Speaker 1: Okay, Omer, let's start with the quarterback position. In less
Speaker 1: than twenty four hours, you signed Russell Wilson, trade Kenny Tickets,
Speaker 1: you a choir, Justin Field.
Speaker 2: What was that world wind like for you? You know,
Speaker 2: it was really all all the free agency.
Speaker 3: During this time of year, things get a little hectic
Speaker 3: and crazy, and you know, I like where we ended up.
Speaker 3: You know, we ended up with Russell and Justin. We
Speaker 3: signed Patrick Queen. We had a good few days there.
Speaker 3: I think we made we're better.
Speaker 1: You talked about having a good visit with Russell Wilson
Speaker 1: when you talk to dissembled media. What does that mean exactly?
Speaker 1: What is a good visit?
Speaker 3: You know, he came in that weekend. He came in,
Speaker 3: We spent a whole day with him, got to know him,
Speaker 3: he got to know.
Speaker 2: Us, talk a lot of ball, and just just felt right.
Speaker 3: I'm not gonna speak for him, but I think he'll
Speaker 3: tell you the same thing that just felt right.
Speaker 2: Felt like it was a good a good match.
Speaker 1: There are always rumors going on in the offseason, as
Speaker 1: I'm sure you're well aware of what you might or
Speaker 1: might not be doing. Reports that you talked to Chicago
Speaker 1: prior to the Fields trade. Did that make it easier
Speaker 1: if that report is true, to kind of culminate that
Speaker 1: trade when it happened.
Speaker 3: We always tries to stay abreast of everything that's going
Speaker 3: on league wide.
Speaker 2: You know, obviously not everything makes sense.
Speaker 3: For us, But you know, when we decided to make
Speaker 3: the trade for Kenny with the Eagles, the opportunity was
Speaker 3: still there to trade for Justin and I'm steel fortunate that.
Speaker 1: It worked out last thing on that position. You feel
Speaker 1: better about your quarterback room right now as you head
Speaker 1: into this season.
Speaker 3: I do feel really good about it. I feel great
Speaker 3: abouthere we're at. And you know, I think they having
Speaker 3: Arthur Smith around is really an awesome also, and I
Speaker 3: think he'll be great for those guys.
Speaker 1: You mentioned Patrick Queen. What was significant for you that
Speaker 1: made you decide, Hey, this is a guy we have
Speaker 1: to pick up.
Speaker 2: Really a good football player.
Speaker 3: There was an opportunity, he was interested enough, We were
Speaker 3: obviously interested in him.
Speaker 2: We've gotten to know him over the.
Speaker 3: You know, years he's played in Baltimore, he played him
Speaker 3: twice a year. You know, knew him coming out of
Speaker 3: college and the strong character and the person he is,
Speaker 3: and obviously a talented player and he's still young, and uh,
Speaker 3: it was one of those things where we were interested
Speaker 3: and he was interested in us, and we were Fortunately,
Speaker 3: we were able to put a deal together that made sense.
Speaker 1: Made a couple of trades you talked about earlier at
Speaker 1: the quarterback position. You also made a trade sending Deontay
Speaker 1: Johnson getting Dante Jackson back. What was he impetus for
Speaker 1: that trade?
Speaker 3: So, you know, corner was a need position and Dante
Speaker 3: is somebody that we we've got to know well through
Speaker 3: the draft process.
Speaker 2: And you know, he was a free agent a few
Speaker 2: years ago.
Speaker 3: And you know, really followed his game, played him a
Speaker 3: couple of times, and the opportunity was there.
Speaker 2: They were interested in trading.
Speaker 3: Him, and it just felt like it was a win
Speaker 3: win for both sides.
Speaker 2: And you know, we're excited to have him. Think he's
Speaker 2: gonna be a good a good fit for us.
Speaker 1: Sometimes when you add somewhere, it creates maybe a whole
Speaker 1: somewhere else. You know, we're able to add a couple
Speaker 1: of wide receivers. Is that still a position you're looking
Speaker 1: to add to.
Speaker 3: Get rob I'd say we're always trying to add to
Speaker 3: every position. I'd say it's a position that you know,
Speaker 3: will continue to evaluate.
Speaker 1: You got Deshaun Elliott at the safety position. How do
Speaker 1: you feel about that signing?
Speaker 2: Awesome?
Speaker 3: I mean he's a little bit of a throwback, I
Speaker 3: guess strong safety. You know, ten years ago we probably
Speaker 3: talking about him a little differently than.
Speaker 2: Where the game is today.
Speaker 3: But he fits our defense perfectly, I think, and you
Speaker 3: guys have seen the clipse of him tackling the new
Speaker 3: running back in Baltimore that we're going to be facing
Speaker 3: a couple of times a year. He was an awesome player.
Speaker 3: But just think he's a good fit. He's gonna fit
Speaker 3: well into our defense.
Speaker 2: She added.
Speaker 1: Cameron Johnson in the punting game, that's an upgrade statistically.
Speaker 1: You bring Miles Killer Brew back. I'm sometimes an overlooked
Speaker 1: aspect of a team for fans, but obviously important for
Speaker 1: you enough to make some moves.
Speaker 3: We've all addressed the fact that our punt and game
Speaker 3: has to be better than what it was.
Speaker 2: And Cam was free, and we.
Speaker 3: Had opportunity that he was interested in us.
Speaker 2: We were interested in him.
Speaker 3: He lives up in Columbus down the road, and uh,
Speaker 3: we really leaned on our analytics team heavily on the
Speaker 3: decision to help identify the guys that'll be right for us,
Speaker 3: and we're just fortunate we got them.
Speaker 1: What do you think are the strengths of this year's draft?
Speaker 1: As you head into the draft.
Speaker 2: You know, it's really a good draft.
Speaker 3: I mentioned this in Indie and I can tell you
Speaker 3: just being in the going through the pro days over
Speaker 3: the last couple of weeks and having some preliminary draft
Speaker 3: meetings and get more and more excited about this draft.
Speaker 3: It's it's some good football players, you know. I think
Speaker 3: the receiver positions deep. You know, you look at the
Speaker 3: offensive line, you know, the tight end position's got some
Speaker 3: good players. Defensively, the corner position's got a lot of
Speaker 3: fun corners that are that are going to.
Speaker 2: Be out there.
Speaker 3: The safeties, this is a great, really good safety draft.
Speaker 3: But it's it's just a good draft. I'm excited about
Speaker 3: it in total. Knowing that guys can sign late. You
Speaker 3: signed Kwan Alexander very late last year, knowing that the
Speaker 3: draft isn't the end of the line, Knowing there's time
Speaker 3: between now and the draft. How do you feel about
Speaker 3: where the team is now? There's a lot of times
Speaker 3: now in Latrobe. I like where we're at that's not
Speaker 3: to say we're not gonna keep trying to find ways
Speaker 3: to improve in all areas. Uh, but I like where
Speaker 3: the teams that I feel like we've we've got some
Speaker 3: really good core guys coming back and we've added some
Speaker 3: pieces to that and uh, but we're.
Speaker 2: Never we're not done.
Speaker 3: You know, there's a lot of time between now and
Speaker 3: the Latrobe and a lot of time before now in.
Speaker 2: The start of the season.
Speaker 1: Oh, Mark, thanks for the time
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me appreciate it.