Reaction to Ravens' 2025 Schedule & Derrick Henry Extension

Team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing share their biggest takeaways from the Ravens' 2025 schedule, thoughts on the Ravens' faith with Derrick Henry's extension, how the Ravens will adjust without Ar'Darius Washington, and hold their annual travel draft.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome into the lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink
here at Garrett Downing, and it has been a very
busy day. You woke up this morn and Garrett saying, ah, right,
eight o'clock schedules coming out, and then we got the
news of a contract extension with Dereck Henry, so little
appetizer on NFL schedule release day, we are going to

(00:25):
give you our reaction to the full schedule as well
as hold our travel draft, which I know a lot
of listeners are waiting for. But before we get to that,
we have to break down this Derick Henry contract extension.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
I think it's a rule that Erics Costa has that
big moves happened when there's also other really busy things
that are taking place. The ultimate was when he signed
the contract extension with Lamar Jackson on draft Day, and
so this one isn't quite to that level, but it
added a little wrinkle into the afternoon plans here and
so it's exciting, I mean, like, in all seriousness, this

(00:58):
is one that Eric has talked about a couple of
times over the course of the offseason and mentioned the
possibility of getting a deal done with with Derek. But
sometimes you never know if like is that ultimately going
to come to fruition or not. But I just think
that Derek came in here his first season, it was
we all had high expectations. He surpassed my expectations.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah, but both he passed everybody expectation. I think everybody
here in his front office, fans, teammates, media, everybody.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
On and off the field. Everybody was like, this guy's unbelievable.
And then like he gets on the field and he
does things that like he's all right, Like he's a
Hall of Fame running back and he's.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
Still playing at that level.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
And so he was a difference maker for the offense,
a huge reason why the Ravens had one of the
best offenses, uh, the NFL has ever seen, and he
was a driver of that. So for him, he gets
a rewarded pay day, Auch, a much deserved payday.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, he earned it. He came in here, he earned
a pay increase, he did, and he gets it.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Like he was one of the best running backs him
a sake one Barkley both came out there this season
after signing with new teams, had monster seasons.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Both of them this offseason get pay bumps.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yep, deservedly so Yep, yeah, exactly so. Reportedly, it's a
two year, thirty million dollar deal, so averaging fifteen million
dollars per season, which puts him third in the pecking
order in terms of per year salary, behind Saquon Barkley,
who is the new leader, and then also behind the
forty nine ers Christian McCaffrey. But it's a record setting

(02:31):
contract according to ESPN's Adam Schefter for a running back
thirty years or above. Derrick Henry turned thirty one in January,
and so this is to a degree the Ravens are
betting on he can keep up this pace. Yeah right,
I think that's a pretty good bet considering what we saw.
Derrick Henry, you know, must have the found of youth

(02:53):
in his backyard, because it's incredible. I honestly think he's
just a rare athlete, a rare human being that I
honestly didn't see even a little bit of tread on
the tires. It looks like he just bought these things,
you know. So like, I think that that's a fair

(03:14):
bet by the Ravens and and honestly, it keeps this
nucleus offensively together for another two years and for the
for Eric to cost in the Ravens. Really it's just
keeping that window open. How long can you keep that
window open with Lamar Jackson where you have a chance
every year to win a Super Bowl and seeing what

