Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS 3/26/19: How the Colts stack up against the AFC's elite with Matt Williamson

Episode Date: March 26, 2019

On today's episode, Matt Williamson of Locked On NFL and formerly of ESPN. Matt and Evan run through a  litany of topics related to why the Indianapolis Colts should be viewed within the NFL's elite.How do the Devin Funchess and Justin Houston signings elevate the Colts' ceiling for 2019-20?Also, why is Andrew Luck the most underrated quarterback in the NFL, even though he's one of the best? Matt explains why the Chris Ballard-Frank Reich-Andrew Luck triumvirate is a recipe for massive success for the Colts throughout the next decade.Finally, how do the Colts stack up compared to teams like the Browns, Chiefs, Patriots, and Chargers? Matt believes the Colts are in good shape, possibly in the driver's seat for home field advantage, if all goes well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, and welcome to Locked On Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Today's audience is your host, Evan Seidner, and joined by a very special guest today, Matt Williamson, our Locked On NFL host. Matt, how are you doing today? I am fantastic. How are you? Good to finally talk to you. Yeah, no problem.

I'm excited to get this podcast back up and going. The Colts are looking great, and we might as well dive right into it right now. What's your overall thoughts on the Colts' offseason so far? They obviously have, we had the NFL draft a month from today. Chris Ballard has nine picks. I think he has four in the top 100. So there's probably actually a taste for him to hit the draft out of the park once more like he did last year.

But let's focus on free-ins here for just a second. We have Devin Funchess on a one-year $10 million deal and also a Justin Houston on two years $24 million deal, which I think both deals are pretty good as far as bargain deals go. What do you think about the Austin so far and also keeping all their guys in house too on some really good contracts? Yeah. I mean, I think keeping your guys in house is the key here. I mean, I think that they are truly building this slow from the ground up with a really solid foundation based around, you know, lock a great offensive line Leonard and they're going

to keep adding pieces on both sides of the ball so I do think slow and steady might have been a shock for some people I mean I think a lot of people in the offseason were looking at this this Colts team saying boy they have as much cap space as anybody else they're going to be out there signing Jadavian Clowney and huge-name guys. They didn't. They've got two brand-name players from outside the organization, but they didn't go crazy. I think this is

something Colts fans should be excited about because I think Ballard is showing very quickly that he realizes how to spend your money and what the good deals are and what the mistakes that are made so early in free agency are problems. They come back to bite you. Some of these guys, I'll be really shocked if, say, CJ Mosley isn't cut two years from now.

There's so many bad contracts that were signed and yeah, the cap keeps going up, but most of the time, those early big splash deals end up not lasting. Yeah, it's really interesting to me just the Colts did have $109 million of cash when they were going to free agency. They were very prudent with that, not really spending any at all, and you see these deals like CJ Mosey, $17 million a year. Landon Collins for a box save to get about $16 million in his first year. What do you think just about the free agency signings overall? Because it's just surprising from a Colts fan's point of view

because Ryan Grigson was the guy who always put his toes in the free agency. You've got the LaRon Landrys, the Frank Gores, the Andre Johnsons of the world who didn't end up working out one bit, but instead didn't have a patient GM. What do you think about the approach of that? Because it just seems like a welcome breath of fresh air in Indianapolis. Yeah, and I hope Colts fans see it that way, that use the great example of Grigson always looking for the quick fix and spending big money on big-name guys that weren't worth it

at that stage of their career. This should be a very refreshing change. And my hunch is, I mean, I know how fan bases work. I'm sure some Colts fans were like, man, we wanted more, though. I mean, they only gave us two guys. Come on. But I think that they're both really good fits, and we probably should discuss those two individually.

