Stefanski-Bitonio-Ward | From the Podium | 1-5-25

On this Monday, hear from HC Kevin Stefanski, WR Jerry Jeudy, G Joel Bitonio, T Jack Conklin, CB Denzel Ward, CB Greg Newsome II, and S Rodney McLeod.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to another episode of the from the Podium podcast.
I'm Gabe Color Up. Yesterday was locker clean out day
for the Browns as they wrapped up their regular season
last Saturday. On today's episode, you'll hear from head coach
Kevin Stefanski, wide receiver Jerry Judy, guard Joel Botonio, tackle
Jack Conklin, cornerback Denzel Ward, cornerback Greg Newsom the second
and safety Rodney McLeod. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is up first,

(00:28):
and he reflected on the twenty twenty four season and
gave a brief preview for twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Okay, obviously, you know, tough day. The finality of the
season coming to an end is always hard. You know,
there's frustration from myself, I'm sure our fans I sharing
that frustration. Extremely disappointed in where this season went and
that we're not playing football anymore.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
That's tough, so tough day all round.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
But we're gonna get to fixing this and that's that's
what we're gonna do. We're gonna get back to work.
So we're gonna meet with the players today, meet with
the coaches, and and obviously we'll have time to look
at all this, but extremely frustrate, extremely disappointed, extremely appreciative,
appreciative of our players gave me and gave us everything

(01:22):
they had, fought like crazy. The results were not what
we wanted, that's obvious, but I'm certainly grateful to them
for how hard they played, kept swinging. I know you
guys saw the news on Ken Dorsey and Andy Dickerson.
H I think the world of those two guys as
people as coaches, But I'm gonna go in a different direction.

(01:46):
And uh and I'm appreciative of their hard work as well.
But with that, I'll take any questions and can you.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Just reflect on the challenges of this season you guys
try to maybe some some different things.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, I think there's a lot that we need to
look into, tom and and get fixed. This is never
going to be about one person, let me make that clear,
or in this case, you know about our one coach
or another coach, like this is something that we all own,
we all sharing that, but have to look at all
of it.

Speaker 5 (02:16):
The decision went into the decision.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
To move on from Yeah, just bottom line, I want
to go in a different direction. We need to improves
as everybody knows on the offensive side of the ball,
and that's what we plan to do.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
Do you feel like you guys got away from maybe
what you did best and what this team is killed
best to do.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
This season, we certainly didn't play well enough, Dan, So
I think it's something that we need to look at,
and we need to look at doing those things as
a team, certainly doing those things and as an offense
that give you a chance to win.

Speaker 7 (02:49):
Talking and Kevin that the philosophy just wasn't Morgan, So
could you sense that then as you as head coach,
could you have said we have to go back to
what we were doing or is that.

Speaker 8 (03:02):
Just not that?

Speaker 5 (03:03):
So?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
I think bottom line, the results were not there, Jeff,
and we all share in that. And there's things that
we have to improve. There's things that we have to fix, uh,
And that's that's what we'll do.

Speaker 9 (03:15):
If you or do you have regrets about giving up
to play calling.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, listen, Uh, we are where we are.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
There's there's decisions that you make every every week, every season,
seemingly every quarter of a game.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Uh, and then you.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Learn from those decisions and and you're just always what
I'm always trying to do as you guys know, is
just trying to do what's best for the team.

Speaker 10 (03:35):
I think you have to decide if you guys are
more of a play action bootleg type of team, or
if you want to be the spread harpo team that
Deshaun was going to be well suited for, or can
you find a marriage between the two, or how do
you approach that.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah, I think it goes back to we need to
play sound offensive football, mary kay, and that that really
is in every scheme, doesn't matter what whether you're dropping
back to pass, hand and off. We have to be
more sound than we were.

Speaker 11 (04:03):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
And obviously it also goes into taking care of the football,
which we have not done a good enough job of.
I know you guys are sick of me talking about it,
but it's the number one thing when you're talking about
winning and losing, and we have to do a better
job there.

Speaker 12 (04:16):
It's a you know, when you do finally hire off
with the corner, do you intend to kind of take
back those play calling news.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah. I'm not even there, Daniel on that type of decision.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
It's a I want to go through the process of
talking to coordinator candidates first.

Speaker 13 (04:33):
Are there other potential changes that you are looking at
or is that something that could happen whenever you do
make a decision.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
And hire a new Yeah, I don't anticipate any major changes.

Speaker 10 (04:43):
Launch your coordinator, Serch right away.

Speaker 6 (04:47):
It's in the building that you'll talk to you about.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
There are guys that I'll talk to in the building.

Speaker 12 (04:51):
Yes, need that search process in terms of finding candidates
and then ultimately.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Betting and interviewing them.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Sure, that'll be all of us kind of all hands
on deck, Daniel, myself, ab a bunch of people.

Speaker 10 (05:05):
Is that when you don't really know who the starting quarterback.

Speaker 7 (05:07):
Is going to be.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, I think for us, Mary Kay, it goes back
to running a sound system that we feel confident can
set our team up for success. Really, and that goes
for every position.

Speaker 7 (05:20):
Did you feel like slipping away that this philosophy wasn't working?

Speaker 2 (05:26):
We just, you know, I think if you look back, Jeff,
we certainly we didn't win enough. We didn't play well
enough as a team to win. So in this instance,
we have to find ways to play better on offense
to give ourselves a chance to win as a team.

Speaker 14 (05:40):
I mean, fourteen it feels a long way away from
do you think this team can get back to where
it wants to be in the playoffs next season.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
I do. I do.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
I know the core guys we have on this team.
I know the coaches we have in this team. Obviously
there's change every season. We all understand that that's the NFL.
But I confident in the group we have.

Speaker 15 (06:02):
I specifically talked about hoping that you go back to
some version of that wide zone run scheme that was
so effective years here. I mean, do you envision that
as possibility right now?

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, not to get too far into specifics actually, other
than to say we will get back to a sound
system that gives our team a chance. And again, I
want to make it clear, this is not about one
person or one particular part of the scheme.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
This is about all of us owning it and fixing it.

Speaker 16 (06:30):
Rio and Jack Conklin said that the team, from a
personnel standpoint is best suited for that, you know, outside
zone play action scheme that we're so used to you
running prior to this year. Do you agree with that
that the personalities and this team.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is built for that. I would say that we have scheme.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
The two guys you just mentioned, I think they're good
at a bunch of different things. Obviously that's our job
to look at what we can lean into and be
good at. But I feel really confident in our group.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Up to be able to execute a bunch of different schemes.

Speaker 17 (07:02):
Off about this group and feeling good about them, and
that it's hard to square that with the results and
believing that keeping things mostly status quo is going to
result in better results.

Speaker 18 (07:18):
So just from your standpoint, why is your belief so.

Speaker 19 (07:22):
Strong in that?

Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah? I think it goes back to Darryl.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
There's nobody more disappointed with how the season went than me,
I promise you, and there's nobody more committed to fixing
it than me. I know the people we have. I
know that there will be changes, like there are every
single season. I get that part. But I trust in
the group and I trust that we will get it done.

Speaker 10 (07:50):
We know that Deshaun is going to come back with
an opportunity to compete for the starting job as long
as he's healthy. What do you think he might have
left in the tank and how much would you look
forward to trying to work with end of day.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
I think the biggest thing, like you mentioned, Mary Kay,
is he's got to get healthy. That's the most important
thing going for him right now, and he's working hard
al those lines.

Speaker 12 (08:11):
I know, immediate after map of his injury, you said
that you knew what you had in Deshaon. Do you
think that you have a starting caliber record but you
can win away with insan?

Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Again, I think the number one thing for Deshaun, and
I've talked to him about this, is he has to
get healthy. He's working hard towards that goal, uh, obviously,
and then we need to be more consistent. And that's
it at the quarterback position. That's at at every position
h certainly on the team, but speaking specifically to the offense,
we need more consistent play. But for Deshaun, the number
one thing that he needs to do is get healthy.

Speaker 17 (08:43):
Coming in to the season.

Speaker 18 (08:45):
Or you've mentioned health, you know a couple of times
here and considering the challenges the offense had in those
first seven games prior to his injury.

Speaker 19 (08:54):
Just what was behind that?

Speaker 2 (08:56):
I would say, yes, he was healthy, certainly was coming
off of major surgery and but was healthy enough. But
he knows he wants to play more consistent. But again,
the number one thing is just getting him healthy.

