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Speaker 1: There's no greater investment than draft picks. We believe that

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Speaker 1: the draft over time has proven out to be the

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Speaker 1: best way to build a team that can sustain success

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Speaker 1: if you do a good job. Everybody has a different

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Speaker 1: draft board. If you can accept the fact that every

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Speaker 1: team's board is different, it frees you up to do

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Speaker 1: what's best for the club. Welcome into the lounge. We

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Speaker 1: are going to be joined by general manager Eric da

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Speaker 1: Costa to get his full post draft breakdown. I'm really

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Speaker 1: excited for this interview. Get yeah, I mean this is

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Speaker 1: a chance to hear from the man who made the picks.

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Speaker 1: And uh, I always think it's good to get like

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Speaker 1: a few days removed, because obviously we hear from from

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Speaker 1: Eric and from Hardball on draft weekend. But it's a

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Speaker 1: bit of a whirlwind, Like there's just so much that

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Speaker 1: happens in the draft room. Like the thoughts are are

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Speaker 1: a little bit like war raw, which can be good,

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Speaker 1: but it's not really like there is a benefit just

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Speaker 1: like for us, like like when you have a time

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Speaker 1: to like step back and take i don't know a

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Speaker 1: day or two to get a good night's sleep and

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Speaker 1: actually like think through like what happened in the draft,

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Speaker 1: you end up looking at it a little bit differently.

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Speaker 1: Like I know that I look at the draft a

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Speaker 1: little bit differently than I was on Thursday night when

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Speaker 1: I was running on no sleep and I was just

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Speaker 1: trying to, you know, keep my eyes open. So I

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Speaker 1: think that it's cool to hear a few days remove

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Speaker 1: from the draft his perspective and and um, I'm looking

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Speaker 1: forward to it. Well, that's like, uh, I feel better

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Speaker 1: about the Bateman Oway picks, and I felt good about

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Speaker 1: him night up. I feel better with every pasting day.

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Speaker 1: I really like this picks. Yea. I really also like

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Speaker 1: part of it for us selfishly is when you when

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Speaker 1: you have a mocked don't right, Yeah, like you like

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Speaker 1: mad then for not taking the guy that I would

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Speaker 1: have allowed us get our mock draft. Right. That's really

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Speaker 1: what this exactly was driving the motivation. Uh So, once

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Speaker 1: you get over that and you actually look at the players,

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Speaker 1: then it makes a lot more sense. Then you're like, oh, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: they're smarter and better. Let's jump into it. Year. Enough

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Speaker 1: enough chatter from us, Let's jump into our interview with

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Speaker 1: Eric de Costa. Thrilled to be joined by Eric da Costa,

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Speaker 1: we gotta start here, Eric, we gotta get to the

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Speaker 1: bottom of this whole missing calculator fiasco from Thursday night

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Speaker 1: before the draft, because this is big news. You know

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Speaker 1: a lot of people thought that we were going to

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Speaker 1: trade in the first round, maybe trade out, you know

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Speaker 1: that thirty first pick. What I want to know is

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Speaker 1: did the stress of the missing calculator in any way,

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Speaker 1: shape or form throw Pat Moriarty off his game and

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Speaker 1: leads the complications when it came to executing uh draft

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Speaker 1: day trade. Yeah, you know, it was really a diabolical situation.

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Speaker 1: You know, I'm not sure if the Russians would have blamed,

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Speaker 1: but the calculator did did disappear. Someone absconded with the calculator,

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Speaker 1: and you know it was a conspiracy, skulled duggery, whatever

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Speaker 1: you want to call it. Um. But you know, fortunately

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Speaker 1: we were able to find the missing cal alculator. It

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Speaker 1: had been concealed in a locker essentially. Um. It did

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Speaker 1: its stunned Pat. You know, he was off his game.

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Speaker 1: There was a level of anxiety and path that I

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Speaker 1: haven't seen for quite some time. And it ended up

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Speaker 1: being a situation and where we felt that making a

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Speaker 1: trade given Pats physical and mental state would have been irresponsible.

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Speaker 1: We decided to pass on making any trades in round one,

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Speaker 1: with the idea that hopefully he would get a good

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Speaker 1: night's sleep, take his meds, have a glass of wine,

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Speaker 1: rally and allows us to make a trade the next day.

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Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense. That makes a lot

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Speaker 1: of sense. I was also wondering were there any other shenanigans.

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Speaker 1: You know, we don't have the name names, any culprits

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Speaker 1: or suspects, any other shenanigans during draft weekend? Well, you know, again,

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Speaker 1: going back to Pat, it was a very strange weekend

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Speaker 1: for Pat. His his car disappeared. His car, his car

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Speaker 1: disappeared during the draft and it ended up on the

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Speaker 1: other side of the facility, down by the loading docks.

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Speaker 1: And again, uh, we're not sure. We have our suspicions.

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Speaker 1: We think again, might have been the Russians. Might have

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Speaker 1: been some political group, or another coach on a rival team,

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Speaker 1: or GM trying to get Pat on the third day.

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Speaker 1: As you guys know, we make a lot of trades

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Speaker 1: and different maneuvers in the third day of the draft.

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Speaker 1: And again, the question really is how did his car

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Speaker 1: get moved? The keys were in his jacket pocket. He

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Speaker 1: was wearing his jacket at the time all throughout that

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Speaker 1: particular part of the draft. How did somebody then get

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Speaker 1: the keys during the draft, move his car, get back

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Speaker 1: into the facility, replace the keys, and not get caught

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Speaker 1: on videotape. We gotta get Yeah, at some point, you

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Speaker 1: gotta get to the bottom of this. I gotta believe

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Speaker 1: the last thing on this pet is either gonna just

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Speaker 1: hang it up because he can't handle the Shenanigans anymore.

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Speaker 1: I'm surprised at this point he doesn't show up to

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Speaker 1: work and basically throw everything in a safe to keep

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Speaker 1: himself protected. Well, he has a safe in his office.

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Speaker 1: The problem is that safe has been hacked as well,

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Speaker 1: So that's safe. The safe is not safe, and we've

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Speaker 1: had some issues with the safe in the past. You know.

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Speaker 1: Part of the problem with Pat, if I could just

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Speaker 1: say this is he's every I T guy's worst nightmare,

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Speaker 1: because this is a guy that keeps every pass forward

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Speaker 1: that he's ever had in his backpack on little note

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Speaker 1: cards and so, uh, you know, he's an old school

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Speaker 1: guy and he's a creature of habit and his life

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Speaker 1: by by nature is unsafe, and he opens himself up

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Speaker 1: to all this uh mouth pheasants and various shenanigans. Poor Pat,

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Speaker 1: poor had all. I think that's all I can say.

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Speaker 1: So all right, let's talk a little draft, uh beyond

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Speaker 1: just the shenanigans. It took place over the course of

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Speaker 1: the weekend. Obviously that was a good word. I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: have to try to work that in a few more times.

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Speaker 1: So if at the start of the day, did you

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Speaker 1: think that Rashad Bateman was going to be there at seven?

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Speaker 1: I did. I actually did. I thought there would be

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Speaker 1: a reasonable chance that he would be there. We had

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Speaker 1: at about we felt that the hot button teams would

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Speaker 1: be the Bears at twenty the and the Titans at

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Speaker 1: twenty two, with the chance that possibly the Packers at

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Speaker 1: uh might try and trade out to get him. But

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Speaker 1: we felt that in the early twenties also be the

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Speaker 1: team's basically felt he had a pretty good chance he'd

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Speaker 1: be there. And our plan really was based on the

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Speaker 1: board and based on everything that it made the most

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Speaker 1: sense for us to go receiver it before pass rusher,

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Speaker 1: with the idea that we would get a good pass

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Speaker 1: rusher ift one if the situation presented itself. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: really want to talk to you about that Packers situation

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Speaker 1: because I kind of dug into that a little bit

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Speaker 1: afterwards and thought it was interesting because you know, Brian gudaquins,

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Speaker 1: I think that's how you pronounce the last name. He's

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Speaker 1: traded up in the first round all three years as

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Speaker 1: a GM with the Packers, So there's a real chance

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Speaker 1: that he might leap you guys and take Bateman. They

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Speaker 1: had a wide receiver need, they clearly did, because they

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Speaker 1: drafted one in the second round. They moved up to

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Speaker 1: get uh the Clempson Marie Rogers. So was that part

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Speaker 1: of your thinking, thinking that the Packers might jump you

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Speaker 1: for Bateman when you made the whole you know, I'm

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Speaker 1: insulted by the wide receiver comments and all that that went.

