WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: You Say It's Urgent 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.559 Hike and everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:13.039 the Bengals Booth podcast. You say it's urgent edition as 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:16.440 my broadcast partner Dave Lapham joins me for an emergency 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:20.720 podcast following breaking news out of Paul Brown Stadium. We'll 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:25.079 discuss surprises on the just announce starting offensive line, the 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.240 undrafted rookie wide receiver who no longer has to worry 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:31.800 about making the cut, and lap will also field some 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:37.400 of your questions via Twitter. Plus two additional conversations. We'll 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:40.200 hear from John Ross, who practiced for the first time 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:44.479 since training camp began on Sunday, and I'll talk to 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:48.440 a player on the roster bubble who says Thursday's final 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:54.160 preseason game is, in his words, life changing. All of 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:57.080 that is straight ahead, but first, here's a quick reminder 0:00:57.120 --> 0:00:59.800 that you can have the latest edition of this podcast 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:04.320 delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:09.319 on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:17.160 the greatest invention since Thermocell's patio shield mosquito repeller. There 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.840 is no love on Earth that compares to the way 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:24.000 mosquitos love me. In the summer, I am a living, 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:29.600 breathing mosquito bite. Well, recently my wife purchased the Thermocell 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:34.200 Patio Shield Mosquito Repeller, which claims to create a fifteen 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:37.920 foot zone of protection on your patio or deck. It's 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.160 easy to use, looks pretty cool, and there's no spray, 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:45.200 smoke or scent. We broke it out last night and 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:49.120 I am mosquito bite free. So as if now it 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:54.520 qualifies as a great invention, Let's get to football. As 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:58.520 you probably know, football coaches can be pretty evasive when 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:02.080 it comes to sharing information. For example, a head coach 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:05.680 might hold a news conference and answer every question with 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:10.520 we're onto Cincinnati, But it doesn't appear that Zach Taylor 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:14.200 will follow that formula. On Sunday, he was asked if 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:17.799 the Bengals had decided on a starting offensive line. He 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.680 said yes, and name the starters. Later, he was asked 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:24.680 about the battle for roster spots and wide receiver and 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:29.160 shared that undrafted rookie Damian Willis will start in the 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:34.240 season opener at Seattle. That all qualifies as breaking news, 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:37.720 and more or less demanded an immediate edition of the 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:41.919 Bengals Booth podcast Lap We've called for an emergency podcast 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:45.799 after rather extraordinary news conference from Zach Taylor on Sunday 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:49.800 where he was as honest and as direct as an 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:53.560 NFL head coach can be. This was very unlike Marvin 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:56.000 Lewis for the last sixteen years, where he didn't feel 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.720 comfortable in sharing a lot of the information that Zach 0:02:58.760 --> 0:03:01.600 Taylor shared on Sunday. But let's start with the offensive line. 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:04.760 When asked if he had decided who the guys are 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:06.840 going to be to start up front against Seattle, he 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:10.000 not only said yes, he laid it out and here 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:13.680 is the group. Corty Glenn left tackle, rookie Michael Jordan, 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:18.720 left guard, Trey Hopkins center not Billy Price, John Miller, 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:23.560 right guard, Bobby Hart right tackle. Your reaction, well, my 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:27.720 initial reaction is hopefully Corty Glenn left tackle is in 0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:32.400 concussion protocol and what those situations, You never know it. 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:34.160 It could be dicey, you could be up in the air. 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:36.200 But I hope he's able to go at left tackle. 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:39.040 If not, Andre Smith will get the knot out there 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:41.800 at the left tackle position in Seattle. Tough place to 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:44.440 open up as a left tackle not having a whole 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:47.160 lot of snaps there, but that's way down the road. 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.960 I guess the thing about Michael Jordan Dan, his good 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:55.200 is very, very good. I mean when you see when 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:58.080 you see him at his best, his upside is monstrous. 