensive backs coach.
10:36Like he's going to be all over those guys.
10:39Yesterday, there was a moment where all the corners stopped and did push-ups.
10:46I'd say Jaden was kind of carving them up today, especially in 7-on-7.
10:50And 7-on-7 is not always the best look for things because there's no pass rush.
10:54If you look at the Vikings teams, the fact that they had Harrison Smith, the hitman out there, probably not
11:01a future Hall of Famer,
11:02but he's like a future Vikings ring of fame type of player.
11:06Do you think there's somebody suited for that role here?
11:13The hitman type guy?
11:14Just like a guy that's all over the field all the time.
11:18Nick seems to be that type of guy.
11:20I think they'd love.
11:21I think Nick or either Harris.
11:23Harris, he wakes up wanting to hit somebody.
11:26I think he might make him just to beat his damn pillow up.
11:30I mean, if you look at Harrison Smith's numbers, played his entire career in Minnesota,
11:37six-time Pro Bowler, maybe five-time Pro Bowler.
11:40It's dealt with some injuries the last few seasons.
11:41But if you can get somebody to produce like that dude does in that role,
11:47because that role is a big part of this defense coming downhill,
11:50if you can get Cross to be that guy.
11:52And I do think there's something to – they targeted Nick Cross kind of right away in pre-agency.
11:59They didn't wait around.
12:00They went quickly.
12:01So they clearly think he could be a big-time fit.
12:04So they're going to be a big-time fit.
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