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Speaker 1: Welcome to the ottbs. That might keep joined by Amy Wells,

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Speaker 1: who would just arrived back from Tusca Loosa, where she

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Speaker 1: has been at Alabama's pro day, which was on Wednesday.

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Speaker 1: Why does Alabama do their pro day forty eight hours

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Speaker 1: after the NFL combined ends. It feels early, right, sure,

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Speaker 1: But there are a couple of theories. Number one is,

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Speaker 1: presumably these guys are in the best shape of maybe

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Speaker 1: their lives, and instead of having to wait a couple

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Speaker 1: of weeks, maintain that they're already good to go. So

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Speaker 1: if anyone is not happy with their combine performance, anyone

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Speaker 1: didn't have the opportunity to perform at the combine, they

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Speaker 1: can just do it right then boom yeah. Number two

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Speaker 1: another theory is that it gets it out of the way.

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Speaker 1: So spring break is coming up, spring ball is coming up.

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Speaker 1: Most important exactly, That's what Nick Saban really cares about,

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Speaker 1: is the upcoming football season. This gets everyone out of

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Speaker 1: the way. They have their facilities. All thoughts are on

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Speaker 1: the twenty eighteen season. Nobody's worried about preparing for a

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Speaker 1: pro day, all right, give me a couple of quick

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Speaker 1: thoughts about what you saw at Alabama's pro day that

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Speaker 1: jumped out to you. I saw that a lot of

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Speaker 1: guys were not working out. There were a lot of

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Speaker 1: people who were there for meetings, not a ton of

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Speaker 1: people who were participating in drills. There were six guys

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Speaker 1: who ran or did bench press or things like that.

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Speaker 1: Only thirteen guys who went through workouts at all, and

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Speaker 1: a lot of them were doing individual work with specific

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Speaker 1: teams who were interested in that specific position. A couple

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Speaker 1: of guys who stood out to me. DeShawn hand is

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Speaker 1: incredibly athletic for his size alignment. Yeah, the guy's six

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Speaker 1: four two ninety seven, but is very fit and he

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Speaker 1: moves past I was impressed by him. I was also

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Speaker 1: impressed by linebacker Rashaun Evans. He is a violent player,

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Speaker 1: I think is the best way that I can describe

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Speaker 1: the way that he moves. They told him to hit

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Speaker 1: like any sort of tackling dummy or anything, and he

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Speaker 1: just barreled over those things. It was incredible to watch.

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Speaker 1: So those are the guys that kind of stuck out

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Speaker 1: to me. And then probably the reason that I was

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Speaker 1: so focused on defensive players is because Mike Vrabel got

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Speaker 1: in there and was working out with these guys. I'm sure,

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Speaker 1: a lot of people have seen on Twitter the videos

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Speaker 1: and the pictures of him with the pads on his arms,

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Speaker 1: and he was wailing on people. I'm excited to see

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Speaker 1: Mike Vrabel work out with his own players, because if

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Speaker 1: it's anything like the way he works out with strangers,

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be pretty awesome. Good stuff, Yeah, good stuff

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Speaker 1: from Tuscaloosa. From here, free agency is in our direct view.

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Speaker 1: Starts next Wednesday at three pm Central time. We thought

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Speaker 1: this would be a great time to look at the

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Speaker 1: AFC South, a division that figures to be a huge

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Speaker 1: player in what happens because there is big time salarycap

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Speaker 1: room within this division. We think three of the top

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Speaker 1: eight teams in the NFL inevailable salarycap room or in

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Speaker 1: the AFC South. So we're gonna look around the division,

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Speaker 1: visiting with three of the very best for their preview.

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Speaker 1: Aaron Wilson from the Houston Chronicle, Stephen Holder, Indianapolis Star,

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Speaker 1: Ryan O'Halleran with the Florida Times Union. We enjoyed talking

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Speaker 1: with them at the combine, and we hope you'll enjoy

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Speaker 1: their thoughts as well. But first we take a look

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Speaker 1: at your Tennessee Titans with our guy Titans Online dot

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Speaker 1: Com senior writer editor Jim Wyatt. All right, Jimmy, Titans

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Speaker 1: let four guys go at the end of the week.

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Speaker 1: Eric Weems is one. Backup quarterback, Matt Castle is another

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Speaker 1: backup safety, de Noora Cercy the third, but the one

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Speaker 1: that came earliest and the one that was the big

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Speaker 1: news of the week, DeMarco Murray to be released do

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Speaker 1: a six million dollar plus salary coming off an injury

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Speaker 1: riddled twenty seventeen average just three six a carry. I

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Speaker 1: don't think anybody's really surprised by this. Still, John Robinson

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Speaker 1: went out of his way to handle the release with

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Speaker 1: as much class as possible, because the respect for DeMarco

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Speaker 1: Murray is immense here at St. Thomas Sports Park. Jim,

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Speaker 1: you have a unique perspective on Titans players because you

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Speaker 1: work for the team. You see them in the locker room,

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Speaker 1: the training room, the cafeteria, the halls, etc. Having seen

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Speaker 1: DeMarco Murray in action both on and off the field, why,

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Speaker 1: in your opinion, did this guy garners so much respect?

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Speaker 1: He's just a true pro. I mean, we've both seen

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Speaker 1: a ton of free agents coming here, some of them

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Speaker 1: work out some of them, don't you know. That's a

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Speaker 1: tricky thing about Free eight when you signed Free eight

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Speaker 1: is you don't know exactly what you're gonna get, you know.

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Speaker 1: There are a lot of questions about DeMarco Murray when

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Speaker 1: he came from Philadelphia, just about his personality, how he

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Speaker 1: would fit in. He he was an ultimate pro here

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Speaker 1: just the way he handled himself. He's part of the

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Speaker 1: reason the locker room culture started to change. I'll never

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Speaker 1: forget his first training camp out there, and he was

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Speaker 1: he would kind of point guys, not only a point

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Speaker 1: in the right direction, but he would be critical of

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Speaker 1: him if he saw they weren't doing things the right way.

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Speaker 1: I still remember him talking to some of the young

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Speaker 1: receivers saying, hey, Dez Bryant used to do things like this.

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Speaker 1: I think initially some guys were thinking, Hey, what's this

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Speaker 1: guy doing trying to tell me how to do my job.

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Speaker 1: But if you watched him work, you washed how you

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Speaker 1: handled himself. You had to respect him, and I think

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Speaker 1: guys kind of fell in line. Was just him, but

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Speaker 1: he was a big part of it, and he was

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Speaker 1: out here working on Tuesdays. He put the extra time

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Speaker 1: in to try to get himself fred to play. Even

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Speaker 1: when he was hurt, he wanted to play. He was

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Speaker 1: a great pro Why here with the Titans. You know,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned the culture change, and obviously there's no question

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Speaker 1: to Marco Murray was a huge part of the whole

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Speaker 1: turnaround for this Titans organization. But he was also a

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Speaker 1: huge part of John Robinson establishing himself as a general manager.

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Speaker 1: That meant business. I mean, this trade happens pretty soon

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Speaker 1: after his introductory press conference. He's saying, Hey, we're gonna

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Speaker 1: be making a splash. We're not afraid. Oh, by the way,

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Speaker 1: I made this trade for DeMarco Murray. Who for Titans fans,

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Speaker 1: they know who DeMarco Murray is. They know that he's

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Speaker 1: a productive player. They know that this is a big deal.

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Speaker 1: And so that kind of not only put this Titans

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Speaker 1: organization on the map, but put John Robinson on the

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Speaker 1: map as a guy who knows what he's doing as

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Speaker 1: a brand new general manager. Yeah, and some people say, well,

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Speaker 1: you know, you trade to for him and he only

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Speaker 1: got two years out of him. He did what John

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Speaker 1: Robinson wanted him to do, and that again that's helped

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Speaker 1: change the Coultry had a tremendous first year here in

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Speaker 1: twenty sixteen when he went to the Pro Bowl. You know, again,

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Speaker 1: John Robinson made a smart move and drafting Derrick Henry

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Speaker 1: when he did, that's a move with a lot of

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Speaker 1: people question what you're doing drafting Derrick Henry when you've

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Speaker 1: got DeMarco Murray. Well this is why you drafted Dereck

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Speaker 1: Kenry because now he gets an opportunity. But Murray, you know,

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Speaker 1: just again go back to Hyahnding himself and how guys

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Speaker 1: fell alive. He had a different personality. I mean, he

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Speaker 1: wasn't surly, but but he sometimes you had to h

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Speaker 1: kind of tread lightly when your head headed toward his locker.

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Speaker 1: Because he was a serious guy. That didn't doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: he didn't have fun. I mean, we all know he's

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Speaker 1: he was the DJ on the plane on the way

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Speaker 1: back from games. He kind of let guys know when

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Speaker 1: it's time to be serious and when it's time to

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Speaker 1: have fun. And after big wins, he'd get the tunes cranking,

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Speaker 1: uh sometimes not too far behind us on the plane

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Speaker 1: and let guys know, hey, you earned this time. Let's

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Speaker 1: celebrate a little bit. Tone center. Yes, I think that's

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Speaker 1: exactly what you're saying in your comment. The other thing too.

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Speaker 1: Let's go back to John Robinson for a second. He

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Speaker 1: gives him the contract extension to leave Philadelphia as part

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Speaker 1: of the trade, which cost the Titans what thirteen spots

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Speaker 1: fourteen spots in the fourth round something they changed spots

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Speaker 1: with Philadelphia, But the contract set up where he is

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Speaker 1: being let go and he's no dead money against the calf.

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Speaker 1: The contract was always set up to basically be a

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Speaker 1: two year deal. And as the Titans let these players go,

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Speaker 1: as they let Seracy go, Wams go, Castle go, and

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Speaker 1: Murray go, almost no dead money used up in making

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Speaker 1: those decisions. As the Titans take their salary cap available

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Speaker 1: number over fifty million dollars. Yeah, and all these guys

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Speaker 1: are kind of going at a time when they have players.