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:01.520 Now his bad is pretty bad too. I mean it's like, 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:06.360 you know, it's worrisome, but and there's gonna be some 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:08.080 some ups and downs that you're gonna have to deal 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.360 with with with a young player like that. But the 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.680 fact is his upside is so high that I think 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:17.560 that coach Jim Turner and everybody involved in the decision 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.920 making just said, you know, we gotta, we gotta, let's 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:24.200 roll with this guy. And he's physical, athletic. You know, 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:27.080 this guy's massive. I mean he's big, thick, broad white, 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:29.000 everywhere you can be big. He's big. And there's a 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:31.599 thirty two inch vertical jump. That's some explosion. When you 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:34.400 can get a body that size off the ground thirty 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.680 two inches and that's that's impressive. So arms along on 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:41.119 doing the one arm punch that we talked about before 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:44.400 that Jim Turner is employing and pass protections. His arm 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:47.719 is looks like it's got seventy inches a length to it. 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.520 The way he throws that thing out there and Stymi's people, 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:53.200 so I can understand why they're going there. Any An, 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:55.159 He's smart, you know, it's not like it's too big 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:57.960 for him mentally, so I think they feel good about that. 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.560 And then Trey Hopkins at the center position, very intelligent himself. 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:05.239 You know, he's been referred to as a football savant. 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.680 You know, he understands why, not just what they're doing, 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.240 but why they're doing what they're doing and how to 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:13.840 do it the right way. And he's he's going to 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:16.720 be great in terms of making calls and communicating with 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.000 the young you know, rookie left tackle, not that Billy 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:23.000 Price couldn't Billy's you know, same thing. Very smart, understands 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:24.920 the game and all that goes along with it. But 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:27.960 just right now, whether it's due to Billy's you know, 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.920 plan of phyciis that he's battling in his foot, or 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:35.800 it's it's due to Trey hopkins excellence or consistency, I'll 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.480 put it that way, because like we said, Trey's never 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:42.000 gonna blow your way like oh man, he's overpowering, but 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:43.960 he's not going to screw it up either. So you 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:46.000 know what you're gonna get. He may be the most 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:49.640 consistent player that they've had in the organization for the 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.240 you know, snaps that he's been out there. His peaks 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:55.600 and valleys are not like, oh, what am I going 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:57.360 to get? I know exactly what I'm going to get 0:05:57.400 --> 0:05:59.960 from him, whereas with Michael, you know, it's like, ooh, 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:01.360 and what am I going to get? The good is 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:03.080 going to be very good, but the bad might not 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:07.000 be so great, obviously. So it's interesting that they get 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:10.920 the nod and it speaks volumes to a lot of 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.359 a lot of organizations, gives lip service to It's not 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:15.320 you know how you got here, it's what you do 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.680 once you get here. Here you have a fourth round 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:21.640 pick and a college free agent entering the NFL in 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:25.360 that manner, and they're both starting lineman in the National 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:28.960 Football League. So it sends a message. Sends a message 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.960 to not just those guys for being rewarded for their effort, 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:35.560 but their teammates that you know, if you're out here 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:39.440 thinking you've got a job and you're just taking it 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.280 for granted and you're rolling your helmet out on the 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:43.800 field of practice every day, you better pick it up, man, 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.040 because somebody's going to replace you, especially when the undrafted 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:49.200 guy is now starting in place of last year's first 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:51.720 round draft pick, no question about it. And you know, 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.840 it's if you have some guys that are are, you know, 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.880 kind of sitting back and cruising, and it's like, yeah, 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:02.080 I'm good, nobody's good. You got you gotta every day, 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:04.440 you gotta go out there and compete, compete for your job. 