Caleb Williams’ Potential, Eagles’ Draft Success & 49ers Offseason | 2024 NFL Draft with Ben Solak

The Ringer’s Ben Solak recaps the 2024 NFL draft with Chris and Macon, talking about the Eagles impressive draft picks, the run on QBs and what the 49ers could do at the wide receiver position.

Listen to the Full Episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/green-light-with-chris-long/id1485277290

HELLO, Locals! Green Light Podcast is hosted by Chris Long and is joined weekly by Kyle Long, Macon Gunter, Beau Allen, Stanford Steve + other many more athletes and celebrity guests.

Subscribe and be notified for daily content!

www.greenlightpodcast.com

#nfl #nfldraft #2024nfldraft #calebwilliams #eagles

if you could see anybody return the new
kickoff that’s unorthodox and maybe
won’t return a new kickoff who would it
be Milada is definitely up there D dude
it would be so you got to do it like I I
don’t know enough about rugby uh to to
name the plays correctly so forgive me
but you have to do it where where the
one guy receives it and then he just
tosses it so so the returner gets it
with a full head of steam he’s already
moving at velocity it’s like a reverse
yeah yeah my L 100% I would watch just
just just for the enjoyment of it oh no
question that’d be a good one
[Music]
all right we got the right guy on the
show authority authority The Authority
do you have a nickname Ben not really
everybody the ringer calls me solac
because there were like nine BS there
before me but that’s about it all right
so there’s a take that I wanted to to to
talk to you about that somebody just
alerted me of when when I walked in the
door they were like do you know Ben
solak thinks that food takes too long
that eating is inefficient uh and I just
wanted to say I totally agree with you
thank you Chris I appreciate it I got
remarkably more support for that take
than I thought I was going to honestly
when I piloted I thought I was going to
be just the one man on the island though
I will say most linemen are not with me
on this one I guess defensive linemen
probably I I get a better representation
with but gock was pissed dude he was not
pleased I’m sure goic was mad I’m just a
busy guy and I don’t like things that
are pointless you know like to me lunch
is one of the most pointless things of
all time not eating lunch but when
somebody says do you want to do lunch
I’m like do lunch what the [ __ ] do you
mean can’t we just meet up and talk
right you know what I mean I got stuff
to get done today I got there I got
chores out there I got chores in here
sitting down for lunch for an hour for a
salad what are we talking about what’s a
breakfast for you how what make loves
this what’s a what’s a breakfast for Ben
Sol like how long does it take toare so
I’m a big in a minute fast guy cuz like
I just don’t I don’t I don’t love the uh
I it takes too long so I usually am
passing on breakfast that said when I’m
like if I’m if I’m going for it I love
to make like an overnight oats or like
an oatmeal that’s and I’ll go instant
oats to overnight oatmeal anything in
between but just give me like a quick
mush that has the calories that are
necessary throw some berries on there so
it tastes good nice and easy in college
I used to eat Top Ramen raw that’s how
committed to your bid I am well also you
would often it could be kale it could be
spinach but you would just by the
fistfuls put leafy greens into your
mouth that’s right and that makes me
this is the last thing I want to ask Ben
about this thing is like half of your
media that you post that’s nonf football
related is your garden and your fishing
Expeditions that to me takes a while
that’s part of the food process and so
it is a little bit
contradictory that you you you you rush
through breakfast but you spend all the
time out in your Garden harvesting yeah
so the thing with the gardening and the
fishing is that I enjoy the the the
process and the fact that like I’m not
doing it for the food at the end it’s
just For the Love of the Game like it’s
it’s funny my my wife is a is she loves
to cook and Sh that’s that’s that’s her
thing that’s her joy and I try to
participate in that as much as I can but
the garden works great because like I I
like the the science of it I like the
raising the plants of it and like seeing
it grow up from seed it’s crazy and it’s
it’s fun to take care of it gets me
outside put around with my hands and
then moment the Tomato exists on the
vine I’m like okay mission accomplished
like I’m done like that that’s what I
wanted to to pull off I wanted to grow
the zucchini I got the zucchini that’s
where my wife comes in she’s like all
right sick what I wanted was the
zucchini I didn’t want to deal with dirt
and fertilizer and TRS on my hands and
knees I just wanted the zucchini so I
handed off right there and then we’re
cooking zucchini if Drake May were a
vegetable in your garden this the sweet
potato takes a lot of time to grow takes
an investment but really worth it at the
end I I like a drake may I and I think I
I like him New England better than a lot
of people do I got I got faith Drake do
sweet potatoes grow in shitty soil
because that’s that’s my next question
you know like if you if you had a garden
if you had three Gardens outside and you
planted sweet potatoes in Chicago if you
planted sweet potatoes in DC if you
planted sweet potatoes in Foxboro I feel
like the ones in Foxboro right now would
have a harder time you know turning into
big healthy sweet potatoes that Ben
Sak’s gonna want to Chef up you can you
can you can grow a sweet potato in an
average soil potatoes and sweet potatoes
are generally pretty good for they just
take a long time yeah yeah so I do yeah
the soil in New England I agree little
little worried about that rela the soil
just got a little bit less friendly uh
to said sweet potato because Zeke
Elliott just signed with the Cowboys he
was their leading receiver in New
England last year so I get maybe we’ll
just start there as like you know how do
you project and is it unfair to to I say
this every year with with high picks
like is it unfair to evaluate Drake May
Jaden Daniels and Caleb Williams the
same because they are being dropped into
completely different situations you
don’t see guys walk in to Great
situations like Caleb has and I’m I’m
not handicapping Drake May he’s not like
my favorite guy in the draft but I do
feel for him walking into that situation
in New England if you were the Patriots
how would you play this out would you
would you would you start him right away
would you would you protect him what are
some things they can do to kind of kind
of take care of him early in his career
yeah it’s the million dollar question
right you invested in the guy now how
are you going to bring him up uh the
first thing that I always say is that
people learn in different ways right
everybody wants to sit quarterbacks
understandably so but if a guy learns by
going out there and making mistakes
which I think is is a very real thing
that you’ve seen quarterbacks do in the
league then you kind of have to let them
go out there and understand there are
some rookie lumps that you can’t take
holding the clipboard right there’s some
bumps in the road that you can’t you got
to the bullets got to be live and if
that means you’ll lose a week seven game
to the bills in 2024 it’s worth it you
might beat him in 2025 right and so so
you your job is to get the guy into the
building and then all right he’s qb2
he’s behind Jacoby he’s you’re saw in
the Playbook if you like how he’s
learning back there and you feel good
about sitting him for eight weeks 10
weeks go for it but if you feel like all
right like it’s when we’re out there on
the practice field that he’s you know
making a mistake and he comes back the
next drive and he doesn’t make it again
we need to get him out there and let him
make those mistakes early let him make
them right now so that way he’s not
making them down the road evaluating him
can be challenging in in bad contexts
but I always like to remind people man
the 2021 Jaguars Urban Meyer one of the
worst managed teams we ever saw three
and4 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence
was a rookie in that team they weren’t
good they terrible team barely won a
game but we all watched Trevor and went
oh yeah okay okay like it that guy’s an
NFL right now people had you know he’s
the next Andrew Luck expectations and he
didn’t hit that nor has he hit that over
the last few few years but you could
still watch him even when he was
throwing 120 targets to Marvin Jones and
100 to Lisa chanol and playing behind a
work offensive line you could still
watch him be like oh yeah I I I see the
NFL in there like we we clearly hate on
the guy we know he’s good you can have
that with Drake May where he walks out
there and like the wide receiver room
isn’t ready and the offense doesn’t work
for you and they’re losing games but
still every week you’re watching him
going okay they got a guy for sure so
there is value to starting a dude even
when the the the the the Personnel may
not be ready for him yet now if you were
to make a case for the the the top three
quarterbacks
selected and it’s a hypothetical five
years down the line let’s finish this
