April 18, 2024 • 41 mins
- Countdown to the Draft – NFC South
- Bucs & Saints, Panthers & Falcons …
- We’re goin team by team … addressing strengths & Weaknesses
- Team Needs & Draft Strategies
- Projected order of finish IN the NFC South
- It was said that the Falcons were “a QB away” … IS Kirk Cousins that QB?
- STEALS OF THE DRAFT?
- We’ll introduce you to 7 unsung prospects … with the potential to be immediate difference-makers
- An Offensive Tackle, a Defensive End, a Safety, a blocking Tight End & 3 Centers!
- Why the best players in the draft are NOT found in the 1st Round!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
NFL Total Access is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's Wednesday, April seventeenth, and you're listening to NFL Total Access,
the podcast that is.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
The voice of today's special guest. A veteran of one
hundred and forty three NFL games, a man who played
every position on the O line in his twelve year
NFL career. A man who has made a post playing
career of challenging opinions, of examining foregone conclusions. You say,
this guy's a star, and that guy's a liability, and
(00:38):
this team is good and that scheme is not. Well.
You may be right, but NFL truth doesn't live in
our opinions or our hot takes. It lives on the field.
It lives on the film. And that's where this man
sees things we don't even know to look for. This
man is Brian Baldinger. Welcome back to the pod, Baldy.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, my pleasure, and you're going to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Thank you, nice to see you today. I am your host,
NFL Network Senior writer Andrew Lavian On today's show, Coop
clock me. Eight days from the start of Round one
of the twenty twenty four NFL Draft, presented by Bud Light.
We're already on the clock, and today our countdown to
the draft has reached the teams of the NFC South,
Bucks and Saints and Falcons and Panthers. What does each
(01:21):
team do best, what is each team's biggest problem, what
do they need in the draft, and what do their
fans say they should do in the draft. Plus, there
are a few prospects who have caught Brian Baldinger's eye.
He will make the introductions that's coming up. But first, Baldi,
I like these check ins with you because you are
looking at so much film since we last spoke. You
(01:43):
have a few more prospects to put on our radar.
You also believe that an overlooked position in this year's
draft is center, and that there may even be a
mini run on centers once we get to the Pittsburgh
Steelers at twenty and you make the introductions, please to
a couple prospects you believe are day one starters at
(02:04):
a vital position in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I think that you know and depending on who you're
talking to right now, but I think that when you
look at a guy like Oregon's you know center right now.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I mean he's just an elite player, you know. And
so you look.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
At a guy like Jackson Powers Johnson, I mean, you know,
first of all, he's big. He's big, and he can move,
and so that's that's that's priorities. And look this runo
centers Andrew. It's for me that you're never going to
be a great offensive line until you have a great center.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
It's just the way it goes.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Because if there's a weakness there, or if you're not
great at that position, your guards aren't going to be
as good. You're not going to block the second level
in the run game as well. You're not going to
pick up protections and change protections as well as you
need to, especially if your senator is a droit at
trying to figure out where that blitz and pressure is
coming from. And that's what said center's due. The more
(03:01):
can in hand with the quarterbacks on blitz pickup. They
have special meetings just those two guys during the week.
So I think it starts with Jackson Powers Johnson. But
not far behind, if not in front, is Graham Barton,
a duke and grend Barton tested extremely well when he
ran a four to eighty four in the four and
not debts that no centers are blocking anybody four yards
(03:23):
down the field.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
That's not it.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
It's just that when you watch him move, he's very
smooth and he gets out of his stands quickly. He's
been a left tackle of duke the last two years,
but he played centers of freshman the last five games
of the season, got a lot of experience. And when
teams are talking to him now in their meetings and
at the combine and when he's they're flying, they're they're saying, look,
(03:46):
we're projecting you at center, We're projecting you at tackle.
He's been projected at all positions on the offense line,
but I think his best fit is that center. And
then if you go to West Virginia, there's Zach Frazier
and you turn any game on, turn his first game
on against Penn State and watch them handle guys at
Penn State on the inside.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
This is a state wrestling champion.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
That skill of wrestling, understanding leverage, takedowns, those things transfer.
It did with Tyler Linderbaum when he came out of Iowa.
These guys that understand leverage at that position in the middle,
handling guys that are much bigger than the defensive tackles,
nose tackle that might outweigh centers like a Dexter lawrence.
(04:26):
Like understanding leverage against guys thirty forty to fifty pounds
bigger than you is essential. But Zach Frasier has everything
you're looking for to be a starting center. And I
think you could start with Pittsburgh at twenty, but Miami
at twenty one, at Dallas at twenty four. I mean,
you could go to Detroit, maybe a replacement from Frank Ragno,
(04:46):
you could go San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And if you just think.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
About this, you know, picking last Drew is Kansas City.
They lost the Super Bowl to Tampa Bay and their
first pick to next year in the draft is Creed Humpher.
He's played every started every game. You know, he's the
second round pick out Oklahoma. But they fixed that position
in the draft with their first pick, Creed Humphrey and
(05:11):
he started every game, including two Super Bowl wins. Like
they wouldn't be you talked about Mahomes all you want,
you talked about Andy Reid.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
They not have won two Super Bowls in a.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Row without Creed Humphrey, you mentioned this earlier today. When
you think of the Dallas Cowboys sitting there at twenty four,
you name check them a moment ago. This is a
team that has announced several times from several different voices
in the front office that they are all in this offseason.
It gets harder and harder to figure out what they
actually mean by that. But you drew our attention or
(05:44):
reminded us of the twenty thirteen I believe NFL draft
in which the Dallas Cowboys addressed the position of center
and really in doing so turned their fortunes around like
the Kansas City Chiefs example. You just gave us so
a successful first round draft pick for the Cowboys. As
maybe unsexy it may appear to Cowboys fans, you know
(06:07):
as well as they should know that o line that
the trenches is where they need to kind of rebuild.
When you consider the names like be Adison others out
the door, this is a position of need. Is it
a successful draft for the Cowboys if they take one
of the three guys you just name checked with that
pick at twenty four.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
If the Cowboys are lucky enough to draft Graham Barton
with the twenty fourth pick. They're gonna be a better
football team, just the way they were twenty thirteen when
they took Travis Frederick. And that was exactly the almost
your words, identical Andrew was. It was an unsexy pick.
It was booed, it was not it was not a pie.
It wasn't What are the Cowboys doing? I mean, you
(06:45):
looked at you look at that offense in twenty thirteen
they were a nine to eighteen, but they they went
from the fifteenth ranked offense to the fifth ranked offense.
And the following year, twenty fourteen, here comes Zach Martin
and you know, Tayland Smith is there, and all of
a sudden, they are unanimous the best offensive line of football.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And you know they win the you know, they're the
number one seed in the NFC.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Like they put their offensive line together year by year
and on sexy picks.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
But that's what you have to do if you want
to protect Dak Prescott.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Give them time. You know, find a running but you'll
find running backs. But I feel like they got to
fix that center position. I think they can put Tyler Smith.
They love tackle to be fine. You can find guards
in this draft. You can find guards.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Out there on the street that can come.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Into their play to do your homework. So I think
they can put this line together, but I think it's
essential they get one of these stumps.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Translation from Brian Boldinger. The centerpiece of a good NFL
draft for so many NFL teams, it's not a quarterback,
it is, in fact a center You are listening to
NFL Total Access to the podcast. We're about to prep
NFC South teams for next week's draft. But before we
do that, Baldie a reminder that most of the players
that make up NFL rosters were not drafted in the
(08:01):
first round. One hundred and twenty five players in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame were not drafted in the
first round, and now, more than ever before, the sheer
volume of talent in any given NFL draft is staggering. Listener,
The work that your GM does this week and does
during the draft on days two and three, that is
(08:21):
the work that got them the gig. That is the
scouting and player acquisition that will come to define your
team in the months and even years to come. Baldy,
you have a few guys that are not jump off
the page first rounders, but all of whom will very
very likely, based on what you're seeing on film, make
a significant contribution in this league. I want you to
(08:44):
start with a guy you have name checked before, safety
out of Texas.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Tech Dadrian Taylor Demerson. He wears number one. He ran
a four to four to one forty. He has ten
career interceptions out there in Loving Texas for the Red Raiders.
Guns up and you just to watch him. He really
plays all over the field. Like you see him making
(09:07):
one play from one side of the field to the other.
You see him drop down and cover slot receivers. You
see him in the deep path of the field, in
the deep center field, and he really can play anywhere
on the back end of your defense.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And he's a very good tackle.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And you know, if you look at I'm not going
to make any comparison this year, but like San Francisco
drafted Taalnola Hafanga at a USC three years ago, pro
Bowl player, like he was a fifth round pick, and
I feel like Daydream could be a fifth or sixth
round pick that can make a roster And maybe he's
not going to be a Pro Bowl player, but he's
got real skills that transfer to this league.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
There's a defensive end out of Colorado State that is
turning the heads of people like myself once you direct
my eyes to this player, because as a Washington Commanders
fan who watched Montese sweat and Chase Young walk out
the door, you know we're looking for depth at the
D line position. And you like a young man out
of Colorado State named Mohammed Kamara.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Mom Kamara Carlo State.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
You know he you turn on any game, he influences
the game like you look like his change of direction
in the run game, his ability to play hard make
players on the other side of the field, his ability
to beat offensive tackles on the edge. But he also
lines up over the guards and beats you with quickness.
