WEBVTT - Marc Ross on Saints Podcast | March 6, 2025 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:08.799 Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, present a 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:13.560 buy seacake. You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters and writers 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:17.680 that cover the NFL on a daily basis. The New 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:25.040 Orleans Saints Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers. 0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:28.680 Welcome to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, Amaron Summers. Today 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:31.680 we are going to recap the NFL combine from a 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:36.040 broader perspective. What players validated, the thoughts of them coming 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:39.599 into the combine or maybe forced some new opinions the 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:42.960 whole athletic testing versus what we've seen on film theory. 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:45.360 There are a lot of things that were said, a 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:48.120 lot of measurements that were taken, and a lot of opinions, 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:50.640 of course that we're given. So we're going to bring 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.800 in Mark Ross from the NFL Network. He's spent over 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:58.920 a decade working in front offices in the NFL, evaluating players, 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:01.920 making decisions on and what players to draft and who 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:04.440 can help an organization improve. I mean, he led the 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:08.080 Giants to two Super Bowls while working for them. Mark, 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:09.600 thank you so much for joining me on the New 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.840 Orleans Saints Podcast. It seems like it wasn't that long 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:15.560 ago that we were all in Indie watching the Combine. 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:17.480 How were things for you out there? 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:21.320 Well, for me, it's amazing being on the network side 0:01:21.319 --> 0:01:24.160 because it's stress free and I'm not worried about running 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.960 all night doing interviews and chasing players, and I can 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.560 just you know, I meet with most a lot of 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:34.800 the team's website and radios, and I can solve everybody's 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.120 problems and don't have to worry about the consequences of 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:38.920 if I'm wrong about what I'm saying. 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:42.400 Well, after it's all said and done, what were some 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.800 of the storylines that stood out to you or some 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:48.080 of the things that we saw with people's results when 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:50.440 they performed, or stuff that was said at podiums. 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.760 Yeah, well, it's always that you know, who's going to shock, 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:59.160 who's going to be the Combine superstar, And despite the 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:02.400 years in years years of data that says, you know, 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:05.840 the Combine really doesn't show a great indication of who 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:09.440 will be great players, and we still get caught up 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.840 and there's still this fascination with the Combine and the 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:17.480 Combine Superstars and the fast forties, and for the most part, 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:23.399 there were those people again once again. So but overall 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.080 I think, you know, I think different team that The 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.160 big thing is that a lot of teams now are 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:31.560 realizing that. And you know, even the better drafting teams 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.359 like the Eagles and the Rams. The Rams don't even 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:37.559 show up. The Eagles are very limited with sort of 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:41.800 how many people they've sent to the combine and how 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:45.040 much time and resources they put into it. So I 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:46.760 think this might have been the first year really that 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.959 there's really a shift in Okay, we know this event 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:55.360 is really an event, and it doesn't show a great indicator, 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:58.320 and maybe this is the first big step of other 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:01.880 teams maybe saying there's a more efficient and effective way 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:03.560 to evaluate this process. 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:06.680 A lot of teams show up to be able to 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.000 interview multiple players, and they get their little fifteen to 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:14.000 twenty minute windows and they talk to a ton of 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.480 different people and then they decide who they want to 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:20.600 have on their official visits. And that's what we're starting 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.080 to see trickle out as different teams that are inviting 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.880 different people for private workouts at the facilities, or they're 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:29.320 top picks people that they want to see more of. 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:33.400 When you look at the top, it's going to be 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:35.440 the Titans with the number one if they keep it, 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.520 which sounds like they will, you know, who do you 0:03:38.600 --> 0:03:40.440 think some of the first people off the board are 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:40.800 going to be? 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:45.680 Yeah, so well, I think And here's the fascinating thing 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:50.720 about drafting and building a team, and you know, let's 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:51.760 just say the Titans. 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.040 Okay, let's say the options. The three options are. 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:56.160 I think cam Ward is by far and away the 0:03:56.160 --> 0:04:01.360 best quarterback, and Abdul Carter is the best and let's 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:03.560 just throw Travis Hunter in there as well, you know, 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:06.880 an impact player. So let's say they're deciding between these 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:08.920 three players, and of course in their draft room they're 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:13.560 talking about that, but they could essentially draft Abdul Carter 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:18.279 or Travis Hunter and they both could be Rookie of 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:21.120 the Year, defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl players 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:24.080 next year, and the Titans could still have three four 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:26.640 wins and be picking at the number one spot next year. 