Speaker 10 (09:09):
To be aligned in terms of your quarterback, so that
you might not be doing the you know, Deshaun type
of guy, and also like a whatever Joe Flaco.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Let's say, I don't think of it in those terms necessarily,
Mary Kay, I think we need to whatever the whatever
we look at as an organization and guys that are
available and who we bring back at every position, who,
Because I would love to bring everybody back, it's not possible.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
Unfortunately, they are these roster rules to get in the way.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
But we'll see how it all shakes out.

Speaker 3 (09:43):
Not yet, not yet, not yet.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
There's a bunch I've met with a few guys, haven't
met with everybody just yet.

Speaker 14 (09:48):
He talked about wanting to know what the plan is
to contend next year. So what's the pitch to him
to get him happy.

Speaker 8 (09:54):
To be coming back.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, I would leave all those things private between Miles
and myself.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yes, when you want to.

Speaker 20 (10:01):
Get to know the plan, is that something that you
are open to is providing transparency about.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Where you looking at as much as you can.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Cam, I think you always want to bring your guys,
especially your leaders, guys that have been here. You want
to bring them in to what the plans are moving forward.

Speaker 21 (10:15):
Well, this will be a third offensive coordinator in three years.
Is there a specific quality or qualities that this new
offensive coordinator must have that you haven't had before?

Speaker 3 (10:28):
Now?

Speaker 2 (10:29):
I wouldn't say there'd be anything specific, Uh, one quality.
I'm just looking for We are looking for somebody to
come in and help us share in a vision where
we can go play sound, explosive offensive football.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
I feel confident that we'll be able to do that.

Speaker 10 (10:47):
A top three pick, maybe even the number one overall pick.
How involved will you get in scouting the college quarterbacks?
Are you gonna be on your way to senior ball
and really dig into the.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
College guy, m We'll work through all that, Mary Kay.

Speaker 2 (10:58):
I know Andrew's way ahead of me when it comes
to that, but I'll get my scout hat on here
pretty quickly.

Speaker 5 (11:04):
Those lines.

Speaker 16 (11:05):
Kevin, you know ownership has talked for years about the
alignment that you and Andrew had the desire for that.

Speaker 22 (11:11):
And how it's.

Speaker 16 (11:13):
Been, you know, a big plus of this regime. How
much responsibility do you feel to make sure that that
stays in a good place coming off a rough season,
because obviously throughout pro sports, you know, when expectations are met,
that's when things can.

Speaker 2 (11:29):
Go sideways, So my commitment to alignment responsibly do.

Speaker 16 (11:36):
You feel and making sure that you and Andrews stay
aligned throughout?

Speaker 3 (11:39):
Oh yeah, we trying to bounce back.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
We feel very responsible and we are tied at the
hip and we will do everything in our power together.
Andrew works really really hard at this. Uh he I'm
sure you guys will talk to Andrew. I'll let him
speak for himself. But we're frustrated and we will get
it fixed.

Speaker 10 (12:00):
And is it to you to have an offensive coordinator
that maybe you've worked with before, or that you feel
super comfortable with, or that you know that you completely
can be on the same page.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
I think it's a good question, Mary Kay. I think
it remains to be seen.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
We need to see what's what this looks like and
looking forward to talking to some people. I'm sure we'll
talk to people that I don't have a prior relationship too.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
And I've hired plenty.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Of guys over the years that that you don't have
a relationship with and you and it works really well,
so that's not a prerequisite.

Speaker 12 (12:30):
Give an update on Mike dispherity, Mike calls.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Injury and at not yet. I know he got out
of that MRI. But I don't have an update just yet.

Speaker 14 (12:37):
You're able to say provide any more.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Information like j okay, yeah, nothing more to add other
other than to say he's getting all the information that
he can get and we'll update you guys on appropriate
play next year, though, I'm hopeful.

Speaker 14 (12:50):
I know, with all the talk about the offense changes
or whatever, do you feel like there has to be
a stronger commitment to the run game, especially from the
start of the season next year.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
We have to play better on offense in a bunch
of different areas. I don't think it's as simple as
just saying one, you know, running effectively, that is a
component of it. But we need to we need to
do a better job of setting our team up for success.
I think too often this season our defense had to
take the field in some really, really tough spots after

(13:20):
a turnover. If you just look at the number of
drives that our defense face this year, it's it's not
a formula for winning.

Speaker 14 (13:29):
That was a philosophical change from twenty twenty three to
twenty twenty four, that you're going to come out throwing
much more than you did.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
The previous year.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
I wouldn't say that was a core tenant of what
we were planning on doing. Obviously we got behind in
too many games, but we need to We definitely need
to run the ball more effectively.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Success that you're.

Speaker 18 (13:49):
Aiming to achieve in this league in neededly quarterback play,
There's no question about it. So how much of the
challenges that you've had at that position are system based,
how much of them are player based?

Speaker 3 (14:02):
Just you know, your your perspective.

Speaker 18 (14:04):
On you know, getting to a point where this franchise
has a laite quarterback player.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
We need to play certainly more consistent at the quarterback position. Uh,
And I think that goes for the entire offense as well.
Obviously you look around the league and I understand that
there's you know, guys playing at a very high level.
We feel really confident that we can get a group
to play really consistent offensive football, especially.

Speaker 5 (14:31):
The offensive order.

Speaker 13 (14:33):
Also served as sort of the quarterbacks coach or is
that something that you could hire also hire?

Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, I think it's certainly a possibility of hiring a
quarterback coach as well, But I need to work through
all that.

Speaker 23 (14:47):
Seeing that the defensive put in the tough field positions
throughout the season.

Speaker 9 (14:51):
So how do you evaluate how they did as a
unit over.

Speaker 23 (14:54):
The course of the season of especially just off of
the success.

Speaker 24 (14:57):
They had last year.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
I thought they battled like crazy. Even yesterday, I thought
was a great example of turn of round. Downs put
them in plus territory, a kickoff return put them in
plus territory. I think a punt put them right around midfield,
and those guys kept taking the field and.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Kept swinging.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
It wasn't perfect, obviously, as you know, we wore down
towards the end there of that football game, which was disappointing,
But I can't fault the effort.

Speaker 3 (15:23):
There's things I know we can do better.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
I know coach Schwartz and defensive staff are already working
towards things we can do better. But so much of
this goes into playing complimentary football, and when you don't
do that, you just make it really hard.

Speaker 10 (15:36):
Is it safe to say or is it you simplistic
to say that you? I mean, we sort of associate you,
or at least I do associate you more with the
West Coast Gary Kubiak type of offense. But is that
inaccurate to kind of portray it like that? I mean,
are you totally cool with the spread up.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
Yeah, certainly you can call it whatever you want, Mary Kay.
I think for me the biggest thing is playing sound,
being explosive. When we can be explosive, being efficient, how
exactly you deploy that, I think that varies even among
the teams, like for instance, you're talking about in some
of those trees, those branches of those trees can vary
pretty significantly. So what exactly you call it or what

(16:18):
it exactly looks like is not as important to me
as how efficient, sound explosive it is.

Speaker 25 (16:26):
It was obvious that three young receivers kind of blossomed
when the quarterback change after the injuries or any other
explanation other than being able to, you know, do the.

Speaker 3 (16:39):
Play action pass, and I don't.

Speaker 2 (16:43):
I would just tell you in terms of our receivers,
I thought those guys competed well all season long, did
their job. Obviously, Jerry had a big year for us.
I think he can certainly play even better and he
believes that as well. So we'll just focus on getting
those guys, as you know, improvement plans and making sure

(17:03):
that they get back here healthy and are ready role guys.

Speaker 6 (17:08):
You'll be and kind of restart turning that quarterback and
will it'll be more than in years past.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
Or I think AB does a great job of bringing
the coaches in on all personnel decisions, so I'll be
right there with him every step of the way.

Speaker 26 (17:22):
You guys, obviously, when the change happened last off season
and you guys let Bill go, you talked about how
great he is. But is there any way to quantify
what like his absence this season, like how that may.

Speaker 17 (17:32):
Be impacting the play of the.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
Event sort of like that group.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
Respectfully, I don't think it's fair to to put that
on that particular decision. You know, as you guys know
we've talked about Bill. Love Bill, but I don't think
it's fair to say that.