He's got twenty nine sacks the last three years for
(10:27):
the Rams. Sometimes that transfers. But what I look for
more than the numbers is what is his what's his
array of moves? Is he just beating them out of
his stance and he's just quicker than these guys off
the ball, or does he have a real plan to
beat and defeat tackles? And I see a guy that
(10:48):
has a plan, and so Mohammed Kamara is a guy
you know he's probably a Day two player, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But I think whoever gets that?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
If I had to make a comparison, I remember, I'll
never forget is Andrew. I remember studying Alex high Smith
at Charlotte University of North Carolina Sharpe and he was
the all time sack leader Charlotte. Albeit it's in that
conference whatever, but I thought he had a plan. Steelers
drafted him in the third round. Like he's been a
(11:19):
huge part of the Steelers defense, especially when TJ has
been down hurt. But that's a real tandem of pass rushers.
And I feel like maybe Mohammed Kamara could be that
type of third round pick that kid rives up to
become a starter.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You talk about the Washington Commanders what they need.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I feel like this guy's is going to make a
real impact in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Every NFL team is looking for the next Rob Gronkowski,
I think is fair to say. And I think if
you watch Rob Gronkowski's tape, you realize that, in addition
to all of the Gronk spikes that you now see
on baseball diamonds throwing out opening pitches, that all of
the Gronk spikes aside. This is a guy who really
made his name in his locker room and on his
(12:03):
roster by doing the thankless work, by working hard, by blocking,
by being selfless. And there is a kid out of
Illinois who you described in such a way, Baldy, that
had me thinking about Gronk. You may shake off the
pitch that I'm throwing out there. I'm not making the
comparison to Gronk, but your description of Tip Ryman was
(12:24):
such that it had me thinking about Gronk. Tell me
about this tight end out of Illinois, Well, I think.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
It's the best blocking tight end in this draft, and
I don't know any team that doesn't come it a
good blocking tight end. Now, it also has an enormous frame,
and he does weigh two hundred and seventy pounds, and
he did run a really good forty time at the combine.
And I just think these are the type of guys
that don't get any attention. You know, they're not Brock powers,
but yet they have a real important role. Every team
(12:54):
plays two tight ends, a lot of teams like three
tight ends, and you saw a lot of tight ends
move in free agency. The Los Angeles Chargers, they went
out and signed two of them. So I just think
that there's going to be a place for Tip Ryman.
You know, San Francisco has always had three tight ends,
they don't you know, in addition to a fullback. They
(13:15):
understand the importance in the run game of protecting the edges.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Blocking the edges. I think there's a place for tip
Ryman in this league.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And I think when you see him block in the
NFL defensive ends outside linebackers, you simply can't have a
strong side run game if your tight end can't hold up.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And finally, every NFL team, it seems if you look
at team needs on NFL dot Com, just about every
team there's an O line position referenced in terms of
team needs. Baldy, you know and appreciate this better than anyone.
I think it's because of your schooling that we look
at the draft differently and have all of these years.
There's a kid, Ada Howard who caught our friend Steve
Whitch's eye. He drew your attention to this player, and
(13:55):
I know you did a little bit of a deep
dive on anam DUNKA. Tell me about this prospect.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
First of all, you notice his size, I mean it
jumps off the screen at you.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I mean, he's six foot eight, forty pounds. You know,
he has not played a lot of football.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
But I think there's this is the type of kid
that is labeled the project because he's got to get stronger.
You know, some of these kids develop late. He's got
to get stronger. Sometimes you got to grow under your body.
You got to get quicker, okay, and sometimes quickness, there
is a need to get quicker.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But sometimes it's also just the.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Just the economy of movement, you know, and so you're
just taking the right steps, not too many steps, and
so you don't overset, you don't overstrive. So sometimes it's
just a footwork in addition to the jump ropes and
all the different things that you can do to improve
your foot quickness. My brother played twelve years in nast
Football League. Nobody would ever say that he had good
foot quickness, but he had enormous strength and he was
(15:00):
very smart. And I feel like this is what you
get with Howard right here. You get a sixty pound
athlete who's played at that level. But you watch him
against Northwestern, you know, you watch him against Division one teams,
and he does not look like he doesn't belong and
so you just there's a place on every team's practice
squad for a guy like this. That's why I think
(15:22):
he's gonna get drafted, because if you wait till free agency,
I think too many teams are gonna bid for him
and you're gonna end up overpaid just to try to
get his rights.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But I think he could be these teams that have,
you know, three.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Seventh round picks, like, why wouldn't you take him and
start the development in mini camp right away? Maybe put
him on a practice squad and just develop them to
the point where, all right, let's see.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
How he does in a game.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Twenty two players on the field, eleven players on each
unit on either side of the ball, and not all
of them are top five quarterback prospects. Let's remember that
O lineman out of Howard On Amdanqua out of Illinois,
Tip Ryman defensive end out of Colorado State, Mohammed Kamara
safety out of Texas Tech, Dadrian Taylor, Demerson, and don't
(16:08):
forget Ram Barton out of his alma mater, Duke Jackson
powers Johnson out of Oregon. These are guys that we
need to know, you know, Caleb Williams name, you know
Jaden Daniel's name, you know Marvin Harrison Junior, you know
Molik Neighbors. Maybe, Okay, let's broaden our vision. Let's broaden
our horizons because we have room for some of these guys.
Why because our teams need these guys? Does your team
(16:31):
need an edge rusher, a tight end, help at O line,
maybe depth in the secondary. Well, Baldy's list will help
you for so many of us, the answer is yes, yes, yes,
and yes. Coming up next, we're going team by team
in the NFC South, Bucks and Saints and Panthers and Falcons.
We're talking strengths and weaknesses and draft strategies too, and
we're going to open the doors to the NFL Paul
(16:51):
of fans. Yeah, that's what it sounds like out there.
Close that door. After the break on NFL Total Access
the podcast, you are listening to NFL Total Access to
podcast Andrew Lavy with Brian Baldinger, and our final topic
is the NFC South. Coop, let's hear that clock again.
That clock never turns up. Coop is just raising the
(17:11):
level so you can hear that it's on. It's never
off around here. We are on the clock for the
twenty twenty four NFL Draft, presented by bud Light. Detroit
is home to the twenty twenty four NFL Draft April
twenty fifth, twenty sixth, and twenty seventh, right here on
NFL Network and streaming on NFL Plus. Okay, today's teams
from the NFC South, a division that combines a Tampa
(17:35):
Bay Bucks team that prior to the two season, was
in the AFC West for a year, then the NFC
Central for nineteen seventy seven to two thousand and one.
However many years that is, while the other three teams,
the Panthers, the Falcons, and the Saints were part of
the geographically inaccurate NFC West, then two thousand and two
came along, making this one of the younger divisions in football,
(18:00):
but also a very successful division. The NFC South is
one of two divisions to have each of its teams
make a Super Bowl appearance since the two realignment, along
with the NFC West. By the way, Tampa Bay in
two Super Bowls two and twenty twenty, Atlanta, of course
in twenty sixteen. We won't remind them what happened there,
Carolina in three and twenty fifteen, and of course New
(18:22):
Orleans Saints got their Super Bowl ring in two thousand
and nine. So is it anyone's game this NFC South Well, potentially,
history says it may actually be. Since two thousand and two,
each of the teams in this division has won at
least three division titles. Only three NFL divisions can say that,
the NFC South, along with the NFC West and the
(18:45):
NFC East. Okay, so there's a little bit of detail
about this division which I find kind of interesting. Let's
turn to the defending champion in this division, Brian Baldinger,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They won this division on the
strength of a nine and eight record in the division.
Team needs, according to NFL dot Com edgerusher inside of
the O line, cornerback, safety, linebacker. They have seven picks
(19:08):
with which to address those needs, the twenty sixth overall
pick in the first round. They have one pick in
the second, two in the third, one in the fourth,
one in the sixth, one in the seventh. Okay, Baldy,
there's some data. What's the deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What does this team do best?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I thought they competed best last year interesting because Baker
Mayfield at this time last year was in the process
of getting signed and nobody thought that this was going
to be any time in offense, we've seen, you know,
Baker obviously struggle with the end in Cleveland and then
Mighty League Carolina. But he got an off season and
I think, you know, he got together with Dave Canalis,
(19:49):
and it's interesting, there's a lot of incest in this division.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Dave Canals and now the head coach at Carolina.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
But you know, Dave came from Seattle and he just
had this ability to bring out the best in Baker. Now,
what they did in order to try to do that
was they really try to fix the offense line. They
took an all pro right tackle and Tristan Wharfs, they
moved him to left tackle. They drafted, you know, a
Kobe Mark as a rookie right guard, played every game.