But I think it's, you know, the rest of the AFC should be worried. I mean, I really think if there's a new powerhouse in the AFC, and I know we'll start talking about this stuff later in the podcast, Kansas City obviously comes to mind, but I would really fear the Colts. Yeah, we should dive right into that. Good segue, Matt. We should just go right into Devin Funches here, the first signing, and we'll go to Justin Houston in just a few minutes here. Devin Funches, I actually heard Chris Bauer on Ian Rappaport's podcast this morning. He said he views Devin Funches as a long-term investment, even though it's a one-year deal, kind of compared to the Alshon Jeffries signing, who ironically worked with Frank Reich in 2017 at the Eagles, who eventually got extended there.

Seems like a really good fit on the surface there of Frank Reich's offense. How do you think Funch will work out as a number two next to T.Y. Hilton? Yeah, and I got to admit, whenever I saw this one come across, and it was very early in free agency, I kind of shook my head going, boy, that's a lot of money for a guy that kind of got benched at the end of his tenure in I didn't think he was a bad player by any stretch. I just think that Carolina was looking for a different type of weapon. They were looking for smaller, quicker, shiftier, jet motion type guys. But the more I thought about it, how different is Funchess and Ebron? I mean, they're almost the same guy. You can put WR next to him or TE next

to him, but they're really, really similar. They're probably about equal blockers. Ebron might even run a smidge better, you know, just in a straight line. And I do think that Locke has shown going back to his Stanford days, the tight end types are not the one he's most comfortable with, but he's certainly very comfortable with. And, you know, I think the usage of big-bodied slot receiver tight end guys can be really hard to game plan against if you're a defense. So, you know, there's that old adage that, you know, you're trying to kind of build a basketball team with your receiving core, you know, with like a Doyle being your center and Ebron being your power forward.

And Funchess is maybe your shooting guard, you know, your small forward and Hilton will be your point guard. And then maybe there's a player to be named in this draft. Who's going to be the six foot 200 pound receiver. Maybe it's even Deion Kane. Yeah. It's going to be really interesting. Just how many weapons the Colts have Matt, because it's going to be really interesting. Just how many weapons the Colts have, Matt, because it never used to be that way. It just used to be the Donnie Averys of the world, the Chester Rogers of the world.

But now you have so many weapons for the first time in Andrew Luck's career it feels like. And certified ones at that, they used to be on Perot Town or Grixen. But it's really interesting to me, the point you bring up there is with Doyle and Funch, who used to be a tight end in Michigan as well. I think they're going to do some really elaborate stuff this year as far as offense goes. With all these weapons, you could be on Kane in a top 50 pick, I assume, on a receiver here. They might have one of the most elite offense in the NFL. Yeah, and obviously the key is the quarterback. Yes, he's had

some injuries, and maybe he doesn't have quite the fastball he used to. But one of the things that made Luck the ultra-supreme prospect coming out of Stanford was his mind and his body. And his mind's only getting better. And, you know, he can – you can put so much on his plate. And I think we'll see a big advancement in scheme from this offense this year with, you know, more moving pieces, you know, different usage of the running backs.

They've got a variety of running backs. They've got a variety of tight ends. I think what's also done over a variety of receivers that will allow them to attack weaknesses a lot better on a week-to-week basis, and it all goes through Luck. Yeah. One more quickly on Andrew Luck, just since we're talking about him, do you feel like he's underrated in NFL circles right now? I laugh because I think he's the most underrated player in the league or maybe that I can remember.

And it's funny because I'm not stealing this information from him, but there's an analyst out there named Kian Fahey who just started his own website. And it's a pay site. I signed up yesterday. I haven't read one article from it, but he lists all the quarterbacks and it's basically a quarterback driven scouting website. And I think he does very good, good work. And his quarterback list, Andrew Luck is number one, the best quarterback in the entire league. And I'm not sure I disagree. I mean, I really think he is at that level. I don't understand why people aren't realizing that the best still might be yet to come, and he still might be the best quarterback in the league. I mean, I'm somewhat embarrassed to say this, but like going into the season,

