Trade: Chiefs get LB/Edge Cam Thomas from AZ

[Dante84]

Sources: The #AZCardinals have traded LB Cam Thomas to the #Chiefs for a 7th round pick. Some added edge help.

The deal was facilitated by agent @chriscabott of @EquitySports. pic.twitter.com/pVqAI0Il2m

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2024

[Urc Burry]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, he was a favorite of a lot of folks. Looked like a small college Aiden Hutchison on tape. Really nice traits.

At the time we were pretty convinced GK was going top 15 or so. We were discussing him in a similar tier as someone like Jermaine Johnson before Johnson got crazy helium late in the draft cycle (which was evidently bullshit).

Now I’m gonna concede that we were wrong - he clearly wasn’t THAT good a prospect. But the Cardinals haven’t gotten his best out of him either. In all reality he’s probably a good 3rd round quality prospect who can be a solid rotational player.

Which, right now, is more than we can say for FAU.

But to pat ourselves on back.. George Pickens would have been a Chief. We would have praised Veach if he took him in the first. Let alone at 50.

I remember Drake Jackson going a pick before Cook. That one hurt. He missed most of last year, and is starting on the PUP. But he sure flashed his rookie year

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

We finally got that bastard!

(Was a mid/late round DT that CP collectively wanted some time around the Herm/Pioli era)

Totally remember this. He was the missing piece!

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, he was a favorite of a lot of folks. Looked like a small college Aiden Hutchison on tape. Really nice traits.

At the time we were pretty convinced GK was going top 15 or so. We were discussing him in a similar tier as someone like Jermaine Johnson before Johnson got crazy helium late in the draft cycle (which was evidently bullshit).

Now I’m gonna concede that we were wrong - he clearly wasn’t THAT good a prospect. But the Cardinals haven’t gotten his best out of him either. In all reality he’s probably a good 3rd round quality prospect who can be a solid rotational player.

Which, right now, is more than we can say for FAU.

Possibly.

But we're back to this somewhat chicken or egg thing. Had he been drafted by Baltimore or KC and in their system.....where's he at?

I've come to the conclusion that alot of this is just pure "where you get drafted" and if you do in fact get drafted to one of these handful of teams and flame out....well that's on you.

[Titty Meat]

Really liked him coming out of college

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Bunch of us loved this dude in the draft forum. I thought he was a potential 1st rounder and would’ve loved to get him in the late 2nd.

Definitely a worthwhile gamble for a 7th. He’ll probably move ahead of FAU on the depth chart and in the rotation almost immediately.

I remember discussing him as a 2nd rd option and loved his tape. He reminds me a bit of George Karlaftis and Zach Allen.

He seemed to have a nice start getting 3 sacks on only 236 snaps as a rookie. You can just throw out last years tape since he isn’t a LB.

Kid could be a 3-5 sack guy here, and at DE4 (at best) for a 7th? That’s a steal

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

Possibly.

But we're back to this somewhat chicken or egg thing. Had he been drafted by Baltimore or KC and in their system.....where's he at?

I've come to the conclusion that alot of this is just pure "where you get drafted" and if you do in fact get drafted to one of these handful of teams and flame out....well that's on you.

He's a more raw (yet older) version of Karlaftis.

All motor and tenacity. So yeah, I think had we taken him instead of Skyy, we'd probably have a solid rotational player on our hands. Maybe someone very similar to Danna.

But those 2 years of development are gone. That does diminish his ceiling and who he'll ever be at this point.

That said, at 24 with 2 years of team control, you have a fairly nice little piece of clay to work with here, IMO. I'm guessing the Cardinals took weight off him to get him to play OLB (whereas I would've tried to add weight and have him play 3-tech if I were committed to an odd front; man the Cardinals were goofy here).

Would be nice if you could get him into camp next year around 280. That's where I think he can really be impactful. He's not the speed rusher I keep waiting for us to get, but another SDE sort.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

I remember discussing him as a 2nd rd option and loved his tape. He reminds me a bit of George Karlaftis and Zach Allen.

He seemed to have a nice start getting 3 sacks on only 236 snaps as a rookie. You can just throw out last years tape since he isn’t a LB.

Kid could be a 3-5 sack guy here, and at DE4 (at best) for a 7th? That’s a steal

Right now, if Danna or Karlaftis go down, I think he's your starting DE.

Yeah - that's just a pretty easy decision.

I really just do not understand why Arizona didn't bulk him up and move him in-line. He's not a linebacker. There was never any reason to think he would be.

Then again, we did the same thing with Speaks.

Sometimes teams just get it wrong.

[Sassy Squatch]

Neat. Arizona ****s up their defensive prospects every year it seems.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch

Neat. Arizona ****s up their defensive prospects every year it seems.

Turns out Isaiah Simmons just wasn't very good.

The whole "Jack of All Trades" thing just rarely works out with prospects. These college guys that just run around at every position and make plays never seem to translate terribly well.

[FlaChief58]

The final piece of the Championship puzzle!

[Sassy Squatch]

Haason Reddick was far more egregious. They had a kid capable of double digit sacks yearly playing off ball LB. Just complete idiocy in that organization

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Two cheap cost-controlled years for a guy who might very well outproduce FAU....

I'll happily take it for a 7th. As mentioned in other threads, just happy they didn't hold and hope and instead addressed this before the games start to matter.

[Couch-Potato]

Nice pick up!

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/...-SanDiegoState

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Turns out Isaiah Simmons just wasn't very good.

The whole "Jack of All Trades" thing just rarely works out with prospects. These college guys that just run around at every position and make plays never seem to translate terribly well.

At some point you've gotta play a position and develop some instincts.

Look at the elite "move around" guys that have worked out. They just had instincts coming out their ass.

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Bump

he's actually in the NBA? That's pretty impressive

I don't know much about him but if he can be good d-line depth, well that always helps.

He does not play in the NBA. Not surprising you would just believe it vs verifying it.