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Speaker 1: What's up, everybody, and welcome to another edition with the

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Speaker 1: Falcons Final Whistle Podcast. I'm Scott bar here with Tory

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Speaker 1: mclady and Chris rim as always and drumroll please. NFL

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Speaker 1: Network senior reporter Falcons contributor Steve Weish is on the

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Speaker 1: podcast with us. Steve, thank you so much for joining us.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for having me on. This is fun. It's about time.

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Speaker 1: By the way, you know, my feelings been hurt. You

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Speaker 1: guys have been like neglecting me with this. I don't

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Speaker 1: want to do this for a minute, so thanks for

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Speaker 1: finally having me on, Scott. I also think it's important

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Speaker 1: to note that Steve Weisch is so committed to bringing

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Speaker 1: you awesome Falcon's content that he's up at six forty

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Speaker 1: five Pacific time early riser or no. He's looking polished,

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Speaker 1: looking fresh dressed, ready to talk sports. And I don't

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Speaker 1: think any of us we're up at six forty five

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Speaker 1: Eastern Nobody wants to hear that. There are a lot

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Speaker 1: of folks, there are a lot of folks who are

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Speaker 1: up at five o'clock working a lot harder than we are.

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Speaker 1: We have no time for that, so on the grind Man. Well,

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Speaker 1: but We're here to break down the Falcons eight player

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Speaker 1: draft class that was just completed over the course of

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Speaker 1: the weekend. Um They started at number eight with USC

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Speaker 1: wide receiver Drake London and included seven guys after that.

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Speaker 1: They addressed defense a lot. On Day two. They made

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Speaker 1: five picks in the first eighty two. Those are what

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Speaker 1: I would considered premium picks. They gave up a fourth

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Speaker 1: round draft pick to go up just a little bit

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Speaker 1: in the second round and draft Penn State edge rusher

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Speaker 1: Arnold Ebikiti. Sounds right good miracle, and then they flushed

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Speaker 1: it out with some defense. They got some Day three

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Speaker 1: picks I would say, highlighted by BYU running back tire Owl.

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Speaker 1: Thank goodness, we have at least one professional TV guy

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Speaker 1: in the group, Tyler Algier, A big bowling ball covered

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Speaker 1: in butcher knives is what I'd like to call him.

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Speaker 1: A very physical runner. And we're gonna break all that

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Speaker 1: down over the course of this Falcon's Final Whistle podcast.

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Speaker 1: But let's just start with overall impressions of this draft class.

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Speaker 1: How do you think general manager Terry Fontneau and head

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Speaker 1: coach Arthur Smith did over the course of this three

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Speaker 1: day stretch let's start with our guests, Steve Weish, what

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Speaker 1: were your overall impressions of what the Falcons were able

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Speaker 1: to do? Yeah, first of all, it was very tactical

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Speaker 1: and very focused. You know, look, they you can talk

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Speaker 1: best player of available you want, but they went to

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Speaker 1: areas of need which are pretty much everywhere. But the

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Speaker 1: fact they got two edge rushers, right, you got a

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Speaker 1: running back who's a very productive running that might be

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Speaker 1: my favorite pick of there, Tyler al Jilie hell a player.

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Speaker 1: You know, you get Drake lenn in the first round.

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Speaker 1: You had to give your quarterback a shot. And the

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Speaker 1: top three edge rushers were off the board already. So

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Speaker 1: the fact that they kind of stayed focused and didn't

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Speaker 1: get teased by maybe a greater talent who might not

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Speaker 1: fit for what they're trying to do scheme wise, playing

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Speaker 1: time wise, and possibly replacing a veteran who could be

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Speaker 1: off the roster next year. I think the fact that

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Speaker 1: they stuck to that again, they were very tactical, and

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, the draft pick of Troy Anderson

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Speaker 1: kind of shows that he was an inside linebackers. And

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Speaker 1: why did the inside linebacker Well, Dean Jones contract expires

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Speaker 1: after the year, I believe I think they could get

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Speaker 1: out of it. That could be the successor right there.

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Speaker 1: So I get very smart, very focused and so and

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Speaker 1: I think that's the big perception of that as well. Chris, So,

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Speaker 1: what were your overall thoughts on this one. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: thought they kind of knocked it out of the park.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I think I think they have one of

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Speaker 1: the best day twos in the league in terms of

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Speaker 1: snagging Arnold Eba Katie and then Desmond Ritter and then

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Speaker 1: DeAngelo later and Tyler Anderson, who I thought it was

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Speaker 1: my favorite guy after talking to him um that day

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Speaker 1: after the draft. He just seems like a dude who

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Speaker 1: loves football, a dude who hasn't scratched the surface of

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Speaker 1: what he can be at that position yet, somebody who

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Speaker 1: I think will grow a lot in the NFL. And Um,

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Speaker 1: I really liked the Desmond Rider pick. I think you

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Speaker 1: get great value at with him in the third round.

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Speaker 1: And it's it's low risk, high reward if it doesn't

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Speaker 1: If it doesn't pan out, you can always move forward.

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Speaker 1: It's not something that you know you're stuck at. I

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Speaker 1: think there so, I thought I thought they though they

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Speaker 1: did a really good job. And I think after day one,

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Speaker 1: I think some people, I think especially some of the

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Speaker 1: reactions that they got with with the pick, I think

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Speaker 1: people were worried. But I feel like after day two

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Speaker 1: everyone felt a lot better about what this class look like.

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Speaker 1: When you go and get two edge rushers, a quarterback,

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Speaker 1: and an inside linebacker. Um with the skills that Anderson has, Tori,

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Speaker 1: what do you got? I thought it was really interesting

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Speaker 1: because as good as I think this collective group is,

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Speaker 1: it looks very different than what I originally thought Terry

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Speaker 1: Fono and Arthur Smith are going to go after. I

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Speaker 1: thought that they're going to put more emphasis on interior

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Speaker 1: linemen and also interior on both sides of the ball

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Speaker 1: line of scrimmage inside talking about guards and centers and

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Speaker 1: then also defensive tackles. I thought they were going to

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Speaker 1: put more emphasis on inside. But I read something I

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Speaker 1: guess it was yesterday or the day before where it

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Speaker 1: was like they went outside in, not inside out. And

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Speaker 1: I thought that was very well put because they did

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Speaker 1: go after these skill positions of need. They went after

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Speaker 1: wide receivers, they went after EDG dreshers, went after a quarterback.