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:31.480 But if they take cam Ward and he is what 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:35.440 Jaden Daniels was to the Commanders this year, with CJ. 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:39.520 Stroud was to the Texans last year, then you're talking 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:42.080 about a playoff team and you're. 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:42.840 Set for life. 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.480 So you know, the notion of I know they've come 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:47.960 out and said, well, we're going to take a Pro 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.360 Bowl player, Like, Okay, that's all well and good, and 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:52.800 you may hit on that player, but you still don't 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.479 change your franchise. And all we have to do is 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:59.039 look at who are the playoff teams this year? Who 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:01.520 won the Super Bowl, who was in the Super Bowl, 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:03.599 who was in the championship games? And they all have 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:08.960 one thing in common. They got those quarterbacks. And it's 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:12.400 all great to draft really good players and you have 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:17.680 to do that, but until you get your quarterback, it 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:21.480 really doesn't matter. You have to get that. It's almost 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:24.919 like going to the casino. And I'm not a gambler, 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.560 but I've been to Vegas and casinos where they got 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.919 those high roller rooms and you got to have twenty 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:31.920 grand to get in there. Well, you better have a 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:35.680 big time franchise quarterback to get into the discussion of, hey, 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:36.840 can we win the Super Bowl. 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:40.280 Okay, so the Rams didn't go to Indy, maybe because 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.960 they were securing their Super Bowl champ right their quarterback 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:47.560 of the future in Matthew Stafford. How did that change 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:52.400 the veteran quarterback market and how things may move over the. 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:55.039 Yeah, so, yeah, I think a lot of teams really 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.359 had that. You know, I thought it was odd. I 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:59.120 thought it was odd when all of that came out 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:02.360 about Matthew staff Anyway, I like this, this doesn't sound right, 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:04.200 you know, you know, it had been one thing at 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:07.440 the Rams, had someone that they had drafted and was 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:09.800 the air apparent to Matthew Stafford. But to all of 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:12.400 a sudden, you know, after being a player two away 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.320 from beating the Eagles, you know, in the in the 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:17.960 playoff game, to say, okay, we're gonna just move on 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:21.200 from Matthew like that, it didn't make a lot of sense, 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:25.000 first of all. So and then of course teams get 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:26.800 a little bit of hope. You know, there's always hope 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.279 in the NFL. There's hope, and that hope of okay, 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:32.480 well maybe we can get Matthew Stafford. Then once that, 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:34.919 you know, he was the first domino, he was the 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:39.080 big fish. Okay, now that you had to reset to say, okay, 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:43.400 now who's next, whether it's Sam Darnold, whether it's somehow 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:46.560 in the draft. But you know, he really was the 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:49.320 only one, in my view, on the market that in 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.680 the right situation, could still make an impact. So I 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.520 think a lot of teams who maybe had their eye 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:58.040 on it are severely disappointed. 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:03.479 So now people have to turn to Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:05.960 a couple other names that are out there. And you 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:10.040 mentioned the draft as well. Cam Ward he came away 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:12.600 with what we're going to say, small hands. Is that 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:16.320 how they dubbed him there when he got measured. How 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.240 big of a factor do you think that is? 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.000 Yeah, well, there's always going to be, you know, the 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:27.040 measurables and the concerns. But you know, unless you see 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.880 we always always talked about this my draft meeting with 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:32.720 my staff and coaches, like, is there something about the 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.520 limitations that shows up on film that okay, small hands? 0:07:36.560 --> 0:07:39.560 Okay, does he fumble with the ball? Does he you know, 0:07:39.640 --> 0:07:41.760 does he not throw it? Throw? Well? 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:44.360 You know, is there something about him having small hands 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:46.600 that you saw that was a detriment to his play? 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:50.760 And if not, then really it's a non factor. It 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.640 should be, but of course it's great us in the media. 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:54.760 We had to bring it up. We have to talk 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:58.080 about Will Campbell, the offensive tackle from from LSU. The 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:01.440 arms okay, the arm line, all right, is there something 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.160 that you saw in film about the arm length? 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:05.200 Well, there no one in history. 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:08.720 Okay, great, uh, and we're really just talking about you 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:12.160 know this much that much? Does that much make a 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:16.120 difference of his play and what you saw, And there's 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:20.080 always outliers, So you know, that's the interesting part about 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:23.760 it is, I don't I didn't see anything with cam 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.520 war to say, Okay, he's got you know, the hand 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:28.480 size wasn't too big, So that's really what you have 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:29.520 to dig in and look at. 