Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Biehl spoke to the media following Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Biehl discussed the team’s approach to the draft, what allows the Bucs to be so successful and addressing the secondary in Rounds 2 & 3.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
That's right. Thanks everybody for staying. I didn't know if
anybody would be in here. What you got?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Fire away, like, you've been doing this draft thing a
long time now, And what is it about the high
character guys? You just called me old, but go ahead,
no no, I said, you don't do it a lot
of time. You're you're a stage wise guy. But what
is it about drafting these high football IQ cerebral, high
character guys. And now you get some ball hawks, some
(00:33):
guys with with that ability here and uh and Benjamin
Morrison on on day two and uh and Jacob Parrish.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Ye. I mean, I would just say that, you know,
we have a lot of experience upstairs in our in
our personnel staff, and with experience comes, you know, you
take a lot of lumps and you learn from your
mistakes and things like that. And I just think that
we've gotten to the point now where we all understand
what we're looking for in a player. Everybody can. I
(00:59):
think there's a lot of people out there that can
evaluate talent, but it takes you know a little bit
more to evaluate the person and the character. And I
just think that we've gotten to a good spot as
a staff where we can kind of determine, you know,
what kind of guys we want in this building. And
our scouts have done an unbelievable job and you know,
we've coached them up and they've went out and you know,
ran with it. And I think you can see, you know,
(01:19):
the fruits of those labors on the field and in
our locker room. There's been a lot of concern your corners.
You know, last year you traded Carlton Davis, who's a
guy that wasn't healthy very much. Jamal has certainly missed
a lot of games the last two years.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
So when you take Morrison, who's had you know, bilateral
hip issues, just just how that makes sense to that
for me?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, I mean I think that's a fair question. But
I will say that every player is case by case basis, right.
So we did the full medical just like we do
on every one of these players, and you know, our
doctors and athletic trainers came away feeling comfortable with it,
and that's all we need to hear. So and he really,
I mean he missed the time this year before that,
though he had missed I think he missed one game
(02:01):
maybe last year for a quad contusion. Or something like that. So, uh,
at the end of the day, we were we were
comfortable with it, and you know, we got a really
good player, we feel, and and we're just gonna see
what happens yea, yep. And and and Jacob's like that too,
So I mean we talk about it all the time
around here, taking the ball away more and getting those
interceptions and force fumbles, and we think these two can
(02:24):
can really help us with that.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Speaking of Jacob, you had, you know, talked about ballhawks.
He's a guy that's also been able to take the
ball away as well. And is the feeling that you know,
if he was just a few inches taller that that
he would have been drafted a lot higher.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, probably Unfortunately that's kind of the
way it works out sometimes. But then when you get
a guy like that, you know where we got him, Like,
that's our benefit. I mean, we some teams put a
like a height requirement on the corners and their dbs,
and I just think you eliminate a lot of good
players when you do that. And you know, again, we
we benefit from not doing that, and we're gonna end up,
(02:56):
I think with two really good players we got today.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Put him in the inside.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Pardon that stuff. Tod will figure out. I will say though,
with both of these guys, I think they have the
versatility to play a lot of different positions and a
lot of different coverages. Like they they're they're both going
to be assets from a football intelligence standpoint too, which
enables you to move them around and do a lot
of different things with them. But Todd and our defensive
(03:20):
staff will figure all that stuff out. But I'm excited
to see what what happens. Like the way the.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Draft felt, we kind of unable to get your hands
on a couple of pass rushers that you might have
been really.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Interested in it, I don't know if I would say that.