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Speaker 1: I mean, these are all positions that don't necessarily technically

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Speaker 1: help the interior of your offensive and defensive lines, but

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Speaker 1: maybe in the long run. D and So I do

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Speaker 1: think that that was something that was really really interesting

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Speaker 1: when you're kind of looking at where we thought the

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Speaker 1: Falcons were gonna go versus where they actually went. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I really look back at it, and I think that

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Speaker 1: they were so much of it was about helping the

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Speaker 1: twenty two product a little bit, but but really trying

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Speaker 1: to keep their eye on the big picture, which is

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Speaker 1: important during this draft. I like that they went out

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Speaker 1: and got a bunch of dudes, a bunch of tough guys,

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Speaker 1: and a bunch of guys that were supremely motivated and

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Speaker 1: to kind of prove it. Right that you go out

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Speaker 1: and you get guys on prove it deals and f

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Speaker 1: agency because you have to because they can't afford, you know,

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Speaker 1: to give out longer term contracts. But then they go

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Speaker 1: out and get guys with a similar attitude, you know,

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Speaker 1: I thought, I thought that was really cool as well.

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Speaker 1: And we're going to break all this thing down further

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Speaker 1: where you're going to get into greater depth about the

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Speaker 1: Drake London pick and the strategy behind it. We're going

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Speaker 1: to go into probably the third round pick with the

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Speaker 1: most eyeballs on him throughout the entire league. That's Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: quarterback Desmond Ritter, who the Falcons got at number seventy four.

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Speaker 1: Where you're going to take a closer look at their

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Speaker 1: pass rouss, not only who they got, but who they

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Speaker 1: already have. And then of course we're gonna go kind

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Speaker 1: of big picture macro and look at the Falcons from

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Speaker 1: from thirty thousand feet and really try to get Steve's

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Speaker 1: opinion on how the rest of the league is looking

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Speaker 1: at the Falcons and they're kind of a reclamation project.

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Speaker 1: But before we get to all that, a big thank

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Speaker 1: you to our sponsor, Microsoft, Windows eleven, the official operating

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Speaker 1: system of the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons. The all

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Speaker 1: new Windows eleven is here to bring you closer to

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Speaker 1: what you love, like the Falcons Final Whistle Podcast. Learn

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Speaker 1: all about the awesome new features of Windows eleven at

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Speaker 1: Windows dot com. So, as we were just saying we're

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Speaker 1: gonna get into this number eight overall selection, it's USC

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Speaker 1: wide receiver Drake London and Steve. As you watched the

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Speaker 1: draft play out right, you would kind of mention that

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Speaker 1: the top three edge rushers that's Aiden Hutchinson, Cavon Thibadeau

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Speaker 1: and Trayvon Walker were off the board. We saw a

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Speaker 1: mini run of offensive tackles with with with ecky he Juana.

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Speaker 1: One of these days, I'm gonna get one of these pronunciations,

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Speaker 1: right and Evan Neil easier to say off the board

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Speaker 1: at six and seven when the Falcons are on the clock.

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Speaker 1: Kind of what were your thoughts and what were your

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Speaker 1: initial reactions to the pit given who was off the

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Speaker 1: board and who is left on the board. Well, don't

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Speaker 1: forget the run on corners. You know you had you know,

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Speaker 1: Stingley and Gardner off at three and four, and that

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Speaker 1: was another position that they were looking at. So when

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Speaker 1: you look at their board and how they rated him,

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Speaker 1: the guys that were the next ra highest rated guy

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Speaker 1: was a wide receiver, and you know, you look, you

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Speaker 1: look at some of the other wide receivers out there.

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Speaker 1: So with a big home run hitters Garrett Wilson, Chris Lave,

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Speaker 1: you know, Jamison Williams like, well, you know there's there's

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Speaker 1: the game breaker you want. We know Arthur Smith likes

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Speaker 1: wide receiver, big wide receivers, right, So Drake London fits

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Speaker 1: the mold. He's not the fastest of that group. He's

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Speaker 1: fast enough. I mean, I live in LA I saw

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Speaker 1: plenty of him, you know, breaking long runs and big

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Speaker 1: plays at USC. But he can play inside, he can

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Speaker 1: play outside. He's good in the run game. Let's not

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Speaker 1: forget that wide receivers in this offense have got to

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Speaker 1: blow and oftentimes a big wide receiver like Dake London's

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Speaker 1: gonna be matched up on a safety who's kind of

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Speaker 1: equal size or something comparable. So that's why they helped.

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Speaker 1: They probably won't with Drake London. Plus, look, you've got

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks coming in. You get a bigger target for a

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Speaker 1: quarterback pairing with Kyle Pitts. That gives you some options, right,

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Speaker 1: And so they got to autom take another big wide receiver.

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Speaker 1: They still don't have great speed at wide receiver. That's

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Speaker 1: something they really wanted to address throughout the team, and

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Speaker 1: for the most part in the draft they did. But

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Speaker 1: when I saw it, I was like, oh, that's interesting

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Speaker 1: because the Tori's point, I thought they were trying to

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Speaker 1: build a little more inside out. They went with a

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Speaker 1: guy who was highest rated on their board that was

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Speaker 1: a wide receiver, a need position, and he's a really

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Speaker 1: good player. Again, a big guy, faster than you think,

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Speaker 1: and could snatch anything that's stone in his area code.

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Speaker 1: I was interested in how far Florida State and former

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Speaker 1: Georgia Bulldog addresser Jermaine Johnson fell Steve. It seem maybe

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Speaker 1: that the Falcons might have some interest in a player

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Speaker 1: like that. He seemed like a scheme fit. What have

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Speaker 1: you heard about not only why he didn't go that high,

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Speaker 1: but why he tumbled all the way to a twenty

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Speaker 1: five or twenty six. Yeah, and again I don't have

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Speaker 1: it a great authority. Some people said some of his interviews,

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Speaker 1: they just they weren't great. I mean, that's something clearly

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Speaker 1: it alerted a lot of teams. Now we know all

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Speaker 1: thirty two teams did not pick in the first round,

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Speaker 1: so many teams did have a first round pick to

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Speaker 1: the second round, but a lot of teams passed on him.