(20:15):
The offense line got better. But then what Baker did
was he got the ball to his stars. He got
the ball to Mike Evans, who's just a phenomenal player
ten straight years, thousand plus yards, nobody's ever done it,
you know, to Chris Godwin. He got the ball to
them they still struggled to run it. But when I
say he compete, I mean, you know, you look at
(20:36):
a Elijah Kansy, you look at some of the young players,
Logan Hall, Vita Bear, like the defensive front got better.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
They've been drafting up.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Front, Joe Tryon, Shranka, They've been drafting these guys for
a long time upfront to replace the Shaq Parrots and
some of the guys that were there.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
And now I think they're kind of getting there right there.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
And then the rock that just has been an amazing
player who never gets talked about, Levonte David, and they
bring it back this year. They get leadership, they get
playmaking ability. He's productive. He's been doing it for I
don't know, twelve years now, Like he's just been a
phenomenal player. And so if you ask me what they
do best, they just compete, and they compete it to
(21:16):
the very end of the season to win that division,
to win a home playoff game against the Eagles, and
then to compete in Detroit where they gave him a
good game.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They gave him a dark good game up there at Detroit.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
You're damn right they did. Okay, that sounds like a
pretty glowing ill review from Brian Boldinger about the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. But every team has their weaknesses. Everybody's got
an achilles heel. What is theirs?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Well, they haven't been able to run the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I mean, even going back to Tom Raves last year,
they were the worst in the league. And it's not
a not necessarily in Rashad White, he's their starter, but
they were last in the league and rush again rush average,
rush yards like, they have not been able to run
the football, and it shows up in a lot of
games that did. Brady's final season it was dreadful. Even
(22:00):
the years they won a Super Bowl, that was probably
the last good year that they did. And so you know,
they've had to replace a lot of offensive linemen. To me,
it's a team that can easily go to the offense
line of this draft to get better upfront, to be
able to run the ball better. I think if they'd
run the ball better, Baker could even be better than
what he was last year, which was the scousely the
(22:21):
best that we've seen in his career.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Okay, that's what the expert has to say. Now, let's
go out to the NFL.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Hall of Fans.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
And pull in Bucks fan Nick, who says his perfect draft,
the Bucks strengthen their offensive and defensive lines and add
another running back to compliment Rashad White. Shep's biggest source
of pride that they were able to keep all of
their major free agents Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Levanta, David
Who Balding name checked a moment Ago, and Antoine Winfield.
(22:54):
It shows, Nick, says, how much this team cares about
each other. It says to him that these players are
willing to take a little less to stay and fight
for a championship. Nick's biggest worry Baker Mayfield. Nick says, look,
I loved Baker in twenty twenty three. I am ecstatic
that we re signed him, and I think we've lucked
into a relatively inexpensive franchise QB, he says. But Nick
(23:18):
is concerned that Baker just won't be or maybe just
can't be as good on the road this time around
as he was last year when he had fourteen touchdowns
and only three picks on the road. And finally, Nick said,
I wouldn't be surprised if my Bucks improve on last
season and make it all the way to the NFC
championship game, Baldy. Let's turn now to the New Orleans Saints,
(23:40):
runner up in twenty twenty three with a matching nine
to eight record in the Nfcsouth. Nfl dot Com identify
Saints team needs as offensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle,
and linebacker. Nine picks in all to deal with those needs.
The fourteenth overall pick in round one. They have one
pick in the second. They have no fewer than four
(24:01):
picks in the fifth round, two in the sixth, and
one in the seventh. Every team's got a good, every
team's got a bad. What's the Saints good?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I'd say the Saints good has been the leadership that
they have in their stars on defense, whether it's Tyron Matthew,
Cam Jordan. You know, you look at Tomrio Davis, like
these guys just all they do is line up and
play every single game, Like Marshawn Lottimore hurt a little
bit last year, but I mean they've played lights out
(24:31):
good man de man defense last year and they they
kept the score down, they shut the Patriots out. I mean,
you go through the list of some games where Alante Taylor,
Paulson debo, you look at you know, Marshaan Lottimore. They
will play as much pressman defense as any team in
this league, and they trust those corners to be able
(24:51):
to come up there and lock you up.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Brian Baldinger says, the good the strength of this New
Orleans Saints team, it's their defense. It's leaders holding themselves
in the each other accountable on a defense that comes
to play each and every snap, each and every week.
But for every good, there's a bad. What is it
in Nola?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Well, he got to rebuild this offensive line. I mean
they drafted, they changed offensive line coaches. Dun Roan's quality
offensive line coach, but he couldn't get Trevor Petting to
be looked like a number one draft pick. You know,
he was drafted to be there, you know, the anchor
on the left tackle. He has not been able to
stay on the field. He's not been a good player.
Maybe it will turn around with John Patton, the new
(25:29):
offensive line coach. Ryan Ramcheck has had a great start
to his career. Draft in twenty seventeen, been a Pro
Bowl player, been a great player. But his health is
bad and I don't know that he can return. So
they've got to put this offensive line back together. Now
you can look at Derek Carr's numbers and go, okay,
twenty five touchdowns, eighty interceptions, pretty good, Except it really
(25:50):
wasn't pretty good. I mean there was days when they
just did not throw the ball well, and a lot
of it was protection, a lot of it was you know.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Who we throw it to.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
So I think, but I think it starts up prompt.
They need to get Kamara back. Looking like Kamara. He
did not have a good season last year. They did
not run the ball good. They picked up Jamal Williams
from Detroit the average less than three yards of carry.
They've got it, like they picked fourteenth andrew Like there's
not a single mock draft in the world today that
(26:20):
doesn't have the Saints taken an offensive tack under no
circumstances like in a deep offensive tackle draft. They've got
to get this position right. And what happens is if
you miss on a guy like Trevor Penning and I
don't want to write him off yet, but if you
miss on Trevor Penny, the mistake never goes away. Like
you still need that position philled. And that's what they
(26:41):
thought they were doing. But here they are you make
a mistake at that position. You're right back in here
a couple of years later and you're looking for offensive tack.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Okay, that's what Baldy has to say. Let's head back
out to the NFL Hall of Fans. Then bring on in, Yeah,
come on in here. Saints fan Meghan, who says that
in her perfect draft, the Saints would select an offensive
tackle to protect Derek Carr. Last year he got beat
up pretty bad, Meghan said, fractured ribs and ac tear,
(27:10):
and andrews Pete did not re sign with the Saints
this offseason. Meghan said, look, we could also use a
solid wide receiver, especially with Michael Thomas out and only
having two solid wide receivers in Chris o'lave and Shaheed
Meghan's biggest source of hope the addition of Clint Kubiak
to be our new OC, she said, especially coming from
(27:30):
the forty nine ers, She's very excited to see what
Clint Kubiak does with this offense. Her biggest source of concern,
Meghan said, no question, it's the offensive line. We need
to protect Derek Carr. She also said our clutch defensive
players are getting older. Cam Jordan Tomrio, Davis Tyrone, Matthew
and finally, Meghan says, I wouldn't be surprised if my
(27:53):
twenty twenty four New Orleans Saints won the NFC South.
She reminds us that they were pretty much one Tampa
Bay law away from winning it last year, especially with
a new OC in the mix, Derek Carr. One more
year familiar with this offense, Meghan reckins, this is going
to be a pretty good year for the Saints. We
turned out to the Atlanta Falcons. The hot Atlanta Falcons,
(28:15):
who finished the twenty twenty three campaign with a seven
and ten record. Team needs according to NFL dot com edgerusher, cornerback,
defensive tackle, safety, and yes, even with the addition of
Kirk Cousins quarterback, eight picks in all to address their needs.
The eighth overall pick in the first round. They have
one pick in the second, two in the third, one
(28:35):
in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in
the sixth. An interesting team, this Atlanta Falcons team, Brian Baldinger.
Before last season began, a lot of people made them
their hot pick to go from worse to first to
maybe be a surprise division winner. They weren't didn't live
up to expectations, certainly struggled at the quarterback position, which
of course invites a move like they made in the
(28:57):
offseason to acquire the services of Kirk Cousins. A lot
of question marks, But my first question is about their strength.
Let's talk about the good. What is the biggest strength
of this Atlanta Falcons team.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I would have to say in the offensive line. The
offensive line is very good. I thought last year that
Chris Linstrom was a Pro Bowl player, deserved to be
a Pro Bowl player. There were weekends when he was
the best right guard in all football. Nobody ever talks
about Matthews at left tackle, but when you watch him play,
you know, Jake never gets.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Talked about because he's just that consistent.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
So you you know the way that they ran the
ball with Bijan last year, with the guys that they
had at running back Tyler as year, they ran the
ball very well. So the strength is the offensive line.
And honestly, they were six and six last year and
they lost to Carolina in that following week nine to seven.
The quarterback threw a dreadful interception to lose to the
worst team in football, and the season collapsed, and you know,
(29:56):
Raheem Morris said, you know, after he got the job,
that he would not be a coach if they had
better quarterback play. But they were seven and ten three
years in a row. They've got talent. You can look
at Grady Jarrett, and you can look at Anyamada, and
you can look at Jesse Bates and the two inside
linebackers right now, you know, Nate Lamban along with Katen Ellis.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
They're very good.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
They never come off the field, but nobody really talks
about because they've been seven and ten. At one point
last year, this was the top ten defense for the
first time in a long time.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And then you know, when the offense isn't.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Scoring, you turn the ball over. You know, defenses tend
to kind of get pushed around towards the.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
End of the season.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Okay, So the biggest strength of this Atlanta Falcons team,
which is obviously a reason one of the reasons that
Kirk Cousins made this move, is the depth and the
strength of their offensive line. I think up until a
few weeks ago, when the kirk Cousins move was announced,
we would have said without question that the most glaring
weakness of this Atlanta Falcons team was the quarterback position.
