June 30, 2022 • 38 mins
Scott and Tori break down the most intriguing Falcons training camp battles, which will determine key contributors to the 2022 campaign. We take a deep dive into the offensive line, edge rushers, linebackers and quarterbacks, determining who will fight for significant roles on this depth chart. Timecodes: (00:00:00): Intro; ranking Falcons camp battles (00:04:17): Offensive line jobs up in the air (00:10:32): Arnold Ebiketie, Ade Ogundeji and Falcons edge rushers (00:19:00): Deion Jones, Mykal Walker and the inside linebackers (00:27:05): Marcus Mariota vs. Desmond Ridder
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
What's up, everybody, and welcome to another summer edition of
The Falcon's Final Whistle podcasts. I'm Scott Bear, doing this
remotely via technology with my partner in crime, Tory mclaney.
What's up? How are you? WHOA? I'm good. It's nice
to see you in your creepy basement. Yeah, there were
some internet troubles and places with better lighting, so now
(00:29):
it has a real like Adams Family vibe right now,
which I tried to prevent by opening windows and turning
on lights, but still haven't quite got there yet. Nonetheless,
we're here talking to you in the middle of the
deadest of all dead periods in the NFL calendar, still
finding plenty of topics about what is I'm gonna call
(00:50):
an intriguing Falcons team with plenty of marks. Last year
we did our last year Wow times. Last week we
discussed some lingering questions between the off season program and
training camp. Now we're going to zero in on a
topic we plan on getting too last week didn't really
have the time to address, and that is training camp
battles and which ones we like and kind of setting
(01:13):
the stage for what's going to happen at the end
of July. The reason why we're going to kind of
jump ahead and really focus on training camp. Tory and
I are going on summer vacation. It's very exciting, me
and the fam. We're going down to the white sand
beaches of the Florida Panhandle. Very exciting. And Tory mclaney
(01:34):
going to Jamaica. Yeah, I can't wait to do all
the Jamaican things. My college friend, she is from Jamaica,
So I'm actually going and doing like real Jamaican stuff,
like not just like going to resort. I am doing that,
but I'm also going to like live with her grandmother
for like two days. So I'm very spotted. That's awesome
(01:57):
because you do need a little bit of time for
laxing on the beach with people just handing you drinks
with umbrellas in them. But then you also need to
like see the actual culture as well. Sounds like a
perfect little combination. Yeah, we're gonna go find some white
sand beaches as well. Let the kids run around in
water that's clear, which for someone who's used to the
(02:17):
having my oceans on the left, the water in the
Pacific not quite so clear. But nonetheless, we're gonna do
all that, and then we're gonna come back and really
start the Falcon's Final Whistle podcast every week until Kingdom come,
starting the week before training camp with a good preview
and an announcement. I'm not gonna give anything off, but
(02:40):
we are this duo is turning into a trio. We
have a new Falcons features writer, very excited to introduce.
The only clue I will give is introduce him to you, guys.
You're gonna love him. He's gonna be on podcasts coming up.
We're very excited to have him, and stay tuned for
that announcement which will come in the coming week. But
(03:00):
let's get to the business at hand, Miss mclaney, and
that is training camp battles we have coming up. There
are a lot of them, which is what happens when
you have a roster in transition, when you are trying
to build talent, as you've pointed out several times during
this offseason, with a multi year strategy. This was not
a one draft in free agency period and fix. This
(03:22):
is a longer term play. So you add people, then
you add guys on prove it deals to get right
with the cap. And what that strategy creates is a
lot of question marks at certain positions. That's not a
bad thing, and I think it's gonna push the level
of competitiveness. It's gonna make training camp, in my opinion,
kind of fun because we're going to see a lot
(03:42):
of guys really getting after it as Arthur Smith tries
to establish a tone of if you want it, go
earn it. So we're gonna get into all those types
of things. We're gonna hit the offensive line obviously, maybe
the linebacker, corps, the edge rusher, not everything is about
who starts right. And then, of course, as we do
and will continue to do, we're going to talk some quarterbacks.
(04:04):
But nonetheless, Tori, what do you think what's your number
one position battle or area where you're excited to see
these guys really get after it this summer. Okay, So
it's funny that you asked me this because I recently
went on eleven Alive with Maria Martin, who's one of
my fellow ladies in sports within the Atlanta area, and
(04:26):
she asked me the same question and I said, on TV,
I go with my whole being said, and I quote
the offensive line, and she laughed about that. When the
camera's cut She laughed about that for a while. She's like,
I was not expecting you to say the offensive line,
and I was like, honestly, I wasn't easier either, And
(04:46):
then you asked me, and it was the only answer
that I really truly felt like compelled to say, because
I think a lot of people are like, oh, quarterbacks
and ed dreshers and linebackers, But for me, I kind
of already feel like I have a good idea of
who I would want where at those positions. With the
offensive line, there's just a lot that I still feel
(05:08):
like I want to see with that group, and a
lot of people who I think will be coming and
being a part of this organization and this roster prior
to the start of training camp, which is something that
we've talked about before, And so I really don't think
we have a collective good look at what this offensive
line could one look like and be once we do
(05:30):
get into kind of the competition, the nitty gritty of it,
I think we haven't seen that yet. So I say
all of that to say that the offensive line. I
know people are like, why in the world would you
pick the offensive line as like one of your biggest
position battles. But I really truly believe that, I really
truly believe the outside of like Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews,
(05:52):
that the competition that we're going to see within the
scope of this offensive line is going to be pretty intense.
And I think that honestly, you know, we I could
be saying all of this and we could get to
the very first week of the season and the same
five offensive line that we saw last year could be
the same offensive line that we see in week one
(06:14):
of this season. That could absolutely happen. But I want
to see the process of getting to that point if
that's what it If that's what happens, So that's my spield.
People can agree or disagree as they see fit, but
that's where I'll be kind of I think hanging my hat.
This training camp is just watching the offensive line. Yeah,
(06:37):
and I'm with you, and I think that that to
kind of dovetail off of what you were talking about
or to continue some of your points, is that it
brings up two important matters. Number One, we were robbed
of offensive line competition last year because of injuries to
Matt Gano, who never was a part of the Falcons
(07:02):
product last year and the fact that Josh Andrews got
hurt early, which moved Jalen Matthews back and forth. So
we never saw competition at left guard, which I think
they sorely needed. We never saw competition at right tackle
because eventually Caylen McGarry just needed to take the job,
and they were so desperate for depth at the position.
They were claiming Colby Gossip off waivers, and they were
(07:23):
adding Jason Spriggs late, and they were doing a lot
of things just to get the nine guys you needed
on the roster. When he wanted the competition at all
of the positions that we're talking about and didn't get it,
and I don't think that that created a lack of
motivation and the guys who eventually took those starting jobs,
it just left a less than desirable situation. Arthur Smith
(07:45):
has alluded to it a couple of different times that
he has long term visions and long term development plans
for four young players like he did with Richie Grant.
Jalen Mayfield got robbed of that long term development plan
and got thrust into it. So I think this is
nothing but a positive. I think the front office did
a good job adding veteran talents with starting experience. You
(08:06):
look at a guy like Jermaine Effetti and your think
that guy did not come here to be a backup.
No way. He's a former first round pick who wants
to kickstart, re energize his career. He wants to re
establish himself as a starter. He's gonna push at right tackle.
