Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - NFL SQUAD: Tush Push DEBATE Leads NFL Annual Meeting

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses the Tush Push debate at the NFL Annual Meeting, which NFL teams improved their stock the most this offseason, and their bold predictions for the 2025 NFL Draft.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

The tush push, the secret weapon or the unfair advantage. That's something that coaches are complaining about at the NFL annual meeting. We'll debate it here on today's episode. NFL squad. You are talking ball with the NFL squad sponsored by Game Time from the Chiefs to the Bills, Falcons to the 49ers and everyone else around the NFL. It's the local experts of the Locked On podcast network,

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What's happening everyone? Welcome into another NFL squad episode here on the lockdown podcast network where you know it is your team every day for all your favorite sports coverage, especially on the NFL side. We got a lot to break down today as we debate the NFL annual meeting, some of the rule changes and some things have been tabled. You get that widespread discussion here on today's show.

But first want to say thanks to our friends over there at Game Time for bringing all the action to the forefront here for our NFL squad show. Make sure you use promo code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. We have a jam packed panel here today, folks. As always, I'm Cody Orichal, hostess for you here. Joining us today, our panel, Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints. He does everything here for all of us. Kevin Ostreicher of Locked On Ravens and Mike Debate of Locked On. Patriots here and look, fun week that we have. We got to see all the head coaches sit around at tables with reporters.

We got to see Mark Caboli go viral as one of those art imitating sports memes. It's a good time right now because now it sets the stage for the NFL draft here in a few weeks. But grab your favorite beverage, your favorite snack, whatever it may be, kick back, relax and enjoy the NFL conversation we're gonna bring forth your way here. NFL annual meeting, always a hot topic.

Every year the committee gets together and they say, you know what, what is going on in the NFL that what can we change? What can we tweak in the game and the biggest talking point coming out of this week, the tush push, which I'm very curious for all of your thoughts because that was a subject that got tabled. There was one thing that they're looking to ban the tush push, which I personally think they shouldn't touch it. Ross Jackson, let's hear from

me. Where where you go with this? Leave it in the game. If you want it, if you can't stop it, that's not their fault. That's not their fault. Like, are we going to do this for everything that we can't stop? Oh, I'm so mad.

Patrick Mahomes keeps throwing passes because while he's laid out horizontally, are we going to ban horizontal throws? Like, what are we doing? Stop it. If you got a problem with it, figure out a way to defend it. If you can't figure out a way to defend it, show me the injury data that says that it's a risk, everything like that. And then

if you can't show me the injury data, then what are we doing here? It's ridiculous. That's what a lot of people were saying. They were like, hey, like injury data. I'm like, no one, no one has gotten hurt that I have seen visibly from this. Like, because you're, you're cutting, you're getting low. People are like, oh, their spines. We have yet to see any player carted off the field due to the tush push yet. So they're going to table this for me. Yeah. If we're going to do this whole like, oh, we got to get it out before somebody gets hurt,

then stop playing the game. Like, what do you mean? Like, I don't know. That's such a, that's such a stupid precedent. I'm going to just say what it is. It's a stupid precedent to set. I love that. Kevin Ostrack. I want to ask you, like, we don't see this from the Ravens, but, you know, imagine a tush push with Lamar Jackson or Derek Henry. That would almost be impossible to stop. The reason why Philadelphia, they're so successful at it, they have the biggest offensive line in the NFL. They're physical and they got a quarterback who could squat 500 pounds. They got a running back who could squat 500 pounds. Like, it works for them because they have the pieces to do it. And, you know, I liked Lane Johnson, he tweeted out something. They hate us because they ain't us. And that's true. Like what are

your thoughts obviously on this proposal? Because I think what there were 16 coaches that were in favor of banning this, which was John Harbaugh. One of them, John Harbaugh, the Ravens, he said they were undecided on which way to vote, but Harbaugh, it sounded like they were in favor of keeping it in the game. Harbaugh ended up saying that it's a football play and while they didn't know which way they're going to vote, I mean, his brother Jim over at the Chargers said, it's a legal play. You got to stop it or get good at running it yourself.