(30:55):
Well now they have addressed that with Kirk Cousins, but
they still have a weakness. They still have problems. What's
the biggest problem remaining for this Atlanta Falcons team.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I would say they need to complete the defense. They
competed very well. Everybody knows they need edge pass rushing ability.
They have missed on a number of them over the years.
But it doesn't mean it doesn't it can't scare you.
It's a new regime. They need an animal on the outside,
you know, like Tampa has had those guys, and you
(31:26):
know teams that have you know, New Orleans with Cam
Jordan has had that guy forever.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
You need at least one of those animals in the outside.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Chane Berrett was that guy in Tampa for a long time.
I mean, you know the year they won a Super Bowl,
he had nineteen and a half sacks. Like, they need
that type of player.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
On their edge.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Let's head on back out to the NFL Hall of
Fans and welcome in Falcons fan show. Nah show nuff
shown nuh who says that her perfect draft everything has
to be about protecting kirkoh. She said, and getting some
game changers on that defense. Shonah is proudest of the
(32:03):
signature swag of her team back in the two thousands,
those days of the dirty Birds. Her biggest worry that
we simply don't have enough star players, she says, and
she finishes by saying, I wouldn't be surprised if my
Falcons win the division this year. And now we turn
to the Carolina Panthers two and fifteen. In twenty twenty three,
(32:26):
they were zero for nine on the road. Team needs
according to NFL dot com wide receiver, tight end, cornerback,
edge rusher, and defensive tackle. Only seven picks in this
year's draft. The thirty third overall pick in the second
round is their first pick. They have two second round picks,
a third rounder, a fourth rounder, two in the fifth,
and one in the seventh. This is a team in transition.
(32:48):
We know this well. Teams in transition tend to struggle.
Teams in transition tend to have more glaring needs than
other teams. But every NFL team in the modern era
has a strength. Is the Panther's biggest strength? What's their
biggest weapon?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I would say their defensive tackle Derek Brown is their
biggest strength. I mean, he's he had a season that
no defensive tackle has ever had in the history of
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
He had one hundred and three tackles last year.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Go find a defensive tackle from Alan Page to any
of them that nobody's ever had one hundred tackles. The
guy was a phenomenal player last year. He's their best
defensive player, is the best player on their team. They
rewarded him this offseason with a new contract, and rightfully so.
So he said, okay, where do you go? Where do
you go if you're the Carolina Panthers, Like, sometimes you
(33:36):
just start with one brick. We got one brick in
the ground right here. We got to build a foundation, Like,
let's start finding bricks. Let's start building a foundation. Because
quite frankly andrew this. Since Ron Rivera left and Matt
Rule came in, this has been the most tumultuous team ownership,
general manager, coach, coordinators. Nobody's had the turnover that the
(34:00):
Carolina Panthers have had, and now here they are turning
it over again with no first round pick, which isn't
supposed to correlate. You go two and fifteen, you should
have the first pick in the draft, Well, that first
pick goes Chicago for Bryce youllm. So this is a
big This is a big project here for Dave Canas
in his first efforts at being.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
A head coach.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Okay, it sounds like there are so many worries in
Carolina and it doesn't take a genius to figure out
that there are a number of concerns, a number of
holes to fill, a number of problems to fix. What's
the biggest of the worries facing the Carolina Panthers right now?
Maybe the better question is, of all the worries, what's
the one that you need to address and fix first,
(34:46):
most dramatically in the draft?
Speaker 3 (34:48):
Answer? The answer is what they did in free agency.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
I mean, I could give you the answer, but they've
already told all those that the offensive line we got
to fix it.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
They went out and got you know, Robert Hunt and
Damian Lewis.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You could say they overspent for those guys, and they did,
but they had to because the line was not good.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
It wasn't good in preseason.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
We got to find out if ikey Iguanu can really
play left tackle because he has struggled the last two years.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
But they drafted him with the six pick a couple
of years ago. You got to try to make that work.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
So, I mean, I think that's where it starts on
every one of these rebuilding teams. When the Cowboys were
one in fifteen back in nineteen eighty nine, I mean,
they had they had Mark two and A, they had
Nate Newton, they had you know, they drafted Stepanovski. They
had at least a core group, and then they became
the best offense line in football. And so to me,
(35:38):
when you're going to start from scratch and build, start
right there. Because your quarterback is going to have a
better chance to be able to hold the ball, make
some good decisions. You should have a better chance at
running the football, which helps every quarterback, which keeps your
defense off the field.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
You know. So I think that's where it starts.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
And that's that's what you know, Dan Morgan, the new
general manager, that's what they did. They spend a lot
of money on two guards and you hope that, you know,
between Austin Corbett and what they have a Taylor Moten
at right tackle and Ikey at left tackle, you hope
that that's the start of putting this team back on
the map.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Again, I think something you said earlier, Brian really is
is just a visual that works for me, and it
was about it's about bricks. If you have a brick,
sometimes it's only a single brick around which to build
upon which to build. If you only have one brick,
I guess you could make that your cornerstone. If you've
got a few of them, that's the beginnings of a foundation.
Either way, the architectural motif works here. All of these
(36:37):
teams that are struggling, all of these teams that have
new leadership, and you tend to have new leadership if
you have a bad season the year before. All of
these teams are building on the bricks that they have.
Some teams have more bricks than others in this case,
in the case of the Carolina Panthers, yes they have
a lot of work to do, but this is the
NFL and NFL you go from worse to first sometimes
(37:01):
in a single season, in a single period of change.
Just ask the Cats down in Houston. Okay, Baldy, thank
you for that. Let's throw open the doors to the
NFL Hall of Fans. Kill the music, ah, kill the music.
Welcome in Panthers fan Luca who says that in his
perfect draft, the O line is addressed and pass catchers
(37:23):
are grabbed two because Bryce Young needs more targets. He
does like both of the guys that Baldy mentioned earlier,
centers Graham Barton and Jackson Powers Johnson. He's hoping they
slip in the draft so that his Panthers can grab
them at thirty three. He'd like to grab Leggett the
wide receiver at thirty nine, and he says, look, if
(37:43):
centers don't slip, we need a lockdown corner or an energetic,
destructive DN that can start Week one. Luca's wish list
for this draft also includes an explosive pass catching running back,
a sure handed tight end, another wide out parenthetically he
said as Puka two point zero please, and a sideline
to sidelined linebacker to replace Shaq Thompson. On the subject
(38:08):
of his biggest source of pride, Luca paused. He said,
pride is tough right now, not much of it going
around with new ownership and lots of turmoil, but he
does find hope in this young quarterback and a quarterback
guru at head coach and a defensive mastermind in Everroh.
He said we have to get it right this draft.
(38:28):
And finally, Panthers fan Luca says, I wouldn't be surprised
if my twenty twenty four Carolina Panthers make huge strides,
a top fifteen offense, maybe even a top five defense.
Neither would surprise Luca, nor would competing for an NFC
South Division title. He reminded me very quickly afterwards, though,
that he also wouldn't be surprised if they come in
(38:48):
last in the NFC South. Okay, Baldy, before I let
you go, thank you for your patients there. Let's get
from you a predicted order of finish in this division
in the NFC South for the twenty twenty four campaign.
Who's first, Who's second, Who's third, Who's last?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Well, Kirk Cousins was brought there to win the division, Okay,
a big contract.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
I'll take Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Drum roll for the Falcons at.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
One, I'll say the Falcons win the division and I'd say,
just the way New Orleans and Tampa finished at nine
and eight a year ago, Tampa winning it strength of
you know, whatever the deciding factor was, I'll say they
both finished ninety eight. Next year, Tampa and New Orleans
and then Carolina is bringing up the rear. But hopefully
(39:35):
we can at least see some development, more wins this
year under Dave Canals.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The news, there is a little bit of news, small
n end quotes. He's not saying that it is true.
He's saying that's his opinion here on April seventeenth. But
Brian Baldinger sees Atlanta Falcons pay off that Kirk Cousins
acquisition with what a division title, an NFC South Division title.
I want to think today's very special guest, Brian Baldinger,
thanks for your time today, Buddy, appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah, thank thanks for having me Andrew appreciate it. Anytime listener.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
If you want more draft talk, oh we've got it.
The NFL Network and ESPN are doing a special crossover
this week. It continues Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Mena
Kimes will join Daniel Jeremiah on the Move the Sticks podcast.
Then on Friday, Kurt Warner is on Get Up and
Daniel Jeremiah is on NFL Live. Really thrilled that we
(40:26):
could get our teams together this week. Next time for us,
that will be our three hundred and fiftieth show. What
Coop no music, Thanks a lot. It's an examination of
current team building strategies in the NFL with our in
house GM Mark Ross. I want to examine the schools
of thought regarding rookie quarterbacks. Mark, if you're listening, so
(40:48):
get prepared for this one. One of the schools of
thought says you build a team around a young rookie quarterback.