He might push at left guard. I think that we're
going to see competition at center because Drew Dalman is
(08:27):
a year above it. And as much as we talk
about offensive line and maybe people think, can we just
fast forward to the next chapter of this podcast please
and talk about quarterbacks, this is why you can't, right, yeah,
Because if the offensive line is not good, if we
don't have the type of competition upfront, the running game
will suffer, the passing game will suffer. Mariota or a
ritter or whoever wins that position battle will be scrambling
(08:50):
for their lives and therefore less effective. So without us
paying attention to these position battles, without them pushing to
be better, then you've got nothing else, right And I
think that some people understand that, but I think they
really need to follow it. It seems weird, Drew Dahman
versus Matt Hennessey, if Eddie versus Caleb McGarry, Jalen Mayfield
(09:11):
versus a number of different people, Atlija Wilkinson, whoever. These
names that you'll get to know because we're gonna write
about them a ton. These position battles are important to
Tory's point, and then end of my rant is that
there's a there's a definite possibility that we could run
it back with the twenty twenty one group, right, but
at least I think fans and the coaching staff will
(09:31):
feel better that unlike last year where injuries messed everything up,
these guys are gonna have to earn that spot. It's
not like, well, I guess we've gotta go with this guy.
It's this guy went out there and proved it, and
I think that that's going to be key. So as
we look through it and we look at, you know,
offensive line, we're talking about three starting spots that are uncertain.
As we move through the rest of these position group battles,
(09:56):
maybe it's less about starting players more about how the
rotation is going to work out. So let's move to
a sexier position on the other side of the ball.
I'm sure the guys who manned this position will love
me calling it sexy, but nonetheless, we're looking at the
edge dreshers here right. They basically hit a hard reset.
Outside of ada Ogandaiji, a lot of older veterans are out,
(10:18):
a lot of younger players are in, including two rookies
Arnold Evocati, D'Angelo Malone Lorenzo Carter. How do you see
this one shuffling out? I think we have an idea,
more of an idea than we do with the offensive line,
but I still think it's gonna be interesting to see
how this rotation plays out. Who's gonna play a lot,
(10:39):
Who's going to be an accent piece. There's a lot
that we still don't know here, Yeah, there is, And
I think this is a position that is going to
change as the season goes on. As guys like Arnold
Ebuketti and De'angela Malone get more live reps under their belt.
I think you could and should see them evolve in
their first year and probably get more playing time as
(11:02):
the year goes on. Nothing against Lorenzo Carter and Audiogundaiji.
They're going to play a significant role in this defense
as well, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that
you're exactly right when you say you know, starters don't
necessarily matter in my opinion, And I say that on
(11:22):
the offensive side too. Like I know, there was one
time last season where I don't know somebody was starting.
It was like Kyle Pitts was not starting. He didn't
come out there for the very first play of a game,
but it's because the package didn't call for Kyle pitch
for that specific play, and then he ran out there
in the second play. So I just hope, I just
(11:44):
want people to get it through their heads that like
starting doesn't necessarily mean anything anymore. Maybe it did at
one point or another, but not anymore. Look at us
both going on soapbox rands within the first five minutes
of this podcast. But in terms of the edge, I
think it's what's really interesting and something that I'm gonna
(12:05):
very much be watching early on is the role of
audio Ogandaiji. I think Lorenzo Carter is you go out
and you get Lorenzo Carter for a reason. He comes
to Atlanta for a reason. I would feel fairly confident
that Lorenzo Carter is going to be the quote unquote
guy in the room. But Audio Ogundeiji is a very
(12:28):
interesting piece of this room and a guy who should
be fighting for a starting spot. He's in his second
year in the league. Granted he was a lower round
draft pick last year. But when I was talking to
Ted Manachino, who's the outside linebackers coach for the Falcons,
at one point last year, we're talking about a couple
(12:49):
months into the season last year, he made the comment
that has stuck with me this entire time, and he
said that they view audi Ogandaiji as the bell cow
of the room. And he made the comm he was like,
there is going to be a lot of fluctuation people
coming in and out of the building, But you know
that audi Ogandiji, he's on his rookie deal. He's gonna
(13:09):
be here for a while. So if they were viewing
him when they drafted him as the quote unquote bell
cow of the room in the future, how quickly can
you get him to that future? Is this the year
that we see that happen for Audio Ogundiji. That's what
I'm just as curious about. Even when talking about Lorenzo
(13:31):
Carter and when you're talking about Dangelo Malone and Arnold Ebaketty.
I think Audio Ogandiji may be caught up in the
shuffle of talking about these guys. And he's somebody who
I think is going to be very very important to
this position group as he grows. Yeah, it's it's he's
the wild card because I think if you look at
the our Lads depth chart or not like depth charts
(13:54):
matter now or the a depth chart which Arthur Smith
brings up a lot, and because he likes to dig
on d lead, which is funny everyone. When you look
at depth charts now, you see Arnold Ebicatie already in
the starting lineup, and Audie has got to look at
that and be like, I'm in my year two. I'm
not gonna just accept that, right. I think the expectations.
(14:14):
I just wrote a bear male response to somebody saying
I think that Arnold Ebicati could be the defensive rookie
of the year and I just want to like slam
on the brakes. I think that it's very possible that
he's a significant player, that he plays significant snaps. He
(14:34):
has all the talent. We don't know, right, Yeah, don't
know what he's going to be, and I think you
really fall into trouble when you have to rely even
on second round picks, when you have to just assume,
PLoP him in, plug and play. Right, this this isn't
especially if you look at edge rushers that you would
think that about. There were three guys taken it in
(14:56):
the top six. Yeah, those expectations on Cavon of it
Oh or Trayvon Walker. I'm blanking on the third guy.
But nonetheless, you know that for the guy who's drafted
number thirty eight, a guy with relative inexperience in the game,
I think that we need to see something at least
with pads on before we start throwing expectations on this
(15:18):
guy or even assuming that he's going to be a
major player. I think it's gonna be interesting to watch
this group overall. Right, you think DeAngelo Malone could be
maybe like a sub package specialist or what have you.
We don't have an idea of how this group is
going to come together. We just know that they're all
very young, even Lorenzo Carter's what twenty six something like that.
(15:38):
So you have a group, and you wonder can Ted
Monachino bring this group together and build a young foundation
in this room that can work together for three or four,
three or four years and if they have to do
better than eighteen sacks, they just do. And Danps said
(15:59):
it extraordinary. Well, sometimes you just need a guy who
can win a one on one matchup without a scheme,
without scheme help and just go get it. Are these
guys the personnel to do it? That? I think is
going to be fascinating. But so let's say that we
pencil in Lorenzo as a three down player on one side.
(16:21):
How could it shake out? Do you think Ada could
take control of it? Do you think it could be
like a buy committee thing with you know, guys kind
of rotating in and out. I don't I'm not sure
how how that could work out. Are you looking at
there's one position, there's Carter and then there's one position
battle like at maybe the strong or the weak side,
or are you looking at both being opened? I kind
(16:42):
of look at I think Lorenzo is a lock in
my opinion. I think because of his experience, especially early
in the season. I don't see how you don't have
him on the field for a majority of the time. However,
I will say this too, I think it also depend pens. Like,
if we're saying Lorenzo's a lock, who's on the other side,
(17:02):
I think it greatly depends on what Dean Pas is
calling one and what the personnel on the other side
is as well. I think that there there's something that
could be said about the way that auDA could specialize
in one thing and Arnold Ebuchhetty could specialize in another.
(17:23):
But the thing about that is is like Dean Pas
loves to do different things, and he doesn't want an
offense to be able to pick up on god on
what they're doing and what they're planning. And so I
honestly even saying that, I think that's not even remotely
what they would try and do. And so because you
don't want to just run let's say Arnold Ebuchetti out
(17:45):
there on a run play and be like, oh, well
there you go when they know we're running the ballah
blah blah blah. But I will say that I do
think there is an opportunity for that other side to
be a bit more fluid according to what the play
call is and what they need in the specific moments. Yeah,
(18:05):
I look at this group and I think one they
have to get Deanp's needs like the basics. Last year,
they couldn't contain mobile quarterbacks. They weren't setting the edge. Well,
there were a lot of basic problems. They got the
Falcons in trouble. They need the basics done. That's why
I know it drove everybody crazy. That's why Stephen Means
played so much. Let's be on a Stephen Means is
a fantastic human and at that point in his career
(18:27):
was a bit unspectacular, but was always in the right
place at the right time right at some points, if
you're talking about just the base level requirements, you have
to do that before you can do anything else. So
finding guys who can do that earning trust in credibility.