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Speaker 1: You know, they'll have to find another backup to take

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Speaker 1: Mike Castle's place, and that'll come either in free agency,

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Speaker 1: that will come in the draft. But the pieces are

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Speaker 1: in place. You know that this team has, you know,

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Speaker 1: good depth safety. You'll continue to build on that. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: Johnathan ciprian side last offseason, Kevin Byard a Pro Bowl safe.

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Speaker 1: You're Brendan Trowick, you know, certainly depth and they need

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Speaker 1: to add more there. But John Robins has done a

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Speaker 1: really good job. And where you'll look around the league

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Speaker 1: and see some teams taken big hits when they release

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Speaker 1: players with the dead money, that's not happening here. I

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Speaker 1: want to say again, the Titans as we have it

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Speaker 1: now back over fifty million dollars in available salary cap

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Speaker 1: room with the four departures. We don't know the exact

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Speaker 1: number because honestly, this has just happened and we haven't

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Speaker 1: had a chance to put it all together. And remember

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Speaker 1: it's hard. Math is hard. Remember that when the league

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Speaker 1: gear starts next week, you must be under the one

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Speaker 1: hundred and seventy seven million dollars salary cap for your

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Speaker 1: top fifty one salaries. Now, that form of the salary

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Speaker 1: cap runs almost six months really until the preseason ends,

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Speaker 1: and at that point all fifty three salaries, practice, squad

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Speaker 1: any other dollars start to count against the cap. So

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Speaker 1: the Titans are obviously in good shape. Oh, absolutely they are.

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Speaker 1: But I want to talk about specific positions because I'm

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Speaker 1: not good at numbers, and I still want to participate

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Speaker 1: in the conversation on a Slee. The Tesse Titans are

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Speaker 1: going to need another running back, they just are Jim,

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Speaker 1: do you think we get that in free agency? Do

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Speaker 1: you think we get that in the draft? Do we

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Speaker 1: maybe try and get one in both spots? Maybe both,

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Speaker 1: But I've had a bet on it. I'd probably say

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Speaker 1: the draft, just because you look at success that the

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Speaker 1: teams have had getting players in the draft and having

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Speaker 1: having them be productive. Eardy. The running back spots different

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Speaker 1: than receiver where it takes guys a couple of years

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Speaker 1: to kind of get comfortable and be productive. In the NFL,

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Speaker 1: you're seeing young bikes make a big impact early. And

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Speaker 1: uh so I don't know that, you know, free agency,

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Speaker 1: uh there's a guy that you want to take on

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Speaker 1: that's that's a couple of years into his career. Maybe,

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Speaker 1: you know, maybe it could happen. But I think this

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Speaker 1: team likes David Flewellen. I think that's what we're going

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Speaker 1: to find out, is how much they liked David Flewellen.

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Speaker 1: We know, we know Sylvestra Kroom liked him. We know

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Speaker 1: you know certainly that Mike mclarkey liked him. But I

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Speaker 1: know Mike Rabel and talking about the running backs, of

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Speaker 1: the combine mentioned Flewellen. I know John Robinson has raised

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Speaker 1: him before, so I think flew Ellen's presence here will

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Speaker 1: cause a team to pick one in the draft. But

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Speaker 1: we'll see if something has before there's a tremendous market

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Speaker 1: in the draft. We know that there are some available

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Speaker 1: players in free agency who would make sense. I don't

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Speaker 1: think that's a surprise if the Titans go there. But

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Speaker 1: amy to every person with whom we spoke about the draft,

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Speaker 1: running backs, running backs, running backs, the feeling is you're

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Speaker 1: going to be able to get one, not just in

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Speaker 1: the draft, but as an undrafted rookie as well well.

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Speaker 1: Consistently in the draft you talk about, running backs always

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Speaker 1: seem to fall and you seem to get good players

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Speaker 1: in later rounds than you would ever suspect that you would,

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Speaker 1: and obviously some undrafted free agents as well. So there

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Speaker 1: will for sure be people who I'm sure the team

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Speaker 1: can get. But I think, let's see. If I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: turn to quarterback, the feeling I have is they're gonna

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Speaker 1: go get a veteran. Right now, they have Marcus Mariota

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Speaker 1: under contract, they have Alex Tandy under contract. If Tyler

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Speaker 1: Ferguson under contract. Brandon Weedon, who was here for a

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Speaker 1: good bit of last year, is an unrestricted free agent.

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Speaker 1: They could resign him. But when you look at this

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Speaker 1: veteran quarterback market, it looks great for potential backups. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and the thing is is you know who your starter is.

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Speaker 1: Now you just want to kind of groom a guy

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Speaker 1: that's closer to maybe what Marcus Mariota is. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think that's one of the things with Castle. Obviously

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Speaker 1: he's been a league thirteen years, you know, thirty five

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Speaker 1: years old. You know they need to get younger at

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Speaker 1: that position. But also I don't know that he's necessarily

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Speaker 1: a system fit. And I've wonder about Weedon, you know,

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Speaker 1: projecting whether you know or maybe what happens with him.

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Speaker 1: So now I think maybe you find a guy who

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Speaker 1: is closer to what you want to do on offense,

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Speaker 1: and maybe maybe it's a little bit more like Marcus Mariota. Well,

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Speaker 1: is there an argument to be made with that idea

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Speaker 1: that you're looking for someone to fit a specific system

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Speaker 1: and Marcus's system, that you maybe get a guy that's

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Speaker 1: in the draft, someone who falls to the later round.

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Speaker 1: Bringing a young guys could you both room up. If

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Speaker 1: you do both, then you're committing yourself to having three

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks on the roster. And I'm not saying this team

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Speaker 1: won't do that, but I think if you do draft

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Speaker 1: one and you have a veteran, you know, you want

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Speaker 1: to get both those guys up to speed in camp

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Speaker 1: and during the qurth off season, So I think it

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Speaker 1: would make it tougher to part ways with one of

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Speaker 1: them come September. That's a really great point. And it's

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Speaker 1: also interesting too because being that we had been with

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Speaker 1: Mike Malarkey and that staff for a couple of years,

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Speaker 1: we sort of understood how his roster might break down,

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Speaker 1: that they might give Dick Lebau a few more defensive

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Speaker 1: backs on the roster generally twenty five on offense, twenty

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Speaker 1: five on defense, three specialists, and you know, the Titans

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Speaker 1: would vary that sum. They might go twenty three and

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Speaker 1: twenty three on offense, twenty seven on defense. Whatever. We

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Speaker 1: don't really know how Mike Vrabel and his staff are

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Speaker 1: going to utilize personnel to what they may need. So

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Speaker 1: that's going to be something we absolutely have to watch,

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Speaker 1: which is why keeping three quarterbacks is a real question. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and I am curiously how it plays out with those two.

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Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, the more you can do, I mean,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna want to have guys who can You know.

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Speaker 1: The thing about Weems is he was a you know,

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Speaker 1: he was a good special teams player. Maybe it wasn't

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Speaker 1: great in his time here. Certainly had better seasons during

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Speaker 1: his NFL career, but that's pretty much all he could do.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he caught one pass for five yards during

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Speaker 1: his time here. They need guys that can help you

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Speaker 1: at receiver and on special teams. I mean, you're gonna

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Speaker 1: have to show some value to stay on this roster.

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Speaker 1: Titans right now have six wide receivers under contract, Richard Matthews,

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Speaker 1: Corey Davis, Darius Jennings, Taj Sharpe, tay One Taylor, and

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Speaker 1: Zach Pascal. So I think it's pretty clear. I shouldn't

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Speaker 1: say that. I don't know what John Robinson's thinking, but

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Speaker 1: it seems from looking at the numbers that go getting

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Speaker 1: a veteran or veterans in free agency at wide receiver

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Speaker 1: would make a lot of sense for the Titans. Agree,

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Speaker 1: disagree in my off base, Oh, I absolutely agree. I

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Speaker 1: think that you see a lot of young talent in

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Speaker 1: this group of six right now. I mean Richard is

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Speaker 1: kind of the old guy in the room. All of

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Speaker 1: a sudden, I think you need another veteran who, if

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Speaker 1: nothing else, can be the guy that is kind of

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Speaker 1: a Harry Douglas type who helps guys along, who helps

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Speaker 1: them learn the system, who helps them establish those kind

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Speaker 1: of professional habits. And obviously Richard can do that, but

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Speaker 1: Richard is also a big impact player on the field.

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Speaker 1: So you need someone else that I think can do

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Speaker 1: a little bit of both. Yeah, and this is one

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Speaker 1: where I can see you know one coming in three

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Speaker 1: eighty one coming in the draft. But this team has

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Speaker 1: used I mean I get on Twitter a lot of times,

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Speaker 1: you know who's this team needs to go out and

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Speaker 1: get a number one receiver. I still think Corey Davis

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Speaker 1: can be a number one receiver. I think Richard Matthews

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Speaker 1: has proven that he can be very productive. This team

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Speaker 1: has some young talent in Taylor and Sharp, you know,

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Speaker 1: addition to in addition to Davis, I think a veteran

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Speaker 1: added to the group would certainly help. But I think

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Speaker 1: it's it's a draft where you can get a guy

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Speaker 1: you know, you know third day that you can continue

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Speaker 1: to groom as well. That maybe gives you a little

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Speaker 1: bit of something different. The other reason that a veteran

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Speaker 1: would make a lot of sense in free agencies because

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Speaker 1: Richard Matthews is going into the last year of his

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Speaker 1: three year deal with the Titans. Yep, so, uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: he has been a solid pro during his time here.