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:33.400 Yeah it was Will Campbell. He measured thirty two and 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:37.440 five eighths inches and they said that the standard no 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.040 one has under thirty three. So to your point, yet 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:41.840 does a very small difference. 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:43.040 It's incredible. 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.200 And I guarantee you if he goes to his pro day, 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:48.520 his arm length will be different. There's going to be 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:51.600 a different measurement for him. I guarantee you he'll be 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.120 thirty three at his pro day, just because you have 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:56.360 someone else. And if he goes and gets measured somewhere else, 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:59.440 it'll be differ. There's it's not a measuring someone's arm. 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:02.360 For people that don't know, you know, they try to 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:04.199 find the not in your shoulder and they go to 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:07.160 the end of your hand, and it's not an exact 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.640 science of measurement with these arm and hand lengths. Let's 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.200 just let's say, well. 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:14.240 When you look at a different quarterback in Ohio States, 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:18.480 Will Howard his performance at the combine, You know, he 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:22.880 missed several throws, So how much does that change your 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:26.200 perception of what he was able to do while at OSU. 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:31.800 Yeah. I think for Will he wasn't really a higher 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.439 rated player anyway. You know, of course they won the 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.120 national championship and the things he did there, but I 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.880 don't think anybody watched Ohio State and said, oh my goodness, 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:43.600 Will Howard is crushing it. You know, he's the guy, 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.080 He's a top tier pick. So for him, it was 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:51.079 more about at the combine that was maybe his chance 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:53.680 to show I am better than what I showed on tape. 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:54.199 You know. 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.120 Unfortunately that didn't work out for him. But in a 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:01.040 controlled setting, once he gets to Ohio State, I'm sure 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.800 with his receivers and everything, he'll crush it. And those 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:07.559 who feel as if Will Howard has a chance once 0:10:07.840 --> 0:10:10.240 he gets to Ohio State's pro day, that'll help him out. 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:14.080 Yeah, you brought up somebody that's been very popular in 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.800 Travis Hunter a little bit ago and you mentioned him 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.920 as a defensive player, So is that what side of 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:21.760 the ball you're leaning on, because he's still trying to 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:23.120 convince people he can play both. 0:10:23.600 --> 0:10:26.160 Yeah, you know, when I watch him, I think the 0:10:26.240 --> 0:10:29.360 consensus would be more for him to be a corner. 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.839 But when I evaluated him, I think he's a better 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:37.640 receiver and with a lot more untapped potential at receiver 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:42.560 and ability to make more impact as a receiver than 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:46.280 as a corner. And just as I talked about the 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:50.480 differences between cam Ward and at Bill Carter and Travis 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:53.840 on the defensive side, on the offensive side, you know, 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.240 as we saw, let's just go to the Super Bowl. 0:10:58.120 --> 0:10:58.880 You know, just. 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:02.280 DeVante Smith play here. You know that boom you know, 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:05.920 one player receiver can make. Of course, Cooper dejen had 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:08.560 the pick, you know, for a touchdown, but that's rare. 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:11.360 You know, those are rare occurrences. Whereas a receiver, if 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:13.960 you're getting the ball in a receiver's hand, they have 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:18.200 the potential to make impact plays almost every drive, whereas 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.360 a corner can almost go through a whole game you 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:23.360 not know he's there. So when I watch Travis, you 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:25.959 know his route running is phenomenal. The ball skills are 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:29.480 incredible and tremendous, and I just think he has a 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:32.040 lot more untapped potential and ability to make an impact 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:35.000 on a consistent basis on the offensive side of the ball. 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.160 I think it's going to be far fetched for him 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.280 to do what he did at Colorado. The NFL is 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.400 a man's game. I admire him for what he did 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:46.760 at Colorado, playing so many snaps, but if he gets 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:50.840 to the NFL, they will attack him relentlessly on both 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.600 sides of the ball, like they just will. He will 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:55.400 not be able to hold up. And if he does, 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:57.080 he'll be the greatest athlete. 0:11:56.760 --> 0:11:57.280 Of all time. 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:00.200 So do you think that anybody will really allow him 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:02.319 to do that and play both both ways? 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:03.079 Yeah? 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.559 I don't think so. And that's the that's the thing. 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:08.280 They're not recruiting him. You know, this is not Travis 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.400 Hunter coming out of high school and you're recruiting him 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:13.000 and trying to convince him. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:13.600 When you're in the. 