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Speaker 1: It's still really good talent, so you got to take

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Speaker 1: a little deeper, and some of the things that happened

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Speaker 1: right there, the Jets end up come and get him

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Speaker 1: an incredible value pick at twenty six. But I just

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Speaker 1: think when it came to their board that he just

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Speaker 1: did not rate is highly. Is Drake London and some

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Speaker 1: other players that they went with. And again that's what

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Speaker 1: I talk about. Their draft was focused. That's attempting to

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Speaker 1: apple to bite, right that Jermaine Johnson, Edge Russ tempting

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Speaker 1: apple to bite. But then they know they had Arnold

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Speaker 1: Keyte possibly sitting right there for them in the second

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Speaker 1: round at a better value. But they knew they had

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Speaker 1: to come up and get this is someone who was

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Speaker 1: going to go in the high second round. So they

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Speaker 1: got about a better value and then someone who they

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Speaker 1: figured could fit their scheme equally, if not better than

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Speaker 1: what they were trying to do with Jermaine Johnson. So

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Speaker 1: when you look at scheme fit, Chris Um, what do

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Speaker 1: you think about Drakelin and kind of kind of stepping

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Speaker 1: in and what were your impressions You actually had a

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Speaker 1: chance to speak with him one on one and kind

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Speaker 1: of get a chance to to know his family on

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Speaker 1: Friday afternoon, what what were your big takeaways from that

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Speaker 1: and how do you think he's going to fit into

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Speaker 1: this offense? Well, I think my biggest take great from

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Speaker 1: the first time I talked to him is that maybe

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Speaker 1: they should cool off the media for the first round

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Speaker 1: draft picks, because by the time he got to me,

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Speaker 1: he was I think he was done, weren't out, And

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Speaker 1: the next the next day I talked to him, he

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Speaker 1: kind of told me that, like, yeah, I was, I was,

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Speaker 1: so I just wanted to be with my family and

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Speaker 1: there was just a lot of media going on, and

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Speaker 1: he seemed like a really nice, nice guy, good family,

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Speaker 1: good family who you know, was focused on letting him

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Speaker 1: be whatever he wanted to be growing up. You know,

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Speaker 1: didn't push any sport on him, which was clear because

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Speaker 1: he played basketball all the way up until twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: when it just became too hard with COVID to do

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Speaker 1: two sports. But overall, I think with the like for

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Speaker 1: all the things that Steve mentioned, he obviously fits his scheme.

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Speaker 1: But I think, yes, like like we just talked about,

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Speaker 1: I thought that, you know, based off everything that we

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Speaker 1: were hearing, based off the amount of roundups, you know,

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Speaker 1: mind drives that we looked at. We I think we

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Speaker 1: all kind of thought Jermaine Johnson was was going to

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Speaker 1: go high. Thought he might even go before the Falcons pick,

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Speaker 1: maybe even the Falcons had him rated higher on their board.

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Speaker 1: But they did it and clearly, you know, many teams didn't.

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Speaker 1: And I think what I think I understood more about

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Speaker 1: the pick later on was that it was it was

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Speaker 1: less about you know, Drake versus the other rode receivers,

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Speaker 1: wide receivers versus, like Drake was the highest player on

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Speaker 1: their board at a time. And also, you know there's

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Speaker 1: different flavors for rod receivers where you go speed or

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Speaker 1: height or physicality, and Drake definitely fits Arthur Smith's flavor

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Speaker 1: in terms of the guy that he's looking for. So

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Speaker 1: I think when you look at the pick, it makes

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Speaker 1: a lot a lot of sense looking back at it,

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Speaker 1: but I think when it happened there was a little

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Speaker 1: bit of surprise. I think, yeah, if you go back

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Speaker 1: to as I was watching the draft in real time,

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Speaker 1: you would have thought that if somehow sauced lands at eight,

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Speaker 1: that's but he was never gonna land it at eight.

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Speaker 1: But if he lands at eight, that's the pick I

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Speaker 1: think came on. Thibodeau may have been a difficult guy

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Speaker 1: to pass up on, but ultimately, as the you know,

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Speaker 1: as those three edge rushers went off in the top five,

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Speaker 1: I think all like all three of us that were

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Speaker 1: sitting in very close proximity on draft night really kind

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Speaker 1: of huddled up and thought, Okay, it's starting to line

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Speaker 1: up towards towards that white out with the Johnson as

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Speaker 1: the X factor. Ultimately, Drake London is the guy, and

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Speaker 1: we actually had an opportunity to talk to some of

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Speaker 1: the regional scouts who took a look at Drake. What

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Speaker 1: were your impressions, you know, did you feel or like,

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Speaker 1: what kind of impressions did you get about about kind

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Speaker 1: of what they thought about Drake and when Drake was

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Speaker 1: kind of on their radar tory, Yeah, I think it

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Speaker 1: was really interesting. I mean, there's a lot of things

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Speaker 1: that that I've already been said that I feel like

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Speaker 1: I could go down a rabbit hole and kind of

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Speaker 1: each of it. But when I was talking to Joel Collier,

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Speaker 1: who is the area scout who essentially was the point

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Speaker 1: of contact for the Falcons organization with Drake London, he

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Speaker 1: said everything that everybody else has already said, you know,

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Speaker 1: using the word scheme fit, using the word build and fit.

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Speaker 1: I mean that word fit I think goes a very

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Speaker 1: very long way. Because when I was doing the draft

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Speaker 1: grades of the overall league media the night after the

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Speaker 1: first round, everybody was like, how could you go with

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Speaker 1: Drake London when Garrett Wilson and Jamison Williams are still

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Speaker 1: on the board, and everyone was saying that. Everyone was

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Speaker 1: saying like, it's it's why why pick Drake when you

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Speaker 1: have the other ones? And the reason is is because

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Speaker 1: the Falcons didn't want the other ones. They didn't see

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Speaker 1: them fitting the way that Drake London would in what

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Speaker 1: Arthur Smith wants this offense to be. That is the

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Speaker 1: key here, and I think that's oftentimes misconstrued when everything's

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Speaker 1: happening around the first night of the draft and even

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Speaker 1: talking to the area scouts, talking to the position position

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Speaker 1: coaches t J. Yates, I mean they said that over

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Speaker 1: and over. It was like, this is the guy that

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Speaker 1: we wanted because we think that he works in this

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Speaker 1: system best. And I think we have to remember that

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Speaker 1: when we're when we're talking about this pick and what

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Speaker 1: it means for the Falcons, not just in twenty twenty two,

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Speaker 1: but moving forward to Yeah, as they pair him with

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Speaker 1: tight end Kyle Pitts, it's gonna be interesting. I don't

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Speaker 1: think that Arthur Smith loved the self proclaimed Twin Towers nickname.