Speaker 14 (17:49):
It feels like it'll be the first time with you
guys here that you're going through an offseason with this
much uncertainty at the top of the quarterback depth chart.

Speaker 22 (17:58):
How do you approach that?

Speaker 3 (17:59):
Do is that you feel like it?

Speaker 14 (18:00):
I think things trying to kind of rework that room.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
There's uncertainty in pro sports, there's uncertainty in the NFL.
We really trust in the guys we have, I trust
in what we're gonna do in terms of putting this
thing back together. But the fact that there's gonna uncertainty
at any position, I think is just part of this league.

Speaker 10 (18:21):
Mike Rabel, taking any of your.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
Assistants with him, you'd have to ask first.

Speaker 20 (18:28):
How the season went and how the locker room in
other situations and other teams might have gone awry, that
they stayed kind of banded together and kept that more
out through it. What does that say about.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
I mean, listen, we're results based, nobody feels good about
where we are. But I'm proud of those guys for
forgiving me everything that they had. I'm proud of the
work that they put into it. They kept swinging, and
I think that speaks to the leadership on this football team.
I'd point out Rod McCleod Joel Beatonio's two guys that

(19:01):
made sure that their teammates gave it everything that they had.
And both those guys addressed the team, I guess Friday
night before the game, and I can't say enough about
their leadership and what it's meant to this football team.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
You about your.

Speaker 10 (19:15):
Short list of offensive coordinator.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Candidates so far, Yeah, you know it's early, so need
to work through all that. I think we'll talk to
a bunch of different guys and get some different perspectives.
But there's a lot of work to be done there,
you and the coaches.

Speaker 18 (19:32):
You can't go out there and play the game four
the players. So there's obviously got to be some responsibility
from you know, the locker room for what has happened
this season. You know, clearly effort not an issue, but
like just from like a leadership standpoint and things like that,
what do you think happened with this group of talented

(19:54):
players where it just didn't really come together on in
all three phases?

Speaker 2 (20:00):
You know to the first part of the question, Daryl,
we all own this. That's how this game works, That's
how sports work. You all own the results. So this
is a player, coaches, staff. That record goes on all
of us, and it goes on me, and you don't
hide from that. What do we take away from this?
We take a lot away from every season and we

(20:23):
have to learn from it. There's there's things that we
know we can do better. There's things that we know
we want to fix. But I can promise you all
of us are committed to fixing it together.

Speaker 10 (20:37):
Shawn's first seven games and we've talked about this some before,
but do you feel like there were a lot of
other problems besides.

Speaker 2 (20:45):
Just what's going on with I think it goes without
saying Mary Kay, that it's never about one person ever,
And I think certainly we need to look at everybody
and their role and how we can be better.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
But I can't say that it's ever gonna be about
one person.

Speaker 15 (21:02):
The black tackle spot and what did you see out
of de Win before he got hurt, and just what
are your thoughts on the jets possible future.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
Yeah, I think we'll see on on all those guys.
Specifically to Dewan, I thought, you know, when he got hurt,
I thought he was starting to settle in at that position.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
So he he needs to get healthy.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
That's the most important thing for him right now, and
then we'll see where it goes from there.

Speaker 13 (21:24):
Certainly with I mean that that two seasons in a
row ending with obviously in some ways that the last
one especially was a freak kind of freak injury. But
at that size, you know, lower you know, lower leg
type of injuries.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Beans certainly want him to be healthy and and certainly
that's a main point of emphasis for him like you mentioned,
sometimes playing that position, you can get unlucky and a
guy can roll up on the back of you, uh,
on your legs. But he's going to focus on getting healthy,
getting stronger and and really see where it goes from there.
You should you have coming in no nopets. There's a

(22:03):
bunch of games on the day, so not just yet
talk so much.

Speaker 26 (22:06):
About your messaging year to year and trying to keep
that first. But in a year where you go three
and fourteen, you've never obviously experienced this before, Like how
difficult was that for you? And how'd you try to
do your best to keep you guys whatev?

Speaker 17 (22:17):
I mean, it seems like obviously work.

Speaker 2 (22:18):
But listen, that's a that's a frustrating outcome, it's disappointing,
it's it's all of those things. But we're we're just
we have that resolve where we will get it fixed.
We're not gonna We're not gonna hide from it, not
gonna wish it away. You won't hear that from me,
from our players, from our coaches. We will own this, uh,

(22:38):
and we will make sure that we fix this because.

Speaker 19 (22:42):
Just as a person.

Speaker 5 (22:45):
When you go home with your family.

Speaker 3 (22:47):
To leave this stuff here.

Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yeah, I leave it here. I leave you here, Jeff.
I don't take any of you guys with me. Uh
but listen, this is uh there's there's your job, and
then there's your family.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
Uh and and I don't bring my job home to
my kids.

Speaker 10 (23:01):
Leader and or play calling experience be high on your
list of criteria for your new guy.

Speaker 2 (23:08):
I'm open minded, Mary kay to a bunch of Uh.
I know there's not one way to do that. I
think there's gonna be good candidates with him without that.
With Jeff coming up up? All right tonight, Jeff, come
on over. I'll barbecue.

Speaker 3 (23:24):
Hey. Appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
I appreciate you guys being professional all season long. And
uh I'll stay out your hair for a little bit.
All right, thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (23:32):
Wide receiver Jerry Judy discussed his first career Pro Bowl season.

Speaker 22 (23:36):
I guess just let's starts.

Speaker 14 (23:38):
They can be away always.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
What do you think when you heard that?

Speaker 5 (23:41):
Uh?

Speaker 27 (23:42):
You know, damn? Uh I like I like Ken. You know,
uh that's the guy that uh I true respect. You know,
that's the guy I grew Upatch him when he's to
play a quarterback for the youth, you know, Uh, I
got a lot of respect for can hopefully hopefully he
founds somewhere that uh, you know, he could last.

Speaker 5 (23:58):
He could last.

Speaker 22 (23:59):
And I guess, yeah, man, I know you passed that,
you back it up, takes the.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
Stuff.

Speaker 22 (24:06):
So I mean, I guess just how impactful was Ken
and all of that?

Speaker 17 (24:09):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (24:09):
You know, he was very impactful, you know.

Speaker 27 (24:11):
Uh, you know, can't put me in a lot of
position to uh make plays, you know, and you know,
I'm all thankful for that, you know, very appreciative for him.

Speaker 11 (24:21):
Yeah, you're When you look back just on this season
in general, do you have an idea of where things
went wrong collectively.

Speaker 28 (24:29):
For the team?

Speaker 27 (24:30):
Yeah, you know, uh uh A lot of turnovers, a lot.

Speaker 5 (24:33):
Of pre snapped penities.

Speaker 27 (24:35):
That's the two biggest thing that I could think think
of right now, you know, uh, you know, having those
he can't win in games with having twin overs and
pre snap penities like that amount we have. You know,
once we get that turned around, I feel like it'll
be a way better team that that the record shows.

Speaker 22 (24:50):
How could you enter this offseason?

Speaker 20 (24:51):
What do you need to do?

Speaker 22 (24:52):
What are you looking.

Speaker 20 (24:53):
Forward to, uh to have a successful twenty twenty five season?

Speaker 27 (24:58):
You know, just just work t or as towards my goals,
work towards watch film, see what I what I need
to work on throughout the off season, you know, focus
on those little details, you know, get stronger, get faster
than you know, and just having a uh a better
year next year.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
Do you still feel good about this team calling you
in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 1 (25:15):
Uh?

Speaker 27 (25:15):
Yes, yes, I feel good about this team, good about
this culture staff, I know, uh, coach, the fans fanski enough,
you know, uh, the ownership were gonna have a a
great plan ahead to make sure that we not in
the situation again.

Speaker 18 (25:27):
When the team wins three games, it's it's hard to
imagine that there's gonna be a a fast turnaround next year.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
So what have you observed?

Speaker 18 (25:37):
It gives you the confidence that you guys are really
gonna be able.

Speaker 12 (25:40):
To bounce backs fall.

Speaker 27 (25:42):
You know, I I didn't know the the amount of
work coaches style, We're gonna put it in throughout the
off season just to uh, just so we won't have
this season that we had this year, you know, And
uh and I feel like, uh, you know, uh, they
gonna make sure that we don't have a a season
like that for sure.

Speaker 6 (25:56):
What what c what gives you the beliefs that Kevin Stefanski's.

