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Speaker 1: What's up, y'all, and welcome back to the Atlanta Falcons

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Speaker 1: podcast Network.

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Speaker 2: I'm Will McFadden.

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Speaker 1: We are here at the twenty twenty six NFL Scouting

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Speaker 1: Combine in fabulous Indianapolis, Indiana. We have an amazing slate

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Speaker 1: of national media guests that myself and Tory mc laney

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Speaker 1: are going to be talking to throughout the afternoon. You

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Speaker 1: guys are about to hear those conversations. We're going to

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Speaker 1: kick things off with Kevin Fishbain and Kelsey Russo, who

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Speaker 1: do an excellent job covering the Bears and the Browns respectively.

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Speaker 1: We're going to talk to them about the newest editions

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Speaker 1: the Atlanta Falcons organization, Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski. Following

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Speaker 1: them up, we've got Cam Wolfe, Albert Breer, Charles Davis,

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Speaker 1: and Greg Alman who are going to just kind of

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Speaker 1: give their perspective on the state of the Falcons, the

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Speaker 1: draft combine, free agency, Kyle Pitts. It's all coming up next.

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Speaker 1: It's great, Stay tuned and enjoy. We are sitting down

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Speaker 1: with Kevin Fishbain, senior writer at The Athletic, who does

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Speaker 1: a great job covering the Chicago Bears. Obviously, we have

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Speaker 1: a former Chicago Bear now in the building here in

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Speaker 1: Atlanta with Ian Cunningham. So Kevin he's been kind of

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Speaker 1: considered an up and comer in the front office ranks

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Speaker 1: for a while.

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Speaker 2: How did he earn that reputation?

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Speaker 3: Well, when you work for the Ravens and Azie Nussa,

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Speaker 3: when you work for the Eagles and hy Roseman, you're

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Speaker 3: already going to have a lot of a great experience

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Speaker 3: with really good GMS and really good teams and good coaches.

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Speaker 3: Then he comes to the Bears, he gets a number

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Speaker 3: two jobs. The Bears have never had an assistant GM before,

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Speaker 3: so already that was kind of a bit of a

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Speaker 3: hallmark for him to get that title. And then working

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Speaker 3: hand in hand on Ryan Poles, he went through a

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Speaker 3: really difficult rebuild that ended or not ended, but like

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Speaker 3: resulted in what was last season, which was really just

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Speaker 3: this magical run that surprised a lot of people. So

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Speaker 3: he's worked around some really great people. He's been around

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Speaker 3: different types of teams, different types of quarterbacks, different types

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Speaker 3: of coaches. So I think the experience is there, and

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Speaker 3: certainly you can see the different interviews he's had over

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Speaker 3: the years, he's always kind of been in line for

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Speaker 3: this opportunity.

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Speaker 4: So we were talking to him earlier today about his

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Speaker 4: first year with the Bears, that twenty twenty two off season,

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Speaker 4: which was the year that they went from you know,

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Speaker 4: a few draft picks to having eleven didn't have.

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Speaker 5: A first round draft pick that year.

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Speaker 4: He was talking about how much they had to do

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Speaker 4: to kind of accrue all of that capital. Can you

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Speaker 4: talk to us a little bit about what kind of

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Speaker 4: that year was and kind of the ramifications of that

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Speaker 4: in maybe a positive way thereafter?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that is it's not a fun spot

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Speaker 3: for any GM to be in. I mean they came

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Speaker 3: in and they inherited a really difficult situation and not

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Speaker 3: a lot of cap space. They didn't have the first

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Speaker 3: round pick, and they had a lot of contracts had

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Speaker 3: to get rid of, and they knew they weren't going

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Speaker 3: to be good that year. And for them, they accumulated

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Speaker 3: the draft picks. They made some kind of shrewd trades

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Speaker 3: to get more draft picks moving forward, and you look

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Speaker 3: at you know, the first pick that that regime made

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Speaker 3: was Kyler Gordon, who's one of the best slot corners

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Speaker 3: in football, who got an extension. The next pick was

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Speaker 3: Jawan Brisker, who will probably get a decent contract in

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Speaker 3: free agency. Turned out to be when healthy are really

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Speaker 3: solid safety. So but that was yeah, I mean, can

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Speaker 3: you imagine you get to be an assistant GM and

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Speaker 3: you're working one good friends and you don't have a

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Speaker 3: first round pick, and you have all these contracts you

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Speaker 3: got to get rid of, and you know it's going

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Speaker 3: to be a difficult year. So I think that that

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Speaker 3: you know, you guys know this, if football coaches love

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Speaker 3: using the word callous, like, I feel like that really

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Speaker 3: calloused a lot of people in that front office that hey,

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Speaker 3: and for Ian it's like, hey, I got through this,

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Speaker 3: you know I can.

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Speaker 6: I can kind of get through anything.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I think Kevin Spansky said in his opening pressor, smooth

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Speaker 1: seas don't make skilled sailors. That's exactly what that kind

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Speaker 1: of makes me think of. But one of the first

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Speaker 1: clips I think I saw of Ian Cunningham after kind

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Speaker 1: of the announcement was made was that clip of the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty four draft, him sitting next to Ryan Poles

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Speaker 1: kind of maybe urging patience with Roma Dunze when it

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Speaker 1: looked like Poles is getting a little antsy. Is that

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Speaker 1: indicative of kind of the composure as you've gotten to

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Speaker 1: know Ian Cunningham over the years.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I think actually both of them are

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Speaker 3: pretty steady people, and in that moment, the heat of

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Speaker 3: the emotion, I think Ian.

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Speaker 6: Kind of provided that.

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Speaker 3: You know, we heard stories when when Ian first got

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Speaker 3: the job, the two of them they lived together. They

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Speaker 3: woke up really early and went to the Starbucks together,

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Speaker 3: and went to the facility together, and they were with

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Speaker 3: each other all the time until their families got settled.

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Speaker 3: And I think that that moment was really reflective of

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Speaker 3: the two of them understanding each other. And that's where

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Speaker 3: I think for Atlanta's purposes, the relationship that Ian had

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Speaker 3: with Ryan and then what the relationship Ian, obviously everybody

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Speaker 3: wants him to have with Matt Ryan is going to

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Speaker 3: be so important because he had that with one of

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Speaker 3: Matt Ryan's best friends and you know, roommate and teammate

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Speaker 3: and Ryan Poles. So yeah, that that moment, I think Ian,

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Speaker 3: when the few times we got a chance to talk

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Speaker 3: to him, always just very steady, not didn't seem like

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Speaker 3: an emotional guy to us. And what is a very

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Speaker 3: emotional job and I think he really did a good

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Speaker 3: job for Ryan Poles to be that that sounding board

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Speaker 3: and to be that guy to kind of keep everything

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Speaker 3: right here, just you know, not to go too high

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Speaker 3: or too low.

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Speaker 5: One last question, we'll get you out of here.

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Speaker 4: Ian Cunningham has talked a lot about how his philosophy is,

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Speaker 4: you know, building in the trend, and he's a.

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Speaker 5: Former offensive lineman through and through.

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Speaker 4: He talked about that being one of his favorite positions

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Speaker 4: to scout just because of the bias that he has

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Speaker 4: about it.

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Speaker 5: How did the Chicago Bears.

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Speaker 4: Over the last few years really embody that piece of

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Speaker 4: what now is Ian Cunningham's philosophy with the Falcons, Well.

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Speaker 3: Going back to the whole part of seeing so many

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Speaker 3: different things, Ian saw it not work, and then at work,

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Speaker 3: you know, they've made signings and draft picks of offensive

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Speaker 3: line that didn't pan out, and then last year they

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Speaker 3: get a head coach who has a vision for the

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Speaker 3: offensive line. They take a big swing. They've trade for

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Speaker 3: Joe Tooney, who ends up being the protector of the year.

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Speaker 3: They trade for Jonah Jackson, who had a phenomenal season.

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Speaker 3: They signed Drew Dollman, who you guys know well, who

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Speaker 3: was the best center in free agency and they ended

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Speaker 3: up having one of the best offensive lines in football.

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Speaker 3: And I think too we look at Darnell Wright, who

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Speaker 3: was their first first round pick. Ian Cunningham and Ryan

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Speaker 3: Pols had at the position. The two of them played

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Speaker 3: and had a really good rookie year an ify second year,

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Speaker 3: was a second team All Pro last year, and that

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Speaker 3: was their guy that they kind of been able to

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Speaker 3: watch through this and they were able to kind of

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Speaker 3: go the peaks and values with him. So I think

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Speaker 3: that he's seen that you have to keep taking swings

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Speaker 3: and that's not always going to work out. And what

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Speaker 3: they were able to do this offseason, I think is

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Speaker 3: a great blueprint for anybody'd be like, hey, in one

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Speaker 3: off season, you really can overhaul a position group if

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Speaker 3: you have the resources, if you have the right people

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Speaker 3: in place, and you can see it. So I think

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Speaker 3: the twenty twenty five Bears definitely probably validated what Ian

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Speaker 3: would tell anybody, which is it starts in the trenches.

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Speaker 3: As you said, that offensive line was so good this

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Speaker 3: past year and it was the best Bear season we've

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Speaker 3: seen in a lot of time.

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Speaker 1: Awesome, Well, Kevin, thank you so much for taking the

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Speaker 1: time to sit down with us. Everybody, please go check

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Speaker 1: out his coverage on the Athletic We are excited to

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Speaker 1: be joined now by Kelsey Russo, who is basically just

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Speaker 1: our doppelganger over at Cleveland Browns dot com. Kelsey, thank

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Speaker 1: you for sitting down with us.

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Speaker 7: Of course, thanks for having me on.

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Speaker 1: I'm excited so obviously, you know, we share a mutual

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Speaker 1: acquaintance I think in Kevin Stefanski, who has gone from

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Speaker 1: being your head coach two hours and you know we

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Speaker 1: want to just learn a little bit about him. So

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Speaker 1: what what's your overall impression on kind of Kevin Sfanski

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Speaker 1: as a head coach during his time with Cleveland.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, absolutely so in the two three seasons I've been there,

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Speaker 8: so getting to know him and really seeing how he

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Speaker 8: commands the locker room, commands a team. He really tries

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Speaker 8: to just like show his best self to the guys

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Speaker 8: and really like want to just encourage them to be themselves,

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Speaker 8: which I really think is a good trait. If he

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Speaker 8: wants the guys to be their best selves, put their

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Speaker 8: best foot forward, and it's very team focused, which I

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Speaker 8: think is really important especially in football. That's you know,

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Speaker 8: such a big aspect of this game. You know, it's

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Speaker 8: a collective responsibility. Everything is collective. It's never pointing fingers,

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Speaker 8: it's never oh, this side of the ball is not

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Speaker 8: doing as well, et cetera. It's of how do we

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Speaker 8: get better, because when the collective is all good, that's

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Speaker 8: how you have the best result. And so I think,

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Speaker 8: you know, he's a little bit quieter, but I think

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Speaker 8: the way that he still finds a way to connect

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Speaker 8: with the guys and really you know, be very personable

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Speaker 8: in his own manner, I think is really endearing to

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Speaker 8: teammates and you know, to his players because they can

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Speaker 8: relate in different ways. I think a lot in one

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Speaker 8: on one settings. You know, he's really good with players

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Speaker 8: of really getting to know them as people as you know,

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Speaker 8: what's going on in their larves, while also building that

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Speaker 8: you know, professional relationship with head coach to player of Okay, yes,

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Speaker 8: this is who we like you are as a person,

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Speaker 8: but then also this is what we need from the

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Speaker 8: football side of it. So I think it's a really

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Speaker 8: good combination. You know, he was so well liked to

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Speaker 8: the building. He had really really great relationships obviously with

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Speaker 8: everybody on the coaching staff, with you know, with Andrew

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Speaker 8: Barry and had a very good close personal relationship as

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Speaker 8: well as professional relationship, which I think is a great

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Speaker 8: combination for GM and head coach when you're leading a

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Speaker 8: team through the ups and downs, through trying to you know,

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Speaker 8: improve and win games and everything.

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Speaker 9: So I was something that came up in Kevin Savansky's

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Speaker 9: kind of like first introductory was he was talking about

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Speaker 9: how like of a maniac he is with like player development.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and he talks about kind of creating like IDPs

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Speaker 4: on those for like individual development plans for like each individual.

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Speaker 5: Is that something that you saw over.

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Speaker 4: The course of his time in Cleveland and kind of

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Speaker 4: how did that pop up do you think for maybe

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Speaker 4: specific players?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 8: Absolutely, Yeah, he was so big on player development. That

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Speaker 8: was such a big thing of He was like, we

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Speaker 8: are in the business of development, was what he said

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Speaker 8: all the time, which I think is so critical and

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Speaker 8: something that isn't really talked about necessarily as much. You know,

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Speaker 8: you just kind of look at what's happening on the

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Speaker 8: football field, but behind the scenes, there's so much happening.

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Speaker 8: And it was very individualized. Because players are individual people,

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Speaker 8: they have different parts of their skill sets that are stronger, weaker, etc.