I mean, there's there's there was guys there that were
in consideration, and you know, the first round we took
it Mecca and and there were you know, some guys
today that we're in the in the conversation too. But
at the end of the day, you just we just
follow the board and and there's still some really good
pass rushers left and you know, we're we're hoping we
can pick some of those up tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
At the end of the day, if you have good
coverage that's going to help them.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And I think Jason mentioned yesterday too, I mean, we
feel pretty good about our outside back or depth, and
we got some young guys that were expecting to take
steps forward and you know, and again it's not to
say that we're not going to do something tomorrow to
try to add to that too.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So what do you see is the Special Teams value
or potential value for each guy? Jacob?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, I think I mean, of course, when we go
through this process, we give these guys to our Special
Teams coaches and you know, get their evaluations on them,
and they came back very positive. And I mean you
naturally when you look at corners, you're looking at gunners
and vices on the outside. But they've both covered kicks
in their career at different times. I think Jacob did
more so than Ben. But I mean, if they're if
(04:38):
they're in that room, we're going to expect them probably
to do something. And just depends, you know, how big
a role they have on defense. But certainly both of
them are capable just with the speed and the toughness
they both have and the tackling ability like they should
be contributed on teams for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
More so and Jacob Parrish both started as freshmen. Really,
what does that say you? How much does that weigh
into the evaluation process when you see a guy take
the field and get snaps or become a starter as
as a fresh Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I think it. The big thing it says to you
is that he can handle things mentally, right, like if
you come in as a high school you know, or
a freshman in college, like you're thrown to the fire,
and it's gonna be the same thing when they come
in here, Like you know a lot of times rookies
their heads are spinning and they've both shown the capability, but
you know, by starting as freshmen to be able to
handle whatever they were thrown at him. So that does
(05:29):
give you a little bit, you know, makes you feel
a little bit comfortable with him coming in and playing early.
But all that'll be determined whether Todd and the defensive
staff when they get here.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We've got Jason and Todd earlier on a meccap.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
But just want to ask you what you like about him?
What gives you guys the confidence to not address defense
and to go with an offensive player like that.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I mean, I saw everything they said and I would
just echo it. I mean, it's it's just hard to
find guys like that. You feel really good about the
talent and the person, and it was unanimous in the building,
So I mean, you get guys like that, it's just
it's just hard to pass up on them. And you know,
we just felt comfortable taking him there. And again, there
was a lot of, you know, defensive guys that were
(06:08):
in the mix, but at the end of the day,
we we think we got a really good one.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Up movement either up or down at all. We are
you guys close to the vanking and trade or yeah,
they landed there and you're like, these are our guys.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, I mean that happens every round, and it's it's
both ways. I mean, we're always fielding calls and and
you consider them all because it's you know, we're just
trying to do the best we can to help the
bucks get better. So we we definitely feel the calls
both ways. But at the end of the day, you know,
when you start getting closer to your pick and the
guys that are there that you feel really strongly about,
then we just decided to stay put and make the selection.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
A lot of organizations might they talk about it. We're
going with the best player available and nobody believes them.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You know, Yeah, and need always creeps in.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
And so yesterday you're sitting at nineteen and this guy's
sitting there, and to me, it's the clearest example of
that that's the best player that's still on the board.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, And I mean, you're one hundred percent right. Every
team says the same thing over and over, and I
do think that people are crazy if they don't, like
admit that need factors into it a little bit. Like
if a quarterback was there and he was the best
player on the board, I don't think we would have
taken him yesterday. But I do think that when you
have the best player available and it kind of matches
(07:22):
up with the need, that's kind of when you hit
home runs like it's and we've been very fortunate and
successful around here recently doing stuff like that. So but
to your point, yeah, I mean, Mecca was just a
guy that we felt so strongly about that it really
didn't matter what position. He just was a really good
for It's.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Been so much more successful in the last five years
than in his first five years. What's changed?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I would just say it goes back to what I
said earlier about the experience that we've kind of got
as a staff. I think we've just kind of grown together.
And you know again, I mean, you guys have pointed
out our misses a lot, so we and we know
it too, Like it's not like it's any surprise, So
you just do the best you can. I mean we're
talking about human beings here, so you're taking the best
(08:07):
players that you you know, you think that can help
your organization win, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't,
and we're just trying to mitigate the risk. I guess
you would say by doing the stuff that we do
with the character and just we I think we've done
a really good job to your point the last five
years of just bringing in the right kind of guys
and really really good football players too. So before hoping.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
To possibly add an Andrew rusher tomorrow, does that mean
you really feel one hundred percent set at inside linebacker
alongside the life.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I mean I would just say that, first of all,
I would add pass rushers every year, so I mean,
it doesn't matter where we're drafting and what round, like,
pass rushers are invaluable in this league, So that would
be the first thing I would say, But I think
that inside backer is something that you know, we're excited
about Voss and just him coming off the injury. But
that's something that we'll certainly look at tomorrow. I'm soon,
(08:57):
and you know, at some point just see if we
can upgrade our depth. And again, somebody asked about special
teams earlier, like those guys are invaluable and that's where
you know your some of your better special teams players
come from. So you know, when we factor that in
when we'll be looking at guys tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
This league has gotten so much, you know, in terms
of like wide receiver money right like it's and just
you guys have benefited from being able to draft those
guys and have them already in your building. Is the
feeling kind of like that with the cornerback position, where
you've got guys that are making twenty million a year
and just being able to develop them, you know, as
draft picks and be able to have them while you
(09:32):
have guys like Mike Evans, while you have Baker Mayfield,
and you know, guys that are making a significant junk
of change. There's only so much of the pie that
can kind of go around.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And that's I mean, it doesn't really matter the position.
