Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS 5/9/20: Crossover Special with Locked On Lions

Episode Date: May 9, 2020

On today's episode, Locked On Lions' Matt Dery stops by as we wrap up our week-long Crossover Special series between AFC South and NFC North teams. As the Colts will face off with this division next season, we stop in Detroit to analyze what's going on with the Lions.Will Detroit ever get over the hump and improve, or will their be full-scale changes once more in 2021? Also, what's the long-term future for Matthew Stafford if another regime comes into place soon? We also hit on the Lions' draft, plus how much pressure truly is on Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.From the Colts' point of view, Evan further explains why Indy should be the divisional favorites. Adding in Philip Rivers, DeForest Buckner, and other blue chip talents have them in position to vault to No. 1. Also, the additions of Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor will be huge for Indy's revamped offensive attack.Also, as he did in Detroit and Indianapolis, what are the odds Eric Ebron's ego makes him burn another bridge with a new organization in Pittsburgh? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, everybody. Welcome back into your latest episode of our crossover special here on the Locked On NFL show. This is Evan Sattery of Locked On Colts. I'm joined by Matt Derry of Locked On Lions. Matt, how are you doing today? Evan, great to connect with you. And, you know, we got a little Lions Colts this year. It should be fun. Yeah, it should be. And the schedule comes out today. We're recording this on Thursday afternoon. So it'll be interesting when these teams match up here. But we're going to start things off today talking about the Lions, and we'll dive into the next segment with you, Matt, asking me some Colts questions here going about 15, 20 minutes of today's show for our crossover special.

I think this Lions team, Matt, if I'm on the paper, on the surface looking in here a little bit, what an interesting year last year was for this Lions team because we heard all the rumors about Tua Tagovailoa in the beginning that turned to be really just smoke and rumors. We saw him take Jeff Akua number three overall in the draft Matt Stafford there's a lot of changes coming I imagine Matt Patricia and Bob Quindone do well as shared with the Lions how important is this offseason and this upcoming year for the Lions oh Evan it's huge uh this is a team that is not in a rebuild. They're not a last-place team looking to accumulate picks

and trade their stars. They're looking to win. And in an NFC North that is pretty dominated by the Vikings and Packers, and look, the Bears had a down year last year and won eight games. The Lions have some work to do. This is year five of Bob Quinn coming up, year three of Matt Patricia. It is time to win. They've got a $28 million-a a year quarterback in Matthew Stafford that they love

that isn't going anywhere. Like you said, the two rumors and everything else was just that, just rumors. He's beloved in this town. Not necessarily by all the fans, but ownership and the organization swear by this guy. And it's been 11 years. He hasn't even won a playoff game yet. So there's some questions there. How healthy is he going to be? But this is a big year for this guy. And it's been 11 years. He hasn't even won a playoff game yet. So there's some questions there. How healthy is he going to be? But this is a big year for this team. And they had a good

draft. I gave him an A minus. A lot of the prognosticators gave him an A. So let's see now how they do once they finish off free agency. I think there's a couple more pieces they're going to add. They can stay healthy. Gallaudet has a big year. Stafford does his thing. Can they stop people, Evan, is the question. Yeah, that's the big thing. And I wanted to ask you about swapping out Darius Slay, who went, of course, to Philadelphia. And it seemed like he was very disgruntled from the beginning with Matt Patricia. You get Jeff Okuda, number three overall,

who I think was by far the best cornerback in this draft. And many believe he's one of the best cornerbacks to come into draft class since Jalen Ramsey. And we've seen the impact that Ramsey's made in Jacksonville and Los Angeles. Just how big of an impact do you expect from Jeff Okuda? And why do you think the relationship with Darius Slay soured? Well, let's start with Okuda. I think he's going to be really, really good.

The question is, you know, you pick a cornerback at three, is he going to be special good? That's one thing this organization, one of the reasons why, Evan, this organization's won one playoff game in 63 years is because they just haven't had enough special players. Yes, the Barry Sanderses and the Calvin Johnsons have come through town, but there haven't been enough of those guys. And, you know, you look at the Colts and you see all the special players that they had during their runs. They've had some good runs lately. There's haven't been enough of them.

Hopefully Okuda's that guy. He has to be. You take him at three. As far as Darius Slay, I would have loved for them to keep him. He was under contract for one more year. But, you know, things went south. It started 2018 when Matt Patricia came in and kind of went off on Slay in a team meeting very early in that season in camp.