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Speaker 8: That they need to address, and so that dedication to

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Speaker 8: that aspect of meeting the player where they're at, looking

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Speaker 8: at specific things in their game that they want to improve,

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Speaker 8: you know, being able to look at what's really strong

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Speaker 8: in their game and being able to maximize that with

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Speaker 8: something that I think he was really good at and

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Speaker 8: instilled in.

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Speaker 7: His staff as well.

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Speaker 8: That was big across the staff, So offense, defense, special teams,

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Speaker 8: those position coaches as well were super dedicated to working

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Speaker 8: with those those guys, to improving them as players and

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Speaker 8: really getting to the nitty gritty the fundamentals of their game,

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Speaker 8: which I think, you know you saw pop up as

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Speaker 8: you know, rookies, younger guys took that step forward. I

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Speaker 8: mean last year I think of I don't know, you

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Speaker 8: think of Harold Fannin who exactly yeah, who you know,

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Speaker 8: Bowling Green, like you know, came in and really stepped

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Speaker 8: into a starting role and is you know, going to

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Speaker 8: be a really big tight end for us this year.

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Speaker 8: You know, I think of honestly, even sure Sanders the

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Speaker 8: growth in his development, you know, not playing, working through

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Speaker 8: the off season and really developing his game, taking steps

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Speaker 8: forward to stepping into that backup role to then stepping

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Speaker 8: into a starting role and then even working through those struggles,

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Speaker 8: like it was all about development, and I think that

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Speaker 8: was a really at the heart of everything he tried

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Speaker 8: to do for you know, this past rookie class, but

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Speaker 8: also rookie classes in the in previous years, to really

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Speaker 8: get the most out of the guys, because that's how

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Speaker 8: you know, you win games, and you build an offense,

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Speaker 8: build defense, special teams to.

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Speaker 7: The levels that you want.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think to kind of that development plan adds

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Speaker 1: a level of accountability because you are always kind of

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Speaker 1: like bolster the entire roster, and you maybe have more

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Speaker 1: guys at your disposal that you feel comfortable with at

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Speaker 1: any given point if an injury happens or just somebody's

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Speaker 1: kind of not cutting it, and you kind of are

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Speaker 1: always keeping everybody prepared and you really do have a

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Speaker 1: cohesive locker room. You mentioned Shador. Obviously, the quarterback situation

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Speaker 1: in Cleveland has been dicey, I guess, for lack of

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Speaker 1: a better word, for the last few years. But to me,

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Speaker 1: that is one of the real checks and green flags

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Speaker 1: for Kevin Stefanski is how he was able to navigate

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Speaker 1: a really difficult situation at the most important position in Cleveland,

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Speaker 1: and that is it's really that second kind of Coach

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Speaker 1: of the Year award that I like, I really think

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Speaker 1: is emblematic of the type of coach he can be

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Speaker 1: because going to the playoffs with what it was, Joe

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Speaker 1: Flacco leading like for five games and you know, obviously

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Speaker 1: I think Deshaan started that season, but like having three

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Speaker 1: or four different quarterbacks in the span of a season

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Speaker 1: and still making the playoffs, that's to the coaching. So

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Speaker 1: how did you see him navigate specifically kind of the

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Speaker 1: offense around the quarterback? Did it change depending on who

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Speaker 1: was in there? Did he try to mold each quarterback

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Speaker 1: into his offense? Like how did all of that work?

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Speaker 7: I think it's kind of combination of both.

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Speaker 8: So Kevin Sabanski's offenses are sort of have been what

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Speaker 8: they have been, you know, creating you know, those passing opportunities,

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Speaker 8: but using that wind zone run game aspect of it. However,

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Speaker 8: there was also an adaptability piece to it of whichever

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Speaker 8: quarterback is out there, you have to use their skill

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Speaker 8: sets and maximize their skill sets. So I think of

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Speaker 8: that season, so that was my first season, wow, And.

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Speaker 7: So yeah, NFL exactly. Oh yes, yeah, one thing after another.

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Speaker 8: But you know, when Joe Flacco came into the picture,

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Speaker 8: you know, older quarterback who has been around the league,

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Speaker 8: but has the ability to throw the ball, and so

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Speaker 8: they really utilize that to their advantage. And we saw

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Speaker 8: that with he had multiple three hundred yard passing games,

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Speaker 8: you know, won Player of the Week through the air,

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Speaker 8: and just different opportunities where they tried to utilize that

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Speaker 8: part of his skill set. And then I think of

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Speaker 8: this past year, you know, while the offense really was

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Speaker 8: at the core the same, it's still changed a little

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Speaker 8: bit with Dylan Gabriel, with Joe Wish shud Or to

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Speaker 8: again utilize their skill sets and kind of what worked

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Speaker 8: best with also what was happening on the offensive line,

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Speaker 8: with their run game, with their receiving cores, et cetera.

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Speaker 8: And so it was a blend of what does the

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Speaker 8: offense look like currently player wise, and then how do

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Speaker 8: we utilize each individual skill set to build a collective

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Speaker 8: offense that works or trying and trying to get the

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Speaker 8: best out of those guys.

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Speaker 4: So when it's funny because Chelsea and I are like

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Speaker 4: really good friends, have it way did you see Georgia

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Speaker 4: together like have been three years. So as soon as

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Speaker 4: Kevin's Devanasky was hired, I picked up the phone and

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Speaker 4: I called Kelsey And one of the first questions I

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Speaker 4: asked you, I was like, Okay, tell me a little

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Speaker 4: bit about like offensive play calling. I was like, because

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Speaker 4: Kevin says that Tommy Grace's play calling.

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Speaker 5: I know that Kevin started the.

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Speaker 4: Year last year with Cleveland being the main play caller

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Speaker 4: and then ten games and handed.

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Speaker 5: That over to Tommy Greaves.

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Speaker 4: And you know, I know the offense in and of

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Speaker 4: itself like had some some lows. But when you look

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Speaker 4: at kind of that handoff, what did you take away

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Speaker 4: from from that part of last season and what it

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Speaker 4: could make for Tommy Grace moving forward.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, I think it said a couple of things.

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Speaker 8: I think him recognizing that things were they were struggling

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Speaker 8: as an offense, things weren't going well and they needed

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Speaker 8: to make a change said a lot to me about

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Speaker 8: accountability of I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to

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Speaker 8: make this work and find success. So if I'm not

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Speaker 8: gonna call plays, Tommy's gonna call plays, let's try, let's

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Speaker 8: do it. That said a lot to me. Just about

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Speaker 8: his own accountability while also asking for accountability from players

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Speaker 8: as well.

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Speaker 7: So you take.

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Speaker 8: Accountability for your role in this in the struggles, and

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Speaker 8: I'm going to take accountability for my role. And that's

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Speaker 8: just how that works, you know. I think when you

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Speaker 8: kind of looked at the dichotomy of the two of them,

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Speaker 8: Kevin's play calling might have been a little bit more

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Speaker 8: conservative in a sense, while I feel like with Shitor,

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Speaker 8: Tommy took a little bit more risk in the sense

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Speaker 8: of looking downhill and throwing those deep passes. I think

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Speaker 8: of the Raiders game and he had that like sixty

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Speaker 8: nine yard pass to Dylan Sampson and for a touchdown,

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Speaker 8: and it was insane and I was like, I watched

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Speaker 8: it happen.

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Speaker 2: I was like, what is happy?

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Speaker 7: It was crazy.

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Speaker 8: But so, you know, Tommy stepping into for the first

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Speaker 8: time an as an NFL offensive coordinator, I think he

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Speaker 8: was a little bit more willing to take that risk

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Speaker 8: because he had watched what was going on and they

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Speaker 8: had had conversations, and I think that was something I noticed.

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Speaker 8: I mean, even when Tommy got hired as offensive coordinator

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Speaker 8: and Kevin was like, I'm gonna call plays at first,

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Speaker 8: it wasn't a split where it's like I'm head coach,

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Speaker 8: you know, I'm offensive coordinator. They worked so in tandem

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Speaker 8: to build the offense, build the scheme, build the plays

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Speaker 8: for the week. And it was just like more so

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Speaker 8: just a like somebody has a call it place, so

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Speaker 8: I'm gonna call them kind of thing. But even when

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Speaker 8: Tommy took over, that didn't stop. They still worked in tandem.

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Speaker 8: They still built the offensive scheme for the week. You know,

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Speaker 8: the play calls, et cetera together, which I think said

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Speaker 8: a lot about their relationship and the trust that they

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Speaker 8: have in one another for the offense you're building.

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Speaker 7: So but there are some differences I think. You know,

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Speaker 7: Tommy did have.

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Speaker 8: The liberty to call what he thought would be best,

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Speaker 8: and so he took chances, and some of them worked

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Speaker 8: and some of them didn't. And he would talk about,

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Speaker 8: you know, if there was a play I can't remember specifically,

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Speaker 8: but I'm remembering one we talked about. I can' remember

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Speaker 8: the play, but he'd talked about how he was like,

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Speaker 8: that didn't work, Probably should have called something else, but

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Speaker 8: that self awareness of okay, yeah that didn't work, but

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Speaker 8: we took that chance. And that's okay. I think also

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Speaker 8: was really good growth for Tommy stepping into this role.

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Speaker 8: And I think now in Atlanta, Kevin continuing that trust

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Speaker 8: in Tommy to call plays, I think says a lot

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Speaker 8: not only about the growth that Tommy had while he

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Speaker 8: did call plays for the last part of the season,

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Speaker 8: but also in their relationship as they're stepping into this

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Speaker 8: new opportunity in Atlanta. You know, running this offense, but

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Speaker 8: the trust in one another that I'll call plays, you're

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Speaker 8: the head coach, and we can do this as a

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Speaker 8: as a team.

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Speaker 7: To find the success that we want.

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Speaker 1: I think that makes a lot of sense. And it

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Speaker 1: makes sense at this point in time too, where coming

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Speaker 1: to a new organization there's a lot of moving parts

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Speaker 1: at this time of year. Especially having somebody that you

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Speaker 1: can kind of hand off a lot of those responsibilities too,

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Speaker 1: who is like minded because you've worked so closely together

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Speaker 1: for the last year, makes a lot of sense. Whereas

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Speaker 1: in Cleveland, you know, maybe there was a Kevin had

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Speaker 1: a better feel for the whole organization having been there

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Speaker 1: for a long time, and you keep some of that

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Speaker 1: stuff on your plate. Can you help us understand maybe

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Speaker 1: a little bit of what does Kevin Stefanski care about

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Speaker 1: when it comes to during the sixty minutes of a

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Speaker 1: football game, the little micro advantages that you can gain,

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Speaker 1: be a time of possession, execution in situational moments, turnovers,

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Speaker 1: things like that. Where there are things in press conferences

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Speaker 1: that he kind of kept harping on or pointing to,

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Speaker 1: is we've got to be better here or execute here

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Speaker 1: to win these games.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, absolutely so I think too. I think of the turnovers,

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Speaker 8: that was a really big thing. I think in the

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Speaker 8: past couple of years. You know, they always talked about

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Speaker 8: the need to protect the ball. So whether that's from

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Speaker 8: quarterback standpoint, that's from you know, the past catcher that's

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Speaker 8: been running back, et cetera. Not turning the ball over

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Speaker 8: with such a big component, and that they all played

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Speaker 8: a role in that. So it wasn't just whoever had

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Speaker 8: the ball in their hand. It was you know, the

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Speaker 8: tight ends blocking and protecting those guys. It was the

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Speaker 8: quarterback being able to read the situation and make the

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Speaker 8: great call of either throwing the ball away or taking

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Speaker 8: the sack, you know, making the right decision. So a

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Speaker 8: lot of it really broke down to making a good decision.

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Speaker 8: So I think that and then we talked a lot

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Speaker 8: about third downs, so in the importance of those plays

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Speaker 8: and so you know, obviously you want to advance on

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Speaker 8: first and second down, but when you are in those

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Speaker 8: third down situations, the need to convert, and so in

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Speaker 8: the need to make a positive play to not put

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Speaker 8: yourself in a tough fourth down situation.

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Speaker 7: Why either you have to punt.

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Speaker 8: Or if you go for it, you're in a tougher

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Speaker 8: spot where you risk you know, being giving the other

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Speaker 8: team good field position.

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Speaker 7: And so that was a really big.

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Speaker 8: Component of the need to be successful on third down.

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Speaker 8: So I think those two things offensively were really important.

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Speaker 8: But then also to being able to find success both

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Speaker 8: in the run and the pass game. So whether whether

440
00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,760
Speaker 8: whatever the situation of the game was so being able

441
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 8: to adapt in situational football of like, okay, this defense

442
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,200
Speaker 8: is doing you know, they're running, they're defending the run

443
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,760
Speaker 8: really strongly, So we're going to have to pass more. Okay,

444
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,480
Speaker 8: so what does that look like? How do we adjust offensively,

445
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,560
Speaker 8: you know, with our tight ends, with our wide receivers

446
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,080
Speaker 8: to have a successful pass game. The pass game is

447
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,840
Speaker 8: not working, how do we utilize the run game to

448
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,000
Speaker 8: our advantage to be able to advance the ball forward

449
00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,680
Speaker 8: where then you can create those passing opportunities.