You're always going to benefit from having really good players
and rookie contracts. I mean, it's just the way the
league's built and the collective bargaining agreement all that stuff,
like you know, and that's why we have Jackie and
Mike Greenberg to to kind of help us all out
with all that stuff. But to your point though, like
if you draft well and you develop good players, it
(10:04):
just helps you be able to sign your own later
on so that you can afford to pay them and
still not lose a lot because you've got some younger
guys that are playing really well too. But yes, I
would say corner and wide receiver two positions that are
making a lot of money. So it does matter.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
When you look at the draft round by a round,
the further you go onto to day three, that the
lower percentage of players make the team, right, they just
kind of help him. It's been But with you and
Jason work in this draft throughout the years, is it
continuity with the coaching staff since Todd's Viniers since twenty
nineteen and a lot of the coaches, what has allowed
(10:41):
you guys from okay hitting on first and second round picks,
but really mining day three and getting the Servasia Dennis
is the Bucky Irving's the Zion McCollums. What has allowed
you guys to be so successful well into day three?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Yeah, I mean, well, I'll say it over and over,
but it's it's the scouts. I mean, that's what they do.
I mean, we all started out the same way, Like
we all came up as area scouts, and we all
we all did it. So that's where, like as an
area scout, you take so much pride in those later
round picks because sometimes you're the only one that's seen
him or you know, there might have been a one
(11:17):
cross check and we would never see those guys unless
they bring him to us and they have compassion about him.
So that's where it starts. And then when they have
compassion about it, then then that allows us to go
and look at him and and then that's kind of
where it comes in and we're able to pick him
later on. But the scouts, I mean, I can't say
enough about our staff, and I mean we wouldn't be
(11:38):
doing what we're doing without all of them doing so
far good. He made some good picks today. I was
I was texting with him, kind of cussing him a
little bit for taking some guys that we really like too.
So yeah, he's he's gonna kill it. I mean, he's
he's such a good dude. He's such as not only
is he a good person in a great family, but
he was a great evaluator and kind of inal able
(12:00):
to our staff. But we're gonna miss him. But I
think we've got a lot of good guys ups theres
that are ready to step up and fill different roles,
and we'll see how it all works out.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Make it of roles.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You took an elevated role. Congratulations are what is your
overall bird's eye view of this roster? How how how
talented are are you guys at this stage?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean I'm biased, of course, but I think that,
you know, we're pretty pretty good. I mean we've kind
of proven them with the division titles in the playoffs run,
We've had the last you know, five six years here
and but by no means if we arrived, I mean
we're still going to continue to turn the roster. We
got all day tomorrow, we got undrafted free agency, and
we hope to add some guys through that and and
(12:42):
we'll continue to add, but I do think that we
have a good core nucleus here. We have a quarterback,
which I mean, as everybody knows, it's hard to win
without those guys, and you know, so we're excited about
Baker and the pieces we put around him. And you know, defensively,
we'll just continue to add too.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So an old team very quickly.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Yeah, a couple of years ago, yep, yep, that's what
you know, Signing the best quarterback ever and win a
Super Bowl will do to you sometimes. I mean, but
it's again, it's a testament to you know, the work
that our scouts have done and the way that Jason's drafted,
and it's just it's it's hard to do in this
league and we've found a way to do it. And
also you got to find a quarterback and you know,
Baker's been been great so far.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Have the surprises for you or for your colleagues and
watching the way this.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Draft felt mm, I mean there's there's always things here
and there that kind of shock you, but it's it's
kind of felt the way that that we kind of thought.
If you look at our board, it's you know, it's
come off pretty clean. You're talking about Anika the way
Jason spoke of today last night, some of you guys
were sold on in weeks ago that he was your
guy weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I mean again, I think that every draft you go into,
there's always a handful of players that you just you
don't even have to spend a whole lot of time
on them because all the information that we gathered from
Ohio State, the amount of film that we've watched on
the guy, because honestly, we thought he would come out
last year. I mean, he was good enough to but
which is another testament to him, you know, choosing to
(14:09):
go back and solidify his legacy and you know, all
the receiver room they had there and win a national championship.