sentence with each of their names Caleb
Williams let’s start with him was not
successful
because he probably never leveled out
the risk and reward right he Caleb loves
to believe that he’s got a better play
if he just gets outside of the pocket
he’s got a better play if he just kind
of gets around a rusher and most of the
time I’m pretty confident the risk is
worth the reward with him because the
throws that he can make but it probably
he just is a little bit too uh
aggressive a little bit too willing to
get to that second reaction play and
just never stays in
yeah and how about for Jaden
Daniels uh the frame and the play style
I I’m worried about Jaden I Jaden my
line on Jaden pre draft was No One’s
Gonna Be Right on him because he’s such
a polar quarterback he’s like all right
like if this works he’s gonna be
undefendable and if he starts to
accumulate injury and he can’t run or if
teams are really good at at you know
getting him off his first and getting
him out out of the pocket this is going
to become untenable it’s going to be
like you know watching Jaylen Herz last
year when he was hurt and you’re just
like all this is not a real offense it’s
not stressing defenses out the way that
it needs to and so to me like injury
concern and play style concern the
amount he gets outside of the pocket
takes hits he’s one read and scramble
guy that’s that’s what’s gonna hurt and
ironically he kind of reminds me frame
from a frame standpoint of RG3 you know
he’s a little bit more slender he’s he
you know he’s he runs the the same way
like they’re they’re athletic they can
hurt you with their legs but you know
they’re and people love to bring up like
you know Fields 240 Richardson 245 these
guys got hurt these these big body types
but I mean like you’ll know Chris I
think folks still know like this is a
big people hit Little People Game and
Jane Danel is thin right it’s less about
the the the shot that he takes when he’s
actively a runner and he’s trying to you
know avoid contact to take glancing
blows it’s more about the shot that he
takes when he breaks the pocket he
scrambling to his right and he doesn’t
know that the edge rusher took a long
Loop and is right behind him and it’s
that contact that comes when he’s not
protecting himself where he doesn’t have
the body armor to take it that’s what
worries and is there anything from Drake
style of play outside of the New England
uh pitfalls from a roster stand or Joe
Milton or could be the
guy or Joe Milton yeah Drake do take a 5
yard Route and there’s a 50 yard Route
that might be open down the field and
that’s the problem with him is Drake’s
Big Game Hunter uh and it’s nice when
you get the picture with the eight-point
buck but sometimes you go home
empty-handed and so it’s a little bit
the same risk management that we talk
about with Caleb Caleb’s more so you
know getting outside of structure and
kind of ignoring the first the the the
the first read of the play Drake is more
listen like sometimes you we play for
second and eight sometimes we play to
stay on script we only have so many
third and calls young man we can’t keep
getting to this long down and distance
especially if we can’t pass protect for
you which is might be an issue in New
England and so for him it’s being more
willing to take the underneath stuff
right now and not try to win every
single game in one or two point I think
what also might help Drake May is like
when you think about quarterbacks going
to your rookie year who are you going to
be practicing against I mean that
defense is is is not is not is not
anything to sneeze at dude that’s like a
pro defense and when you’re going to see
those guys every day in practice at
least that balances out some of the
ineptitude on offense because you’re
going to be used
and ifake and college both like two
years ago when he had the really 2022
season then in 2023 in his little Shak
year man he knew that if he left the
field at 2828 he was coming back on the
field at 2835 like defensively when they
went up against any real offenses they
just were not consistently getting stops
and so it’s gonna be a thing for him to
learn how to put that Superman cape up
and let another player win the game for
him not necessarily on his own offense
but just on your defense dude like if
you can if you can get us some good
field position just pick up a first down
don’t throw an interception you you give
that opposing offense 85 yards to go man
like our defense can can do some work
for you they can keep you in a friendly
spot and Caleb’s going to have the same
you know situation in Chicago with more
Talent offensively because that defense
is going to be tough to practice against
and all that stuff all right so let’s
let’s rip the Band-Aid off let’s do the
Michael penck thing because initially
when it happened full disclosure making
an I like I can’t hate it like I and I
know that there are a lot of very smart
football people that hate it and they
look at things glass half full and they
look at Kirk’s contract and look at some
of the other holes but when I looked at
Atlanta last year I said 10- Win team if
door Dash Desmond Ritter is not their
quarterback um I think the roster
especially offensively is in a better
place than most people think there are
pieces defensively they had to fill
right I would say this you’re sitting
there at eight there is a risk that if
you pass up on them there you know
there’s a reality where they love him
more than than than Bo Knicks and they
love him more than JJ McCarthy I know
know people say JJ would have been the
perfect guy to do this with because of
age and that sort of thing but I look at
eight and I say there were a bunch of
teams that were passing up on defensive
players right and a lot of them might
have had needs defensively I don’t think
the bridge to this working out is that
long it’s just got to work out if
Michael Pennock is a pro quarterback I
think we’ll look back at this and say
hey good move what do you see any side
of that
argument I think the the core of the
argument which is that we want to be
investing qb2 is sound right I think you
you saw the Jordan love pick with Aaron
Rogers the Jaylen Herz pick with with
Carson Wentz the Lamar Jacks pick with
Joe flaca over the last five six years
teams have been more willing to invest
in quarterback 2 earlier you’ve also
seen over the last couple of years
especially postco and post improved
concussion protocols more and more
quarterbacks start a game in a season
than ever before right we’re we there’s
just more Reps for qb2 and qb3 there’s
more instances in which you need qb2 or
qb3 this also goes to expanding you know
schematic work right the hand offense
and all these guys they’ve made it so
much easier to win with quarterback 18
League wide right with quarterback 20
League wide so if you can find a guy who
just is functional at the NFL level you
can actually build a much better offense
out of him than you usually could so the
last five six years man really been
defined by quarterback to becoming a
more valuable position and the Falcons
said we want to invest in this so the
core of that is good eight overall to
take
qb4 six weeks after $100 million
guaranteed to Kurt Cousins is where you
lose me right I agree we should be
investing in
this feels like Leaps and Bounds more
than we should be this feels like really
really pushing the envelope here now you
made the point if penx is good then the
penx is good and that’s always the case
with the draft being Q2 you know that’s
the thing you get yourself a good player
you get yourself a good player make no
bones about it a lot of the value of
rookie contract quarterbacks though is
the fact that they are so much cheaper
than replacement guys yeah and and and
so you’re going to get multiple years in
which your quarterback room costs
dramatically less than the other
quarterback room with plus starters well
if you’re dealing with KK cousins dead
money and also penics at the eighth
overall contract is not jayen herds with
the 53rd contract or Lamar Jacks with a
32nd or Dak Prescott with 113th or
whatever it was yeah you’re not getting
as much meat on the bone as the other
guys did because you drafted the 24 year
old by the time he gets to the end of
his first contract he’s already going to
be in his prime you’re not getting as
much meat on the bone as the other guys
did so that’s where I feel you lose me
is I feel like the the core of the
philosophy made sense but the execution
here just feels like we went way too far
at what is like largely a good effort do
you think it would be viewed differently
at all if if we said Kurt Cousins has a
two-year contract which I think is how
the Falcons effectively they with the
decrease in dead
money so I like I I certainly think it
can be again you just gave him the deal
and that’s what confuses me if he was
worth two years it would be about a
hundred million in terms of the
guarantees if they cut him after two
seasons that’ be he’ll make about 100
total if you if he was already on that
and that was that was sitting there and
that was hanging over your head but you
w wanted to invest in qb2 I’d understand
it a little bit more than actively
choosing to bring cousins in and then
make the elction relative to like