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Speaker 1: But uh, you know, this is uh, this is a

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Speaker 1: time where I'm curious see how John Robinson approaches this

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Speaker 1: because he's got cap room. He's also proven he's not

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Speaker 1: afraid to make a trade. I'm not suggested he's making

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Speaker 1: a trade for a receiver, just saying he'll he'll explore

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Speaker 1: every avenue that's out there. And remember, the Titans have

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Speaker 1: the first pick of the draft for them at number

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Speaker 1: twenty five. Their final pick comes at one ninety nine.

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Speaker 1: They have six draft picks overall, do not have a

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Speaker 1: seventh round pick because they traded with Kansas City for

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Speaker 1: day Vid King. Staying on offense for just a minute,

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Speaker 1: what are the Titans going to do it? Guard? I

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Speaker 1: think they're gonna try to get something worked out with

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Speaker 1: Josh Klein and you know, and obviously they've got Quentin Spain,

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Speaker 1: who's a restricted free agent since he was undrafted. I mean,

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Speaker 1: it makes a little bit trickier with him and trying

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Speaker 1: to to keep him, but if another team comes after him.

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Speaker 1: But I think that's another spot where it happens no

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Speaker 1: matter what happens with Klein, I mean, because Brian Swinky

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Speaker 1: his contract is up as well. I think that one's

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Speaker 1: is addressed. In free agency and the draft, we saw

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Speaker 1: that group, I guess take a little bit of a

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Speaker 1: step backwards in twenty seventeen, but still a solid offensive line.

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Speaker 1: Do you do the best that you can to try

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Speaker 1: and keep those guys intact because chemistry is such a

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Speaker 1: big part of that position and then being successful. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean I think, you know, I look at him,

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Speaker 1: I know there's uh, you know, Lawan obviously going to

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Speaker 1: be back. Jack Conklin is going to be back as

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Speaker 1: a matter of yeah, when he's gonna be physically ready

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Speaker 1: to go. I think Ben Jones is a fit for

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Speaker 1: this offense moving forward again, I think Klein is a

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Speaker 1: fit in the new what's going to be asked of

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Speaker 1: him in a new scheme, But I think some pieces

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Speaker 1: will be at it. You know, you don't want to

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Speaker 1: have a complete overhaul, but I think you want to

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Speaker 1: keep some of those players because they're good players. If

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Speaker 1: you study the depth chart. The other position that really

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Speaker 1: jumps out to you is linebacker. Inside linebacker. Wesley Woodyard,

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Speaker 1: Nate Palmer, Darren Bates, Jayon Brown. Four players under contract

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Speaker 1: for two starting spots, and jay On is the nickel.

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Speaker 1: He's about two hundred and eighteen pounds. So is he

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Speaker 1: an every down inside linebacker That's yet to be determined.

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Speaker 1: Avery Williamson is an unrestricted free agent. One way or

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Speaker 1: the other. The Titans are gonna have to look into

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Speaker 1: what's going on an inside linebacker in the upcoming free

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Speaker 1: agency period and where the draft. Yeah, and I think,

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Speaker 1: you know, I'm curious myself to at Avery's market is

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Speaker 1: going to be or if he hits the market. That's

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Speaker 1: the thing about him, as I've seen a number of

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Speaker 1: teams linked to Avery about how he would be a

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Speaker 1: good fit there. Uh, you know, the what used to

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Speaker 1: be the tamping period, what used to be illegal, is

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Speaker 1: that having conversation lead him to free ac Now it's

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Speaker 1: it's fair game. It's the legal tampering period now. So

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Speaker 1: he'll get an idea the early part of next week

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Speaker 1: on what his market is going to be. He grew

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Speaker 1: up in West Tennessee. We all know that he loves,

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Speaker 1: you know, playing for the Titans. He loves being close

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Speaker 1: enough for his dad and his family can come and

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Speaker 1: see him play at Nisans dat him on Sundays. He

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Speaker 1: went to University Kentucky. You know, he wants to be

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Speaker 1: in this region of the country, but it doesn't always

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Speaker 1: work out that way, you know. So I'm sure that

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Speaker 1: John Robinson, Mike Vrabel, you know Van Marino who works

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Speaker 1: the contracts, they have an idea of maybe what the

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Speaker 1: range will be for him, and I I think they'll

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Speaker 1: try to make it work. But he's also earned the

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Speaker 1: right to test the waters as well, and that's one

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Speaker 1: I'm going to have to see how that plays out.

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Speaker 1: And depend on what happens with him, that office is

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Speaker 1: going to affect where the team goes in free agency.

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Speaker 1: Avery has definitely earned the right. I hope he does

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Speaker 1: not take it. I would be I would be very

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Speaker 1: sad just from there are guys in the locker room

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Speaker 1: they're super easy to work with. Avery Williamson is one

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Speaker 1: of those, So for me, I would be very sad.

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Speaker 1: But also looking at this list, you've got some older

390
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Speaker 1: fellas at this spot. Wesley Woodyard is not a young

391
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Speaker 1: guy anymore. He had a great year last year, best

392
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Speaker 1: year of his career, but it was also your ten

393
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Speaker 1: for him. That's a long time. Nate Palmer is not

394
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Speaker 1: as young as he once was. Darren Bates is younger

395
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Speaker 1: but is not super young. So Avery is a guy

396
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Speaker 1: who has experience, has been successful, but also has a

397
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Speaker 1: lot of years in front of him. It's true, but

398
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Speaker 1: it's a position inside livebacker is also a position where

399
00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:08,320
Speaker 1: guys normally fall in the draft. It is devalued because

400
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Speaker 1: normally one of those spots only plays two downs and

401
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,720
Speaker 1: if you're playing a passing team, that player won't play

402
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Speaker 1: fifty percent of the snaps in a game. So it's

403
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,080
Speaker 1: very specialized. Do you want to tie up a good

404
00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,120
Speaker 1: bit of money there? And that's that's gonna be some

405
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,960
Speaker 1: of the concern because listen, Titans are gonna have to

406
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Speaker 1: go out and get safety depth. I mean, you look

407
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,920
Speaker 1: at where they are at safety. They got Byrd and

408
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Speaker 1: Ciprian and that's great. After that, it's Curtis Riley who's

409
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,679
Speaker 1: a converted corner and it's not a bad player. Brendan

410
00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,199
Speaker 1: Trowick who can play safety, but he's more of a

411
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Speaker 1: special teams player. Kaalen Reid has occasionally played safety. Denzel

412
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,600
Speaker 1: Johnson was an undrafted a year ago out of TCU.

413
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Speaker 1: I mean they're gonna have to replace Sercy, Yeah, I

414
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Speaker 1: would agree with that, But I think that's a good

415
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,919
Speaker 1: thing heading into this offseason. We've been around here, you know,

416
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Speaker 1: at times where you're you're looking to fill four or

417
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:05,480
Speaker 1: five starter spots and wait, thanks play out with Client

418
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Speaker 1: as we talked about and Avery as we talked about it,

419
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Speaker 1: and we got to see what it has with Dekwon

420
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: Jones as well, another guy whose schedule being ownerstrict for

421
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Speaker 1: free agent. But for the most part, you're looking for depth,

422
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Speaker 1: and I think that's the case. It's safety. I think

423
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Speaker 1: it could be at linebicker again, depending on what happens

424
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Speaker 1: with Avery. Some good inside linebikers in this draft, some

425
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,320
Speaker 1: guys who will get after you, some guys who are

426
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,440
Speaker 1: potential three down linebickers, some guys who people around here

427
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:38,400
Speaker 1: familiar with from the days in the SEC. So free

428
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,560
Speaker 1: agent is going to dictate maybe what happens in some

429
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:44,440
Speaker 1: of these cases and where they're filled. The Titans moves

430
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:49,720
Speaker 1: in letting go of Castle, Weems, Murray, and Searcy, probably

431
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,159
Speaker 1: more moves than we thought the Titans would make, and

432
00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,760
Speaker 1: probably ensuring that the Titans are going to be really

433
00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,960
Speaker 1: active in free agency. Now. I'm not saying they're gonna

434
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,200
Speaker 1: try to sign the biggest money guys, and maybe they will,

435
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,440
Speaker 1: but I think they're gonna have a lot of guys

436
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:08,159
Speaker 1: in and out of seeing time of Sports Park and

437
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,840
Speaker 1: have a lot of discussion. Yeah, I would agree with that,

438
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,920
Speaker 1: And I mean we've been around here before where these

439
00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,200
Speaker 1: moves had to be made to get under the cap.

440
00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,200
Speaker 1: That's not the case this year. I mean, these guys

441
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,920
Speaker 1: are either not a good fit or if they're done

442
00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,240
Speaker 1: for financial reasons, but they do create holes that you're

443
00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,120
Speaker 1: gonna want to fill. And you're gonna want to see

444
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:31,000
Speaker 1: these guys in the camps that start in April. You're

445
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000
Speaker 1: gonna want to see them, you know, compete in the

446
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,320
Speaker 1: veteran many camps to be here throughout the OTAs. It's

447
00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,240
Speaker 1: not gonna be spotting to say you're gonna want to

448
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,560
Speaker 1: wait till closure the season to fill. You want to

449
00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,480
Speaker 1: get these guys in here and get them acclimated to

450
00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:46,800
Speaker 1: a new system and a coaching staff and John Robinson

451
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:48,960
Speaker 1: was even though some of the players that were signed

452
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,639
Speaker 1: Eardy in free AHA last year were necessarily big money guys,

453
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 1: but he was very active early on and finding specific

454
00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,240
Speaker 1: needs and filling them. And last year early the early

455
00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:03,199
Speaker 1: concerns were to address special teams. I have a question

456
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:05,600
Speaker 1: for the both of you, and I genuinely don't know

457
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,719
Speaker 1: the answer. The Titans have some big ticket things on

458
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,719
Speaker 1: the horizon. Taylor the One's contract will be up, Marcus

459
00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,000
Speaker 1: Mariota's contract is going to be up. These are coming

