Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, present a
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did cover the NFL on a daily basis. The New
Orleans Saints podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to the New Orleans Saints Podcast. Aaron Summers. Here,
we continue our draft preview podcast today with a look
at the defensive line prospects. But before we get to that,
we have to pay tribute to one of the best
offensive linemen to play here, former Saints offensive tackle Toron Armstead,
who announced his retirement from the NFL Saturday. Armstead played
twelve seasons nine with the Saints after being drafted in
(00:50):
twenty thirteen. He was a three time Pro Bowler with
the Saints from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty and spent
the last three seasons with the Dolphins, where he added
two more Pro Bowl selections. Armstead made the announcement at
a party held in Miami Saturday night. Was Saints defensive
end Cam Jordan and legend Drew Brees in attendance. Breeze
(01:10):
issued this statement on his playing time with Armstead. I
remember when Toront Armstead first came into our locker room
in twenty thirteen. He did not start immediately, but it
would become evident to all that first year that he
was going to be a starting left tackle in our
league for a very long time. Not only did that
combination of size, speed, strength, and athleticism take over, but
(01:31):
also the knowledge, leadership, and sacrifice he brought to that
offensive line and to our entire team elevated everything we
did on and off the field. I could not have
asked for more from a teammate for the eight years
we were together, whom I am also proud to call
a friend. For more from current Saints players on what
Armstead meant to them and their career, you can head
(01:52):
to New Orleans Saints dot com for today's guest. We
are bringing in former Saints defensive lineman Leroy Glover to
talk about the D line prospects in this upcoming draft.
Glover is currently the D line coach for the Saint
Louis BattleHawks of the UFL. LAURI, thank you so much
for taking the time to join me on the New
Orleans Saints podcast. It's always good to have you here.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
How are you all as well?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Things are good. I cannot complain. Just excited about the draft.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I'm looking forward to it as well. There's been a
lot of excitement around here with the coaching changes. Looks
like we might have a couple different schemes on both
sides of the ball, but especially defensively. As a defensive
lineman here one of the best. What are you expecting
from the Saints under the new defensive coordinator Brandon Staly?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I think what you'll see from the new staff and
the new look of the New Orleans Saints defense is
just a big emphasis on athletic size guys that can
really penetrate get into the backfield, similar to what you're
going to see it from You know, this is a
copycat league, so you're going to try to see some
of the duplicates of what the Philadelphia Eagles were trying
(02:59):
to do there and they won the Super Bowl with
just a very very dominant front four allowing them to
rush and playing very solid coverage in.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
The back end.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
How much different is a three to four versus a
four to three, because that's been what everybody has been
talking about, is Staley's style having those three guys up front.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Yeah, the biggest difference I think, in my opinion, in
the three four or four to three is trying to
find outside linebackers. You know, traditionally finding outside linebackers there's
either guys who were undersized or you got to put
weight on who were former safeties who you moved to
outside linebacker or defensive ends in college who have enough
athletic ability to drop in covers. That's the biggest difference
(03:40):
between a three to four and a four to three defense,
just those outside linebackers and trying to find it the
fit and the measurements.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
When you look at what the Saints do have here
on the line and maybe what the abilities of their
linebackers are, what is the biggest need maybe in this
draft for them in regards to the defense.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I think the biggest right now is probably going to
be finding some depth. You know, I think we had
a phenomenal year by Breezy. I mean, Breezy had a
fantastic season with seven and a half sacks. I think
he got to get younger at the defensive end position.
You know, you know, we've got some talented players at
that position, but age is creeping in there. And then
those guys behind them, who's going to be the depth
at some of those positions as well. That's going to
(04:20):
be kind of the questions that need to be answered
through the draft.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Okay, so there is an edge that is ranked pretty
high coming into the draft in Abdul Carter from Penn State.
He says he should go number one. Looks like it
might be a quarterback off the board first, but when
you look at his game, why is he possibly a
number one number two pick?
Speaker 4 (04:43):
I think when you talk about the tradition of the
linebacker position at Penn State, that kind of sets him
apart a little bit with all the phenomenal players that
have played at that university at that position that have
gone on to the National Football League. You know, his
skill set, quite honestly, is his ability to rush the passer.
I mean nomenal pass rusher. He's got the size, he's
got the link, he's got the attitude and the mentality.
(05:04):
For I think as you watch them a little bit more,
the thing you want to see him improved is his body.
You know, is he going to hit the weight woman
train to get a little bit bigger because these offensive
tackles in the National Football they are going to be
a little bit larger.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
And more athletic than maybe some of the guys he
faced in college.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, because he is somebody that changed from being a
linebacker to more of a defensive end. So the size
is different when you're talking about lining up against an
NFL offensive tackle out there.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
And I think the other kind of kicker for him
is his versatility. You know, he may not be the largest,
biggest guy on the earth, but at the same time,
he can play a lot of different positions for you,
specifically on third down.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
When you look outside of him. As you kind of
get down the rankings for some of these linemen, what
are you looking for from an edge versus somebody inside.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Depends on your style.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Once again, oftentimes the edge players, you're going to go
more on measureables, you know, high speed, you know some
of those things, how long are the arms, how big
are they hands, and that kind of stuff. And then
obviously the other thing they're going to look for in
an edge guy, it's his ability to affect the quarterback
difference on the inside. Now, the inside guys have to
do a little bit of both. They have to be
number one, very good versus the run, be able to
(06:20):
use their hands and their feet in and together in
certain situations, be able to play double teams and power scoops,
which is challenging on the professional level. But then also
they have to be able to convert to run excuse me,
convert to pass in passing situations, which can be a challenge.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
For other defensive ends edges in the draft. You're looking
at Tennessee's James Pierce as another highly rated one. Mikl
Williams from Georgia. Who do you like outside of Carter?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I think the beauty of this draft is is so
deep at the position that you can fill it.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
In a lot of different ways.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
There's a lot of different body types, a lot of
different players, there's a lot of different schemes. The guys
that I like have the versatility. You know, the guys
from Georgia have been phenomenal. Mkil Williams has been awesome
there at Georgia. He's got some versatility. He can play linebacker,
he can rush the passer, he can drop and coverage.