And that rubbed Darius the wrong way. All he did was go out and perform. He made two straight Pro Bowls under Patricia. But it was time for him to go. He had put stuff out on social media. Followed the Lions and Bob Quinn. It's the Patriot way. So anybody that spouts off, if you're on the Lions

and you want to get out of town, just put stuff out on Twitter. They'll ship you out. Quandre Diggs did it. Darius Slade did it. Snacks Harrison did it. They're all gone. So that's kind of what happened there. And they got a couple of draft picks for Slade, a third and a fifth.

Turned those players into Jonah Jackson. And then it's running back from New Mexico State. So I think that, you know, I think they're going to be okay when it comes to the draft young players. But the question is going to be, you're right, will they have a corner in 2020 as good as they had in 2019 in Darius Slay, and that remains to be seen. I think one of the more interesting picks, I know the Colts went,

surprisingly enough, with a running back in the second round of the draft, but also Detroit did. I know Kerrion Johnson had his injury last year. He was the second-round pick, Matt, in 2018 out of Auburn. They go out and get DeAndre Swift from Georgia at the top of the second round did that surprise you at all because now I'm looking just as far as carry on Johnson though had a good year before his injury and he I feel like he's done well throughout his career there in Detroit but now you bring in DeAndre Swift I think it's an upgrade over carry on Johnson

is Johnson gonna be phased out here is it more of a one-two punch long term with the Lions no I think it's a one-two punch uh Kerrion can't stay healthy. He's a tremendously talented back. There's been flashes of really good play from him over the first two years, but again, both years, his injuries have sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Knees, everything else, they've got to keep him healthy. But to add DeAndre Swift, a guy that Bob Quinn never thought in a million years would be sitting there at 35. The Lions draft board, if my sources are right, they had Swift as their top back,

and then they had your guy, Jonathan Taylor, number two. So, you know, the first guy that goes off the board was Edwards Hilaire. I think the Lions liked him, but not as much as those two players. So to get Swift at 35, I think they thought was a bonus. One-two punch type of thing, especially if carry-ons hurt. But Swift and Stafford together I think will be pretty good. It is a little bit of a surprise they took two running backs, too, in this draft, but they just haven't had a running game in years,

not since Barry retired, and that's a long time ago. Yeah, I know Matt Patricia wants to be a power run team to go along with the play-action-passing game, and it really was working for the first part of the year last year, Matt, when the Lions were doing well, and then unfortunately Matt Stafford had his injury there, and it went downhill from there. But I wanted to hit on really quick, I feel like as a really underrated wide receiver in the NFL, Kenny Galladay, and I feel like a lot of Colts fans actually have been comparing their first pick in the draft,

Michael Pimmett Jr. to Kenny Galladay. They have a similar skill set as far as their height, weight, and speed goes. Do you feel like Galladay is one of the more underrated wilds in the league right now, Matt, with just the way he's played the last couple years? Yeah, you know, PFF just said the other day he's a top ten guy in the whole league. He made the Pro Bowl last year as an alternate, then got to play in the game. So if you're one of those Bob Quinn draft truthers like I am, and you say, well, he's been the GM for five years

and they haven't had a single pro bowler, well, Galladay I guess counts now because he made the game, but he was an alternate. But he is a special talent, and he is very good. I think, unfortunately, when Stafford went down the last two years, so did Galladay's numbers because he had to be catching footballs from guys that weren't good enough as far as backup quarterbacksbacks go and they went through a ton of them this past season now they've upgraded that with Chase Daniel this year but you know Kenny Galladay's got the size the speed get downfield makes the big catch he is a true number one and obviously the Lions were

you know and the fans here were fans here got to see Calvin Johnson for many years. I'm not comparing Galladay to Megatron just yet. But, no, you want to talk about somebody you throw on the Colts and you call them a Super Bowl contender, that certainly would be Kenny Galladay. Putting him opposite of TTY would be pretty sweet. Yeah, it really would be. And I think moving forward here, I think Galladay is going to continue

to have a really good career, whoever the quarterback is long-term, maybe it's Stafford or someone else eventually. I wanted to ask you real quick, Matt, about Matthew Stafford, because looking at his contract here on SpotTrack for a second, it's a three-year deal, 2020, 2021, 2022, but there's a void in 2023 for no money that the Lions would do. They have only a dead cap hit of $6 million in 2022, which is two years from now. If all doesn't go well for Detroit this year and they do clean house let's say Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn is Matt Stavridis going to finish out his contract with the Lions Matt I know it's hard to say looking so far ahead here but but