I mean, it's it's kind of rare these days. I
know Innil's changed that a little bit and there's more
guys going back because of that, But it's just another
testament to him, and I think with all the information
we had, it just it made it easy. So to
your point, yes, I think. I mean, he's been a
(14:30):
guy that's been pretty high on our board for for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Some of your takeaways on Jacob Parrish just individually him.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I Mean the first thing you start with is he's
he's a little he's feisty's heck. I mean he's a
tough little sucker that and he's fast. I mean, he
was a hundred two hundred meters state champion in Kansas.
He played basketball, I believe as well. And he also
when he was young, he told us when he came
in here, he wrestled when he was young. And his
(14:58):
brother was actually a rest or Nebraska, I believe, and
his dad was a wrestler, and so he's he had
a lot of challenges on the on the mat with
his brother, I think, a lot, but which I think
lends to the toughness that that I was talking about earlier.
But I just think that his his football IQ, the speed,
the quickness, he's twitchy, he's tough as heck, he's you know,
(15:19):
support to run and then he's able to get the
ball back, you know, and those are all things that
you know, Todd values in the dB and and we
were excited to grab him.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Would you like the most about Morrison?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
This game a lot of similarities as far as the
athletic ability and the football IQ, which just you know,
Morrison's a little taller and longer, but I think he
had six picks last year. I think he had Yeah,
he didn't have any of this year with the injury.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
But uh, you.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
We'll see. I mean, I'm not going to get into that.
We gotta let the doctors figure all that stuff out.
But he is moving around like he had a workout
last week, which, just to clarify, we did have somebody there.
Somebody was saying, yeah, Andy Spire, who's one of our
national scouts, one of our better guys, like he was
at his workout. So so he is moving around. My
guess is he probably isn't in great shape, hasn't been
(16:11):
doing a lot, just coming back from the injury. So
I'm I'm assuming we'll take it slow with him, but
as soon as he's ready, we can't wait to get
him out there on the grass and see what he
can do. Appreciate y'all,
That's right. Thanks everybody for staying. I didn't know if
anybody would be in here. What you got?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Fire away, like, you've been doing this draft thing a
long time now, And what is it about the high
character guys? You just called me old, but go ahead,
no no, I said, you don't do it a lot
of time. You're you're a stage wise guy. But what
is it about drafting these high football IQ cerebral, high
character guys. And now you get some ball hawks, some
(00:33):
guys with with that ability here and uh and Benjamin
Morrison on on day two and uh and Jacob Parrish.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Ye. I mean, I would just say that, you know,
we have a lot of experience upstairs in our in
our personnel staff, and with experience comes, you know, you
take a lot of lumps and you learn from your
mistakes and things like that. And I just think that
we've gotten to the point now where we all understand
what we're looking for in a player. Everybody can. I
(00:59):
think there's a lot of people out there that can
evaluate talent, but it takes you know a little bit
more to evaluate the person and the character. And I
just think that we've gotten to a good spot as
a staff where we can kind of determine, you know,
what kind of guys we want in this building. And
our scouts have done an unbelievable job and you know,
we've coached them up and they've went out and you know,
ran with it. And I think you can see, you know,
(01:19):
the fruits of those labors on the field and in
our locker room. There's been a lot of concern your corners.
You know, last year you traded Carlton Davis, who's a
guy that wasn't healthy very much. Jamal has certainly missed
a lot of games the last two years.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
So when you take Morrison, who's had you know, bilateral
hip issues, just just how that makes sense to that
for me?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, I mean I think that's a fair question. But
I will say that every player is case by case basis, right.
So we did the full medical just like we do
on every one of these players, and you know, our
doctors and athletic trainers came away feeling comfortable with it,
and that's all we need to hear. So and he really,
I mean he missed the time this year before that,
though he had missed I think he missed one game
(02:01):
maybe last year for a quad contusion. Or something like that. So, uh,
at the end of the day, we were we were
comfortable with it, and you know, we got a really
good player, we feel, and and we're just gonna see
what happens yea, yep. And and and Jacob's like that too,
So I mean we talk about it all the time
around here, taking the ball away more and getting those
interceptions and force fumbles, and we think these two can
(02:24):
can really help us with that.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Speaking of Jacob, you had, you know, talked about ballhawks.