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Speaker 1: That went kind of viral, thinking, all right, if I

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Speaker 1: just plant the seed enough that we might not take

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Speaker 1: a wide receiver here, then that might create enough hesitation

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Speaker 1: on Brian's part that he doesn't trade up and leap

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Speaker 1: frog me. Yeah. Well, I would just say, you know,

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Speaker 1: no comment other than to say that the draft is

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Speaker 1: a game, and it was a strategy involved, and you

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Speaker 1: try and be as uh, you know, as great as possible.

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Speaker 1: With everything that you say, and you never want to

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Speaker 1: really give anybody a strong indication of what you're gonna do.

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Speaker 1: So we've learned that the hard way over the years,

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Speaker 1: and so for me, anything I say before the draft

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Speaker 1: should be dismissed, you know. UM, we we certainly didn't

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Speaker 1: want to be attached to receivers, just like in two

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Speaker 1: thousand eighteen, we did not want to be connected to

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Speaker 1: Lamar Jackson. So, UM, I'll tell you guys a quick

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Speaker 1: story that you know, years and years and years ago,

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Speaker 1: we we liked t Y Hilton quite a bit, and

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Speaker 1: we were we were excited about t Y Hilton, and

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Speaker 1: UH we thought he would bring a lot of value

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Speaker 1: to the club as a slot receiver and as a

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Speaker 1: return man coming out of wherever. I think it was

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Speaker 1: Florida International mhmm, um, might be Florida Atlantic, but one

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Speaker 1: or the other. And the problem. The problem was that year,

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Speaker 1: UH Chuck Pagano went to Indy and he brought some

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Speaker 1: assistant coaches with him, and so UH we had had

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Speaker 1: our first set of draft meetings and talked about all

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Speaker 1: the players, and we liked t Y a lot, and

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Speaker 1: I think we had maybe the first pick of the

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Speaker 1: fourth round, if I'm not mistaken, and that was the

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Speaker 1: pick that I thought we'd get t Y Hilton with.

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Speaker 1: What happened that year was right at the end of

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Speaker 1: the third round, right at the end, the Indianapolis Colts

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Speaker 1: traded up from the top of the fourth but behind us,

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Speaker 1: they traded up into the bottom of the third round.

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Speaker 1: They drafted t Y Hilton, And that always bothered me

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Speaker 1: because we were gonna take him. There was a great

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Speaker 1: pick by the Colts. He's a great receiver, Pro Bowl guy,

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Speaker 1: very very Allent died, but I always felt like somebody

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Speaker 1: knew that we were going to take t Y Hilton

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Speaker 1: at the top of the fourth round and trade it

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Speaker 1: up into the bottom of the third round to get him,

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Speaker 1: and that bothered me. And so you know, for me,

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Speaker 1: I'm always gonna keep my my cards close to the vest.

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Speaker 1: And our intentions not to help people with other teams

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Speaker 1: make decisions. Our intention is not to help the media

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Speaker 1: right stories. Our intention is to do what's best for

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Speaker 1: the club. The club has to win, and that's always

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Speaker 1: our goal at draft time. That's that's fascinating it. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you fooled us. I will say that both Make and

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Speaker 1: I were off the scent after the pre drive press or.

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Speaker 1: Neither of us had a receiver in the first round,

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Speaker 1: So I think that the takeaway from that this year's

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Speaker 1: I'm no longer believing anything that said at the pre

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Speaker 1: drive presser. That's that's how I'm coming away with this year.

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Speaker 1: I can't believe anything that that you guys say up

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Speaker 1: there next year. I do feel like though, Eric, like

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Speaker 1: I sense that. I mean, I do think that people

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Speaker 1: have kind of discounted our wide receivers that we have

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Speaker 1: on the roster already, like the young wide receivers, Like

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Speaker 1: I don't think that. To me, I didn't take that

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Speaker 1: as a complete like you being a complete ruse. Like

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Speaker 1: the fact that people have said, oh, the Ravens don't

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Speaker 1: have young wide receivers like that, that is kind of insulting, right,

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Speaker 1: Like these guys are still early in their careers, Like,

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Speaker 1: was there some truth to that comment? At the same time,

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I stand by what I said, but I'm

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Speaker 1: not gonna sit here today and say I didn't have

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Speaker 1: other reasons for saying it quite like that as well.

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Speaker 1: You know, I believe in our guys. I believe in

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Speaker 1: all of those guys. I believe in Miles in Hollywood

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Speaker 1: and James and Devon. I believe in Sammy, you know, Um,

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Speaker 1: I believe in all those guys. I never said we

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Speaker 1: wouldn't take a receiver. I just said I believed in

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Speaker 1: those guys, And basically I'm tired answering those questions. But

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Speaker 1: I never said we wouldn't take a receiver. I just

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Speaker 1: stand by those guys as being good young players, ascending

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Speaker 1: players who are gonna gonna get better and better and

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Speaker 1: better and better. But we want to have the strongest

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Speaker 1: team we can be, and if that means we have

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Speaker 1: to draft two receivers, so be it. H Can you

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Speaker 1: can you talk about the strategy a little bit in

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Speaker 1: terms of restocking that receiver position. You know, going back

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Speaker 1: a few years, you talked about taking some more shots

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Speaker 1: at that position, and in your time as GM, you've

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Speaker 1: taken six receivers. Uh, so you've clearly made that a priority.

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Speaker 1: Can you just talk about your the strategy behind kind

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Speaker 1: of restocking that spot. Well, I want to be known

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Speaker 1: as the GM that finally gets a good receiver in

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Speaker 1: the draft, you know, for the ravers. I mean it's

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Speaker 1: kind of like theo Epstein, who I really admire for

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Speaker 1: his career. He went to Boston and won a World Series,

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Speaker 1: and he went to Chicago the Cubs and he actually

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Speaker 1: won a World Series. And no matter what he would

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Speaker 1: ever do for the rest of his career, he's going

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Speaker 1: to be the guy that brought a World Series title

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Speaker 1: to Boston and the guy that brought a World Series

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Speaker 1: title in Chicago. I want to be known as the

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Speaker 1: GM who brought a drafted wide receiver to Baltimore, and

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Speaker 1: I think we actually already have those guys on campus.

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Speaker 1: But you know, in all seriousness, I think that's a

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Speaker 1: position that's very hard to evaluate. It's a position that

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Speaker 1: is intertwined with the quarterback and with the offensive coordinator

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Speaker 1: and the skills of the other players. And the only

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Speaker 1: way to really address that and find the right guys

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Speaker 1: is to keep drafting guys that you like at that position.

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Speaker 1: So that's what we've tried to do. We've tried to

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Speaker 1: be aggressive and find guys that we like as players

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Speaker 1: that have the skill set to really augment the club

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Speaker 1: that we think will will gel with Lamar any other

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Speaker 1: wide receivers and just make us a better football team.