He can do a lot of different things. If you're
trying to disguise a player like that in the three
(07:18):
or four system, and so that's kind of some of
the things that you're gonna look for from guys like that,
and then Jalen Walker as well from Georgia. Georgia seems
to always produce just phenomenal, phenomenal football players, specifically on
the defensive side of the ball, and so I'm gonna
look really heavily at those Georgia guys to see if
they can make a difference for the same.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
How about Mike Green. He's somebody from Marshall, which is,
you know, a school that you don't necessarily circle as
a football powerhouse, but they've definitely produced some players over
the years. Is his game? Is he ready for an
NFL roster?
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I think he is, but only time will tell you
what you see when you put on the table from
mister Green. There is just high energy, his tempo, his pace,
the way he approaches the.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Game is just full speed all the time.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
You think of a guy by with the Pittsburgh Steelers,
Alex Heischmith, he kind of reminds you of him and
just his ability to play full speed, play in and
play out and play with a high more.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, he ran a four five seven, which is pretty good.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I mean Carter was a four to four eight, and
then James Peters A four four seven. I think he
was the fastest outside edge players that you have in
this draft. You go inside the line to maybe defensive
tackle with Michigan as a couple players, Mason Graham and
Kenneth Grant. What are some names that you think are
(08:44):
going to get called in the first second rounds here?
Speaker 4 (08:48):
I think Mason Graham is obviously the top of the
inside guys the interier defensive tackle position. His ability to
be stout versus the run has been phenomenal. I think
the way he wants again plays with the hands and
just has the agility to be one on one blocks,
but also enough to hold up those power schools, which
is going to be critical at the next level. And
then his running mate Kenneth Grant. If you're looking for
(09:10):
a guy who's just a big, a large human being,
Kenneth Grant is your guy. Six foot four, three hundred
and thirty one pounds. His motor has been a question,
but I don't think that'll be a issue on the
next level.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Anybody else that you liked or we haven't touched on
that we need to be aware of as we're watching
the draft.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
I think as you stay in the sec Walter Nolan
at a Old Miss is a guy who may not
be a large three hundred pounds plus guy, but does
have that agility, does have some of those pass rushing
traits that you like from an inside rusher. He's going
to be a guy to keep an eye on. And
then lastly, Shamar Stewart out of Texas A and M.
If you're looking just for a pure speed edge rusher, he's.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Your guy, all right. Well, any of your guys that
we might make the move from UFL to NFL, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
We've had some.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
We have some talented guys on our roster. I mean
we're playing good ball right now. We're too and know
I think Peter Tino wee Mo is a guy who's
playing good ball for us. Travis Feeneni is playing some
really good ball for us, and we have another inside
defensive tackle Austin Fiole who's playing good ball for us
as well.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
And we got to see those guys play even better
down the stretch.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Because a lot of these players are getting opportunities during
the summer early months here and then we're finding them
on training camp rosters once we get into late summer
and fall, and they've done really well, it's been been
fun to watch. It's a great area for them to
continue to develop their game.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
And absolutely, you hit it on the head.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
I mean, the goal for us in the UFL is
to try to give more guys an opportunity for the
national football It's as simple as that. We're going to
coach them hard, We're going to give them all the
information that they need to be better ballplayers and hopefully,
you know, we've had some of those to stick with
NFL teams. So once again, that's what we're walking for,
that's what we're hunting for, that's what we're trying to
have accomplished.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Here with the Saints. Now you have a former LSU
guy leading the line. What do you think about him
and what they can do here?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Yeah, Coach Davis does a phenomenal job. He has NFL experience,
he has big time college level experience as well. He
really I think is going to bring more of a
tough kind of a run stuff in presence to the
defensive line room. And I'm excited once again to see
what he can do. I'm a big fan of his
style of coaching.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
What is the draft look like for you? Now, do
you sit down and watch it the whole way through.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I'm still a fan man, so I still sit down
and watch it. I still got mock drafts going. I
mean I kind of get I kind of geek out
a little bit when it comes to draft time. I
kind of try to dig into it a little bit
because once again, you never know what can happen, and
you never know when you potentially down the line, could
potentially be coaching one of these guys.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
So it's always exciting.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, that's true, because you're still in it. I mean,
you're right there coaching some of these players, so it
makes sense you're probably diving way down you know a
lot more than most of us. Well, thank you, thank
you so much for joining me, Lroy, giving me some
info on the line. We look forward to talking to
you again and hopefully seeing you around soon.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
All right, you guys, have a great day.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Thank you. We'll have to continue to follow along with
the BattleHawks this season. Great to hear that they're two
and zero to start things off and got to see
how their season plays out. Thanks for tuning in today.
We'll be back with another Saints Draft podcast Wednesday. Talk
to you then.
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