you have to wonder at this point just if the Lions continue to just be stagnant if the new if a new regime if they come in do you want to change things up like that no I don't think he's going anywhere um there's a lot of speculation, and certainly they haven't won in 11 years. Maybe he's the one that ends up, or his wife, who's very vocal on social, comes out and says, we're ready to leave. That could be the possibility. I don't think the organization and this ownership group is ever going to let him go. Right in the community, he's loved here. He's done so much for the community and is here most of the year. So they love him. They weren't trading him this off season, although there was some smoke there

because that cap hit for this year would have been enormous, the dead cap money. After next year, after 2020, that number, like you said, comes down. So let's see what happens. I don't see them doing it. I don't see them doing it i don't see them going through with it i think they feel like all right stafford and chase daniel for the next few years remember this heaven they've only drafted two backup development developmental quarterbacks in the late rounds in 11 years since they've stafford that was brad kaya and uh and jake rudolph so those were not guys that that guys that were going to push Stafford. And this year they had the chance to take two at three.

They didn't. They didn't even trade back. So I don't think he's going anywhere. Last one I had for you, Matt, for our first time here, talking about the Lions. How much do you think they closed the gap this offseason, if they have at all, with the NFC North as far as this year goes? Because I know it's make or break for Detroit this year,

Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. What do you feel like the expectations are for the Lions now this year goes? Because I know it's make or break for Detroit this year, Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. What do you feel like the expectations are for the Lions now this year after you got through free and seen the draft? We'll see. I don't know. You know, I need to see the rest of the offseason. I need to see the schedule. I wasn't impressed with what the Packers and the Bears did in the draft.

I was impressed with the Lions, so that helps. They need to surprise some people. They need to have a big year from TJ Hawkinson. They need to surprise some people. They need to have a big year from T.J. Hawkinson. They need to get some pass rush help. They need this Julian O'Quara that's the third-round pick, the $18 million man Trey Flowers from last year to get to the quarterback. If they can just improve this defense half and go from 31st in the league to 15th, the offense should be good enough that they win 9, 10 games,

and it's about time they did it. This is year 5 of the general manager, and year 3 of the coach, so time to go win. I know the schedule and the division doesn't help, but that's my expectation, is that they surprise some people. There is enough talent on the roster, I think.

I'm not sure there's enough defensively, but I know offensively there is. Yeah, definitely the changes they made this offseason, as far as looking at the roster and draft. And you sent out Slay, of course, next, Harrison leaves. This is one of the more intriguing teams in the AFC North, I feel like, this year, especially with the pressure on Patricia and Bob Quinn moving forward here. But we're going to take a break.

Before we dive into our second segment, where Matt's going to ask me some questions about the Colts. I want to remind you guys, if you're not ready to subscribe to Locked on Lions and Locked on Colts and our Locked on Podcast Network, Matt and I give you guys great analysis money through Friday each week with you guys. So if you're not ready, make sure whatever platform you're listening to, subscribe to Locked on Lions and Locked on Colts. Back to you guys in just a second. Locked on Colts, Locked on Lions, the division crossover. Evan Sidery and Matt Derry with you.

We talked a little bit about the Lions in the previous segment. Evan, a lot of excitement in Indy, I'm sure, about this Colts 2020 outfit. The Jonathan Taylor pick was certainly interesting, and I'm sure Marlon Mack fans are freaking out, but boy, that roster looks pretty darn good for next year, doesn't it? Yeah, it definitely is a big upgrade across the board. Really, the most important position in football. Quarterback, I think, is the big one. I know Phillip Rivers had a down year last year, but with this Colts offensive line, they have the playmakers now in place, a power running game, Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor.

Going from Jacoby Bursette, who was a bottom five quarterback last year, to Phillip Rivers, who at least is an average quarterback in the NFL, I think is a huge upgrade for this offense. You add in, like you mentioned, Jonathan Taylor with Marlon Mack, it's going to be a dynamic one-two punch.

And you throw in Michael Pittman Jr. as well on the offensive end to go with T.Y. Hilton and Paris Campbell. Just a good mix of a big body type of Pittman. You have the all-around type with T.Y. Hilton and the speedster in Paris Campbell. I just think this offense has very lethal capabilities that Phil Burrus can stay on his feet most of the time. The offensive line does stay as really consistent, which they had the last couple years of Quentin Nelson and them up front. I think overall, honestly, look at the defense side for a second too, Matt. Aquarian DeForest Buckner, third-team overall pick and all-pro defense tackle, was a huge one as well.