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Speaker 1: You kind of mentioned Lamar how much pre draft talk

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Speaker 1: and even going back to like the postseason meetings with

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Speaker 1: Steve and and everybody, how much talk was there about

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Speaker 1: kind of building around lamar And and giving him the

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Speaker 1: tools to to really take the next step in his development,

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Speaker 1: not not only from wide receivers, but building up the

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Speaker 1: offensive line, like just helping him kind of take the

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Speaker 1: next step. Was that a big priority this offseason. Well,

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Speaker 1: that's always a big priority. I think our goal is

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Speaker 1: to always build the best team we can, the best

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Speaker 1: both sides of the ball, offense and defense, to really

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Speaker 1: build the best unit. It's not about collecting talent, it's

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Speaker 1: about building the best team, and so we try to

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Speaker 1: do that. I think we've done it in different ways

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Speaker 1: over the years, but we we've tried to do that.

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Speaker 1: We try to find players that fit what we are

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Speaker 1: and what we do, and who we want to be

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Speaker 1: as best as possible. We understand that you've got to

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Speaker 1: have a strong offensive line. You've got to have playmakers.

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Speaker 1: You've got to have running backs in our offense. You've

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Speaker 1: got to have multiple running backs in our offense. You've

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Speaker 1: got to have guys that are selfless, players that will

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Speaker 1: block and catch. You've got to have receivers that are

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Speaker 1: willing to do the dirty work. And you've got to

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Speaker 1: have offensive lineman who can pass, protect and mun block

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Speaker 1: and pull, smart guys that can adjust quickly. You've got

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Speaker 1: to have smart players across the board, and uh, guys

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Speaker 1: who can do multiple things. So I want to talk

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Speaker 1: about we spend a lot of time on Bateman here,

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Speaker 1: the first first round pick, but also Adapa, who you

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Speaker 1: took at number thirty one. You know, he was another

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Speaker 1: interesting player because I've heard you guys talk so much

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Speaker 1: over the past several years about how you love sack production,

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Speaker 1: and a lot of the guys who you've taken have

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Speaker 1: had a ton of sack production, I mean, the most

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Speaker 1: ever in college. And you're talking about guys like Terrell

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Speaker 1: Slugs and Matthew Judan and Jalen Ferguson, guys who just

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Speaker 1: put up really big numbers. But oh wait, is somebody

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Speaker 1: who who as we know, is an incredible athlete, uh

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Speaker 1: and affects the game UM in a lot of different ways.

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Speaker 1: So I'm just curious, like, what was the conversations, what

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Speaker 1: were the conversations leading up to the draft as you

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Speaker 1: try to marry Okay, this guy's got an incredible workout

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Speaker 1: Drew Wilkins says, it's the best workout he's ever seen.

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Speaker 1: But you don't have any sacks, Um, how do you

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Speaker 1: kind of marry those things as you're making that decision. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's a good question. We spent a lot of time

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Speaker 1: on o Way as a prospect. The one thing that

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Speaker 1: stood out of at him was the size and speed,

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Speaker 1: but also but really how effective and at times dominant

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Speaker 1: he was as a run defender. So for us, you know,

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Speaker 1: I'll go back to a guy like Courtney Upshaw, who

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Speaker 1: we took in the second round. Courtney was a dominant

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Speaker 1: run defender coming out, but his measurables were nowhere close

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Speaker 1: I mean nowhere close to da fe always measurables. And

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Speaker 1: we saw the flashes as a pass rusher. We saw

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Speaker 1: his ability to impact games. We saw his ability to disrupt.

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Speaker 1: We also know we've seen we've seen young players who

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Speaker 1: don't have sack production who get to the NFL and emerge.

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Speaker 1: We've seen that repeatedly. This is a guy that's a

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Speaker 1: younger player, underclassman, tremendous physical gifts, critical factors, position specifics

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Speaker 1: on the come. Uh. So we we think his ceiling

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Speaker 1: is extremely high and quite honestly, given the way that

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Speaker 1: he plays a run, given his motor, given his toughness,

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Speaker 1: given his elegance, we think his floor is extremely high.

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Speaker 1: And for us, that's what makes him a great pick.

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Speaker 1: All right. That's interesting, Yeah, because I think a lot

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Speaker 1: of people have kind of looked at him and said, well,

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Speaker 1: this could really hit big or it's not going to.

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Speaker 1: But I agree with you. When you have that good

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Speaker 1: an athlete, it's kind of hard to miss completely in

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Speaker 1: a way. Yeah, And as I said, I'm first and

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Speaker 1: second downs, this guy is gonna be highly effective run player,

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Speaker 1: edge setter. He's gonna chase down screens and draws. He's

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Speaker 1: gonna do all kinds of different things. Plus he's got

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Speaker 1: the pass rush on third downs, the unusual size speed combination,

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Speaker 1: the speed and burst, the twitch, all those different things.

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Speaker 1: And we think with coaching, this guy is gonna really

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Speaker 1: emerge and become a great player for us. Right now,

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Speaker 1: You've you've drafted a lot of really good athletes, like

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Speaker 1: big time testers. He blew up the combine. I mean

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Speaker 1: we're talking. I mean, Hollywood didn't run, but we all

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Speaker 1: knew he was super fast, right, Miles boy can blew

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Speaker 1: up the combine Pat your Queen very athletic, metabike duvern A.

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Speaker 1: You know, it seems like you've kind of put a

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Speaker 1: high priority on that, especially with early picks, on getting

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Speaker 1: some premier athletes. Would you say that that's a high

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Speaker 1: priority for you. You know, it's not just the production,

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Speaker 1: it's not just playing hard. I mean, those things are

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Speaker 1: obviously important, but getting some top notch athletes is a

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Speaker 1: really high priority for you. Yeah. I think one formula

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Speaker 1: is talent plus mentality equals success. And so you get

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Speaker 1: really really talented guys if they have the right mentality,

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Speaker 1: the right drivers and personality, then then you have a

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Speaker 1: chance to really hit on something special. Talent without personality

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Speaker 1: doesn't get you there. Personality without talent usually doesn't get

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Speaker 1: you there. It's gotta be talent plus personality success. M

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Speaker 1: Along those lines, a theme that I think I've seen

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Speaker 1: over the past few years or these drafts is that

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Speaker 1: you're really making an effort to get ascending players, Like

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Speaker 1: I think if Patrick Queen is a way, he had

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Speaker 1: one year as a starter, but he came on really

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Speaker 1: strong over the course of that season, was playing his

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Speaker 1: best football at the end of the year. Always a

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Speaker 1: guy who we just talked about. It's like he's been

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Speaker 1: playing football that long, what five years, and so he's

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Speaker 1: an underclassman, so it as sending player. Is that part

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Speaker 1: of the strategy or is that more a coincidence that

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Speaker 1: you know that that theme has existed over the past

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Speaker 1: few years. Well, what we've done. You know, first of all,

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Speaker 1: we want all of our players to be ascending. All

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00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,960
Speaker 1: of our draft picks should be ascending. We've probably put

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Speaker 1: a bigger focus in the last couple of years, partially

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Speaker 1: due to COVID, on big school players. Um, just because

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Speaker 1: in some ways the acclamation maybe a little bit easier

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Speaker 1: given the big school Like, let's face it, if you

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Speaker 1: draft a guy from l s u Ohio State or

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Speaker 1: Penn State, it's probably gonna be easier for them to

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Speaker 1: get used to the NFL than it would drafting some

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Speaker 1: guy from you know, Saginaw Valley or Lane College or

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Speaker 1: you know, Bentley. It's just gonna be easier. And given

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Speaker 1: the pandemic, given the lack of uh understanding at times

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Speaker 1: about offseason program and O T A S and access

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Speaker 1: to these guys and all these different things, it just

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Speaker 1: makes sense to us to draft guys that come from

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Speaker 1: big school programs. Now, the other thing is, uh, studies

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00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,920
Speaker 1: have shown that, all things being equal, draft the younger

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Speaker 1: players if you can so, uh, And there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of reasons for that. You know, developmentally, they have more

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Speaker 1: room to ascend. If they're already playing at X level,

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Speaker 1: they're probably gonna get Even if they're twenty versus twenty

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Speaker 1: two or twenty three, they still have room to ascend.