Speaker 3 (25:59):
The right game?

Speaker 27 (26:01):
You know, he just a great leader, great coach. You know,
he was in the two time Coach of the Year
for no reason. So he definitely know how to lead
the guys. He definitely un knows like what we need
to do to get better and you know, uh, he
gonna work towards to fix that.

Speaker 6 (26:13):
It And know that You've always say confidence in yourself,
but this year you talked about it kind of showed
what you can do. So say, I guess what's your ceiling?
How how good can you be? H?

Speaker 5 (26:21):
You know there's no seling a. I guess you know.

Speaker 27 (26:24):
I I'm only gonna get better each and every year.
You know, it's only up from here.

Speaker 8 (26:29):
How part does he already ask this?

Speaker 3 (26:30):
But uh, obviously you came givers that came.

Speaker 5 (26:33):
He just came out this morning.

Speaker 8 (26:34):
He's just why do.

Speaker 5 (26:35):
You think it? Can you work this? Uh?

Speaker 27 (26:41):
I'm not I'm not sure, you know, you know probably
just uh uh I'm not sure. And we just ain't
a a play whereas a offense. You know, Uh, I
feel like that that was the biggest thing I can't
I can't.

Speaker 5 (26:54):
Really point my finger on it.

Speaker 29 (26:56):
And it was a team didn't necessarily white as well
as y'all white, but individually had a posture year. Is
there a number that you're proud of? Is there a
staff that you're most proud of?

Speaker 5 (27:10):
Yeah, you know, here in my first thousand and get
into the Pro Bowl.

Speaker 27 (27:14):
Uh, you know, being able to break the all time
reception record.

Speaker 5 (27:18):
You know, that's I'm extremely thankful and extremely less.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
All Pro guard Joel Botonio talked about the play of
the offensive line this year.

Speaker 22 (27:26):
I remember, you see.

Speaker 4 (27:27):
After a season like that, Ken Dorsey and both the
big that they're doing today. Could you just speak to
that and kind of the the difficulties of this season
for both of them.

Speaker 29 (27:36):
Yeah, both great people.

Speaker 9 (27:39):
You know. I my relationship and he goes back to
like the draft. He was one of the first people
to come work me out and stuff. So I I
had a good relationship him. He's a great person.

Speaker 8 (27:48):
You know.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
I think interesting.

Speaker 9 (27:51):
You know, you have three and fourteen and the offense
underperforms to that level. You know, I think you look
at things and people you don't get fired in those
situations like it's a it's an NFL it's a tough business.
But both those guys you know, worked hard. You know,
they did their best and we just we used to

(28:12):
not perform well enough on offense to uh, you know,
to not have to make some changes.

Speaker 7 (28:16):
But what is it like to go to as a
player to go through those coaching changes from last year
this year?

Speaker 8 (28:23):
Oh, it's it's different.

Speaker 9 (28:24):
You know, you work with a guy like coach callahun
A VP Scottie Peters for four years. You get used
to their kind of lingo, the way we run things,
the way we responding games, and you're getting used to
a whole new system. You know, we bring in a
new run game style. I'm not so sure about the
passing game, but some of that stuff obviously has changed
as well. And then you get into like how they

(28:46):
react in games, how you respond, how you watch film,
like all that stuff changes, you know, especially when you're
used to someone for four years. So it's it's definitely
a definitely a change, and we'll go through that a
you know, I'm sure they're gonna bring in someone this
offseason obviously, and and we'll you know, see where we're
at there.

Speaker 14 (29:05):
Joe, would you think it would make sense to go
back to the kind of Kevin run heavy play action
scheme that you guys had so much success with the
first four or five years.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 9 (29:15):
I think that's what coach the Fancy is comfortable with,
you know, the marriage of the running pass, you take
your shots with some play action heavy things. I think
it's what we've had the most success under, you know,
and I think it's what Coach Stefanski is is most
comfortable with. The line was kind of built that way
as well, you know, I thought, you know, me and

(29:39):
Wyatt as pullers running some outside zone like I think
I that was what I did well in my career,
you know, and I probably pulled like less than ten
times this year, you know overall, and there's games in
my career where I pulled eight or ten times in
a game, and so it was it was different, for sure,
but I think that's where the strength of offense is
and hopefully we can you know, build it up and

(30:00):
get the right people in the right position.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
Joel, how do you.

Speaker 15 (30:03):
Think you guys handled all the injuries this year because
those first eight games it was like set in different
lineups or whatever them, things kind of stabilized. So how
do you think you guys did in the second half.

Speaker 9 (30:12):
Yeah, I think once we got to the second half,
once Jack came back, White came back from his injury,
Po you know, missed I think one game. I think
once we got the lineup back, and then Dwan played
for a few weeks, and then Gi came in and played,
like I think we settled down well. Like I think
if you look at even the numbers of the past
protection and in the run game, we didn't run a lot,

(30:34):
but it was a lot more efficient. It felt good,
like I felt like we're moving some people. I felt
like we're getting comfortable. It's unfortunate the first you know,
eight weeks of the season was what it was with
the with the mix, but I do think the line
settled in as the season went on.

Speaker 7 (30:49):
Joelan, you're talking and now that you planned on being that.

Speaker 8 (30:52):
Next year, Well, I don't have an answer for you there.

Speaker 9 (30:55):
I did just have some exit meetings with a V
and the ownership, so you know, you hear a lot
of what they're they're telling you and what's going on.
But I've talked to them, we're gonna take some time
and kind of see where we're at. And you know
a little while and see how we're feeling and what
what the plan is and what we want to do
in our future. Yeah, it wasn't you know, they didn't

(31:20):
get super detailed. You know, obviously we saw some of
the stuff. But it's just good good to hear that.
You know, in season, like you're playing week to week,
you don't have that ability to if they know you're
not on the same page or or or do they
understand what kind of went wrong and stuff like that,
and to hear it from their perspective and kind of
what their thoughts are on the team and where we

(31:42):
need to make improvements at it's good. It's good to
hear those things and and see, you know, you got
to see what happens with it, but to hear hear
their thoughts is always a good thing.

Speaker 5 (31:51):
Do you have a time to.

Speaker 3 (31:52):
For yourself on like you want to make a decision?

Speaker 9 (31:55):
Why no, I mean, I'm sure like you gotta do
something before or free agency or whatever. They got to
know what's going on. You want to leave the team
high and dry, like wait till August and be like yeah,
I'm you know, I'm gonna stay on the golf course. Uh,
you know, so, so there's there's some things like that,
but I don't have a time to I really want
to decompress and just fill it out and give myself

(32:19):
a chance to, uh, you know, rest the mind and
the body and see where we're at.

Speaker 29 (32:22):
Joe, why do you think that?

Speaker 3 (32:26):
Why do you think are switching.

Speaker 16 (32:29):
To out of the principles in the philosophy's kendors proved
to be more difficult than anticipating.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
I don't think it's just that.

Speaker 29 (32:39):
I think.

Speaker 9 (32:41):
You know, you're used to something for four years, you
do something like you know, we we were switching philosophies
kind of the last couple of years as well. And
then Flacco came in and he was more of a
pro style like this how he could run coach to
Fancy's offense. So so we we had a little bit
of that. But I think this year they wanted to
go all in on the the r P O s
and the and the and what made you know, Sean

(33:02):
most comfortable at quarterback. And we have to execute that
stuff too, Like I'm not gonna blame just like Dorsey
or coach Dickerson, Like we're all in this, you know,
Like the guys have to perform. The guys have to execute,
but it it's just different. It's different for the guys.
It's different for what guys have been doing, what they've
been taught, and so it takes some time to to

(33:24):
start filing it out and then by the time maybe
start getting comfortable, quarterback gets hurt, a guy gets hurt.
You keep mixing and matching the offense. You know, Nick
Chubb doesn't come back to the Week six like. There's
a lot of factors that come in go into it.

Speaker 10 (33:37):
Watson is the starting quarter fans, is that something that
you can embrace and get behind.

Speaker 9 (33:44):
Yeah, you know, we know Deshaun's part of this team.
We know he's working hard to come back from the
Achilles injury. And if he's, you know, our starting quarterback
next year, I think the ab coach Stefanski, the offensive
coordinator who you know, whoever that is, has made that
choice because he gives this best chance to win. And
that's something that you know we're gonna support as a team.