Like that's exactly what Rossi was saying. It's like, it's a part of the game. I was surprised when I saw the number 16. I was like, that's actually a lot more than I was we're gonna be in favor of it but actually I'll go to the man who is heading up Mike's team right now Mike Frable who actually referenced Lamar Jackson in his answer talking about hey Lamar Jackson he's hard to stop when he has the football should we just ban Lamar Jackson from being able to run like it's exactly what you were saying, Rosanatma Holmes and the sideways throws. Like it's kind of what you talk about

when your teams are running up the score on you. And it's like 30 to three. And that team scores another touchdown. And that team that's given up all the points gets butt hurt. And it's like, well, if you don't wanna, just stop the opposing team if you don't want it to happen to you.

So I don't know, I feel like they should keep it in the game. It's not illegal. There's no legal formation that's going on there. The Eagles have just found a way to use it to their advantage, which other teams have not. And I think, you know, we shouldn't be complaining about it. The injury data, again, I'm sure if it was an unsafe play, there's a different conversation, but I don't really see the need. I mean, Sean McDermott mentioned the added force thing. I don't know. I think it's ridiculous for even having the conversation. Mike debate. How do you feel about the, the push push? I mean, obviously, you know, a team that

your team faces twice per year, they have a variation of it. The Buffalo Bills, which I found to be interesting that Sean McDermott's complaining about it Josh Allen's not necessarily linear forward. He's more so like attacking a gap and then diving. It's Josh Allen's not necessarily linear forward. He's more so like attacking a gap and then diving. It's almost kind of the same exact thing. So I really don't understand where the ground is. Are we going to now prohibit Josh Allen from doing that in games this upcoming season? Yeah.

I mean, I think it goes back to Ross's point about it being a stupid precedent. I mean, Jeffrey Lurie addressed this earlier this week and said, you know, I don't remember a single play like this or a single element of the game being banned just because a team or a couple of teams are doing this well. And if you do end up banning the tush push, teams are going to find a way around it. They're going to find a way to skirt around that, and they're going to find a way to do this more effectively. So to me, I just don't think there's any reason to ban this. I think you should leave it in. It gets back to again, what Ross said earlier, if you want to stop it, stop it. That's really the way it should be. I don't think you should put in rules that prohibit this from

being something you see in the game. If you want to go out and take care of it, you know, learn the way to defend it. And that's the way to prohibit it. But to, to limit it because of a rule or things like that, I think it does. It sets, it's a slippery slope when it comes to NFL rules and it'll only lead to more and more and more down the line. If you imagine 2008, the competition community gets together and says, you know what, Ricky Williams, he's killing us with the wildcat. We got to stop this.

Like we can't. Right. Yeah, Ronnie Brown and that Dolphins team, man. Right. Even the kickoff, right? Like the kickoff, there was legitimate injury data that said that the kickoff is dangerous. What did they do?

They found a way to make it safer. And they did it successfully, by the way. I love the new kickoff rule. Everything that, or well- Shout out Darren Rizzi. Shout out Darren Rizzi. shout out there and Rizzi shout out to the Riz himself. He's super stoked that they that they took in the new new kickoff rules to right now. And so like, they

went down a path to make it safer. And so if the if the tushbush was really about injury, then that's the route that they should go is find a way to make it safer, but they can't do that because it's not unsafe. Like, they didn't ban the kickoff because it was decidedly and provably dangerous. They adjusted it. And so why jump to banning the tush push? It doesn't make any sense.