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Speaker 1: I think he just said, that's going to be more

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Speaker 1: AMMO for the meeting room, and they're always looking for

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Speaker 1: new ways to dig him. Mean, he actually did that

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Speaker 1: right before the first press conference, he let that twin

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Speaker 1: towers thing. I don't think that's gonna last. But nonetheless,

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Speaker 1: as we move on here, let's let's skip the second

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Speaker 1: round for just a little bit. Talk about the fact

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Speaker 1: that as we saw the first round develop, that that

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Speaker 1: that that quarterback run never materialized. It was Kenny Pickett

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Speaker 1: at twenty and that was it for a very long time,

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Speaker 1: and some of the guys in the green room never

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Speaker 1: got picked. I'm thinking of Atlanta native and Liberty quarterback

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Speaker 1: Malik Willis was still on the board late, and really

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Speaker 1: the quarterback run never started until the Falcons chose the

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Speaker 1: second quarterback taken at number seventy or Steve. I don't

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Speaker 1: know if you can remember a time when there was

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Speaker 1: that much of a quarterback gap. There's only been a

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Speaker 1: handful of times in the last ten years or so

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Speaker 1: when you've seen so few quarterbacks go. But to go

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Speaker 1: all the way to seventy four and then they get

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Speaker 1: a Cincinnati quarterback, Desmond Ritter, it's weird because if he

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Speaker 1: were to get drafted at eight, you'd have a much

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Speaker 1: or even at a thirty eight or at fifty eight.

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Speaker 1: But but getting him at seventy four his talent level.

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Speaker 1: They sent I don't know the entire organization to Cincinnati's

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Speaker 1: Pro Day to check out Gardner, but to also check

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Speaker 1: out to check out their their their signal callers. So

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Speaker 1: Desmond Ritter at seventy four, give me the kind of

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Speaker 1: big picture look at that selection, how he fits, when,

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Speaker 1: what and kind of like what your overall thoughts were

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Speaker 1: about this guy at that spot. Well, look, I mean

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Speaker 1: great value scheme. Yeah, right, he almost has the same

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Speaker 1: physical aspect as Marcus Mariota, the starter for the fastest

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Speaker 1: forty of all the quarterbacks you know at the combine.

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Speaker 1: So part of this, and this is speaking people in

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Speaker 1: the organization, is now they got Mariota, they've got Desmond Ritter,

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Speaker 1: and I wrote about this on the column. Now they've

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Speaker 1: got people who can move the pocket. Right now, they've

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Speaker 1: got quarterbacks you can scramble, bootleg, run game, all kinds

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Speaker 1: of things. Now that they can do stuff to protect

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Speaker 1: the offensive line, which wasn't addressed until the sixth round.

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Speaker 1: Right now they're not as much of a static offense.

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Speaker 1: So what Ritter does. He comes in one, he's a winner.

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Speaker 1: I mean you look at what he did, what Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: did last year. It's fairly accurate completion percentage. That's gonna

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Speaker 1: be huge. Yeah, you've got the twin towers that they're

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Speaker 1: not going to call them. But you know this is

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Speaker 1: this is the NFL. You gotta have some people. You

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Speaker 1: gotta put the ball, you know where it has to

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Speaker 1: be in these tight windows. But this is open competition.

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Speaker 1: Marcus Mariota told me, hey has not been promised anything

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Speaker 1: the Desna. Ritter has a chance to come in and

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Speaker 1: win this job, and if not, he has the chance

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Speaker 1: to learn from one of the most quality individuals in

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Speaker 1: the NFL. I mean, Marcus Mariota will teach him to

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Speaker 1: eventually take his job, which is a crazy thing because

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Speaker 1: most veterans don't do that. But Marcus, as much as

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Speaker 1: he wants to resurrect his career, is just that type

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Speaker 1: of human being. So again, this fits the character that

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Speaker 1: Tory talked about earlier of the draft class. I mean,

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Speaker 1: these are people who are hungry and they're coming into

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Speaker 1: a culture where a lot of people know they're not

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Speaker 1: going to be here for a while, or you know,

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Speaker 1: so let's help out. So again, Devin Ritter, I'm not

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Speaker 1: going to expect anything out of him this year other

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Speaker 1: than to compete. I think he will see the field

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Speaker 1: at some point. But a solid pick. And you know,

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Speaker 1: you talk about the quarterback sliding into the third round.

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Speaker 1: Once you got to do the first round and you

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Speaker 1: saw all the running backs and all these other positions

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Speaker 1: still on the board and all these offensive linemen and

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Speaker 1: edge guys, you knew that these quarterbacks were going to

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Speaker 1: continue to drop and get an incredible value, which started

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Speaker 1: the run on quarterbacks there in the third. Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: they're going to have a close eye on this quarterback,

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Speaker 1: whether he Steve, Steve whoever. Do you feel like he

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Speaker 1: needs to play at some point during the twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: two drafts or over the course of this season. Do

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Speaker 1: you feel like he needs to play so they know

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Speaker 1: who they have going in going into the next draft.

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Speaker 1: Is it something that they're gonna have to find a

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Speaker 1: way to get him in there. I don't know thoughts

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Speaker 1: on that, don't. I don't think he I don't think

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Speaker 1: he needs to play. I think if if he wins

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Speaker 1: a job, or if obviously if they see an opportunity

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Speaker 1: for him to play, if if Mariota is struggling or

397
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Speaker 1: something of that sort of happens. But I think oftentimes

398
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Speaker 1: the best scenarios for first year quarterbacks is that time

399
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Speaker 1: to learn. If if it's a full year, if it's

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Speaker 1: a few games, if it's a lot of games. I'm

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Speaker 1: giving him that time to learn. Again, they chose him

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Speaker 1: with the third round pick, so are they invested in

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Speaker 1: how long are they going to be invested in him?