I forget what the Colts over-under win total was. I thought it was like six or six and a half, something like that. And I thought one of the best bets in Vegas was the Colts under. I mean, I just thought that was really short on talent a year ago and didn't know luck status. But I've been the biggest luck supporter out there. And I'm not saying he's the only reason they got to the playoffs but he's going to be a massive reason that they're perennially in the playoffs and to be honest I mean I'm not sure I'd rather have another quarterback in the league. I agree with you just you see the clutch situations especially that Miami game last year I was there in person you see how he just

goes in the pocket rolls up there and goes past all those guys and makes a 60-yard bomb there I feel like maybe Aaron Rodgers does that in the league, and that's just it. Maybe Patrick Mahomes too, but it's a very short list. So you see just how elite of a prospect Andrew Luck is. He's going to be age 30 next season. Do you feel like the prime is yet to come for Andrew Luck, especially after this is the first time he's going to have an offseason without rehab in five years? Right. I think his 30s will be much better than his 20s. And people forget, I mean, nationally, they forget. I'm sure Colts fans don't. But pre-injury, I mean, he was in the conversation right behind Brady and Rodgers as, you know, the best guy in the league.

And again, he's kind of the perfect match of physicality and mentality. And no one, I think, I think in some ways, I'm curious what you think about this, because early in the year, I think they were truly trying to keep him healthy, nurse his arm back to shape, get it out quick. But in a way, it wouldn't shock me if we look back 10 years from now and say, that might have been the best thing for Luck. You know, to reel him in a little bit, play a little more conservatively, realize when to fold him, and you know, you don't always have to hold him and battle all the time. I think that was an extremely valuable learning experience for him during his injury and then that month or two coming back. And I thought the coaching staff did a great job of making that happen. I totally agree with you because if you also look at his yards per error

attempt, I think it was around four and a half and went up to around almost eight the last nine or ten games of the season. And the offensive line, too, he got beaten up in that first month of the season before they all wrote him in. And you got all those bumps and bruises out of the way. Then that's when Frank Reich opened up the offense and let him air out his arm. And that was just a, I think, a genius thing by Frank Reich. And it kind of just shows how elite of a coaching staff this team has too and I think you have the quarterback you have the coach you have the general manager just from an overall standpoint foundation wise Matt it seems like this team is just truly heading in the right direction yeah absolutely I'm glad you mentioned that I mean

I don't know Mr. Ursae but he's there's mixed reviews him, obviously, that he's more of a radical owner than some. But you mentioned that triumphant, that general manager to head coach to quarterback is very, very enviable. And I'm just sitting here thinking, I mean, it might be the one I would want most in terms of going forward. I mean, Belichick and Brady historically, and Belichick holds two of those hats basically, is about the best of all time and is still obviously ridiculously good and they just won the Super Bowl. But you look at that trio in Indianapolis right now, that's hard to beat. I mean, I like Reid and Mahomes and their general managers all right as well,

but you're right. And now that you have an offensive line, I mean, you're starting to really build, I like to use the word infrastructure. I mean, I think the infrastructure in Indianapolis, that's hard to say, is as good as any in the league. You know, if you were building a building, the foundation in Indy is really, really nice. Yeah, it's going to be, I think it's going to be a really nice 2020s decade coming here for the Indianapolis Colts.

And we might as well flip to the other side of the ball real quick, bring over to the AFC competition for the Colts. You see the recent signing here of Justin Houston. The Colts kind of surprised last year with a top 15-ring defense, and they kept all their pieces from last year. All 11 starters are back. Now you add Justin Houston in the mix as a situational third-down rusher. I looked up on Pro Football Focus yesterday,

and a three-point stance and a 4-3 pretty much. Houston is the most efficient guy in that position in the NFL, and they got him on a two-year $24 million deal. So add him alongside those young pass rushers that are maybe drafting their pass rusher too, like a Christian Wilkins on the inside or Ed Oliver if they trade up or something like that, or maybe an edge rusher, who knows.