Yeah. I mean, part of me is one or two. You know, what is the counter though? Like we have yet to see a team really find a way to stop it. I feel like Kansas city probably did the best job. They did the best job against Kansas city. The saints. No, no, no. I was going to say, I know the counter, the counter is don't get in third and one true, like be better on second down. First one yard to go two yards ago. That's always going to be tough here. But you know what we're doing? like you almost treat it kind of like goal line, like you're cutting,

you're cutting the guard so that they forward there. Like that's, that's going to be the counter. You got guys doing front flips over the line of scrimmage. Yeah. Just bring Troy Paul, the Molle bag. That's what I was saying. Bring him out of retirement, have him leap over. He, he can time that thing up. I'm not opposed to it, but I am a little, I am a little bummed out. I want your guys' thoughts on this. I am bummed out as a defensive guy. The Detroit Lions had one proposal not get passed where they were proposing that illegal contact or defensive holdings, not an automatic first down necessarily. I wish that would have been passed a little bit, but I'm curious because I think a lot

of people are split on it. People saying well now DB is gonna intentionally hold no They're not like that's the thing like people have this assumption that if you make it Feasible DBs are just gonna use that to get out of something No I mean how many times are we seeing guys reroute and zone coverage to get flagged for a Ridiculous penalty and it ends up changing the tide of the game. That's one thing. I wish they would have cleaned up Yeah, yeah I'm with you on that.

And I don't think that you're going to get that from DBs because pass interference, still a spot foul. Like that's not going to change. You know what I mean? And so keep that. But the idea of like deep, like illegal contacts of whether being an automatic first now, like that's a little steep to me. Yeah. At the distance. Yeah. The interesting part of it to me is I think if that were a pass and it was a conversation we could have had, if it was, does that become like a judgment call from the refs about you know what's clear holding and

what's pass interference and how that works out and they can review it now. Yeah you have a situation where it's a key moment in the game and you know it's a 10 yard down the field play that would have gotten a first down but instead the DB holds and it's five yards and it's all of a sudden third and five instead of a pass interference spot foul. So that would have been an interesting thing to see unfold because I think some of these things just are up to ref judgment calls and like what they see on the field and then it can be determined. So I guess the automatic first down withholding, I can see the other side. I wish it would have gotten past Duke. Like I can see the other side

of like what controversy it made would have created flag football coming your way here very soon at the level in the next 10 years folks. They think it's something on the horizon here, but with that said, I mean obviously we want to hear your thoughts on some of the NFL rule proposals.

What got pushed forward? The push push got pushed to May table there where they'll revisit and then you'll find eight or nine new votes and suddenly say OK, hey we don't like this play. Let's get it out of here. That's where it's inevitably heading here. Make sure you let us know your thoughts on today's NFL squad show. Up next, we're going to discuss which teams we believe their stock rose the most here in the off season. Did your team make the cut? We'll break that

down much more here on today's NFL squad episode, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's NFL squad show was brought to you by friends over there at the game time app, imagine watching your favorite team live, feeling the energy of the crowd and witnessing unforgettable moments. There's nothing like experiencing a big game in person. I just did that recently with the Denver Nuggets, Nicole Yocas just dropped 60 plus points and I was there for the action because

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has wrapped up. We're onto the NFL draft after the NFL annual meeting, and there are a handful of teams who stock rose and who stock fell this off season. Did your team make the cut? Joined as always by Ross Jackson of Lockdown Saints, Kevin Ostreicher of Lockdown Ravens, and Mike debate of Locked On Patriots. I mean, gentlemen, outside of some of your teams here,

we're gonna discuss the teams that are here, but I'm starting with you, Ross. Which team in the NFL, in your opinion, this off scene, you feel like stock rose the most from free agency right before the draft? Well, there's a team in our presence that I think did one of the best jobs in the NFL, but I'll table that because I know we're going to come back around to it. I think I like in, if I look at the division that I cover,

I kind of like with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did. And a lot of what they did was about retaining talent, but doing it at a level that we didn't think that they would be able to. Jason like says that it's all about the the quarterback and Baker Mayfield, I think it might really be about the boat parties. But I think that it's great. I think that organization has proven to be one of the more better run organizations around the league. And I think that the Bucs have done a really, really solid job here over the offseason retaining talent, bringing in additional talent as well keeping Chris

Godwin was something I'll completely admit I did not think they were going to be able to do this season, especially with the other weapons they have and all this stuff with the rise of Jalen McMillan and Mike Evans still being there and everything like maybe that's not a situation Chris Godwin wants to go to to finish out his career. Might want to go somewhere where he's the guy, but he didn't. And so I like, I'm going to give Tampa Bay a little bit of love. That's a team I don't think that gets it in a lot of these conversations and I think they deserve it.