460
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,560
Speaker 1: up in years to come. Do you think that knowing

461
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,960
Speaker 1: those things are looming impacts free agency and the way

462
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,120
Speaker 1: that money is allocated this year? I don't think there's

463
00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,440
Speaker 1: any question. Yeah, I mean I think so. I mean

464
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,399
Speaker 1: I think that has something to do with it. And

465
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,879
Speaker 1: I'll go back to what John Robinson said to you

466
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:35,720
Speaker 1: with the season ticket member event last month, when you

467
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,160
Speaker 1: kind of ask them, why not go Bob Barker style

468
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,840
Speaker 1: and spend all the money? You know, people ask us that,

469
00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,439
Speaker 1: all of us. They ask us all the time. You

470
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,919
Speaker 1: got fifty million dollars, why don't you spend it? Yeah,

471
00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:48,520
Speaker 1: so you don't do it, like John said, is because

472
00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,600
Speaker 1: of you know, a situation because of Marcus looming, and

473
00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,320
Speaker 1: because of Taylor, of one's contract situation looming, and because

474
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,240
Speaker 1: you want to keep some options open if somebody becomes

475
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,720
Speaker 1: available that you you don't know it's going to be available,

476
00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:03,480
Speaker 1: so you can have money to make a trade. So

477
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,000
Speaker 1: I think all of those things fact reren. I mean,

478
00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,280
Speaker 1: there's might have spend. You can still be pretty aggressive

479
00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:12,400
Speaker 1: and free age still make a big splash, but you've

480
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,000
Speaker 1: got to. But you also realize some big things are

481
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,840
Speaker 1: on the horizon. Good question, Thank Jim White, thank you

482
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,320
Speaker 1: so much, appreciate it. How will the other AFC South

483
00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:24,399
Speaker 1: teams approach free agency? Well, we visited with three great

484
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,320
Speaker 1: reporters from the AFC South while we were at the combine,

485
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,440
Speaker 1: got updates on the Texans, Colton Jaguars. Now I'm gonna

486
00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,159
Speaker 1: warn you some of the salary capped numbers that we

487
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:37,520
Speaker 1: talk about might be slightly different as teams have resigned players,

488
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,639
Speaker 1: extended players, cut players. But this conversation will give you

489
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,479
Speaker 1: a general idea of really what to expect from the

490
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,439
Speaker 1: Titans rivals as free agency begins next week. Let's take

491
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:53,960
Speaker 1: them at alphabetical order. That means Houston opens. Aaron Wilson

492
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,919
Speaker 1: covers the Houston Texans for the Houston Chronicle. Welcome to

493
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,800
Speaker 1: the Official Titans Podcast. Thanks to be on it. All right,

494
00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,520
Speaker 1: let's go through the statistics about the Texans. We have

495
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,560
Speaker 1: them at approximately sixty six million dollars under the cap.

496
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,760
Speaker 1: Reasonably accurate, yes, very reasonably accurate. They have positioned themselves

497
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,600
Speaker 1: to be an aggressive player in free agency, all right,

498
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,520
Speaker 1: and draftwise eight overall picks, but none until round three

499
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:24,120
Speaker 1: when the Texans have three third round selections. Yeah, thanks

500
00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,840
Speaker 1: to the A. J. Boyer not getting him back in

501
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,199
Speaker 1: free agency. They are being compensated with that. It was

502
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,240
Speaker 1: a giant contract, five year, sixty seven and a half million.

503
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,240
Speaker 1: Then he made the Pro Bowl, so they definitely earned

504
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,200
Speaker 1: that third round compensatory. The unfortunate thing for them just

505
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,240
Speaker 1: not having that ammunition and what looks like a pretty

506
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,200
Speaker 1: good draft not having a first round or second round

507
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,880
Speaker 1: pick because they traded twice with the Browns last year,

508
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,400
Speaker 1: once with Brock Hoswall or sending him there and then

509
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,720
Speaker 1: unloading that bad contract and then acquiring Deshaun Watson. I

510
00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,560
Speaker 1: would say getting Deshaun Watson quite worthwhile. But yeah, they

511
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,320
Speaker 1: just don't have this year. They don't have that kind

512
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,520
Speaker 1: of flexibility. Aaron, You've already alluded to the fact that

513
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,560
Speaker 1: they will be aggressive players when free agency starts on

514
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:12,359
Speaker 1: March of the fourteenth. What positions were spots overall? Do

515
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,640
Speaker 1: you think they attack when free agency begins? Offensive line, secondary,

516
00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,159
Speaker 1: and then to a lesser extent, the tight end position,

517
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,199
Speaker 1: And that's where they're going to be more of a

518
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,320
Speaker 1: budget but they may have to set the offensive line market.

519
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:27,560
Speaker 1: When you look at their offensive line, it's very deficient

520
00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,960
Speaker 1: because they only have one guy, Nick Martin, who's coming

521
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,520
Speaker 1: off ankle surgery that I think would start for the

522
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:37,639
Speaker 1: other teams. When you look at their guard situation, Jeff

523
00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,080
Speaker 1: Allen Xeber Swellfield as a free agent hasn't really lived

524
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:42,920
Speaker 1: up to the promise of being a second round pick.

525
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,040
Speaker 1: They don't have a true left tackle since they traded

526
00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,600
Speaker 1: Dwayne Brown, and you've got to protect to Shaan Watson.

527
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,760
Speaker 1: This is a very valuable dual threat quarterback coming off

528
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,440
Speaker 1: a torn ACL. So it's pivotabal that they throw money

529
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,399
Speaker 1: at that position and that they choose wisely and that

530
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 1: they're competitive for you know, the Andrew Nowelles or the

531
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: Justin Pughes or the Nate Soldiers if they get out there.

532
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,000
Speaker 1: But yeah, that and the secondary. They went from being

533
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 1: the second and past events the year before to ranking

534
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,479
Speaker 1: last the NFL and points allowed per game, so they

535
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,440
Speaker 1: were very vulnerable. And you're already hearing buzz around the combine,

536
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,560
Speaker 1: you know, hind wink wink, not nod that they are

537
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 1: going to, you know, be involved in a lot of things,

538
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,160
Speaker 1: especially once you can officially start doing stuff. But yeah,

539
00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,520
Speaker 1: there's a lot of buzz about the Texans. They don't

540
00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,159
Speaker 1: have the most money, but they have enough money, like

541
00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,639
Speaker 1: you said to you know, really make some bids on guys.

542
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,920
Speaker 1: And I think they've got to buy a lot of

543
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,640
Speaker 1: their roster because they don't have those high draft picks

544
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,800
Speaker 1: on the defensive side of the ball. They were a

545
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,320
Speaker 1: little banged up last year. How do you think that's

546
00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:48,720
Speaker 1: going to impact some of the decisions that they're making

547
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,920
Speaker 1: in free agency and in the draft going forward. I

548
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,760
Speaker 1: think that they're going to bet on the good rehab

549
00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,400
Speaker 1: that's been happening for JJ Watt and also for Whitney

550
00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: Merciless that kind of flew under the raidar. But Whitney's

551
00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,480
Speaker 1: a really value player who tourist pictorial and I think

552
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 1: if you talk to you know, coach Brabel, he would say,

553
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,880
Speaker 1: oh wow, he's a big Whitney Merciless fan. He's really

554
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 1: a criminal in the development of Whitney and having Whitney

555
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,680
Speaker 1: back would be gigantic for them. I think, just as

556
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:19,120
Speaker 1: big as having JJ Watt back. So that would you know,

557
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,200
Speaker 1: do your question. I think it would be speak to

558
00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,960
Speaker 1: them not wanting to invest in the front seven very

559
00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,560
Speaker 1: much because they are set there. They've got Jenadian Clowney,

560
00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,840
Speaker 1: They've got JJ Watt, they've got Whitney Merciless. You know,

561
00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,640
Speaker 1: who knows what JJ will be like. I don't think

562
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,480
Speaker 1: even he could answer that question because he's only played

563
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,240
Speaker 1: a few games in the past couple of years. And

564
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,560
Speaker 1: you know, it looks like his body's giving out on him,

565
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,920
Speaker 1: but maybe there's something left. And I know he definitely

566
00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,280
Speaker 1: has a spirit he'll see if his body's willing. It's

567
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 1: a you know, been very frustrating for him because he's

568
00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:54,800
Speaker 1: a really gruesome broken leg, but those heel the back thing,

569
00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,400
Speaker 1: I felt like he you know, I watched him practice,

570
00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:00,320
Speaker 1: I watched the preseason. I thought he'd made all back

571
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,880
Speaker 1: from that he just wasn't as explosive as he once was,

572
00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,920
Speaker 1: and I think he was rusty too, But I thought

573
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 1: he was starting to work his way back and then

574
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,440
Speaker 1: he has a terrible injury that's sort of a freak

575
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,440
Speaker 1: accident kind of thing. Amy and I were talking about that,

576
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,560
Speaker 1: something we were worried about on his behalf playing at

577
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 1: eight games only over the last two years. Did the

578
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:22,280
Speaker 1: Texans worry about that? They do? They do, and they

579
00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,920
Speaker 1: don't like to publicly say, well, we need to get

580
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,640
Speaker 1: a replacement. You know, they're not going to do that,

581
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,840
Speaker 1: And there's a public relations aspect to it too, because

582
00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,080
Speaker 1: he's such a hero in the city of Houston and

583
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:36,160
Speaker 1: he's been such a good guy. I mean, he's been,

584
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,280
Speaker 1: you know, the best player in franchise history and one

585
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,479
Speaker 1: of the best defensive players in the NFL history. So

586
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,720
Speaker 1: how do you just say, well, JJ, you know you're expensive.

587
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,840
Speaker 1: Now you didn't play the May games. So we're gonna

588
00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,800
Speaker 1: be like kind of cold blooded. No, they're gonna be sentimental.