450
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,720
Speaker 7: And so I think he has.

451
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:40,800
Speaker 8: A really good understanding of situational football, of when you

452
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,600
Speaker 8: need to adjust on the fly and being able to

453
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 8: make things work with whatever is happening with the success

454
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,720
Speaker 8: or the struggles that you're having as the offense is,

455
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:54,200
Speaker 8: you know, going throughout the game.

456
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,080
Speaker 2: Wow, it's so insightful. I can tell why you picked

457
00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,760
Speaker 2: up the phone immediately Kevin was hired. Thank you so

458
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,119
Speaker 2: much for sitting down with us. Kelsey, this is amazing.

459
00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,520
Speaker 1: Everybody, please go check out her work associate editor and

460
00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,119
Speaker 1: staff writer for the Cleveland Browns.

461
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,320
Speaker 7: Thank you again, of course, thanks for having on. Guys.

462
00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,560
Speaker 1: We are sitting down with Cam Wolf of the NFL Network,

463
00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,199
Speaker 1: who does an incredible job covering really the league. But

464
00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,760
Speaker 1: you I feel I have a special affinity for the

465
00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:19,640
Speaker 1: Atlanta Falcons.

466
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:20,360
Speaker 6: I do. I do?

467
00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:21,200
Speaker 10: Who doesn't, right?

468
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:25,800
Speaker 11: I enjoy covering the Falcons mostly because, like I grew

469
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:27,800
Speaker 11: up with a lot of Falcons fans and you know,

470
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:32,440
Speaker 11: the passion the pain that that comes through it, and

471
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,080
Speaker 11: to me, like I connect more with passionate fan bases

472
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,680
Speaker 11: because they want the news. They want the Nuggets, the stories,

473
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,320
Speaker 11: and so I know when I go to Atlanta or

474
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,000
Speaker 11: talk about Atlanta, their ears.

475
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:42,399
Speaker 6: Are gonna perk up.

476
00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,800
Speaker 11: They want to know any nugget that you got about

477
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,200
Speaker 11: their quarterback, their their new head coach, their general manager, whatever.

478
00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:48,640
Speaker 6: It is and so.

479
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,440
Speaker 10: And it's a cool city too, you know, So who wouldn't.

480
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,240
Speaker 1: So why should the hire of Kevin's fans key ignite

481
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,480
Speaker 1: even more passion for the Falcons fans?

482
00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:59,439
Speaker 11: Well, first of all, I think people should know the

483
00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,800
Speaker 11: respect that Kevin Stefanski has around the league.

484
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:03,320
Speaker 10: I think that.

485
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,919
Speaker 11: Don't let how it ended in Cleveland confuse you. He's

486
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,560
Speaker 11: regarded as one of the best schemers first of all

487
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,719
Speaker 11: in the league offensively, and how he builds up a

488
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,119
Speaker 11: young team has been impressive to watch, like in multiple places.

489
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,359
Speaker 11: And I got to cover Cleveland a lot, and that

490
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:25,080
Speaker 11: situation was difficult. You've got a quarterback who is maybe

491
00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:28,959
Speaker 11: bigger name wise than the team and you deal with that.

492
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,760
Speaker 11: And I saw how he, regardless of what the public said,

493
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 11: was very intentional and how he wanted to go about

494
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 11: the process and he evolved based on the needs of

495
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:41,240
Speaker 11: each of his players at the time.

496
00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,240
Speaker 10: And when you think about where Atlanta is.

497
00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,359
Speaker 11: With Michael Panis coming off a serious injury, You're going

498
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:48,879
Speaker 11: to have a different offseason.

499
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,720
Speaker 10: You're going to have different.

500
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,639
Speaker 11: Guys maybe in OTAs or in training camp than you

501
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 11: do week one or even week eight. So I think

502
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,760
Speaker 11: you have a quarterback a coach who has experience of

503
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:01,520
Speaker 11: nonavigating that position.

504
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,000
Speaker 10: First of all, a huge asset.

505
00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,639
Speaker 11: And then I'm thinking about all the playmakers that we

506
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,800
Speaker 11: see in Atlanta, and I think the big question always

507
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,400
Speaker 11: is how do you maximize those guys? You know, how

508
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,440
Speaker 11: do you not only have Jean be the best running

509
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,879
Speaker 11: back in football? How does he the best player consistently

510
00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,000
Speaker 11: in football every single game? Not just in Spurks but

511
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,480
Speaker 11: then took a fifty yard game. You know, how can

512
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,440
Speaker 11: he do that every game? How can you make Drake

513
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,560
Speaker 11: London a top five receiver and not just you know,

514
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,840
Speaker 11: a few games out of the year, every game. And

515
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,600
Speaker 11: I think that's where Kevin's skill as a schemer, as

516
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,680
Speaker 11: a guy who has had a lot of success building

517
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,240
Speaker 11: young players up, really comes into fruition. So I'm excited

518
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,040
Speaker 11: to see how he gets his hands on him. Obviously,

519
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 11: Kyle Pitts now gets franchised tag. You get him back,

520
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,399
Speaker 11: and I'm excited to see how they add. This has

521
00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,880
Speaker 11: always been a team that Kevin Stefanski led, teams that

522
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 11: love to be physical and run the football, but I

523
00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,119
Speaker 11: don't know if he's ever had the skill talent that

524
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,480
Speaker 11: he has coming in with it. So I think, to me,

525
00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 11: that gives me excitement, and I think it should get

526
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,439
Speaker 11: Falcons fans excitement because this is not a team that

527
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,919
Speaker 11: is far away from competing. A lot of times the

528
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 11: new head coach, you're talking about two three years or build.

529
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,760
Speaker 11: There's no reason why with Kevin this team can't be

530
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:15,480
Speaker 11: a playoff team.

531
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:16,520
Speaker 10: In twenty twenty six.

532
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 5: You brought up Kyle Pitts.

533
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,200
Speaker 4: That's kind of been the news of the last couple

534
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,919
Speaker 4: of days getting the franchise tag. Why was that the

535
00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,560
Speaker 4: right move for the Falcons at this point in time.

536
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,400
Speaker 11: Well, clearly they weren't at a long term extension yet

537
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,879
Speaker 11: because that's the preference. But I think that Kyle Pitt's

538
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,560
Speaker 11: question has been an annual question. You know, where is

539
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,199
Speaker 11: he health wise? What can you do to take it

540
00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:39,840
Speaker 11: to the next level? And I think last year we

541
00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,399
Speaker 11: got to see the closest version of Kyle to his

542
00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,400
Speaker 11: rookie year that we've seen since he's been there, and

543
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,200
Speaker 11: you saw a healthier version of Kyle. And when Kyle

544
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,880
Speaker 11: is healthy, probably one of the best five or six

545
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:51,840
Speaker 11: tight ends in football.

546
00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,640
Speaker 10: And usually the franchise tag is for the.

547
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,480
Speaker 11: Top five players of football. So I think it makes sense,

548
00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,600
Speaker 11: you know, the caps rising. I think it's what fifteen

549
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 11: million dollars given Kyle. It makes sense with the cap

550
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,520
Speaker 11: what it is to pay a top tight end that money,

551
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:07,560
Speaker 11: and if they don't get a long term deal, it

552
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,359
Speaker 11: gives you one more year, you know, to evaluate to

553
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,760
Speaker 11: you know, for what it's worth Kyle to prove he

554
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,000
Speaker 11: can stay healthy, and then you can parlay that potentially

555
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,239
Speaker 11: into a long term deal. So we talked about the

556
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,200
Speaker 11: young talent they drafted. It means nothing if you can't

557
00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 11: retain that talent, and so I think getting him back,

558
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,439
Speaker 11: and then you start to think future years. If we

559
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,760
Speaker 11: can build this core of all the guys we drafted

560
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,320
Speaker 11: and back to back years together long term, then you know,

561
00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,640
Speaker 11: this could be a special special cores that we look

562
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,199
Speaker 11: at for for five ten years down the line.

563
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:39,760
Speaker 2: Yeah.

564
00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,399
Speaker 1: Continuing along those lines, we've asked a lot of people

565
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,520
Speaker 1: about Kyle Pitt's and Alva John Robinson about the quarterback position.

566
00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,840
Speaker 1: But Drake Lonnon you mentioned getting him to be a

567
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,240
Speaker 1: top five receiver if you look at the per game stats, right,

568
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:52,880
Speaker 1: and you can always make numbers work in your favor,

569
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,760
Speaker 1: but like he's right up there. I think he was

570
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:56,359
Speaker 1: like third or fourth last season.

571
00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 10: Yep.

572
00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,800
Speaker 1: The injury obviously kind of tailed those total numbers off.

573
00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,919
Speaker 1: But how will he fit into Kevin Stefanski's offense and

574
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 1: kind of what have you seen from the number one

575
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,600
Speaker 1: receiver in a Nanki offense.

576
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:08,199
Speaker 11: Well, first of all, I think Drake London is one

577
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,359
Speaker 11: of the most underrated players in football, and I think

578
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,280
Speaker 11: if he talked a little bit more, people wouldn't have

579
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:12,960
Speaker 11: him underrated.

580
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,600
Speaker 10: But I think he's gonna stay who he is.

581
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,439
Speaker 11: I mean, like as far as the arrogance, because he's

582
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:20,840
Speaker 11: a humble like he's talked.

583
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 6: More and more, but he's.

584
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,880
Speaker 11: Not your you know, he's not your diva wide receiver one,

585
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,720
Speaker 11: even though he plays like he can be like if

586
00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,800
Speaker 11: he wanted to be, his game says it. I think

587
00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:36,159
Speaker 11: his size is what makes him so unique. And I

588
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:37,800
Speaker 11: know that coming out of the draft there is a

589
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,960
Speaker 11: lot of the Mike Evans comparisons, But I think even

590
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,080
Speaker 11: even over Mike, he has some some playmaking and elusiveness

591
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,320
Speaker 11: that I think surprises cornerback sometimes.

592
00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:47,919
Speaker 10: You always think about his jump ball.

593
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:49,919
Speaker 11: Ability and how he can make plays now and that

594
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,080
Speaker 11: down the field that capacity, but he can run passing dudes.

595
00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:55,479
Speaker 11: He can make some plays with his yak ability, And

596
00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,159
Speaker 11: I think the yak in particular is where you see

597
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,199
Speaker 11: people in Kevin Stefanski's offense kind of take off, you know,

598
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:04,000
Speaker 11: And so can you scheme Drake in some over the

599
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,680
Speaker 11: middle routes where he can not only go up and

600
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,080
Speaker 11: get the ball, but potentially take those fifteen yard over

601
00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,240
Speaker 11: routes and make them fifty yard touchdowns? And I've seen

602
00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,520
Speaker 11: that in Kevin Stefanski's offense for years, and so I

603
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,639
Speaker 11: don't know if he's had a Drake London and so

604
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,760
Speaker 11: like that to me is exciting to see. Okay, you

605
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 11: know you've had David and Joku do a lot of

606
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,760
Speaker 11: these routes. What if Drake London's running some of David

607
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,639
Speaker 11: and Joku's routes. What if you put Drake London in

608
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 11: the slot and allow him to do some things as

609
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,040
Speaker 11: a big slot on ten or fifteen plays more game.

610
00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,440
Speaker 11: What could that unlock for the offense? I think those

611
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,200
Speaker 11: are the things that Falcons fans should get excited about.

612
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:41,960
Speaker 11: And I think what I've seen from Kevin in the

613
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 11: past is he's willing to put people in different spots

614
00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,800
Speaker 11: than they've always been, you know. And so I'm just thinking,

615
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,720
Speaker 11: you know, can we Bajan maybe playing some outside receiver

616
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,040
Speaker 11: and put Drake in the inside? Like, can we mix

617
00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,720
Speaker 11: and match a little bit to use your playmaker skill

618
00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,520
Speaker 11: sets to have this offense be unpredictable on a week

619
00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 11: to week basis for defenses.

620
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,200
Speaker 4: I've been asking this question to pretty much everyone who

621
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,320
Speaker 4: sits down on this because I think it's it's probably

622
00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,440
Speaker 4: the most important question, yep of this offseason right now

623
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:13,320
Speaker 4: for the Falcons, and it's what you're doing at the

624
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,160
Speaker 4: quarterback And obviously you know Michaels Kinning's coming off of

625
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,640
Speaker 4: the entry. Don't really know what that timeline of return

626
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,680
Speaker 4: looks like. Ye, So you have to go into the

627
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,560
Speaker 4: twenty twenty sixth season with a plan, YEP. If you're

628
00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,160
Speaker 4: sitting in let's say I Cunningham seat, what thought process

629
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,360
Speaker 4: do you have about what you want to put in

630
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,120
Speaker 4: that room around Michael Pinnock's knowing that Kirk Cousins will

631
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,520
Speaker 4: be released once the start of the league, your kids here.

632
00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:37,600
Speaker 10: Yeah, let's call it what it is.