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Speaker 1: Are they still looking next year? Again? We have to

405
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Speaker 1: think about that. So yeah, I don't think he needs

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Speaker 1: needs to play next year necessarily. I think it would

407
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Speaker 1: be good for him to play. But I don't get

408
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Speaker 1: the impression that Arthur Smiths and Terrified No feel rushed

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Speaker 1: like they need to get him on the field. I

410
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Speaker 1: think they like what they have him in Mariota, and

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Speaker 1: I don't think I don't think they feel the need

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Speaker 1: to get him on the field right away. At some

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Speaker 1: point you have to find out how how he plays

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Speaker 1: in the game, dude, because the big point, like you said,

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Speaker 1: is are they gonna get back in the quarterback market

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Speaker 1: next year? You know that that is the big issue

417
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Speaker 1: They're going to have the money, there's gonna be some

418
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Speaker 1: other guys that can draft. Maybe some of these other

419
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Speaker 1: quarterbacks become available in free agency. They have to figure

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Speaker 1: out if he can play. Guys can look terrible in

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Speaker 1: practice and you can make man he's not ready, and

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Speaker 1: then all of a sudden he gets in the game

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Speaker 1: and it's something different or vice versa. But I think

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Speaker 1: towards the back end of the season, depending on how

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Speaker 1: Mariota is playing and how the season is going, you

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Speaker 1: know they're gonna know. They're gonna know within a couple

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Speaker 1: of months. And again, listen to this part, not on

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Speaker 1: how much he can play, but how his teammates respond

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Speaker 1: to him. Right if your teammates are like, this is

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Speaker 1: the guy, but you're not playing him because maybe he

431
00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,320
Speaker 1: can't read a certain defense, at some point you have

432
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,880
Speaker 1: to give the guy an opportunity just to go out

433
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,040
Speaker 1: there and see see if he can do it. I mean,

434
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,720
Speaker 1: I think it all depends on how the season goes.

435
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,600
Speaker 1: But not right away, Torry, what do you think, ye

436
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,320
Speaker 1: just about how he's going to kind of step in here.

437
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,159
Speaker 1: He's a big athletic guy. I love the fact that

438
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,720
Speaker 1: he's won more than forty games. I just think that

439
00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,480
Speaker 1: that says something he seems scared of nothing, which I

440
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,000
Speaker 1: think is good. Never lost a home game either, I'm

441
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,359
Speaker 1: pretty sure. Yeah, I don't think he's ever lost a

442
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,320
Speaker 1: home game. Which when I was talking to people in

443
00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,800
Speaker 1: the building, that was something that kept coming up, is like,

444
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:38,320
Speaker 1: you want someone in the locker room that is that

445
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,399
Speaker 1: has that mentality of a winner like that. Sorry excuse me,

446
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,840
Speaker 1: but that's like what it was like. Everybody kept bringing

447
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,320
Speaker 1: up his record at Cincinnati. And something that I do

448
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,320
Speaker 1: think is interesting is like when we're looking ahead, even

449
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,720
Speaker 1: I know everybody saw this, but when Desmon Ritter is

450
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,400
Speaker 1: legit talking about how Marcus Mariota is the guy who

451
00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,639
Speaker 1: he models his game after and someone he's looked up

452
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,880
Speaker 1: to and someone who he really wants to learn from,

453
00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,560
Speaker 1: and the fact that it couldn't have been better that

454
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,000
Speaker 1: Marcus Mariot is in that room with him, I think

455
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:14,800
Speaker 1: that is very very interesting to hear somebody like a

456
00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,960
Speaker 1: Desmond Ritter say that. And so I do think it's

457
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,359
Speaker 1: going to be I'm looking forward to this year. I

458
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,440
Speaker 1: do think that it's gonna be Marcus, like right off

459
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,840
Speaker 1: the bat, just from kind of like what Arthur was

460
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:29,520
Speaker 1: saying in his post draft press conference after Desmond was taken,

461
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,639
Speaker 1: he was like, you know, Marcus is our guy and

462
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,520
Speaker 1: he's the veteran. I think that was Arthur. I don't,

463
00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,320
Speaker 1: I'm not. I feel like I'm not putting words in

464
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:39,480
Speaker 1: his mouth, but it almost felt like it was Arthur

465
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,480
Speaker 1: kind of being like, let's pump the brakes on the

466
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,000
Speaker 1: Desmond starting day one, talk like we still have Marcus

467
00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,919
Speaker 1: in here. So it's gonna be It's gonna be interesting

468
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,160
Speaker 1: and I'm looking forward to and then also thinking about

469
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,359
Speaker 1: the future. Are the Falcon's going to be in the

470
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,399
Speaker 1: market to take a quarterback next draft? Are they going

471
00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 1: to be in the position too? Are they going to

472
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 1: be able to hit the trade market and look for

473
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,359
Speaker 1: somebody in that regard? I think that's going to be

474
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,760
Speaker 1: interesting too. How can you package different players for potentially

475
00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,639
Speaker 1: trading for a quarterback next year? I y'all know I

476
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:17,040
Speaker 1: was team don't take a quarterback this draft too, and

477
00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,960
Speaker 1: I was very anti taking a quarterback this year. And

478
00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,240
Speaker 1: so now that it's now that it's happened, I don't

479
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,679
Speaker 1: want people to be like, oh, Tori's already packaging Desmond

480
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,879
Speaker 1: ritterd to whoever so that they can the Falcons can

481
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,760
Speaker 1: get a veteran quarterback in there. That's not what I'm saying.

482
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:34,760
Speaker 1: I'm just saying that's a possibility, and I think it

483
00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,960
Speaker 1: would be interesting and real and real quick, real quick, tory.

484
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,320
Speaker 1: I mean, that's a great point, Desmond. Ritter could be

485
00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,720
Speaker 1: a trade asset. It's crazy as it sounds, because you know,

486
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,560
Speaker 1: we're gonna think about, oh, after all the trades this

487
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,639
Speaker 1: year betting quarterbacks, it's not going to happen. Tama Bay

488
00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:50,520
Speaker 1: could be in the market for quarterback next year. Green

489
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,639
Speaker 1: Bay could be in the market for quarterback next year. Houston,

490
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 1: there are so many team Washington, almost all of the

491
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,560
Speaker 1: teams Philadelphia that we're in the market for quarterbacks this

492
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,760
Speaker 1: year could be back in the market for quarterbacks next year.

493
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,600
Speaker 1: So the hope is either markets or desment pans out

494
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,120
Speaker 1: because if the Falcons are back in the quarterback market,

495
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,920
Speaker 1: they are going to have stiff competition, whether it's in

496
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,520
Speaker 1: the draft or whether it's for some of these veteran quarterbacks.

497
00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,560
Speaker 1: So I like how you're thinking territories possibly ritter being

498
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,199
Speaker 1: a nice trade asset to do something. It's absolutely wacky

499
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,080
Speaker 1: because sometimes you try to get these podcasts outlined. You

500
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:25,840
Speaker 1: know what you're going to talk about, you lay it

501
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:27,879
Speaker 1: out at the top, and then you start recording it,

502
00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,600
Speaker 1: and then your phone explodes because, according to NFL Networks,

503
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,359
Speaker 1: get a rappaport. The Falcons have agreed on an extension

504
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,719
Speaker 1: with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, giving him a three year

505
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 1: deal with up the fifty one million dollars. I'm just

506
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,840
Speaker 1: reading his tweet. By the way, Jarrett cashes in again,

507
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,200
Speaker 1: ATL gets a lowered cap number in twenty twenty two.