I think the biggest move the offseason there was getting Buckner aboard to pair Darius Leonard on the defensive end. Going from the 7-9 Colts team, Matt, I feel like could really take a leap this year. Tell me about when you knew last year watching this team that Brissette was not going to be the guy at quarterback. Now, there's the argument made that Phillip Rivers might not be either and that he's long in the tooth. But how much do you think Rivers is an upgrade?

And when did you know Brissette wasn't going to be the guy? I kind of – honestly, Brissette, he did do really well the first three, four weeks of the season. And I think a lot of it is due to him being in Frank Reich's team and not a lot of teams having film on him in the scheme yet. He did really well in the first four weeks of the season. And I think a lot of it is due to him being in Frank Reich's scheme and not a lot of teams having film on him in the scheme yet. He did really well in the first four weeks. But after that, once teams started getting more film on him, once teams started to really stack the box against his Colt team,

which was really good with the run offense last year, to really just have Jacoby Brissett beat them. That only happened on one or two occasions last year against the Falcons and the Texans. And the other games where they had Brissett try to beat them and it went really bad. It got ugly at points in the last parts of the season in New Orleans and Jacksonville.

And I think I kind of knew, honestly, near the end of September, once there was a game against Kansas City. I know they went in and won against the Chiefs, but that whole offense was dedicated around Marlon Mack and the power run game the whole day. They just didn't, I feel like, trust Jacoby Bursette throughout the year. And that was pretty evident with Frank Reich's play calling there. So I feel like I was pretty solidly sold on Jacoby not being the answer

past this year, around late September, early October. But going out and getting Phillip Brewers, which was something I never would have expected because I didn't think it was going to be in the market there. But going from Jacoby Bursette to Phillip Brewers, I think, is an upgrade, and I feel like the pieces in place for Rivers just make a lot more sense than it would be for Brissette at quarterback. Let me ask you this.

You've got Brissette backing up Rivers, at least right now, and Jacob Eason. What's that going to be like? Yeah, it's going to be a really interesting dynamic, and it might lead to some awkwardness, to be honest, just because Jacob Brissette was a team captain last year. He was the leader in the locker room. Now Phillip Rivers comes in and takes that spot from him, and he'll be the backup quarterback making $21 million cap hit,

which is incredible to say it'll be easily the highest paid backup quarterback next season. Jacob Eason is going to be a full redshirt of course, next year for set on board, but from all indications per set, we'll just be under contract through this season and he will walk in free answer for this year. As far as rivers goes,

if he does well this year, it's mutually from what I've heard, it's mutual on both sides that rivers and the Colts will want to well this year, it's mutually, from what I've heard, it's mutual on both sides, that Rivers and the Colts will want to have another year of it in 2020-2021 if he does play well this year. So I think the plan for them is to let Jacob Eason sit behind Rivers for two years and see what happens. But we're willing to dice on a fourth-round pick, 122 overall for Jacob Eason. They didn't tie themselves to Eason.

He wasn't a first, second-round pick. So if they do, let's say, end up in a Justin Fields or a Trey Lance in 2021 or later on in the next couple of years, they're not really tied to Easton, so to say. So this quarterback room is going to be very flexible in the next couple of years, but it's definitely a Philip Rivers show for 2020. The voice of Evan Sidery, the host of Locked on Colts, Matt Derry, Locked on Lions, Division crossover.

These two teams will meet this coming season at Ford Field. All right, tell me about the defense. You mentioned Buckner, a big need. And look, anytime you talk Colts football, going back to Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, all these days, it's always about the offense. You know, the Marvins and – excuse me, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, Edger and James, Peyton, you know, the tight ends that they've had. So many good ones.

No one ever talks about the defense. It seems like now under Frank Reich and Chris Ballard, more talk about it. They think they made a statement getting Buckner, did they not? Oh, absolutely. They definitely, I think, ended up, like, getting the crown jewel, so to say, on the defensive end with getting Buckner. And you add in with Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker, a linebacker. Kamoko Turi was in a breakout year before his ankle injury.