It seems like add those in alongside a Malik Hooker and a Darius Linder. You have three levels of the defense now, all kind of secured now. And it's kind of a weird feeling for me, Matt, because in my years of living on this earth, the Colts have never had an elite defense. They might just now have one. Doesn't it kind of remind you of the Freeney-Mathis situation? You know, I mean, they don't have both yet, but I think they have one of the two.

And maybe another one comes next offseason or in this draft or something along those lines. Playing in a dome, you know, your offense is going to put up points just like it did with Manning. You know, pass rushing late in the game, shootouts is going to be a premium, and you're right. Houston, I mean, I watched them quite a bit because there was a lot of rumors he was going to come here to Pittsburgh. You know, I guess he flirted with him and, you know, Steeler Nation wanted him really bad. And he still has it. I mean, durability, I think, might be an issue.

And I wondered aloud if that's why it took him so long to get signed. Did some team doctors, you know, not put their stamp of approval on it? I don't know that. No one told me that. I'm just guessing. But you wait a little bit. You get him at a great price. and he's exactly what they need, and he should act as a good mentor for the next pass rusher, the younger guy, to be named later.

Let me ask you this, because Adam Schefter brought this up in a report, I believe a couple minutes after the report that Justin Houston's signing, that the Colts were interested in Dee Ford before they circled back around Justin Houston. Do you agree with what they did signing Justin Houston on a tier $24 million deal instead of giving away some draft capital, maybe a third-round pick this year, or like it was for the 49ers, a 20-20 second-round pick? Well, medical aside, I trust Houston much more. Because Ford, to me, is somewhat of a one-hit wonder. He's a little more finesse than I would like.

Did it just happen to coincide with a contract year that he had his best year, or did he truly come into his own? That, to me, is a red flag in terms of you might have to give up more than a second-round pick, considering the Niners gave up a second, and then you've got to sign him long-term, too. So I would prefer Houston over Ford. I trust them when they're both on the field. I trust Houston more. And I think he might even be the superior player right this minute.

I agree with you, actually. I'm kind of glad Ballard went that route because I know he loves his draft picks. And with his draft picks, you can't really blame him at this point. But before we go on to our AFC competition for the Colts, I wanted to ask you just really quickly, what's your thoughts about Darius Leonard? Because he really burst on the scene last year, one defensive rookie of the year, 163 tackles in year one. I just feel like the sky's the limit for that guy,

and it's the first time the Colts might have an elite linebacker really outside. I think he's a lot better than Gary Brackett ever was for the Colts, and it just seems like the sky's the limit for him as well. Yeah, and it's funny. I'm sitting here racking my brain, like who else is even in the conversation? You know, second level, great Colts linebackers over the years. I mean, it's pretty slim pickings and part of that's by design. I mean, in the Manning years, they just didn't spend any money at that position. You know, they'd put rookies in and then after three or four years, they'd be on their way

and then rinse repeat. But Leonard, to me, is not only perfect for today's NFL, but I think he's perfect for that scheme. I think he's perfect in terms of his age gelling with this team getting good at the right time, which isn't a coincidence either. But the true quarterback of that defense, I was talking with on my podcast on Lockdown NFL today. I did a segment with Joe Marino about the Bills, and I kind of mentioned how last offseason they went out and they got their Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. It's a Carolina-based front office.

And I love the idea of having a middle linebacker and a quarterback that are the true faces on each side of the ball and the true quarterbacks and leaders. And I think the Colts have that too, which goes back to an earlier conversation when you and I were having about, you know, infrastructure, you know, I mean he's going to be the guy with the green dot and you know, a foundational piece that's really young to build around that will never leave the field.