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.000 And the other side of that is, you know, Billy 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.600 Price and others, compete and get your job back. You know, 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:13.920 if the decision has been made right now that these 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.360 are the guys starting the Seattle game doesn't mean it's 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.960 it's locked and loaded for sixteen games. I'm not saying 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:22.440 it's casting Jello, but I'm not saying it's casting the 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.520 stone either, you know. I mean, it's I think it's like, 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:27.520 we're gonna go this way. We feel like they've earned it, 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:29.600 and over a long period of time of you know, 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:32.560 OTAs and mini camps and training camp and you know, 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.240 all those things, we feel like this is the way 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:39.679 we want to go. But I mean, there's no reason 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:41.720 to assume the fetal position and give up on the 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.120 fact that you couldn't have the job at some point 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:48.880 in time. And the thing is in this league with injury, 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.800 we talked about it many times. Every play one percent 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:55.120 injury risk to every single player. So you're doing yourself 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:57.000 and your team at disservice if you're not ready to 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:59.720 jump in there, whatever the case may be, if it's 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:03.440 due to injury or inconsistent or you know, not good 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.720 enough play. You get an opportunity, you better be ready 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:08.480 yourself to take advantage of an opportunity. You're doing a 0:08:08.520 --> 0:08:12.720 disservice to everybody across the board. So I like that 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:17.160 that message is being sent. Everybody work, everybody work to 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:19.440 the best of your ability to work, and then let 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:21.760 the chips fall as they may. But you know, don't 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:23.920 take anything for granted. Don't coast, don't put it in 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:28.559 cruise control. I've arrived. I'm the guy dangerous. They've already 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:31.960 set the precedent, They've shown what can happen. And I'm 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.120 not saying that that happened to those guys. But if 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.280 you're in that mindset and you think that that you 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:40.240 know that I'm I'm good boy in this game. Never 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.880 think you're good. Always realize there's somebody you know dying 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:48.480 to take your job, talking about taking advantage of an opportunity. 0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:53.600 Then there's Damian Willis, undrafted rookie wide receiver out of Troy, 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:55.760 typically the kind of guy that's going to play a 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:59.160 million snaps in the final preseason game, trying desperately to 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:02.200 make the roster, even the practice squad. Well again being 0:09:02.240 --> 0:09:04.920 totally frank. On Sunday, Zach Taylor comes out and says 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:07.800 he's going to get the final preseason game off. He's 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:10.320 made the team right now, he is the starting X 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:14.600 receiver in Week one in Seattle. And you know, all 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:18.720 he does is he's a perfect example of what we 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:21.760 were just talking about. Go out there, give your best effort. 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:27.280 Don't overthink it, you know, don't assume all these variables 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.360 and start talking yourself out of things or into things 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:33.720 or whatever. Just go out perform, know what you're doing, 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:35.520 how you're supposed to do it, and do it the 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:38.280 best your ability and let the chips fall as they may, 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:43.559 you know, unfortunately for the organization, but fortunately for him. 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:46.559 Aj Green got hurt forty five minutes into the first practice. 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:49.320 Aj Green will be the ex receiver if he wasn't injured, 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.720 but he's injured, so somebody has to feel that that 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:56.120 spot he went out and want it. God bless him. 0:09:56.280 --> 0:09:59.760 I mean, congratulations, that's one hell of a story and 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:02.480 you know, everybody should take a look at that. John 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.920 Ross basically hasn't taken us this Sunday as we're speaking 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:09.360 at this practice. It's the first practice that John Ross 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.560 is going to be involved in, so two theoretically, you know, 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:16.400 two starters haven't even participated. So that gave him an opening, 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.000 but he gave everybody else an opening too. And he's 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:21.199 the one that rose to the top. He said, I'm 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:23.079 going to be the cream. I'm gonna rise to the top. 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:25.840 And you know, you hear the other receivers talking about him, 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:27.960 like when we talk to John Ross today, Dan he said, 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.280 this guy can do everything. And speaking of Damian Willis, 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:36.120 speaking of Damian Willis that I can't believe that he's 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.160 this talented and there was no buzz about him, absolutely 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:41.520 no buzz about this this guy because he can do everything. 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.679 That's from a you know, a guy in his position 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:47.360 group that he's going to be competing against. You know 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:50.240 now that now that Ross is back in the practice field, 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:53.240 but he respects him. I mean he's like, wow, look 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:56.319 at this, guys and everybody respect him, including the coaches, 0:10:56.559 --> 0:10:59.160 and they made the decision he's not gonna play against 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.680 the Colts and he's gonna line up out there in 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:05.439 Seattle and get after the Seattle defense and that crowd 0:11:05.480 --> 0:11:07.920 noise and try to make some plays and help win 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:11.560 a football game. And that's just in conversation with him. 