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Speaker 1: So we do that, uh, And then we try to

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Speaker 1: draft healthy guys. We try to draft guys that haven't

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Speaker 1: been beat up a lot. We try to draft guys

386
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Speaker 1: that don't have a ton of injuries and wear and

387
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Speaker 1: tear on their tires. And as I said, personality is

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Speaker 1: critically important. I'm very proud of this class, on last

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Speaker 1: year's class, in the class before that, of people, the

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Speaker 1: type of guys they are, their motivations, their growth, mindset,

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Speaker 1: their pride, and their craft, uh, you know, discipline, um, accountability, leadership,

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00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,360
Speaker 1: all those different things really factor in for us when

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Speaker 1: we make these decisions, and we think this year's class

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Speaker 1: grades out very high in those regards. It's interesting you

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Speaker 1: talk about the big school thing too, because it makes

396
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Speaker 1: me think about how you know, you've talked about how

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Speaker 1: teams across the league have kind of caught up to

398
00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,200
Speaker 1: each other in a way. There's just so much written

399
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,320
Speaker 1: about these guys. It's hard to find those those gems,

400
00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,480
Speaker 1: you know, like the Linarious Web out of Nickel's State, right,

401
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,080
Speaker 1: the Brandon Williams and the third round out of Missouri Southern.

402
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Speaker 1: You know, like where I feel like we had a

403
00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,800
Speaker 1: track record of unearthing these small school guys. Like now

404
00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:58,960
Speaker 1: it's is it just harder to do that? So it's like,

405
00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,119
Speaker 1: let's just change our ad you a little bit here. No,

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Speaker 1: I don't think it's quite that Ryan. I think, you know,

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Speaker 1: we you know, we had a period of time where

408
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Speaker 1: we felt that small school players probably presented the most value,

409
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Speaker 1: and everybody was scouting all these big school guys, and

410
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Speaker 1: so for us, um, you know, small school guys, you know,

411
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Speaker 1: the Brandon williams is and Ryan Jensen's and guys like that,

412
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Speaker 1: those those that that's really an essence of scouting, That

413
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Speaker 1: that I love and that we crave, and that we

414
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Speaker 1: think we're the best in the league at I mean,

415
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Speaker 1: you know self, you know, of course we're gonna feel

416
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,240
Speaker 1: that way, but but we do. We we pride ourselves

417
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Speaker 1: on small school scouting, and I think we've done very

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00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,359
Speaker 1: very well. You know, whether it's a guy like you know,

419
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:48,159
Speaker 1: Joe Flacco for instance, UM, there's been a lot of

420
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Speaker 1: other instances of these small school guys that we feel

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Speaker 1: really strongly about. On the other hand, the last couple

422
00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:56,680
Speaker 1: of years have really been challenging for the scouting profession,

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Speaker 1: and so for us to be able to mitigate the risk,

424
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,440
Speaker 1: we just felt like big school power of five type

425
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Speaker 1: guys probably made the most sense. Doesn't mean we won't

426
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Speaker 1: go back to the small school scouting next year to

427
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Speaker 1: try to find the next Kylie us Check. Um, but

428
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,760
Speaker 1: the last couple of years it's just been more challenging,

429
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,240
Speaker 1: and we decided that was probably smart for us to

430
00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,040
Speaker 1: go after the big school guys. So so all right,

431
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,440
Speaker 1: let's go to the third round here and you take

432
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,640
Speaker 1: Ben Cleveland, who it sounded like in the draft room

433
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,000
Speaker 1: that horrible was probably looking across the table at you

434
00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:29,880
Speaker 1: and saying, all right, let's go up and get him.

435
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 1: Let's go up and get him. Are you gonna trade up?

436
00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:33,440
Speaker 1: I don't know if he's gonna be there. How much

437
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:35,919
Speaker 1: was he hassling you to try to trade up? And

438
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:37,720
Speaker 1: get Bank Cleveland because he was nervous he was going

439
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,560
Speaker 1: to fly off the board. Yeah, you know, John always

440
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:45,520
Speaker 1: hassles me when it comes to the draft. Now, seriously,

441
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,320
Speaker 1: you know, John is a good evaluator and he's passionate

442
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,240
Speaker 1: about his feelings. He's got strong opinions, and I love that,

443
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,439
Speaker 1: you know, just like when Ozzy was the GM, I

444
00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:00,600
Speaker 1: had strong opinions and I was passionate as a decision maker.

445
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,399
Speaker 1: That's what you want, you know, So I really value

446
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,640
Speaker 1: his input. Ben was a guy that we had across

447
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,800
Speaker 1: the board a lot of faith and as a player. Um,

448
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,399
Speaker 1: John really liked him. So I think you know that

449
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:17,639
Speaker 1: the the anxiety of not picking in the second round

450
00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,359
Speaker 1: all the way to basically pick third, that's pretty tough.

451
00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:26,440
Speaker 1: Was there some feelings that we should trade up? Uh? Yeah,

452
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:29,399
Speaker 1: and and sold me. My job is to listen to

453
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:34,520
Speaker 1: those feelings and to either agree or disagree. In that

454
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,080
Speaker 1: particular instance, I felt that it would be prudent for

455
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,480
Speaker 1: us to wait and see what happens. Unfortunately we did. Now,

456
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 1: last year, different situation, we made a decision to make

457
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 1: a trade specifically hoping to get one player, and that

458
00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,800
Speaker 1: player got picked right before we had a pick to make,

459
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,120
Speaker 1: so that's on me. I made the decision to trade back.

460
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,640
Speaker 1: I thought we'd get the guy, and we didn't get him.

461
00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:02,280
Speaker 1: So my job is g M is to understand league value.

462
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,800
Speaker 1: How does the league see this player, not just you?

463
00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,199
Speaker 1: And and when I look at the best gms, the

464
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:15,000
Speaker 1: best decision makers throughout the course of the NFL, you

465
00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:21,879
Speaker 1: know guys like Bill Belichick, George Young, Ron Wolfe, guys

466
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,840
Speaker 1: that I have a tremendous amount of respect for the

467
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,080
Speaker 1: Bobby Bethards of the world. One of the things that

468
00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,560
Speaker 1: all those guys were able to do is ascertain league

469
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,080
Speaker 1: value of the player and then club value. That's a

470
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,800
Speaker 1: big part of my job. And so if I think

471
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,199
Speaker 1: that there's a chance that Ben Cleveland can be there

472
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,479
Speaker 1: at I'm not going to trade up to get him. Now,

473
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,080
Speaker 1: if I think he's gonna get picked and I covered

474
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,720
Speaker 1: the player, that maybe I do that and you win someone,

475
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,200
Speaker 1: you lose something. I mean, no GM is perfect. Gosh,

476
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,080
Speaker 1: I've made so many mistakes and I'll make them, I'll

477
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,440
Speaker 1: continue to make them. But I've got to look at

478
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,120
Speaker 1: the short term with the franchise, in the long term

479
00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,679
Speaker 1: of the franchise, and when you give draft picks away

480
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,919
Speaker 1: to trade up and get a player. A lot of

481
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:12,960
Speaker 1: times it doesn't work out exactly as you wanted to

482
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,760
Speaker 1: work out, and the data, the analytics, you know, the

483
00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,960
Speaker 1: cave masses of the world, will tell you that it's

484
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:24,439
Speaker 1: always better at the standpat or trade back rather than

485
00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,280
Speaker 1: trading up to get a guy. And I believe that

486
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,440
Speaker 1: I value the data behind it and the science behind it,

487
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,119
Speaker 1: and so I'm always gonna favorite trading back or standing

488
00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,360
Speaker 1: pat rather than trading up to get a guy. In

489
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,679
Speaker 1: this case, it worked out. Last year, it didn't. What

490
00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,120
Speaker 1: I will say is last year it didn't work out,

491
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,359
Speaker 1: But then again it really did work out because the

492
00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:49,520
Speaker 1: player that we got ended up being one of our

493
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:53,320
Speaker 1: best picks last year. Hm. Well, now we're I'm gonna

494
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,200
Speaker 1: have to go back and look at last year's draft

495
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,240
Speaker 1: and break this whole down that was and who you wanted.