508
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,000
Speaker 1: We can't just ignore it. That's not that can't be

509
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,000
Speaker 1: a thing when it breaks. We got Steve Weiss right here.

510
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 1: We have had no chance to really process. I'm sure

511
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,359
Speaker 1: everybody else's phone was doing the exact same thing. Okay,

512
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:05,240
Speaker 1: instant reaction, Steve Grady. I mean they're surprised. I mean,

513
00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 1: I know it took took a little ball longer, but

514
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,359
Speaker 1: they wanted to do this, you know, they're hoping to

515
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,040
Speaker 1: do this earlier so they could get their cap, you know,

516
00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:13,879
Speaker 1: in a little bit better situation. But then once they

517
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,560
Speaker 1: traded Matt Ryan, there was no way it was gonna

518
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,359
Speaker 1: be in a better situation with the dead cap hit.

519
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,119
Speaker 1: So this lower stings a little bit. It gives them

520
00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,680
Speaker 1: some flexibility in the post draft free agent market because

521
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,240
Speaker 1: there are going to be some veterans released or it's

522
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,520
Speaker 1: going to be some movement. But they get more importantly,

523
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:29,760
Speaker 1: they get a player that they like. I mean, they

524
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 1: really like Grady for his on and off the field stuff.

525
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,320
Speaker 1: He's someone who's committed to this organization. So no surprises

526
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,600
Speaker 1: right there. This is this is a nice savvy move.

527
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,399
Speaker 1: Tori said, you thought they're going to be address the

528
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,680
Speaker 1: defensive interior maybe a little bit more. Well, this is

529
00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,159
Speaker 1: one of the anchors um of that defensive interior, and

530
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,000
Speaker 1: they're hoping that some of those guys that they drafted

531
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:50,440
Speaker 1: last year inside can continue to develop as well. And

532
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,400
Speaker 1: Marlon Davidson as well, who's been here for a couple

533
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,720
Speaker 1: of years. Being able to have a guy like that,

534
00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,359
Speaker 1: a veteran locker room leader, a guy who hosts film

535
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:04,399
Speaker 1: sessions during during the regular season, coaches up a lot

536
00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:08,240
Speaker 1: of these younger players. Excuse me, on a defense that's

537
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,800
Speaker 1: transforming that that that we're seeing new younger edge rushers

538
00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:17,800
Speaker 1: come in. We've seen a younger turn in terms of

539
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,680
Speaker 1: the secondary. Having Grady Jarrett there for whoever wants to

540
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,760
Speaker 1: address this. Having him committed to the team for a

541
00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,920
Speaker 1: longer term. Uh, that really has to help this group

542
00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,600
Speaker 1: that is getting a lot younger. But but you've got

543
00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,639
Speaker 1: that captain right there in the middle. I think this

544
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,119
Speaker 1: is a big signing. Yeah, I think also too. There

545
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,960
Speaker 1: are some questions about Grady's future. He hasn't been at

546
00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 1: OTAs and AMJ was asked on the first day of

547
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,200
Speaker 1: Otier's about being like kind of like the oldest guy there.

548
00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,800
Speaker 1: He started laughing, like, I can't even believe that you

549
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,240
Speaker 1: just said that that I'm the oldest guy here right now.

550
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,000
Speaker 1: So it's good to kind of not have those questions

551
00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,520
Speaker 1: in the locker room about whether guy's here or if

552
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,120
Speaker 1: he's he's going to be here long term and get

553
00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,000
Speaker 1: a guy who's one of the best days positions in

554
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,880
Speaker 1: the league on your defense, Um, you know, you can't

555
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:12,159
Speaker 1: can't ask for more than that. I guess, Sorry, what

556
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,720
Speaker 1: do you think? Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I wish

557
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:17,359
Speaker 1: I could say that I've been listening to y'all over

558
00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,240
Speaker 1: the last like two minutes, but my phone is like

559
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,359
Speaker 1: blowing up with all these people asking about Grady and

560
00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:24,840
Speaker 1: wanting me to do like radio and stuff, and I'm

561
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,480
Speaker 1: like all over the map. But just if y'all said this,

562
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,879
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, but I do think that this is really

563
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,280
Speaker 1: good news for the Falcons, and I as someone who

564
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,280
Speaker 1: I've very much enjoyed watching Grady Jarrett over the last

565
00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:42,400
Speaker 1: few years especially, but this past year was really really something.

566
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,160
Speaker 1: And I think it just this past year for Grady

567
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,600
Speaker 1: Jarrett fly so under the radar because of the lack

568
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,760
Speaker 1: of production. But if you turn on the tape at

569
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,000
Speaker 1: any point in time in any game, you have Grady

570
00:28:54,080 --> 00:29:00,160
Speaker 1: Jarrett going up against three offensive linemen. Yeah, yeah, and

571
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,160
Speaker 1: that is that's a sign of respect. First of all,

572
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,880
Speaker 1: I mean, talking to offensive coordinators across the league who

573
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,960
Speaker 1: have to go up against Grady Chair, They're like, you

574
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:10,920
Speaker 1: have to know where he is at all times. If

575
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 1: you don't, I mean, you're screwed essentially. And so the

576
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:17,560
Speaker 1: fact that this is a guy who garners that much

577
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,960
Speaker 1: respect across the league and you're getting him to come

578
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:25,040
Speaker 1: back on a multi year deal, multi year extension, I

579
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 1: think is really really important for I don't know just

580
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,440
Speaker 1: how competitive you can be in twenty twenty four that

581
00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,640
Speaker 1: I'm thinking about the future here, and so it's I

582
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:38,920
Speaker 1: think it's really good news for the Falcons. Now what

583
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,320
Speaker 1: they have to do. You have your guy back, get

584
00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,840
Speaker 1: him some freaking help, I mean, and that's that was

585
00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:46,840
Speaker 1: the start of the draft. I mean, when you go

586
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,120
Speaker 1: out and you get a couple of edge rushers in

587
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,600
Speaker 1: the draft and making sure hopefully you can get Marlon

588
00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,320
Speaker 1: Davidson on track and the way that you want him

589
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,479
Speaker 1: to go. And so get Grady Jats some help. You've