Yeah. It's really exciting. Just talking about just both sides of the ball for the Annapolis Colts. It seems like the first time in a decade, it feels like since Peyton Manning was at his peak, they're going to have maybe the best team they've had assembled. Just high expectations are warranted around here, I believe, since the Colts kind of stunned everyone last year, 10-6, and I think they're going to be a lot better than that this year. But let's go on to their competition now, Matt. Looking ahead here, let's just go down the list.

I mean, we should start off with the most splashiest team that might be on the list, not compared to last year. The Cleveland Browns, they got Odell Beckham in a really of a stunner trade than the New York Giants. So I think they got 50 cents on the dollar for Odell that Cleveland did. What do you think about the Browns now? And with Baker Mayfield especially, it just seems like they're on the cusp of really possibly making a rivalry here for the next 10 or so years of the Colts. Yeah, they absolutely could. I think getting coaching in place was huge, but I'm not sure.

That's one of my reservations. I would have bumped him up as well. What he did with Baker was unbelievable. But my only reservation with the Browns, and this comes up a lot around here because all of a sudden the Steelers and Ravens are being cast aside and it's the Browns division. The Steelers and Ravens are so accustomed to having expectations, to playing in big games, national TV. The sky is falling here in Pittsburgh because the Steelers missed the playoffs by half a game.

I've worked for the Browns, and they've never had expectations. Now you have a head coach who's never been a head coach at this level in kitchens who did a great job on offense, but is he going to be able to dedicate as much time to scheming up Baker and all those things? And how will he be with expectations, you know, and a very young team that hasn't won anything? That being said, and to your point, this roster's really, really good, though.

I mean, they've assembled a really strong group. And for once, you know, when I'm writing up offseason needs, usually it's like the Browns need everything. They pretty much need nothing at this point. And I think their quarterback absolutely is in place for the very long term, too. Yeah, the Browns, I think, are right alongside the Colts. I would probably put the Colts a little bit ahead of them, but I do feel like the Browns will be the AFC North winners this year. I feel like they kind of – it's really interesting to me.

It's kind of funny as well. I feel like I should dreaded Vegas and make this bet before it goes differently. But the Browns are actually favored higher cerebral odds than the Colts are, which I find hilarious. Yeah, I do find that hilarious. And I know a lot of people are also putting some money on the the Ravens and the Steelers to win that division particularly the Steelers just because all of a sudden they're long shots now and it to me it's easier to get from the bottom to a middle of the pack up you know uproot you know upstart or improving team as

opposed to being middle of the pack and getting to the elite you know i mean everyone's gunning for you you're not going to sneak up on anybody and i just think people are putting the the cart before the horse a little bit in cleveland i mean because you and i were having this conversation one year ago we'd be asking things like, do you think the Browns will actually win a game this year? You know, I mean, that's where they were one year ago, was coming off a winless season. Moving pretty fast.

Yeah, credit to John Dorsey on that. It just seems like he's really got the game going in motion here. But let's move on to the next team, who I think is a really interesting one now, especially with the Rob Gronkowski news. New England Patriots defending Super Bowl champions now. You can't really doubt Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at this point, but how do you think they're going to stack up next year, especially with Patrick Mahomes coming to his own, Andrew Luck might be getting into his prime right now. You also have Baker Mayfield and the other teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers aren't going away,

LA Chargers. How do you think the Patriots now are going to match up now, it seems like without Gronk and without their number two, number three wide receivers now? I mean, I'm not ignoring your question or avoiding it, but I'm done almost analyzing these guys. I mean, every year, not every year, but lately I've kept thinking they're going to come back to mediocrity, you know, that their roster really isn't that good. And Gronkowski wasn't even all that good last year. I mean, he was really lumbering to move around. And I love that he retired because I don't want him to be remembered as the old man that couldn't play anymore. Yeah, he was a great blocker and he still made some plays, but he was like

the most irreplaceable piece besides Brady and Belichick to me. And he was falling apart. And they still won the Super Bowl. I mean, what they do up there is unbelievable. And I hate to keep bringing this back to the Steelers. I do a lot of Steelers stuff. And this is just a credit to the Patriots. And why I'm saying about Pittsburgh is so many people around here in Pittsburgh

have said, man, Tomlin and Ben have wasted this great era and bell and Brown. They should have won more Superbowls. And the thing I say to them is they may, I'm not saying you're wrong people, but the Patriots made this life awful for everybody. I mean,