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:16.640 NFL team, you just draft people, and uh, you know, 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:19.160 Travis is not going to get drafted by a team 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.840 and say I'm not going to play unless you play 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.760 me both ways. He's going to do what the coaches 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:29.000 want him to do, and in the interview process at 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.920 the Combine and Free Cowmbine, they may tell him, yeah, Travis. 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:34.839 You get here, you know we want to play you 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:35.360 both ways. 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.320 But once he gets there in training camp, somebody's going 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.240 to stick him at a position and say you learn this, 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.920 you get proficient at this, then we'll talk about those 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.599 other both sides of the ball conversation. 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:49.400 He got some flak for some of the things that 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:53.319 he said and his confidence and maybe came across as 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:56.520 too cocky, But when you look at him and should 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:59.120 our Sanders he I mean he has a camera crew 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:02.000 follow him everywhere he goes. I mean that's going to 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.280 be a big spotlight that's going to be on wherever 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:08.560 those players go because of what they came from. Because 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:12.680 obviously Sanders' dad is so is that something that you 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:17.760 take into consideration when you're talking about amongst the front 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:19.120 office about drafting people. 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.960 Well, that's why you do the interviews, and that's why 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.640 you talk, and that's why you. 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.240 Evaluate these players for what. 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:31.920 You see in them and not what other teams may say. 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:36.959 Because look, Travis Hunter could have went through sixty interviews, 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:41.560 seventy interviews eighty interviews this past week, and one person 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.120 could have said something negative and that gets the attention, 0:13:44.600 --> 0:13:47.760 not the sixty nine other that say, oh, he's fantastic. 0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:50.840 It's the one negative that gets the attention. And who 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.680 knows what the agenda is of that one person, who 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:56.959 knows where that person is coming from. I think there's 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:01.000 been enough tape and video of have this and Shador 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:02.480 talking and interviewing it. 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:02.920 You can. 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:04.560 You don't need to go to the combine and tell 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:08.760 you it's just looking and google Travis Hunter or Shador Centers. 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:09.920 Interviews and you have enough. 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:14.160 You have enough evidence to form your own opinion, whether 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.160 you're an NFL person or a regular person. So uh, 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:20.880 I think those those guys handled themselves with class, especially 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:24.600 both being I mean, it's such you know, the attention 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:27.960 that they get, as you mentioned, it's just amazing. And 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.440 all I've heard and all I've seen from those two 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:33.640 is just handling themselves like professionals. 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:36.680 What did you make of Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond 0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:39.280 saying that he was going to run sub four two 0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:41.600 and him from four three four? 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:46.840 Yeah, that's just you know, he just should not have 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:49.360 put that that target on his back like that, and 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:50.840 he could have went and ran a four to four 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:52.840 not said anything, and people would have been talking about, 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:55.520 oh man, we really like Isaiah Bond and you know, 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:59.000 he ran fast and he's interesting and for him to 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:01.600 do that and I don't know, but I don't know 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:04.400 if his if his speed coach was timing him and 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:06.480 tell him it was four two. But there's absolutely no 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.840 way you go from that to what he ran and 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.200 really come out with those comments, especially coming from Texas. 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:14.400 So he knows Xavier Worthy. 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:16.600 You know, it's not as if he's gone, you know, 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.520 it was Texas in Alabama or Florida at the USC mean, 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:21.680 he was at the school with the guy, so he 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:24.920 obviously knows, like, I have no chance of being faster 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:27.720 than Xavier Worthy, So you know, it was kind of 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:31.400 a bizarre thing. And again getting back to Combine interviews 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:35.120 and doing it for twenty years, and we had, you know, 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:37.560 every night before a player would run like what are 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:39.080 you gonna run themro I'm gonna run a four to four. 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:41.600 I want to run this, And the percentage of people 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.040 that actually ran as fast as they said was about 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:49.000 five percent. So I've heard that a lot of players 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:51.080 promising a time and not living up to it. 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:55.400 That's fair. With the running backs, Ashton Genty has been 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:59.560 getting obviously the most pub talked about the most, but 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:03.440 players like UNC's running back a Mario and Hampton really 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.840 did well at the Combine and became a name that 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:09.960 started getting talked about. Do you think there might be 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:13.040 a running back resurgence? Come in now with you know 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.200 what Saquon Barkley was able to do this past year 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:16.120 at the Eagles. 