589
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,760
Speaker 1: They're gonna give him every opportunity they can afford him

590
00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,640
Speaker 1: under the salary cap. But at some point, might things

591
00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:58,800
Speaker 1: come to a head or might he say and this

592
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,200
Speaker 1: is I think more likely if he just, you know,

593
00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:04,280
Speaker 1: has another year where he just can't be healthy, would

594
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,080
Speaker 1: he say to himself, you know what, I'm not doing

595
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,320
Speaker 1: a fourth comeback. I'm you know, this is this is it?

596
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 1: Maybe he would retire early. And I'm just speculating. I'm

597
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,640
Speaker 1: not speaking to or reporting anything. I'm just wondering if,

598
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,320
Speaker 1: because of pride, if JJ Watt might decide, hey, you

599
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,240
Speaker 1: know what, I need to walk away. Right now, He's

600
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,000
Speaker 1: not at that point, and I don't think that. I

601
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,960
Speaker 1: think he will play football this year, but you know,

602
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 1: he has a lot to consider his long term health

603
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,600
Speaker 1: and all those things. But his rehabs going fine. I

604
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,520
Speaker 1: just don't expect him to do very much in the

605
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:37,560
Speaker 1: off season. But I think when it comes training camp,

606
00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,520
Speaker 1: he'll be out there practicing. He's only twenty nine, right, right,

607
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,400
Speaker 1: He's not twenty nine because and you know, a lot

608
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:46,760
Speaker 1: of this was just because he didn't want to come

609
00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,560
Speaker 1: off the field, and also how they utilized him. He

610
00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,000
Speaker 1: was playing over ninety percent of the snaps, and I

611
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,800
Speaker 1: had a guy, a friend of mine from another team saying,

612
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:58,040
Speaker 1: compare his snaps. I didn't actually do the study, but

613
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:02,280
Speaker 1: to other top Pro Bowl guys, they get rested more.

614
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,880
Speaker 1: He was playing. I think, you know whatever, it's too

615
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:07,640
Speaker 1: much or not, but I think it's got to be

616
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:12,120
Speaker 1: a factor. It's definitely aged him because he's played. He

617
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,560
Speaker 1: was playing almost every snap and that's a lot for

618
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,600
Speaker 1: a defensive linement that's in the trenches because he plays

619
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,320
Speaker 1: inside a lot. So he's you know, head button with

620
00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,640
Speaker 1: big three hundred and thirty pound lineman all the time.

621
00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,880
Speaker 1: And it took a toll. All right, let's end with

622
00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,840
Speaker 1: this a different dynamic with the front office, Rick Smith

623
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:32,160
Speaker 1: and Bill O'Brien. It had been rumored we're not on

624
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,600
Speaker 1: the same page for a long time. Rick Smith takes

625
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,440
Speaker 1: a leave of absence from his general manager job. He's

626
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:41,680
Speaker 1: replaced by Brian Gaine. Two parts, What is the dynamic

627
00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,200
Speaker 1: now in terms of the front office and the coach

628
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,800
Speaker 1: decision making? And number two, as we head into free

629
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,120
Speaker 1: agency and towards the draft, could we notice the gained

630
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,520
Speaker 1: O'Brien pairing give the Texans a little different edge in

631
00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:57,760
Speaker 1: terms of how they look at players and what they

632
00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,360
Speaker 1: look for. You're right on it, because the Rick Smith

633
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,920
Speaker 1: Bill O'Brien relationship had never been a strong one, but

634
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,400
Speaker 1: it had really become toxic and they did not get

635
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,080
Speaker 1: along and they weren't communicating well. And it was not

636
00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,560
Speaker 1: just with Rick, only about his wife, and it's a

637
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:16,800
Speaker 1: really sad thing his wife has cancered. But it was

638
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:21,000
Speaker 1: a office dynamic of an interpersonal thing with him and

639
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:25,720
Speaker 1: Bill O'Brien just where they didn't mesh and Brian gained though,

640
00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,640
Speaker 1: and Bill O'Brien are very very good friends and they

641
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,920
Speaker 1: get along well. And they have similar backgrounds where Brian

642
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,640
Speaker 1: worked for Bill Parcels for three different teams. That's his mentor. Well.

643
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:39,360
Speaker 1: Bill Parcells was the guy that coached up Bill Belichick.

644
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,800
Speaker 1: That's who Bill O'Brien worked for in New England. So

645
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,560
Speaker 1: they have a lot of similar philosophies about roster building,

646
00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:47,400
Speaker 1: and it's kind of the toughness and the personal character

647
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,719
Speaker 1: and things they look for. And I think they're going

648
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 1: to be a lockstep. They have the same agent Bill

649
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,440
Speaker 1: was on the search committee. Brian was the favorite from

650
00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:00,120
Speaker 1: the beginning to land the job and he did, and

651
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,000
Speaker 1: he also impressed the McNair family when they went and

652
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:05,520
Speaker 1: looked at his evaluations. What did he think about some

653
00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,000
Speaker 1: of the players on the roster, What were his opinions.

654
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,600
Speaker 1: Did they bear out? Was he right about players? So

655
00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:14,239
Speaker 1: that reinforced the notion also when they met with him

656
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,560
Speaker 1: that you know, he would stand up to Bill if

657
00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:18,399
Speaker 1: they didn't agree. You know, he would tell him, hey,

658
00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,000
Speaker 1: you know, I don't I don't think so, I don't

659
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,360
Speaker 1: think this is a good idea, and just have his

660
00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:25,160
Speaker 1: own opinion, not just you know, be a puppet or anything.

661
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:29,399
Speaker 1: And yeah, Brian is a strong personality too, but they

662
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 1: just seemed to have a better mesh. In fact, Bill O'Brien,

663
00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,120
Speaker 1: when I asked him about this yesterday, I was talking

664
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,560
Speaker 1: about them both being from the East Coast. Brian's a

665
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:41,040
Speaker 1: New Yorker, Bills from Boston. Obviously the city's have a

666
00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:46,719
Speaker 1: little rivalry, but there's also just kind of a shared mentality. Then.

667
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,040
Speaker 1: I think you see with those two guys, Bill probably

668
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,360
Speaker 1: having a little stronger personality and Brian a little more,

669
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,359
Speaker 1: a little more laid back. Possibly. We moved next to

670
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,960
Speaker 1: the Indianapolis Colts and joining us from the Indianapolis Star

671
00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,640
Speaker 1: is Stephen Holder. Thank you for being with us, Thanks

672
00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,360
Speaker 1: for having me again. All right, now, we're going to

673
00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:08,000
Speaker 1: run through sort of the basics going on as Indianapolis

674
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,200
Speaker 1: to me, might be the team with the most offseason

675
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: flexibility of any team in the National Football League. Here's why.

676
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,440
Speaker 1: Roughly seventy nine million dollars in available cap room, give

677
00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:25,480
Speaker 1: or take a buck, right, okay, yeah, I'm in the vicinity, Yes,

678
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:29,480
Speaker 1: all right. A draft pick in every round, so they

679
00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:31,919
Speaker 1: have seven picks, a high pick in every round, high

680
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,880
Speaker 1: pick in every round, starting at number three in a

681
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,880
Speaker 1: draft where they don't or at least we don't think

682
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:44,560
Speaker 1: they need a quarterback correct ostensibly. So the phone line

683
00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:49,000
Speaker 1: has got to be open, and Chris Ballard, the general manager,

684
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,120
Speaker 1: has to think he woke up and it's Christmas morning. Yeah,

685
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,160
Speaker 1: it's kind of one of the first breaks he's probably caught, okay,

686
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,359
Speaker 1: because it's been one thing after another for the guy.

687
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,640
Speaker 1: I mean, I think in a few moments of honesty,

688
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,400
Speaker 1: he has admitted, to man, what a year has it

689
00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,160
Speaker 1: been for me? So so, yeah, I think I would

690
00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,080
Speaker 1: agree with that. And obviously it's all about what you

691
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,040
Speaker 1: do with the resources. But they have resources, and that's

692
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,799
Speaker 1: something they did not really have at their disposal last

693
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,040
Speaker 1: year when he walked in the door and there was

694
00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,520
Speaker 1: so much work to do that even with the resources

695
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:24,879
Speaker 1: you had you can only do so much. So so look,

696
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:26,960
Speaker 1: they still have a long way to go. There were

697
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,160
Speaker 1: four and twelve. They have miles and miles to go,

698
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:34,760
Speaker 1: but they two things. They have already started this rebuild process,

699
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,480
Speaker 1: so it's they're not completely starting from scratch, and they

700
00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,520
Speaker 1: like the coaching hire. I think, I like what Frank

701
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:46,040
Speaker 1: Reich wants to do and the innovation that he may bring.

702
00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:48,719
Speaker 1: So now they have a plan and they have the resources,

703
00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:50,759
Speaker 1: and they kind of have, you know, an opportunity now

704
00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,080
Speaker 1: to put all that together and see what they can

705
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,799
Speaker 1: do with it. So it is really an opportunity for them.

706
00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:58,600
Speaker 1: Talk to me about positions and need What are some

707
00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:02,040
Speaker 1: of the biggest places you see within the Indianapolis Colts

708
00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,600
Speaker 1: where they should really be investing. Okay, so that's a

709
00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,200
Speaker 1: great question. So it's interesting. The first thing Chris Ballard

710
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:10,680
Speaker 1: did was he came in and he retooled the defense.

711
00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:12,640
Speaker 1: And you guys have seen the defense over the years.