Over the course of all these joint practices, right with
the Jets and the Jags and these preseason games, we're
gonna see these guys are gonna have an opportunity to
(18:48):
prove they can do the basics and then can they
do the spectacular on top of it? So how all
that pans out? I really think if I'm picking a
quote unquote like breakout a possible breakout player on this defense,
I look at Lorenzo Carter and I just like I
see his frame and I see his athleticism. You covered
him at yeah, right, I just see so much potential there,
(19:09):
and I just think this could be an eight or
nine sack guy in this Yeah, you know, if he
can really get it done. Um. We spent a lot
of time on the addressers, moving on to another thing
that could be more of a rotational thing or maybe
we're gonna see a straight up three down players at
the inside linebacker spot talked a lot about the outside linebackers,
(19:30):
inside linebackers. We have a lot of options, right, Troy
is super athletic and fast as a jack rabbit. Really,
and you've got I don't know where that came from, cheetah.
I could have gone with cheetah. Maybe you could have
gone with so many, so many different like real animals, right, yeah, no,
(19:53):
I mean, at least I didn't say jack a lope.
But but nonetheless U got Troy Anderson there with Shawn Evans'
former first round pick has experienced Nick Kwikowski when a
little bit from the Raiders has starting experience. Good backup,
Michael Walker. You talked to him this offseason. He is
(20:16):
coming to play, right, Yeah, I mean, and that doesn't
even count Deon Jones. It sounds like Michael Walker is
looking at this like, I don't care who they brought in.
I'm gonna take one of those spots. Yeah. No, that's
exactly how he's viewing it. And I talked to him
kind of like what you're saying. I talked to him
after practice one of the mini camp practices. Don't know
(20:36):
which one it was, could have been any they all
run together, but I asked him, like, do you feel
like this year could be different for you? Because Michael
and I had talked last year about how the year
didn't go the way that he wanted to and I
think he didn't have the playing time that he wanted
to have. And so now transforming that to this year
(20:59):
and knowing that there is an opportunity in front of
you that hasn't been there the last two years, Michael
Walker is ready to run through a brick wall in
order to get one of those starting spots. I know
we just talked about the starting rotation. Starting is not
all that and whatever. Michael Walker wants one of those
(21:20):
spots and he is working like he needs it, and
I think he does at this point in his career
he is just eating at the opportunity to get more
opportunities in this defense. And I think that you saw
he has the playmaker ability. I mean you saw moments
last year where he was making plays that you're like,
(21:42):
I want more of that. And so for Michael Walker,
he we talk about audio Ogundeiji kind of being the
question mark of the edge rushers. Michael Walker and his
continuing development is also a question mark. Can he be
the guy? He used himself as the guy. Can he
be the guy in that room? That's where I think
(22:05):
his trajectory is heading. Now. We need to see what
it actually looks like in that role. I don't want
to rehash what we talked about last time, because we
talked about Dion Jones quite a bit. Yeah, and I
think people appreciated the conversation. We saw that in the
YouTube comments. Thank you guys for all the positivity there.
I don't think we had a single dislike last week.
(22:26):
It's always win, but we talked a lot about Dion
Jones and how he fits in there and if he
fits in there, if he's going to be moved, right,
we don't need to rehash all that, but how let's
say he's here and healthy, he's still Dion Jones right.
Then it becomes less of a position battle if he's there,
because you assume he's going to take one of those spots,
(22:47):
and then it puts a lot of pressure on the
other one. Then you have almost too many qualified candidates
at the same time. If you can go out and
make a move and move on from Dion and get
all these things we talked about last week, something that
if you can get something, take it at this point, right,
just take it. You've built up this depth chart and enough.
(23:09):
But he's the He's the big question mark over the
next couple of weeks about what they're gonna do with
him and how he fits. I do think that they're
well situated for it if he's there. Michael Walker's going
to have a tough road to getting in the starting
lineup because you look at Rashaun Evans and he is
like a mic linebacker right with a capital m ike,
(23:29):
just like Foyer A Luikini was last year. God, I
missed that guy, right. I know. He was such a
good dude. He's on the upward like a trajectory and
it go get the bag dude, and he did that.
But I think not having his personality. I think having
Rashaun Evans there, who is a big personality, who knows
his stuff, who can be a tone setter, You've got
(23:52):
to have that because I think losing Foyer created a
void that you have to fill somehow, don't you think. Yeah,
from as well as anybody, right, Yeah, from the thing
about Foyer was it wasn't just like we saw the
plays and everything. It was how he controlled the defense
from a vocal standpoint. And because Dan Peace talked a
(24:15):
lot about Foyer being the quote unquote quarterback of the defense,
you needed someone. That void in and of itself is
very very difficult to fix or to find a replacement for,
because that you have to trust someone to get everybody
lined up where they need to go, to make the calls,
to have to be vocal with the secondary and with
(24:36):
the guys up front. That part of the game is
very important and it's very hard to replicate within somebody.
So when Foyer goes to the Jagson, like you said,
like makes his money as he should, finding that replacement
was so important, and Rashaun Evans is I think the
best you could have hoped for. Talking to Hershon and
(25:00):
and knowing his history and knowing the type of player
and the type of guy he is, he has that
ability to be vocal within the defense and to do
the things right. That was another thing that I think
DEANPS talked about Foyer a lot, is like you told
him one thing and he did it, and there was
if he made one mistake, he never made that mistake again.
(25:23):
Rashaan Evans, I think, is kind of like that in
a lot of ways, and so I think that part
of it, that part of the game, almost the mental side,
just as much as the physical side, was so important
when you talk about having to replace Foyer with Rashaan Evans, Yeah,
and his history with Danp's definitely helps. He has so
much respect for the coordinator. He understands the scheme and
(25:46):
how and the schematics and how Dean likes to run it.
All those things are key. And we've talked a lot
about the front seven, I think, because if the front
seven can figure it out, you look at the secondary,
and this is a position battle talk necessarily, but you
look at and you think you got aj Turrell and
Casey Hayward's still in his prime and Isaiah Oliver looked
really good, and you think, Okay, if the front seven
can figure it out, the back end seems more secure,
(26:09):
right that, maybe this defense can exceed expectations. And I
think it's also a bonus that with all this talk
that in no way are the Falcons having to shove
Troy Anderson into a thousand snap season, right that that's
not the type of pressure for a guy from a
smaller school in Montana State who's played a lot of
(26:30):
different positions. Maybe he goes out there and earns it
and that's a bonus. But at no point have we
said they're counting on this guy to do X, which
is sort of what you're looking at Drake London. You're
probably counting on him to play and have four figures
in his receiving total. Arnold Ebacatie, we're talking about some
people thinking he's a three down guy. Maybe he doesn't
(26:52):
have to be, but we're talking about the expectations dropping
for a guy who's a second round pick. I think
that's a bonus for Troy Anderson. I think the depth
that linebacker and the fact that some guys are gonna
have to go earn some rolls. I think it's a
good thing. Can they figure out the front seven that's
gonna be key. Can they figure out the quarterback spot?
Now we're here, which means you had to listen to
(27:15):
most of the podcast to get here. Talk about teases
and keeping people glued. Nonetheless, Desmond Rider, Marcus Mariota, this
is as much as I have said, and I think
you agree that it's Marcus Mariota seems like the heavy
and odds on favorite to start the season as QB one.
It doesn't change the fact that this remains an open competition.
(27:38):
I think you wrote it back in March that Marcus
Mariota was guaranteed literally nothing. Arthur Smith didn't say he's
our starter. They go out, they draft Desmond Ritter, and
Desmon Ritter gets complimented on his mental acumen, which is
the important part of the offseason. It's gonna be a battle,
(27:59):
I think, and Desmond Ridter is going to get a
lot of opportunities this preseason to show what he has
the guy. I think there was a report that he
was telling teams and pre draft interviews how he would
unseat a veteran. Well, here we go. This is the opportunity.