Speaker 14 (34:05):
Kevin and Ken, suppose when you're playing it's such a
high level this year, did you feel you were playing
as well as.

Speaker 18 (34:11):
You have you?

Speaker 8 (34:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (34:16):
Yeah, I uh, that's that makes it a little difficult too,
because I still feel like I can play in this league,
you know what I mean. And it's just it's just
like the burden of playing in this league is tough,
you know. And and as an offensive lineman, you have
to be fully committed, like you don't get to play
no offensive d lineman. But you know, Brandon grahams playing

(34:37):
his two hundred game and he plays like twenty four snaps,
you know what I mean, Like you're playing fifty five
to eighty five snaps every game.

Speaker 5 (34:44):
You know.

Speaker 9 (34:44):
I think I got close to twelve hundred snaps this
year on offense, and that's a big commitment, you know.
And then the practices and and and stuff like that.
But no, I do, I do think. And then once
we settled down, the old line got settled, I think
I got comfort more comfortable, and I feel like the
last you know, xt eight weeks, I really played my
best football this season. But no, I do still think

(35:06):
I can play in this league. It's just you know,
there's other factors as well.

Speaker 18 (35:11):
But I know before the season why I sort of
talked about it, just like philosophic pool.

Speaker 6 (35:16):
Or like approached that Phil Callahan had.

Speaker 26 (35:18):
Versus what Andy had do you did you guys maybe
missed that.

Speaker 6 (35:22):
That approach to things more than maybe you maybe thought
you would at the.

Speaker 24 (35:25):
Start of the season.

Speaker 9 (35:26):
Yeah, I think we all knew that coach Callahan was
a great on line coach, Like he's had the resume,
he's done it. We had four years of experience with him,
So I think we all knew that that was gonna
be something we missed.

Speaker 8 (35:36):
But you know, we have faith in coach coach.

Speaker 9 (35:41):
Andy as well, you know, And it's different philosophy is
the way you coach. You know, Bill's a little bit
more in your face about things and Andy's more you know,
how how do you want to approach this? It's more
of a group think type of thing. But yeah, we
we uh, you know, we didn't do enough. We didn't
execute well enough on offense. And I can't point fingers
at one person, like I think. It's such a group

(36:02):
effort and there's so many factors that go into it
that you go three and fourteen, someone you know takes
the bullets for that. But yeah, it's it's unfortunate situation.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
Do you feel better about it after your exit meetings?

Speaker 9 (36:18):
Everybody's frustrated, you know, everybody's you know, how did this
come about? Like what are your thoughts? I think it's
good to like just talk and get it off your chest.
So like there was definitely some some positives in that sense,
it's still frustrating. I think it's gonna take me a
little bit, you know. I think Miles said it last yesterday,
like we went on sixteen, and I don't know if

(36:40):
that was quite as frustrating as this year, just with
expectations of what we had done in the past. So
it's it's still very tough if you decided not to
come back to you miss having kind of like on
a farewell tour, you know, like Rodney knew all year
that you right, that's not really my thing.

Speaker 18 (37:00):
You know.

Speaker 9 (37:01):
I'm I'd much rather just you know, be quiet about it.
I Mean, I'm so pumped rod because like he deserves that,
he's such a professional. But but for me, like I
don't know, like I'm i'd rather just be uh not
even known.

Speaker 14 (37:16):
You know, you don't want to be back there to
take that last snap.

Speaker 5 (37:19):
No, No, yeah, I'm good.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
All Pro tackle Jack Conklin reacted to the dismissal of
Ken Dorsey and Andy Dickerson.

Speaker 3 (37:27):
What gives you.

Speaker 6 (37:28):
Faith him, Kevin that he could be the guy that
can kind of leave this turnaround.

Speaker 8 (37:32):
Oh, you know, I just believe in him.

Speaker 30 (37:34):
You know, he's a good he's a good man, he's
a good character, and he's you know, he's a super artworker.
And I know he's gonna he's gonna get this the
ship righted, and he's gonna do everything in his power
to get us back.

Speaker 15 (37:44):
What Jewel talked a little bit about this. But you guys,
think just how the team is built and with what
Kevin is comfortable with, you guys will be more like
better suited to go back to the kind of offense
we're in this.

Speaker 8 (37:55):
First Yeah, definite, definitely definitely.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Uh.

Speaker 30 (37:58):
I think that's what this Nucleus team is built around.
And uh, I'm excited hopefully we get back to that.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
What do you think you can work out with?

Speaker 30 (38:07):
I think it was you know, I think it was
a lot of things. There was a lot of things,
you know, Switching our offense and stuff was uh tough,
and fortunately a lot of times the longe coach gets
you know, gets blamed. We can't run the ball, and
we didn't run the ball well enough so you know,
it's a bummer, you know, ahec you gotta get fired
and uh but uhh when you go three and fourteen,
changes have to happen.

Speaker 10 (38:26):
J how much would you try to talk Joel into
coming book?

Speaker 8 (38:30):
Uh, I'm not worried about Joel.

Speaker 30 (38:32):
I think he'll go home for a month, think about it,
and then uh be ready to get back here.

Speaker 8 (38:36):
So we'll see what happens. But uh but uh, yeah,
we'll see.

Speaker 3 (38:41):
You think.

Speaker 8 (38:43):
Such a struggling.

Speaker 17 (38:45):
With this offense to swing.

Speaker 19 (38:49):
Commented to the season and such high expectations here, he
just did. I just think we lacked identity offensively. I
think we tried to do a lot of different things
and we didn't really get good at doing you know,
one thing, And I think that was really the hard part.

Speaker 8 (39:05):
And I think, uh, there's.

Speaker 30 (39:08):
A lot we need to fix and a lot of
things that really just comes down to finding our identity
and what we want to hang our hat on and
do and move forward to that. A lot of injuries
on the offensive mind, but as a season we're running
that last kind of stretch.

Speaker 3 (39:20):
Just you guys kind of.

Speaker 23 (39:21):
Settle in comfortable and help you guys.

Speaker 30 (39:24):
Definitely, definitely I think once we got you know, I
think once Jermaine stepped in and we had that group
for I think seven or eight games finished year, I
think that definitely helped with the cohesion about having guys
in and now and having to you know, figure out
how to work with different guys and everything.

Speaker 8 (39:36):
So that definitely helped.

Speaker 20 (39:37):
We're the things about this offense that stood out to
you as building blocks to find that identity.

Speaker 30 (39:42):
At twenty twenty five, I think we still have our nucleus,
you know, the pretty much the same group of guys
we've had in the last five years as an offensive
line and you know, coming in a little bit later,
but he's been here for I think now three years.
And to have that group that, you know, older guys
that know how to work together and have had have
had a lot of success, I think definitely build off
of that and and get back to winning games.

Speaker 22 (40:03):
How much are you looking forward to a normal offseason.

Speaker 6 (40:05):
We're not gonna be rehabby and you kind of just
get to get ready for Week one.

Speaker 8 (40:09):
It's definitely relieve.

Speaker 30 (40:10):
Definitely it would be nice to have a full off
season just to you know, to lift weights and everything
and and not have any setbacks and uh, it's gonna
be It's gonna be great.

Speaker 8 (40:19):
It's a person happen.

Speaker 4 (40:19):
How satisfying was this for you to be able to
come back and performance?

Speaker 30 (40:22):
And it was definitely it was definitely great, you know,
to finish the season and to come back and I
think play you know, honestly one of my best years
in the NFL. It was definitely accomplishment, an individual acomplishment
for myself. And I feel, you know, really happy with
how how you're ended on an individual basis, you know,
come back from you know, my third third knee injury
and we'll play at a high level still.

Speaker 8 (40:42):
Uh, it was it was a huge accomplishment.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
Get back, they go back to the shows.

Speaker 22 (40:47):
Good quarterback.

Speaker 19 (40:49):
Just what your thoughts on that and what moved would be?

Speaker 8 (40:53):
I guess that to work this stuff, I think it's just.

Speaker 30 (40:56):
You know, creating our own our own identity, you know
what this team needs. I think creating a run individual
makes things tough for everybody else. And I think you
gotta stick with what this teams were built around. And
if we can do that, I think we can have
a lot of success with you know, timid quarterback Jack
Why I talk for sure.

Speaker 26 (41:10):
Of the season used to follow the differences from mentality
or approach from Bill to Andy.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
I'm not to say any style doesn't run like did.