633
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,120
Speaker 11: They got to add a quarterback, like I think that

634
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,080
Speaker 11: I Well, first of all, I believe in Michael. I

635
00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,480
Speaker 11: think that Michael is gonna be the starting quarterback when

636
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,760
Speaker 11: he's healthy. But like you said, you hope is not

637
00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,200
Speaker 11: a strategy. You can't hope he's gonna be ready in

638
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:52,400
Speaker 11: week one or hope.

639
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:53,040
Speaker 10: He's ready in July.

640
00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,560
Speaker 11: So I think they need to put resources in a

641
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,880
Speaker 11: strong solution, whether that's going in free agency and saying

642
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,719
Speaker 11: is there a not him per se? But is there

643
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 11: a Daniel Jones type player? Where we're spending ten million

644
00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,880
Speaker 11: dollars on a quarterback who may ultimately be a backup,

645
00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,280
Speaker 11: but he could also start Week one for us. I

646
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,600
Speaker 11: think they've got to be willing to make those investments.

647
00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,600
Speaker 11: And that's not a three million dollar spend, that's not

648
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:19,640
Speaker 11: a use a fifth round pick on a rookie.

649
00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,200
Speaker 10: That's an investment. And so I don't know.

650
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,680
Speaker 11: That we're expecting another first round surprise, but would it

651
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:26,480
Speaker 11: surprise me if they spend a second or third round

652
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:28,760
Speaker 11: pick on a quarterback. No, would it surprise me if

653
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,720
Speaker 11: they spent a decent amount of money on a quarterback

654
00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,360
Speaker 11: and free agency, No, I think you've got to prepare

655
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,240
Speaker 11: yourself as if this guy is going to be your

656
00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 11: starter all off season and at some point we get

657
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,840
Speaker 11: Michael back during the season. So I think because of

658
00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 11: that it makes it very unique. But this year in

659
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:53,360
Speaker 11: particular is a year where you have to essentially let

660
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,240
Speaker 11: Michael prove that he can stay healthy get healthy, rather

661
00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,760
Speaker 11: than counting on it as you may have done previous years.

662
00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,040
Speaker 1: You brought up the draft. Well, we'll end it here.

663
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,360
Speaker 1: What do you expect the Falcons to do? They've got

664
00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,840
Speaker 1: five picks, they don't have a first round pick, you know,

665
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:10,760
Speaker 1: do you expect one side of the ball over the other?

666
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,960
Speaker 1: Do you expect any positions to be kind of heavy

667
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:13,920
Speaker 1: with their roster?

668
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 4: Yeah?

669
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,840
Speaker 11: Last year was obviously a big pass rush draft. You

670
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,560
Speaker 11: go and get your your two pass rushers, and those

671
00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,000
Speaker 11: guys played really well, you know while they were on

672
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,560
Speaker 11: the field. I think this year it would be great

673
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:30,440
Speaker 11: to see them get difference makers who can impact the game.

674
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 11: As I guess. I guess the way I would describe

675
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:40,000
Speaker 11: it is, guys that you have to game plan for

676
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,120
Speaker 11: on a particular basis. And for me, maybe that's a safety,

677
00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 11: maybe that's a cornerback, Maybe that's a guy who can

678
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:49,040
Speaker 11: get his hands on the ball.

679
00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:50,400
Speaker 6: I think you saw this.

680
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,000
Speaker 11: Past draft they were able to draft guys who were

681
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:54,160
Speaker 11: able to contribute.

682
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:54,280
Speaker 6: In year one?

683
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:56,400
Speaker 2: What are our holes?

684
00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:56,960
Speaker 10: You know?

685
00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,360
Speaker 11: Where can we find a guy that we can plug

686
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,400
Speaker 11: in and play and that can contribute to winning in

687
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,800
Speaker 11: year one for a team that's gonna need a lot

688
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,640
Speaker 11: of this. So I don't know who those guys are

689
00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:09,360
Speaker 11: gonna be in the second or third round, but I

690
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,520
Speaker 11: think they've got to be open minded in a way

691
00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,200
Speaker 11: that last year I think they came into the draft

692
00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,760
Speaker 11: pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. I think this year

693
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,160
Speaker 11: is who are impact players? Where can we find a

694
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,320
Speaker 11: guy that can help impact winning?

695
00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,080
Speaker 1: Now, well, you are an impact reporter, so please go

696
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 1: check out Kim Wolf's.

697
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:28,160
Speaker 2: Thank you for sitting down with us.

698
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:29,520
Speaker 6: Appreciate you, Thank you for the time.

699
00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,000
Speaker 1: We are sitting down now with Albert Breer, senior NFL

700
00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,280
Speaker 1: reporter for the Monday Morning Quarterback. Albert, thank you for

701
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:37,720
Speaker 1: taking the time. I know it's a very busy week

702
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,960
Speaker 1: for Thanks for having me I appreciate it. So Kevin

703
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:43,320
Speaker 1: Sfanski hired now as Alanta Falcons head coach. What does

704
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,440
Speaker 1: he bring to this team that doesn't feel like it's

705
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,160
Speaker 1: all that far off? Can he kind of help him

706
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:47,760
Speaker 1: get over the hump?

707
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:48,080
Speaker 6: Yeah?

708
00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,280
Speaker 12: I mean, I think, you know, one of the things

709
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:54,960
Speaker 12: interesting about Kevin is he was part of taking Cleveland

710
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,000
Speaker 12: and elevating it. But he also, you know, went through

711
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,160
Speaker 12: a lot of just wrong turns, you know, like the

712
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,480
Speaker 12: Deshaun Watson trades the most obvious example of it, but.

713
00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:08,000
Speaker 6: Bumps.

714
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 12: You know, between the roster building process, they had a

715
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:15,680
Speaker 12: core of players there, you know, and guys like some

716
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 12: of them are still there, Miles Garrett, Denzel Ward, where

717
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,120
Speaker 12: they weren't quite able to maximize the prime of those guys.

718
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,920
Speaker 12: And I think going through a lot of that, there's

719
00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,680
Speaker 12: great lessons. Now, Kevin did a lot right, and I think,

720
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:29,760
Speaker 12: you know, getting to the playoffs in twenty and winning

721
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:31,920
Speaker 12: a playoff game for the first time there in forever

722
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:34,760
Speaker 12: with Baker Mayfield as the quarterback, and then getting back

723
00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,200
Speaker 12: to the playoffs in twenty three in the circumstances they

724
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,520
Speaker 12: were in, you know, with the quarterback situation being the

725
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,600
Speaker 12: mess that it was bringing in Joe Flacco all of

726
00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,520
Speaker 12: that different stuff. I think it gives you, like just

727
00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,920
Speaker 12: you know, a good base of success and track record.

728
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 6: But I actually think I.

729
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,240
Speaker 12: Bet he'd tell you this too, that there was more

730
00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,160
Speaker 12: for him to learn from the bumps that he went

731
00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,040
Speaker 12: through and some of the ups and downs, And so

732
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,600
Speaker 12: I think you get the benefit of all that you know.

733
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,400
Speaker 12: And a lot of times when guys you get fired

734
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:08,839
Speaker 12: and then get a job right away, you'll see this symptom, well,

735
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,080
Speaker 12: it must have been everybody else's fault, right like it

736
00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:13,040
Speaker 12: must have been. And I think you saw it with

737
00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,360
Speaker 12: you Adam Gasee at one point with the Jets, with

738
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,160
Speaker 12: Eric Mangini at one point with the Browns, where you know,

739
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:21,640
Speaker 12: it's very easy if you're in that position, if somebody

740
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,279
Speaker 12: hires you right away or there's a lot a lot

741
00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:25,880
Speaker 12: of interest in you right away, to think, well, it

742
00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,799
Speaker 12: must have been everybody else's fault. I think Kevin, because

743
00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,400
Speaker 12: of all that he went through in Cleveland, won't won't

744
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 12: be affected that same way. So I think they're in

745
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,279
Speaker 12: a really good spot Kevin going forward.

746
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,279
Speaker 4: Love to get your reaction to the news of the

747
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,520
Speaker 4: week in falcons Land, which is the franchise tag of

748
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:45,360
Speaker 4: Kyle Pitts and also the expected release of Kirk Cousins

749
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,920
Speaker 4: circa March eleventh, when the New York Flat Here gets here.

750
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,160
Speaker 4: What did you make of those moves and kind of

751
00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,640
Speaker 4: being the first chance that we're getting to talk with

752
00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:55,879
Speaker 4: Ian Cunningham about why you make those moves.

753
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:57,920
Speaker 12: Yeah, I mean the Kirk Cousins thing, I think was

754
00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,160
Speaker 12: sort of something we've that's been on our radars as

755
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:06,160
Speaker 12: the season ended. You know, I I can't imagine Kirk

756
00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,440
Speaker 12: could be back, but maybe you don't close the door

757
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,040
Speaker 12: on it based on however the free agent market goes.

758
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:15,200
Speaker 12: Kevin's obviously got the background with him from Minnesota, but

759
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,200
Speaker 12: I do think it's it's got to be taken as

760
00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,919
Speaker 12: a positive sign just on where they're at with Michael

761
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,200
Speaker 12: PENNOCKX right now and what that's going to look like

762
00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:26,439
Speaker 12: from an injury standpoint coming back from the ACL and

763
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,040
Speaker 12: I would I would bet a lot of money they'll

764
00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,520
Speaker 12: have some level of insurance against that. But it's at

765
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,080
Speaker 12: least a good sign that you're willing to move on,

766
00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:38,480
Speaker 12: that you have confidence that Michael Pennocks will be where

767
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:42,160
Speaker 12: he needs to be. When When When the when it

768
00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,359
Speaker 12: counts the Kyle Pitts things interesting because I don't need

769
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,279
Speaker 12: to tell you guys where this thing was and where

770
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:48,160
Speaker 12: this thing has been.

771
00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,839
Speaker 2: Over the first four years of his career. It did

772
00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:52,560
Speaker 2: not look good.

773
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,760
Speaker 12: I mean there were points where I mean I quite frankly,

774
00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:58,359
Speaker 12: he was not the best tight end on the team.

775
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,960
Speaker 12: He was playing less than other guys on the roster,

776
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:04,480
Speaker 12: and that was a merit thing. So for him to

777
00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:08,160
Speaker 12: come back and have the breakthrough year with Zach Robinson

778
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,359
Speaker 12: as the OC last year, and you look, there's some

779
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,640
Speaker 12: scheme carryover to what Stefanski's gonna do.

780
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:17,200
Speaker 6: I think it's.

781
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,359
Speaker 12: Really it's really interesting. Now do you negotiate a long

782
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:23,560
Speaker 12: term deal with him? Are you confident enough in what

783
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,680
Speaker 12: you saw last year that that wasn't just a flash

784
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,680
Speaker 12: in the pan, or do you look at it and say,

785
00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,319
Speaker 12: that's an affordable number, we can take a lump sum,

786
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:31,880
Speaker 12: let's see it.

787
00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:32,719
Speaker 6: For one more year.

788
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,160
Speaker 12: So it gives you some flexibility from that standpoint where

789
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:40,560
Speaker 12: you don't necessarily have to go all in based on

790
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,440
Speaker 12: one year of evidence. But the athletic traits have always

791
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,040
Speaker 12: been there, and I think we started to see last

792
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:48,719
Speaker 12: year what we all thought Kyle Pitts might be when

793
00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:50,000
Speaker 12: he came out in twenty twenty one.

794
00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,759
Speaker 1: And obviously Stefanski has a history of being able to

795
00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:56,359
Speaker 1: get production out of the time position, so he knows

796
00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:58,400
Speaker 1: how to use, for sure, those guys to the most

797
00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,160
Speaker 1: of their ability. But he brought up something that I'm

798
00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:03,680
Speaker 1: fascinated by. Is kind of like when a head coach

799
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:05,920
Speaker 1: immediately jumps right back in to.

800
00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:06,680
Speaker 2: A different role.

801
00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,480
Speaker 1: Do you think that knowing Kevin, like, is he going

802
00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:13,719
Speaker 1: to approach year one on this job differently than maybe

803
00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,120
Speaker 1: he did with the Cleveland Brown. Now we can set

804
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:17,839
Speaker 1: aside that it was a pandemic year, so there's all

805
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,800
Speaker 1: those sorts of things with it. But now that you

806
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,080
Speaker 1: almost get a second chance to do it for the

807
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,359
Speaker 1: first time again, they're like from square one again. Do

808
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,000
Speaker 1: you think there are changes or differences that he would

809
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:29,600
Speaker 1: kind of So, I.

810
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,239
Speaker 12: Think there's an interesting nuance there, and that he had

811
00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,480
Speaker 12: a guy who was in that position last year or

812
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:38,279
Speaker 12: two years ago in his building in Mike Rabel and

813
00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,080
Speaker 12: Brabel went there and was a consultant and kind of

814
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,359
Speaker 12: was like had his hands and everything and was kind

815
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,440
Speaker 12: of involved in everything, And you know, Kevin got to

816
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,520
Speaker 12: see Okay, Like, here's a former head coach who is

817
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,520
Speaker 12: not reinventing himself but adjusting some of the things he does.