Peyton Manning should have won more Super Bowls, right? I mean, Aaron Rodgers has won. Breeze has won. These guys have been so good and so dominant that if you're the Steelers or Seattle or whomever, and you're second on the list over the last 20 years, that's not so bad. I mean, number one is just so dominant that comparing everyone to them isn't fair. So back to your point, I love where the Colts are sitting, but I don't think any of us are going to pick the Jets, Bills, or Dolphins to win that division. And I look at the Patriots roster and I don't think it's all that great, but the team is, and the coach is, and the quarterback is,

and, I mean, they could win again next year. It's remarkable. Yeah, until 12 and the hoodie are gone, I feel like there's a chance they win the Super Bowl almost every year, even if Brady's almost 50. I just can't rule them out at this point. I mean, look at their pass catchers right now. They're horrible besides Edelman, and it's not going to matter it is incredible I forget who they signed but they're going to

turn now into probably the next Edelman and uh and um Wes Welker whoever those slot receivers they signed last week which will be interesting but the next team on our list here will be the Kansas City Chiefs Matt the team that knocked out the Colts actually in the playoffs what do you think about them they got kind of gutted defensively recently. They added Tyron Matthew, but they also lost their pass rushes in Justin Houston and Dee Ford. Have to assume now with them not really going after a pass rush and frees, they're going to really target that heavily in the draft.

Yeah, I mean, I think their formula is pretty obvious, and it was last year, is first one to 60 wins, basically. You know, I mean, it's shootout madness, and they're awful hard to stop. Although I do think the offense slowed down slightly from 100 miles an hour to 90 miles an hour when Kareem Hunt was out of the equation. I mean, not that he's a special, special player, but I do think he was missed slightly,

and I don't know that they've replaced him. But their formula is obviously really strong and it's all about scoring points and that's exactly what you want in today's NFL. But the thing that I would worry about if I'm the Chiefs is yeah, we all know the defense was bad. Allowed a lot of points, a lot of yardage. But the one thing they had going for them was they created big plays and the Rams were kind of like this, too. If you can get Mahomes one extra possession, you're going to win.

They had a lot of sacks. Their place is really hard to play in, and they're building, and it helps the pass rush. But if all of a sudden you don't have the playmakers, namely Houston and Ford and these guys, are you going to create as many big plays going forward? And I think that should be hard to duplicate. Yeah, it really will be interesting. And I feel like on the surface, I feel like Kansas City might be probably the same team next year, maybe a little bit worse as far as on the surface goes defensively if Tyron

Matthews doesn't go up to perform his level as far as the money he got. But any other teams as far as that top elite team? You've named off four teams so far. Any teams that you feel might be left out of that conversation for the elite teams in the AFC? Let's just mention the Chargers quickly. I think they're really good, and I'm always supporting them, and I'm a Rivers believer. But they have some big things going against them, though, too. I mean, I thought Rivers, like Drew Brees, like some of these other older quarterbacks,

really struggled down the stretch late in the year, looked beat up, looked old a little bit. But you look at a team like the Chargers, I mean, their roster's as good as any. I think they are a premium team for sure, but they have a couple things that are just so hard to overcome in that they have a couple things that are just so hard to overcome in that they have no home field advantage. It's almost a disadvantage when they play at home. The organization as a whole, I don't trust all that. They've kind of neglected special teams forever and things like that.