496
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:01,959
Speaker 1: I think it was interesting too, I mean with the

497
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,240
Speaker 1: Cleveland pick, I mean the Vikings took Wyatt Davis, another

498
00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,600
Speaker 1: guard at eighty six. Then the Steelers took another guard,

499
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,040
Speaker 1: Kendrick Green at eighty seven. So you had a good

500
00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:13,120
Speaker 1: feel in Cleveland because two guards went not long before

501
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,280
Speaker 1: then hardball must have been sweating those picks out. He was.

502
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:22,159
Speaker 1: And again I go back to the the study of

503
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:27,480
Speaker 1: biases and so consensus bias, that everybody sees things as

504
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,919
Speaker 1: you see see things. You know, every team has a

505
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,600
Speaker 1: different draft board, and if you can wrap your fingers

506
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:37,760
Speaker 1: around that very idea, then you understand the probability that

507
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,520
Speaker 1: good players are gonna fall down to you. Not every

508
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:45,600
Speaker 1: single team had been Cleveland as the fourth or fifth

509
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,119
Speaker 1: best guard in the draft. We believe he is, but

510
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,840
Speaker 1: obviously Cleveland, whoever else you'd mentioned these players getting picked,

511
00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,320
Speaker 1: they didn't have it that way, and so a mistake

512
00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,640
Speaker 1: did everybody makes a trade up to get a guy

513
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:03,119
Speaker 1: because they believe everybody sees it exactly as you see it.

514
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: It's just like when you go into a restaurant and

515
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,200
Speaker 1: you you order something and the person where you orders

516
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,359
Speaker 1: it and you love it and they don't and you

517
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,280
Speaker 1: just can't believe that they don't love it. Or there's

518
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:15,679
Speaker 1: a series on TV that you just addicted to and

519
00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,320
Speaker 1: your spouse doesn't love it. You know, you expect them

520
00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:21,440
Speaker 1: to love it because you love it, but they don't

521
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:23,959
Speaker 1: love it. That's what makes the whole world go around.

522
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,639
Speaker 1: Everybody has a different draft board. If you can accept

523
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,320
Speaker 1: the fact that every team's board is different, then it

524
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,280
Speaker 1: frees you up to do what's best for the club.

525
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,560
Speaker 1: M right. You know you're talking about this got me thinking.

526
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,640
Speaker 1: You know, I always think that the real NFL draft

527
00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,520
Speaker 1: is exactly like my fantasy football draft, obviously, right, And

528
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,400
Speaker 1: and after after I finished my fantasy football draft, I

529
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,200
Speaker 1: spend the rest of the night, I mean hours pouring

530
00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,880
Speaker 1: over the whole thing, playing the wood ifs you know,

531
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,480
Speaker 1: I should have gone in this direction with this pick.

532
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,440
Speaker 1: You know what if I had picked this guy earlier,

533
00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,320
Speaker 1: that would have led me down this path, you know,

534
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,680
Speaker 1: break the whole thing down. Do you do that as

535
00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:05,240
Speaker 1: a general manager after a real NFL draft? Uh? Probably not.

536
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:07,880
Speaker 1: You know, I think what we do we what we

537
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,160
Speaker 1: do is we just live in the moment and we

538
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,480
Speaker 1: prepare for the next pick, and then when the draft ends,

539
00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,680
Speaker 1: we've moved on. You know. We're looking at the roster.

540
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:18,760
Speaker 1: We're looking at the strengths and weaknesses. We're looking at

541
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,200
Speaker 1: opportunities to continue to get improven as a football team.

542
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,880
Speaker 1: We're looking at potential deals we can do um all

543
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,880
Speaker 1: those kind of things. But I do think that at

544
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,320
Speaker 1: some point, Uh, you do go back and self scout.

545
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,600
Speaker 1: You look at your team, You look at the picks.

546
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:37,880
Speaker 1: What makes this guy a good pick? What makes this

547
00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,280
Speaker 1: guy a bad pick? What do we miss? What do

548
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:44,360
Speaker 1: we see? What can we do better? You know? Where

549
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,080
Speaker 1: are we vulnerable? Where are the blind spots that we

550
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,280
Speaker 1: have in the scouting process. What are our biases? What

551
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,320
Speaker 1: can we do to improve all? Those kind of things

552
00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:57,320
Speaker 1: do take place, but they take place over time, and

553
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,520
Speaker 1: sometimes they don't take place for a couple of years,

554
00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,720
Speaker 1: but they are important steps. I think you've got to

555
00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:08,280
Speaker 1: be willing to critically look at yourself. What are you

556
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,880
Speaker 1: good at? What are your faults, what are your mistakes?

557
00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:15,480
Speaker 1: To learn from those mistakes and move forward as a team. Mhm.

558
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:17,840
Speaker 1: So another guy I want to ask you about his

559
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,080
Speaker 1: Brandon Stevens, who you also took in the third round

560
00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,160
Speaker 1: and I got I got two questions with him. First

561
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,880
Speaker 1: of all, he's interesting because he was running back. Then

562
00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:26,960
Speaker 1: he's a corner, and then you talk about him being

563
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,280
Speaker 1: a potential safety. So how do you evaluate a guy

564
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:33,600
Speaker 1: when you're when you're talking about switching positions and projecting

565
00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,160
Speaker 1: him to that new position. And then also in your

566
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:37,920
Speaker 1: in your call to him, you you talked about how

567
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,800
Speaker 1: you called James Prochet and asked him can he cover?

568
00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: And I'm also just curious how often you talked to

569
00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,200
Speaker 1: current players about guys there they were either teammates with

570
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,400
Speaker 1: or went up against, just to get their perspective about

571
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:55,240
Speaker 1: those specific players. So with Brandon, he's an interesting player.

572
00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,120
Speaker 1: He did transfer, Uh from U c l A to

573
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,160
Speaker 1: s MUC. We're running back act who became a corner,

574
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,040
Speaker 1: uh with some spot play at safety. He's a big guy.

575
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,680
Speaker 1: He ran really well. He's a very athletic player. I

576
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,920
Speaker 1: think what I've said and I still feel this way.

577
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:16,320
Speaker 1: What made him exciting for me to evaluate was his physicality,

578
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,440
Speaker 1: which probably stems from his experiences as a running back,

579
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:23,960
Speaker 1: which is a very physical, physically challenging, demanding position. He's

580
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 1: a smart player, Uh. He we know that because he

581
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:34,000
Speaker 1: evolved into being a very good defensive back pretty quickly. Um.

582
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:35,920
Speaker 1: We see a lot of traits that good corners and

583
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,800
Speaker 1: safeties have. And uh, he's just a good, young, ascending player.

584
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,400
Speaker 1: We see a lot of upside. We felt that had

585
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:47,560
Speaker 1: he probably stayed in college for another year, he'd have

586
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,160
Speaker 1: been a pretty high pick. So the traits are all

587
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,880
Speaker 1: there for this guy. Love his intelligence, I love his toughness,

588
00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 1: physical skills, love his size, and uh, you know, we

589
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,240
Speaker 1: do and I did reach out to James, and we

590
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:06,920
Speaker 1: have done that. We do do that a lot um.

591
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,680
Speaker 1: It's it's a good thing to do because players no players,

592
00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:13,680
Speaker 1: players no personalities, and our players only have one allegiance

593
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,400
Speaker 1: and this to the Ravens and to the club and

594
00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 1: to us being the very best we can be. So

595
00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:20,240
Speaker 1: if a player were to say to me, this guy

596
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,040
Speaker 1: is not a Raven, that would carry a lot of weight.