Speaker 26 (41:18):
You guys feel like maybe you missed Bill's philosophy on
things a little bit this year.

Speaker 30 (41:23):
You know, It's it's hard. I mean, any alone coach
is gonna step in here after Bill. I mean Bill
is probably the greatest, one of the greatest line coaches
ever in the NFL. And follow that is it's tough
for anybody and U and with that, you know, switching
philosophies was definitely a tall task for anybody takeover. And uh,
you know, I feel bad for Andy having, you know,
having it go this way. You know, obviously wanted to
have success and in doing this other offense, but it

(41:44):
just didn't didn't work.

Speaker 15 (41:46):
Jack, seems like there's obviously some uncertainty of left tackle
for next year. I guess first, what did you think
of the job Dwan did when they put him there?

Speaker 30 (41:53):
Before he got there, I think he was doing a
good job. I think he was fitting in well over there,
And uh, you know, I think it's definitely as good
for him being the other guy going will play next
to Joel. You know, have have a vet like that
play next to you can definitely help his confidence and
help him become better player.

Speaker 31 (42:06):
Hey Jack, were you surprised that switching offensives? Did it
prove to be so difficult or did you, like, you know,
like were there times of training camp for you like
this is a little concerned.

Speaker 30 (42:17):
You know, you try not to worry too much because
you know it was new. So there was definitely hiccups
and stuff that we wanted to iron out that didn't
get ironed out unfortunately, But you know, we I think
everybody learned a lesson about what this team is built
around and what we need to do moving forward.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
I have an offensive warrian.

Speaker 10 (42:35):
You know, wose conversations you guys had that core group
the second half of the season.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
How did you guys work through like, Okay, we know
what we.

Speaker 22 (42:42):
Need to do, Like how do we go about this
as a unit?

Speaker 3 (42:45):
And I guess what were those conversations?

Speaker 30 (42:46):
Like, I think that's the great part about being an
offensive linement. You know, it's no matter what's going on,
the five of us have to work in unison, no
matter what. And I think we just really just started
relying on each other, you know, and really just coming
together and you know, things aren't going our way, but
we were gonna stick together and keep fighting, and uh,
you know, we really stuck to that throughout the season
and just you know, we're putting a lot of bad situations,

(43:07):
and we felt like we stepped up to the task
when we needed to and then we try to protect
our asses off as much as we could.

Speaker 6 (43:13):
Jack when you when you say you you guys know
what you're built around.

Speaker 8 (43:16):
You said that a couple of times. What specifically is that?

Speaker 32 (43:18):
Was it the run game?

Speaker 8 (43:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 30 (43:19):
I mean you look at what we've done. I think
we're I would say where we had our most successes.
You know, we're a wide zone team, you know we
have We're brought in guys that do that and have
been very successful doing that. And I just hope, I
hope that's where.

Speaker 8 (43:33):
We move back to.

Speaker 32 (43:36):
You know that you really like to hearing a lot
your work this from here in order if they had
to do something from a contractional standpoint to make it work,
would you be open to a redo or suggestions or.

Speaker 10 (43:48):
Anything like that.

Speaker 30 (43:49):
I think we just have to wait and see what happens.
You know, we haven't had any conversations yet, so I'm
sure those are coming down the line. So I guess
we since see where everybody stands, and uh, there'll be
something my age and maybe work out.

Speaker 18 (44:00):
You know, Mike, you're going to spend a lot of
time working with you guys, especially the second half of
the season.

Speaker 8 (44:05):
He's on, you know, looking.

Speaker 18 (44:07):
For another head coach and John, just your thoughts on
the contributions he made and you know, him getting back
into the head coaching game.

Speaker 8 (44:15):
You know, he did the same thing Tennessee.

Speaker 30 (44:16):
Actually when I was there, he was in the old
line room a lot, and I think that goes a
show just the offense runs through the offensive line. And
I think for him, as you know, former head coach,
he sees the the how important that is and to
be in there, you know, he's very helpful. It's always
good to get a defensive guy's perspective on things. And uh,
you know, he really took to the room and we

(44:36):
appreciate him have him in there and his insight.

Speaker 16 (44:38):
What will the team that irish him, you know, get
his second tours anytime?

Speaker 8 (44:44):
I think I can exactly what you expect.

Speaker 30 (44:46):
You know, he's the guys, He's gonna work his ass
off no matter what, and he's gonna get the most
out of players, and uh, he's a great leader and
I'm really excited for him for his future and I
hope he has a lot of succession to go back.

Speaker 8 (44:56):
To Matt tackle Ago.

Speaker 15 (44:58):
The future is uncertain, but I mean just you playing
with him in the last few years, what do you
think of how he's done and the injuries he's fought
through and everything.

Speaker 30 (45:06):
You know, it's always tough on the outside. You never
really know what guys are dealing with. And uh, you know,
he's he's had some stuff he's had to deal with,
and you know, if he wants to do it and
he wants to win in time, then he can have
the success and come down to.

Speaker 1 (45:17):
Him cornerback Denzel Ward, look back on what was a
career year for him, Denzel.

Speaker 10 (45:21):
As we headed there already some staff change. You know,
it's the other side fall outside Ken Dorsey.

Speaker 8 (45:32):
Oh yeah, that's.

Speaker 33 (45:33):
That's the thing of the NFL. Uh stands but not
for long.

Speaker 22 (45:38):
And I mean that's.

Speaker 33 (45:40):
Coaches, players and just just everyone saw it's gonna be
changes made. That that's just that's the normal thing in
the in the league. So I just gotta roll, roll
with the punches, and roll with it and you know,
move on trying to uh do the best we can
for this organization, so to bring wins and build this
culture up and so I just gotta go from there.

Speaker 22 (46:02):
You already had your exit.

Speaker 8 (46:03):
Me it's still going on. I have all one so far.

Speaker 22 (46:06):
By Yeah, there's still going on.

Speaker 14 (46:08):
We talked last week about saying how much he wants
to win next year. How confident are you that you
guys can get to a point after three and fourteen
that you can contend next season.

Speaker 33 (46:19):
Yeah, I believe we could contend. I mean we contended
last season, so I mean it's out there, so we're
we're capable and got the ability to do it. We
just gotta all be here and all put it together
and and we just gotta go from there.

Speaker 11 (46:32):
Why do you think it just went so bad?

Speaker 18 (46:35):
You know you're coming in with the expectations.

Speaker 33 (46:39):
Yeah, I mean it could be a number of things.
It could be injuries. I know we had a lot
of our key key guys out injuries. I mean it's
good talent on the other side of the ball as well,
like guys as uh, they worked and got their wins
and deserved that as well, But we got to continue
to figure that out, figure out how we could get
better and grow this team out and uh get back

(47:01):
on the winning track because only.

Speaker 15 (47:02):
Then we worked a lot with m last off season.
Do you think you guys will do that again in
some capacity this offseason?

Speaker 33 (47:09):
Yeah, I'm I'm definitely opening up uh my home and
and my training uh to any guys that wanna come
out and work out with me and where I'm at
and just trying to like I said, it don't just
start uh once we get back in the building, so
even off the field, just trying to grow and and
be better and be the best we can best uh
dB room, best cornerback room in the league.

Speaker 8 (47:29):
And what do you think just.

Speaker 15 (47:30):
About the year he got, I mean numbers wise it
down obviously, how do you think he handled down at
first seam home the part.

Speaker 33 (47:37):
Of SA Yeah, I think he handled it well. I
Mean we all go face adversity and life adversity on
the football field, but about how we respond so finished
strong and uh competed the entire year.

Speaker 22 (47:47):
So we all gotta.

Speaker 33 (47:48):
Come go into the off season and find ways where
we could get better and be the best versions of ourselves.

Speaker 22 (47:53):
For this team, Joe, do you think that maybe the.

Speaker 4 (47:56):
Way uh you did you played so well to the
group of last Do you think Septon is learning from.

Speaker 7 (48:03):
Last year how to attack you guys?

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Just your mm?

Speaker 33 (48:08):
Do I feel officers learned how to attack us?

Speaker 8 (48:10):
Say it again for me?

Speaker 7 (48:11):
Did you think they have from last year people, uh,
teams learned how to attack you guys this year?

Speaker 3 (48:18):
Mm?