Another school of thought says build your team first, then
pick quarterback. And still a third school of thoughts says
NFL teams are selecting a rookie quarterback contract as much
(41:08):
as they are selecting the player. Well, my question, are
teams overthinking and overdrafting quarterbacks? That's among the many questions
to be answered next time on NFL Total Access to
podcast till then, thank you so much for listening, and Choupinet.
NFL Total Access is a production of the NFL in
(41:29):
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app. You can also get us at Apple Podcasts
or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Total Access is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's Wednesday, April seventeenth, and you're listening to NFL Total Access,
the podcast that is.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
The voice of today's special guest. A veteran of one
hundred and forty three NFL games, a man who played
every position on the O line in his twelve year
NFL career. A man who has made a post playing
career of challenging opinions, of examining foregone conclusions. You say,
this guy's a star, and that guy's a liability, and
(00:38):
this team is good and that scheme is not. Well.
You may be right, but NFL truth doesn't live in
our opinions or our hot takes. It lives on the field.
It lives on the film. And that's where this man
sees things we don't even know to look for. This
man is Brian Baldinger. Welcome back to the pod, Baldy.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, my pleasure, and you're going to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Thank you, nice to see you today. I am your host,
NFL Network Senior writer Andrew Lavian On today's show, Coop
clock me. Eight days from the start of Round one
of the twenty twenty four NFL Draft, presented by Bud Light.
We're already on the clock, and today our countdown to
the draft has reached the teams of the NFC South,
Bucks and Saints and Falcons and Panthers. What does each
(01:21):
team do best, what is each team's biggest problem, what
do they need in the draft, and what do their
fans say they should do in the draft. Plus, there
are a few prospects who have caught Brian Baldinger's eye.
He will make the introductions that's coming up. But first, Baldi,
I like these check ins with you because you are
looking at so much film since we last spoke. You
(01:43):
have a few more prospects to put on our radar.
You also believe that an overlooked position in this year's
draft is center, and that there may even be a
mini run on centers once we get to the Pittsburgh
Steelers at twenty and you make the introductions, please to
a couple prospects you believe are day one starters at
(02:04):
a vital position in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I think that you know and depending on who you're
talking to right now, but I think that when you
look at a guy like Oregon's you know center right now.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I mean he's just an elite player, you know. And
so you look.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
At a guy like Jackson Powers Johnson, I mean, you know,
first of all, he's big. He's big, and he can move,
and so that's that's that's priorities. And look this runo
centers Andrew. It's for me that you're never going to
be a great offensive line until you have a great center.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
It's just the way it goes.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Because if there's a weakness there, or if you're not
great at that position, your guards aren't going to be
as good. You're not going to block the second level
in the run game as well. You're not going to
pick up protections and change protections as well as you
need to, especially if your senator is a droit at
trying to figure out where that blitz and pressure is
coming from. And that's what said center's due. The more
(03:01):
can in hand with the quarterbacks on blitz pickup. They
have special meetings just those two guys during the week.
So I think it starts with Jackson Powers Johnson. But
not far behind, if not in front, is Graham Barton,
a duke and grend Barton tested extremely well when he
ran a four to eighty four in the four and
not debts that no centers are blocking anybody four yards
(03:23):
down the field.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
That's not it.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
It's just that when you watch him move, he's very
smooth and he gets out of his stands quickly. He's
been a left tackle of duke the last two years,
but he played centers of freshman the last five games
of the season, got a lot of experience. And when
teams are talking to him now in their meetings and
at the combine and when he's they're flying, they're they're saying, look,
(03:46):
we're projecting you at center, We're projecting you at tackle.
He's been projected at all positions on the offense line,
but I think his best fit is that center. And
then if you go to West Virginia, there's Zach Frazier
and you turn any game on, turn his first game
on against Penn State and watch them handle guys at
Penn State on the inside.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
This is a state wrestling champion.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
That skill of wrestling, understanding leverage, takedowns, those things transfer.
It did with Tyler Linderbaum when he came out of Iowa.
These guys that understand leverage at that position in the middle,
handling guys that are much bigger than the defensive tackles,
nose tackle that might outweigh centers like a Dexter lawrence.
(04:26):
Like understanding leverage against guys thirty forty to fifty pounds
bigger than you is essential. But Zach Frasier has everything
you're looking for to be a starting center. And I
think you could start with Pittsburgh at twenty, but Miami
at twenty one, at Dallas at twenty four. I mean,
you could go to Detroit, maybe a replacement from Frank Ragno,
(04:46):
you could go San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And if you just think.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
About this, you know, picking last Drew is Kansas City.
They lost the Super Bowl to Tampa Bay and their
first pick to next year in the draft is Creed Humpher.
He's played every started every game. You know, he's the
second round pick out Oklahoma. But they fixed that position
in the draft with their first pick, Creed Humphrey and
(05:11):
he started every game, including two Super Bowl wins. Like
they wouldn't be you talked about Mahomes all you want,
you talked about Andy Reid.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
They not have won two Super Bowls in a.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Row without Creed Humphrey, you mentioned this earlier today. When
you think of the Dallas Cowboys sitting there at twenty four,
you name check them a moment ago. This is a
team that has announced several times from several different voices
in the front office that they are all in this offseason.
It gets harder and harder to figure out what they
actually mean by that. But you drew our attention or
(05:44):
reminded us of the twenty thirteen I believe NFL draft
in which the Dallas Cowboys addressed the position of center
and really in doing so turned their fortunes around like
the Kansas City Chiefs example. You just gave us so
a successful first round draft pick for the Cowboys. As
maybe unsexy it may appear to Cowboys fans, you know
(06:07):
as well as they should know that o line that
the trenches is where they need to kind of rebuild.
When you consider the names like be Adison others out
the door, this is a position of need. Is it
a successful draft for the Cowboys if they take one
of the three guys you just name checked with that
pick at twenty four.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
If the Cowboys are lucky enough to draft Graham Barton
with the twenty fourth pick. They're gonna be a better
football team, just the way they were twenty thirteen when
they took Travis Frederick. And that was exactly the almost
your words, identical Andrew was. It was an unsexy pick.
It was booed, it was not it was not a pie.
It wasn't What are the Cowboys doing? I mean, you
(06:45):
looked at you look at that offense in twenty thirteen
they were a nine to eighteen, but they they went
from the fifteenth ranked offense to the fifth ranked offense.
And the following year, twenty fourteen, here comes Zach Martin
and you know, Tayland Smith is there, and all of
a sudden, they are unanimous the best offensive line of football.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And you know they win the you know, they're the
number one seed in the NFC.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Like they put their offensive line together year by year
and on sexy picks.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
But that's what you have to do if you want
to protect Dak Prescott.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Give them time. You know, find a running but you'll
find running backs. But I feel like they got to
fix that center position. I think they can put Tyler Smith.
They love tackle to be fine. You can find guards
in this draft. You can find guards.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Out there on the street that can come.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Into their play to do your homework. So I think
they can put this line together, but I think it's
essential they get one of these stumps.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Translation from Brian Boldinger. The centerpiece of a good NFL
draft for so many NFL teams, it's not a quarterback,
it is, in fact a center You are listening to
NFL Total Access to the podcast. We're about to prep
NFC South teams for next week's draft. But before we
do that, Baldie a reminder that most of the players
that make up NFL rosters were not drafted in the
(08:01):
first round. One hundred and twenty five players in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame were not drafted in the
first round, and now, more than ever before, the sheer
volume of talent in any given NFL draft is staggering. Listener,
The work that your GM does this week and does
during the draft on days two and three, that is
(08:21):
the work that got them the gig. That is the
scouting and player acquisition that will come to define your
team in the months and even years to come. Baldy,
you have a few guys that are not jump off
the page first rounders, but all of whom will very
very likely, based on what you're seeing on film, make
a significant contribution in this league. I want you to
(08:44):
start with a guy you have name checked before, safety
out of Texas.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Tech Dadrian Taylor Demerson. He wears number one. He ran
a four to four to one forty. He has ten
career interceptions out there in Loving Texas for the Red Raiders.
Guns up and you just to watch him. He really
plays all over the field. Like you see him making
(09:07):
one play from one side of the field to the other.
You see him drop down and cover slot receivers. You
see him in the deep path of the field, in
the deep center field, and he really can play anywhere
on the back end of your defense.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And he's a very good tackle.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And you know, if you look at I'm not going
to make any comparison this year, but like San Francisco
drafted Taalnola Hafanga at a USC three years ago, pro
Bowl player, like he was a fifth round pick, and
I feel like Daydream could be a fifth or sixth
round pick that can make a roster And maybe he's
not going to be a Pro Bowl player, but he's
got real skills that transfer to this league.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
There's a defensive end out of Colorado State that is
turning the heads of people like myself once you direct
my eyes to this player, because as a Washington Commanders
fan who watched Montese sweat and Chase Young walk out
the door, you know we're looking for depth at the
D line position. And you like a young man out
of Colorado State named Mohammed Kamara.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Mom Kamara Carlo State.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
You know he you turn on any game, he influences
the game like you look like his change of direction
in the run game, his ability to play hard make
players on the other side of the field, his ability
to beat offensive tackles on the edge. But he also
lines up over the guards and beats you with quickness.