Should make that NFC South squad show a little bit later on as we can build up the season. Very interesting that Ross was giving out compliments to the Bucks. That's crazy. Oh, my God, Patriots, if you had to pinpoint a team who you feel like stock rose the most in the off season, where are you leaning at here? Yeah, I'm actually going to give you a little bit of love here, Cody. I know that we're looking at the Denver Broncos and I know you're going to go into that in a little bit, so I don't want to take too much of that.

But I was very impressed by the moves that they made this offseason, and I think they've made a lot of strides to be able to move forward. You know, there are a handful of teams right now that you take a look at that have done a pretty good job. I want to give a lot of love to the Chicago Bears and what they've done to that offensive line, simply because Caleb Williams last year was running for his life. And I know all about teams that need offensive line help. And anytime you add someone like a Joe Tuni into the mix, you're adding not only such a high quality player, but a high quality guy in that locker room. And that's so important for a team

that is trying to move forward and trying to groom a young quarterback into becoming one of the more solid teams in the league. So I look at Chicago as someone that definitely moved themselves forward. Now, are they going to be able to compete with the Green Bays and the Detroits and the Minnesotas in their division? That, I think, is still a conversation for another day. Those teams are still clearly, I think, a cut above. But if you want my opinion on a team that did the I think it caught above, but you want my opinion on a team that did the best job they could to help themselves for not just 2025, but subsequent years. I'm looking at the Chicago bears.

Ah, well, you know, Ben Johnson has some spicy words a little bit, uh, you know, from, uh, Le Fleur over there in green Bay. Cause he said one of the things when he was introduced to the Chicago bears head coach, he's like, you know, I really liked it beating Malafur two times a year. Uh, is that going to happen in Chicago? LaFleur was kind of tongue in cheek this week at the NFL annual meeting about that. I'm sure Peter Bukowski and Lauren Cox obviously have locked on Bears and locked on Packers.

They're going to have some fun conversations and some of the future crossover episodes there. Kevin Ostreicher locked on Ravens looking at the widespread, you know, state of the NFL, which team in your opinion stock rose the most this off season? You know, I like what the Vikings did this off season. I think they addressed their trenches a bunch of being, you bring in guys like Ryan Kelly and you also have Wolf Brice.

They spent a lot of money upfront, but not even just on the offensive side of the ball. You bring in Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave. Like they did this whole revamp of this group. They moved on from Garrett Bradbury. I think they saw what happened last season and they said, we need to get bodies in the trenches here. But they also brought back Aaron Jones,

which I thought was a really great fit for them last year. Now, obviously we know that Sam Darnold is no longer there and a lot does hinge on JJ McCarthy. Assuming Aaron Rogers doesn't go there, which we don't really know what the whole situation is there. But assuming Rogers doesn't go, it's going to be on JJ McCarthy. But I thought the Jordan Mason trade was a really undervalued deal that I thought that Minnesota did really well in to pair those two guys together. I mean, I thought that even resigning Byron Murphy, I didn't know if

he was going to stay in Minnesota, but bringing him back is really important too. So I know that there's a lot of conversation around that. And MC've seen North me, Mike just talked about the bears there. It's going to be a really interesting division because I think all four teams have a chance to compete. Obviously Detroit is that team, right? That you have to, you have to be, but I think that all the other three teams in their own way have a shot to surpass them. It's going to be an interesting, uh, gauntlet here. I think, I think as the NFL draft obviously comes up, there's a debate and we've obviously had this discussion with a good friend, Keith Sanchez over there, locked on NFL draft about positional