818
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:57,280
Speaker 2: And maybe he's even.

819
00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:00,160
Speaker 12: More resolved in his beliefs on these things, but there

820
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,680
Speaker 12: are these tweaks you want to make. He saw Mike

821
00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:04,759
Speaker 12: go through that, and he and Mike got, you know,

822
00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,439
Speaker 12: relatively close through that, and you know, I think Mike

823
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,040
Speaker 12: was very very thankful to Kevin for giving him the

824
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,239
Speaker 12: opportunity to do that. So Kevin got to see that.

825
00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:15,719
Speaker 12: Now he doesn't have the year off where he's going

826
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:17,480
Speaker 12: to be able to go through all of it. But

827
00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:21,440
Speaker 12: I do think, like, you know, having seen that firsthand

828
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,600
Speaker 12: gives him kind of a blueprint for okay, like how

829
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:26,399
Speaker 12: do I want to change things. I don't think he's

830
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,160
Speaker 12: going to be the same coach he was in Cleveland.

831
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:29,840
Speaker 12: I think that there are going to be some adjustments

832
00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,319
Speaker 12: to the way that he does things. And I mean,

833
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,279
Speaker 12: if you spent five minutes around Kevin, you'd know he's

834
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,880
Speaker 12: pretty smart, pretty analytical, pretty level headed.

835
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:39,640
Speaker 6: And so I think he's gonna.

836
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,160
Speaker 12: Be realistic about him, be realistic with himself about the

837
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:44,440
Speaker 12: things that he did right and the things that he

838
00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:44,879
Speaker 12: did wrong.

839
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:47,600
Speaker 4: We all know what the NFC sound is. It's pretty

840
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,759
Speaker 4: bunched up, but it's also right for the takings. Yeah,

841
00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,120
Speaker 4: as you're looking and evaluating in your seat where the

842
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,520
Speaker 4: Falcons stand in their own division, what needs to happen

843
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:00,120
Speaker 4: you think in twenty twenty six that's going to get them.

844
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:03,279
Speaker 12: Over the hump in the n Yeah, I mean there

845
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,319
Speaker 12: are a lot of like moving parts for sure, you know.

846
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,120
Speaker 12: I mean Tampa is sort of the team that I

847
00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,279
Speaker 12: think we all agree has been the most consistent, you know,

848
00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:14,319
Speaker 12: really since Tom Brady signed there in twenty twenty. So,

849
00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,880
Speaker 12: you know, I think they're sort of the they're the they're.

850
00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:19,000
Speaker 6: The the standard bearer.

851
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:21,920
Speaker 12: Even if the Panthers won the division last year, can

852
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:24,120
Speaker 12: the Panthers come back and build upon you know, what

853
00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:28,120
Speaker 12: they had? You know, I I think you know, obviously

854
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,480
Speaker 12: New Orleans, like they came on at the end of

855
00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,480
Speaker 12: the year and they were Yeah, and so you know

856
00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,680
Speaker 12: with Tyler Shuck, does Tyler Shuck take another step? They've

857
00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:41,200
Speaker 12: got some interesting offensive weapons, you know, Chris o'lave, you know,

858
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:45,200
Speaker 12: Camaris a million years old now but still doing it. So,

859
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:47,640
Speaker 12: like I think there's just there's like a lot of

860
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,560
Speaker 12: moving parts in the the NFC South, and I you know,

861
00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:53,279
Speaker 12: even with the Falcons, I mean you have to ask

862
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,960
Speaker 12: the question, what's gonna what's James Pierce gonna? Where's he

863
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,640
Speaker 12: gonna be at? Like when you get to the season.

864
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,520
Speaker 12: Is that even a part of even on your roster?

865
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:03,480
Speaker 4: You know?

866
00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:05,399
Speaker 12: And as sort of indicative of the way a lot

867
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,799
Speaker 12: of things are right now is that we still have

868
00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:11,600
Speaker 12: free agencies, still have trades, still have the draft, and

869
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:15,200
Speaker 12: I think there are enough moving parts with all of

870
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,960
Speaker 12: these teams where I think it's it's a division where

871
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,680
Speaker 12: like all four of them, I think can go into

872
00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:25,920
Speaker 12: the season, going to the off season, going to free agency,

873
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,680
Speaker 12: going to the draft, going to the trade market, thinking

874
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,560
Speaker 12: we have a shot to win the division like Carolina

875
00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:32,640
Speaker 12: came up and did last year.

876
00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,360
Speaker 1: One of the things that is also kind of interesting

877
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,680
Speaker 1: at this point is when you have so many new

878
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:42,040
Speaker 1: leaders in a building kind of getting to know each

879
00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:45,960
Speaker 1: other while also having to make kind of franchise defining

880
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,560
Speaker 1: decisions for at least the next months to years. Are

881
00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,800
Speaker 1: there any examples of that that you've seen really work

882
00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:54,239
Speaker 1: or a part of this process where you say, if

883
00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,239
Speaker 1: you approach it this way, that you can maybe have

884
00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:01,440
Speaker 1: this immediate cohesion and kind of entity moving forward quicker,

885
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:02,520
Speaker 1: sooner rather than later.

886
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,000
Speaker 12: Yeah, we saw a bunch of them last year. I mean,

887
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,680
Speaker 12: knowing on Jacksonville Chicago, you know. Now, I think in

888
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,200
Speaker 12: each of those cases, a big piece of the puzzle

889
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,560
Speaker 12: was a quarterback playing better. Caleb played way better than

890
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,640
Speaker 12: he did as a rookie. Drake may played way better

891
00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:20,280
Speaker 12: than he did as a rookie. You know, Trevor Lawrence

892
00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:22,960
Speaker 12: like really pulled himself off the mat and played well,

893
00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:26,040
Speaker 12: you know, So like that's the first piece of the equation,

894
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,920
Speaker 12: you know. And I think again like Kevin you know

895
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,200
Speaker 12: his staff, you know Tommy recently, think those guys would

896
00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,319
Speaker 12: tell you that it's going to have to start with

897
00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,560
Speaker 12: Michael Panics getting healthy, and then Michael Penni's playing really

898
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,160
Speaker 12: well and first year coming off in ACL with all

899
00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,279
Speaker 12: of the damage that his body has taken over the years.

900
00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,120
Speaker 12: That's an open question, but that's the commonality when you

901
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,520
Speaker 12: look at those three teams that I think would be

902
00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:49,120
Speaker 12: the biggest turnaround stories.

903
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,600
Speaker 6: Of last year. And then I think, you know, the

904
00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:52,359
Speaker 6: other thing you can.

905
00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:56,440
Speaker 12: Take from those places is just a very well defined

906
00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:58,399
Speaker 12: culture and those teams knew what.

907
00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:00,160
Speaker 6: They were and who they were.

908
00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:04,560
Speaker 12: And you know, in New England, very player centric culture

909
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:10,200
Speaker 12: under Vaybel. You know, in in Chicago, it was a tough,

910
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,160
Speaker 12: difficult off season that was like a little bit of

911
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,760
Speaker 12: a weeding out process and you saw the Sean Payton,

912
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,480
Speaker 12: Dan Campbell like that program being implemented in Chicago and

913
00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:24,239
Speaker 12: it was having to make it through bumps and then

914
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,360
Speaker 12: coming out the other side, you know. And then Jacksonville,

915
00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,000
Speaker 12: I think there was almost like a defiance so like,

916
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,479
Speaker 12: you know, we aren't the little we aren't the little

917
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:35,520
Speaker 12: engine that could you know, screw you. Like there was

918
00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:38,080
Speaker 12: that like whole thing to the so, you know, I

919
00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,120
Speaker 12: think it's a combination of like you need the quarterback

920
00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,400
Speaker 12: play and then you know it's establishing an identity and

921
00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:45,040
Speaker 12: who you are, and that obviously is going to run

922
00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:45,640
Speaker 12: through the head coach.

923
00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,399
Speaker 1: Awesome, Well, Albert, thank you so much for sitting down

924
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,240
Speaker 1: to take the time and chat a little Falcons football

925
00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:52,560
Speaker 1: with us.

926
00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:54,160
Speaker 12: Thanks, guys, appreciate it.

927
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:56,680
Speaker 1: It's our pleasure to be joined now by Charles Davis,

928
00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:01,200
Speaker 1: who is an amazing analyst for the NFL Network.

929
00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:02,240
Speaker 6: And I wrote that myself.

930
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:03,360
Speaker 10: Yeah, thank you.

931
00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:04,439
Speaker 2: That'll be easier next time.

932
00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:07,760
Speaker 6: That's good. Just keep that, but we'll keep it going.

933
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:08,520
Speaker 12: Just kidding.

934
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:12,000
Speaker 1: The big news this offseason, one of the big news

935
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,000
Speaker 1: Kevin Stefanski. What was her kind of in the moment

936
00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:16,920
Speaker 1: reaction when the Falcons made it clear, Hey, he's going

937
00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:17,640
Speaker 1: to be our head coach.

938
00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:20,000
Speaker 13: Yeah, I thought it was In the moment, I thought

939
00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,360
Speaker 13: terrific because knowing Kevin for a lot of years, actually

940
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,560
Speaker 13: do Kevin all the way back before he became a

941
00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:30,040
Speaker 13: position coach. So when you watch someone's journey and path

942
00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:32,840
Speaker 13: and then to see what they did in their first

943
00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:36,960
Speaker 13: head coaching job, which normally when you get fired, right

944
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:40,279
Speaker 13: everybody thinks, oh what a failure. Okay, let's go back

945
00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:42,840
Speaker 13: and look at what he did in Cleveland. They go

946
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,520
Speaker 13: to the playoffs twice. His first year there, they go

947
00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:50,960
Speaker 13: COVID year. He's coached the year twice. I mean, he

948
00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:54,560
Speaker 13: accomplished some things under some very difficult circumstances at times.

949
00:43:55,400 --> 00:44:00,399
Speaker 13: Big big quarterback signing right with Deshaun Watson that didn't

950
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:03,239
Speaker 13: exactly turn out well, not because of Kevin Stefanski. A

951
00:44:03,239 --> 00:44:05,879
Speaker 13: lot of injuries doesn't happen. Those types of things set

952
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,600
Speaker 13: your team back. But I always thought the teams were competitive.

953
00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:11,839
Speaker 13: They were right in there more than maybe what people

954
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:15,799
Speaker 13: gave him credit for. He's a good offensive mind, and

955
00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:17,879
Speaker 13: I think the way that he goes about doing things

956
00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:21,520
Speaker 13: on offense fits the personnel that are the leaders of

957
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:24,080
Speaker 13: Atlanta that we expect to be back next year. So

958
00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:26,160
Speaker 13: I thought it was a very good hire by the

959
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:27,040
Speaker 13: Atlanta Falcons.

960
00:44:27,239 --> 00:44:28,879
Speaker 4: I want to tug on that threat a little bit

961
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:32,200
Speaker 4: more with kind of your evaluation of what he's taking

962
00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:33,680
Speaker 4: over here in Atlanta.

963
00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:35,520
Speaker 5: You talk about kind of the.

964
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:39,439
Speaker 4: Marrying of Kevin Stefanski Tommy Reese, and also this run

965
00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,239
Speaker 4: game in Atlanta with John Robinson obviously, this veteran offensive line.

966
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,560
Speaker 4: What can you say about kind of what he's getting

967
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,120
Speaker 4: with this offense from your.

968
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,600
Speaker 6: Perspective, what he's getting.

969
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:51,440
Speaker 13: I'm pretty sure he got a lot of texts from

970
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:53,440
Speaker 13: other coaches around the league going, man, I'd love to

971
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:56,200
Speaker 13: have what you have. I love to have what you're

972
00:44:56,239 --> 00:44:59,680
Speaker 13: getting into. And just think about his successful time and

973
00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:02,360
Speaker 13: even when Nick Chubb before he gets hurt, able to

974
00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:07,120
Speaker 13: run the football right, big offensive line, multiple tight ends

975
00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:09,360
Speaker 13: when they when they when they're operating that way, but

976
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,000
Speaker 13: also able to do it without multiple tight ends, be

977
00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:12,720
Speaker 13: able to run.

978
00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:14,120
Speaker 2: To detached tight end.

979
00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:16,400
Speaker 13: Look at Kyle Pitts would give you, but to be

980
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:18,760
Speaker 13: able to use a v Jon Robinson, a Tyler All's

981
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:22,360
Speaker 13: year right, whether it's Michael Pennix or Kirk Cousins up

982
00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:26,440
Speaker 13: until probably about today, right, that possibility of what you're doing,

983
00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:28,839
Speaker 13: and then a big, big, tight, big target to Drake

984
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:29,880
Speaker 13: London out wide.

985
00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:32,200
Speaker 10: All of that fits exactly what.

986
00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,960
Speaker 13: He wants to do. Ball control, beat people up at

987
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,239
Speaker 13: the line of scrimmage, take care of the football in

988
00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:39,640
Speaker 13: a big way and have the ability to be explosive.

989
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,160
Speaker 13: And now you just keep adding to pieces along with it.