They have two mobile quarterbacks. They have a hungry young kid,
they have a guy trying to re establish himself. I
(28:19):
think the competition is going to get the best out
of both guys. How are you looking at these quarterbacks
heading into the training camp period. Yeah, I just think
for Desmond at this point in his career, for Marcus
at this point in his career, the fact that the
(28:39):
other guy in the room is Desmond and Marcus I
think is very good for Desmond and Marcus for all
of the reasons that you just said. Desmond Ritter we
have talked to on a number of occasions. He wants
to be a franchise quarterback. He wants that He very
(29:00):
much believes that he can be that. We saw the
emotion of that that draft call with Terry Fontno, when
Desmond Ritter was like, man, they for lack of a
better or messed up that. You know, I really want
to get the expletive note on the side of the
(29:21):
iTunes uh for our podcast, But I'll say that for
another time. Um maybe I'll go on another rant someday,
but not today. With Desmond Ritter saying that, I think
that that was very very the emotion of which you
felt in that moment, and then also in the moment
(29:41):
since that we've talked to him. This is something he wants,
This is something that he very much feels like he
is made for. So because of that, you have someone
who feels this way going up against someone who wants
to resurrect his career and in Marcus Mariota. At is
so good for both of them to push both of them.
(30:05):
And I think that that part of it is so
interesting when you're talking about this competition, because for so
long we haven't had that. In Atlanta. Matt Ryan has
been Matt Ryan, and he was a lot since he
got here. That is not the case right now. Even
though I feel pretty confident that Marcus Mariotte is going
to be run out their week one, how much are
(30:27):
we going to see Desmond Ritter? How much is he
pushing Marcus? How quickly can Desmond get to that level?
All of these questions are questions that we are going
to be asking for an entire year, and that's something
that I'm very excited about. And I do think that
this is a really good situation for both Marcus and
Desmond at this point in their respective careers. And I
(30:51):
bring this up and This is a tough question to ask,
but Chase Paper from Rochester, New York brought it up
in the mailbag. I think it's a great point in
that he said, I feel like we know what we have,
and by we, I'm talking as Chase. Now, Hey, Jase,
heure out there that he says, the Falcons know that
everybody knows what you're gonna get in Marcus Mariota because
(31:13):
he doesn't have a small sample size of starts sixty
four starts in seventy plus games. You have seen him
for a long time, that maybe his ceiling is what
he has shown. Now I defended, I argued back on
that premise, but we've seen a lot of him in
his NFL career that if we sort of know the
(31:33):
rough that we have a good gauge of what he
is and can be, shouldn't the Falcons think bigger picture
and try to give to you have a true understanding
or a better understanding of what Desmond Ritter is and
what maybe his ceiling is and what his development arc
is heading into. I know we're talking about position battles
leading into training camp and I'm jumping right down a
(31:55):
rabbital here, but don't you need to know what you
have before you go into twenty three. When you have
like a bill, It's not just Bryce and CJ. There's
a lot of good quaterbacks out there. So you have
this thing, right, Arthur Smith, I think is gonna look
short term. Who's gonna give me the best chance to
beat the Saints in week one? Yep? Full stop? Right, yep?
(32:16):
But when do you let the other part of it
come into play? Right? That's the thing that I wonder
And I bring up a very small tangential digression here.
It's too many words, but you know I'm going off
topic for one more second. In twenty fourteen, I covered
the Raiders matt Shop. Someone that Falcons know well was
(32:36):
named the starter in like March, and then Derek Carr
came in and swooped the starting job away that he's
held for a billion years now at the last possible second,
and they realized, we know what we have in shop.
It's this I'm pointing to a relatively low ceiling. And
then Derek Carr has potential. We're gonna go with Derek Carr.
We're gonna stink, but we're gonna do it right. He's
second round pick they went with Carr over a more
(32:59):
established commodity that may have gotten them more wins. They
thought a little big picture. When do you think big picture?
Does any of that make any sense? Or have I
talked too long that my point is now lost? No,
all of that makes sense. And I think it's the
question on a lot of people's minds. I think it's
a question that this coaching staff in this front office
are weighing too. When do you start thinking about that?
(33:19):
If you know? And I think it's going to be
very interesting, because I do think that at some point
we will see Desmond Ritter. I'm not saying that we're
never going to see Desmond Ritter. I do think we
will see him. I think my thing is like, do
we believe that Desmond Ritter is the future of this organization?
And to that I cannot answer one way or the other.
(33:40):
This is not something This is not somebody who was
a top ten draft pick. This is someone who is
a seventy fourth overall pick. Our crazier things have happened,
and people a lot lower on the draft boards have
gone on to be great quarterbacks. That's not what I'm
saying at all. I'm not saying that Desmond Ritter can't
or won't be a great quarterback in this league. But
(34:02):
to your point, when do you find out if he
has that capability? Do you believe that he does? Now?
If you do, then do you run him out there
in Week four? Like, I think that's all. These are
all the questions that we will be able to get
to later and down the road. It's a question that
(34:22):
this coaching staff is currently you know, maybe they're on
a white sandy beach right now, but they are currently
thinking about these questions and how much do you weigh
short term versus the long term goal? And that's very
very interesting. I think the age old saying or whatever
it is, is that coaches think in the short term.
(34:44):
General managers think in the long term. What does that mean?
How does that How does Terry font know and what
he thinks this organization can be coincide with what Arthur
Smith needs them to be in twenty twenty two. Yeah,
it's gonna be a fun topic, I think, probably for
a long time. But getting back to the to the
(35:04):
you know, I exploded the question and expanded it. Getting
back to that, I do think that you probably that
Arthur Smith will think, how can I beat the Saints? Right?
And I think that that's the important question in deciding
who gets that opportunity. I also pushed back a little
bit and say, look, Marcus Mariota was. He was a
dynamic college player. I know there's lots of dynamic college
(35:27):
players who don't go on to be excellent pros. But
he's drafted number two overall. The Titans obviously saw something.
This is a guy that's won a playoff game. It's
a guy that's gone that's produced winning records. Things got
a little askew on him and he got a little
banged up. And I think that we're going to see
the best of Marcus Mariota. What the best of Marcus
Mariota is where that ceiling is. I think we're gonna
(35:49):
find out. Yeah, and he's either going to thrive and
exceed it or he's going to be he was who
we thought he was right. But these are the questions
that are going to be interesting as we moved through
camp and as we see him perform. These joint practices
are going to be important. I bet we see both
guys in the preseason games and we see them continue
on and how that competition heads into camp or goes
(36:13):
through camp, and then how it extends throughout the course
of the regular season when we see Ridder. If we
see Ridder, I think all that stuff is going to
be fascinating. So we're coming up against it here, and
like I said at the start, Tory and I are
going on a little summer vacation Ki t and all
that stuff, and we're going to come back the week
before training camp and we're going to hit it hard
(36:35):
every single week. We have plans for Falcon's Final Whistle
that are like the coolest. Let's be honest. We're talking
about live podcasts at training camp. We're talking about player guests,
we're talking about miniseries. One's already been recorded, and it's
super freaking awesome starting Tory mclaney on like Heats. So
we're gonna be doing a lot of different and really
(36:56):
cool stuff with the podcast after we after these messages,
after we take a little bit of a break, and
we'll be coming back rejuvenated, excited about what's to come
with an extra member of the team. So are gonna
be awesome. Guys, Thank you so much. Why don't you
subscribe and rate and review and all that fun stuff
and get us pumped and get us ready for Falcon's
(37:20):
final whist. Will coming back full time in late July.
Thank you guys so much for listening. Tori any final thoughts,
because I've just been ranting forever. I mean, over the
next two weeks to all of our listeners, go be
kind to someone, Go make someone smile. One day you have,
however many weeks until we come back. I want to
(37:41):
hear about the person that you did something nice for.