value is this year's draft top heavy or where does it fall off a little bit? There's that discussion going on right now. I feel like a lot of the teams in free agency this year went out and killed a lot of their needs with fire. I'm curious to see how it's all going to play out though for a team in your division, Kevin, the Cincinnati Bengals who found a way to pay Jamar Chase T Higgins. But Trey Henderson goes on the Pat McPhee show and is very open about what has happened, expressed his frustration with the timeline and that there's been some dishonest communication

at times from both sides. So for them, look, they're going to put up 45, 46 points a game, but they might give up 52 defense. So we'll see how it all. Yeah. That's where I'm at. Like if I had to pinpoint one team, I think is going to take a step back this season and this inside the AFC West. I'm thinking this as well. I think Kansas city, they're a little more vulnerable right now than they ever have. I'm going to wonder. I'm going to worry about them too.

Yeah, I agree. But then again, it's always Kansas City. Like this can come back to bite me in the rear end. When we do our AFC West squad show later on in the season, I just feel like they're vulnerable. At this point, they're able to retain some of their key in-house free agents. You still have my home. You still have Kelsey, but I think the rest of the NFL is getting better around them. And I think that window is kind of ticking here, but I'm curious for that. Rasa, your thoughts on your

division, like for the Saints, I know we're going to get into that coming up here in a minute. Kevin, Mike, obviously we're going to discuss your teams here as well, but if you had to choose one team who stock fell in the NFL, could be in your division, could be league wide. Let's go rapid fire. Where are you starting off with Atlanta Falcons? You got two quarterbacks. You got none. Ooh, that's simple.

Kevin. Uh, well, I like your pick of the Bengals for the division, but if I had to give another team, I'm not sure what Houston is going to do this year. I'm not sure. It's usually the team. I offensive line wise trade, let me tonsil. You have brought in some pieces, but I'm not sure if they're going to be. Yeah, I'm not sure the AFC South might be a little more wide open than we think, despite the fact

that no one seems to want to win. So we'll see. The Titans are going to win that division? Oh my gosh. Tyler Rolland will be on, he'll be on fire if that's the case here. That would be nuts. Mike, where are you headed? Yeah, I mean, I would love to say the New York Jets because obviously as a Patriots guy, you wanna see the Jets fall as much as possible,

but I like the addition of Aaron Glenn as the head coach. I think he's gonna bring a little bit more out of that team than we've seen in the last few years. Buffalo, I'm not going there. I'm not gonna do that to my friend Joe Marino and I'm not gonna do that to that franchise because they will find a way. I am intrigued by what you had to say about Kansas City.

And I understand the feeling of swelling blood in the water. But from someone that covered a team up here for almost 20 years, that everyone said was losing it. Every time they lost, every time they suffered a difficult time You still have andy reed you still have patrick mahomes You still have travis kelsey and you still got steve spagnolo on that defense That's a lot to overcome and bottom line battle tested counts for something in this league. Don't count out

The defending afc champions, champions until they're actually gone. That team is not dead. I've seen the New England Patriots rise from the dead several times after being left on a cliff, so to speak. That's a very difficult slope to the travel. So I'd be very careful about saying Kansas City's epitaph is ready to be written.

Will that happen this year? By the way, New England got better this offseason, in my opinion. I like it. New England's, I thought that was a team that I had referenced to about, like, one of our teams really took some sort of a hard. I thought the Patriots did a great job this offseason so far. Yeah, I really do. I agree with you. The Patriots had holes to fill. They filled them. How they're going to shake out on the field is still a matter of conjecture. How are these

guys going to come together? But needed help on the defensive line? They got Milton Williams. You needed help on the opposite side of Christian Gonzalez. You went out and got Carlton Davis III. You needed help in that receiver room. You went out and got Stefan Diggs. Now, I know a lot of people are saying he's not going to be the same coming back from an ACL. Even if he's not, he's still 10 times better than what they had in that room last year. The only outstanding piece that the Patriots need to fill right now is left tackle. Do they look to the draft? It's looking likely. But I agree with you, Ross. I'm impressed by what New England did. They opened up the checkbook. They weren't afraid to throw caution to the wind this year.