Speaker 33 (48:18):
I mean maybe, I mean coaches, they're they're gonna scout,
I mean, watch film just like everyone does week in
and week out, and try to find the best way
to attack a team. And so I'm sure they do.
They do their homework just as we do as well.
But yeah, we just gotta continue to work hard and
and uh see how we could be better for coming
in next year.

Speaker 5 (48:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 33 (48:51):
Yeah, it was tough.

Speaker 22 (48:52):
Mi.

Speaker 33 (48:52):
Mike's a great player. He already had hurt his knee
earlier in the year, so I was just feeling for him.
I know he's gonna work hard and he can to
get back and we we definitely gonna need him.

Speaker 5 (49:02):
Uh.

Speaker 33 (49:02):
Like I said, he's a great player, and just wishing
a speedy recovery from him. Uh yeah, just just flashes
of greatness. Just uh, he's an explosive player on that
d line, able to put a lot of pressure on
the quarterback, plays well off of guys like Miles and
being on the interior. So I'm just hoping he could

(49:25):
have a great recovery and get back for us.

Speaker 18 (49:27):
How does miles decision process this season? It seems like
he's gonna go through kind of a you know.

Speaker 14 (49:36):
Affect you in fact, your outlook of.

Speaker 18 (49:38):
Where things are, and you know, do you plan to
talk to him and you know, maybe try and convince
him that, hey, this is the place to still be.

Speaker 33 (49:47):
Yeah, it's it's It's a great question. Is so, I
mean Miles, I look at me and Miles like like
Shaq and Kobe, you know.

Speaker 8 (49:53):
So I really appreciate him.

Speaker 33 (49:56):
And love Miles and his game and I enjoy it.
I love playing with him, and uh, I wanna continue
to play with him for sure. I mean he's a
dominant force for his team and uh one of the
leaders for this football team and just I don't know,
so definitely gonna be in communication with him and just
seeing where his head is at and and and the

(50:17):
plans there. But yeah, I'm I'm I'm trying to play
a Miles Garrett. That's that's all I wanna do.

Speaker 22 (50:23):
Kobe, Oh yeah, yes, I do it. I do.

Speaker 33 (50:25):
But I mean, like it's not my decision, that's y
that's that's that's a question for him. If But like
I said, I I wanna play a Miles Garrett, and uh,
that's my guy. I mean he's been here since you
got here right exact. That doesn't have him that that's
not something I wanna imagine, you know, me and my life.
So if you go hand in hand, He's he's putting
that pressure on the quarterback and I'm trying to cover

(50:46):
guys as long as I can to help.

Speaker 8 (50:47):
Him get a sack.

Speaker 33 (50:48):
So, uh, I feel like we're dominant tandem, and uh,
I enjoy it. Like I said, I wanna I wanna
keep it going. What Kobe just cause shacks the bigger guy.
You know, i'm'a give him shack. You know, I'll be
the g I'll be the hope you to his shack.
But I say, I just feel like we're a great
tandem and just love being on feel with them.

Speaker 22 (51:05):
How would you two.

Speaker 31 (51:06):
Guys drummers not only players for leaders?

Speaker 33 (51:09):
M Yeah, I think we're definitely grown as leaders. I
know for myself personally, just trying to be more vocal
with his team and more hands on and communicating and
being open to guys that need help, and and just
trying to teach teachers teachers we go along and help
as best way as I can. I'm still learning myself,
but just trying to grow in my leadership role as well.

Speaker 11 (51:31):
Though.

Speaker 31 (51:31):
Seemed like you took a dute step this season.

Speaker 5 (51:33):
In that area.

Speaker 10 (51:34):
Did anyone who's kind.

Speaker 31 (51:35):
Of encourage you, any mentors or anything like that, or.

Speaker 16 (51:39):
How did that kind of come about as as a
major changement.

Speaker 33 (51:42):
Yeah, just talking talking to the team, like just going
through these meetings now, just kind of like what we
need from you and want from you, like what we
feel could help benefit this team. And they're just telling
me that just being more of a leader and leading
these guys guys look up to me and just accepting
that role. And I want to accept that role and

(52:02):
and take on that and just help as best way
as we can.

Speaker 5 (52:06):
Cornerback.

Speaker 22 (52:08):
Knowing how closest Cornerback group is together, is there.

Speaker 23 (52:11):
Any mindset for you to kind of go into these
exit interviews and kind of try to keep this group
together in terms of the big career in to you,
m J and pregnant.

Speaker 33 (52:24):
Yeah, I love that. I'm I'm leaving all of the
decision makings really up to A B. Kevin and all
those guys. I love playing with my brothers here and
by Like I said that the NFL changes will be
made and that that's something I learned coming into the league,
and it's it's been different every year. So just whatever
team we got, just try to work hard and find

(52:45):
ways to get wins for this city, uh Cleveland, and
go from there.

Speaker 5 (52:48):
Minds back and.

Speaker 13 (52:49):
Work back together.

Speaker 8 (52:51):
Do you do you feel that.

Speaker 10 (52:54):
They can get this defense back to that dominance says
or a number one breaking that you were at last year.

Speaker 8 (52:59):
Yeah, I believe Saw.

Speaker 33 (53:00):
I definitely believe me and Miles are definitely key pieces.
But I mean, we can't do it alone. This is
a team sport and everybody got to do there one
eleven and so we just gotta continue to bring in
guys and and with the guys, we have mowed each
other to be better and help each other out so
we could be great out there.

Speaker 1 (53:18):
Cornerback Greg knew him the second took questions on some
of the challenges facing the Browns.

Speaker 34 (53:22):
This offseason focus on what we need to do better
instead of you know, looking on the other side of
the ball.

Speaker 22 (53:27):
So I kind of really just don't know at all.

Speaker 23 (53:30):
What did you make of Legs comments, you know, at
the end of this season, but.

Speaker 5 (53:35):
Don't mean if he's going to be back, you know,
faced on.

Speaker 23 (53:38):
You know, if people find with this organization, what do
you think the type of.

Speaker 5 (53:42):
Impact you would have?

Speaker 34 (53:46):
Obviously, I mean he's the best player in the NFL,
so I mean it would obviously be a horrible impact.
But I mean I just leave that stuff up to Myles,
Like that's you know, he's at a different place in
his career than I am, so you know, whatever he
decided to do, you know, I'll support them either way.
He's a hell of a player.

Speaker 12 (54:07):
A fifty year option, I mean, it's your hope to
maybe get something long term done this off season.

Speaker 34 (54:11):
Uh yeah, that's always the hope to get some long
term in the city that I love. Like we were
just talking about earlier, you know, it's a an the NFL,
so it's a quick business. Like you know, you kind
of don't know what's going on, especially you know when
the team has a season that they weren't.

Speaker 22 (54:26):
You know, we felt like we weren't supposed to have.

Speaker 34 (54:28):
We don't know what's gonna happen, but that's definitely a
goal of month. A. Yeah, I think, like you said,
ended ended early. I think I had a pretty good season.
I mean I didn't play the same amount of snaps
that I played the season before. I had a less
less snap count, so but I think in what I

(54:49):
did play, I think I had a pretty good season.

Speaker 18 (54:51):
Coming off a playoff season. The expectation with for you
guys to take the next step and go for their
just why did this thing goes south so quickly?

Speaker 34 (55:00):
So that's the thing you don't really know, you know,
like I said, at least you know, looking at at
my secondary, we go to work every day, same in
the meetings, every day. We came in first day at
OTA to work together the whole time, So it's not
like the work is being put in. You kind of
just go back and just continue to work and just
try to find ways to get better.

Speaker 22 (55:21):
That's what coach said in the meet.

Speaker 34 (55:22):
And just just everyone try to find a way look
in the mirror.

Speaker 22 (55:25):
And try to find a way to get better.

Speaker 11 (55:26):
Looking at three wins in a season, right, What would
you say to those that maybe find it hard to
believe that this team is going to flip it around
next year, Uh, you know quickly and and really get
back to consistent winning.

Speaker 8 (55:43):
What what do you.

Speaker 18 (55:44):
See that gives you that belief that this team's going.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
To be at you?

Speaker 34 (55:48):
Yeah, I see great players, I see continuity, and I
see leadership, and that's the marketing of a great team. Obviously,
we got some things, like we said, we got some
things to fix this off season, but I think we
got the guy. Uh, we got the right guys in here,
and we have done it before. You know, the season
before obviously was just he had the same players pretty
much on the team.