He's a guy that's also been able to take the
ball away as well. And is the feeling that you know,
if he was just a few inches taller that that
he would have been drafted a lot higher.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, probably Unfortunately that's kind of the
way it works out sometimes. But then when you get
a guy like that, you know where we got him, Like,
that's our benefit. I mean, we some teams put a
like a height requirement on the corners and their dbs,
and I just think you eliminate a lot of good
players when you do that. And you know, again, we
we benefit from not doing that, and we're gonna end up,
(02:56):
I think with two really good players we got today.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Put him in the inside.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Pardon that stuff. Tod will figure out. I will say though,
with both of these guys, I think they have the
versatility to play a lot of different positions and a
lot of different coverages. Like they they're they're both going
to be assets from a football intelligence standpoint too, which
enables you to move them around and do a lot
of different things with them. But Todd and our defensive
(03:20):
staff will figure all that stuff out. But I'm excited
to see what what happens. Like the way the.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Draft felt, we kind of unable to get your hands
on a couple of pass rushers that you might have
been really.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Interested in it, I don't know if I would say that.
I mean, there's there's there was guys there that were
in consideration, and you know, the first round we took
it Mecca and and there were you know, some guys
today that we're in the in the conversation too. But
at the end of the day, you just we just
follow the board and and there's still some really good
pass rushers left and you know, we're we're hoping we
can pick some of those up tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
At the end of the day, if you have good
coverage that's going to help them.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And I think Jason mentioned yesterday too, I mean, we
feel pretty good about our outside back or depth, and
we got some young guys that were expecting to take
steps forward and you know, and again it's not to
say that we're not going to do something tomorrow to
try to add to that too.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So what do you see is the Special Teams value
or potential value for each guy? Jacob?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, I think I mean, of course, when we go
through this process, we give these guys to our Special
Teams coaches and you know, get their evaluations on them,
and they came back very positive. And I mean you
naturally when you look at corners, you're looking at gunners
and vices on the outside. But they've both covered kicks
in their career at different times. I think Jacob did
more so than Ben. But I mean, if they're if
(04:38):
they're in that room, we're going to expect them probably
to do something. And just depends, you know, how big
a role they have on defense. But certainly both of
them are capable just with the speed and the toughness
they both have and the tackling ability like they should
be contributed on teams for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
More so and Jacob Parrish both started as freshmen. Really,
what does that say you? How much does that weigh
into the evaluation process when you see a guy take
the field and get snaps or become a starter as
as a fresh Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I think it. The big thing it says to you
is that he can handle things mentally, right, like if
you come in as a high school you know, or
a freshman in college, like you're thrown to the fire,
and it's gonna be the same thing when they come
in here, Like you know a lot of times rookies
their heads are spinning and they've both shown the capability, but
you know, by starting as freshmen to be able to
handle whatever they were thrown at him. So that does
(05:29):
give you a little bit, you know, makes you feel
a little bit comfortable with him coming in and playing early.
But all that'll be determined whether Todd and the defensive
staff when they get here.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We've got Jason and Todd earlier on a meccap.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
But just want to ask you what you like about him?
What gives you guys the confidence to not address defense
and to go with an offensive player like that.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I mean, I saw everything they said and I would
just echo it. I mean, it's it's just hard to
find guys like that. You feel really good about the
talent and the person, and it was unanimous in the building,
So I mean, you get guys like that, it's just
it's just hard to pass up on them. And you know,
we just felt comfortable taking him there. And again, there
was a lot of, you know, defensive guys that were
(06:08):
in the mix, but at the end of the day,
we we think we got a really good one.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Up movement either up or down at all. We are
you guys close to the vanking and trade or yeah,
they landed there and you're like, these are our guys.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, I mean that happens every round, and it's it's
both ways. I mean, we're always fielding calls and and
you consider them all because it's you know, we're just
trying to do the best we can to help the
bucks get better. So we we definitely feel the calls
both ways. But at the end of the day, you know,
when you start getting closer to your pick and the
guys that are there that you feel really strongly about,
then we just decided to stay put and make the selection.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
A lot of organizations might they talk about it. We're
going with the best player available and nobody believes them.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You know, Yeah, and need always creeps in.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
And so yesterday you're sitting at nineteen and this guy's
sitting there, and to me, it's the clearest example of
that that's the best player that's still on the board.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, And I mean, you're one hundred percent right. Every
team says the same thing over and over, and I
do think that people are crazy if they don't, like
admit that need factors into it a little bit. Like
if a quarterback was there and he was the best
player on the board, I don't think we would have
taken him yesterday. But I do think that when you
have the best player available and it kind of matches
(07:22):
up with the need, that's kind of when you hit
home runs like it's and we've been very fortunate and
successful around here recently doing stuff like that. So but
to your point, yeah, I mean, Mecca was just a
guy that we felt so strongly about that it really
didn't matter what position. He just was a really good
for It's.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Been so much more successful in the last five years
than in his first five years. What's changed?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I would just say it goes back to what I
said earlier about the experience that we've kind of got
as a staff. I think we've just kind of grown together.