590
00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,240
Speaker 1: got him in the building for another four years, so

591
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,680
Speaker 1: let's see what you can do. You got four years

592
00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 1: with him, go and get him some guys and develop him,

593
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,560
Speaker 1: some guys around him who can take some of that

594
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,280
Speaker 1: pressure off of him. That's got real quick, It's got

595
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 1: REALI give Grady to give Grady credit because they weren't

596
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,920
Speaker 1: sure when they when Arthur Smith and his staff took

597
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 1: over last year that he was going to fit their scheme. Yeah,

598
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:22,960
Speaker 1: I mean, it was very much of a wait and

599
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,560
Speaker 1: see year for him before they did anything with that contract,

600
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,200
Speaker 1: and he played his tail. Office story just said, so

601
00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:32,400
Speaker 1: give him a lot of credit for adjusting, taking one

602
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,000
Speaker 1: for the team, so to speak, fighting those double one

603
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,120
Speaker 1: triple teams all over and standing up againt this extension. Yeah,

604
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 1: I talked to him back in November, and he didn't

605
00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,160
Speaker 1: have the same type of sack numbers that he had

606
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,480
Speaker 1: in recent years, in twenty twenty especially, And he said,

607
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,360
Speaker 1: you know what, man, the most important moment for me

608
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,040
Speaker 1: is after a game if the opposing offensive line coach

609
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,760
Speaker 1: comes up to me and says it was a nightmare

610
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,360
Speaker 1: trying to plan for you. That that and he said

611
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,440
Speaker 1: that that that that had recently happened to him, and

612
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,880
Speaker 1: that that that those become the moments more than the

613
00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,440
Speaker 1: box score. Right, turning on the like tape, having people

614
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,240
Speaker 1: who have to scheme against him say, hey, man, it

615
00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 1: was tough sledding Um all day. So again we're on

616
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,560
Speaker 1: complete audible here. Tory has to write as best as possible. Uh,

617
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,320
Speaker 1: Steve has to be on television very soon. So let's

618
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,640
Speaker 1: just try to kind of wrap this thing up. It's

619
00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,080
Speaker 1: obviously less about the draft now because you have this

620
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,959
Speaker 1: Grady jarrett Um extension. So let's just try to make

621
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,400
Speaker 1: a more general question, Right, what's the national perception, Steve?

622
00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:38,920
Speaker 1: You were talking to people across the league, throughout throughout

623
00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 1: the NFC self about what the Falcons are doing, how

624
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:46,040
Speaker 1: the Falcons are kind of I don't rebuild reset, Who

625
00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,840
Speaker 1: cares what the term is, right, just that they're trying

626
00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,680
Speaker 1: to reformulate things get back right with the cap. They

627
00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,600
Speaker 1: just finished their draft, Like, what's the rest of the

628
00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,560
Speaker 1: league thinking about what the Falcons are doing here? Well,

629
00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:00,360
Speaker 1: post draft it was kind of a nice life preserver

630
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:04,960
Speaker 1: because after the failure to trade for Deshaun Watson and

631
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,040
Speaker 1: then moving off from Matt Ryan, the perception is, what

632
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,280
Speaker 1: are the Falcons doing? Like what is the blueprint? Because

633
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:11,960
Speaker 1: you know, the one thing you don't want to do

634
00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:13,760
Speaker 1: when you start building your team as a as a

635
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:17,200
Speaker 1: new organization with leadership wise and whatnot, is to deviate

636
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,880
Speaker 1: from the process. And Arthur Smith pretty much said that's

637
00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 1: what they did when they threw the hell Mary attempt

638
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,280
Speaker 1: for Deshaun Watson. So the fact that they had such

639
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,080
Speaker 1: a rock steady draft, and again, whether you like the

640
00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:31,600
Speaker 1: players or not, they were very intent and very focused

641
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,640
Speaker 1: on sticking to their board addressing needs. This was a

642
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,080
Speaker 1: need addressed draft. They hit needs everywhere they need a lot.

643
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:42,560
Speaker 1: But and they upgraded their speed and athleticism, which are

644
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,720
Speaker 1: two things they said that they had to do. Everything

645
00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,880
Speaker 1: I hear is like it was a fantastic draft. Again,

646
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,880
Speaker 1: they got really good players. We didn't get a chance

647
00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,080
Speaker 1: to talking about Tyler Algae or that guy is a

648
00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:53,920
Speaker 1: hell of a player, which is why you saw Mike

649
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,840
Speaker 1: Davis let go right after the draft. But it was

650
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,720
Speaker 1: steady and now they can eventually. And I wrote about

651
00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,400
Speaker 1: this form a nucleus because before in the draft, I

652
00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,840
Speaker 1: asked Terry Fontineau, what is your nucleus? And I got

653
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,040
Speaker 1: kind of vague Terry font no answer. But in other words,

654
00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:12,640
Speaker 1: they didn't really have one besides you know, a j

655
00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:18,000
Speaker 1: Terrell and Grady Jarrett and Lyndstrom. And so now hopefully

656
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,640
Speaker 1: from last year's draft class, you know, with Kyle Pitts

657
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,560
Speaker 1: and some other guys, they have a nucleus at the

658
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,120
Speaker 1: end of the season. So now they really know where

659
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,880
Speaker 1: to build once they do have that free agent money

660
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,240
Speaker 1: and wherever they end up drafting next year. Yeah, it's

661
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 1: it's it's been an offseason, that's you're right. Yea. There

662
00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,560
Speaker 1: was a deviation from the plan and to have Matt

663
00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,720
Speaker 1: Ryan get traded and go through the transition at quarterback,

664
00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:45,640
Speaker 1: and I think at some point they were going to

665
00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,960
Speaker 1: try to play through it and work their way through

666
00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 1: the salary cap and grind their way out of it eventually,

667
00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,760
Speaker 1: and then the Watson Ryan thing happened. It's like, all right,

668
00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,760
Speaker 1: let's just do it all now and get it's sixty

669
00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:00,400
Speaker 1: two something million dollars in dead cap space. That ain't

670
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,040
Speaker 1: good NFL high of course, button but they get out

671
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:05,960
Speaker 1: of it next year. So it may be rough, but

672
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,600
Speaker 1: they're still so. There was a hiccup, there was a valley,

673
00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:12,239
Speaker 1: but they seem to, in my opinion, be coming out

674
00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,280
Speaker 1: of it pretty well. This is gonna have some tough choices,

675
00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,560
Speaker 1: some tough decisions, some tough cuts, and that's what we've

676
00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,719
Speaker 1: seen over the course of this offseason. It's been up

677
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,880
Speaker 1: and down. I do think that this draft class offers

678
00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,480
Speaker 1: a lot of optimism. We have no idea how these

679
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 1: guys are going to turn out, but it could be

680
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,600
Speaker 1: kind of the restart. Right that they got seven wins

681
00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:35,640
Speaker 1: last year, they may not get seven wins this year.