He's got twenty nine sacks the last three years for
(10:27):
the Rams. Sometimes that transfers. But what I look for
more than the numbers is what is his what's his
array of moves? Is he just beating them out of
his stance and he's just quicker than these guys off
the ball, or does he have a real plan to
beat and defeat tackles? And I see a guy that
(10:48):
has a plan, and so Mohammed Kamara is a guy
you know he's probably a Day two player, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But I think whoever gets that?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
If I had to make a comparison, I remember, I'll
never forget is Andrew. I remember studying Alex high Smith
at Charlotte University of North Carolina Sharpe and he was
the all time sack leader Charlotte. Albeit it's in that
conference whatever, but I thought he had a plan. Steelers
drafted him in the third round. Like he's been a
(11:19):
huge part of the Steelers defense, especially when TJ has
been down hurt. But that's a real tandem of pass rushers.
And I feel like maybe Mohammed Kamara could be that
type of third round pick that kid rives up to
become a starter.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You talk about the Washington Commanders what they need.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I feel like this guy's is going to make a
real impact in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Every NFL team is looking for the next Rob Gronkowski,
I think is fair to say. And I think if
you watch Rob Gronkowski's tape, you realize that, in addition
to all of the Gronk spikes that you now see
on baseball diamonds throwing out opening pitches, that all of
the Gronk spikes aside. This is a guy who really
made his name in his locker room and on his
(12:03):
roster by doing the thankless work, by working hard, by blocking,
by being selfless. And there is a kid out of
Illinois who you described in such a way, Baldy, that
had me thinking about Gronk. You may shake off the
pitch that I'm throwing out there. I'm not making the
comparison to Gronk, but your description of Tip Ryman was
(12:24):
such that it had me thinking about Gronk. Tell me
about this tight end out of Illinois, Well, I think.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
It's the best blocking tight end in this draft, and
I don't know any team that doesn't come it a
good blocking tight end. Now, it also has an enormous frame,
and he does weigh two hundred and seventy pounds, and
he did run a really good forty time at the combine.
And I just think these are the type of guys
that don't get any attention. You know, they're not Brock powers,
but yet they have a real important role. Every team
(12:54):
plays two tight ends, a lot of teams like three
tight ends, and you saw a lot of tight ends
move in free agency. The Los Angeles Chargers, they went
out and signed two of them. So I just think
that there's going to be a place for Tip Ryman.
You know, San Francisco has always had three tight ends,
they don't you know, in addition to a fullback. They
(13:15):
understand the importance in the run game of protecting the edges.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Blocking the edges. I think there's a place for tip
Ryman in this league.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And I think when you see him block in the
NFL defensive ends outside linebackers, you simply can't have a
strong side run game if your tight end can't hold up.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And finally, every NFL team, it seems if you look
at team needs on NFL dot Com, just about every
team there's an O line position referenced in terms of
team needs. Baldy, you know and appreciate this better than anyone.
I think it's because of your schooling that we look
at the draft differently and have all of these years.
There's a kid, Ada Howard who caught our friend Steve
Whitch's eye. He drew your attention to this player, and
(13:55):
I know you did a little bit of a deep
dive on anam DUNKA. Tell me about this prospect.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
First of all, you notice his size, I mean it
jumps off the screen at you.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I mean, he's six foot eight, forty pounds. You know,
he has not played a lot of football.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
But I think there's this is the type of kid
that is labeled the project because he's got to get stronger.
You know, some of these kids develop late. He's got
to get stronger. Sometimes you got to grow under your body.
You got to get quicker, okay, and sometimes quickness, there
is a need to get quicker.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But sometimes it's also just the.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Just the economy of movement, you know, and so you're
just taking the right steps, not too many steps, and
so you don't overset, you don't overstrive. So sometimes it's
just a footwork in addition to the jump ropes and
all the different things that you can do to improve
your foot quickness. My brother played twelve years in nast
Football League. Nobody would ever say that he had good
foot quickness, but he had enormous strength and he was
(15:00):
very smart. And I feel like this is what you
get with Howard right here. You get a sixty pound
athlete who's played at that level. But you watch him
against Northwestern, you know, you watch him against Division one teams,
and he does not look like he doesn't belong and
so you just there's a place on every team's practice
squad for a guy like this. That's why I think
(15:22):
he's gonna get drafted, because if you wait till free agency,
I think too many teams are gonna bid for him
and you're gonna end up overpaid just to try to
get his rights.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But I think he could be these teams that have,
you know, three.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Seventh round picks, like, why wouldn't you take him and
start the development in mini camp right away? Maybe put
him on a practice squad and just develop them to
the point where, all right, let's see.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
How he does in a game.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Twenty two players on the field, eleven players on each
unit on either side of the ball, and not all
of them are top five quarterback prospects. Let's remember that
O lineman out of Howard On Amdanqua out of Illinois,
Tip Ryman defensive end out of Colorado State, Mohammed Kamara
safety out of Texas Tech, Dadrian Taylor, Demerson, and don't
(16:08):
forget Ram Barton out of his alma mater, Duke Jackson
powers Johnson out of Oregon. These are guys that we
need to know, you know, Caleb Williams name, you know
Jaden Daniel's name, you know Marvin Harrison Junior, you know
Molik Neighbors. Maybe, Okay, let's broaden our vision. Let's broaden
our horizons because we have room for some of these guys.
Why because our teams need these guys? Does your team
(16:31):
need an edge rusher, a tight end, help at O line,
maybe depth in the secondary. Well, Baldy's list will help
you for so many of us, the answer is yes, yes, yes,
and yes. Coming up next, we're going team by team
in the NFC South, Bucks and Saints and Panthers and Falcons.
We're talking strengths and weaknesses and draft strategies too, and
we're going to open the doors to the NFL Paul
(16:51):
of fans. Yeah, that's what it sounds like out there.
Close that door. After the break on NFL Total Access
the podcast, you are listening to NFL Total Access to
podcast Andrew Lavy with Brian Baldinger, and our final topic
is the NFC South. Coop, let's hear that clock again.
That clock never turns up. Coop is just raising the
(17:11):
level so you can hear that it's on. It's never
off around here. We are on the clock for the
twenty twenty four NFL Draft, presented by bud Light. Detroit
is home to the twenty twenty four NFL Draft April
twenty fifth, twenty sixth, and twenty seventh, right here on
NFL Network and streaming on NFL Plus. Okay, today's teams
from the NFC South, a division that combines a Tampa
(17:35):
Bay Bucks team that prior to the two season, was
in the AFC West for a year, then the NFC
Central for nineteen seventy seven to two thousand and one.
However many years that is, while the other three teams,
the Panthers, the Falcons, and the Saints were part of
the geographically inaccurate NFC West, then two thousand and two
came along, making this one of the younger divisions in football,
(18:00):
but also a very successful division. The NFC South is
one of two divisions to have each of its teams
make a Super Bowl appearance since the two realignment, along
with the NFC West. By the way, Tampa Bay in
two Super Bowls two and twenty twenty, Atlanta, of course
in twenty sixteen. We won't remind them what happened there,
Carolina in three and twenty fifteen, and of course New
(18:22):
Orleans Saints got their Super Bowl ring in two thousand
and nine. So is it anyone's game this NFC South Well, potentially,
history says it may actually be. Since two thousand and two,
each of the teams in this division has won at
least three division titles. Only three NFL divisions can say that,
the NFC South, along with the NFC West and the
(18:45):
NFC East. Okay, so there's a little bit of detail
about this division which I find kind of interesting. Let's
turn to the defending champion in this division, Brian Baldinger,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They won this division on the
strength of a nine and eight record in the division.
Team needs, according to NFL dot Com edgerusher inside of
the O line, cornerback, safety, linebacker. They have seven picks
(19:08):
with which to address those needs, the twenty sixth overall
pick in the first round. They have one pick in
the second, two in the third, one in the fourth,
one in the sixth, one in the seventh. Okay, Baldy,
there's some data. What's the deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What does this team do best?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I thought they competed best last year interesting because Baker
Mayfield at this time last year was in the process
of getting signed and nobody thought that this was going
to be any time in offense, we've seen, you know,
Baker obviously struggle with the end in Cleveland and then
Mighty League Carolina. But he got an off season and
I think, you know, he got together with Dave Canalis,
(19:49):
and it's interesting, there's a lot of incest in this division.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Dave Canals and now the head coach at Carolina.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
But you know, Dave came from Seattle and he just
had this ability to bring out the best in Baker. Now,
what they did in order to try to do that
was they really try to fix the offense line. They
took an all pro right tackle and Tristan Wharfs, they
moved him to left tackle. They drafted, you know, a
Kobe Mark as a rookie right guard, played every game.
