1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: We're on radio row Casey Vallee along. I'm Matt Taylor 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: and NFL analyst from Sirius XM. He's the co host 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: of the opening Drive. He's at the Combine all week long, 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: but right now he's getting some well deserved R and R, 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: maybe taking in some lunch here on day two of 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: the Combine. That's Solomon Wilcox's former NFL player and again 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: NFL analyst with us on the phone right now. Solomon, 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: thanks for the time. Welcome back to Andy Man. How 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: are you, Hey, Matt doing great? And it's always good 10 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: to come to Indianapolis. And you know, this is sort 11 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: of a convention right between all the thirty two teams, 12 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: the owners and general managers and coaches and all the 13 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: scouting departments, and we get to great half, great access 14 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: right and have great conversations with people around the league. 15 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: So I'm happy to be on with you. Yeah, no 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: doubt about. I walked by this set a little bit 17 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: earlier yesterday and then again today. You guys are talking 18 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: to a bunch of coaches and gms naturally here at 19 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: the Combine. So what are you tracking? What are the 20 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: big storylines for you? Based on the folks you've been 21 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: able to talk to and have on your airwaves. Well, 22 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: you know, look, there's a lot of teams doing contracts now. 23 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: They're about the approach free agency. They're trying to decide 24 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: whether they're going to use franchise tags. If then you 25 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: got people looking at the draft and they've been successful 26 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: building but still need to add more pieces. Right, if 27 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: you have the charges We talked with Tom tellsco their 28 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 1: general manager this morning. Talk to their head coach Brandon 29 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: Staley yesterday. They've taken an offensive linement each of the 30 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: last two years, and they know they have to protect 31 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: Justin Herbert. You also talked about needing to get him 32 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: under contract, So you've got to be able to multitask 33 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: if you're a general manager in this league. Team building 34 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: is never a completed process. But I gotta tell you, 35 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: the biggest story that broke today is that there's now 36 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: an arrest warrant for one of the top guys on 37 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: the board and Jalen Carter, and so that really has 38 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: kind of knocked us all back on our heels just 39 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: a little bit. And one of the things that you know, 40 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: we talked to you at training camp, you were out 41 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: at Grand Park here and then the twenty twenty two 42 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: season happened for the Colts. When you look back at 43 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: what happened in twenty twenty two, you had all kinds 44 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: of storylines with Indianapolis. How shocked were you at the 45 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: culmination of the season, Oh Man, nothing. I think it 46 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: was one of the biggest stories of twenty twenty two 47 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: in terms of what didn't happen. Remember, we were thinking, 48 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: this is a team that was a quarterback away right, 49 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: that could compete even in a tough AFC environment because 50 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: of the way the roster was built and what Matt 51 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: Ryan was bringing to the table. As it turned out, 52 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: the offensive line had some problems with injuries. They It 53 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: was probably the most disappointing and underperforming group for any 54 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: team I think around the NFL in terms of what 55 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: the expectations were and then what you actually got. And 56 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: then if you would have owed anyone you're gonna put 57 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 1: an aging quarterback like Matt Ryan behind an offensive line 58 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: that's not really good, no one would have predicted success. 59 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: But we thought this line was so much better and 60 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: thought they would perform so much better. So we were 61 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: all expecting a high level of success offensively for the coach, 62 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: but it really never materialized. Now, sticking with that, this 63 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: is an offensive line that most likely is going to 64 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: stay relatively intact heading in as far as contracts go, 65 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: heading into twenty twenty three. Is it fixable? Can you 66 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: see a change from what we saw last year into 67 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: the fall into the upcoming year here in twenty twenty three. Yeah, 68 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I think you're Braydon Smith and Quentin 69 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Nelson and Ryan Kelly. I think those guys, they'll tell 70 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: you that they all can play better and they have 71 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: played better, So I know you love the fact that 72 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: you know those three guys are going to come back. 73 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: Bernard Ryman, who had been a third round pick, underperformed 74 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: but was thrust in the mixed way before he was ready. 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: And I don't even when they drafted him, I didn't 76 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: think they believed he'd be starting games early in September, 77 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: but found himself doing and you and I both know 78 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: he had up and down moments, and then you had 79 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: other injuries across the line that created a domino effect. 80 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: But I think once you can stabilize it and they 81 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: can stay healthy, and I think you'll see some improvements 82 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: across the board. At Solomon Willcotts with a Sirius sex 83 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: m NFL insider. As you know, Solomon, beauty is in 84 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 1: the eye of the beholder. We've talked to a lot 85 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,559 Speaker 1: of people so far this week on Radio Row about 86 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: Bryce Young. And there's people that say, hey, don't worry 87 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: about this guy. He's a playmach or, he'd be started Alabama. 88 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: He's dominating the SEC. He can make off schedule throws. 