bringing in a jacobe brassette think
about the the the Giants in 2023 in the
spring of 23 13 months ago the Giants
said we want to give Daniel Jones 160
million over four years and then 13
months later they were like we want to
take a quarterback at six we don’t know
if if we if we like this as much they
made the investment but then got another
year of data said ah we we let’s move
off our mistake fast the Falcons did it
in five weeks like like it’s the time it
makes you wonder it makes you wonder
privately if Kirk said something to the
effect of I’m going to play two more
years and I want to raise my kids like I
want to move back to wherever I live and
you know like football has been great to
me but I want to play two more years and
if they’ have said something like that
if he have said something like that he
might have unknowingly set the wheels in
motion for a replacement yeah but also
it would make it a lot more palatable I
think if you knew this is a two-year
rental for Kirk because another thing is
all right I found out to
um I believe that will Levis is the
oldest quarterback in the division in
the AFC South okay Michael penx has a
shot to be the oldest quarterback in the
division when he first takes a start I
mean you look at like Derek Carr’s deal
you look at uh Baker Mayfield down in
Tampa you know Bryce young they could be
hit all three of those teams could be
hitting the reset button in two years
and let’s say Michael penx has a little
Jordan love in him I just think there’s
a universe where this works out and I
also think the team’s good enough yes
this does I don’t know how you quantify
it knock down their chances of being the
best they could be over the next 2 three
years because of the salary and some of
the prohibitive stuff there but I would
say it’s like a five five to 7% decrease
which is which is major but you are
kicking the can down the road to
increase your successes over the Long
Haul in my opinion and and I don’t mind
the long game that’s all I’m saying and
and I love when teams are willing to
make longterm Investments my thing is
always as a general manager you better
know you’re going to be there I’m not
trying to trying to you know sew a seed
and let somebody else the benefits Terry
font’s in year four he has made he has
made four top 10 picks Terry font has
fourth overall Kyle Pitts eighth overall
ban Robinson eighth overall Drake London
eighth overall Michael Pennock dude if
this team isn’t good you brought
offensively there’s no team in the
league that’s this invested in offense
right now with all these picks all these
second contracts offensive line this
team isn’t good I’m worried that when
penx is taking those precious steps and
we’re seeing if this pick was worth it
there’s somebody else sitting in Terry
seat he might not get to see it and you
know like and that’s all well and good
but I also would say this and I said
this the other night like if you look at
what the Atlanta Falcons have done over
the past couple years in the first round
they have been unorthodox right and I
would say that I don’t blame the pits
thing on the pick I blame it on the
execution of the pit um I think bejan’s
otherworldly talented and I think Drake
London everybody thought he was slow you
draft a slow wide receiver you draft a
running back in the top 10 you know
people people have sh shake their heads
at these guys before and it’s worked out
so I’ll just say this like you know
Arthur Blank giving him the keys I saw
the the the argument afterwards like
with so many things taken out of context
nowadays people just jump at the
opportunity to attach attach context to
it I don’t think Arthur is going to be
in that room uh if he doesn’t know there
there’s a possibility they take pennic I
think they could have been arguing about
like the sequencing of trading back or
trading down but just Arthur to to have
the faith in in Terry to make that pick
I think says a lot um and we’ll see I
mean Arthur’s pretty patient right um
yeah I I think Atlanta I think Atlanta’s
got reasons to be excited but maybe just
a little bit less in the immediacy now
because they made this decision so um
all right that’s enough on them let’s
talk about the Eagles okay because we
got a lot of birds fans here we we knew
you with your bird’s background but like
I love the quinon pick I love addressing
Corner that’s a burning building like
put the fire out immediately I know
where he’s going to fit where does
Cooper deene fit in Vick’s in Vick
yeah great question I think that if they
took Cooper Dee at 22 and quinan doesn’t
make it there and they were comfortable
taking de at that spot they would have
said hey outside corner too we’re going
to stick him there we think he’s a
corner for sure we need the spot he’s
great fit there we know he can play that
position once you take quinon at 22 you
get dein at 40 you say oh Cooper dein
could play a lot of spots might be a
safety for us might been you kind you
change you change your tune a little bit
and rightfully so I remember when Vic
fio took over the defense in Denver and
2019 he signed Kareem Jackson from the
Texans who’ played Corner his entire
time in Houston and he moved him to
safety and they just said hey like you
were you know that people say it’s
strong safety it’s not really like box
safety you’re having him play over the
slot and you’re having him you know
whoever number two ends up being tight
end and he’s he’s stepping down into the
box fairy soten kind of more the chony
Gardner Johnson role I think that that’s
what they’re going to Envision for Dee
early because that’s the way that he
more easily gets on the field now they
have chy and so you already have a guy
that you really like over slots maybe
Dee is your is your tight end match up
guy you’re going up against a team that
runs a big slot they running Chris
Godwin you want to go handle that
Michael P you want to go handle that
okay we’re going to ask de to take this
guy he’s a little bit of a bigger body
so it’s it’s unclear I think that what
you have to decide is when you walk into
Camp you kind of give the guy the
Playbook and you see all right uh we’re
GNA give you some reps at outside corner
we’re going to give you some reps at box
safety right in a strong safety spot and
try to figure out where you work but
pretty quickly you need to decide what
you’re going to ask him to do in year
one because being a rookie is drinking
out of the fire hose right I me it gets
a lot of information coming out and that
Vic Fango defense man that’s a son of a
gun right if you if you are asking a
young player to learn three separate
roles right okay you know our nickel
spot our Corner Spot and our our our
safety spot all in Camp like that I I
just think you’re not setting him up for
early success so I think that that get
him in there get him in rookie mini camp
figure out where you want to start him
in year one and then if he ends up just
backing up Reed and chony Garner Johnson
at safety all year that’s okay if he
ends up being Corner three on the
outside all year that’s okay but make
sure you onboard him correctly so you
know you set him up for Success down the
road last year this time Eagles draft
was an A+ you look back a year later how
are you grading it Jaylen Carter at nine
Nolan Smith at 30 Steen Brown
Ringo yeah I mean like I I still think
you have an a draft there Steen is going
to get starting reps this year I think
when they drafted him last year the
expectation was not going to play and
then step in we got to see what he is
Nolan Smith was not going to get
starting reps really they knew that was
gonna be a developmental pick yeah they
drafted a 239 pound ad rusher right you
you’re not expecting him to walk out and
I remember I think he had to play a late
game against the Giants and a run
defense man like Nolan was just trying
to survive right you body typewise he
was just going to take a little bit of
time Sydney Brown the guy gonna compete
for starting reps they had a really
loaded roster last year and so it was
understandable to not get early
production out of those guys they had
great veterans Carter is the interesting
one where you know through eight weeks
nine weeks 10 weeks Jaylen Carter best
defensive player in the draft one of the
best rookies dominant Force then he
started to lose gas a little bit and you
had Carter now and Jordan Davis two
Georgia drafted defensive tackles who’ve
just faded down the stretch for you so
what you you got to be able to ask is
can we get 18 weeks 19 weeks 20 weeks of
production out of these guys because
Fletch ain’t in the building anymore
Javon har is in San Francisco right like
this this is the this is the core now is
these two defensive tackles and if you
are going to fade in December at that
position I mean your entire defense is
going to suffer for it we saw that a
little bit last season so Carter man
like I’m still that kid can play Holy
Smokes he’s so good when he’s on I just
want to make sure he’s on for the entire
he’s incredible and I think I think to
your point if if your core is the
defensive tackle room you’re going to
have to justify you know the investment
in them and then also you know uh get
some production to where you feel like
you’re unlocking their skill set I think