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:15.040 He played quarterback earlier in his career. He's played not 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:18.600 only quarterback with a QUE, cornerback with a C. So 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.600 that's a good pedigree as a quarterback. He knows, you know, 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:25.840 what he's trying to look at to decipher things. And 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:28.840 then on the flip side, having played corner he knows 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:30.800 techniques that are going to be employed against him. Now 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.959 that he's a receiver and he can see read things 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:36.839 and understand coverages, holes and coverages, he might be able 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:39.719 to take advantage of how he can beat techniques. What 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.199 guys did to him when he was playing cornerback that 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:44.920 gave him problems in terms of releases off the line, 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.240 scrunge and those kind of things. So the fact that 0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:51.600 he understands coverages because of the quarterback and cornerback play, 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:55.320 I think has helped him immensely in his transition too 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:58.760 wide receiver position. I said to you after Zach Taylor's 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:03.440 news conference, these where Patriots moves to me, where it's 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:07.920 all about the meritocracy. The most deserving guy gets the position. 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.319 And I'm going to give some credit to Mike Brown 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:14.440 and the Bengals upper management in giving Zach Taylor and 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:17.120 his coaching staff the total green light to say, hey, 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:20.280 you've got to coach these guys. You decide which guys 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:23.000 are most deserving of the playing time. Absolutely, And I 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:26.040 think I think that such a young head coach and 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:30.079 a young coaching staff, I think they feel like, you know, what, 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.240 if the young guy deserves it, let's play him. I think, 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.480 you know, Marvin, being a veteran coach with the vet 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:40.200 more veteran coaching staff, trusted veteran players, it's like, you know, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:42.160 I'm not sure. I remember, you know, when I first 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:43.680 came in the league, I didn't know this. I didn't 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:45.720 know what I didn't know. Now I know, and you know, 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:47.600 as a coach and I know players, I don't trust 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:51.640 rookie players. But this younger coaching staff seems to not 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:54.320 have as big an issue with that. And you know, 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:56.840 and that's a philosophy, that's a mindset. And I think 0:12:56.880 --> 0:13:00.800 that these young coaches adapt really well to coaching up 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:05.200 these young players, and there's a it's all about bonding 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:07.520 in relationships and trust and all those kind of things. 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.760 And I think that that, you know, the veteran coaching 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.280 staff didn't have the trust in the young players this 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.640 group does. This group feels like age isn't an issue. 0:13:16.720 --> 0:13:19.439 I mean, if you're showing me that you can handle it, 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:21.640 it's not too big for you. You're gonna play. I'm 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:25.240 gonna play you. So I think I think the combination 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:28.840 of these young guys coming to take advantage of opportunities 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.680 and being in the right mindset, the right approach, the 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:34.960 right philosophical approach how to handle it all, and coaches 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.600 that have the right mindset and philosophical approach to coaching 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:40.880 him to handle those things. I think that's been a 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.760 one plus one equals three synergistic type thing, you know, 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.280 getting those guys ready for the roles that they have 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:48.839 to play. A. J. Green was in the locker room 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:50.680 today for the first time in a while. He still 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.320 got the boot on his ankle. He has one of 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.520 those one legged scooters to get around and he didn't 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:59.400 feel like talking to reporters yet. But what's your best 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:01.800 guests at this point for what we're likely to see him? 