Speaker 1: And Eric, what was what was your reaction when the
Speaker 1: team when the get traded for Ryan Clayty Well, I
Speaker 1: was excited. You know, I played the Ryan for a
Speaker 1: few years out Denver, and when he was healthy he
Speaker 1: was I think one of the best. Um and you know,
Speaker 1: unfortunately seeing Brick retired, got all the respect the world
Speaker 1: for him. But um, you know, claty being with him,
Speaker 1: I know he's a guy that works hard, consistent when
Speaker 1: he's healthy, and it can be a factor for us. Eric,
Speaker 1: had you been in contacting all with Ryan Fittastrick these
Speaker 1: last couple of weeks, I saw it to me. I
Speaker 1: mean I was stayed in touch with him throughout the
Speaker 1: off season and um, you know, more talking about family
Speaker 1: stuff and what's going on. Obviously football has been a conversation,
Speaker 1: but that's something that you know, I let Ryan represent
Speaker 1: it was worked out. Was beaming hopefully you know, at
Speaker 1: some point we'll get him back in the locker room.
Speaker 1: Have you kind of bobbied him or expressed to him
Speaker 1: while talking to him how important you you believe he
Speaker 1: is to the team and how much you kind of
Speaker 1: want him back. Of course, I mean I think Brandon,
Speaker 1: I you know, it's like today we were a joke
Speaker 1: around video and saying we'll keep you informed. But you
Speaker 1: know that's that's that's a business side where it's uh
Speaker 1: not in our hands. And I think, you know, Mike
Speaker 1: and the fun offic will do the best thing for
Speaker 1: this organization. And I you know, I love fitz Patrick,
Speaker 1: had a good fun year with him last year and
Speaker 1: I would love to get to work you know with him,
Speaker 1: if he's going to be the quarterback of this team.
Speaker 1: Are you confident that he'll be the quarterback of this team?
Speaker 1: You have to be honest, I don't. I can't say
Speaker 1: that I foresee one being happy or another. I mean
Speaker 1: that's again something that it's such a business side of
Speaker 1: the game that that needs to be figured out. I
Speaker 1: think he's a right fit for what we do. And
Speaker 1: you know, he's had the experience of changel in the past,
Speaker 1: and he had a successful season in in some assets
Speaker 1: or aspects of the office last year and hope to
Speaker 1: continue that. But again, you know, it's out of my control,
Speaker 1: it's out everyone's control in this locker room, and uh,
Speaker 1: we got to focus on, you know, being the best
Speaker 1: that we can be and hope that this uh we'll
Speaker 1: get resolved at some point, so again that we can
Speaker 1: just you know, focus on football and not the one
Speaker 1: how much you said you and you were granted cinema
Speaker 1: a joking video messes What did you guys say? So
Speaker 1: I missed you for a second. Now we're just were
Speaker 1: we were watching paper last year and self scaling ourselves
Speaker 1: throughout this phase and just kind of you know, talking
Speaker 1: about what we can do better, what we need to
Speaker 1: correct and and brand and I are just kind of
Speaker 1: messing with them. Sends the video that you know, we
Speaker 1: need to work on these things and intriguing him to
Speaker 1: come back obviously so we can again work together in
Speaker 1: the same building. Eric, how much has the has a
Speaker 1: buffalo law at the end of the seas? Anything on
Speaker 1: your mind off season? I think now it's it's a
Speaker 1: new year for me. You know, I've watched last year.