597
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,120
Speaker 1: And in this particular case, James was effusive in his

598
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:32,000
Speaker 1: praise of Brandon, and it helped me feel confident that

599
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:33,800
Speaker 1: this was the right guy to take at the right time.

600
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,840
Speaker 1: Moving down to the next pick, did you expect that

601
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,440
Speaker 1: you would take two wide receivers in this year's draft

602
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,160
Speaker 1: when you were going into it, or or did you

603
00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 1: just come away and Towns on the board and you say,

604
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,840
Speaker 1: this guy is too good, I can't pass this up. Well,

605
00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:47,760
Speaker 1: we talked about that, and we've done that in the

606
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,360
Speaker 1: past multiple times where we've taken two guys at the

607
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,960
Speaker 1: same position. We did all the way going back to

608
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,120
Speaker 1: when we took Ben Grubs and marce Leonda back and

609
00:32:55,200 --> 00:33:00,360
Speaker 1: oh seven, we took ed Dixon, and we took Dennis Pitta,

610
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,520
Speaker 1: we took Hayden, we took Mark Andrews. So we've done

611
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,160
Speaker 1: that a lot of different times. Uh, we just we

612
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,520
Speaker 1: try to you know, that's a great example. I think

613
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,560
Speaker 1: Teelan Wallace is really a great example of BP a

614
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,920
Speaker 1: best player available and he truly was. And so for

615
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,520
Speaker 1: all the naysayers out there who say, oh, the Ravens

616
00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:25,040
Speaker 1: really don't draft best player available, they draft need Um, again,

617
00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:29,240
Speaker 1: that's a great example of US drafting best player available.

618
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:34,920
Speaker 1: This is a guy that UH tough, h hands, as

619
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:39,480
Speaker 1: good as you'll ever see, great contested catch player, outside ability.

620
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,760
Speaker 1: So one of the things that I did UH leading

621
00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:46,920
Speaker 1: up to the draft was was go to UH Sarah

622
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:51,360
Speaker 1: um Mal, a pal in UH Analytics, and asked her

623
00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:55,600
Speaker 1: to do a report on outside receivers, the best outside

624
00:33:55,640 --> 00:34:00,920
Speaker 1: receivers and college football. And two of the top ten

625
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,720
Speaker 1: names she gave me where Rashad Bateman and Telan Wallace.

626
00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:08,879
Speaker 1: I think a repproach is really sound. I thought our

627
00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:13,479
Speaker 1: ability to communicate was really good, and both players really

628
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,400
Speaker 1: fit what we're looking for in different ways, and so

629
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,560
Speaker 1: he was an easy pick to make, all things considered.

630
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,920
Speaker 1: I know you're not going to give any any specifics

631
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,279
Speaker 1: behind that because I try to get that out of

632
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,360
Speaker 1: you on drafts weekend and you won't. You reveal the

633
00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:29,200
Speaker 1: secrets on those analytics. Um. But but it is fascinating

634
00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,040
Speaker 1: just to hear about how that, how that affects decision making.

635
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:34,799
Speaker 1: You know, like that that is everyone always wonders, like

636
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,319
Speaker 1: an ass how to analy explain to the process, and

637
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:40,759
Speaker 1: it's clear like that is a significant piece of the

638
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,840
Speaker 1: equation is you're evaluating making these decisions. Yeah, what we

639
00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,240
Speaker 1: try to do, Garrett, I feel confident, you know, comfortable

640
00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:48,120
Speaker 1: talking now. Is what we try to do is compare

641
00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:53,120
Speaker 1: thumbsize to big toe and the ratio um between the

642
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,480
Speaker 1: two of those things really helps us determine if this

643
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:59,040
Speaker 1: guy is gonna be an inside receiver, outside receiver or

644
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,439
Speaker 1: possible lons app When you'd be you'd be can you'd

645
00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:05,280
Speaker 1: be surprised the correlation between thumb size and long snapping

646
00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:09,120
Speaker 1: and how receivers with small thumb sizes end up being

647
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,920
Speaker 1: really good long snappers. I'm gonna keep that in mind

648
00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,279
Speaker 1: next year. That's the secret that's the secret sauce. Right,

649
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,600
Speaker 1: that's the that's the next combine measurement they're gonna come

650
00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:18,560
Speaker 1: out with. You know, everybody's gonna be buzzing about thumb

651
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:23,040
Speaker 1: sizes next year. We're gonna know who started that. Uh, Eric,

652
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,680
Speaker 1: I wanted to go back to to Lamar for a second,

653
00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:27,919
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I'm not gonna ask you where

654
00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:29,919
Speaker 1: you are with contract talks because I feel like you've

655
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,960
Speaker 1: given the same answer on that in five different ways. Uh,

656
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,840
Speaker 1: But I want to talk to you about something that

657
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,640
Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier about how you know, when you were

658
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,319
Speaker 1: taking over as GM, one part of the job that

659
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,280
Speaker 1: you felt nervous about was kind of your relationship building

660
00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:46,000
Speaker 1: with the players. That was something that was gonna be

661
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,480
Speaker 1: a little bit different for you in your new role.

662
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,200
Speaker 1: And you've talked about how your relationship with Lamar has

663
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,160
Speaker 1: has been really good throughout this through this process of

664
00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 1: the extension. Can you talk about how you've built that

665
00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,600
Speaker 1: relationship with Lamar and and kind of just fostered it

666
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,240
Speaker 1: in what can be a tricky time between a general

667
00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,839
Speaker 1: manager and a quarterback as they're preaching a contract extension. Well,

668
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:15,759
Speaker 1: I just really appreciate Lamar's leadership abilities and his humility especially,

669
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,720
Speaker 1: and his ability to really galvanize a bunch of different people.

670
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,239
Speaker 1: I mean, that's a special quality that Lamar has. Forget

671
00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:25,240
Speaker 1: about the physical skills as a player and as a quarterback,

672
00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:28,120
Speaker 1: He's got a unique ability to bring all different types

673
00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:32,320
Speaker 1: of people together for one common goal. And I appreciate that.

674
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,640
Speaker 1: You know, I think as a general manager, that should

675
00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:37,160
Speaker 1: be my role as well. And so I see Lamar

676
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,439
Speaker 1: is a guy who does that better than most, and

677
00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,480
Speaker 1: I admire that quality about him. I've seen him, I

678
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:46,520
Speaker 1: watch him, I observe him quite a bit. Um. I'm

679
00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:48,560
Speaker 1: just he'd be the kind of guy you'd be very

680
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,279
Speaker 1: proud of to have as a son. And I just

681
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,120
Speaker 1: really respect the way that he plays and his competitiveness

682
00:36:54,480 --> 00:37:00,480
Speaker 1: and his personality and his ability to to lead uh players.

683
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 1: I find that, you know, very very impressive and uh,

684
00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 1: I just think he's got all the right stuff. I

685
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,800
Speaker 1: asked earlier about asking players about other players. How important

686
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:13,920
Speaker 1: is it when you have a franchise quarterback, you know,

687
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:17,920
Speaker 1: the most important position in pro sports. How important is

688
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,920
Speaker 1: it to involve him in the team building process? You know,

689
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,160
Speaker 1: like it is different than just any other player. And

690
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 1: is that something that you think about as you build

691
00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,000
Speaker 1: a team and a roster of the course of an

692
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,760
Speaker 1: off season. Well, I value all the veteran players input.