682
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,120
Speaker 1: I think that would be a real good season if

683
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:42,319
Speaker 1: they got seven wins. But as they start to kind

684
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,920
Speaker 1: of build this thing back up, just real quick from

685
00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,680
Speaker 1: from Tory and from Chris, as we wrap this thing

686
00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,359
Speaker 1: up here, you know, thoughts of where the Falcons are

687
00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:54,120
Speaker 1: post draft, post Jarrett signing, post Ryan Trip. It's been

688
00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,480
Speaker 1: an active offseason now them listing them all, where do

689
00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,279
Speaker 1: you where do you think they are right now and

690
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,320
Speaker 1: where do you think that they need to go? I

691
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,319
Speaker 1: think they should feel really good about where they're at.

692
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:05,560
Speaker 1: Like teams, so I think they address needs while also

693
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:09,000
Speaker 1: getting the best players available on their board. I think

694
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,800
Speaker 1: there's a lot to be excited about on the offense.

695
00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,960
Speaker 1: I think Kyle Pitts and Drake London is very scary.

696
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:18,279
Speaker 1: When you look at Drake London's film, that guy is.

697
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,640
Speaker 1: That guy is a monster in terms of like he

698
00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 1: does not avoid contact and he goes up and gets

699
00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:28,680
Speaker 1: the ball, and I think that'll be dynamic for the

700
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,319
Speaker 1: offense and a lot of help for whoever is throwing

701
00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,560
Speaker 1: the ball. Just throw it up and one of them

702
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,840
Speaker 1: will get it. Um. So I think in terms of

703
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:37,919
Speaker 1: the positions of me, I thought they got some also

704
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,279
Speaker 1: got some competition at that left guard spot late late

705
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,000
Speaker 1: in the draft, So I think they should feel good

706
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,840
Speaker 1: about where they're at and they hit a lot of

707
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,080
Speaker 1: places of need, and I think that there's a lot

708
00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,520
Speaker 1: of potential this year and moving forward. You can see

709
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,960
Speaker 1: Toria is doing like a thousand things at once. Eyes

710
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,560
Speaker 1: are all over the probably writing a story, answering a text,

711
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,800
Speaker 1: dealing with all this breaking news. I will let you

712
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:05,719
Speaker 1: get to your actual job here, just real quick, wrap

713
00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,000
Speaker 1: this thing up for us. Oh gosh, okay, I think

714
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,920
Speaker 1: I'll keep it short and sweet and simple, because again

715
00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,280
Speaker 1: I haven't been listening to y'all. I am so sorry.

716
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,520
Speaker 1: But what I will say is, I think you can sell.

717
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,560
Speaker 1: If you're an organization at this point in time, you're

718
00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,759
Speaker 1: trying to sell two things. You're either trying to sell

719
00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,480
Speaker 1: hope or you're trying to sell anger. And for right now,

720
00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,960
Speaker 1: the Falcons can sell hope because there is something to

721
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,640
Speaker 1: be hopeful about in regards to this draft class and

722
00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:39,480
Speaker 1: the moves that they're also making, I think in free agency.

723
00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,959
Speaker 1: Yet we know that they're gonna ask. Terry Fines said

724
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:43,759
Speaker 1: take it on the chin this year with the dead

725
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,839
Speaker 1: cap money, and that is significant. I mean, we can't

726
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,040
Speaker 1: talk about the Falcons and not talk about the money

727
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,480
Speaker 1: that that dead money. I mean, it's it's tough, so

728
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,280
Speaker 1: that part makes it difficult, But there is a certain

729
00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,399
Speaker 1: hope that you can sell to the fan base now

730
00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:02,000
Speaker 1: that you couldn't sell I think even at this time

731
00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,799
Speaker 1: last year, and it is that they're crawling their way

732
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,760
Speaker 1: out of a salary cap situation that really really sucked.

733
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,759
Speaker 1: They're gonna have money next year, and they're gonna have

734
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:16,239
Speaker 1: an exciting core of young players to see what the

735
00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,640
Speaker 1: heck they can do with that group, with with Arthur

736
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:23,680
Speaker 1: Smith's scheme, with Danp's scheme, there's a lot looking forward

737
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,320
Speaker 1: that you can be excited and hopeful about. Now. I

738
00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,680
Speaker 1: know there are Falcons fans everywhere being like, I'm jaded,

739
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,440
Speaker 1: and I hate that you said that, but it's okay,

740
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,840
Speaker 1: feel a little hopeful. This is the time, and this

741
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,360
Speaker 1: is the time now more than ever, to feel hopeful

742
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:41,880
Speaker 1: about what direction the Falcons are going in. So just

743
00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,800
Speaker 1: sit in that, just just be okay with that for

744
00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:49,160
Speaker 1: the time being. And and with that, I'm out. I'm

745
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:54,120
Speaker 1: gonna dive out of jaded Falcons fan no way away.

746
00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,640
Speaker 1: That's awesome. Well, thank you all so much for a

747
00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,680
Speaker 1: doubt loading and listening to the latest episode of the

748
00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:04,799
Speaker 1: Falcons Final Whistle. You know what to do, right, Subscribe

749
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:09,440
Speaker 1: five stars. Nice things to say about us, please, Steve Weish,

750
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,640
Speaker 1: Steve Wish in the house, thank you so much. We

751
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,719
Speaker 1: kept you, I think everybody longer than we planned. Really

752
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,279
Speaker 1: appreciate you man and obviously Falcons fans. Stay tuned to

753
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:20,399
Speaker 1: the website for more Steve Wish columns. We moved through

754
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,040
Speaker 1: the offseason into camp. He's part of the preseason broadcast team. Y'all,

755
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,040
Speaker 1: this is big time, Steve. Thank you so much for

756
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,600
Speaker 1: the time. Chris Tory, you know you gotta come so anyway.

757
00:38:29,680 --> 00:39:01,879
Speaker 1: Appreciate everybody's talking. Talk to you next week. The best

758
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,720
Speaker 1: beat the best for the st