(20:15):
The offense line got better. But then what Baker did
was he got the ball to his stars. He got
the ball to Mike Evans, who's just a phenomenal player
ten straight years, thousand plus yards, nobody's ever done it,
you know, to Chris Godwin. He got the ball to
them they still struggled to run it. But when I
say he compete, I mean, you know, you look at
(20:36):
a Elijah Kansy, you look at some of the young players,
Logan Hall, Vita Bear, like the defensive front got better.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
They've been drafting up.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Front, Joe Tryon, Shranka, They've been drafting these guys for
a long time upfront to replace the Shaq Parrots and
some of the guys that were there.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
And now I think they're kind of getting there right there.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
And then the rock that just has been an amazing
player who never gets talked about, Levonte David, and they
bring it back this year. They get leadership, they get
playmaking ability. He's productive. He's been doing it for I
don't know, twelve years now, Like he's just been a
phenomenal player. And so if you ask me what they
do best, they just compete, and they compete it to
(21:16):
the very end of the season to win that division,
to win a home playoff game against the Eagles, and
then to compete in Detroit where they gave him a
good game.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They gave him a dark good game up there at Detroit.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
You're damn right they did. Okay, that sounds like a
pretty glowing ill review from Brian Boldinger about the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. But every team has their weaknesses. Everybody's got
an achilles heel. What is theirs?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Well, they haven't been able to run the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I mean, even going back to Tom Raves last year,
they were the worst in the league. And it's not
a not necessarily in Rashad White, he's their starter, but
they were last in the league and rush again rush average,
rush yards like, they have not been able to run
the football, and it shows up in a lot of
games that did. Brady's final season it was dreadful. Even
(22:00):
the years they won a Super Bowl, that was probably
the last good year that they did. And so you know,
they've had to replace a lot of offensive linemen. To me,
it's a team that can easily go to the offense
line of this draft to get better upfront, to be
able to run the ball better. I think if they'd
run the ball better, Baker could even be better than
what he was last year, which was the scousely the
(22:21):
best that we've seen in his career.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Okay, that's what the expert has to say. Now, let's
go out to the NFL.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Hall of Fans.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
And pull in Bucks fan Nick, who says his perfect draft,
the Bucks strengthen their offensive and defensive lines and add
another running back to compliment Rashad White. Shep's biggest source
of pride that they were able to keep all of
their major free agents Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Levanta, David
Who Balding name checked a moment Ago, and Antoine Winfield.
(22:54):
It shows, Nick, says, how much this team cares about
each other. It says to him that these players are
willing to take a little less to stay and fight
for a championship. Nick's biggest worry Baker Mayfield. Nick says, look,
I loved Baker in twenty twenty three. I am ecstatic
that we re signed him, and I think we've lucked
into a relatively inexpensive franchise QB, he says. But Nick
(23:18):
is concerned that Baker just won't be or maybe just
can't be as good on the road this time around
as he was last year when he had fourteen touchdowns
and only three picks on the road. And finally, Nick said,
I wouldn't be surprised if my Bucks improve on last
season and make it all the way to the NFC
championship game, Baldy. Let's turn now to the New Orleans Saints,
(23:40):
runner up in twenty twenty three with a matching nine
to eight record in the Nfcsouth. Nfl dot Com identify
Saints team needs as offensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle,
and linebacker. Nine picks in all to deal with those needs.
The fourteenth overall pick in round one. They have one
pick in the second. They have no fewer than four
(24:01):
picks in the fifth round, two in the sixth, and
one in the seventh. Every team's got a good, every
team's got a bad. What's the Saints good?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I'd say the Saints good has been the leadership that
they have in their stars on defense, whether it's Tyron Matthew,
Cam Jordan. You know, you look at Tomrio Davis, like
these guys just all they do is line up and
play every single game, Like Marshawn Lottimore hurt a little
bit last year, but I mean they've played lights out
(24:31):
good man de man defense last year and they they
kept the score down, they shut the Patriots out. I mean,
you go through the list of some games where Alante Taylor,
Paulson debo, you look at you know, Marshaan Lottimore. They
will play as much pressman defense as any team in
this league, and they trust those corners to be able
(24:51):
to come up there and lock you up.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Brian Baldinger says, the good the strength of this New
Orleans Saints team, it's their defense. It's leaders holding themselves
in the each other accountable on a defense that comes
to play each and every snap, each and every week.
But for every good, there's a bad. What is it
in Nola?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Well, he got to rebuild this offensive line. I mean
they drafted, they changed offensive line coaches. Dun Roan's quality
offensive line coach, but he couldn't get Trevor Petting to
be looked like a number one draft pick. You know,
he was drafted to be there, you know, the anchor
on the left tackle. He has not been able to
stay on the field. He's not been a good player.
Maybe it will turn around with John Patton, the new
(25:29):
offensive line coach. Ryan Ramcheck has had a great start
to his career. Draft in twenty seventeen, been a Pro
Bowl player, been a great player. But his health is
bad and I don't know that he can return. So
they've got to put this offensive line back together. Now
you can look at Derek Carr's numbers and go, okay,
twenty five touchdowns, eighty interceptions, pretty good, Except it really
(25:50):
wasn't pretty good. I mean there was days when they
just did not throw the ball well, and a lot
of it was protection, a lot of it was you know.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Who we throw it to.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
So I think, but I think it starts up prompt.
They need to get Kamara back. Looking like Kamara. He
did not have a good season last year. They did
not run the ball good. They picked up Jamal Williams
from Detroit the average less than three yards of carry.
They've got it, like they picked fourteenth andrew Like there's
not a single mock draft in the world today that
(26:20):
doesn't have the Saints taken an offensive tack under no
circumstances like in a deep offensive tackle draft. They've got
to get this position right. And what happens is if
you miss on a guy like Trevor Penning and I
don't want to write him off yet, but if you
miss on Trevor Penny, the mistake never goes away. Like
you still need that position philled. And that's what they
(26:41):
thought they were doing. But here they are you make
a mistake at that position. You're right back in here
a couple of years later and you're looking for offensive tack.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Okay, that's what Baldy has to say. Let's head back
out to the NFL Hall of Fans. Then bring on in, Yeah,
come on in here. Saints fan Meghan, who says that
in her perfect draft, the Saints would select an offensive
tackle to protect Derek Carr. Last year he got beat
up pretty bad, Meghan said, fractured ribs and ac tear,
(27:10):
and andrews Pete did not re sign with the Saints
this offseason. Meghan said, look, we could also use a
solid wide receiver, especially with Michael Thomas out and only
having two solid wide receivers in Chris o'lave and Shaheed
Meghan's biggest source of hope the addition of Clint Kubiak
to be our new OC, she said, especially coming from
(27:30):
the forty nine ers, She's very excited to see what
Clint Kubiak does with this offense. Her biggest source of concern,
Meghan said, no question, it's the offensive line. We need
to protect Derek Carr. She also said our clutch defensive
players are getting older. Cam Jordan Tomrio, Davis Tyrone, Matthew
and finally, Meghan says, I wouldn't be surprised if my
(27:53):
twenty twenty four New Orleans Saints won the NFC South.
She reminds us that they were pretty much one Tampa
Bay law away from winning it last year, especially with
a new OC in the mix, Derek Carr. One more
year familiar with this offense, Meghan reckins, this is going
to be a pretty good year for the Saints. We
turned out to the Atlanta Falcons. The hot Atlanta Falcons,
(28:15):
who finished the twenty twenty three campaign with a seven
and ten record. Team needs according to NFL dot com edgerusher, cornerback,
defensive tackle, safety, and yes, even with the addition of
Kirk Cousins quarterback, eight picks in all to address their needs.
The eighth overall pick in the first round. They have
one pick in the second, two in the third, one
(28:35):
in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in
the sixth. An interesting team, this Atlanta Falcons team, Brian Baldinger.
Before last season began, a lot of people made them
their hot pick to go from worse to first to
maybe be a surprise division winner. They weren't didn't live
up to expectations, certainly struggled at the quarterback position, which
of course invites a move like they made in the
(28:57):
offseason to acquire the services of Kirk Cousins. A lot
of question marks, But my first question is about their strength.
Let's talk about the good. What is the biggest strength
of this Atlanta Falcons team.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I would have to say in the offensive line. The
offensive line is very good. I thought last year that
Chris Linstrom was a Pro Bowl player, deserved to be
a Pro Bowl player. There were weekends when he was
the best right guard in all football. Nobody ever talks
about Matthews at left tackle, but when you watch him play,
you know, Jake never gets.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Talked about because he's just that consistent.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
So you you know the way that they ran the
ball with Bijan last year, with the guys that they
had at running back Tyler as year, they ran the
ball very well. So the strength is the offensive line.
And honestly, they were six and six last year and
they lost to Carolina in that following week nine to seven.
The quarterback threw a dreadful interception to lose to the
worst team in football, and the season collapsed, and you know,
(29:56):
Raheem Morris said, you know, after he got the job,
that he would not be a coach if they had
better quarterback play. But they were seven and ten three
years in a row. They've got talent. You can look
at Grady Jarrett, and you can look at Anyamada, and
you can look at Jesse Bates and the two inside
linebackers right now, you know, Nate Lamban along with Katen Ellis.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
They're very good.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
They never come off the field, but nobody really talks
about because they've been seven and ten. At one point
last year, this was the top ten defense for the
first time in a long time.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And then you know, when the offense isn't.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Scoring, you turn the ball over. You know, defenses tend
to kind of get pushed around towards the.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
End of the season.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Okay, So the biggest strength of this Atlanta Falcons team,
which is obviously a reason one of the reasons that
Kirk Cousins made this move, is the depth and the
strength of their offensive line. I think up until a
few weeks ago, when the kirk Cousins move was announced,
we would have said without question that the most glaring
weakness of this Atlanta Falcons team was the quarterback position.