(03:35):
kind of partnership Lamar and Derrick Henry had and how
just they were a nightmare for opposing defenses. To have
those two guys together through the twenty twenty seven season,
to me, along with the other offense pieces like Zay
Flowers and these some of these offensive Ronnie.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Stanley right, twenty seven season exactly three year contract exactly.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Hopefully you get a deal done with Tyler lindermaum, you
know you get Zay Flowers can be here for a
while longer, all these guys, like the super Bowl window
is wide open.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, going back, I want to go back to the
point you made about Derrick Henry and basically him in
the Fountain of Youth, and I think that, like the
truth is that it's not hard to figure out why
he's been able to be productive at the latter stages
of his career. Just look at the way that he
works his regiment Like it's not hard to figure out how,
but it's really.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Hard to do that.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Hey, a special person, just genetically a freak of nature.
And then when you stack on top of that the
work that he puts on, Yeah, you know, the work
that he does every off season that we've seen it
this offseason, the viral videos of him dragon sleds, running
up hills and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
I mean, guy just never stops.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
And it's not like it's not just like for Instagram likes,
it's it's just that's just how he's wired.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Just that's just part of who he is.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
And like, when you look at players in different sports
who've been able to play into like the back nine
of their careers and play a really high light. Of
course you think of Tom Brady who was able to
do that. Lebron James was another example, and like these
guys who have been able to do that are historically,
but like they take care of their body to a
level that like nobody else does. And again it's it's

(05:15):
not hard to figure out why they've been successful, but
it's hard to do it. Like it's hard to do
that work that Derek Henry puts it in the offseason.
And when teammates look at what he eats and they're like,
this guy eats like, you know, spinach and avocado all day.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Like that's sale for reckfaste, Like it's hard to do that.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Like Marlon Humphrey goes over to Derek Henry's house and
is like, there's no junk food here.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
What's going on with this? Like that's just who he is.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
And so I think that it's a good bet to
make that he's going to continue to be really productive
and it's exciting for the Ravens to get this deal done.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
I mean, Derrick Henry average a career high five point
nine yards per carry last season, and everybody when the
Ravens first signed him said, man, that Derrick Henry Lamar
Jackson combination's going to be something else, and it was
even better than advertising.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
And he just he continued to get better all year.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Yeah, that's the thing, Like it's not like the Steelers
game dominated the Steelers playoff game, right, and then had
another eighty six yards in a touchdown in Buffalo too.
So when you think about the Ravens needed to get
over that hump beat those teams late in the year
and in the playoffs, Derrick Henry.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
He did his part.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, I think you want if you're talking about what
you need as a team to get to the Super Bowl,
I think any way you slice it, you envision Derek
Henry being part of that, and now he will be.
So it's really exciting and it's a nice way to
kick off schedule release day.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
Now.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
The other thing before we turn the page at the schedule,
on the other end of the spectrum, the unfortunate piece
of news this week is that safety our Darius Washington
reportedly tours Achilles conditioning and is going to be out
for the season, which is just first of all, I
just feel really.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Badly for him.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Inter Rappaport broke this news on Tuesday night, and like,
this is a guy who's coming off the best season
of his career, established himself as a star starter, played
at a really high level last year.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
And I just think he's an.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
On drafted guy who's overcome injuries and like was was
going into the last year of a contract as a
restricted free agent.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
I just feel bad for him.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, Yeah, it's really tragic news for our areas. You know,
the silver lining is this dude's overcome a lot in
his life and in his career, you know, as you
mentioned undrafted, you know, he had a season ending basically
two season ending injuries before in his career came one
foot and another kind of chest injury. Came back from those,

(07:28):
uh and to reach the highs of the highs last year,
you know, and he was one of the best stories
and honestly like one of the best playmakers on the
defense kind of in the second half of the season.

Speaker 3 (07:38):
Which a huge piece of the turnaround on this defense exactly.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
And so he's done it once before, and I have
confidence in like the character and the guy that our
Arius is and the player he is, that he can
do that again. Now that the tough part is, you know,
he's on a one year to deal and so he
would have to resign, and he's coming off an injury,
and that's it's always tough when you see an injury,
especially to like a former undraft did free agent. You know,
he's five foot eight and all those things like happen

(08:04):
in a contract year.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, that's tough.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
And it's also tough for the Ravens quite honestly, because
he was one of their top three safeties and was
going to play even after the Ravens draft in Malachi
Starks in the first round. Ardarius Wasshington was going to
play a really big role in this secondary, whether it
be at safety or in the slot corner like, he
was going to be part of that very versatile rotation.