Spread some kindness out there behind to your fellow neighbor,
and maybe do what we're doing, get away from football
for a little bit. Rejuvenated, pumped and ready to go.
Thank you guys so much, and we'll talk to you
in a few weeks. Bettman bet
What's up, everybody, and welcome to another summer edition of
The Falcon's Final Whistle podcasts. I'm Scott Bear, doing this
remotely via technology with my partner in crime, Tory mclaney.
What's up? How are you? WHOA? I'm good. It's nice
to see you in your creepy basement. Yeah, there were
some internet troubles and places with better lighting, so now
(00:29):
it has a real like Adams Family vibe right now,
which I tried to prevent by opening windows and turning
on lights, but still haven't quite got there yet. Nonetheless,
we're here talking to you in the middle of the
deadest of all dead periods in the NFL calendar, still
finding plenty of topics about what is I'm gonna call
(00:50):
an intriguing Falcons team with plenty of marks. Last year
we did our last year Wow times. Last week we
discussed some lingering questions between the off season program and
training camp. Now we're going to zero in on a
topic we plan on getting too last week didn't really
have the time to address, and that is training camp
battles and which ones we like and kind of setting
(01:13):
the stage for what's going to happen at the end
of July. The reason why we're going to kind of
jump ahead and really focus on training camp. Tory and
I are going on summer vacation. It's very exciting, me
and the fam. We're going down to the white sand
beaches of the Florida Panhandle. Very exciting. And Tory mclaney
(01:34):
going to Jamaica. Yeah, I can't wait to do all
the Jamaican things. My college friend, she is from Jamaica,
So I'm actually going and doing like real Jamaican stuff,
like not just like going to resort. I am doing that,
but I'm also going to like live with her grandmother
for like two days. So I'm very spotted. That's awesome
(01:57):
because you do need a little bit of time for
laxing on the beach with people just handing you drinks
with umbrellas in them. But then you also need to
like see the actual culture as well. Sounds like a
perfect little combination. Yeah, we're gonna go find some white
sand beaches as well. Let the kids run around in
water that's clear, which for someone who's used to the
(02:17):
having my oceans on the left, the water in the
Pacific not quite so clear. But nonetheless, we're gonna do
all that, and then we're gonna come back and really
start the Falcon's Final Whistle podcast every week until Kingdom come,
starting the week before training camp with a good preview
and an announcement. I'm not gonna give anything off, but
(02:40):
we are this duo is turning into a trio. We
have a new Falcons features writer, very excited to introduce.
The only clue I will give is introduce him to you, guys.
You're gonna love him. He's gonna be on podcasts coming up.
We're very excited to have him, and stay tuned for
that announcement which will come in the coming week. But
(03:00):
let's get to the business at hand, Miss mclaney, and
that is training camp battles we have coming up. There
are a lot of them, which is what happens when
you have a roster in transition, when you are trying
to build talent, as you've pointed out several times during
this offseason, with a multi year strategy. This was not
a one draft in free agency period and fix. This
(03:22):
is a longer term play. So you add people, then
you add guys on prove it deals to get right
with the cap. And what that strategy creates is a
lot of question marks at certain positions. That's not a
bad thing, and I think it's gonna push the level
of competitiveness. It's gonna make training camp, in my opinion,
kind of fun because we're going to see a lot
(03:42):
of guys really getting after it as Arthur Smith tries
to establish a tone of if you want it, go
earn it. So we're gonna get into all those types
of things. We're gonna hit the offensive line obviously, maybe
the linebacker, corps, the edge rusher, not everything is about
who starts right. And then, of course, as we do
and will continue to do, we're going to talk some quarterbacks.
(04:04):
But nonetheless, Tori, what do you think what's your number
one position battle or area where you're excited to see
these guys really get after it this summer. Okay, So
it's funny that you asked me this because I recently
went on eleven Alive with Maria Martin, who's one of
my fellow ladies in sports within the Atlanta area, and
(04:26):
she asked me the same question and I said, on TV,
I go with my whole being said, and I quote
the offensive line, and she laughed about that. When the
camera's cut She laughed about that for a while. She's like,
I was not expecting you to say the offensive line,
and I was like, honestly, I wasn't easier either, And
(04:46):
then you asked me, and it was the only answer
that I really truly felt like compelled to say, because
I think a lot of people are like, oh, quarterbacks
and ed dreshers and linebackers, But for me, I kind
of already feel like I have a good idea of
who I would want where at those positions. With the
offensive line, there's just a lot that I still feel
(05:08):
like I want to see with that group, and a
lot of people who I think will be coming and
being a part of this organization and this roster prior
to the start of training camp, which is something that
we've talked about before, And so I really don't think
we have a collective good look at what this offensive
line could one look like and be once we do
(05:30):
get into kind of the competition, the nitty gritty of it,
I think we haven't seen that yet. So I say
all of that to say that the offensive line. I
know people are like, why in the world would you
pick the offensive line as like one of your biggest
position battles. But I really truly believe that, I really
truly believe the outside of like Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews,
(05:52):
that the competition that we're going to see within the
scope of this offensive line is going to be pretty intense.
And I think that honestly, you know, we I could
be saying all of this and we could get to
the very first week of the season and the same
five offensive line that we saw last year could be
the same offensive line that we see in week one
(06:14):
of this season. That could absolutely happen. But I want
to see the process of getting to that point if
that's what it If that's what happens, So that's my spield.
People can agree or disagree as they see fit, but
that's where I'll be kind of I think hanging my hat.
This training camp is just watching the offensive line. Yeah,
(06:37):
and I'm with you, and I think that that to
kind of dovetail off of what you were talking about
or to continue some of your points, is that it
brings up two important matters. Number One, we were robbed
of offensive line competition last year because of injuries to
Matt Gano, who never was a part of the Falcons
(07:02):
product last year and the fact that Josh Andrews got
hurt early, which moved Jalen Matthews back and forth. So
we never saw competition at left guard, which I think
they sorely needed. We never saw competition at right tackle
because eventually Caylen McGarry just needed to take the job,
and they were so desperate for depth at the position.
They were claiming Colby Gossip off waivers, and they were
(07:23):
adding Jason Spriggs late, and they were doing a lot
of things just to get the nine guys you needed
on the roster. When he wanted the competition at all
of the positions that we're talking about and didn't get it,
and I don't think that that created a lack of
motivation and the guys who eventually took those starting jobs,
it just left a less than desirable situation. Arthur Smith
(07:45):
has alluded to it a couple of different times that
he has long term visions and long term development plans
for four young players like he did with Richie Grant.
Jalen Mayfield got robbed of that long term development plan
and got thrust into it. So I think this is
nothing but a positive. I think the front office did
a good job adding veteran talents with starting experience. You
(08:06):
look at a guy like Jermaine Effetti and your think
that guy did not come here to be a backup.
No way. He's a former first round pick who wants
to kickstart, re energize his career. He wants to re
establish himself as a starter. He's gonna push at right tackle.
He might push at left guard. I think that we're
going to see competition at center because Drew Dalman is
(08:27):
a year above it. And as much as we talk
about offensive line and maybe people think, can we just
fast forward to the next chapter of this podcast please
and talk about quarterbacks, this is why you can't, right, yeah,
Because if the offensive line is not good, if we
don't have the type of competition upfront, the running game
will suffer, the passing game will suffer. Mariota or a
ritter or whoever wins that position battle will be scrambling
(08:50):
for their lives and therefore less effective. So without us
paying attention to these position battles, without them pushing to
be better, then you've got nothing else, right And I
think that some people understand that, but I think they
really need to follow it. It seems weird, Drew Dahman
versus Matt Hennessey, if Eddie versus Caleb McGarry, Jalen Mayfield
(09:11):
versus a number of different people, Atlija Wilkinson, whoever. These
names that you'll get to know because we're gonna write
about them a ton. These position battles are important to
Tory's point, and then end of my rant is that
there's a there's a definite possibility that we could run
it back with the twenty twenty one group, right, but
at least I think fans and the coaching staff will
(09:31):
feel better that unlike last year where injuries messed everything up,
these guys are gonna have to earn that spot. It's
not like, well, I guess we've gotta go with this guy.