it’s all about the guys behind them
which is why I’m so happy that they went
that direction because as you saw last
year as the secondary started to fall
apart as the Run fits were worse for the
backers everybody in that back second or
seven really suffered and I think as a
result those guys inside had to be you
know as to do a little bit more than
they were supposed to at that stage in
their career so I think if they can put
the fire out behind him you’re going to
see even better play from those
defensive tackles we’ll all be happy
okay um troter where’s he fit because
you know like really cool story I’m a
second generation NFL guy I think about
like if i’ have gotten draft by the
Raiders or something like that but
like he he he didn’t strike me as a as a
topend athlete and where does he and
then also as a bigger conversation we’ve
had it on this show before I think often
we look at second generation players and
we say they’re they’re going to be
athletic you know like their genetics
this that and third if you look down a
list of second generation football
players uh not all of them are more
talented or even close to as talented as
their dads so what do you actually get
in getting a second generation player
like why is that
attractive right I think for the Eagles
specifically with TR Jr you get get
great Vibes which sounds like a joke but
also Elizabeth ID right uh tr’s going to
have a lot of support from the fan base
have a lot of patience from the fan base
they’re going to want to see a player
like that succeed which helps a guy at
least mentally transition from the
college to the Bros right now it also
comes with some high expectations right
and he’s not like a first- round pick so
it’s not like they’re expecting him to
be his pops tomorrow um but in general I
do think that like okay put putting 54
on in in the midnight green getting the
big cheers in the preseason it’s gonna
at least help a guy mentally feel like
all right like I I I can go and I could
succeed with this team you know Mr Lori
you know Howie like you know some of
those guys it Smooths the transition for
the roster I mean linebacker play in
Philadelphia last year was a travesty
all right there’s no two ways around it
so yeah so noobi is back from injury but
you can’t really put too many eggs in
that basket because he’s been banged up
now for the last couple Seasons you roll
the dice on a Devon white you roll you
know okay he’s a a highly drafted round
one guy who underachieved down the road
in Tampa you roll the dice on a Zack
Bond and Orin Burks these guys were
linebacker threes on their respective
teams maybe they can do a little bit
more here in Philadelphia and then you
take a Trotter in round five it’s a
little bit of snap in the pool stick
Joker throwing it out and say like all
right we’re going to have tryouts
somebody win a job here right I don’t
think they’re going to walk into Camp
saying any one of these five players is
emphatically clearly a starter for us
like this guy’s the Green Dot we know
we’re starting him we go I think early
on the favorite is noobe and Deon white
and then after that you’re trying to
fill out the roster I agree with you on
Trotter
where filmwise yeah I’ve got a 6 foot
230 lb guy who just athletically changes
Direction I think it’s a little but lard
doesn’t take on block super great like
he feels like a day three pick he is a
day three pick contribute on special
teams right be able to to to to to fill
your role well and be a backup
linebacker when you get in there he has
to succeed the way he did at Clemson
which was by being Wicked smart right
and a lot of his best plays at Clemson
were seeing it before it happened and
then shooting a gap beating in a block
and being there before the back got
there and so there’s a world where that
succeeds but when you’re betting on an
athlete that that’s this undersized to
to win at NFL size you really are
betting on like a David long sort of a
guy right where okay he’s 511 225 but
he’s just he’s quick as a whip and he’s
so smart that he can get away with it
that’s a thin bet to make right that
that doesn’t happen every so often and
so he’ll have his opportunities it’s a
wide open room but you know they’re
they’re dice rolling everywhere on
linebacker and they’re hoping somebody
am am am I correct in seeing this on
this list like Jim burrow Joe Burrow’s
dad was a defensive back in the NFL is
that is that a that I did not know like
like uh I’m I’m looking at DK metf his
dad was a guard was he a guard in the NF
yeah I knew metf I mean so this is crazy
it’s like uh I I always say Jackie
Slater like perfect example if if it
worked that way then Matt Slater would
be a tackle you know kids come in all
different shapes and sizes me and my
brothers are like Russian dolls you know
we’re we all have different talents and
talent levels and so it’s like uh you
try to project these second generation
players if you’re going to do it just on
athleticism the game has also changed a
lot from generation to generation so
you’re comparing the last generation of
athletes to this generation Jim burrow
out of Hampton Virginia went to Nebraska
and played for the Green Bay Packers
he’s from Hampton for one season no way
Jim BR from Hampton see how does that
get buried man there’s some really shock
shocking ones in this thing here Chris
would you have wanted to be drafted by
the
Raiders
um 2008 I mean sure okay yeah sure it
would have been fine it would have been
a lot better if the Rams had just picked
Matt Ryan and I’d ended up in [ __ ]
New England or something slid to six you
know what I mean um all right so
another team that was really hot and
heavy on the DBS and should have been
was the Lions and I thought they had a
really nice draft big fan of Brad Holmes
to trade up and get Arnold they traded
up a couple times rraw R straw who who’s
who’s just as versatile as his name he
can get in there and and he can he can
tackle he can be a rake he can be a
straw you can drink out of him you could
you can you can you can uh you can rake
the the infield with him uh the guy the
guy I’ll put his hat in there I really
like Andis rraw number nine on my big
board yeah I saw that I saw that he he
fell a little bit but
like what can you say about Detroit and
what they’re building here um and really
the NFC North in general all drafting
well like they’re all having at least
heralded draft class in the
immediacy yeah NFC North I think is
going to be real good this year and yeah
for Detroit I think Detroit approach
free agency the way you’re supposed to
where you go and say all right like
let’s plug all of our gaps so that way
if we have to play a game tomorrow we’ll
be okay they go and get Carlton Davis
Davis is Corner One cam Sutton is Corner
two like we’re fine and then cam Sutton
legal situation all of a sudden there’s
no cam Sutton and so now you walk into
the draft with the with the last thing
that you want which is like a very
obvious need and everybody’s going to
know kind of the the direction you want
to go uh and the players you’re going to
Target so to be able to trade up and go
grab terion Arnold who I think can be
week one starter corner corner two can
go out there and play NFL caliber
athletes experiened at Alabama is he got
wonderful movement skills for a corner
outside the top 20 great
and then to chase that with NX NIS Ron
to understand we can’t just draft a
rookie and set it and forget it oh
because tyon Arnold will be good like no
it’s a rookie man like there you can
never be too confident in your drafting
which I know is a funny thing to say
about Brad Holmes right now because he’s
walking around with his chest out but
you have to be willing to say okay like
if Arnold doesn’t hit let’s go and get
ourselves another Dart throw in rraw who
I dude rraw has got short Corner
syndrome where he’s so good but then he
he’s short and so he’s even better cuz
he’s mad short he’s like every’s under
under under valuing me because I’m under
six foot so I’m just going to be even
better at what I’m good at because I’m
mad that people don’t think I’m good I
loved rake straw so yeah there’s there’s
a world where rake draw is able to get
on the field in the slot and Brian
Branch plays more traditional safety
reps they got some some versatility
there now which is nice this this was
the right approach for them and then on
day three Brad Holmes traded a future
third round pick to go get it at six
foot eight tackle out of Boston out of
British Columbia because he just he just
can now he’s Brad holes he can do that
that seems to we were talking about like
a milata thing this guy’s people didn’t
even know he get drafted this kid from
uh from BC Giovanni Manu uh he’s really
raw and not Boston College British
Columbia
67350 so healthy and he ran he ran Sub
sub five I want to say ran in the 49
yeah and they’re talking about they’re
talking about early playing him at guard
before T kicking him to tackle which is
just stupid imagine him pulling that’s
ludicrous stuff these times are insane
just since when I ran dude it was like I
ran a 478 and I was like awesome this
350 running a 49 like he he could catch
me you know what I mean somebody in my
mentions the other day was trying to
convince me that they’re going to have
