WEBVTT - Zay Flowers Introductory Press Conference 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:08.639 Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Earlier today, new 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:13.800 Ravens wide receivers Zay Flowers arrived in Baltimore after the 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:16.079 Ravens took him with the twenty second overall pick in 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:20.000 the twenty twenty three NFL Draft. Flowers arrived to Baltimore 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:23.560 Friday morning and held the press conference alongside general manager 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:27.320 Eric Taicassa and head coach John Harbaught. Here's what they 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.520 had to say during that time with the media. 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:33.800 As I said last night, was earlier in the process 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:35.680 that we identified Saia as a guy that we thought 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:37.920 would bring a lot of value to this club. His 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:43.000 playmaking ability, who he is as a person, his greatest determination, 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:45.159 his background, all of those things kind of factor in 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:47.879 and and he's the guy, and we're fired up to 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:50.040 get him. I think our fan base is gonna love him, 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:52.880 the community is going to love him. And just welcome 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:53.880 Jay Flowers. 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:55.040 Same thing. 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:57.760 Just Echo couldn't be more excited on behalf of all 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:02.720 the coaches. Everybody's fired up to have you here. Welcome 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:03.360 to Baltimore. 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:07.560 Thank you, I'm excited to be here. I want to 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.320 thank coach Hardball and E. D. C Right what he 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:16.360 called I'm gonna call you e DC forgive me this opportunity. Well, 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:20.720 I think with Lamar and the guys on the outside, 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:23.280 we got something special and we could build here and 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.200 we can get back to what Baltimore avers was. 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:33.039 Questions see last night you visit your kind of net 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:36.360 or had a good feeling about What was it you elaborate? 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.640 The last time I visited here, we barely even talked 0:01:40.640 --> 0:01:44.839 about football. It was just everybody in the building was genuine. 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:46.720 A lot of the places I went to it I 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:49.000 had to put on a kind of like a front, 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.200 and when I got here, it was just everything was 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:54.919 just period. It was just genuine. I was playing basketball 0:01:55.520 --> 0:02:00.680 beat a couple of people. But I joyed that visit. 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:06.960 So everyone read about you, compliments your card working nature, 0:02:07.000 --> 0:02:10.320 and your drive. Where can you attribute that when most 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:11.160 that is stilled in you? 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.000 I got it from my dad. I used to see 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:15.920 him get up go to work at four am in 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:19.560 the morning, and he did that every day Monday through Friday. 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.400 And he'll get up Saturday, wash our clothes at the 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:28.200 wash house, cook everybody breakfast, and take us to football 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:30.919 games and then do the same thing Sunday and then 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.000 go back to work Monday, So just see him do that. 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:34.880 It gave me my drive. 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:38.560 The other weapons on the outside. We saw that you 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.680 FaceTime and you know Beckham last night Insas City. 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.520 When did that relationship start? Is he somebody that you know? 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:48.280 How about you looking forward to playing with him? 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:50.520 So my first time talking to him because we got 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.720 the same trainer back in Florida. My train my receiver 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:56.600 coach train them too, and he used to watch some 0:02:56.639 --> 0:02:58.760 of my videos and like, all we gotta get together 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.800 and work out. And I think a couple of weeks 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.880 ago I called him and I was like, where you 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:07.240 think about going? And then he was like, either the 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:10.800 Ravens or the Giants, I think, And I was like, 0:03:10.840 --> 0:03:14.240 that's crazy because both of those teams I'm predicted to 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:16.800 go to and then we land on the same team. 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:22.560 So I could just use them as to learn because 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:24.480 it's gonna be my first year. I can learn everything 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:27.680 from him and just play with him. It'll be fun. 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:32.440 You back to doing you've been. 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:34.720 Here before, but what if you're like walking back in 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:36.840 here as a Raven and how. 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:38.240 Different is it? 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.760 I felt great walking back in the building because everybody 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:46.120 that that I've seen the first time. It felt like 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:48.800 I knew him for a couple of years and only 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:52.640 knew him for a day. So just being somewhere I 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.240 could be comfortable and be myself and still work hard 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:57.040 and play football is a perfect spot for me. 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:01.400 So last night you were watching them fire Leschel videos 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.240 of Lamar Jackson when he played to the defender locked 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.400 into the end zone? How fired up are you to 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:08.440 play with him? And did you ever think that he 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:10.600 could throwing into football in the National Football League? 