693
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,279
Speaker 1: Certain guys will hit me up on players and text

694
00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,120
Speaker 1: me and ask questions. A lot of our players are

695
00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,880
Speaker 1: interested in how the rosters built, in the skills of

696
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,920
Speaker 1: different players, and they study college football and they obviously

697
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,920
Speaker 1: study pro football. So that's something that I find very

698
00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:53,439
Speaker 1: helpful at different points in time. Um you know, ironically,

699
00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:57,800
Speaker 1: last year, Lamar texted me the name of a player

700
00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,439
Speaker 1: that he knew, somebody that he knew, and he said,

701
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,160
Speaker 1: this guy is gonna be a good player. This guy

702
00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,520
Speaker 1: is gonna make it. And the guy didn't get drafted,

703
00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,759
Speaker 1: but the guy did sign as a free agent after

704
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,640
Speaker 1: the draft, and he made a team. And uh so

705
00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,400
Speaker 1: I've admitted to Lamar that I screwed up in that

706
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,120
Speaker 1: situation that probably should have signed a guy as a

707
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:22,480
Speaker 1: free agent. But listen, players, no players, um you know,

708
00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,960
Speaker 1: they know, particularly guys that grew up with players or

709
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,560
Speaker 1: have been around players, and no players from a certain school,

710
00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,799
Speaker 1: certain part of the country, whatever it is. Um, these

711
00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,520
Speaker 1: guys have been playing this game all their lives. Most

712
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:37,880
Speaker 1: of these guys and they know what it takes. So

713
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,280
Speaker 1: if they see it, uh, and they could communicate it,

714
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,719
Speaker 1: it can be helpful. You know, I appreciate that. And

715
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,799
Speaker 1: then for me to ask our guys about players who

716
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,719
Speaker 1: they know can be a really valuable perspective and give

717
00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,839
Speaker 1: me a lot of good input to make decisions. One

718
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:57,759
Speaker 1: thing I think that's been lost a little bit in

719
00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:00,440
Speaker 1: the shuffle of of grating you know and air quotes

720
00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,839
Speaker 1: this draft is that you also got an extra fourth

721
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,440
Speaker 1: round pick next year in the trade with Arizona, and

722
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,279
Speaker 1: you're really stockpiling picks for next year. I mean with

723
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,640
Speaker 1: the compics you know, likely from jude On and Unique,

724
00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,279
Speaker 1: the one the third rounder for Culli, I mean next

725
00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:21,799
Speaker 1: year's draft, you're already loaded. How much of that was

726
00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,960
Speaker 1: of kind of by intention by by you that you

727
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,200
Speaker 1: wanted to set yourself up next year to also have

728
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,240
Speaker 1: the ammunition to be able to move around the draft

729
00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,759
Speaker 1: and add more good, young, cheap players, you know, once

730
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,799
Speaker 1: lamars under contract for a bigger contract. You know, we've

731
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:41,240
Speaker 1: been trying to trade a pick in any given draft

732
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,719
Speaker 1: for a better pick the following year for many years,

733
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:45,600
Speaker 1: and it's always been something that we've tried to do.

734
00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,279
Speaker 1: It's it's just it's never really happened, and so there

735
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,160
Speaker 1: was elation this year when we did that, just because

736
00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:56,720
Speaker 1: it's been a goal of ours. Um, you know, teams

737
00:39:56,719 --> 00:40:01,960
Speaker 1: will discount a pick in next year's draft, and uh,

738
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,919
Speaker 1: you know, for a specific pick in this year's draft.

739
00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,000
Speaker 1: So if you trade a five in this year's draft,

740
00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:11,080
Speaker 1: and the discount will be a five in this year's

741
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,200
Speaker 1: draft is equal to a four next year's draft, And

742
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,160
Speaker 1: it's it's it's a discount because you're talking about a

743
00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:21,400
Speaker 1: player that you can get now versus a player that

744
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,200
Speaker 1: you can only get a year from now. But if

745
00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,959
Speaker 1: you really just think about it, a fifth round pick

746
00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,239
Speaker 1: and a fourth round pick, the fourth round pick is

747
00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:33,879
Speaker 1: more valuable, even though it's a it's a year later.

748
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,520
Speaker 1: So to be able to trade back a little bit

749
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:38,879
Speaker 1: and get a fourth round pick or a better pick

750
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,000
Speaker 1: next year, we see that as a good opportunity. The

751
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:47,000
Speaker 1: other thing I would say is, again, given the pandemic,

752
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:53,600
Speaker 1: given the decrease in salary cap, we think there's no

753
00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:58,960
Speaker 1: greater investment than draft picks. We believe that, you know,

754
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,239
Speaker 1: we believe that the draft over time has proven out

755
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,640
Speaker 1: to be the best way to build a team that

756
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,839
Speaker 1: can sustain success. If you do a good job, people

757
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:13,480
Speaker 1: will say, well, no team does better than any other team.

758
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:16,880
Speaker 1: That's correct. I believe that to be the case. However,

759
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,160
Speaker 1: I would argue that having more draft picks gives you

760
00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:24,000
Speaker 1: a better chance to build a team because the draft

761
00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,000
Speaker 1: is a luck driven process. So if you have twelve

762
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:29,319
Speaker 1: gift dropped twelve draft picks in any given year, you

763
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,879
Speaker 1: have a much better chance of building a team than

764
00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:34,279
Speaker 1: a team that has five draft picks in that same year.

765
00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:37,560
Speaker 1: You just do, and no one will convince me otherwise.

766
00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:41,839
Speaker 1: So for us, stockpiling picks is always going to be

767
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,680
Speaker 1: something that the Ravens will do. We've always been a

768
00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:47,879
Speaker 1: draft centric team. Ozzi has always been the master of

769
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,240
Speaker 1: that going back to and that's not going to change.

770
00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:55,560
Speaker 1: That's our identity. If you ask people about the Ravens,

771
00:41:55,560 --> 00:42:00,120
Speaker 1: that probably say a strong defense and a drafting team,

772
00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,080
Speaker 1: a good drafting team, and and we don't want that

773
00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:06,799
Speaker 1: to change. Right. We'll let you out of here on

774
00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:09,480
Speaker 1: this one, Eric, and a number of occasions, you finished

775
00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,000
Speaker 1: the draft and given us a baseball analogy to kind

776
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,919
Speaker 1: of summarize your feelings on the draft. A few days

777
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:16,360
Speaker 1: removed and putting you on the spot. I don't know

778
00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: if you've thought about this already. Do you have a

779
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:20,880
Speaker 1: good analogy for us this year? You know? Was it

780
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:23,160
Speaker 1: a John means no hitter? Is it that good? What

781
00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:26,080
Speaker 1: are you thinking? You know? I think we we were

782
00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:28,400
Speaker 1: lucky in the in the in the first round, we

783
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:31,920
Speaker 1: had a double play, you know. Uh, we got we

784
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,200
Speaker 1: got we got Bateman, and we got away and we're

785
00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:36,160
Speaker 1: able to get off the field. I feel really good

786
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:39,640
Speaker 1: about the situation. So getting those two guys, both those

787
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:42,720
Speaker 1: guys that in the first round, two guys that we had,

788
00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:47,560
Speaker 1: as you know, for us on our board, really top

789
00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:52,640
Speaker 1: twenty type guys in this year's draft. Uh, we felt

790
00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:57,560
Speaker 1: like we escaped or something really good early on. Awesome. Well,

791
00:42:57,600 --> 00:43:00,399
Speaker 1: thank you so much, Eric, Really appreciate it. I'm gonna

792
00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:04,480
Speaker 1: go measure my toe my big toe size. Um see

793
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,440
Speaker 1: what position I'm gonna end up in at the NFL

794
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,720
Speaker 1: level here. Just great stuff. Really appreciate the insight. Guys.

795
00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:16,680
Speaker 1: Take care. Thanks than you. Alright, So I'm about ready

796
00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:21,080
Speaker 1: to go back. Pull up the draft recap from let's

797
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,840
Speaker 1: see where the Ravens traded back and who they wanted

798
00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:27,719
Speaker 1: to get what they go ahead, you can keep talking

799
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,799
Speaker 1: while I do this. Well, my question, I was trying

800
00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,080
Speaker 1: to remember this. Would it be the J. K. Dobbins pick?