990
00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:45,320
Speaker 13: I just think it's a perfect marriage. If I'm John Robinson,

991
00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:48,040
Speaker 13: I've got to just be jumping up and down because

992
00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:50,960
Speaker 13: this is going to continue my path towards being one

993
00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:52,040
Speaker 13: of the best in the NFL.

994
00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:55,440
Speaker 1: You mentioned Kyle Pitts when we heard from general manager

995
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:58,200
Speaker 1: Ian Cunningham earlier today that they plan to use the

996
00:45:58,239 --> 00:45:59,680
Speaker 1: franchise tag on him.

997
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:00,719
Speaker 10: I'm surprised.

998
00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:04,000
Speaker 1: So okay, so you're not surprised they you know, the

999
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,640
Speaker 1: thinking is, hey, this gives us more time to evaluate.

1000
00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:08,120
Speaker 2: Obviously, new staff.

1001
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:09,600
Speaker 1: Work with him, see what they can do, what does

1002
00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:11,879
Speaker 1: he need, in your opinion, to kind of show this

1003
00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:15,040
Speaker 1: year to really kind of get a longer term future

1004
00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:15,680
Speaker 1: here in Atlanta.

1005
00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:20,080
Speaker 13: Kyle Pitts twenty twenty five being Kyle Pitts twenty twenty six,

1006
00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:23,600
Speaker 13: he'll have that opportunity as well with what Kevin Stefanski

1007
00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:26,520
Speaker 13: Tommy Reach are gonna want to do offensively, you know,

1008
00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:28,640
Speaker 13: when you're able to run the ball the way that

1009
00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:30,920
Speaker 13: they like to and you have those backs that are

1010
00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:33,319
Speaker 13: able to run it, and let's not give short shrift

1011
00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:34,080
Speaker 13: to the offensive line.

1012
00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:35,000
Speaker 6: The Atlanta Falconet.

1013
00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:37,640
Speaker 13: That's a good offensive line, and it's a good line

1014
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:40,480
Speaker 13: again that is used to, Hey, we want to move

1015
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,000
Speaker 13: people in the run game, all right, and when you

1016
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,800
Speaker 13: get to that, now you're getting into bootleg, play action,

1017
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,160
Speaker 13: all those other things that go along with it.

1018
00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:50,720
Speaker 10: It's just outstanding for them.

1019
00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:54,359
Speaker 13: For Kyle Pitts, that's perfect, right if you're running, if

1020
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:57,040
Speaker 13: you're focused on here comes the run game. Now my

1021
00:46:57,120 --> 00:46:59,439
Speaker 13: quarterback boots out of there, I'm running an over route

1022
00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:01,840
Speaker 13: from left to right or from right to left, falls

1023
00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:04,880
Speaker 13: in my hands quickly, plus his yards after the catch.

1024
00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:08,279
Speaker 13: All those things, everything that he has, I think has

1025
00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:11,160
Speaker 13: the opportunity to increase this year, not just what we

1026
00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:13,279
Speaker 13: saw last year. I think his numbers can be even better.

1027
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:15,960
Speaker 4: What are kind of your your bucket items as you're

1028
00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:18,920
Speaker 4: looking at the Falcons going into this twenty twenty six offseason,

1029
00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:21,520
Speaker 4: is things that can take it, take the roster to

1030
00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:24,640
Speaker 4: the next level and potentially get on top of the

1031
00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:26,759
Speaker 4: NFC South. What are some of those things that you're like,

1032
00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:28,040
Speaker 4: you know, what, if they do that, I.

1033
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:29,200
Speaker 5: Would believe it now.

1034
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:29,600
Speaker 4: Yeah.

1035
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:31,480
Speaker 13: I just think that a continuation of what they did

1036
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:35,280
Speaker 13: last year's draft. I mean, you're getting Xavier Watts, Billy

1037
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:36,879
Speaker 13: Bowman in the back end.

1038
00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:37,359
Speaker 2: Right.

1039
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,680
Speaker 13: Obviously, the James Pearce situation is one that's going to

1040
00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,880
Speaker 13: resolve itself. But Jalen Walker's there all right, So that

1041
00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:47,000
Speaker 13: was a big get. Continue to add to those pieces

1042
00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,880
Speaker 13: on that defense, on the defensive side of the ball,

1043
00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:53,359
Speaker 13: and find some consistency of play. I think that's where

1044
00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:57,520
Speaker 13: it's been the issue for Atlanta right when you look

1045
00:47:57,560 --> 00:47:58,400
Speaker 13: at what they've done.

1046
00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:01,839
Speaker 10: Didn't lose to New Orleans twice last year?

1047
00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:03,280
Speaker 13: Is that correct?

1048
00:48:03,719 --> 00:48:04,160
Speaker 6: No?

1049
00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:06,120
Speaker 13: No, be nuanced.

1050
00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:07,240
Speaker 6: Who was it you lost to twice?

1051
00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:07,480
Speaker 12: Though?

1052
00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:08,440
Speaker 2: Carolina?

1053
00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:11,520
Speaker 13: That's what I'm talking about. Yes, Carolina won the division.

1054
00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:14,960
Speaker 10: Was that really supposed to happen?

1055
00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,719
Speaker 13: The answers No, The answer is absolutely no, that's not

1056
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,520
Speaker 13: supposed to happen. Carolina win that division last year was

1057
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:24,879
Speaker 13: a major surprise to everyone including Carolina. Okay, so when

1058
00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:27,600
Speaker 13: you look at it that way, doesn't mean Carolina isn't

1059
00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:29,799
Speaker 13: going to get better because now they have confidence going.

1060
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:32,640
Speaker 13: But the consistency of play is what it comes down to.

1061
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:36,279
Speaker 13: Tampa Bay is looking around going what just happened? Last year?

1062
00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,000
Speaker 13: They had one of those years where like what what

1063
00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:42,600
Speaker 13: just happened here? Whoever can be consistent in the AFC

1064
00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:45,680
Speaker 13: South tends to be that team for the year. I mean,

1065
00:48:45,719 --> 00:48:48,200
Speaker 13: it's just kind of how it's worked. No reason Atlanta

1066
00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:49,600
Speaker 13: can't be that team.

1067
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:51,800
Speaker 2: How do you view this year's draft class?

1068
00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:54,239
Speaker 1: You know, obviously the Falcons don't have a first round

1069
00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:57,239
Speaker 1: tack Ian Cunningham seems like he is a fan of

1070
00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:00,560
Speaker 1: accruing capital. Yeah, but as it stands, they only have

1071
00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:03,799
Speaker 1: five picks. So where do you think the strengths of

1072
00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:06,480
Speaker 1: this draft class lineup? And how are the Falcon's positioned

1073
00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:09,319
Speaker 1: maybe in Day two and Day three to capitalize.

1074
00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:14,680
Speaker 13: On that listened Edge rushers, defensive linemen, a lot. Okay,

1075
00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:20,080
Speaker 13: you can get second day, third day off ball linebackers

1076
00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:22,760
Speaker 13: in this draft. I think you can get secondary guys

1077
00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:27,960
Speaker 13: in this draft. I do think that wide receiver is

1078
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:31,560
Speaker 13: going to be extremely strong. But let's just be honest

1079
00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:34,080
Speaker 13: about the way we're playing football in twenty twenty six.

1080
00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:37,759
Speaker 13: Let's all get together and figure out what year we're

1081
00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:39,799
Speaker 13: going to say. You know, it's really down year for

1082
00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:42,080
Speaker 13: wide receivers. I just don't know it's going to be

1083
00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:47,040
Speaker 13: possible anymore. We play seven on seven and pop Warner. Okay,

1084
00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:52,080
Speaker 13: I'm old enough that Texas where we're getting so many

1085
00:49:52,560 --> 00:49:57,480
Speaker 13: receivers and quarterbacks from. Now, all you got was runners. Okay,

1086
00:49:57,640 --> 00:49:59,560
Speaker 13: that's all you got because that's the way the game

1087
00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:02,960
Speaker 13: was played. Wishbone, triple option. The only time involves in

1088
00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:05,960
Speaker 13: the air when you pitched it to someone. Now, all

1089
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,520
Speaker 13: these quarterbacks are playing seven on seven and so people

1090
00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:11,279
Speaker 13: have to go catch the football they develop. It's that

1091
00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:14,560
Speaker 13: type of a draft. Again, it's not a quarterback draft,

1092
00:50:14,560 --> 00:50:16,600
Speaker 13: but I don't think the Falcons are worried about that

1093
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:18,680
Speaker 13: right now. You just worry about getting Michael Pennick's healthy

1094
00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:22,480
Speaker 13: and ready to go. We shall see again.

1095
00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:23,080
Speaker 10: Runners.

1096
00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:26,520
Speaker 13: I think are coming back into the game, and I

1097
00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:28,600
Speaker 13: don't know that we are at the stage that we

1098
00:50:28,719 --> 00:50:31,640
Speaker 13: used to be where we just simply said we'll get

1099
00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,000
Speaker 13: a runner anytime. I don't know that we're having to

1100
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,640
Speaker 13: do that. Plus, yeah, a couple are pretty good right now.

1101
00:50:37,440 --> 00:50:37,960
Speaker 7: Well, that's the.

1102
00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:40,800
Speaker 4: Thing, is like the evaluation of the running back position,

1103
00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:43,319
Speaker 4: especially after the Jon Robinson's of the world.

1104
00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:45,080
Speaker 5: To say KWin Barkley's it changes.

1105
00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:46,840
Speaker 13: When you have a special one, you go get it.

1106
00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:48,920
Speaker 13: I mean, that's just kind of how it all works.

1107
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:50,920
Speaker 13: And they're gonna be a decent number of tight ends

1108
00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:52,640
Speaker 13: in this draft. I don't think it's as top heavy

1109
00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:55,560
Speaker 13: as last year, though, when we're getting Warren in Colston

1110
00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:58,000
Speaker 13: Loveland at the top. I think Sadek is going to

1111
00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:00,360
Speaker 13: be a very good player, but I wouldn't have valuate

1112
00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:02,439
Speaker 13: him the same way I evaluate those two last year.

1113
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:04,120
Speaker 5: So what do you like for the Falcons in the

1114
00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:04,720
Speaker 5: second round?

1115
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:07,560
Speaker 13: You like those interior D line I think I think

1116
00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:10,120
Speaker 13: that's a great spot to look for them. I think

1117
00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:14,280
Speaker 13: that's a great opportunity if somehow one of those great

1118
00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,480
Speaker 13: edge guys somehow slips and makes it makes it through.

1119
00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:20,560
Speaker 13: When I say slips or they've got their eye on

1120
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,759
Speaker 13: someone that doesn't get picked in the first round that

1121
00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:24,880
Speaker 13: could be available because there's so many of them that

1122
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:27,520
Speaker 13: are there. That would be another nice spot to go,

1123
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:31,200
Speaker 13: obviously after the peer situation. So I like defense for

1124
00:51:31,239 --> 00:51:33,800
Speaker 13: them way more than anything else. But I also wouldn't

1125
00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,319
Speaker 13: turn down for to find the offensive line. All right,

1126
00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:41,680
Speaker 13: Jake Matthews been going all right forever in fifteen days,

1127
00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:46,759
Speaker 13: so he may play till he's seventy because the longevity

1128
00:51:46,760 --> 00:51:48,320
Speaker 13: in that family is really appressive.

1129
00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:50,880
Speaker 2: I was gonna say he still really impressive, and.

1130
00:51:51,239 --> 00:51:53,480
Speaker 13: If he's playing at seventy, he's still going to be

1131
00:51:53,520 --> 00:51:56,319
Speaker 13: a very good player. But that's the one where you

1132
00:51:56,480 --> 00:51:58,399
Speaker 13: just kind of have to go ahead. I've always liked

1133
00:51:58,440 --> 00:52:01,799
Speaker 13: what Philadelphia has done. They've always seen the draft that

1134
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,160
Speaker 13: guy a year before.

1135
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:04,359
Speaker 2: Yeah.

1136
00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,640
Speaker 13: Okay, so I don't know if you guys are baseball fans,

1137
00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:08,960
Speaker 13: but you ever heard the name branch Ricky. Branch Ricky

1138
00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:11,680
Speaker 13: was the great general manager back then the of the

1139
00:52:11,719 --> 00:52:15,040
Speaker 13: Brooklyn Dodgers. He's a man who signed Jackie Robinson, and

1140
00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:18,560
Speaker 13: his draft philosophy was always better a year early than

1141
00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:20,760
Speaker 13: a year late. They would get rid of a player

1142
00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:22,839
Speaker 13: a year early rather than a year late. You take

1143
00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:25,520
Speaker 13: the heat when he has one more great year. But

1144
00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:27,680
Speaker 13: you know, if it's near the end, you have to

1145
00:52:27,719 --> 00:52:30,320
Speaker 13: make those hard decisions. That's what you're trying to get done.

1146
00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:32,200
Speaker 13: In this case, is not a hard decision. Just add

1147
00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:33,280
Speaker 13: to the offensive line.

1148
00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:36,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, wise words, Charles.

1149
00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:40,480
Speaker 13: Not But it's great to visit with you, guys. See

1150
00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:41,200
Speaker 13: you take care.