Speaker 1: Um yeah, I think watching the playoffs and that's the
Speaker 1: super Bow. It was tough. No way that I thought
Speaker 1: we were, um, really coming together as far as the
Speaker 1: comaraderie in the locker room, and you know it's kind
Speaker 1: of come out and be flat that last game and
Speaker 1: not do enough, uh to get ourselves, you know, into
Speaker 1: the tournament. Was unfortunate at this point. You know, it's
Speaker 1: it's in the past, it's it's a learning experience. I
Speaker 1: think we got a new team, new look, new expectations,
Speaker 1: and just focus on, you know, what we can do
Speaker 1: to be better going into this season. Eric, How strange
Speaker 1: is it to to show up for workouts today and
Speaker 1: every other team in the league basically has their quarterback situation,
Speaker 1: almost every team set and you guys don't have presumed that,
Speaker 1: you know, you figured by this point something would be
Speaker 1: done that it would not take us along. How strange
Speaker 1: is it then to have you know, have these questions
Speaker 1: today and not really now? Yeah, I mean this is
Speaker 1: this is because the quarterback position is such I guess
Speaker 1: the spotlight of most teams, it is the talking point.
Speaker 1: But again the teams have voids in all different areas
Speaker 1: and and again our focus is and none who's going
Speaker 1: to be the quarterback? I wouldn't get wrong that what's
Speaker 1: what's gonna happen. I think each individual has to do
Speaker 1: their part to make themselves better. Um, watch film, you know,
Speaker 1: get get in the weight room, get bigger, faster, stronger,
Speaker 1: and focus on that. And again those things take care
Speaker 1: of itself. Obviously, like I said, I would love to
Speaker 1: have kind of this conversation figured out. So it's not
Speaker 1: what s came because this is this is something that
Speaker 1: would help we know, give our opinions, but in hindsight
Speaker 1: does not matter until you know the GM and the
Speaker 1: front office figure out what's gonna be best for us
Speaker 1: going forward. Eric, what was that Todd's main message to
Speaker 1: you guys this morning. I think the biggest it was
Speaker 1: too and joy this process. You know, I think he
Speaker 1: said the bar as far as what um his expectations
Speaker 1: are of us this offseason, of what it takes to
Speaker 1: be a championship team. UM and not really looking back
Speaker 1: at last year, but build enough what we have in
Speaker 1: this locker room right now and and and again just
Speaker 1: challenge the every one two if you're gonna show up,
Speaker 1: because it is voluntary, put put the work hard. I mean,
Speaker 1: you know that you've got and makes every day counts.
Speaker 1: So when training camp comes around, you know you know
Speaker 1: your assignment. Um, you're in good shape and and you're
Speaker 1: ready to expect the best set of each individual of
Speaker 1: this locker room. Eric, what do you believe this offensive
Speaker 1: papable of this year after what you gots accomplished last
Speaker 1: year with the records between you, Brandon and Ryan. You know,
Speaker 1: if Brian as the I'm back, I think we have
Speaker 1: to you know, kind of build off some little things
Speaker 1: and also expand as far as I guess that goes
Speaker 1: as far as our weapons and and spending the football
Speaker 1: out um, you know, getting the ball with tight end's hands. Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, fixing some things in the running game that
Speaker 1: are gonna make us, you know, a lot better football
Speaker 1: team because that's really what you rely on, is your
Speaker 1: running game. And and if you can be successful at
Speaker 1: that and give ourselves one of the opportunities, you know,
Speaker 1: we're gonna do the best we can to get that
Speaker 1: time down and get the repetition so we can take
Speaker 1: advantage of that. But I mean, we we want to
Speaker 1: be a top five offense. I mean, that's always a goal.
Speaker 1: Is if you can be a top five category on
Speaker 1: any phase, defense, offense, total teams, that's when you allow
Speaker 1: yourself the best probability of one of the football game
Speaker 1: of getting to know the destination that every team wants
Speaker 1: to be in. And that's for our championships. So I
Speaker 1: can't say what you know, staffs are gonna be what
Speaker 1: numbers are gonna be that that stuff doesn't matter. I
Speaker 1: think it's more about the winds of losses and we
Speaker 1: just gotta be efficient, you know. We gotta not turn
Speaker 1: the ball over and score the red zone and be
Speaker 1: good in in situational football. That's that's that's a focal
Speaker 1: point for us M.