Speaker 3 (08:30):
And so it's a hole for the Ravens to fill.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
The reason that so many people thought the Ravens were
going to take Malachi Starks and thought safety early in
this draft is that the Raves made it clear that
they want three safeties to can be on the field
a lot. They like that, they like that alignment defensively,
and in order to do that, you have to have
the personnel. Starks given the personnel to do that. Now,
with ar Darius not being in the mix, that changes something,

(08:54):
So it could change the way they play. It also
creates an opportunity for young players Sonoosey Kane late round
pick last ye year, seventh round pick and Bo Braid
undrafted player Maryland kid. And so I mean, at once
upon a time, mar Darius was the undrafted guy who
was looking to claw, you know, his way out to
a roster and earn a role. So now like that
opportunity is going to be there for Bo braid A,

(09:15):
Sinoosi Kane. Of course, the Ravens could also go out
there and look into the veteran market as well. They've
done that in past years. It didn't work out last
year with Eddie Jackson, but they went that route, and
so they could explore the free agent market as well.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
I would expect that they will probably at some point
out a veteran and that player may or may not be,
you know, make the fifty three man roster ultimately, but
I would expect that they would probably explore that. And
you know, as it stands now, I think the ripple
effect really impacts Kyle Hamilton the most. I mean he

(09:48):
I think Malachi Starks is going to play a lot
his rookie year. He might play even more because of this.
And then b I think it impacts Kyle Hamilton because
now do you have enough safety vers statility and to
have him play slot corner and can come down in
the box. You know, as it stands now is it's
kind of he and Malachi unless you're playing single high,

(10:08):
which that will presumably be Malachi. Then Kyle's back more
in that traditional safety role like he was the second
half last season. Now that went pretty darn well. It's
not a bad position to be in. But the Ravens
won as much versatility as they can and so you
know what the Ravens. How the Ravens could pivot from
this schematically or personnel wise, I should say, is more.

(10:33):
It's the question is who plays slot corner and and
if you're not, if you can't have Kyle play slot
corner as much, then it's probably going to be more
Marlon Humphrey. And so you lean more on Cheat o'
bay and Nate Wiggins on the outside, and Marlin plays
a higher snap of the snap share its slot. Yeah,
so you lean more on your corners and less on
your safety.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
They're all connected and the secondary there. But I'm with you,
I would not surprise me if the Ravens end up
adding a free agent safety at some point. Maybe not
to somebody that's like, you know, a former Pro Bowl
player like Eddie Jackson was when he came in here,
but somebody could come in there and compete, or there's
there's some quality safeties who are still out there. So like,

(11:14):
I would not surprise you if they add somebody to
that mix and bring some more competition and then like,
I'm not rolling out the young guys too.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah, I think that Snoosy Kane and Bo Braid were
kind of overlooked. Like both played very well on special
teams last year, I thought, really well, and I liked
what I saw from them in the preseason playing safety.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah, I mean, both dudes can They'll come up and
hit you.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
And they earned their they earned their spot, both of them.
They were both like, these guys are probably too good
to cut, so like they earned their their fifty three
man rosters based on how they played in the preseason.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
So I'm intrigued in what they offer as well.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
And they have Chuck Pagano back there coaching them, and
and we all know how great a teacher Chuck is,
and so I think that those guys could make pretty
good year two jumps.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, So worship it for our Darius certainly obviously wish
the best for him in his recovery. And we'll certain
that will be a piece of the Ravens have to
soar through this offseason. So we're gonna take a quick
break and when we come back, we will dive into
the twenty twenty five NFL schedule, all right, So we
have the schedule here. We have the twenty twenty five
Ravens schedule, so if you want to, of course look

(12:21):
at it, it's posted on our app on our website.
But I will run through the whole thing here so
everyone can take a look and listen to this and
hear what the schedule is going to look like. So
the Ravens opened the season Week one, Sunday Night football
in Buffalo. So it's a rematch of how the Ravens
ended their season, second straight year that that's been the case.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
Oh you're getting into my takeway, I know.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Just run through the schedule then hold on, hold on,
all right? This Week two, the Ravens open at home,
had their home opener against the Browns September fourteenth, one o'clock.
Then Monday night football against the Detroit Lions at M
and T. Banks Stadium. Then they go on the road
Week four at Kansas City for twenty five. Then week