It's this guy went out there and proved it, and
I think that that's going to be key. So as
we look through it and we look at, you know,
offensive line, we're talking about three starting spots that are uncertain.
As we move through the rest of these position group battles,
(09:56):
maybe it's less about starting players more about how the
rotation is going to work out. So let's move to
a sexier position on the other side of the ball.
I'm sure the guys who manned this position will love
me calling it sexy, but nonetheless, we're looking at the
edge dreshers here right. They basically hit a hard reset.
Outside of ada Ogandaiji, a lot of older veterans are out,
(10:18):
a lot of younger players are in, including two rookies
Arnold Evocati, D'Angelo Malone Lorenzo Carter. How do you see
this one shuffling out? I think we have an idea,
more of an idea than we do with the offensive line,
but I still think it's gonna be interesting to see
how this rotation plays out. Who's gonna play a lot,
(10:39):
Who's going to be an accent piece. There's a lot
that we still don't know here, Yeah, there is, And
I think this is a position that is going to
change as the season goes on. As guys like Arnold
Ebuketti and De'angela Malone get more live reps under their belt.
I think you could and should see them evolve in
their first year and probably get more playing time as
(11:02):
the year goes on. Nothing against Lorenzo Carter and Audiogundaiji.
They're going to play a significant role in this defense
as well, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that
you're exactly right when you say you know, starters don't
necessarily matter in my opinion, And I say that on
(11:22):
the offensive side too. Like I know, there was one
time last season where I don't know somebody was starting.
It was like Kyle Pitts was not starting. He didn't
come out there for the very first play of a game,
but it's because the package didn't call for Kyle pitch
for that specific play, and then he ran out there
in the second play. So I just hope, I just
(11:44):
want people to get it through their heads that like
starting doesn't necessarily mean anything anymore. Maybe it did at
one point or another, but not anymore. Look at us
both going on soapbox rands within the first five minutes
of this podcast. But in terms of the edge, I
think it's what's really interesting and something that I'm gonna
(12:05):
very much be watching early on is the role of
audio Ogandaiji. I think Lorenzo Carter is you go out
and you get Lorenzo Carter for a reason. He comes
to Atlanta for a reason. I would feel fairly confident
that Lorenzo Carter is going to be the quote unquote
guy in the room. But Audio Ogundeiji is a very
(12:28):
interesting piece of this room and a guy who should
be fighting for a starting spot. He's in his second
year in the league. Granted he was a lower round
draft pick last year. But when I was talking to
Ted Manachino, who's the outside linebackers coach for the Falcons,
at one point last year, we're talking about a couple
(12:49):
months into the season last year, he made the comment
that has stuck with me this entire time, and he
said that they view audi Ogandaiji as the bell cow
of the room. And he made the comm he was like,
there is going to be a lot of fluctuation people
coming in and out of the building, But you know
that audi Ogandiji, he's on his rookie deal. He's gonna
(13:09):
be here for a while. So if they were viewing
him when they drafted him as the quote unquote bell
cow of the room in the future, how quickly can
you get him to that future? Is this the year
that we see that happen for Audio Ogundiji. That's what
I'm just as curious about. Even when talking about Lorenzo
(13:31):
Carter and when you're talking about Dangelo Malone and Arnold Ebaketty.
I think Audio Ogandiji may be caught up in the
shuffle of talking about these guys. And he's somebody who
I think is going to be very very important to
this position group as he grows. Yeah, it's it's he's
the wild card because I think if you look at
the our Lads depth chart or not like depth charts
(13:54):
matter now or the a depth chart which Arthur Smith
brings up a lot, and because he likes to dig
on d lead, which is funny everyone. When you look
at depth charts now, you see Arnold Ebicatie already in
the starting lineup, and Audie has got to look at
that and be like, I'm in my year two. I'm
not gonna just accept that, right. I think the expectations.
(14:14):
I just wrote a bear male response to somebody saying
I think that Arnold Ebicati could be the defensive rookie
of the year and I just want to like slam
on the brakes. I think that it's very possible that
he's a significant player, that he plays significant snaps. He
(14:34):
has all the talent. We don't know, right, Yeah, don't
know what he's going to be, and I think you
really fall into trouble when you have to rely even
on second round picks, when you have to just assume,
PLoP him in, plug and play. Right, this this isn't
especially if you look at edge rushers that you would
think that about. There were three guys taken it in
(14:56):
the top six. Yeah, those expectations on Cavon of it
Oh or Trayvon Walker. I'm blanking on the third guy.
But nonetheless, you know that for the guy who's drafted
number thirty eight, a guy with relative inexperience in the game,
I think that we need to see something at least
with pads on before we start throwing expectations on this
(15:18):
guy or even assuming that he's going to be a
major player. I think it's gonna be interesting to watch
this group overall. Right, you think DeAngelo Malone could be
maybe like a sub package specialist or what have you.
We don't have an idea of how this group is
going to come together. We just know that they're all
very young, even Lorenzo Carter's what twenty six something like that.
(15:38):
So you have a group, and you wonder can Ted
Monachino bring this group together and build a young foundation
in this room that can work together for three or four,
three or four years and if they have to do
better than eighteen sacks, they just do. And Danps said
(15:59):
it extraordinary. Well, sometimes you just need a guy who
can win a one on one matchup without a scheme,
without scheme help and just go get it. Are these
guys the personnel to do it? That? I think is
going to be fascinating. But so let's say that we
pencil in Lorenzo as a three down player on one side.
(16:21):
How could it shake out? Do you think Ada could
take control of it? Do you think it could be
like a buy committee thing with you know, guys kind
of rotating in and out. I don't I'm not sure
how how that could work out. Are you looking at
there's one position, there's Carter and then there's one position
battle like at maybe the strong or the weak side,
or are you looking at both being opened? I kind
(16:42):
of look at I think Lorenzo is a lock in
my opinion. I think because of his experience, especially early
in the season. I don't see how you don't have
him on the field for a majority of the time. However,
I will say this too, I think it also depend pens. Like,
if we're saying Lorenzo's a lock, who's on the other side,
(17:02):
I think it greatly depends on what Dean Pas is
calling one and what the personnel on the other side
is as well. I think that there there's something that
could be said about the way that auDA could specialize
in one thing and Arnold Ebuchhetty could specialize in another.
(17:23):
But the thing about that is is like Dean Pas
loves to do different things, and he doesn't want an
offense to be able to pick up on god on
what they're doing and what they're planning. And so I
honestly even saying that, I think that's not even remotely
what they would try and do. And so because you
don't want to just run let's say Arnold Ebuchetti out
(17:45):
there on a run play and be like, oh, well
there you go when they know we're running the ballah
blah blah blah. But I will say that I do
think there is an opportunity for that other side to
be a bit more fluid according to what the play
call is and what they need in the specific moments. Yeah,
(18:05):
I look at this group and I think one they
have to get Deanp's needs like the basics. Last year,
they couldn't contain mobile quarterbacks. They weren't setting the edge. Well,
there were a lot of basic problems. They got the
Falcons in trouble. They need the basics done. That's why
I know it drove everybody crazy. That's why Stephen Means
played so much. Let's be on a Stephen Means is
a fantastic human and at that point in his career
(18:27):
was a bit unspectacular, but was always in the right
place at the right time right at some points, if
you're talking about just the base level requirements, you have
to do that before you can do anything else. So
finding guys who can do that earning trust in credibility.