1151
00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:45,640
Speaker 1: We are joined now by Greg Eleman of Fox Sports. Greg,

1152
00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:48,080
Speaker 1: thank you for taking the time during a very busy

1153
00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:49,120
Speaker 1: week here at the combine.

1154
00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:50,840
Speaker 6: Thanks for having to sit down to be here.

1155
00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:54,560
Speaker 1: So, you know, the biggest news for the Falcons this offseason,

1156
00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:56,959
Speaker 1: A lot of big news. But Kevin Sefanski at the top,

1157
00:52:57,280 --> 00:52:58,680
Speaker 1: new head coach. What do you think he's going to

1158
00:52:58,760 --> 00:53:01,640
Speaker 1: bring to a division that feels very wide open? And

1159
00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:03,480
Speaker 1: if the Falcons are able to kind of hit on

1160
00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:06,520
Speaker 1: a few of their offseason decisions, they could easily win

1161
00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:07,080
Speaker 1: this division.

1162
00:53:07,160 --> 00:53:09,920
Speaker 14: Oh yeah, I felt like NFC South was so jam

1163
00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:12,560
Speaker 14: packed at the top, so tight coming down to tie breakers,

1164
00:53:13,239 --> 00:53:15,160
Speaker 14: it makes it wide open. I mean, all four teams

1165
00:53:15,239 --> 00:53:16,960
Speaker 14: in this division I think probably can go into the

1166
00:53:17,120 --> 00:53:19,480
Speaker 14: twenty six with a certain degree of confidence.

1167
00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:22,520
Speaker 6: So for Atlanta, I mean it's like, you know, Stefanski,

1168
00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:23,200
Speaker 6: I felt.

1169
00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:25,480
Speaker 14: Like it was one of the better sure hires in

1170
00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:28,200
Speaker 14: the process, Like you could go brand new and go

1171
00:53:28,239 --> 00:53:30,600
Speaker 14: with somebody who's a first time head coach, but to

1172
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,080
Speaker 14: kind of take advantage of somebody who not necessarily was

1173
00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:35,560
Speaker 14: expected to be available. And I think if you look

1174
00:53:35,560 --> 00:53:38,440
Speaker 14: at the entirety of his time in Cleveland, it's one

1175
00:53:38,480 --> 00:53:41,120
Speaker 14: of those where two time Coach of the Year obviously

1176
00:53:41,239 --> 00:53:43,360
Speaker 14: can kind of put a big asterisk on the struggles

1177
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:45,680
Speaker 14: they've had. When you think about being saddled with a

1178
00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:48,120
Speaker 14: two hundred and thirty million dollar quarterback, it's not paying

1179
00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:52,320
Speaker 14: playing for you. So I think given that, it's exciting

1180
00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:54,799
Speaker 14: to think about what he could do, how much better

1181
00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:56,680
Speaker 14: they can be on offense to pair him with the

1182
00:53:56,719 --> 00:53:59,560
Speaker 14: talent that's back. Kind of have to get a quarterback

1183
00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:02,799
Speaker 14: figured out once you know who's healthy and when and

1184
00:54:02,800 --> 00:54:05,520
Speaker 14: all that. But no, I think this is something that

1185
00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:08,719
Speaker 14: gives them a lot of momentum. Anytime you're going through

1186
00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:10,880
Speaker 14: a complete rebrand like this, it's a big thing. But

1187
00:54:10,920 --> 00:54:13,680
Speaker 14: I think they've done a good job of generating some

1188
00:54:13,719 --> 00:54:16,400
Speaker 14: excitement and bringing in the right people for the franchise.

1189
00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:18,680
Speaker 4: As we talk about twenty twenty six and kind of

1190
00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:20,879
Speaker 4: where things saying in the NFC South and what you're

1191
00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:23,640
Speaker 4: talking about, like kind of everybody bunched up together as

1192
00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:24,239
Speaker 4: it has been.

1193
00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:27,640
Speaker 10: I mean, that's not anything in this divisions, you know.

1194
00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:31,319
Speaker 4: But when you evaluate where the Falcon's roster is right

1195
00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:36,000
Speaker 4: now today, where do you feel like it compares to Bucks, Panthers, Saints.

1196
00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:37,200
Speaker 6: Yeah, kind of right there.

1197
00:54:37,239 --> 00:54:39,440
Speaker 14: I mean I think you know, you think about last

1198
00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:42,359
Speaker 14: year's draft and the impact that the Falcons were able

1199
00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:45,320
Speaker 14: to get with both pass rushers, with Watts.

1200
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:47,200
Speaker 6: With just impact all over.

1201
00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:49,040
Speaker 14: You know that it's one of those where I think

1202
00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,120
Speaker 14: that was a really good draft. Obviously, it came into

1203
00:54:51,160 --> 00:54:52,879
Speaker 14: costing that you don't have a first round of this year,

1204
00:54:53,880 --> 00:54:56,080
Speaker 14: and everything that's happened with Pierce has complicated that a

1205
00:54:56,080 --> 00:55:01,320
Speaker 14: little bit. But I do think the core is there,

1206
00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:04,720
Speaker 14: all of those high first round picks. Now that Pits

1207
00:55:04,800 --> 00:55:08,040
Speaker 14: is back, you know, London's probably close to getting a deal. Obviously,

1208
00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:10,760
Speaker 14: Bijon is somebody you can build around in every aspect.

1209
00:55:11,640 --> 00:55:13,319
Speaker 14: I think you have the talent the offensive line. You

1210
00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:15,919
Speaker 14: think about how much they've invested in that line to get.

1211
00:55:15,840 --> 00:55:17,520
Speaker 6: It where it is is right there.

1212
00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:22,560
Speaker 14: I think there's question marks on all four teams you have. Obviously,

1213
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,200
Speaker 14: the Bucks were almost two completely different teams last year,

1214
00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:27,799
Speaker 14: just so dominant early and not at all in the

1215
00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:30,480
Speaker 14: second half of the season. Carolina, I think did really

1216
00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:32,640
Speaker 14: well to get where they got to. From a win standpoint,

1217
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:36,200
Speaker 14: It's like somebody, I think it's MGM or somebody had

1218
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:39,080
Speaker 14: season over unders, like already win totals for this year

1219
00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:40,439
Speaker 14: and it's really tight.

1220
00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:43,560
Speaker 6: It seems way too early to do that. They'll take

1221
00:55:43,600 --> 00:55:44,879
Speaker 6: their money now if you want.

1222
00:55:45,280 --> 00:55:48,360
Speaker 14: But it was like I think the Bucks were atop

1223
00:55:48,400 --> 00:55:50,239
Speaker 14: of the division with eight and a half, which isn't

1224
00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:52,080
Speaker 14: the most flattering things in the NFC South, but they

1225
00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:52,920
Speaker 14: were at eight and a half.

1226
00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:55,799
Speaker 6: I think Atlanta was at.

1227
00:55:55,680 --> 00:55:57,319
Speaker 14: Seven and a half in New Orleans and Carolina were

1228
00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:58,880
Speaker 14: at six and a half, which isn't the nicest thing

1229
00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:04,320
Speaker 14: for Carolina, but all four team if you think about quarterback,

1230
00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:06,160
Speaker 14: I think the Bucks have an advantage at quarterback because

1231
00:56:06,160 --> 00:56:08,800
Speaker 14: he's a known commodity, and I think in Carolina you

1232
00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:11,880
Speaker 14: have Bryce who's ascending but probably not arrived yet.

1233
00:56:12,239 --> 00:56:13,879
Speaker 6: Last year I felt it was the first time they.

1234
00:56:13,760 --> 00:56:16,560
Speaker 14: Were winning games because of Bryce young and not just

1235
00:56:16,800 --> 00:56:19,440
Speaker 14: him along for the ride. You saw a little bit

1236
00:56:19,480 --> 00:56:21,360
Speaker 14: with Pennis in terms of the possibility of that, and

1237
00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:23,080
Speaker 14: I think once he's healthy again, that'll be in play.

1238
00:56:23,400 --> 00:56:25,960
Speaker 14: I don't know where Tyler Schuck fits into that, you know.

1239
00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:28,799
Speaker 14: I think the way they finished and I don't think

1240
00:56:28,800 --> 00:56:31,560
Speaker 14: many people expected them to make the push they made

1241
00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:34,120
Speaker 14: in the last six weeks of the season, but that

1242
00:56:34,200 --> 00:56:36,560
Speaker 14: gave some puzzitive momentum where you really didn't expect it.

1243
00:56:36,560 --> 00:56:38,560
Speaker 6: It looked like just kind of the dregs of a.

1244
00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:42,360
Speaker 14: First year coach and a rookie quarterback and not everything

1245
00:56:42,360 --> 00:56:45,000
Speaker 14: coming together. So for them to have that I think

1246
00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:46,840
Speaker 14: puts them in the conversation in a way that people

1247
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:49,360
Speaker 14: if you had said at Thanksgiving, you probably wouldn't have

1248
00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:52,080
Speaker 14: said they would be in that same tier. So I

1249
00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:55,400
Speaker 14: think every team has different things they're trying to address

1250
00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:57,640
Speaker 14: in free agency in the draft, so a lot can change,

1251
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:01,759
Speaker 14: but all four right now have confidence that if they're

1252
00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:04,320
Speaker 14: not the team to beat, they're within a game or

1253
00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:06,239
Speaker 14: two where if you just pull off you think about

1254
00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:09,880
Speaker 14: what ne Orleans did in the division. That gives you

1255
00:57:09,960 --> 00:57:12,279
Speaker 14: confidence where if you can just take care of things

1256
00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:16,000
Speaker 14: against lesser opponents out of the division, everything's in play,

1257
00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:17,920
Speaker 14: so that's exciting that way. I don't know there's a

1258
00:57:17,920 --> 00:57:21,880
Speaker 14: more wide open division in the NFL than the NFC South.

1259
00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:23,680
Speaker 14: It's not the best division in the NFL, don't get

1260
00:57:23,720 --> 00:57:26,160
Speaker 14: me wrong, but in terms of top to bottom, everybody

1261
00:57:26,240 --> 00:57:28,919
Speaker 14: in play, it's hard to think there's somebody else that's

1262
00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:31,600
Speaker 14: harder to predict. And I think you probably have at

1263
00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:35,240
Speaker 14: least three teams that are getting picked nationally to win

1264
00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:36,360
Speaker 14: the division this fall.

1265
00:57:37,040 --> 00:57:39,280
Speaker 1: What else is new when it comes to the NFC South, right,

1266
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:42,440
Speaker 1: But because everything is so kind of wide open and

1267
00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:45,480
Speaker 1: also closed at the same time, we're talking a lot

1268
00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:48,080
Speaker 1: about the quarterback position as the thing that gets team.

1269
00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:50,200
Speaker 2: Over the hump, but it could just as easily be.

1270
00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:54,080
Speaker 1: Atlanta's defense continuing to take another step forward like it

1271
00:57:54,080 --> 00:57:56,600
Speaker 1: did this past year, which I don't feel like became

1272
00:57:56,640 --> 00:57:59,680
Speaker 1: the storyline that it was in Atlanta or that I

1273
00:57:59,720 --> 00:58:03,440
Speaker 1: expect to become them. Keeping Jeff Ulbrick on his defensive

1274
00:58:03,440 --> 00:58:06,560
Speaker 1: coordinator could be one of the sneaky moves of the offseason.

1275
00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:09,040
Speaker 1: What do you think we will see from Atlanta's defense

1276
00:58:09,080 --> 00:58:10,000
Speaker 1: in year two under him?

1277
00:58:10,120 --> 00:58:12,560
Speaker 14: Yeah, that continuity is huge, and I think that like

1278
00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:14,920
Speaker 14: you said, what we didn't really talk about much as

1279
00:58:14,960 --> 00:58:18,680
Speaker 14: a division all three, Like there was a world in

1280
00:58:18,720 --> 00:58:20,920
Speaker 14: which Evro in Carolina was going to get a he

1281
00:58:20,960 --> 00:58:23,959
Speaker 14: interviewed for like three head coaching jobs. I thought when

1282
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:26,800
Speaker 14: New Orleans made their push, I wondered if Staley would

1283
00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:28,920
Speaker 14: get back in play. And I think New Orleans and

1284
00:58:28,920 --> 00:58:30,959
Speaker 14: Caroline are both really fortunate to have them back.

1285
00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:31,760
Speaker 6: And along the.

1286
00:58:31,760 --> 00:58:35,000
Speaker 14: Same lines for Atlanta to go through a coaching change

1287
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:37,720
Speaker 14: and be able to hire someone good even with the

1288
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:40,480
Speaker 14: understanding that, hey, we'd like you to keep this guy.

1289
00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:41,920
Speaker 14: We liked what they were doing on that side of

1290
00:58:41,920 --> 00:58:44,400
Speaker 14: the ball. I mean was talking about he didn't cstarly

1291
00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:46,760
Speaker 14: know old Brick. You know, these coaches are so well connected.