801
00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:33,239
Speaker 1: You know he said it turned out to be one

802
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:37,719
Speaker 1: of our best players. So my thought immediately, you know,

803
00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:41,719
Speaker 1: went to Dobbins because the Ravens and you and your

804
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:45,760
Speaker 1: boy a J. F. Well who you had us taking

805
00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:53,440
Speaker 1: at like they wanted up and us? After all? This

806
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:56,880
Speaker 1: destroys your argument that we never even wanted them. Oh

807
00:43:57,000 --> 00:43:59,239
Speaker 1: A right, So that's what that? Did we trade back

808
00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:02,400
Speaker 1: any other time? Did they trade back in the first round? No,

809
00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,560
Speaker 1: they picked it their normal spot. Um wait wait wait

810
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:09,520
Speaker 1: wait wait wait wait wait Baltimore, Baltimore in New England.

811
00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:14,239
Speaker 1: We didn't. That wasn't That wasn't the j. K. Dobbins pick.

812
00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:16,439
Speaker 1: Now was I think about it. That wasn't a trade back.

813
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:20,920
Speaker 1: That was the hayden Hurst pick. So that was wait

814
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,000
Speaker 1: wait I think it was Mattabeke. I think we went

815
00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:26,680
Speaker 1: from sixty we went we sent pick sixty to New England,

816
00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:29,960
Speaker 1: um who took a pass rusher. Then we dropped down

817
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:33,360
Speaker 1: to seventy one, where we took Mattabeke, who was a

818
00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:37,080
Speaker 1: very good pick one picked before was safety Brandon Jones

819
00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:41,160
Speaker 1: from Texas. Yeah. Interesting, now you know that's the guy.

820
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,120
Speaker 1: Maybe tell me about Brandon Jones, Ryan, what what do

821
00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:49,279
Speaker 1: you remember about him? I don't know nothing. Nothing. We

822
00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:53,600
Speaker 1: would have had de Sean Elliott and Jones to Texas safeties, right,

823
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:55,640
Speaker 1: maybe maybe that was the case. Maybe maybe it was

824
00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:58,840
Speaker 1: about a baka. The Dobbins pick doesn't doesn't make sense.

825
00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,520
Speaker 1: So just a come full circle. They never wanted up Panessa.

826
00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:04,239
Speaker 1: You were wrong all along. You never had a shot

827
00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:08,000
Speaker 1: on that one. Um. But just just just to talk

828
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:10,560
Speaker 1: about his interview from this year, like I thought he

829
00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:12,319
Speaker 1: had some he has some great stories to t Y

830
00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:14,880
Speaker 1: Hilton was a good a really good story, good perspective,

831
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:19,040
Speaker 1: and you just, I don't know, to me, hearing from him,

832
00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,440
Speaker 1: like you just get more of an understanding and appreciation

833
00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:25,200
Speaker 1: for the thought that goes into this draft. And there's

834
00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:27,920
Speaker 1: so much. There's so many little things, Like I thought

835
00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:32,240
Speaker 1: his point about the benefit of taking a younger player

836
00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:34,960
Speaker 1: if all things are being all things equal, like that's

837
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,520
Speaker 1: a minor thing. But we've seen that Patrick Queen was

838
00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,000
Speaker 1: twenty when the Ravens drafted him, Like that's something that

839
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:44,520
Speaker 1: we've seen and so They're like, there are trends. Now

840
00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:47,239
Speaker 1: this is Eric's third draft, there are trends that are developing,

841
00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:51,080
Speaker 1: and that's I think one of them. And I just

842
00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:54,120
Speaker 1: it's just fascinating to hear kind of the the method

843
00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:56,880
Speaker 1: behind the madness. I thought, I thought it was interesting

844
00:45:56,960 --> 00:45:59,920
Speaker 1: the you know, take an athlete, you has a good

845
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:03,200
Speaker 1: attitude and a high high athleticism, you marry those two

846
00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:06,520
Speaker 1: things together. You know, we've often thought about the Ravens

847
00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:09,560
Speaker 1: as being a college you know, rely on the tape,

848
00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:11,359
Speaker 1: the tape, the tape, the tape. You know, it's it's

849
00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:13,680
Speaker 1: did the guy make plays in college? You know, what's

850
00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:17,359
Speaker 1: their tape look like? And I think Eric has has

851
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:21,719
Speaker 1: shifted based on analytics. I think he's shifted a little

852
00:46:21,719 --> 00:46:25,000
Speaker 1: bit more towards what kind of a what's the what's

853
00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,120
Speaker 1: the ceiling here, what's the high upside? You know. And

854
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:31,160
Speaker 1: it's also interesting because Eric has previously said, you know,

855
00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:35,319
Speaker 1: his predecessor Azzi and and his predecessors have talked about

856
00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:37,719
Speaker 1: how in the first round you don't need to hit

857
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,239
Speaker 1: at home run every time. Hit a double double in

858
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:41,759
Speaker 1: the first round is a good thing. You know, get

859
00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:44,799
Speaker 1: a very solid starter. Maybe he's a pro bowler. You know,

860
00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:47,920
Speaker 1: maybe not, but he's a really good pick in the

861
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:50,440
Speaker 1: first round. You try to hit doubles. See kind of

862
00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:53,840
Speaker 1: seems like Eric swinging for the fencils. You know, he's

863
00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:58,960
Speaker 1: he's going for the bombs. Well, that is one thing

864
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,040
Speaker 1: that I think is un changed. And the thing we

865
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:05,480
Speaker 1: talked about this on on draft night, like this is

866
00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:09,960
Speaker 1: not a there's some risk. It's a high high reward,

867
00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,839
Speaker 1: high risk, high reward draft in my opinion, And looking

868
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:15,880
Speaker 1: at this now he dispelled a little bit that and

869
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:17,840
Speaker 1: talking about o Way and how he has a high floor,

870
00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:19,480
Speaker 1: I think that I think the notion there is that

871
00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:22,360
Speaker 1: and Bateman has a high floor. I think people generally

872
00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:25,000
Speaker 1: regard Bateman as having a high floor because he's so polished, right,

873
00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:27,040
Speaker 1: But I think that like the safe pick, the safe

874
00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:29,440
Speaker 1: pick in my mind, would have been taken offensive lineman

875
00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:31,960
Speaker 1: in the first round. You know, Tevin Jenkins is an

876
00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:34,080
Speaker 1: easy point to point to. You take him and you

877
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:36,280
Speaker 1: just say, all right, we got a big, mauling offensive

878
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:39,319
Speaker 1: lineman who can play tackle or guard potentially, and no

879
00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:41,120
Speaker 1: one really would talk about that that much. Just all right,

880
00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:43,319
Speaker 1: good pick. You got an offensive lineman there. But they

881
00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:47,880
Speaker 1: went with the riskier approach, but the potential higher payout,

882
00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:52,840
Speaker 1: And so I think that there's there's definitely truth to

883
00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:57,600
Speaker 1: what you're saying. Yeah, anyway, really good stuff. Uh, we

884
00:47:57,680 --> 00:47:59,960
Speaker 1: are going to have a lot more chatter about the

885
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:04,560
Speaker 1: Ravens draft picks forthcoming. Rookie Minicamp is right around the corner,

886
00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:08,279
Speaker 1: coming next week. We're gonna give you, we're gonna we're

887
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:10,320
Speaker 1: gonna try to get a full breakdown of this rookie

888
00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:12,960
Speaker 1: class from an XS and NOS film perspective before then,

889
00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,279
Speaker 1: but they're at the least we're gonna be back with

890
00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:19,200
Speaker 1: you after Rookie Minicamp to kind of tell you what

891
00:48:19,239 --> 00:48:21,279
Speaker 1: we saw in the field. So make sure you hit

892
00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:25,160
Speaker 1: us up with your emails at the lounge at Ravens

893
00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:27,440
Speaker 1: dot NFL dot net and we will be back with

894
00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:28,600
Speaker 1: you next week.