him return on the new kickoff and I was
like no I don’t know about that that’d
be sick though that’d be sick um if you
could see anybody return the new kickoff
that’s unorthodox and maybe won’t return
a new kickoff who would it be Mila’s
definitely up there D dude it would be
so you got to do it like I I don’t know
enough about rugby uh to to name the
plays correctly so forgive me but you
have to do it where where the one guy
receives it and then he just tosses it
so so the returner gets it with a full
head of steam he’s already moving at
velocity it’s like a reverse yeah yeah
myada 100% I would watch just just just
for the enjoyment of it oh no question
that’d be a good one hey Ben thank you
for having the courage to say that
Washington did not have a great draft it
seems like oh you have a bunch of picks
you have a new GM we we praise your
draft you got the cool quarterback
everything’s great everything’s great I
didn’t like it Ben I didn’t like it one
bit Yeah I and it’s weird because they
in free agency kind of did the whole
like all right just Chuck veterans at
every problem right okay just get names
that we know and that way we we’re
decently functional and then in the
draft didn’t move around too much right
didn’t there was rumors oh they’re going
to move up aggressively to get like a
top tier tackle didn’t do that kind of
stayed and picked they’re kind of
they’re kind of in shotgun mode right
now they’re just just trying to get a a
wide dispersal of options and then
they’re going to evaluate the roster
over the course of the Season which is
fine Ben Sate at just outside the top 50
like I wouldn’t have been rushing to go
get tight end
uh uh uh Luke mcaffrey at at 100 great
Bloodlines Another Second Generation guy
why isn’t he athletic yeah but it’s it’s
uh like I don’t know like I feel like if
his name was Luke Wilson this guy was
going to pick 180 like in terms of the
film I think I think mcaffry is carrying
a lot of weight for you there uh so I
like Mikey Sanders still I like Johnny
Newton there’s a couple players I like
but in terms of guys that I just wasn’t
huge on in this class Washington ended
up with a few of them obviously the pick
at two also is is a huge deal right
because some of these quarterbacks are
going to be good and some of them on it
if you made wrong pick at two there’s
going be a lot of screenshots for the
next few years and so I didn’t think it
was an out-of thee Park class for Adam
Peters I really liked like the Michigan
corner I did not realize especially when
he was shutting down Marv that he’s like
5’8 in change I know it’s crazy why is
that I don’t know play taller he doesn’t
like yeah speaking of um well not
speaking of anything I was going to make
a different transition but I want to go
to Buffalo that’s an even better
transition let’s just speaking ofal
let’s go to Buffalo that’s I’m going to
transition everything on the show now
speaking of Buffalo uh do you think do
you think the bills nailed it because I
I don’t think there’s anybody who had
more pressure on them than Brandon Bean
considering the window or lack of window
uh that seems to be open in Buffalo and
needing to go get a wide receiver I
thought the body type was important in
Keon Coleman that’s the kid from Florida
State they picked up the of the second
big guy and actually I heard somebody
mention in your show
re it reminded them of
coulston um and and and the Joe Brady
connection of being in New Orleans
having a bigger body guy right um I
think that’s cool I I think um I think
passing on the Speedster worthy a lot of
people look at that and say you know
what are you doing but um you know
waiting your turn and getting this big
body kid who can play different areas
and then also he’s like catch radius guy
cuz Josh a catch radius guy I mean he’s
going to spray the ball a little bit so
what do you think about this pi and how
do you think Buffalo did in general yeah
I know zavier worthy ran the 421 but I
can get speed down the street you know
like there’s there’s so many track
athletes now at receiver and there’s
diminishing returns too like 421 is sick
because of the the record but 421 isn’t
really that much different than 4-31 in
terms of how I’m putting you on the
field and what you’re doing for him
right there’s there there are some
diminishing returns here uh Coleman now
I don’t get X receiver body type three
level uh route running you know the
catch Rus I don’t get that at 33 all the
time right wide receiver tends to be a
great position to draft there’s a lot of
guys but in general this is a great body
type to be able to get the Colston comp
is a really good one I like that a lot
I’ve been saying Michael Michael Thomas
because again it’s like a biger body
you’re gonna use him you’re gonna use
him shorten intermediate you’re going to
use him to to to to win it in in those
those Tight Windows in zones kind of
underneath and he can do the downfield
stuff I know Bill’s fans really are
worried about oh he’s got a bad
contested catch Ray and Josh all doesn’t
like to throw to contested catch
receivers because if you remember B
thing in Allen’s early career with the
bills was they were like oh Josh Allen’s
really big throw up fight on the field
let’s go get Kelvin Benjamin and then he
just never wanted to throw it to him
because he likes to see players open I
think that was true of young Josh Allen
Josh is a grown boy now all right he’s
big big professional quarterback he can
throw to a guy who’s a little bit
covered like he I I watched some of the
interceptions Josh threw trust me he
will throw to a guy cover gonna do that
yeah yeah yeah so uh I know that that
Bills fans worry a little bit about the
contested catch stuff but I think that a
lot of Coleman’s contested catch stuff
in college was a ver was a response to
the quarterback that was throwing him
the ball and just kind of throwing him
into coverages that he really shouldn’t
have been targeted in you’ll see this
guy separate you see this guy run he
runs better RS and people are giving him
credit for and yeah in a room that had
Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel you
needed a body of of this type so I love
the Coleman pick for them Cole Bishop
out of Utah has a c has the sort of
traits that that start typically in the
shamer defense I like that for them
Cedric van pran Granger great name
Cedric van pran grer who was the was the
center out of out of Georgia is is the
sort of guy that they need to kind of
protects they lost Mitch Morse this year
and so you get a developmental guy
behind it it was a good draft for
Brandon Bean the problem is you bills
are still what they are right bills they
lost a lot of talent they’ve been
getting older we we we’ve seen enough
data at this point to know that if they
sneak through the AFC it’s going to be
by the skin of their teeth and so I
don’t think this was like a a oh the
bills are back draft I think it was okay
the bills are trying to survive draft I
think they also look at Josh Allen and
think like hey what did he not do in
that playoff game he did everything you
know digs catch that ball they make that
field goal
like they probably end up playing in the
in in the Super Bowl um I think he’s
that good I think they know he’s that
good and I think you look at at at you
know not to say he’s Mahomes but you
look at Kansas City it wasn’t like
Kansas City was thr to a lot a lot of
people last year and and Patrick Mahomes
so you know they can get by if you’ve
got a truly generational quarterback
which I think Josh Allen is you can get
by throwing to some guys and you know
Curtis Samuel I feel like that’s the
devil that Joe Brady again knows right
um so it it they can they can work it
out but they’re gonna have to play good
defense which is what concerns me
anyways um talking about a team that
added uh a nice piece on defense in
Jared verse and his teammate Fisk the
Rams um I think I like what they did
because I think what verse does is what
Murphy doesn’t do Murphy does not win a
ton of rushes I’m talking about just
winning R like I think he’s a better
athlete than a rusher at this stage in
his career but I think eventually and he
was very productive last year but a lot
lot of it is he can really run and he
can close windows and all that stuff
this verse guy is a rolling ball of
butcher knives like that’s his style of
play and I think pairing two guys that
have different styles of play can be
very fruitful for the uh for the LA Rams
and they saw the need to go get somebody
early to fortify pass rush gosh if
you’re the Rams how glad are you that
you didn’t make that Brian Burns trade a
couple years ago you know yeah right
sending the farm for yeah so so you end
up with with with verse and you end up
with Murphy and a young core and you go
out and get a running
back uh which a lot of people would say
well well why you you liked your kid
from Notre Dame last year well he was
hurt for a couple weeks and they looked
left-handed without him you know
everything goes to the Run game for them
you talk about a value in qb2 value at
running back two I don’t know about at
that place in the draft but Blake corm
they add him to the Back Field I thought
they had a nice draft and for the first
time in a long time I feel like lesne