We're going to take a deeper dive here on today's NFL Squad Show about some of the moves made here. Why did the New Orleans Saints commit to sticking with Derek Carr? Well, Ross Jackson is going to tell us here on today's NFL squad episode. The car still runs in New Orleans, Derek Carr obviously sticking with the New Orleans Saints here this offseason or the Saints sticking with him. But is that the long-term plan here under Kellen Moore? We'll break all that down here on today's NFL squad show. We'll go around the table and talk about some of the bigger storylines with each of the teams here that are represented here today. Ross, let's start off with you. I found it a little interesting that obviously with Kellen Moore coming on as the head coach, I think all of us were wondering, are they going to rip the bandaid

off, commit to a rebuild and say, hey, we're going to do this the right way, but they're sticking with Derek Carr. And look, I think if people, the everyday has been tuning into Lock On Saints, there's a lot of interesting insight as to why they did that. Yeah. I'll tell you exactly why it is. Money, money, money, money. That's what it's all about, baby. And if you're a musical fan, money, money, money, money, money, money, whichever one you like. Yeah, man, it's all about the money.

Like the New Orleans Saints were $60 million over the, or $50 plus million over the salary cap when they got into the off season. And a big part of the mechanism to be able to get under the salary cap was restructuring Derek Carr and having 30 million dollars saved against the salary cap immediately. And it cut their overage in more than half and allowed them to be able to go out. They're now sitting with a near 30 million dollar surplus. Gentlemen, when's the last time you remember the New Orleans Saints having 30 million dollars to spend? Right. So this has been a while. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. There was an old guy named Drew Brees

still in the building at that time. And trust me, it was early in his tenure. It was a money move. Like it's what you gotta do. And look, they could have moved on from him in other ways. It still saved money and things like that. Could have talked about a pay cut. He said he wasn't willing to take a pay cut.

Even if he was willing to take a pay cut, what plan did they have behind him at quarterback? And so if those other options were available, that I think it goes to show you that like they want the veteran quarterback for this year as they undergo their transition, as they get into that first year of Kellen Moore, and it gives Kellen Moore kind of a freebie for a year, right? That ain't his quarterback, right? That's somebody else's quarterback.

And then he gets an opportunity to kind of start fresh again next year with a new guy. But 2025 is going to be all about, you know, running it back with Derek Carr, seeing what they can get and then figuring out what they're going to do at the position moving forward after that. Although I don't, I wouldn't be surprised to see them start very openly planning for days after Derek Carr here this off season. It was kind of like what Sean Payton did with Russell Wilson when he came in essentially like, Hey, I'm tied to him, you know, but you don't have as drastic of a dead cap looming over your head. You know, when it comes to tied to him, you know, but you don't have as drastic of a dead cap looming over your head.

You know, when it comes to Derek Harz, the Broncos did and currently do with Russell Wilson still $32 million on the books this year. It's off next year. And then Sean Payton is going to be cooking in free agency at that point even further. So we're excited. Ross, real quick question, kind of a pivot here. Were the salary cap issues in New Orleans, was that a Sean Payton thing or a Mickey Loomis thing?

So it was a COVID thing, is really what it was more than anything else. Like the Saints will always operate at a deficit. Like their healthy salary cap life is being 20 to $30 billion over the salary cap for the upcoming year. Because why not? Why not have $300 million plus another $20 million

of next year salary cap to spend? It makes sense. Some of it works that way. It doesn't really work that way. I'm kind of breaking it down in a different way. They're always going to borrow against next year. They're always going to do that. The thing that really backed them up was that's the way that they were operating.