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:05.480 I would I would hope, and I guess, you know, 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.840 hope's probably the key word. That it might be the 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.840 Pittsburgh game Week four, Week four, the Monday night game 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.880 and to September Monday Night in Pittsburgh, because you know 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:18.360 that's going to be a tough battle. And if you 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:22.720 can get a guy like AJ green Back for a 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:27.600 contest like that, that's literally getting a first round draft pick, 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:31.040 a future Hall of Famer, all these things to give 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:33.480 you a lift as you're getting ready for that game, 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:38.040 and an offensive playmaker that you know has has really 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.840 done good things against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think that 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:46.000 would be unbelievable. But if it's rushing it, you know, 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:49.840 I think I think week five that could possibly be 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:52.440 the the target p I think it's going to be 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.520 in that area week four or week five. So but 0:14:56.680 --> 0:15:00.720 Aj is a is a quick healer. I understanding he's 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:04.040 not feeling pain, which is a good sign. Not feeling 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:06.640 pain at this point in time, So you know that 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:10.240 he has always been ahead of ahead of the clock 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:13.040 in terms of his rehabilitation. I don't think this thing 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.560 will be any any different. And it is. It's like 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.840 he's such a such a genetic marvel and takes care 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:23.840 of himself so well that recovery is going to be 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:26.000 on the fast side. It's just the way he's built. 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:28.880 Let's talk about the wide receiver position. Going into this 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:32.640 final preseason game. There are now five locks, essentially A 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:38.080 j Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross, Alex Ericsson and now 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:43.200 Damian Willis. What about Odd and Tate, Cody Core, Josh 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:47.080 Mallow and maybe somebody else. Yeah, I mean it's how 0:15:47.080 --> 0:15:50.720 many you're gonna keep six? Seven? You know, you think 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:54.160 they're gonna keep six? Anyway? Will it be seven? And 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:59.200 at that point definitely number seven and potentially number six. 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.480 Then not only can be competing with the other receivers, 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:04.040 they're competing with all the other guys that are battling 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:06.760 for the last two or three roster spots. That's going 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.320 to be determined by special teams as well as what 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:11.680 you can do your position group in terms of snaps 0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:15.440 provided to the organization, to the football team. Cody Core 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.080 is probably the best special teams player of the group 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:21.120 add and Tate is limited because of his foot speed, 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:24.400 So I mean he'd have to do things that bigger 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:27.040 body guys do on special teams. He's kind of a 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:29.840 tween or special teams guy, not fast enough, but not 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:33.200 quite big enough because you know, I mean he has speed, 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:36.640 that's not he can't be a gunner, but you know, 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:39.520 is he big enough to handle some of the interior 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:41.560 things that are done on punt coverage and punt return 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:43.560 and those kind of things. So he's kind of finds 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:47.320 himself in a conundrum there. But his ability to make 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:51.200 contested catches, you know, translates to third down in red zone, 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:54.520 and those guys valuable. I mean, if you that's the money, 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:56.720 that's those are the money areas, third downs, the money 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.640 down red zones, the money zone and the football field. 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:02.400 If you have a guy that can make serious contributions 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:07.000 there like he can, it's it's it's a variable number 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:08.800 of snaps. How many times are you in the red zone? 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:10.800 You don't know, you're not gonna be guaranteed to be 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:12.600 in the red zone three or four times every game, 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.200 you hope you are. How many third down opportunities you're 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:16.639 gonna have you hope you have quite a few, and 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.600 there's snaps there for sure, But does that offset the 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:21.760 snaps of Cody core would give you on special teams 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.920 and maybe an emergency receiver due to injury and so 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:28.080 and then Malone. You know, Malone hasn't shown himself to 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:31.240 be a special teams guy. And he's got some raw 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:34.760 physical ability that's different than his speed is off the charts. 