712
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,080
Speaker 1: It got old, really old, really slow, and it just

713
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:19,560
Speaker 1: had to be done right. So he completely overhauled that

714
00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,839
Speaker 1: entire unit last year. Now they're not done, but they

715
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:26,480
Speaker 1: had on opening day, depending on how you count them,

716
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:29,839
Speaker 1: like nine new starters on defense last year. So that's

717
00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,360
Speaker 1: a completely overhauled the unit and that will continue. But

718
00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:36,320
Speaker 1: what happened is now in the meantime, the offense really

719
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,319
Speaker 1: now is at a point where there's a lot of

720
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,959
Speaker 1: work to be done. So that two and twelve draft

721
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,640
Speaker 1: class that was great for them for some time, most

722
00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,120
Speaker 1: of those guys are not in the building anymore. So

723
00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:48,480
Speaker 1: you're talking about Andrew luck and t Y Hilton obviously

724
00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,480
Speaker 1: having the longevity there, but guys like Dayne Allen and

725
00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,000
Speaker 1: Kobe Fleiner and that crew, they're all gone. So the

726
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:58,160
Speaker 1: big pieces they acquired that year, they're not there anymore.

727
00:37:58,200 --> 00:37:59,680
Speaker 1: And the offense, I don't want say it's been the

728
00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,200
Speaker 1: glect did, but there have been some misses and there

729
00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,319
Speaker 1: have been some some maybe you know, opportunities that they

730
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,200
Speaker 1: didn't take advantage of. And so now here you find yourself.

731
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:11,279
Speaker 1: That's the NFL, right, You're constantly augmenting your team. So

732
00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:12,719
Speaker 1: they find themselves in a position where they have a

733
00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:14,480
Speaker 1: lot of work to do on offense. So the positions

734
00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,600
Speaker 1: I would say, our receiver, running back, offensive line obviously

735
00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:20,160
Speaker 1: they need a lot of work. So those are the

736
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,760
Speaker 1: keys for me. If they can hit on some guys

737
00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,600
Speaker 1: in those spots, they're going to have an opportunity if

738
00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,040
Speaker 1: Andrew Luck's healthy to really hit the ground running. Let's

739
00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:32,200
Speaker 1: ask the Andrew Luck question. The assumption is right on track.

740
00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,280
Speaker 1: And some people would say, well, we kept hearing last

741
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,759
Speaker 1: offseason everything's great, you know it's it's the line from

742
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:44,160
Speaker 1: Animal House, remain calm all as well, do we really

743
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,919
Speaker 1: think that? And you guys have written everything I've read

744
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,040
Speaker 1: from the Star indicates you believe that Andrew Lucky is

745
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,360
Speaker 1: on track. I think you can only go by the

746
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:57,759
Speaker 1: available evidence and everything, everything privately and publicly, and every

747
00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:02,040
Speaker 1: indication shows that the the signs are very, very good. Now,

748
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:05,400
Speaker 1: we did learn a lesson last year that in spite

749
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:10,320
Speaker 1: of that very scenario good signs and everything seemingly on track,

750
00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:13,440
Speaker 1: things can go wrong and it can change. It can change,

751
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,440
Speaker 1: and the human body, as it turns out, is really complicated.

752
00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,640
Speaker 1: And so I learned more about you know, shoulders than

753
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,120
Speaker 1: I ever wanted to know. And in the inner workings

754
00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 1: of shoulders, and as I've learned and the cults of learning,

755
00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,120
Speaker 1: I'm sure Andrew Luck knows better than anybody it's really

756
00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:30,480
Speaker 1: complicated in there. There's a lot going on in that shoulders,

757
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:34,080
Speaker 1: so any of our shoulders, and so what's happened is

758
00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:39,359
Speaker 1: they fixed the laborum. The problem is he picked up

759
00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,520
Speaker 1: some bad techniques and so forth from playing hurt from

760
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,960
Speaker 1: a couple of years, and that exacerbated some issues elsewhere

761
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,360
Speaker 1: in the shoulders. So a lot of what he's done

762
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:52,520
Speaker 1: since getting shut down last year was aimed at correcting

763
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,520
Speaker 1: those issues because those can be detrimental to him going forward.

764
00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:01,960
Speaker 1: So that's I think the gist of what's happening right now.

765
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,959
Speaker 1: So that's a good sign though, because that means they're

766
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,040
Speaker 1: not dealing with the original issue. They're trying to fix

767
00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:11,759
Speaker 1: associated issues. So I know it sounds terrible, and I

768
00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:14,080
Speaker 1: believe me. I mean it's I can't even believe we're

769
00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,000
Speaker 1: still having this conversation. Trust me. I'm ready to move

770
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,520
Speaker 1: on with my life. But that being said, that is

771
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:23,560
Speaker 1: a that is a very big important piece of news

772
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,719
Speaker 1: that it's not the original issue here. They're trying to fix,

773
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 1: like I said, sort of associated issues, and that is

774
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,839
Speaker 1: towards the latter end of the process. So yes, they're

775
00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:36,560
Speaker 1: proceeding like he's gonna be okay. And unless they are

776
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:42,560
Speaker 1: just completely reckless, then they must know something. So operating

777
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:44,880
Speaker 1: under the assumption that Andrew Luck will be back in

778
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:48,359
Speaker 1: the twenty eighteen season, he's gonna need somebody to throw too.

779
00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:53,839
Speaker 1: And from my evaluation, you've got t Y Hilton and

780
00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:55,719
Speaker 1: then there's kind of a drop off and then we've

781
00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,960
Speaker 1: got some other people. How did the cults address that?

782
00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:00,960
Speaker 1: Is free agency? The way to go? Is the draft

783
00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,399
Speaker 1: the way to go? What do you think it's it's

784
00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:05,800
Speaker 1: not kind of a drop off, it it just drops

785
00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,840
Speaker 1: off completely. It's nice, No, we can, we can be

786
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:13,319
Speaker 1: honest and but no, I think you're right. And so

787
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,400
Speaker 1: here's here's their deal. Last year. Okay, a couple of

788
00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:19,279
Speaker 1: things happen, So they have they've tried to like a

789
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,320
Speaker 1: lot of teams. You know, that third receiver spot is

790
00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,680
Speaker 1: always tougher. You don't want to spend too much money.

791
00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:25,200
Speaker 1: Maybe you don't want to go out and spend like,

792
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:27,000
Speaker 1: you know, a first or second round pick, so you

793
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,200
Speaker 1: try to do it on the cheap or or do it,

794
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,120
Speaker 1: you know, through other means. And they've tried to do

795
00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:33,439
Speaker 1: that for like the last it seems like eight years,

796
00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,279
Speaker 1: and they always come up short. So I think it's

797
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,920
Speaker 1: time to really invest a little more there, and then

798
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:40,960
Speaker 1: I say number three because number two was supposed to

799
00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,560
Speaker 1: be Dante Moncrief. Now, last year was a huge year

800
00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:46,520
Speaker 1: for him in terms of opportunity. It's a contract here,

801
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:48,919
Speaker 1: so I think we were all waiting for it to happen.

802
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:50,759
Speaker 1: So like, Okay, well, this is if he's ever going

803
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:52,080
Speaker 1: to show up, it has to be this year. And

804
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,200
Speaker 1: it didn't show up, and it was very, very disappointing.

805
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,759
Speaker 1: And I know the Colts were I think they had

806
00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:01,279
Speaker 1: realistic expectations, but they really thought he would give them more.

807
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,000
Speaker 1: And look, I'm not going to rule out his being

808
00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:09,440
Speaker 1: resigned just because the market is very poor and I

809
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,879
Speaker 1: don't know what their options are, but that being said,

810
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,879
Speaker 1: I don't expect it. So that's gonna be I think

811
00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,520
Speaker 1: a position where they have to invest resources. To your question,

812
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,680
Speaker 1: both in free agency and the draft. All right, here's

813
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,360
Speaker 1: what I'm afraid of from the Titans perspective. I'm afraid

814
00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:29,600
Speaker 1: that at number one, Cleveland takes a quarterback, and I'm

815
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:34,359
Speaker 1: afraid at number two the Giants take a quarterback, and

816
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:38,080
Speaker 1: then I'm afraid at number three the Colts don't take

817
00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:42,080
Speaker 1: Bradley Chubb. I'm afraid they take se Quon Barkley and

818
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 1: bring him into this division to take the pressure off

819
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,600
Speaker 1: their offensive line, to take the pressure off of Andrew

820
00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:54,799
Speaker 1: Luck and put this fantastic talent playing on turf where

821
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:58,000
Speaker 1: he's gonna run in the four threes at two hundred

822
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:02,959
Speaker 1: and thirty pounds what twelve ten times or whatever it is. Yeah,

823
00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:07,279
Speaker 1: that's my fear from the Titans perspective. Do I have

824
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:12,960
Speaker 1: a reason to be afraid? It's not my expectation, Okay,

825
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,440
Speaker 1: but yeah, I mean, you can't make a more compelling

826
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,160
Speaker 1: case than you just made, right, don't tell them, good job,

827
00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:23,279
Speaker 1: thanks for that. So you know I will play this

828
00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:25,400
Speaker 1: for Chris Ballard and do you that favor. I know

829
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,480
Speaker 1: you're dying for him to hear this. Yes, so I

830
00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:32,520
Speaker 1: actually listen. I think the odds are in that scenario

831
00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:36,120
Speaker 1: you painted. I think the odds are they go Bradley Chubb. However,

832
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:40,040
Speaker 1: and I'll tell you why, just because, as everybody knows,

833
00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:42,279
Speaker 1: where do you find a pass rusher? You find him

834
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:43,960
Speaker 1: in the top ten, right or I mean I went

835
00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:46,120
Speaker 1: back and looked at the All Pro selections in the

836
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,560
Speaker 1: past few years, and I could only find like one

837
00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:50,360
Speaker 1: guy who was drafted to be on the second round.