And Justin Houston, the former Kansas City Chief, had 11 sacks last year for this Colts team. It's a young ascending defense, and they're adding Buckner to that. It might help them take the lead from average to at least above average or elite this year. And if you're in a win-now mode, the Colts are going out and getting Buckner and Phillip Rivers. And really, the next one or two years is your Super Bowl window right now with Rivers as quarterback.

I just think this Colts team has a really good chance, Matt, of being a top-ten defense next year because they have the speed on defense. There's a lot of athletes over there. We add in Darius Leonard, who will be running free more often with Buckner and help up front. I think the move from all sides makes so much sense. And this Colts defense, I know, regressed a little bit last year due to some injuries and just a lot of good teams scheming up a lot of good things against them offensively. But I really believe that this year adding in DeForest Bungner

will get more pressure on the interior and really change things for all three levels of this defense. So I think this Colts defense, just making a whole correction here, I think they'll be a top 10 defense next year. Tell me about, Evan, the tight end spot. Are you shedding a tear that Eric Ebron's gone? I am not, no. In the very beginning, Matt, I think it was definitely a honeymoon period

for Eric Ebron in Indianapolis because Andrew Luck definitely helped make him a pro bowler in his one year there. But from what I read in Detroit, Matt, it was almost the same thing this year with Ebron where just his ego, his personality, and just his drops. And him wanting to be involved in the offense at an extremely high level was just rubbing teammates the wrong way. He shut down from an injury midseason just because he wasn't getting enough

targets, which was really, I think, what rubbed Chris Bauer the wrong way. And immediately at the end of the season said, Ebron won't be coming back unprompted on that. So I just feel like he burnt his bridge in Indianapolis. He burnt his bridge in Detroit. So if we had to predict that, I imagine he might burn his bridge in Pittsburgh soon. What's the kicking situation?

You've got the 45-year-old Adam Vinatieri. I know last year there was talk that this was going to be it for him. I know the kind of legend that he this was going to be it for him. I know the kind of legend that he is in Indy and the Carmel area. My kids know his kids a little bit. I mean, it's wild to think that there would ever be a day without him, but he did not have a good year last year. What's the story there? Yeah, he did not at all have a good year.

Luckily for the Colts, they claimed Chase McLaughlin off waivers in December when the 49ers cut him. And he came in right away. They put Adam Vinatieri on IR once they signed McLaughlin. And from there, that was it for Vinatieri. It was just a really rough year for him. You could tell just physically his leg wasn't there anymore. And the Colts haven't said they made up their decision or not on Adam Vinatieri,

who's going to be 47 years old this upcoming year. But you still have Chase McLaughlin under contract in 2021. They went out and got hot rod Rodrigo Blankenship as an undrafted free agent. So there's going to be a kicking competition between Blankenship and McLaughlin. We don't know if Vinatieri will be involved just yet. But I wouldn't say it's very, very, very unlikely that Adam Vinatieri, if he does play in the NFL again next year, that's with the Colts. Did they win the division?

If you look at it right now with what the Colts did in the draft, and obviously not having a first-round pick, basically that was Buckner, with what the other teams have done. Tennessee makes the title game. Houston's always there. And Jacksonville's not bad. I mean, they were in the title game two years ago. So what are your thoughts on what the Colts do this year?

I think, honestly, they've really separated from the other teams. And when you factor in Houston trading with DeAndre Hopkins for a bag of potato chips I think it just makes so much sense as to why the Colts are going to take this leap this year. I think Tennessee they lost a couple pieces on defense and offense they lost Jack Conklin at right tackle and they're going to have a slight regression this year because a lot of it was based around Derrick Henry and late in the season. I wonder if he's going to really bite and just try to have Ryan Tannehill beat him more often, which didn't happen much last year when he supplanted Marcus Mariota, but you add in to the cold side of things,

Phillip Rivers, DeForest Buckner, Xavier Rhodes from the Vikings, a cornerback. And you also throw in Michael Pimmons, Jr. Jonathan Taylor on the offensive end for some more firepower via the draft. I think this Colts team,

quite honestly, is going to be a, at least a nine win team, but I think it's more so a 10, 11, one team. And they, I think they want the division pretty clear that game or two. Evan, it was a pleasure, man.

Thanks so much. Yeah, no problem. And I just want to remind you guys one more time to subscribe to Locked On Lions and Locked On Colts. Appreciate your time, Matt. You got it. There he is, Evan Seidry, Locked On Colts. Matt Derry, Locked On Lions, brought to you by our friends at Built Bar. That'll do it for the division crossover for another day.

NFC North, AFC South. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.