did not trade or or move around in the
first round so this is very unorthodox
draft for them yeah but you can only uh
you can only not scratch the edge for so
long they moved up 13 spots for FIS it’s
like all right I won’t move up in round
one but you better know in round two I’m
getting mine uh yeah I like the heavy
investment in the defensive line right I
think that no team in the league knows
better that Aaron Donald not just
dominating on his own but making life
easier so much easier for everybody else
when he’s just on the field once we lose
that Force multiplier we know Kobe
Turner’s good Kobe probably ain’t gonna
look that good as good when he’s not
playing next to 99 anymore that’s just
the reality of 99’s gravity and so being
able to say all right with like you know
understanding that we we we still like
some of our guys we’re going to spend a
first- round pick at edge and a second
round pick at defensive tackle and we’re
really going to make sure that we are uh
prepared as best we can be for the Post
Aaron Donald world is smart this was the
one spot this defensive line where the
Rams couldn’t invest in free agency
right they made multiple moves along the
offensive line they felt I think pretty
good about the wide receiver room puka
and Cooper cup I’m sure they they
thought about adding more guys there to
to atw Demarcus Robinson but you know
what we’ll stick with what we got and
then in the secondary is where they
brought in travius white they brought in
Darius Williams and they brought in uh
cam curl right they they brought in all
their veterans there and they said okay
we the veterans are on the secondary the
young guys will go on the defensive line
and so they’re they’re hoping they’re
hoping that Darius Williams can can can
reach the level of play that he had when
he was last year they’re hoping travius
white can stay healthy and if they miss
on that and they have to have the young
guys again like this secondary was
really really green last season and they
survived you know they they hung in
there they might need to readdress it
next season but this was the one spot
defensive line where they really
couldn’t add anybody uh in March and so
in April it makes sense to double and to
to to qualify I I think I said Murphy I
can’t get Byron Murphy out of my head
because such a great [ __ ] fit fit up
in Seattle I don’t want to talk about
that next but Byron Young’s the guy I’m
talking about the edge guy I just don’t
think he yeah I don’t think he wins a
lot of rushes but I think he’s got great
physical tools and I think you know some
more time in the system he’ll be a lot
better but but to add guys with
different styles of play is really good
okay I think out of all the defensive
guys the first two guys that got picked
really had as good of fits as anybody
latu and Murphy talk to me about those
two selections and how you see them
fitting in those respective defenses
yeah so lot to at 15 to the Colts I love
good clip of Chris Ballard with with
with the nice hair Chris Ballard all
right yeah draft dayce man I did I was
like who is this guy I do I did not know
who it was at first he’s also not
wearing he was wearing just like a
button down he wasn’t wearing team gear
and I was like this could be anyone I’ve
I’ve never met this man before it’s
Chris Balor uh the looks like
Jesse yeah yeah yeah there’s a great
clip of him in the in the war room where
after they take latu he just turns to
the scouts he’s like we’s got the best
[ __ ] rusher in the draft and that and
yeah and they picked for the first
defensive players you better but he is
right latu if you took the the medical
questions out of it I think he would
have been clearly Edge one the entire
process terms the hands in terms of the
effort and using the length getting
around you know softening that outside
corner so you can bend around it like he
is all that in a bag of chips l l is a
high impact player and that’s what they
needed at Edge rusher because last year
the Colts were top five in Team sets it
was UN it was unbelievable they had like
not great Corner play there’s a gust
Bradley defense like where did this come
from and it’s because quiddy pay has
eight sacks and de adango was eight
sacks and Samson Ebon was eight sacks
and DeForest Buckner like tawon Lewis
they just had so many good like B tier
guys who were just producing and and
contributing and it was like you know
everybody all hands on deck all hands in
the kitchen it was it was it was a a
community effort so if you’re going to
add an edge rusher to that there’s no
real you don’t need to add a guy at 80
at 80 overall like he’s he’s just not
GNA really break that rotation you
already have the rotation you need to
add the star piece you need to add the
crown jewel and that’s latu latu is the
potential to be a double digit sack guy
to be the the guy who draws the double
teams and he allows everybody to keep
filling their role so l l to the Colts I
also think latu even if he ends up in 8
to 10 sack he’s going to affect things
around him so much you know like where
quiddy pay is going to fall into eight
sacks he’s the beneficiary right and I I
with all due respect to the guy think
you you put it like their B tier which
is very good rushers in the NFL but you
need but but but I mean this guy even if
his production output isn’t more than a
quiddy pay or like immediately he’s
going to win rushes and force people off
the spot because he’s a he’s a contact
hitter and I mean that like as a as a as
a you know a compliment because you
there’s a lot of guys and I talked about
this last show that they they go for
home runs the whole game they it’s two
three moves this guy is going to have a
different move whatever set you give him
and he’s going to get people off the
spot and he’s going to win a high
percentage rushes so I really like that
and I like the the Murphy fit to me is
awesome because of uh you know I think
of matab and I think of the way he was
used in that defense I can’t wait to
watch yeah Murphy man I’ll never forget
turn on Texas film to watch tandre sweat
cuz he was the name right a big nose
tackle Texas the entire time like who is
this cat
next to what are we talking about and
then Murphy ends up being that round one
player uh yeah if you’re going to if
you’re going to invest in Leonard
Williams right and you’re going to say
okay we want this to be a piece for us
then you also want another defensive
tackle who has some versatility to him
right you need a guy who okay okay we’re
line him up at the three Tech and this
will be good and whatever but when we
want to bump Leonard’s around then we
need to be able to bump the other guy
around we want we we we have to be able
to to kind of mix and match here and the
fact that Murphy can really play tackle
to tackle and succeed because he’s so
weirdly good against the run for a
player of his size he can just sit down
anchor against a double team like a 320
pounder where are you getting this from
he has such weird good strength when he
when he’s when he’s anchoring against
the run it it’s a a force multiplier
again it helps you maximize Leonard
Williams and you get that that good play
the defensive line that all of a sudden
life a little easier for boy MAF it’s a
little bit easier for Derek H Neen nosu
and these other young Edge rushers that
you’re trying to get to work and so
that’s it feels like the Seahawks have
invested a lot in defensive line lately
so like all right why I spend a top 16
pick at defensive tackle because this
might be the guy who completes the set
this might be the guy who who lets
everybody else be maximized in their
roles and all of a sudden lift off on
the Seattle defensive line love the pick
I agree I agree you know that that drop
Target changes when you invest in the
guys inside and I think you know those
two guys outside they have are speed
guys and so it really helps uh I want to
talk about um the the uh the Chargers
draft because speaking of the Chargers
speaking of the Chargers let’s go to
buffal char I I um I don’t I don’t know
that ‘s the best guy in the draft I
think he’s safe um
but I think there might be more talented
guys having said that picking up makoni
in the second I I feel like it’s okay
that they didn’t go receiver early
because they they don’t feel like the
Delta’s that big right and you know I
remember a couple years ago the
Cincinnati example of are we gonna take
pen Su are we gonna take Jamar Chase
they take Jamar Chase everybody’s like
see you don’t have to take a tacle first
well you also can um and I think it’s an
individual case by case basis whether it
works out or not I I think lad makoni
his paint job affected where he was
drafted okay now I I think I think
they’re they had they picked up lad
makoni in the middle of the first
everybody’s like you got your receiver I
think they could end up having their
receiver and a tackle coming out of this
thing and I actually like their draft um
they also drafted a a guy from
Michigan uh Json yeah Coulson in the
what in the in the third thir in the
third so and then seventh round flyers
on receivers which I love yeah you guys
figure it out [ __ ] it figure it out the
most competitive people in the draft
like those people are those receivers