Over the course of all these joint practices, right with
the Jets and the Jags and these preseason games, we're
gonna see these guys are gonna have an opportunity to
(18:48):
prove they can do the basics and then can they
do the spectacular on top of it? So how all
that pans out? I really think if I'm picking a
quote unquote like breakout a possible breakout player on this defense,
I look at Lorenzo Carter and I just like I
see his frame and I see his athleticism. You covered
him at yeah, right, I just see so much potential there,
(19:09):
and I just think this could be an eight or
nine sack guy in this Yeah, you know, if he
can really get it done. Um. We spent a lot
of time on the addressers, moving on to another thing
that could be more of a rotational thing or maybe
we're gonna see a straight up three down players at
the inside linebacker spot talked a lot about the outside linebackers,
(19:30):
inside linebackers. We have a lot of options, right, Troy
is super athletic and fast as a jack rabbit. Really,
and you've got I don't know where that came from, cheetah.
I could have gone with cheetah. Maybe you could have
gone with so many, so many different like real animals, right, yeah, no,
(19:53):
I mean, at least I didn't say jack a lope.
But but nonetheless U got Troy Anderson there with Shawn Evans'
former first round pick has experienced Nick Kwikowski when a
little bit from the Raiders has starting experience. Good backup,
Michael Walker. You talked to him this offseason. He is
(20:16):
coming to play, right, Yeah, I mean, and that doesn't
even count Deon Jones. It sounds like Michael Walker is
looking at this like, I don't care who they brought in.
I'm gonna take one of those spots. Yeah. No, that's
exactly how he's viewing it. And I talked to him
kind of like what you're saying. I talked to him
after practice one of the mini camp practices. Don't know
(20:36):
which one it was, could have been any they all
run together, but I asked him, like, do you feel
like this year could be different for you? Because Michael
and I had talked last year about how the year
didn't go the way that he wanted to and I
think he didn't have the playing time that he wanted
to have. And so now transforming that to this year
(20:59):
and knowing that there is an opportunity in front of
you that hasn't been there the last two years, Michael
Walker is ready to run through a brick wall in
order to get one of those starting spots. I know
we just talked about the starting rotation. Starting is not
all that and whatever. Michael Walker wants one of those
(21:20):
spots and he is working like he needs it, and
I think he does at this point in his career
he is just eating at the opportunity to get more
opportunities in this defense. And I think that you saw
he has the playmaker ability. I mean you saw moments
last year where he was making plays that you're like,
(21:42):
I want more of that. And so for Michael Walker,
he we talk about audio Ogundeiji kind of being the
question mark of the edge rushers. Michael Walker and his
continuing development is also a question mark. Can he be
the guy? He used himself as the guy. Can he
be the guy in that room? That's where I think
(22:05):
his trajectory is heading. Now. We need to see what
it actually looks like in that role. I don't want
to rehash what we talked about last time, because we
talked about Dion Jones quite a bit. Yeah, and I
think people appreciated the conversation. We saw that in the
YouTube comments. Thank you guys for all the positivity there.
I don't think we had a single dislike last week.
(22:26):
It's always win, but we talked a lot about Dion
Jones and how he fits in there and if he
fits in there, if he's going to be moved, right,
we don't need to rehash all that, but how let's
say he's here and healthy, he's still Dion Jones right.
Then it becomes less of a position battle if he's there,
because you assume he's going to take one of those spots,
(22:47):
and then it puts a lot of pressure on the
other one. Then you have almost too many qualified candidates
at the same time. If you can go out and
make a move and move on from Dion and get
all these things we talked about last week, something that
if you can get something, take it at this point, right,
just take it. You've built up this depth chart and enough.
(23:09):
But he's the He's the big question mark over the
next couple of weeks about what they're gonna do with
him and how he fits. I do think that they're
well situated for it if he's there. Michael Walker's going
to have a tough road to getting in the starting
lineup because you look at Rashaun Evans and he is
like a mic linebacker right with a capital m ike,
(23:29):
just like Foyer A Luikini was last year. God, I
missed that guy, right. I know. He was such a
good dude. He's on the upward like a trajectory and
it go get the bag dude, and he did that.
But I think not having his personality. I think having
Rashaun Evans there, who is a big personality, who knows
his stuff, who can be a tone setter, You've got
(23:52):
to have that because I think losing Foyer created a
void that you have to fill somehow, don't you think. Yeah,
from as well as anybody, right, Yeah, from the thing
about Foyer was it wasn't just like we saw the
plays and everything. It was how he controlled the defense
from a vocal standpoint. And because Dan Peace talked a
(24:15):
lot about Foyer being the quote unquote quarterback of the defense,
you needed someone. That void in and of itself is
very very difficult to fix or to find a replacement for,
because that you have to trust someone to get everybody
lined up where they need to go, to make the calls,
to have to be vocal with the secondary and with
(24:36):
the guys up front. That part of the game is
very important and it's very hard to replicate within somebody.
So when Foyer goes to the Jagson, like you said,
like makes his money as he should, finding that replacement
was so important, and Rashaun Evans is I think the
best you could have hoped for. Talking to Hershon and
(25:00):
and knowing his history and knowing the type of player
and the type of guy he is, he has that
ability to be vocal within the defense and to do
the things right. That was another thing that I think
DEANPS talked about Foyer a lot, is like you told
him one thing and he did it, and there was
if he made one mistake, he never made that mistake again.
(25:23):
Rashaan Evans, I think, is kind of like that in
a lot of ways, and so I think that part
of it, that part of the game, almost the mental side,
just as much as the physical side, was so important
when you talk about having to replace Foyer with Rashaan Evans, Yeah,
and his history with Danp's definitely helps. He has so
much respect for the coordinator. He understands the scheme and
(25:46):
how and the schematics and how Dean likes to run it.
All those things are key. And we've talked a lot
about the front seven, I think, because if the front
seven can figure it out, you look at the secondary,
and this is a position battle talk necessarily, but you
look at and you think you got aj Turrell and
Casey Hayward's still in his prime and Isaiah Oliver looked
really good, and you think, Okay, if the front seven
can figure it out, the back end seems more secure,
(26:09):
right that, maybe this defense can exceed expectations. And I
think it's also a bonus that with all this talk
that in no way are the Falcons having to shove
Troy Anderson into a thousand snap season, right that that's
not the type of pressure for a guy from a
smaller school in Montana State who's played a lot of
(26:30):
different positions. Maybe he goes out there and earns it
and that's a bonus. But at no point have we
said they're counting on this guy to do X, which
is sort of what you're looking at Drake London. You're
probably counting on him to play and have four figures
in his receiving total. Arnold Ebacatie, we're talking about some
people thinking he's a three down guy. Maybe he doesn't
(26:52):
have to be, but we're talking about the expectations dropping
for a guy who's a second round pick. I think
that's a bonus for Troy Anderson. I think the depth
that linebacker and the fact that some guys are gonna
have to go earn some rolls. I think it's a
good thing. Can they figure out the front seven that's
gonna be key. Can they figure out the quarterback spot?
Now we're here, which means you had to listen to
(27:15):
most of the podcast to get here. Talk about teases
and keeping people glued. Nonetheless, Desmond Rider, Marcus Mariota, this
is as much as I have said, and I think
you agree that it's Marcus Mariota seems like the heavy
and odds on favorite to start the season as QB one.
It doesn't change the fact that this remains an open competition.
(27:38):
I think you wrote it back in March that Marcus
Mariota was guaranteed literally nothing. Arthur Smith didn't say he's
our starter. They go out, they draft Desmond Ritter, and
Desmon Ritter gets complimented on his mental acumen, which is
the important part of the offseason. It's gonna be a battle,
(27:59):
I think, and Desmond Ridter is going to get a
lot of opportunities this preseason to show what he has
the guy. I think there was a report that he
was telling teams and pre draft interviews how he would
unseat a veteran. Well, here we go. This is the opportunity.