Then the COVID year happened, and then the salary cap went down for the first time in many, many, many, many, many, many, many years. And so when that happened, that's the thing that actually kind of put them in a situation. So you could say like, it's a Mickey Loomis thing in that that's how they like to operate, but it's a healthy way to operate. The only issue that really, the thing that really caused them issues was the players that kind of sunk a little bit towards the end of their career as they aged. And then the COVID year, which really backed them up so they couldn't get out of those aging contracts in time. It was tough, tough position to be in, but obviously they're finding a way to manage their, I know that COVID year,

Sean Payton and Taysom Hill came to Denver, Latavious Murray ran all over the Broncos out on their way. Was that the, hold on, Kendall Hinton? Was that the Kendall was that the, um, hold on. Same thing. Kindle Hinton. Was that the Kindle Hinton year? Yep. The kind of crazy. He didn't actually like, he didn't get the start because they came out in Wildcat with Phillip Lindsay to start the game and then came in and then took his lumps along the way.

But what they were talking about the coaching staff, they were trying to see if somebody for the coaches staff could go out there at one point, like all of this stuff, like it was crazy. Unbelievable. What they were talking about the coaching staff. They're trying to see if somebody for the coaches staff could go out there at one point like all Like it was crazy Unbelievable, we would have seen a dead body in that especially against that Saints defense that year. That would have been an ideal situation Kevin Ostreicher, obviously we've been doing these squad shows quite some time One of the things you talked about is the the Ravens finding that edge rusher in your opinion Are you comfortable? Are you are you happy with the moves that your team has made here this off season? What is the state of the Ravens right now going into the draft? Yeah, I think they've gotten better. There's not really anybody they lost.

It's making me lose sleep at night. And I think that's different from the past couple of off seasons where the Ravens have had a big laundry list of their own guys who they've either had to bring back on big deals or just not bring back at all. And they now can operate from a space where your floor is most of your team that you had last season, which found their groove offensively and defensively. Obviously it didn't work out for them

in terms of the Super Bowl, but now you've added Deandre Hopkins and you've added guys like Chedobia Wouzie. Just move for move. I think that Deandre Hopkins is a much bigger upgrade over Nelson Aguilar than some people might think. And then Janobia Wouzie over Brandon Stevens, a lot of people in Baltimore are very happy with that move. So they haven't found their edge rusher yet. I mean, it's not that their pass rush was bad.

Fawn Miller's still out there. You look around the rest of the division and the Browns have the guy, Miles Garrett. The Steelers have the guy in TJ Watt. The Bengals for now have the guy in Trey Hendrickson. Maybe. For Baltimore, they don't have that guy. You know what? Maybe we just start the Trey Hendrickson to Baltimore agenda and we leave it at that. I tried the Miles Garrett one. It didn't work out for me. Now we have another opportunity in division to make a deal, make something happen. The Ravens have 11 draft picks and I don't know about for you guys, but when I'm doing the Mach F sealers every

week, I get to like pick eight and I'm like, I don't know who else to take. I don't know what position I'm going with because I've taken two DBs, two D linemen, two O linemen. I'm just like, there are no more needs that I need to take. So I'm taking backup quarterbacks for running backs at that point. So hey, Ravens have a couple of takes that they could maybe operate with. But I think that overall, if the season started today, and really if the season started today, because two of these teams in the division don't have quarterbacks at the Steelers and the Browns, I think the Ravens would still win it. They're still my favorite. So we'll see. Which by the way, team that upgraded this off season, the Cleveland Browns, because they're finally, finally taking their medicine around that terrible, awful Deshaun Watson.