838
00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:53,120
Speaker 1: It's crazy. So it is what it is. In history

839
00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,799
Speaker 1: shows those guys they're just not available anywhere else. They're

840
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,799
Speaker 1: certainly not a free agency so that that argument is

841
00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:02,560
Speaker 1: very foolproof. But sometimes we like overthink this. It's like, okay,

842
00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:04,759
Speaker 1: you know what, you know, what value is getting a

843
00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:08,160
Speaker 1: hell of a player. Okay, like he's really good, like

844
00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:11,680
Speaker 1: amazingly good, and he's gonna be on your team potentially. Well,

845
00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:14,120
Speaker 1: that's that's that's value. It's not a bad time to

846
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:18,120
Speaker 1: be an Indianapolis cult. I'd say, for you, Stephen, covering

847
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:21,560
Speaker 1: this team free agency, in the draft and all that

848
00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:25,080
Speaker 1: has gone on, starting with the Josh McDaniels thing, I

849
00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,520
Speaker 1: would think it's gonna be, when it's all said and done,

850
00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:31,160
Speaker 1: the most interesting offseason you have ever had covering the Colts. Yeah.

851
00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:33,480
Speaker 1: I actually I wrote a story recently saying this is

852
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,879
Speaker 1: gonna be. This is their most pivotal offseason since twenty twelve.

853
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:41,920
Speaker 1: And excuse me. That off season obviously was humongous for

854
00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:45,640
Speaker 1: obvious reasons. I mean, all the changes down to acquiring

855
00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:47,400
Speaker 1: Andrew Luck, so I mean, you know, that was one

856
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,879
Speaker 1: of the most pivotal off seasons in team history. Well,

857
00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:52,840
Speaker 1: this one is on that level, because what you're gonna

858
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,719
Speaker 1: have a similar turnover in terms of players. You've got

859
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,800
Speaker 1: new coaches, you've got a new defensive scheme, certainly new offensive.

860
00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,080
Speaker 1: Everything's gonna be new, and I think they have the

861
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:06,200
Speaker 1: resources that they have enabled them to get some difference

862
00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,960
Speaker 1: making players who two, three, four years from now, we

863
00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:11,480
Speaker 1: might be looking back and saying, man, wow, what a

864
00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:13,799
Speaker 1: haul that was, right, and so you know they've got

865
00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:16,239
Speaker 1: to make good on it, but they have an opportunity

866
00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:20,919
Speaker 1: to have a similar sort of offseason. I agree. Ryan

867
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:25,600
Speaker 1: o'hallery Florida Times Union, he covers the AFC South champion

868
00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:28,920
Speaker 1: Jacksonville Jaguars. How many years now, Ryan, this will be

869
00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:34,319
Speaker 1: year seven. I started in twenty twelve, and the first

870
00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:40,319
Speaker 1: five years they won two, four, three, five, then up

871
00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:43,839
Speaker 1: to ten this year. So as somebody who covers, I mean,

872
00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:48,160
Speaker 1: you don't root, but it is better. It is more interesting,

873
00:45:48,239 --> 00:45:51,200
Speaker 1: particularly when you've had the same storyline for five years

874
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:53,520
Speaker 1: in a row. To get to have a year like

875
00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:55,560
Speaker 1: that and to get to go see it cover a

876
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:57,960
Speaker 1: team in the AFC Championship game. Yeah, it's what's the

877
00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,160
Speaker 1: old phrase, you know, high tides raise all boats. That's right.

878
00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:04,600
Speaker 1: I mean, our web traffic was up, the TV ratings exploded,

879
00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:08,839
Speaker 1: and it um that said, when they left Nashville that night,

880
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:13,200
Speaker 1: when they found out they're playing Buffalo in the locker room,

881
00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,759
Speaker 1: they didn't want to face Tennessee again. I don't think

882
00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:17,279
Speaker 1: I mean, that would have been a tough matchup the

883
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,160
Speaker 1: next week. But the fact they won a playoff game, okay,

884
00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:22,600
Speaker 1: that was the break through Pittsburgh, that was a bonus.

885
00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:24,640
Speaker 1: And then they should have been New England. They should

886
00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:26,239
Speaker 1: have been New England. All right. Let me let me

887
00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:30,120
Speaker 1: hit the high points here to begin with, roughly thirty

888
00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:33,640
Speaker 1: two million dollars in cap room somewhere in that vicinity.

889
00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:38,719
Speaker 1: And then eight draft picks. I've been seven. They don't

890
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:40,439
Speaker 1: have a fifth. They don't have a fifth. I got

891
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,960
Speaker 1: two sixes. Okay, yeah, so you know, they got a

892
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,319
Speaker 1: pretty good quantity first pick at twenty nine. So that's

893
00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:49,920
Speaker 1: unusual for them compared to where they've been. And I

894
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:53,120
Speaker 1: don't say that facetiously truth, it's a it's a big difference.

895
00:46:54,239 --> 00:46:59,120
Speaker 1: The Bordles contract, why was it so valuable to the

896
00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:01,719
Speaker 1: organization and that they went ahead and made that deal

897
00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:04,600
Speaker 1: with Blake Mortals, their quarterback. A couple of things on that,

898
00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,800
Speaker 1: and I'll start by saying I thought the route was

899
00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:10,959
Speaker 1: going to be pick up the option. Okay, you made

900
00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,920
Speaker 1: some strides in seventeen, Let's see it again in eighteen

901
00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:16,279
Speaker 1: and maybe maybe year you revisit it. They didn't have

902
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,160
Speaker 1: to do this for cap space. That was, you know,

903
00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:22,440
Speaker 1: a bonus that they went from nineteen to ten. But

904
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 1: I think it boils down to it's the devil. You know,

905
00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:28,760
Speaker 1: had Alex Smith still been available on the trade market,

906
00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:30,480
Speaker 1: that would have been interesting. But I think when he

907
00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:33,480
Speaker 1: got hooked up with the Redskins, they did not want

908
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:38,560
Speaker 1: to go with Cousins, pursue Cousins, excuse me, and have

909
00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:40,480
Speaker 1: to make a decision on Bortles and then maybe end

910
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:43,120
Speaker 1: up with neither. Well, because Cousins is going to take

911
00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:45,600
Speaker 1: visits and he is not He is not going to

912
00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:49,000
Speaker 1: do something at twelve o one on the fourteenth, is

913
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:51,959
Speaker 1: what we're hearing. Yeah, and to me, that was when

914
00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:54,799
Speaker 1: that was reported. That was the cinching for me. Is

915
00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:59,399
Speaker 1: I'm sure Mike McCarthy Cousins his agent told the Jags, hey,

916
00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:01,839
Speaker 1: this is not going to be March fourteenth, at four

917
00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:03,600
Speaker 1: oh one. We're going to take our time of this.

918
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:08,480
Speaker 1: Jags don't have time. Other teams may. But that plus

919
00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:12,040
Speaker 1: the combination. Hey, Blake did play better this year, you know,

920
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,799
Speaker 1: sixt his passes were completed, turners were a little bit down.

921
00:48:16,080 --> 00:48:18,360
Speaker 1: So maybe with a second year in the system with

922
00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:20,360
Speaker 1: Nate Hackett, you can take a little bit of a

923
00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,560
Speaker 1: step and then ride that running game in that defense

924
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:25,920
Speaker 1: back to the division title. From an offensive standpoint, there

925
00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:29,480
Speaker 1: has to be a comfort in the consistency of having

926
00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:32,479
Speaker 1: the same guy back there, being able to build upon

927
00:48:32,600 --> 00:48:36,319
Speaker 1: what they have done as opposed to exploding something that

928
00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:39,239
Speaker 1: wasn't as successful as the defensive side of the ball

929
00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:43,719
Speaker 1: but got them very far throughout the year. Yeah, they

930
00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:45,640
Speaker 1: were first in the league, and rushing it just never

931
00:48:45,719 --> 00:48:48,840
Speaker 1: felt like it. They were sixth. Then scoring it just

932
00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:50,680
Speaker 1: never really felt like it because I think they scored

933
00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:54,160
Speaker 1: what seven defensive touchdowns to pad that total. But you

934
00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:56,440
Speaker 1: look at it from the Jaguars perspective, would you want

935
00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:59,279
Speaker 1: to start over with a case Keenum, Sam Bradford or

936
00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:01,880
Speaker 1: a draft pick or stick with Bortles for another at

937
00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:04,480
Speaker 1: least another year and maybe two years. I think they

938
00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:07,880
Speaker 1: felt like that kind of continuity was the key. You know,

939
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,600
Speaker 1: with another year Leonard for an at, you free up

940
00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,399
Speaker 1: some money to maybe improve your offensive line, maybe take

941
00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:15,200
Speaker 1: care of Alan Robinson who's going to be a free agent.

942
00:49:15,239 --> 00:49:17,839
Speaker 1: So I think they felt like they would They won't

943
00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:19,400
Speaker 1: think they would admit this. I think they rely too

944
00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:21,359
Speaker 1: much on their defense last year to sort of bail

945
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:23,799
Speaker 1: them out. And I'll use that second Titans game as

946
00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:27,160
Speaker 1: an example. The offense wasn't doing anything yet. It's almost

947
00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,760
Speaker 1: like they're waiting for the defense to score a touchdown,

948
00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:31,400
Speaker 1: which they did. They get back in the game, all

949
00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,440
Speaker 1: of a sudden, how are they in this game? You

950
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:39,520
Speaker 1: can't You can't roll those dice every week overall? Do

951
00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:43,520
Speaker 1: they need anything on defense in the draft? The only

952
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:48,080
Speaker 1: thing right now is Nickel Aaron Colevin. Wow, I mean

953
00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:51,200
Speaker 1: let's think about that. What a statement that is about

954
00:49:51,200 --> 00:49:53,640
Speaker 1: their personnel. Yeah. I mean a lot of drafts, a

955
00:49:53,640 --> 00:49:57,800
Speaker 1: lot of free agents. What they should do is Aaron

956
00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:00,680
Speaker 1: Colevin probably isn't going to get outside corner money because

957
00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:02,960
Speaker 1: he's only played inside. If you can lock him up

958
00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:07,040
Speaker 1: outside of Paupel's Lusni, your same eleven may be impact.