They have two mobile quarterbacks. They have a hungry young kid,
they have a guy trying to re establish himself. I
(28:19):
think the competition is going to get the best out
of both guys. How are you looking at these quarterbacks
heading into the training camp period. Yeah, I just think
for Desmond at this point in his career, for Marcus
at this point in his career, the fact that the
(28:39):
other guy in the room is Desmond and Marcus I
think is very good for Desmond and Marcus for all
of the reasons that you just said. Desmond Ritter we
have talked to on a number of occasions. He wants
to be a franchise quarterback. He wants that He very
(29:00):
much believes that he can be that. We saw the
emotion of that that draft call with Terry Fontno, when
Desmond Ritter was like, man, they for lack of a
better or messed up that. You know, I really want
to get the expletive note on the side of the
(29:21):
iTunes uh for our podcast, But I'll say that for
another time. Um maybe I'll go on another rant someday,
but not today. With Desmond Ritter saying that, I think
that that was very very the emotion of which you
felt in that moment, and then also in the moment
(29:41):
since that we've talked to him. This is something he wants,
This is something that he very much feels like he
is made for. So because of that, you have someone
who feels this way going up against someone who wants
to resurrect his career and in Marcus Mariota. At is
so good for both of them to push both of them.
(30:05):
And I think that that part of it is so
interesting when you're talking about this competition, because for so
long we haven't had that. In Atlanta. Matt Ryan has
been Matt Ryan, and he was a lot since he
got here. That is not the case right now. Even
though I feel pretty confident that Marcus Mariotte is going
to be run out their week one, how much are
(30:27):
we going to see Desmond Ritter? How much is he
pushing Marcus? How quickly can Desmond get to that level?
All of these questions are questions that we are going
to be asking for an entire year, and that's something
that I'm very excited about. And I do think that
this is a really good situation for both Marcus and
Desmond at this point in their respective careers. And I
(30:51):
bring this up and This is a tough question to ask,
but Chase Paper from Rochester, New York brought it up
in the mailbag. I think it's a great point in
that he said, I feel like we know what we have,
and by we, I'm talking as Chase. Now, Hey, Jase,
heure out there that he says, the Falcons know that
everybody knows what you're gonna get in Marcus Mariota because
(31:13):
he doesn't have a small sample size of starts sixty
four starts in seventy plus games. You have seen him
for a long time, that maybe his ceiling is what
he has shown. Now I defended, I argued back on
that premise, but we've seen a lot of him in
his NFL career that if we sort of know the
(31:33):
rough that we have a good gauge of what he
is and can be, shouldn't the Falcons think bigger picture
and try to give to you have a true understanding
or a better understanding of what Desmond Ritter is and
what maybe his ceiling is and what his development arc
is heading into. I know we're talking about position battles
leading into training camp and I'm jumping right down a
(31:55):
rabbital here, but don't you need to know what you
have before you go into twenty three. When you have
like a bill, It's not just Bryce and CJ. There's
a lot of good quaterbacks out there. So you have
this thing, right, Arthur Smith, I think is gonna look
short term. Who's gonna give me the best chance to
beat the Saints in week one? Yep? Full stop? Right, yep?
(32:16):
But when do you let the other part of it
come into play? Right? That's the thing that I wonder
And I bring up a very small tangential digression here.
It's too many words, but you know I'm going off
topic for one more second. In twenty fourteen, I covered
the Raiders matt Shop. Someone that Falcons know well was
(32:36):
named the starter in like March, and then Derek Carr
came in and swooped the starting job away that he's
held for a billion years now at the last possible second,
and they realized, we know what we have in shop.
It's this I'm pointing to a relatively low ceiling. And
then Derek Carr has potential. We're gonna go with Derek Carr.
We're gonna stink, but we're gonna do it right. He's
second round pick they went with Carr over a more
(32:59):
established commodity that may have gotten them more wins. They
thought a little big picture. When do you think big picture?
Does any of that make any sense? Or have I
talked too long that my point is now lost? No,
all of that makes sense. And I think it's the
question on a lot of people's minds. I think it's
a question that this coaching staff in this front office
are weighing too. When do you start thinking about that?
(33:19):
If you know? And I think it's going to be
very interesting, because I do think that at some point
we will see Desmond Ritter. I'm not saying that we're
never going to see Desmond Ritter. I do think we
will see him. I think my thing is like, do
we believe that Desmond Ritter is the future of this organization?
And to that I cannot answer one way or the other.
(33:40):
This is not something This is not somebody who was
a top ten draft pick. This is someone who is
a seventy fourth overall pick. Our crazier things have happened,
and people a lot lower on the draft boards have
gone on to be great quarterbacks. That's not what I'm
saying at all. I'm not saying that Desmond Ritter can't
or won't be a great quarterback in this league. But
(34:02):
to your point, when do you find out if he
has that capability? Do you believe that he does? Now?
If you do, then do you run him out there
in Week four? Like, I think that's all. These are
all the questions that we will be able to get
to later and down the road. It's a question that
(34:22):
this coaching staff is currently you know, maybe they're on
a white sandy beach right now, but they are currently
thinking about these questions and how much do you weigh
short term versus the long term goal? And that's very
very interesting. I think the age old saying or whatever
it is, is that coaches think in the short term.
(34:44):
General managers think in the long term. What does that mean?
How does that How does Terry font know and what
he thinks this organization can be coincide with what Arthur
Smith needs them to be in twenty twenty two. Yeah,
it's gonna be a fun topic, I think, probably for
a long time. But getting back to the to the
(35:04):
you know, I exploded the question and expanded it. Getting
back to that, I do think that you probably that
Arthur Smith will think, how can I beat the Saints? Right?
And I think that that's the important question in deciding
who gets that opportunity. I also pushed back a little
bit and say, look, Marcus Mariota was. He was a
dynamic college player. I know there's lots of dynamic college
(35:27):
players who don't go on to be excellent pros. But
he's drafted number two overall. The Titans obviously saw something.
This is a guy that's won a playoff game. It's
a guy that's gone that's produced winning records. Things got
a little askew on him and he got a little
banged up. And I think that we're going to see
the best of Marcus Mariota. What the best of Marcus
Mariota is where that ceiling is. I think we're gonna
(35:49):
find out. Yeah, and he's either going to thrive and
exceed it or he's going to be he was who
we thought he was right. But these are the questions
that are going to be interesting as we moved through
camp and as we see him perform. These joint practices
are going to be important. I bet we see both
guys in the preseason games and we see them continue
on and how that competition heads into camp or goes
(36:13):
through camp, and then how it extends throughout the course
of the regular season when we see Ridder. If we
see Ridder, I think all that stuff is going to
be fascinating. So we're coming up against it here, and
like I said at the start, Tory and I are
going on a little summer vacation Ki t and all
that stuff, and we're going to come back the week
before training camp and we're going to hit it hard
(36:35):
every single week. We have plans for Falcon's Final Whistle
that are like the coolest. Let's be honest. We're talking
about live podcasts at training camp. We're talking about player guests,
we're talking about miniseries. One's already been recorded, and it's
super freaking awesome starting Tory mclaney on like Heats. So
we're gonna be doing a lot of different and really
(36:56):
cool stuff with the podcast after we after these messages,
after we take a little bit of a break, and
we'll be coming back rejuvenated, excited about what's to come
with an extra member of the team. So are gonna
be awesome. Guys, Thank you so much. Why don't you
subscribe and rate and review and all that fun stuff
and get us pumped and get us ready for Falcon's
(37:20):
final whist. Will coming back full time in late July.
Thank you guys so much for listening. Tori any final thoughts,
because I've just been ranting forever. I mean, over the
next two weeks to all of our listeners, go be
kind to someone, Go make someone smile. One day you have,
however many weeks until we come back. I want to
(37:41):
hear about the person that you did something nice for.
Spread some kindness out there behind to your fellow neighbor,
and maybe do what we're doing, get away from football
for a little bit. Rejuvenated, pumped and ready to go.
Thank you guys so much, and we'll talk to you
in a few weeks. Bettman bet
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