are crazy like you know they they’re
they’re playing for their lives out
there so if you got a guy out there that
you pick in the seventh round he’s going
to be very very motivated so I actually
like their
draft Yeah and and the the Su Chase
theem is always so funny to me because
both like the Lions and the chief and
the Bengals are thrilled with the guys
that they got and they’re and then they
also both like you know the Lions found
their Aman Ro St Brown and the the the
Bengals went and signed their Orlando
Brown and like listen like there’s a lot
of different ways to skin a cat in the
league and and you gotta go when you
draft you have to go for the guys who
you’re GNA fit your culture and fit your
approach and I think in this draft
specifically it was correct for the
Chargers to believe that they were more
likely to be successful going tackle one
wide receiver two and getting a guy in
the second round than going wide
receiver one and Tackle two and getting
a guy at tackle in the second round just
the the speed with which the tackles
went off the board and then wide
receiver it’s always a very deep class
because there’s so many body types there
so many roles there’s so many athletes
and college teams can actually like pass
the football now they couldn’t do this
20 years right so now like these wide
receivers actually developing seven on
seven football they get so many more
reps like that just the there’s just
such a bounty of wide receivers
available uh in round two and round
three and I think in most drafts and so
it to me it feels appropriate to take
the tackle top 10 and and take take the
wide receiver in the second round lad I
think has a a good fit with Justin
Herbert too because lad’s such a timing
guy such a separation guy gets where
he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed
to be there catches everything there’s
nothing Herbert loves than just feeding
that guy and throwing that guy beating
the Zone Defenders and being on time
with everything so the the makon pick
makes sense to me Al is interesting
right uh started at right tackle at
Notre Dame moved to the left I was going
to move back to the right to leave ran
Slater on the left I agree with you
there’s there’s a safety to him I think
that uh you said lad you know the Payton
job affected where he was drafted I
think the I think the shirt affected
where Jo was drafted we sure we sure
like those gold caps um but I I I the
other thing with all that’s weird is he
also like was a high school tight end
like he he recently like you know sized
up to be an offensive tackle so you can
argue there’s there’s development
there’s meat on the bone and I would
hear that too and so I it was such a
talented tackle class in the top 10 top
15 that whoever took the first tackle I
was always going to be like H I don’t
know there’s some other guys right it it
is a very difficult tackle class to pars
all right you mentioned all being the
first the eighth was Tyler gon at 29
then there was a cliff to 55 I really
like giden all right so what are the
chances that he can become one of those
top four of those eight did he belong in
the top eight before The Cliff Dallas at
24 goes to 29 and also picks up 73 which
turns into Cooper BBE but I’ve heard you
know Dallas was the come on do something
Cooper BB not related to Don BBE I think
it’s too early to tell all right yeah I
gon I struggled with gon Chris I think
he have enough Sanders pants I thought
he was it was a little bit light on
still struggle with power I’m not saying
I would Tak high but I like him he’s an
NFL player he’s GNA play a long time
maybe he could be gone next
year welcome to yeah I won’t even
revisit it I was Brian Edwards I’m still
waiting all right so um how do you
consume the draft Ben because we had
Good Vibes watching the draft and then
muscle memory took me Twitter still
going micro like hold on like four times
and then the four times I went to
Twitter I see Jordan Schult tipping a
pick and then Ben Sola commenting about
a pick yeah did you were you did Roger
Goodell tell you the pick before you
knew it at any point on Thursday Roger
tells me a couple weeks out as a matter
exactly drops drops the first couple
around yeah it’s s an email he sends it
uh no I I I the nice thing is I used to
be like when I was doing draft coverage
that was what I did before I did the
ringer it was like all right you’re on a
set like you’re you know you’re covering
all seven rounds so now the draft for me
is I love kicking my feet up I put ESPN
on I’ve NFL Network on the other screen
I’ll be scrolling Twitter if I’m getting
a if I if I see a pick on Twitter it
doesn’t break my heart oh dang it like
go I software was announced crazy and if
I’m you know off Twitter I’m doing
something else I’m writing up grades or
whatever and I’m seeing pic as they come
that’s fun for me too the draft is It’s
s such it’s so much nicer to just be
watching it as a TW our live stream the
other night we were supposed to do a
live stream like five people were like
where’s the live stream I’m like sorry
dude yeah it turns out filling four
hours of the first round with only 32
picks is extremely that’s just it’s a
hard thing to do man if everyone’s
watching ESPN anyway then forget about
it I want to ask you about two trades
and then let you out here but like or
possible trades the Trey Hendrickson
thing uh you know he’s talking about hey
I’d like to be traded and I might retire
which to me is like it’s not really
you’re not helping the negotiation for
yourself there uh but I think Trey would
be really useful for a number of teams
uh do you think something gets done and
then also the same franchise going with
Mims what does that say because they
have two
tackles uh they won’t have them forever
but this kid big developmental piece how
are they going to use him early they
going to play him inside is he just
depth are they going to is it just one
of these things where they know he’s not
ready because he’s raw but eventually
he’s going to be a stud yeah so Trey
Hendrickson I uh I wonder how many NFL
fans know that Trey Hendrickson’s had at
least 13 sacks and three L four years
Henderson dude and and I’ll I’ll be the
first to say when they gain that deal
out of New Orleans I was like you are
outside of your melons what are we
talking about and Trey Anderson made me
e my words uh he’s he’s he’s such a a
A’s such a good player doing what does
well winning with that first step now
like this is this is reliable and so
long as that explosiveness stays he’s
going to stay a double digit sack guy
now I understand why he’s trying to get
out of Cincy why he’s trying to get more
money from Cincy Cincinnati is not ready
for a post Trey Hendrickson world I
would be stunned if they moved Sam
hubard having the injury issues on the
other side of defensive end they drafted
Joseph osai in the third round a few
years ago to to be ready to replace
Hendrickson he’s not there they drafted
miles Mercy in the first round last year
to replace jck kenderson he’s not there
like they are bereft for Edge play but
he yeah he is not I don’t see him
getting out of Cincinnati at all so that
that’s a tricky one to track amarius
Mims firstly loves me in amer smims all
just give me a six fo eight Behemoth who
can run oh goodness gracious and in
Cincinnati they really like those big
tackles right they got Orlando Brown on
the left and Trent Brown on the right
right now they are super sized the Trent
Brown contract is is a one-year deal
right they are saying they wanted to
walk into the draft with okay if we
don’t get a tackle we at least have a
guy who can handle this for us for a
year I think they view Brown as a
one-year rental and there’s also health
concerns with Trent Brown so Mims to me
I think they will on board him at tackle
obviously played right at Georgia but
not a ton of experience so I’m sure
they’ll give him some reps at left as
well in Camp uh and then you’re prepared
for injury to either Orlando or Trent
and I certainly think Mims is who they
plan to be their 25 starter uh at right
tackle and honestly I think that’s the
right approach like this line for them
uh with the amount of injuries that Joe
burrow has had I know like Cincinnati
man you want to go and add to that pass
rush you want to go and prepare for the
T Higgins departure and they did that
last year with some of their picks but
you really need to make sure you protect
Joe because Joe’s getting banged up at
this point early in his career and
that’s that’s the Golden Goose if Joe’s
career ends early because he’s losing
athleticism or he’s getting hurt too
much as ball game so I investing in the
line to me makes sense yeah and also
investing in big bodies because I think
Joe can step up he can navigate the
pocket but one thing he can’t to his is
deal with and nobody can with with some
360 pound guys [ __ ] cleats on his
toes which is how he got hurt last year
trying to throw the ball Orlando got
bowled into him and you know his his
hand lands on I forget who it was I
think it was uh Jonathan grenard it
landed on Orlando because grenard bowled
him back into Joe and I just think was
it was it Clowny was it the Ravens I can
never remember got Hur in Texans game he
got he got hurt in the Tex game he came