And you know again, I mean, you guys have pointed
out our misses a lot, so we and we know
it too, Like it's not like it's any surprise, So
you just do the best you can. I mean we're
talking about human beings here, so you're taking the best
(08:07):
players that you you know, you think that can help
your organization win, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't,
and we're just trying to mitigate the risk. I guess
you would say by doing the stuff that we do
with the character and just we I think we've done
a really good job to your point the last five
years of just bringing in the right kind of guys
and really really good football players too. So before hoping.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
To possibly add an Andrew rusher tomorrow, does that mean
you really feel one hundred percent set at inside linebacker
alongside the life.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I mean I would just say that, first of all,
I would add pass rushers every year, so I mean,
it doesn't matter where we're drafting and what round, like,
pass rushers are invaluable in this league, So that would
be the first thing I would say, But I think
that inside backer is something that you know, we're excited
about Voss and just him coming off the injury. But
that's something that we'll certainly look at tomorrow. I'm soon,
(08:57):
and you know, at some point just see if we
can upgrade our depth. And again, somebody asked about special
teams earlier, like those guys are invaluable and that's where
you know your some of your better special teams players
come from. So you know, when we factor that in
when we'll be looking at guys tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
This league has gotten so much, you know, in terms
of like wide receiver money right like it's and just
you guys have benefited from being able to draft those
guys and have them already in your building. Is the
feeling kind of like that with the cornerback position, where
you've got guys that are making twenty million a year
and just being able to develop them, you know, as
draft picks and be able to have them while you
(09:32):
have guys like Mike Evans, while you have Baker Mayfield,
and you know, guys that are making a significant junk
of change. There's only so much of the pie that
can kind of go around.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And that's I mean, it doesn't really matter the position.
You're always going to benefit from having really good players
and rookie contracts. I mean, it's just the way the
league's built and the collective bargaining agreement all that stuff,
like you know, and that's why we have Jackie and
Mike Greenberg to to kind of help us all out
with all that stuff. But to your point though, like
if you draft well and you develop good players, it
(10:04):
just helps you be able to sign your own later
on so that you can afford to pay them and
still not lose a lot because you've got some younger
guys that are playing really well too. But yes, I
would say corner and wide receiver two positions that are
making a lot of money. So it does matter.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
When you look at the draft round by a round,
the further you go onto to day three, that the
lower percentage of players make the team, right, they just
kind of help him. It's been But with you and
Jason work in this draft throughout the years, is it
continuity with the coaching staff since Todd's Viniers since twenty
nineteen and a lot of the coaches, what has allowed
(10:41):
you guys from okay hitting on first and second round picks,
but really mining day three and getting the Servasia Dennis
is the Bucky Irving's the Zion McCollums. What has allowed
you guys to be so successful well into day three?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Yeah, I mean, well, I'll say it over and over,
but it's it's the scouts. I mean, that's what they do.
I mean, we all started out the same way, Like
we all came up as area scouts, and we all
we all did it. So that's where, like as an
area scout, you take so much pride in those later
round picks because sometimes you're the only one that's seen
him or you know, there might have been a one
(11:17):
cross check and we would never see those guys unless
they bring him to us and they have compassion about him.
So that's where it starts. And then when they have
compassion about it, then then that allows us to go
and look at him and and then that's kind of
where it comes in and we're able to pick him
later on. But the scouts, I mean, I can't say
enough about our staff, and I mean we wouldn't be
(11:38):
doing what we're doing without all of them doing so
far good. He made some good picks today. I was
I was texting with him, kind of cussing him a
little bit for taking some guys that we really like too.