Oh, it was, you know what, from Raven's perspective, I enjoyed the, I, although the one game Deshaun Watson had against balls, he came out second half on a dislocated shoulder went perfect from the field and beat the course in Baltimore and then it was announced that day that he had like dislocated the shoulder and he was done for the season I'm like of course this happens yeah I mean that's I cannot tell you how much that set them back draft capital wise salary cap wise position, positionally. Look, from a mental aspect. Yeah, from an Asian or some sector, but took out a competitor for the Ravens

for a couple more years, although not that Cleveland has been a Ravens competitor for the majority of. Takes a lot to admit that as an organizational, like, hey, we messed up. It's like, it was a big swing. And then I think what, Deshaun Watson posted workout pictures of him in the facility, yeah after yeah he said that sit down Dachon sit down bro he ain't gonna be doing much moving around with that Achilles re-injured there

at that point yeah i mean that damaged goods at that point the next thing in the aFC north is everybody like Ravens fans bangles browns with their everybody's hoping Aaron Rodgers goes to Pittsburgh because i think as much as i think you know, Rogers is had a great on field career We're getting to the point now where right pass rush is gonna get to him What do you what do you pay in for 30 plus 40 plus million a year for? 10 and 7 record 9 and 8 record feels like that's what it could be I want to open up an interesting conversation. You're talking about Aaron Rodgers Unfortunately for some reason he's still on the radar of happen to be talked, which is crazy, right? It's nuts when you think about it.

Is this the year, I want all your thoughts on this, is this the year if the Steelers do in fact sign Aaron Rodgers, is this year Mike Tomlin has his first losing record? Oh, Mike? No, I think it's going to depend on whether or not the Pickens Metcalf marriage on the sideline is going to implode and how long it takes to implode. I think if that does happen, yeah, things might be precarious in the Steel City. But if that doesn't happen, then no, I don't think there's any chance that he has his first losing season. But I don't know. I'm saying that I'm on the fence a little bit about this. I know it sounds like I'm being wishy-washy.

I'm gonna say no. I'm gonna say no that he doesn't have his first losing season. I think Aaron Rodgers is still too talented of a quarterback to let that happen, but boy, I'll tell you, it's gonna be a fun sideshow if he does sign there. I'm really looking forward

to watching this unfold all year long. Yeah, he ain't have losing seasons with Kenny Pickett. He ain't have a losing season with Mason Rudolph. He ain't gonna have a losing season with anyone. Mason's back though. I mean, we're to the point now where Steelers fans want it to be Mason Rudolph or Jackson Dart or Jaylen Miller. They're like anybody but Aaron Rodgers at this point. And now Cam Hayward's walking back. His comments, Sean Elliott was saying that Roger should be in our retirement home or something. So I don't know what that dynamic is going to look like, especially because the wide receiver room with George Pickens and DK Metcalf has its chance to be its own sideshow.

That's an opinionated room, man. Who's sticking with number 14? I didn't quite catch that. DK is number four. So Pickens is. Oh, I was surprised to have like a celebrity boxing master, Le'Veon Bell to be able to get that going. Oh, man.

That'd be dope. I'd have bought that. They've had some personalities in Pittsburgh over the last. We'll get it on. And Mike Tomlin, I would say. Tomlin is a master at it, man. He has maneuvered it perfectly. I mean. Masterful.

Russell Wilson's a little bit of a different one, I think, than some of the other guys he's dealt with, but I thought the way that Tomlin has handled everything throughout, I mean, hold the box since big Ben has stepped away. I don't know if any other coach could have done that in the NFL, right? I think it's hard. Like Bella check. No, we saw how Bella check necessarily was without Brady.

I mean, yeah. You lucked into Matt Castle one year and Matt Castle, you know, cause like, Oh my gosh, what's happening here. The novice he sputtered out, but I can't imagine any other coach right now. McVeigh maybe, I don't know. Yeah, maybe it's, it's tough. It's tough to analyze, but Tomlin though, like I said, I think if Rogers does sign there, I do feel like they are going to be at a point where it is. I think it does come into question. No, whether or not they have a losing season or not.

I think with Cincinnati, we know that they're going to put up points there. Those guys obviously battle there. You know, any AFC North matchup is a bloodbath. Kevin knows it. Kevin's stress levels indicate that on Sundays whenever. So I'm very curious to see how it's all going to go. And look, obviously, you know, we appreciate all you take a time out of your day to

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