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:20.920 Well, this is in the off season, probably the most 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:25.400 asked question, and there's not a resurgence. 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:27.880 It's a What happened last year really. 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:33.200 Was a culminator, culmination and an intersection of you had three, 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:39.640 maybe four really outstanding running backs that got into situations 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:41.760 that were completely ideal. 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:43.640 So you look at Sakwon Barkley, who was. 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:47.920 An amazing player and got with an amazing team, you know, 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:50.560 after living in misery there in New York. Then you 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:54.080 got Derrick Henry, who was always an instant Hall of Famer. Okay, 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:56.320 let me go get get the Ravens and crush it. 0:16:56.640 --> 0:17:00.280 Josh Jacobs was already an outstanding player. Okay, hey, let 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.560 me get with a really good Green Bay team and 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:07.440 I played really well. So I think the notion of 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.520 drafting a running back for him to go save your team, 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:13.680 or this resurgence, I don't think that's there. I think 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:18.000 it's still teams even more so double down on Oh, 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:20.480 if we're a really good team, Okay, now we can 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:24.160 add this running back piece, a super talented running back. 0:17:24.640 --> 0:17:26.880 To go with all these other talented players. 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:29.399 But if you're a bad team and you're drafting a 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:32.119 running back too high, then you're still going to be 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:34.159 a bad team with a running back being beat up. 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:38.040 So I think if teams take this the right way 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:42.200 with where running back's value is on your team, then 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.640 that's the resurgence. But I think if if a team 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.600 takes as genty in the top five and they're not 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:51.280 a good team, I don't think we'll hear much from 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:54.600 from Ashton or say he changed that team around. 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:56.879 But if he goes to a team let's say I 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:57.240 don't know. 0:17:57.160 --> 0:17:59.480 Who needs a running back now that's really really good, 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:01.920 that would be the optimal situation. 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.160 So do you think that he could be a team's 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:08.919 top pick just based on where they draft. 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:12.040 Yeah, you know, I gotta look through the draft board. 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:12.920 I gotta But. 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:16.040 Yeah, you know, a team, a team that is a 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:20.119 playoff team that doesn't have an impact running back and 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.160 has other playmakers on offense. 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:24.720 That's that's the ideal fit for him. 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:28.040 A team without a quarterback, a team that's not very good, 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.120 that is a bad fit for him, but he needs 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:33.480 to get in a situation for him and that team. 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:37.000 Then you take it to a whole other level of Wow, 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.560 we have a really super talented running back with a 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:42.400 really good team with a bunch of other playmakers. Now 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:44.280 put him on that team and go like, you know, 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:47.280 just let's just talk about Saquon. Is Saquon flipped again 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:49.479 and goes to the Giants next year? He's not going 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:51.600 to be the Saquon Barkley we saw this year. 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:54.360 So if that's different. 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:56.480 It's that simple. It's really that simple. 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:58.399 He's not going to go even though we saw the 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.800 very best version of historic version of sain Kwon Barkley 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:04.840 this year, if he if he's on the Giants next year, 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:05.639 he will not. 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:07.960 He'll be that same guy that he was before he 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:09.000 got to the Eagles. 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:13.240 So you're telling me that it was all Kellen Moore, right, Yeah? 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:17.520 Yeah? For Saints fans, absolutely, he unlocked it all. It 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:18.760 wasn't Jalen Hurts or A. J. 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:21.560 Brown or Devonte Smith or Dallas Goddard the best line 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:22.160 in football. 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:24.840 It was just Kellen Moore scheme of it all up. Yes, 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:26.640 YEA love to hear that. 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:31.320 That's great. With everybody that's out there to be drafted 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:34.480 this year, what position group has the most depth? 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:39.359 Well, I think the tight end group is amazing just 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:41.840 kind of everybody I watched there and they're all they're 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:45.400 all very different, you know, with with Warren and Loveland 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:49.200 and and Fannin and and Arroyo. I mean they're they're 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:51.680 all a little mix and match and different with what 0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:54.000 they do. But I think impact in a lot of ways. 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:57.440 The corner group, I think is is out that's probably 0:19:57.680 --> 0:19:59.160 you know, the tight end, I think it's top heavy 0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:01.360 and you got a bunch of just six guys are 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:03.960 going to be instant starters and help. But that the 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.000 corner group, man, I go twelve deep or something with 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:12.800 I think guys that are really first round talents, instant 0:20:12.800 --> 0:20:16.800