1292
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:49,680
Speaker 14: So to have the trust to see the results of

1293
00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:52,800
Speaker 14: what's there and say I can mesh with that, we

1294
00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:56,400
Speaker 14: can get along is great and is huge, and so much.

1295
00:58:56,240 --> 00:58:56,720
Speaker 6: Of it's back.

1296
00:58:56,720 --> 00:58:58,840
Speaker 14: And you think about the free agents on that side

1297
00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:02,120
Speaker 14: of the ball. You have them, but they're not huge

1298
00:59:02,280 --> 00:59:04,120
Speaker 14: impact players. They're not how are they going to keep

1299
00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:07,160
Speaker 14: all these guys? So I think, you know, you think

1300
00:59:07,200 --> 00:59:09,280
Speaker 14: about edge and now there might be a greater need

1301
00:59:09,280 --> 00:59:12,720
Speaker 14: there to add something. You know, you think about Ebicat

1302
00:59:12,840 --> 00:59:14,280
Speaker 14: being a free agent, you think about Els being a

1303
00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:17,320
Speaker 14: free agents, there's players you could lose, not necessarily in

1304
00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:21,520
Speaker 14: huge mega contracts, but just for Connuity's sake. If you

1305
00:59:21,600 --> 00:59:23,080
Speaker 14: liked what the defense had, you kind of want to

1306
00:59:23,080 --> 00:59:25,280
Speaker 14: bring the band back together. So I think they have

1307
00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:28,480
Speaker 14: the wherewithal in the cap space to do that if

1308
00:59:28,520 --> 00:59:30,160
Speaker 14: they like that to be. It's always one of the

1309
00:59:30,200 --> 00:59:33,840
Speaker 14: strongest signs for a team, even in a regime change,

1310
00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:36,720
Speaker 14: to say we like the core players we have, we

1311
00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:38,600
Speaker 14: think we can do more with that. We don't have

1312
00:59:38,680 --> 00:59:41,520
Speaker 14: to go out and spend wildly to bring in extra

1313
00:59:41,560 --> 00:59:44,280
Speaker 14: pieces if we think the young pieces we have can

1314
00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:44,840
Speaker 14: grow together.

1315
00:59:44,880 --> 00:59:46,760
Speaker 6: And I think that's what you have on this Falcons defense.

1316
00:59:47,080 --> 00:59:49,120
Speaker 4: So stick with me a little bit in this question.

1317
00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:53,880
Speaker 4: But there is a very interesting story that I feel

1318
00:59:53,880 --> 00:59:55,640
Speaker 4: like it's happening in the NFC South that not a

1319
00:59:55,680 --> 00:59:57,520
Speaker 4: lot of people are talking about to the extent that

1320
00:59:57,560 --> 00:59:59,360
Speaker 4: I feel like it could be talked about. It is

1321
00:59:59,360 --> 01:00:02,360
Speaker 4: the fact that Zach Robinson moves over after being the

1322
01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:06,200
Speaker 4: offensive coordinator Atlanta, now the offensive coordinator in Tampa.

1323
01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:08,840
Speaker 5: He's coaching Baker Mayfield, who played.

1324
01:00:08,560 --> 01:00:11,440
Speaker 4: For Kevin Stefanski, who is now the head coach of

1325
01:00:11,480 --> 01:00:15,320
Speaker 4: the Atlanta Like, what do you make of the move

1326
01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:18,320
Speaker 4: of Zach Robinson to now coaching Baker and also kind

1327
01:00:18,360 --> 01:00:21,720
Speaker 4: of like the weirdness of an offensive coordinator making a

1328
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:24,800
Speaker 4: move within the division vision. I don't think I've seen

1329
01:00:24,880 --> 01:00:27,280
Speaker 4: that pretty I don't know if I've seen that in

1330
01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:31,480
Speaker 4: recent years across the league. Like, it's a very interesting

1331
01:00:31,600 --> 01:00:32,960
Speaker 4: move and I would love your thoughts on that.

1332
01:00:33,040 --> 01:00:35,040
Speaker 14: Yeah, at one point, there was so many transactions where

1333
01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:37,080
Speaker 14: I think we said the division was like six degrees

1334
01:00:37,120 --> 01:00:40,320
Speaker 14: of Baker Mayfield, like everybody has a tie and it's like,

1335
01:00:40,400 --> 01:00:42,040
Speaker 14: how do you know Baker? And it's not it's not

1336
01:00:42,120 --> 01:00:44,320
Speaker 14: quite like the McVeigh thing where there's a tree everyone

1337
01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:46,240
Speaker 14: going to say again, he was one of those where

1338
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:48,840
Speaker 14: again Dave Canalis kind of got his job because he

1339
01:00:48,880 --> 01:00:51,120
Speaker 14: did well with Baker Mayfield and got to Carolina.

1340
01:00:51,160 --> 01:00:52,040
Speaker 6: So it's familiarity there.

1341
01:00:52,040 --> 01:00:54,520
Speaker 14: Brad Idzach, who's the couardator there was here with Baker

1342
01:00:54,960 --> 01:00:56,240
Speaker 14: obviously Zach Robinson.

1343
01:00:56,240 --> 01:00:58,000
Speaker 6: I think so much of what the Bucks have tried.

1344
01:00:57,840 --> 01:01:01,520
Speaker 14: To do in going through what is now whatever four

1345
01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:04,880
Speaker 14: five coordinators in five years, four courtinators in four years,

1346
01:01:04,920 --> 01:01:07,880
Speaker 14: just the continuity of it, so you had it's neate

1347
01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:09,840
Speaker 14: and that like Liam Cohen when he was there, he

1348
01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:12,480
Speaker 14: only had like five weeks with Baker Mayfield. There's this

1349
01:01:12,560 --> 01:01:14,600
Speaker 14: amazing five weeks at the end of twenty two where

1350
01:01:14,600 --> 01:01:16,560
Speaker 14: he goes to the Rams and he gets there on

1351
01:01:16,600 --> 01:01:19,000
Speaker 14: a Tuesday and they went on a Thursday night, and

1352
01:01:19,040 --> 01:01:21,960
Speaker 14: it's a Zach said too, So it's need for me

1353
01:01:22,000 --> 01:01:24,400
Speaker 14: and that I did a story in October when the

1354
01:01:24,440 --> 01:01:26,880
Speaker 14: Bucks played the Rams getting to kind of revisit that

1355
01:01:27,080 --> 01:01:29,520
Speaker 14: and tried to talk to all the key pieces and

1356
01:01:29,520 --> 01:01:31,160
Speaker 14: talk to Zach for that. So it's neat and that

1357
01:01:31,480 --> 01:01:34,520
Speaker 14: you had that conversation not thinking, oh, you'll be coming

1358
01:01:34,520 --> 01:01:36,640
Speaker 14: to Tampa to work with Baker, but it was neat

1359
01:01:36,680 --> 01:01:40,440
Speaker 14: in that all of those pieces talked about Baker and

1360
01:01:40,440 --> 01:01:43,480
Speaker 14: how that Rams team was a defending Super Bowl champ

1361
01:01:43,800 --> 01:01:46,160
Speaker 14: in twenty two that was like, I think three to

1362
01:01:46,280 --> 01:01:48,680
Speaker 14: nine at that point, just a colossal that had a

1363
01:01:48,720 --> 01:01:50,680
Speaker 14: lot of injury. Stafford was hurt, their line was all

1364
01:01:50,720 --> 01:01:53,520
Speaker 14: messed up, and that Baker thing just kind of gave

1365
01:01:53,560 --> 01:01:56,680
Speaker 14: them a jolt of positivity when they really needed it.

1366
01:01:57,040 --> 01:01:58,919
Speaker 14: And I think it really helped you know McVeigh wasn't

1367
01:01:58,960 --> 01:02:01,640
Speaker 14: sure what he wanted to do, So I think it's

1368
01:02:01,680 --> 01:02:03,280
Speaker 14: neat and that it's just one of those things where.

1369
01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:03,960
Speaker 6: They were only to get it.

1370
01:02:04,440 --> 01:02:07,120
Speaker 14: They only won two games together in that five weeks.

1371
01:02:07,160 --> 01:02:09,360
Speaker 14: It's not like they went five to oh. But I

1372
01:02:09,400 --> 01:02:11,880
Speaker 14: think because it was a cool thing that came together,

1373
01:02:12,720 --> 01:02:14,760
Speaker 14: you want to replicate that. So I think when the

1374
01:02:14,760 --> 01:02:17,880
Speaker 14: Bucks looked around, I think they had gone to the

1375
01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:21,520
Speaker 14: first time coordinator. Well, like a bunch three times in

1376
01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:23,480
Speaker 14: a row, and eventually that's going to bite you a

1377
01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:25,080
Speaker 14: little bit. It might have a little bit last year

1378
01:02:25,080 --> 01:02:27,440
Speaker 14: with Josh Wizard, but I think they liked that here

1379
01:02:27,560 --> 01:02:31,280
Speaker 14: was Zach Robinson who had two years of strong play

1380
01:02:31,320 --> 01:02:35,720
Speaker 14: calling experience, being an autonomous running the offense guy. Obviously,

1381
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:38,040
Speaker 14: I think what Zack and what the Falcons did against

1382
01:02:38,040 --> 01:02:41,040
Speaker 14: the Bucks the last two years, averaging.

1383
01:02:40,720 --> 01:02:42,919
Speaker 6: Twenty nine points a game, going three to one.

1384
01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:46,479
Speaker 14: I think Todd Bowles even said yesterday, that's a pretty

1385
01:02:46,520 --> 01:02:49,160
Speaker 14: good audition if all you do is go in to

1386
01:02:49,280 --> 01:02:51,040
Speaker 14: that interview and kind of talk about, oh yeah, I

1387
01:02:51,040 --> 01:02:54,439
Speaker 14: remember we saw you. You know, it carries some weight

1388
01:02:54,520 --> 01:02:56,200
Speaker 14: if you take pride in who you are as a

1389
01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:59,840
Speaker 14: defense somebody that can solve it that well should be

1390
01:02:59,840 --> 01:03:02,880
Speaker 14: so when you respect so I do think with Baker

1391
01:03:03,240 --> 01:03:06,040
Speaker 14: there's this weird commonality where every week now feels like

1392
01:03:06,160 --> 01:03:08,919
Speaker 14: a rivalry Reek and he's he's had some comment about

1393
01:03:08,920 --> 01:03:11,800
Speaker 14: Stefanski where he wasn't happy about that, and I think

1394
01:03:11,880 --> 01:03:14,600
Speaker 14: Kevin has tried to kind of diffuse that a little bit.

1395
01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:17,080
Speaker 14: I don't know if it'll be quite as dramatic when

1396
01:03:17,080 --> 01:03:19,800
Speaker 14: we get there, but there's all these storylines now where

1397
01:03:20,160 --> 01:03:22,680
Speaker 14: every week, I mean again, there's some rivalries that don't

1398
01:03:22,680 --> 01:03:25,200
Speaker 14: need any Falcon Saints doesn't necessarily need a lot of

1399
01:03:25,240 --> 01:03:27,280
Speaker 14: juice to get people excited about it. But now it

1400
01:03:27,280 --> 01:03:29,880
Speaker 14: feels like every week has a subplot and has a

1401
01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,720
Speaker 14: whether it's Baker driven or not, has some drama that

1402
01:03:33,800 --> 01:03:36,120
Speaker 14: will be there before and after and during the game,

1403
01:03:36,160 --> 01:03:36,920
Speaker 14: which is nat.

1404
01:03:37,200 --> 01:03:40,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is fascinating too when you just think about stylistically,

1405
01:03:40,200 --> 01:03:43,040
Speaker 1: Baker is different than Kirk or Michael Pennant, so like

1406
01:03:43,120 --> 01:03:46,080
Speaker 1: there's a lot of intrigue there, and yeah, there's a

1407
01:03:46,120 --> 01:03:49,200
Speaker 1: little newfound rivalry I feel like. But Greg, thank you

1408
01:03:49,280 --> 01:03:51,640
Speaker 1: so much for taking the time to sit down with us. Everybody,

1409
01:03:51,640 --> 01:03:53,960
Speaker 1: please go check out Greg Allman's work at Fox Sports.

1410
01:03:54,000 --> 01:03:56,320
Speaker 6: Thanks again, guys were really happy to be on Man.

1411
01:03:56,360 --> 01:03:56,960
Speaker 2: That was awesome.

1412
01:03:57,000 --> 01:03:59,440
Speaker 1: I hope you guys enjoyed the show. We've got so

1413
01:03:59,560 --> 01:04:02,560
Speaker 1: much more coming for you all tomorrow. Kind of the

1414
01:04:02,640 --> 01:04:06,720
Speaker 1: similar deal, different slate of guests, but again, I really

1415
01:04:06,760 --> 01:04:10,680
Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed today's conversation. Some great questions, some great answers.

1416
01:04:11,040 --> 01:04:13,440
Speaker 1: It was a whole lot of fun. So again, stay tuned.

1417
01:04:13,520 --> 01:04:16,080
Speaker 1: We've got more of that coming your way from the

1418
01:04:16,080 --> 01:04:17,600
Speaker 1: Atlanta Falcons Podcast Network.