Speaker 22 (56:07):
So I th I think we'll find a way to
get better.

Speaker 16 (56:10):
Benzel said that he really did in effort to stop
up as a leader this year.

Speaker 3 (56:15):
Were you impressed.

Speaker 16 (56:16):
With maybe some of the ways.

Speaker 22 (56:18):
You took that along this Yeah?

Speaker 34 (56:19):
I think war did an amazing job. That's something we
always joke about, like he's always been a leader. That's
not a that's never been a question. He's always been
a leader for us. He just had to be more
vocal this year, and I think he took a a
great step in the right direction, like he was more
of a vocal guy out there for us, especially in
meeting room out there, you know, at practice. So I

(56:41):
think he did a great job with being a leader.

Speaker 3 (56:43):
This year, right.

Speaker 5 (56:46):
For you.

Speaker 8 (56:51):
Do you think you can have success to.

Speaker 22 (56:53):
A Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 34 (56:56):
You know when you when you have all that talent
in the group, you always can find success. So I
think we compliment each other very well and I think
we definitely can have success together.

Speaker 20 (57:04):
What do you want this offseason to look like for
not just the organization but individual players yourself as you
prepare for uh, what you hope.

Speaker 22 (57:12):
You get successful?

Speaker 3 (57:12):
Point two?

Speaker 34 (57:13):
Yeah, I just just everybody just go train, go train hard.
And I think everyone's gonna do that. We're all professionals.
This is an older team, so everyone knows how to
prepare and things like that, and you know whatever.

Speaker 22 (57:24):
You know, they're smart guys up there.

Speaker 34 (57:26):
So whatever they need to do, uh to fix this team,
what they feel like they're gonna do. So I just
want everybody to just take a deep breath and just
get back to work.

Speaker 20 (57:35):
Did you see enough from.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
This team to maybe have some promise for next season? Yeah?

Speaker 34 (57:40):
I think, like I said, we're gonna bring back pretty
much the core guys and and I think it will
be fine. Like we showed glimpses, especially on the defensive
side of all. We showed glimpses of greatness. It's just
we gotta find a way to be consistent and I
think we can do.

Speaker 32 (57:53):
That what we see now with injury.

Speaker 22 (57:56):
Oh, he's a monster.

Speaker 34 (57:57):
He's a guy that's gonna be a great player for
a very very long time. And obviously praying for his
for his healing, but when he does get back, he'll
be a very crucial part to this team.

Speaker 14 (58:09):
Greg, how would you describe everything you already go through
this season?

Speaker 22 (58:12):
Oh, man sucks.

Speaker 34 (58:15):
Obviously going through the hamstring injury before I work my
tail off to make sure I was back. No, I
wasn't one hundred percent when I came back, but you know,
I just came out there for my for my teammates,
Like that's what I decided to do.

Speaker 22 (58:29):
And I definitely wouldn't regret it.

Speaker 34 (58:30):
I was able to play a lot more of the
season and then got hurt, you know, in the last
quarter of that of that Pittsburgh game. But you know,
it sucks, but you know that's the NFL and you know,
I'll find a way to be.

Speaker 5 (58:44):
Healthy next year.

Speaker 14 (58:44):
I expect the Hampstream to be one hundred percent. Yeah,
next year for sure. I Mean the NFL is weird.
Do you never know what year to the next?

Speaker 8 (58:50):
Do you expect to be back for that fifty year after?

Speaker 3 (58:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 34 (58:53):
I hope so, Like like I was telling them, like
that's my goal, but at the end of the day,
you kind of never know. He year can be different,
you know, especially when you have a season like this,
you don't know what can happen. But you know, I
hope I'm back.

Speaker 22 (59:07):
Here next year.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Finally, safety Rodney McLeod discussed his transition into retirement.

Speaker 28 (59:12):
So celebration, I guess you would say thirteen years that
I've dedicated to this sport and respected the game, and
it's gonna be a tough breakup, let's put it like that.
But I'm just grateful for my time here that I spent,
not only with the course of this year, but the

(59:33):
past few years here in Cleveland. It's been It's been amazing,
and what I'm really looking forward to is just walking
away with a lot of great relationships of a lot
of these men that I've gotten to know over these
past couple of years that I'll now have a part
of my life, you know forever.

Speaker 18 (59:52):
You didn't get this storybook ending for your career that
I think you were hoping for. But even though this
season didn't under way with the team, right, just what
are your reflections as you put a bow on your
final season.

Speaker 28 (01:00:05):
Yeah, it's it's a blessing, you know, I'm thinking God,
because I prayed for an opportunity to come back to
the team, and he blessed me with it.

Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
I asked for completion.

Speaker 28 (01:00:19):
I got that I was available from starting to finish
this year and just put really a period on my
career which I was, you know, upset about last year
that I kind of left it, you know, incomplete. So
that's a great feeling to walk away with and you know,
hold your.

Speaker 24 (01:00:35):
Head head hell high and again despite not you know,
in and of where we want and it's there's a
lot to be thankful for within.

Speaker 3 (01:00:47):
This locker room. What did that final nail down mean
to you?

Speaker 22 (01:00:51):
Of the fact that they put you on.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
The field for that it was It meant a lot.
It just showed the level of respect.

Speaker 28 (01:00:57):
That everybody cause that's what's from me here. You know
from the locker room, the players, the coaches, to everybody
upstairs and around this building.

Speaker 8 (01:01:08):
So uh it was special.

Speaker 20 (01:01:09):
Two touchdowns is in a bad way to the career of.

Speaker 3 (01:01:11):
Them, right, Nah, not at all.

Speaker 28 (01:01:14):
Uh that's I couldn't ask for nothing better than that, Uh,
to be honest.

Speaker 3 (01:01:20):
Yeah, just right place, right time.

Speaker 8 (01:01:21):
This year.

Speaker 28 (01:01:23):
I got actually clocked nineteen point two on that on
that uh touchdown too in Philly, So I still got
a lit a little speed there, a little bit not
quite twenty what I used to be, but nineteen solid.

Speaker 8 (01:01:34):
What's next?

Speaker 5 (01:01:34):
Sport?

Speaker 8 (01:01:35):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (01:01:35):
Next?

Speaker 8 (01:01:36):
Is uh?

Speaker 28 (01:01:37):
Really just enjoying my time the time that you know,
I had to pour into the game, my craft. Uh,
really getting that back.

Speaker 5 (01:01:47):
You know.

Speaker 28 (01:01:47):
I got my niece birthday in a couple of weeks,
so I'm looking forward to going to that and just
enjoying time with my family, My wife, my daughter, and
everybody else will follow.

Speaker 20 (01:01:56):
You Gonna be watching the Browns next season.

Speaker 28 (01:01:58):
Yeah, absolutely, watching a lot of ball. I feel like
that's that's a part of me. I can't I can't
not look at football. It's probably gonna be hard watching
the game with me, my wife says, because I'm always
so like critical, I'm like looking at it, overanalyzing everything,
evaluating too much. But I'm enjoy enjoy watching a lot
of Browns game as a as a fan.

Speaker 18 (01:02:21):
To do you any idea why this is from this
game is to this year for this team?

Speaker 28 (01:02:25):
Ah, Man, I don't know, to be honest with you, there,
I mean, of course there, there's there's a lot, but
nobody ever saw this happening, to be honest, you know,
we work so hard and and to not get the
results that you want. Man, it's it's devastating as much
as you know we we put into this game as players.
So you know, I know all of us are gonna

(01:02:47):
everybody in this locker room is gonna take a closer
look at themselves reflect on how they can just come
back a better version of themselves in order to put.

Speaker 22 (01:02:56):
Out a better output.

Speaker 7 (01:02:57):
But do you think that the defense is not as
dominant this year as so far as a year?

Speaker 28 (01:03:03):
I think for us we were dominant in a lot
of a lot of areas and a lot of moments,
but we have too many lapses this year. And when
you have inconsistent, inconsistent play, then you know the results
are not going to work in your favor and I
think that's what we miss this year is consistency throughout

(01:03:26):
which costes.

Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
That'll do it for this episode of the From the
Podium Podcast. Be sure to like and subscribe to the
show wherever you get your podcasts. Keep it locked to
Cleveland Browns daily each weekday, and follow the Browns on
social media for more coverage from the Cross Country Mortgage
campus right here in Maria. I'm Gabekollura. Thanks for listening
to the From the Podium Podcast.