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.880 I didn't think so, but they let me fall to him. 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.120 So it's gonna be a lot of plays being made 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.880 on Sunday, Monday, or Thursday, whatever day were playing on. 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.200 So just being able to play with them and have 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:28.039 all these weapons next to me, I was just doing 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:28.880 to improve my game. 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:31.560 Say, there's a lot of pressure that goes with being 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:33.039 a first round pick, But when you look at this 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.640 roster and you already mentioned Odell, you ever Sean Baben 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:37.760 another former first round pick, and Mark Andrews. 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:40.719 How exciting is it for you that you can be yourself? 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:43.520 But there isn't this expectation that you have to come 0:04:43.520 --> 0:04:44.880 in and be quote the guy. 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.479 Day one, I'm gonna have the guys next to me, 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.360 so I feel like if we all do our part 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:53.240 and do what we're capable of, we're gonna have a 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:54.120 very good team. 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:59.400 You're known for breaking tackles yours after the catch. How 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:00.600 do you stay to do that. 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:02.960 When obviously you're not one of the bigger guys, but 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:03.920 you're so able. 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:04.800 To do and beef this as well? 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:05.080 There. 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:07.599 I mean, I was never one of the bigger guys, 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:09.720 so I always had to find a way to do it, 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:11.840 and I'm gonna try to continue to find a way 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:12.279 to do that. 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.360 Who's in the picture on the medallion runner there? 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:20.320 That's my mom? 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:21.919 Why is that important to have in this moment? 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:25.840 Do you think she started us off playing football? So 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:28.760 I felt like I needed her with me last night 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:31.880 and have it with me today. It's just a little flower, 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:35.839 got my brothers and sisters and each pedal fourteen of us. 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.080 How how did that big family really kind of sharpen 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:42.000 you sharpen your competitives? Competitiveness and like you said, you 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:44.320 haven't been the biggest guy that you have been physically. 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:46.520 You playing in physical Is that in part because of 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:47.640 having that big family? 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:48.120 Uh? 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:50.360 Yeah, believe it or not? Like my brother's tall like 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:53.200 some of them, like six two six one. I guess 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:59.440 I got the short end, but but we was competitive 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:02.680 at everything. I played basketball, the little brothers play, the 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:05.719 big brothers play football, and it'll be the same thing, 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:09.920 arraster each other. So it was just it was just 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.720 meant to be that way, and it worked out perfect. 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:17.279 Say to your mom, say, uh, you know in this 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:21.720 moment on one of your brothers as well, now after 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:23.560 in high school, what would you say to them on 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:34.120 this day if you could. 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:35.119 Well what I said to them, thank you for always 0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:38.840 being there for me and like and supporting me through 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:42.320 everything and having my back. So I appreciate them for 0:06:42.360 --> 0:06:44.880 that and being my biggest fans. 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.000 What is that dynamic like of one on fourteen? 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:54.039 Uh, it's fun actually, like you never shot. You can't 0:06:54.080 --> 0:06:57.480 be shot because you're gonna always be talking because somebody's 0:06:57.520 --> 0:07:00.960 always in the house. You always around somebody, So everybody 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:03.440 gonna have their own personality, whether it's funny, quiet or 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:05.400 you just running around playing. 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:09.160 Probably you watch the NFL football. 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.160 You played good time in college football, But what do 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.440 you anticipate the next level to be, Like, how you 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.360 will be able to transition to the NFL. 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:21.040 I just I feel like everybody gonna be smarter, faster 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:25.720 and working hard. So I just gotta do that times 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:27.920 too and continue what I was doing. 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.360 Is it being from South Florida? Obviously a lot of 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:34.360 talent comes out of there. This team has a lot. 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:38.200 Of talent from South Florida. What do you anticipate that 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:38.680 does for. 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.760 The atmosphere of being in this building and playing football 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:42.120 with these. 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:46.880 Guys down in South Florida. When you play with like people, 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:48.880 you know, it's just boosts. It's just boosts how you 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.360 want to play. It just make you make make make 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:54.480 you make more plays. So being able to play a 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.080 little more and other playmakers around me, it's just gonna 0:07:57.080 --> 0:07:59.720 make me play harder, work harder, and try to make 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:01.120 more is to help the team. 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:06.200 Some of your teammates were highly rated recruits and and 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:06.760 you were not. 