(30:55):
Well now they have addressed that with Kirk Cousins, but
they still have a weakness. They still have problems. What's
the biggest problem remaining for this Atlanta Falcons team.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I would say they need to complete the defense. They
competed very well. Everybody knows they need edge pass rushing ability.
They have missed on a number of them over the years.
But it doesn't mean it doesn't it can't scare you.
It's a new regime. They need an animal on the outside,
you know, like Tampa has had those guys, and you
(31:26):
know teams that have you know, New Orleans with Cam
Jordan has had that guy forever.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
You need at least one of those animals in the outside.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Chane Berrett was that guy in Tampa for a long time.
I mean, you know the year they won a Super Bowl,
he had nineteen and a half sacks. Like, they need
that type of player.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
On their edge.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Let's head on back out to the NFL Hall of
Fans and welcome in Falcons fan show. Nah show nuff
shown nuh who says that her perfect draft everything has
to be about protecting kirkoh. She said, and getting some
game changers on that defense. Shonah is proudest of the
(32:03):
signature swag of her team back in the two thousands,
those days of the dirty Birds. Her biggest worry that
we simply don't have enough star players, she says, and
she finishes by saying, I wouldn't be surprised if my
Falcons win the division this year. And now we turn
to the Carolina Panthers two and fifteen. In twenty twenty three,
(32:26):
they were zero for nine on the road. Team needs
according to NFL dot com wide receiver, tight end, cornerback,
edge rusher, and defensive tackle. Only seven picks in this
year's draft. The thirty third overall pick in the second
round is their first pick. They have two second round picks,
a third rounder, a fourth rounder, two in the fifth,
and one in the seventh. This is a team in transition.
(32:48):
We know this well. Teams in transition tend to struggle.
Teams in transition tend to have more glaring needs than
other teams. But every NFL team in the modern era
has a strength. Is the Panther's biggest strength? What's their
biggest weapon?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I would say their defensive tackle Derek Brown is their
biggest strength. I mean, he's he had a season that
no defensive tackle has ever had in the history of
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
He had one hundred and three tackles last year.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Go find a defensive tackle from Alan Page to any
of them that nobody's ever had one hundred tackles. The
guy was a phenomenal player last year. He's their best
defensive player, is the best player on their team. They
rewarded him this offseason with a new contract, and rightfully so.
So he said, okay, where do you go? Where do
you go if you're the Carolina Panthers, Like, sometimes you
(33:36):
just start with one brick. We got one brick in
the ground right here. We got to build a foundation, Like,
let's start finding bricks. Let's start building a foundation. Because
quite frankly andrew this. Since Ron Rivera left and Matt
Rule came in, this has been the most tumultuous team ownership,
general manager, coach, coordinators. Nobody's had the turnover that the
(34:00):
Carolina Panthers have had, and now here they are turning
it over again with no first round pick, which isn't
supposed to correlate. You go two and fifteen, you should
have the first pick in the draft, Well, that first
pick goes Chicago for Bryce youllm. So this is a
big This is a big project here for Dave Canas
in his first efforts at being.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
A head coach.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Okay, it sounds like there are so many worries in
Carolina and it doesn't take a genius to figure out
that there are a number of concerns, a number of
holes to fill, a number of problems to fix. What's
the biggest of the worries facing the Carolina Panthers right now?
Maybe the better question is, of all the worries, what's
the one that you need to address and fix first,
(34:46):
most dramatically in the draft?
Speaker 3 (34:48):
Answer? The answer is what they did in free agency.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
I mean, I could give you the answer, but they've
already told all those that the offensive line we got
to fix it.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
They went out and got you know, Robert Hunt and
Damian Lewis.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You could say they overspent for those guys, and they did,
but they had to because the line was not good.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
It wasn't good in preseason.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
We got to find out if ikey Iguanu can really
play left tackle because he has struggled the last two years.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
But they drafted him with the six pick a couple
of years ago. You got to try to make that work.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
So, I mean, I think that's where it starts on
every one of these rebuilding teams. When the Cowboys were
one in fifteen back in nineteen eighty nine, I mean,
they had they had Mark two and A, they had
Nate Newton, they had you know, they drafted Stepanovski. They
had at least a core group, and then they became
the best offense line in football. And so to me,
(35:38):
when you're going to start from scratch and build, start
right there. Because your quarterback is going to have a
better chance to be able to hold the ball, make
some good decisions. You should have a better chance at
running the football, which helps every quarterback, which keeps your
defense off the field.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
You know. So I think that's where it starts.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
And that's that's what you know, Dan Morgan, the new
general manager, that's what they did. They spend a lot
of money on two guards and you hope that, you know,
between Austin Corbett and what they have a Taylor Moten
at right tackle and Ikey at left tackle, you hope
that that's the start of putting this team back on
the map.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Again, I think something you said earlier, Brian really is
is just a visual that works for me, and it
was about it's about bricks. If you have a brick,
sometimes it's only a single brick around which to build
upon which to build. If you only have one brick,
I guess you could make that your cornerstone. If you've
got a few of them, that's the beginnings of a foundation.
Either way, the architectural motif works here. All of these
(36:37):
teams that are struggling, all of these teams that have
new leadership, and you tend to have new leadership if
you have a bad season the year before. All of
these teams are building on the bricks that they have.
Some teams have more bricks than others in this case,
in the case of the Carolina Panthers, yes they have
a lot of work to do, but this is the
NFL and NFL you go from worse to first sometimes
(37:01):
in a single season, in a single period of change.
Just ask the Cats down in Houston. Okay, Baldy, thank
you for that. Let's throw open the doors to the
NFL Hall of Fans. Kill the music, ah, kill the music.
Welcome in Panthers fan Luca who says that in his
perfect draft, the O line is addressed and pass catchers
(37:23):
are grabbed two because Bryce Young needs more targets. He
does like both of the guys that Baldy mentioned earlier,
centers Graham Barton and Jackson Powers Johnson. He's hoping they
slip in the draft so that his Panthers can grab
them at thirty three. He'd like to grab Leggett the
wide receiver at thirty nine, and he says, look, if
(37:43):
centers don't slip, we need a lockdown corner or an energetic,
destructive DN that can start Week one. Luca's wish list
for this draft also includes an explosive pass catching running back,
a sure handed tight end, another wide out parenthetically he
said as Puka two point zero please, and a sideline
to sidelined linebacker to replace Shaq Thompson. On the subject
(38:08):
of his biggest source of pride, Luca paused. He said,
pride is tough right now, not much of it going
around with new ownership and lots of turmoil, but he
does find hope in this young quarterback and a quarterback
guru at head coach and a defensive mastermind in Everroh.
He said we have to get it right this draft.
(38:28):
And finally, Panthers fan Luca says, I wouldn't be surprised
if my twenty twenty four Carolina Panthers make huge strides,
a top fifteen offense, maybe even a top five defense.
Neither would surprise Luca, nor would competing for an NFC
South Division title. He reminded me very quickly afterwards, though,
that he also wouldn't be surprised if they come in
(38:48):
last in the NFC South. Okay, Baldy, before I let
you go, thank you for your patients there. Let's get
from you a predicted order of finish in this division
in the NFC South for the twenty twenty four campaign.
Who's first, Who's second, Who's third, Who's last?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Well, Kirk Cousins was brought there to win the division, Okay,
a big contract.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
I'll take Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Drum roll for the Falcons at.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
One, I'll say the Falcons win the division and I'd say,
just the way New Orleans and Tampa finished at nine
and eight a year ago, Tampa winning it strength of
you know, whatever the deciding factor was, I'll say they
both finished ninety eight. Next year, Tampa and New Orleans
and then Carolina is bringing up the rear. But hopefully
(39:35):
we can at least see some development, more wins this
year under Dave Canals.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The news, there is a little bit of news, small
n end quotes. He's not saying that it is true.
He's saying that's his opinion here on April seventeenth. But
Brian Baldinger sees Atlanta Falcons pay off that Kirk Cousins
acquisition with what a division title, an NFC South Division title.
I want to think today's very special guest, Brian Baldinger,
thanks for your time today, Buddy, appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah, thank thanks for having me Andrew appreciate it. Anytime listener.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
If you want more draft talk, oh we've got it.
The NFL Network and ESPN are doing a special crossover
this week. It continues Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Mena
Kimes will join Daniel Jeremiah on the Move the Sticks podcast.
Then on Friday, Kurt Warner is on Get Up and
Daniel Jeremiah is on NFL Live. Really thrilled that we
(40:26):
could get our teams together this week. Next time for us,
that will be our three hundred and fiftieth show. What
Coop no music, Thanks a lot. It's an examination of
current team building strategies in the NFL with our in
house GM Mark Ross. I want to examine the schools
of thought regarding rookie quarterbacks. Mark, if you're listening, so
(40:48):
get prepared for this one. One of the schools of
thought says you build a team around a young rookie quarterback.
Another school of thought says build your team first, then
pick quarterback. And still a third school of thoughts says
NFL teams are selecting a rookie quarterback contract as much
(41:08):
as they are selecting the player. Well, my question, are
teams overthinking and overdrafting quarterbacks? That's among the many questions
to be answered next time on NFL Total Access to
podcast till then, thank you so much for listening, and Choupinet.
NFL Total Access is a production of the NFL in
(41:29):
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app. You can also get us at Apple Podcasts
or wherever you get your podcasts.
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