89 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: And then there's other people that say, I wouldn't touch 90 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: this guy because he's under six foot, he's under two 91 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: hundred pounds. Where are you with Bryce Young's durability and 92 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: his potential to stay available in the National Football League 93 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: in the long term. Well, he's six ft one hundred 94 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 1: and ninety something pound, about two hundred pounds. If you 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 1: look at Drew Brees, what was Drew Brees six feet? 96 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: If you look at a fran Tarkt at six feet, 97 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: there are a lot of quarterbacks who played at six feet. 98 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: Jalen Hurts is right about five to eleven six feet, right, 99 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: And so we've there have been quarterbacks at six feet 100 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: who've been great in our league. And when you look 101 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: at the ability to move around, I think you have 102 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: to be creative offensively. There's no doubt you'd rather have 103 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: a taller guy. But more importantly, you just have that guy. 104 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: You gotta judge Bryce Young and all the characteristics from 105 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: the neck up. His ability to read defens, his ability 106 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: to be calm under pressure, his ability to have this 107 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: poise and leadership qualities. Those are the things that you 108 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: value most in quarterback more than you ever do. Height, Right, 109 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: he's what you like this. He's taller than Kyler Murray 110 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: and so. And we've seen Kyler Murray be success for 111 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: an our league. We've seen him struggle, but not necessarily 112 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: because of his height. Right, you are going to have, 113 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: I think, in Bryce Young, if the coaches were fortunate 114 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: to get him, you're gonna have a guy who could 115 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: be your quarterback in the next ten years. You're gonna 116 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,039 Speaker 1: have a guy who can lead in a locker room, 117 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: a guy who knows how to win games and manage 118 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: moments and not turn ball the ball over. So look, 119 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: I think if nobody's perfect. I remember when Peyton Manning 120 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: was coming. They said he had a weak arm. They 121 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: said he remember all the interceptions as a rookie. People 122 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: were ready, people ready to bail and all you end 123 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: up doing is becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks our 124 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: game has ever seen. So uh, you look, if you 125 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: can dot and check the box that the most important leadership, likability, talent, 126 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: poise under pressure, when chaos is all around you. They 127 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,679 Speaker 1: have the ability to create this calmness in this poise, 128 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: and they have the leadership to have color to create 129 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: comfort behind winds other guys in the locker room of fun. 130 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: Those are the things you want to be paying attention to. Now, 131 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: this is something that you might totally laugh at me 132 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: and I completely understand, but which is asthmats. But one 133 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: of the things I look at. You look at CJ. 134 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: Stroud and Bryce Young, and these guys excelled in probably 135 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: the best conferences in college football and the SEC and 136 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: the Big Ten. Are we too critical of what these 137 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: guys do? I know, they're playing probably the most important 138 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: position in all of sports at the quarterback level, so 139 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: the criticism comes with that territory. But are we too 140 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: critical of some of these guys at this moment? Yeah? 141 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: Because you know why, we have too much time on 142 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: our hands. We're at the combine filling it up. We 143 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: gotta yeah, we gotta fill up shows. We gotta create content. 144 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: We have to keep our listeners and viewers happy. In 145 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: terms of continue to turn over every stone any place 146 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: where there might be a stone, or we have to 147 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: go there. I mean, let's face it, we all that's 148 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: what we're tasked to do. And so you're asking all 149 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: the right questions, and I think what happens is you 150 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: start out high on a guy, then we start to 151 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: critique him so much, we tear him down, and by 152 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: the time we get the draft day, we're high on 153 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: him again. Right. That's the that's the cycle. It's so 154 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: it's quite all right, Um, that's kind of we have 155 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: to these players have to undergo the scrutiny because there's 156 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 1: too much invested in these players without checking every box 157 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: and dotting every eye and crossing every team. No doubt 158 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: about that. He is spitting some wisdom right there. Solomon 159 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: Wilcott's NFL analysts. You hear him on Sirius X sim 160 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: You gotta get up early because he's the co host 161 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: of the opening drive. How long are you in town 162 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: for Salomon in Indianapolis? And what are you guy going 163 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: on the rest of the week In terms of the show, Well, 164 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: we'd be here all week, and you know, we're talking 165 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: with players who are coming through. We talked to them, 166 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: the coaches, and we talk to general managers and really 167 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:04,959 Speaker 1: get a sense for how they want to build a 168 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: team and how they go about the evaluation process through 169 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: through the draft. So we'll be here every morning and 170 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: that of course through Saturday morning, and then head back. 171 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: I get to head back home after, you know, coming 172 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: off vacation that I came here so at a boy, 173 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: I'm telling you, the NFL calendar just keeps turning. But 174 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: we love it. We love it, and I love the 175 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: day to day coverage on our league. It's nothing better 176 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: going guys, nothing better, no doubt about that. Always appreciate 177 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: your time, Solomon, Enjoy the rest of your stay here 178 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: in the Circle City. Safe travels back to Cincinnati, and 179 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: I hope we can do it again soon. Always appreciate it, 180 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: Appreciate you guys, Thank you for having me on