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:38.199 He's got size, he's got speed. He's been inconsistent with 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:41.280 the catch. You know, Cody Cored will go block, Auden 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:43.520 table go block. Malone has been a little bit more 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:46.240 dicey in that area in terms of black So all 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:49.600 of these things, you know, it's gonna be, it's gonna 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:51.840 be a tough decision. It's gonna be, you know, make 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.720 a list of pros and cons and when when you 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:57.720 weigh it out, how many snaps are these pros and 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:00.280 cons equate to? And those are the guys will probably 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:04.600 make those roster spots. The tough thing is for Darren Simmons, 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.800 there aren't as many snaps being provided to special teams 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:11.000 from the linebacker positions there are with other teams around 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:14.439 the league. So Roddy Anderson is going to be a 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.040 potentially big special teams performer. He was going to play 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:19.360 a lot more special teams you know, than he did 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:22.440 last Thursday night. But he got on such a role 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.199 in terms of catching, you know, run after catch. They 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:27.520 wanted to see a little bit more of that. So Darren, 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:30.320 I think, backed off on his special team snaps. It 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.400 could be the reverse against the Colts. He may play 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:36.000 less snaps offensively, but get a real test by Darren 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:38.720 Simmons to see if he can be a guy because 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:40.840 he's going to be the fourth running back, maybe even 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:44.720 you know, he'll be the fourth running back, but he's 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:46.159 gonna have to play a lot of special teams. I 0:18:46.240 --> 0:18:48.720 feel that fourth running back, So the fourth running back, 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:52.919 sixth wide receiver, deifth watchers. Where are these special team STAPs? 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:55.119 Who's fighting? That's what I mean. It's like they're not 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:58.040 just competing with their position group. They're competing with the 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:01.560 running back, They're competing with the the defensive back. They're 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:05.000 competing with you know, maybe a defensive lineman that can 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:07.760 like win, you know, whin's making the team and he's 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:10.280 taking some special team snaps, So you're competing with all 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.480 these guys for Darren Simmons, which is a big, big, 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:17.080 you know area. It's the all important third phase. Special 0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:19.640 teams wins and loses games for you, So all those 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:23.240 snaps are vitally important. If they wind up signing somebody 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:26.199 that gets released by another team, what position do you 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:30.560 think that guy will play? In my mind? Linebacker? You know, 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:34.240 I mean I could see on marriage and you know, 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:37.800 I'm not sure that you, you know, make the you 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:41.080 might make the roster close to this defensively, but there's 0:19:41.119 --> 0:19:44.040 eleven defensive lineman I'd like to have on my football team. 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:49.320 But you can't keep eleven or can't you eleven? Four linebackers? 0:19:49.560 --> 0:19:51.120 And you know you have to have more than four 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:55.000 and ten defensive backs. That's how I do the twenty five. 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:57.440 I'm going in a perfect world, twenty five offense, twenty 0:19:57.440 --> 0:20:00.160 five defense, and three special teams for my fifties three 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:03.640 man roster. Right now, if I'm going on merrit only 0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:08.560 most deserving, most deserving, eleven defensive linemen, four linebackers, ten 0:20:08.560 --> 0:20:13.240 defensive backs, now that'll that'll change. I'd have my I 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:16.240 know everybody would know that's not my final roster. You know, 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:20.320 I'd be I'm not all my linebackers obviously on the 0:20:20.359 --> 0:20:23.280 fifty three a man roster, honoring this current roster. Potentially 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:26.480 I'm gonna be looking for for for another one, maybe 0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:30.560 another two somewhere else. But and then make changes accordingly. 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.760 You know that keep ten defensive linemen, maybe nine defensive 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:36.359 backs or whatever, if you can find another linebacker or 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:39.280 two that you think that Darren Simmons feels good about, 0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:42.359 you know, as well as lou Anna Rumo, because you 0:20:42.480 --> 0:20:44.879 need to have somebody that can work with. Can he 0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:48.080 play defense for the way we play it, And does 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.480 Darren Simmons feel like he can play special teams? Get 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.280 some special team snaps? So yeah, I mean, I think 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:57.199 I think that linebacker position um is going to be 0:20:57.440 --> 0:21:00.240 is going to be the one because in my mind, 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:04.560 offensive line, no third tackles are going to be let 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:08.359 go anywhere. And maybe there a team is really loaded 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:10.919 and they have a fourth offensive tackle that is a 0:21:10.960 --> 0:21:14.399 good player, but they try to trade. I mean, everybody wants, 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:16.440 you know, if your number four is better than my 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:18.359 number three. There's probably a few teams in the league 0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:20.720 that that is the case with and they try to 0:21:20.720 --> 0:21:23.399 make some sort of a trade. So I'd say that 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:27.520 the linebacker position would probably be the one that they 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:30.280