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:08.160 That coming out of high school? 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:10.400 Is does that fill you with some sort of pride 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:12.120 scene them as your peers in the NFL? 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:12.360 Now? 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:16.200 I mean it. I did have a chip on my 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:17.920 shoulder because of that. I mean I still have it 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:22.560 because I felt like I was an underdog. So I 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:27.520 just played with a chip and I'm gonna just get 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:28.840 I'm gonna continue playing like that. 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:33.520 So last night, you know the connection that you felt 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:35.760 with the Ravens at the Shrine game when they were 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:40.360 looking you pretty extensively got Have you think you fit 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:41.640 steam wise here? 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:42.560 Uh? 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:43.760 Sort of? 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:45.360 Where do you feel you can have to think? 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:46.000 It's impact? 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.320 In my opinion, I feel like I could play outside, 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:53.800 inside special teams, wherever you need me to make a play. 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:55.840 If I could touch the ball any type of way 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:58.640 to try to make a play, I feel like I 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.720 would be good. And where the jet sweeps, shadow crosses, 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:05.839 deep balls, part returns, I feel like I could be 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:07.640 used it anyway. 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.360 Because you players came back in to play Georgia. Did 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.880 you get a chance to watch a munch of tops 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:15.680 last year you any kind familiarity? 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:18.960 Yeah? I know at Georgia it was a lot of running. 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:23.200 But I mean when you got a team like that 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:25.640 in college, you're gonna continue running the ball to win 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:29.000 national championships. At this level, you gotta be able to 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:29.360 do both. 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:32.839 You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast feed, make 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.920 sure that you subscribe to the podcast feed. Also leave 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.760 a rating and a review, and if you haven't done so, already. 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:42.680 Go check out the Lounge podcast feed to subscribe, rate, 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:46.000 and review that feed as well. Now let's get back 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.800 to the Zay Flowers introductory press conference. 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:54.439 Steve Smith has spoken highly of your skills. How were 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:55.840 you of him? 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.839 And are you comfortable with any comparisons that people may 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:00.440 want to grow between you and somebody? 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:02.320 Uh? 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:05.160 Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with it because he was a 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:07.920 smaller guy in the league that was playing bigger than 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:11.360 his size, and I'm I'm gonna be a smaller guy 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:13.280 in the league and I'm gonna have to play bigger 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:13.960 than my size. 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:17.439 Say, he's the toughest corner you've ever faced? And is 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:20.040 there a guy you kind of looked at for a 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:22.280 walk for a while and you love to match up against. 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.559 I don't think any corner gave me a problem in college, 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.400 but facing I don't really got I want to face 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:31.319 all of them, honestly. 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.720 So he really had four full seasons in college football. 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:38.120 A lot of guys don't. How much do you think 0:10:38.120 --> 0:10:40.480 that's gonna help you? And did you give a thought 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:41.600 even last year to. 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:42.200 Come down NL? 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:45.079 I gave it a little thought, but I feel like 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:51.560 I needed to put more stuff on tape, like competitive catchers, blocking, 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:54.000 just all the small stuff that I didn't do the 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:56.400 year before that I was able to do this year. 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:00.319 How pleased are you with how you guys said straight 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:03.040 out early this off season we were going to upgrade 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:06.080 this wide receiver with this latest edition. 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.520 How pleased started with how kind of the pieces have 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:09.120 come together? 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:11.360 I'm really excited. I feel like there was a plan 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:16.200 in place and everybody, you know, coaches, scouts, Eric and 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:19.199 all his group. Joe did a great job scout and 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:21.080 oised guy who had a really good handle on the board. 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:22.960 I feel like, you know, you led that Joe and 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:24.959 did a great job with that and kind of knew 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:26.560 who he liked. You know, they was our top rated 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:30.000 receiver pretty I would say one hundred percent consensus, right, Joe, 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:32.880 one hundred percent. Everybody had him as our guy, and 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:34.319 for him to be there for us and just kind 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:36.840 of fill out that room was a great blessing. 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:38.160 Eric. 