959
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:10,200
Speaker 1: The key for them is looking ahead after the eighteen season,

960
00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:13,520
Speaker 1: Jalen Ramsey, Yanniken got with Miles jack All those were

961
00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:16,640
Speaker 1: for extensions. That's gonna impact their spending this year. Also,

962
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:19,280
Speaker 1: you got to build some death because after eighteen, Marcel,

963
00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:23,160
Speaker 1: Darius Calais, Campbell, Malik Jackson all could be capped casualties.

964
00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:25,640
Speaker 1: So as much as you're going to keep this grouping

965
00:50:25,719 --> 00:50:28,319
Speaker 1: together now, you gotta look toward nineteen and saying there

966
00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:29,560
Speaker 1: is gonna be a little bit of a change in

967
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:32,680
Speaker 1: of the guard on the offensive side of the ball.

968
00:50:32,719 --> 00:50:35,799
Speaker 1: Where are some areas that you really feel they need

969
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,839
Speaker 1: to put their resources into. The key one is Alan

970
00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:43,640
Speaker 1: Robinson fourteen touchdowns tied for the league league back in fifteen.

971
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:46,920
Speaker 1: Acl first week of the season this year, Okay, I

972
00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:48,440
Speaker 1: don't think you can let him walk out of the

973
00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:53,200
Speaker 1: building because without him you have rookies and then what

974
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,600
Speaker 1: so then you're gonna maybe use a draft pick on

975
00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:57,919
Speaker 1: a receiver when you shouldn't have to. So I still

976
00:50:57,920 --> 00:50:59,719
Speaker 1: think the Jaguards are at the stage where you can't

977
00:50:59,760 --> 00:51:02,399
Speaker 1: let very good players walk out the door. You can't

978
00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,680
Speaker 1: thank them for their service and say go ahead, But

979
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:06,520
Speaker 1: I think they should get something done there. If not,

980
00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,000
Speaker 1: do you sign up Paul Richardson or a John Brown.

981
00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:12,040
Speaker 1: Do you draft the Calvin Ridley at twenty nine? The

982
00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:13,520
Speaker 1: other thing is that you need a tight end it

983
00:51:13,560 --> 00:51:17,640
Speaker 1: can catch passes, marches Lewis thirteenth year. Guys more of

984
00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:19,279
Speaker 1: a mall or red zone guy than a guy who

985
00:51:19,280 --> 00:51:21,640
Speaker 1: can stretch the field. The other thing is, and I

986
00:51:21,680 --> 00:51:23,399
Speaker 1: think they may be laying in the weeds on this one,

987
00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:26,560
Speaker 1: is interior offensive line. Maybe that's where they create why

988
00:51:26,560 --> 00:51:29,680
Speaker 1: they created some cap space with Bordles gets, you know,

989
00:51:29,719 --> 00:51:31,960
Speaker 1: maybe one or two guards, maybe a free jent in

990
00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,800
Speaker 1: a draft pick, because let's face it, what's going to

991
00:51:34,880 --> 00:51:36,759
Speaker 1: be in the front of their minds the entire off season.

992
00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,160
Speaker 1: They led to Patriots twenty to ten on the road,

993
00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:41,000
Speaker 1: with a birth in the Super Bowl ten minutes way.

994
00:51:41,239 --> 00:51:44,480
Speaker 1: They could not run it, and that's going to be

995
00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:47,040
Speaker 1: the sign of the off seasons. They got to fix that.

996
00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:50,400
Speaker 1: One of the things that changed about last year that

997
00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:52,399
Speaker 1: we haven't brought up yet, as the addition of Tom

998
00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:56,759
Speaker 1: Cloughlin to the team, how much of his persona, his

999
00:51:56,920 --> 00:52:01,560
Speaker 1: personality was infused into this team just with him being

1000
00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:03,799
Speaker 1: around him, being so close to the program. Well, it's

1001
00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:07,000
Speaker 1: always interesting, is he's the He's on the practice field

1002
00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,480
Speaker 1: every day. He has a script. So if you're like

1003
00:52:09,600 --> 00:52:12,960
Speaker 1: somebody just visiting town, you're like, was he like the

1004
00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:16,400
Speaker 1: assistant head coach or something like that? But only you

1005
00:52:16,480 --> 00:52:19,440
Speaker 1: only saw him talking to the quarterbacks, which is his specialty.

1006
00:52:19,600 --> 00:52:22,360
Speaker 1: He was receivers with the Giants under parcels with thin quarterbacks.

1007
00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:25,600
Speaker 1: Most of the time you talked to players throughout the year,

1008
00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:28,280
Speaker 1: he didn't talk to the team, you know he because

1009
00:52:28,520 --> 00:52:31,080
Speaker 1: I think that's what helped Doug Moron is Tom Coughlin

1010
00:52:31,160 --> 00:52:33,600
Speaker 1: knows what a meddling front office executive would look like,

1011
00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:35,440
Speaker 1: so he stayed out of the way. He's here for

1012
00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:39,160
Speaker 1: the big decisions, which is free agency, quarterback, top of

1013
00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,799
Speaker 1: the draft, but also think he's there for supporting the

1014
00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,120
Speaker 1: coaching staff. And it wasn't one thing. Dave called what

1015
00:52:44,200 --> 00:52:46,040
Speaker 1: the general manager said? I said, how did your role

1016
00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:49,120
Speaker 1: change with Tom's presence? He said, allowed him to focus

1017
00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:52,080
Speaker 1: more on personnel because Tom handled the day to day

1018
00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:54,839
Speaker 1: stuff as opposed as a pertains to the coaching staff. Okay,

1019
00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:57,239
Speaker 1: what about this guy? What about this game? So you

1020
00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:00,680
Speaker 1: know he's definitely in the background, but his presence has

1021
00:53:00,719 --> 00:53:05,800
Speaker 1: definitely felt first place schedule, something that only impacts two games,

1022
00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:09,839
Speaker 1: but it certainly adds two tough opponents. And I think

1023
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:12,759
Speaker 1: every AFC South team has a tougher go of it

1024
00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:15,400
Speaker 1: this year with the matchups than what they had a

1025
00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:18,759
Speaker 1: year ago, and Jacksonville has a little more. Yeah, And

1026
00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:21,000
Speaker 1: I think you hit on the key point is the

1027
00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:24,399
Speaker 1: divisions they play are tougher. The two first place games

1028
00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:26,439
Speaker 1: or Pittsburgh at home or they beat the Steelers twice

1029
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,400
Speaker 1: last year. The other road game first place is Kansas City.

1030
00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:31,120
Speaker 1: They look like they're in the middle of a reboot

1031
00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:33,359
Speaker 1: and maybe if you get them early, you can get

1032
00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:35,960
Speaker 1: against Mahomes before he gets gone. But they got New

1033
00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:39,200
Speaker 1: England at home, they play Philadelphia in London, you know,

1034
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:42,120
Speaker 1: Dallas on the road. So the schedule is tougher. They're

1035
00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:43,720
Speaker 1: not going to be able to sneak up on anybody.

1036
00:53:43,719 --> 00:53:47,399
Speaker 1: Probably the same thing with the Titans. And so if

1037
00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:49,640
Speaker 1: they you know, if they don't, if they start one

1038
00:53:49,680 --> 00:53:52,240
Speaker 1: and two or they maybe limp the two and three, Okay,

1039
00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:54,439
Speaker 1: can they can they not so much flip the switch,

1040
00:53:54,480 --> 00:53:56,640
Speaker 1: but can they lean on what they did well last

1041
00:53:56,719 --> 00:53:59,520
Speaker 1: year to get it back gone? You know? For this year,

1042
00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:04,480
Speaker 1: our thanks to Aaron Wilson with the Houston Chronicle, Stephen

1043
00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:08,160
Speaker 1: Holder with the Indianapolis Star, and Ryan o'halleron of the

1044
00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:11,040
Speaker 1: Florida Times Union. If you want to keep up with

1045
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:14,040
Speaker 1: the Titans opponents in the AFC South, we recommend you

1046
00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:18,879
Speaker 1: follow these gentlemen on Twitter at Aaron Wilson Underscore NFL

1047
00:54:19,760 --> 00:54:24,560
Speaker 1: at Holder, Stephen Stephen is spelled with a pH, and

1048
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:30,279
Speaker 1: at Ryan O'Halleran o'halleren spelled oh A l O r

1049
00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:35,799
Speaker 1: a n nice. The next edition of the OTP will

1050
00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:40,839
Speaker 1: be ready next Friday. We originally said Thursday, but intentionally

1051
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:44,239
Speaker 1: misled you. No, no, no, I'm lying. Actually, we just

1052
00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:47,880
Speaker 1: changed our mind. With free agency starting Wednesday afternoon, we

1053
00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:50,520
Speaker 1: knew that it might not make sense to put something

1054
00:54:50,600 --> 00:54:54,360
Speaker 1: up on Thursday and then have free agency news come along.

1055
00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:57,840
Speaker 1: That makes the OTP out of date very quickly. Thus,

1056
00:54:58,280 --> 00:55:01,680
Speaker 1: the next official Titans Pope cast will be broadcast ready

1057
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:05,480
Speaker 1: next Friday, March the sixty. Our own gem Wyatt will

1058
00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:09,600
Speaker 1: be back to break all of the free agent news

1059
00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:12,320
Speaker 1: down with us, So that'll be exciting. It will be

1060
00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:14,520
Speaker 1: I like to be up to date aspect of it.

1061
00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:17,839
Speaker 1: Up to date aspect is a good thing. Say good

1062
00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,799
Speaker 1: night Amy, good night guys. Thanks very much for Amy Wells.

1063
00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:24,080
Speaker 1: I'm Mike Keith. Thanks for being with us. Sunday OTP

1064
00:55:24,600 --> 00:55:25,120
Speaker 1: Number two