I don't know how well they ran historically, but they're as dangerous as anyone. I think they're really good and they played really well down the stretch even though Rivers didn't excel, and then they just kind of hit a wall and looked like they wore out just playing so many road game after road game. Now, today is March 26, Matt. I know we're so far away from the season even starting. We're a month away from the draft, which is super exciting. I love the draft every year, just following along with it, but if you had to rank those four or five teams there in a power ranking, what would you do right now in your March standings?

Hmm. I think the Browns would be last, just because you're going to show it to me first. And we're not building a fantasy team here. I mean, I need to see all those things gel, and I don't know if I trust the coach. I think the Chargers would be fourth. We have five teams, right? Yeah, correct.

I guess I have to put the Patriots first, although they have the worst roster of all of them just because they just won the Super Bowl and I never saw that coming. The same things we talked about. I think I'd go Patriots, Colts, Chiefs, Chargers, Browns. But the reality is I'd rather have every roster over the Patriots.

Yeah, it's just interesting how it works that way, just because you have maybe the greatest quarterback of all time. Maybe there is no debate at this point how many Super Bowls he has, but Tom Brady, maybe the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belichick, you really can't bet against him at this point. But let me ask you one more question related to the Colts. Where should you go, Matt? And it feels like if the Colts get home field advantage, they're a team that I feel like is a scary proposition to go to the Super Bowl next year.

Just what's your early thoughts on them as far as the outlook for next year? Yeah, I mean, I'm sure I'll pick them to win their division. I think the Titans and Texans are better than people think or are at least improving. But I can certainly see a bye. I think they're going to be one of the better teams in the league. Again, I hope next year is the year that the nation realizes just what an elite player Andrew Luck is. And my hunch is they finally will after a dominant performance and hopefully stays healthy, of course.

I have one question for you though, before we leave, if you don't mind. Yeah, no problem. Is there somebody, I'm sure your fans know this answer, but is there someone that you're kind of crossing your fingers for the first round pick of the Colts?

Ooh, that's a really good question. We covered it last week. And I think for me, if we're not including trips in our areas here, I think Christian Wilkins at Clemson kind of checks all the boxes here just as far as character, performance, and everything that goes along those lines. If they get a dominant interior defensive line, that pair with Justin Houston, then you add in Darius Leonard

and Malik Hooker on the back end, I think you're still on that defense for about 10 plus years. Yeah, I mean, I would really have to keep my fingers really crossed though. I'm not sure that he lasts that long. I mean, I've really have to keep my fingers really crossed, though. I'm not sure that he lasts that long. I mean, I've done two mocks on my show, and I've mocked Byron Murphy both times. How would you be with that? I actually like Byron Murphy from Scottsdale, Arizona. He's a pretty rangy corner, kind of fits his own system pretty well. I think with Desir, especially, if you look at that contract, there's an easy out for one year.

So if they do take a cornerback round one at 26 or even at 34, there's easy out there to get this year out of there and put in Murphy as the number one cornerback in time. Yeah. Yeah. And you could never have too many. And when I did the mocks or wasn't a defensive lineman that was just jumping off the page, but I do think a defensive guy would be, is probably in the cards. Yeah. It'd be interesting. I feel like the Colts might be a candidate to trade up this year because I

feel like they already have so much young talent. If a guy like Ed Oliver slips to, let's say, 12 or 13, I won't be shocked at all if Chris Bauer called someone up and said, hey, I'll give you 26-34 in a future second or first-round pick or something like that. Yeah, that would make some sense too. All righty, Matt, before I let you go here, just for the new listeners out there,

if they haven't heard the Locked on NFL show where they can find your workout plug, whatever you want. Yeah, just follow me on Twitter. I'm at WilliamsonNFL and Locked on NFL has been roaring. We did some draft talk today and I'll have Mark Schofield on tomorrow. Mike Sando will be on Thursday. It's good stuff. Please download it.

Alrighty, guys. That'll do it for today's episode. Appreciate everyone listening. As always, and Matt for coming on. We'll be back with you guys tomorrow for our next episode. Appreciate it.