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:40.640 I know when you you scout a lot of these players, 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:43.800 when when did for you would say when when do 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:44.480 you remember seeing? 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:46.920 Maybe it was on tape things like that. How did that? 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:48.240 Yeah? 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:50.960 Last year? First? You know, you know I thought it 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:52.960 was explosive last year. We talked about him last year, 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:54.839 and we do. Our scouts do a great job of 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:58.840 looking at potential juniors that might enter the draft. It's 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:00.520 not like years ago when we used to start that 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:04.200 process like after the combine. We start that process in 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:07.280 the fall. So we watched day at length two years 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:08.559 ago excited. 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:08.920 A bottom end. 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:11.280 I think, you know, one of the things this year. 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:15.600 I remember, I liked to say on tape and David Blackburn, 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.120 our college director, was going out to the East West game, 0:12:18.679 --> 0:12:21.360 and uh, you know, Zay was there for one practice, 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.040 just one practice. He went out and he put on 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:26.960 a show and that was it, you know. And I 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:28.640 asked David, because David was there, and I said, how 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:33.080 do you look? David said, fast the best guy there. 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:35.880 And that was basically that was a scouting report. And uh, 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:38.800 you know, that's just that means a lot when you 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.000 send out one of your best scouts and he comes 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:43.520 back with that type of assessment. And you know, as 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:45.120 I said, last night, we had a bunch of guys 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:48.720 watched Zay and the other receivers and it was clear cut. 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.560 You know, it was a knockout victory. This week. You know, 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.400 everybody thought that Zay would bring the most to the 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:55.400 table for us this year. 0:12:56.240 --> 0:13:01.920 Is your actually aches in the Boston area viview question 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:04.080 so much. 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.480 You know, I've been down here now for twenty eight years. 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.240 I don't have as many contacts up there now as 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:10.360 I used to. I still have an affinity for the 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:14.160 for the state, the Commonwealth, but uh, but I'm a 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:14.840 Baltimore guy. 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:15.080 Now. 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:19.520 I'm curious how nervous you were getting as you're getting 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.760 closer to your pick, and you knew the Seahawks were 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:23.120 interested and possibly. 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:25.120 Taking a wide receiver. You knew the Charterers could take 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:25.720 a wide receiver. 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.000 You're getting nervous that they could take Is that. 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:31.600 You know, you always get nervous, But I've learned that, 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:34.640 you know, there's different levels of nervousness, and in the 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:37.120 last two years have shown to me that there's always 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.680 nervousness times two, times three. And so you know, the 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.200 draft is the draft. We plan and practice, and you know, 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:46.920 I've learned from the all great powerful os to always 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:50.240 be prepared on draft day, and so you know, you 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.880 just get ready for every possible scenario that can happen, 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:57.280 and of course the best we got some years you don't, 0:13:57.520 --> 0:13:59.360 but you just move on. Is you know, you have 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:01.920 to have a plan and it goes quick, you know, 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:04.560 and you know you did get It was a little 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:07.760 bit nerve wracking because things were falling very nicely for 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:09.679 most of the round and then all of a sudden, boom, 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:12.480 boom boom. You start to see that run. And whenever 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:16.199 there's a run in the draft, you know, it's an 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:19.240 emotional thing that other teams start to not panic, but 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:21.720 they start to think, Okay, this is our chance if 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:23.840 you want to fill that position, And so you always 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:28.200 worry about I really wasn't so much worried about necessarily 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:31.200 us not getting Zay where we were, except that I 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:34.920 was worried about teams behind us coming up over us 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:37.760 to get Zay. I was a little bit anxious about that. 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:40.720 Unfortunately it didn't happen and we lucked out. 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:44.840 So that's Eric as how he handled things. 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:49.400 How how you from an outside, how do you think, Oh, yeah, poise, 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:51.720 he's he's like he's stone cold in there, man, he's 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.480 got ice water in his veins. And I see, I 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:55.680 just saw David Blackburn sitting back there with his whole crew. 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:57.560 He was just giving me the eye the whole night 0:14:57.600 --> 0:14:59.400 back there, like we're gonna get our guy. We're gonna 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:02.000 get our guy. Worry. So you knew all along, David, 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:07.760 what'd you know? It's meant to be? 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.480 Man, I am in the draft is different than how 0:15:10.520 --> 0:15:23.800 I am on game day, different animal, worse. 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.600 Well, the draft is better better. 