out in the Ravens game but when he got
hurt when he moved yeah you know we kind
of had this approve we had we we had the
photos of him coming off the plane right
with the cast so I went back through
that game and it was like early in the
game and Orlando got bowed back into him
his right yeah you zap it it and and and
I was like man they need to figure out a
way I mean I know Orlando’s real big and
everything but they got to anchor
because that’s the one thing he can’t
deal with and nobody can it’s like he’s
got to be able to set his feet and climb
the pocket and you know the one place
you can’t get beat is through you and so
I think it’s a good move for them and I
I love your thinking like on board him
um okay and then the last one is auk
gonna get moved like does the Ricky pel
uh Piel uh picked the kid from Florida
he’s from Florida yeah uh does that
indicate something or does it not uh I
definitely think it indicates that they
are ready for the Post iuk world even if
they don’t one year left on the deal
right and and uh behind him you have
Ronnie Bell and you know John Jennings
but Jennings only has one year left on
the deal and so I think they knew they
needed to be prepared for some of the
the post iuk worlds I think if iuk was
to be moved it was more likely to happen
in the last few days before the draft
and into round one there were a lot of
reports that they were calling a lot in
round one talking about a Debo move
talking about an iuk move the fact that
it didn’t happen to me means it’s it’s
now unlikely to happen man uh brand IU
cost about $28 Million last week and
then Aman rosin Brown signed for 30 and
AJ Brown signed for 32 like brand I
doesn’t cost $28 million anymore that’s
the issue right yeah if they if they if
they couldn’t get close on an extension
before the draft to make auk happy to
keep in San Francisco make the money
right I’m not sure how they get it done
afterwards they really would have to
give a lot of ground so to me I expect
auk to be a Niner in 24 does he show up
to Camp show up in week one we’ll find
out but I expect him to play and then I
think after that you’re looking at the
potential for free agency and Pierce all
stepping into those shoes if you were
John Lynch Mak and Ben and say there was
a way to trade one of the two players
Debo or auk who you trading keep auk I’m
keeping
auk I want to keep Debo it’s tough I’ll
tell you why it’s tough I do think Debo
is more integral to that offense in
terms of the role that he fills is but
in terms of right health and and and and
age and long-term availability yeah you
have to be more worried exactly Debo
like and and that role inherently is a
physical role right you’re handing him
the ball like you are giving him shots
after shots and and uh rapor had a
report about this earlier this week
where he said like they view him Debo as
a bigger key to the offense as more
integral to the offense and that’s true
but that doesn’t mean less replaceable
because he’s kind of the sort of of role
that you have to be willing to have a
guy in the hopper for the fact that at
32 they at 31 they had zier Legette
right 63
2 I just want to I love I love him so
much right you have that that that thick
body type that guy who can who can run
with the football maybe be a Deo
replacement and you have a piol who’s
more of a smooth route Runner separator
the fact that they went for a piol
indicates to me that they kind of view
Debo as as more of the the unmovable
piece so and I get that I could couldn’t
they look at and say hey age and injury
and that sort of thing or whatever they
didn’t like him like they just might not
have liked him I if I was the Niners and
I could wave a magic wand I’d have
traded Deo gotten everything I could for
him paid auk and gone out and got Cordo
Patterson and say Hey you do what Debo
did I don’t care if you’re a poor man’s
Debo just do it because that’s what you
need you need that it’s really Debo is
explosive but it’s the threat of a Debo
and I’m not just talking about the
explosives I’m talking about the threat
of having that Wrinkle In Your offense
to occupy eyes they might not not be the
same amount of like big plays the Debo
might get you but you got to find
somebody to play that role eventually
because the you you play your whole
season and Brock py gets used to running
one kind of offense and then if Debo’s
ding for the Wild Card you could lose
the wild card game if Debo’s ding for
the divisional round you could lose the
divisional round game so to me it’s like
you you you do set yourself up for a
risk and you’re really and you’re trying
what you’re doing is you’re trying to
win a game on Tuesday right by saying
hey like we have this sucker we’ll put
in the back field we jet s and touch you
have to be prepared for all these
constraint plays and all these parts of
the Playbook that just if you’re not
ready for them we will just beat you on
screens screw you so I have to spend a
ton of time dealing with this and that
just puts you on the back foot
defensively if you lose a Debo and
that’s where like with Cordo Patterson
you say okay like you know fit him into
the role there there’s there’s there’s
veracity there there there’s really good
kill yeah then you watch Debo on like an
18 yard dig like adjust to a football
four feet behind him make a catch you go
Oh shoot that’s right he can also do
that that’s makes that stuff’s cool but
maybe the kid from Florida can do it too
we’ll see hey Ben quick two
parter out of here try to try to stay
with me uh it appears that you’ve been
standing for the entirety of this
interview are you seeing any health
benefits from standing and two what are
you drinking from that mason jar yeah
I’m I’m progress yeah the health
benefits I’m becoming more and more like
McAfee every day it’s great I love it
I’m going to start wearing that Baker
wide receiver just he’s standing in
there in the yeah I um no I I like the
standing desk I got um I got like ankle
problems and such and so I I’m supposed
to to stand a lot more and pay attention
to it and so I always use podcast as
good opportunity you see I’ve been like
stretching this whole time I’m always
like you know trying to fiddle around
with a little bit I like the standing
desk I feel like I get I get more energy
when I’m standing I be energetic on the
try he’s got great energy sometimes when
I listen to him I’m like man he’s really
[ __ ] excited but maybe poor ankle
flexion yeah he might have ankle flexion
yeah listen if I would not clear medical
rechecks at the combine all right they
would they’ flag me for for sure uh and
then yeah dude it’s it’s it’s ice coffee
season we got the first like Sunny warm
weather up here in Michigan last couple
of weeks so now every morning I’m my
white girl grind all right I got coffee
going uhhuh yeah with with with h what
do you like it with all the the fixions
I got it’s so milk I’ll be honest white
special sure j z absolutely yeah I don’t
drink regular milk come on
now all right well uh I appreciate the
time Ben um I’m happy for you get to sit
around for a little bit and not do
anything I got the uh I got uh our first
kids coming in a couple weeks and so I’m
not going to be sitting around too much
yes sir yeah yeah yeah so I I’ll be off
fraternity leave so it’s off but it’s
not really off is it he was it plural I
heard plural is it no I think he was
saying my first kid’s coming in a couple
weeks like apostrophy apostrophe sorry
that boy or girl uh we’re having a girl
which I’m real excited about nice and
and if you could if you could your your
future daughter if she becomes a
football fan who do you want her
favorite player to be and then we that’s
a great question I think so I I grew up
an Eagles fan I grew up on like Trotter
but I also grew up on on on Brian
Dawkins Brian Westbrook those are my
guys so if she’s she’s an Eagle fan and
we get like oh dude if Quin and mitchard
Mitchell is like is like a Leo Shepard
or Sheldon brown ah dude I remember
watching those guys in mid 2000s that
was yeah Brown killed stepen Jackson in
the open field my first NFL game I’ll
never forget seeing Stephen Jacks I’ve
told this story before like Ben it’s
like you watch this guy all camp and
he’s just obliterating people and nobody
wants to get in his way in our very
first game we’re down 30 at the link and
Sheldon brown just decapitates him and
he’s not even a star he’s like just a
good player I’m like this is the NFL
yeah um shout out brown I’ll never
forget that brown hit on Jackson and
then doc on algae Crumpler no no knowing
what I know now like I would not have
celebrated that hit maybe as much as I
did but when I was seven or whatever and
I saw that hit I was like that this is
the only thing I want to do for the rest
of my life is just detonate on tight
ends like Brian Dawkins and then you
know uh uh physically I was not able to
achieve that unfortunately but still man
there’s still hope we can develop him um
Ben solak you can catch him uh on the
ring at the ringer you can catch him on
the Philly special podcast and as a
frequent guest on the Bill Simmons
podcast and I know Bill’s probably very
happy like Drake May so uh Ben
appreciate the time and uh we we’ll see
you uh we’ll see you soon yeah
appreciate your fellas thank you
[Music]