So yeah, he's he's gonna kill it. I mean, he's
he's such a good dude. He's such as not only
is he a good person in a great family, but
he was a great evaluator and kind of inal able
(12:00):
to our staff. But we're gonna miss him. But I
think we've got a lot of good guys ups theres
that are ready to step up and fill different roles,
and we'll see how it all works out.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Make it of roles.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You took an elevated role. Congratulations are what is your
overall bird's eye view of this roster? How how how
talented are are you guys at this stage?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean I'm biased, of course, but I think that,
you know, we're pretty pretty good. I mean we've kind
of proven them with the division titles in the playoffs run,
We've had the last you know, five six years here
and but by no means if we arrived, I mean
we're still going to continue to turn the roster. We
got all day tomorrow, we got undrafted free agency, and
we hope to add some guys through that and and
(12:42):
we'll continue to add, but I do think that we
have a good core nucleus here. We have a quarterback,
which I mean, as everybody knows, it's hard to win
without those guys, and you know, so we're excited about
Baker and the pieces we put around him. And you know, defensively,
we'll just continue to add too.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So an old team very quickly.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Yeah, a couple of years ago, yep, yep, that's what
you know, Signing the best quarterback ever and win a
Super Bowl will do to you sometimes. I mean, but
it's again, it's a testament to you know, the work
that our scouts have done and the way that Jason's drafted,
and it's just it's it's hard to do in this
league and we've found a way to do it. And
also you got to find a quarterback and you know,
Baker's been been great so far.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Have the surprises for you or for your colleagues and
watching the way this.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Draft felt mm, I mean there's there's always things here
and there that kind of shock you, but it's it's
kind of felt the way that that we kind of thought.
If you look at our board, it's you know, it's
come off pretty clean. You're talking about Anika the way
Jason spoke of today last night, some of you guys
were sold on in weeks ago that he was your
guy weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I mean again, I think that every draft you go into,
there's always a handful of players that you just you
don't even have to spend a whole lot of time
on them because all the information that we gathered from
Ohio State, the amount of film that we've watched on
the guy, because honestly, we thought he would come out
last year. I mean, he was good enough to but
which is another testament to him, you know, choosing to
(14:09):
go back and solidify his legacy and you know, all
the receiver room they had there and win a national championship.
I mean, it's it's kind of rare these days. I
know Innil's changed that a little bit and there's more
guys going back because of that, But it's just another
testament to him, and I think with all the information
we had, it just it made it easy. So to
your point, yes, I think. I mean, he's been a
(14:30):
guy that's been pretty high on our board for for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Some of your takeaways on Jacob Parrish just individually him.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I Mean the first thing you start with is he's
he's a little he's feisty's heck. I mean he's a
tough little sucker that and he's fast. I mean, he
was a hundred two hundred meters state champion in Kansas.
He played basketball, I believe as well. And he also
when he was young, he told us when he came
in here, he wrestled when he was young. And his
(14:58):
brother was actually a rest or Nebraska, I believe, and
his dad was a wrestler, and so he's he had
a lot of challenges on the on the mat with
his brother, I think, a lot, but which I think
lends to the toughness that that I was talking about earlier.
But I just think that his his football IQ, the speed,
the quickness, he's twitchy, he's tough as heck, he's you know,
(15:19):
support to run and then he's able to get the
ball back, you know, and those are all things that
you know, Todd values in the dB and and we
were excited to grab him.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Would you like the most about Morrison?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
This game a lot of similarities as far as the
athletic ability and the football IQ, which just you know,
Morrison's a little taller and longer, but I think he
had six picks last year. I think he had Yeah,
he didn't have any of this year with the injury.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
But uh, you.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
We'll see. I mean, I'm not going to get into that.
We gotta let the doctors figure all that stuff out.
But he is moving around like he had a workout
last week, which, just to clarify, we did have somebody there.
Somebody was saying, yeah, Andy Spire, who's one of our
national scouts, one of our better guys, like he was
at his workout. So so he is moving around. My
guess is he probably isn't in great shape, hasn't been
(16:11):
doing a lot, just coming back from the injury. So
I'm I'm assuming we'll take it slow with him, but
as soon as he's ready, we can't wait to get
him out there on the grass and see what he
can do. Appreciate y'all,
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