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:29.960 We never wish drafts of all time if I was 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:39.880 as distracted and emotional as I am during games. 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:39.720 Enjoying your staff, was this a scenario you possibly played. 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:40.160 Out for him or. 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.320 Oh, man, Jerry, I mean we were really talking about 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:46.560 exactly which receiver we're going to take. We were kind 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:48.680 of talking about scheme. But I think once once you 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:50.360 have a feel for the scheme, then you start putting 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:52.520 the players into the schemes. They was just jumped to 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:53.840 the front of the class. It's going to be a 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.200 great fit. Talking to our players. I mean, our players 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:58.800 are excited already about the two weeks we've had a 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.160 chance to install the scheme so far. And I know 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:03.800 Lamar is gonna be excited when he gets here. And 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.760 then when he sees this guy Odell walks in the room. 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.600 You already got Nelson here and James is already working 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:12.920 and Dev's already working. Was just gonna be It's gonna 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:13.560 be a lot of fun. 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:18.920 Did you ask Lamar at all about the receivers in 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.800 this draft? Glass, did you have a I don't want 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:24.240 to say say, but did you get input from him 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:25.480 about who he would like to have? 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:28.400 We talked back in January. Yeah, I went down to 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:30.720 visit with Lamore back in January and we talked about 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:33.960 the college receivers and one thing about Lamar, if you're 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.119 from South Florida, he's gonna. 0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:36.640 Know you are. 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:39.000 And he gave me a list. He gave me a 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:43.600 full breakdown of every receiver in the draft from South Florida, 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.640 and uh, you know, he's got strong opinions on all 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:52.200 these guys too. You know, he's very loyal to the 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:54.680 players from that part of the country and so he has, 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:57.680 you know, a lot of opinions on Zaying. He was very, 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:01.040 very excited that we got him last night, John. 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:03.280 And a lot of receivers on this rostering that five 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:06.520 ten to the six floe one range not like a 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:08.000 true ex possession that guy. 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:08.800 I guess what a kind of the. 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:11.439 Van news to having maybe someone that's seen this in 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:13.640 the receiver room and the white you're not concerned about 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:14.360 any confession. 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:17.000 Yeah, I think we kind of we had that conversation 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:19.040 for sure. It's a really good point, and we just 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:20.680 decided that we were going to go with the guy 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:23.040 that we thought, you know, was the best guy for us, 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:25.560 and it was. We just decided not to go position specific. 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:27.919 The idea that we're going to move guys around. We 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:30.120 had we have every guy's versatile. Every guy can play 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:32.440 out there at X. To your point, every guy can 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:34.720 play Z. And the way the offenses are getting to 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:37.200 be built now, it's not on this side and that side. 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:39.360 It's not a set guy in a motion guy anymore. 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:41.040 I mean, guys are on the ball. Guys are off 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.040 the ball. He goes in motion, he runs a jet sweep. 0:17:43.040 --> 0:17:45.159 He's on the ball, he gets into the slot, somebody's 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:47.199 coming back the other way. That's just the way the 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:50.040 offenses are evolving now. It's it's it's fun. You know, 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:52.800 there's a lot more moving parts to it. So you know, 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:54.840 we're probably moving away from that little bit. Not that 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:57.000 we you know, wouldn't have loved. You know, we like 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:59.160 every kind of guy, but you get the best guy 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:02.040 for you at this time, and you make the call 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.520 and this is this, this is the guy. So he's 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:06.040 gonna be a great fit with those other guys. And 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:08.320 I think it's gonna be tough to defend. You gotta 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:09.720 make a lot of choices out there, along with the 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:12.560 running backs and tight ends and the quarterback and a 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.280 strong offensive line. You know, I'm pretty fired up about it. 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:18.880 He's like, what, how would you describe I. 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:21.920 Guess Lamar is sort of legend in South Florida. 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:24.199 And what he means to young guys who grow up 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:25.199 playing football there is. 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:26.600 You now look up to them. 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:32.640 I mean, down there, Lamar legend. Like everybody a Lamar fan. 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:35.720 You're gonna hear everybod You're gonna see people wearing his jersey. 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:38.240 No matter where you go, everybody gonna talk about him. 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.000 And I am though South Florida got the best athletes, 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:45.720 we'll not get a receiver from down there, just as himself. 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:58.320