(13:01):
five they're back home against the Houston Texans one o'clock.
Week six, it's the La Rams coming to town for
a one o'clock game. Then the Ravens have the Week seven.
By week eight, the Ravens are playing against the Chicago
Bears in Baltimore another one o'clock game. Then they're on
the road against the Miami Dolphins Thursday Night Football. Week ten,
they are on the road again Minnesota, one o'clock game.

(13:24):
Then week eleven on the road against Cleveland for a
four to twenty five game. Then they come back home
Week twelve against the Jets one o'clock. Week thirteen, they
are playing the Bengals. That's on Thanksgiving Night, eight to
twenty game against the Bengals in Baltimore, aren't Thanksgiving. Week fourteen,
it's against the Pittsburgh Steelers. One o'clock game here in Baltimore.

(13:44):
Then they go on the road play the Cincinnati Bengals
one o'clock game, and week fifteen. Week sixteen, they're back
in Baltimore for their final home game of the season.
It's against the New England Patriots. One o'clock game.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Regular season, regular season, regular season. Yes, thank you for
CRESTFC championship.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
Ye, I never want to see just rolled the plus
yeah exactly. And then to close things out Week seventeen
at the Green Bay Packers and Week eighteen at the
Pittsburgh Steelers. A date and time for those last two
games of the season is TBD, So that's like flex
scheduling is going crazy at that time of the year,
and so the NFL wants to put the best games
and the best times at that point. So we are

(14:20):
unsure of the date and time of those last two games,
but the Ravens will finish with two straight on the rout.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
So my biggest thing when this first hit my desk was, Wow,
what a start that is. The Ravens will face in
their first six games five ragning division winners. The Bills, Lions, Chiefs, Texans,
and Rams all won their division last year. You're coming

(14:46):
out of the gates hot. Yeah, the Ravens need to
come out of the gates hot. Last year started zero
to two and kind of had to dig their way
out of that early hole. And they cannot afford to
start slow this year in order to kind of reach
these AFC goals that we just talked about. Hey, hosting
the NFC Championship Game and all that stuff. You have

(15:08):
two games against the Bills and Chiefs in the first
four weeks. It's going to give you an early indication
about who the AFC leader is. Well.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
To be honest, it reminds me of last year. Yep,
the Raven's. It's kind of flipped the Ravens. Last year
they opened the season in Kansas City and they played
the Bills week for Now they're opening the season in Buffalo,
they played the Chiefs week for. They had really tough
games the first four last year when they went Kansas
City and they played at home against the Raiders and
then Dallas Buffalo. This year it's a little bit different,

(15:36):
but again it's a tough stretch to open the season,
and so the Ravens climbed out of that early hole,
but they created it and then falling into that early hole.
As Kyle Hamilton talked about this offseason, the Ravens at
the end of the season are kind of kicking themselves, saying,
have we taken care of business against the Raiders early
in the year.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
And we had pulled off that winning Kansas City and
Isaiah likely.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Got his toe in right hosting that game against Buffalo,
And so when that have made a difference, We'll never know,
but I think that it just reminds me of last year,
a tough start to open the year, and the Ravens
are gonna have to come out kind of clicking on
all Cylinders early in this season.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yeah, I definitely agree. And then it's also a challenging finish.
I mean, the Ravens do not play the Bengals or
Steelers until Week thirteen. So while you get an early
indication of all, right, you know, the race, I think
generally speaking, the Ravens, Chiefs, and Bills are considered kind
of the cream of the crop in the AFC going
into the season. Of course, you could throw some other

(16:40):
teams in there, and you know, so you'll get it
kind of an early pecking order. Then the division, however,
will not be decided until late in the year. Down
that stretch you go, You start with that Thanksgiving game
against the Bengals and then it's four of the final
six games are against the Bengals or Steelers.

Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah. AFC North decided basically in December.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Yeah, and you have like this weird stretch Week thirteen,
fourteen fifteen Bengals, Steelers Bengals, yep, with starting on Thanksgiving
night and then home against the Steelers and then at Cincinnati.
It's not often that you, you know, have a team
that you play like like Bengal Steelers Pittsburgh. It's not
often you have a game separated by one opponent like that.

(17:25):
So that's kind of an interesting quirk of the schedule.
But yeah, the AFC North, it's a tough close, like
I think, Like when I looked at it, I did
think tough open. I also thought difficult clothes. You have
the division games and then road road to close the
season at green Bay. Green Bay could very well be
one of the best teams in the league. Talk about

(17:45):
the frozen Tundra for late in the season Week seventeen,
Tundra get the winner. Jackets ready for that one. And
then and then Pittsburgh. So you close out the season
and those two, I mean both difficult places to play and.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
Anti mid December at Cincinnati that he can get it
can get chilli there too.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
Oh yeah, I mean you look at the schedule in December.
In December, the Ravens are playing in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh,
and green Bay.

Speaker 3 (18:15):
It's gonna be cold, but that's what you expect. That
is what you expect.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
But I just think it green Bay in late December,
early January, and then you circle however, that's gonna be
very cold, Rose and froze.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
So yeah, that that's gonna be a tough. Yeah, a
tough way to close out the year. Yep, you just hope,
of course. I mean this is like how you always hope,
but be nice if that, like Steelers game, isn't for
the division or isn't for like the number one star.
I liked it those two years where the Ravens had
the number one seed and we're able to rest guys
in Week eighteen.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
That, yeah, I like that. You can pencil that one in. Yeah,
I like that. I like that approach.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
I mean, no team, so the Ravens are going for
a three peat as AFC North champions. No team is
ever done that, and so that will be when we
find out. Can can they pull it off and win
three straight division crowns? So exciting finish to the season.
The other thing that stood out to me is it
kind of reminds me of like a baseball schedule as

(19:15):
opposed to a football schedule, Like what sport are we
playing here? We have long home stands and long road trips. Yeah,
so early in the season, you're at home for four
well no, sorry, five of the first seven games, and yes,
you wake up in your own bed literally for a

(19:36):
whole month. September twenty ninth to October twenty ninth, the
Ravens will be waking up in their own bed.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
Yeah, they're not to get onto plane for basically the
month of the month of October. Yeah, and because you
have three straight home games with a bye week nestled
in there. So in reality they that bye week will
be the time the guys go on a little vacation.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
They won't wake up on their own bed on the
bye week, but but they would prefer to wake up
in their own bed.

Speaker 2 (20:05):
They have that as an option. But you know, they
don't have to get on a plane for a month.
And so I think that that's like, but then if
then it flips, then it flips, and you got three
straight on the road. And so it's like the pendulum
is swinging and staying there for a little while. It
goes you're at home for a month. Now you're on
the road for three straight. Okay, now you're back, come
on home. Now you're back for three straight. Like I

(20:26):
don't know that I've ever seen three straight home, three
straight road, three straight home, well that I've ever seen that.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
Yeah, that's that's it's really a weird quirk in the schedule.
I mean, last two years, it's been very balanced with
road road, home and so and then finish the last
two on the road. So yeah, it's it's quirky.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Another uh, another note that I have here, and I'm
curious what other ones stand out to you? The games
that kind of I circle, of course, the ones that
you circle, there's the obvious. It's always like the night games.
So Apple Buffalo opened the season Kansas City Ravens Kansas City.
You're always going to pay twenty five, but like, of
course you're going to be all eyes are going to
be on that game.

Speaker 3 (21:09):
Yeah, nationally it'll be basically nationally held.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
That's that's Nansen Romo talking about two great quarterbacks in
the league. Like, you can go ahead and get ready
for that. Then Bengals on Thanksgiving. Of course that's going
to be exciting. It's been a while since the Ravens
have played on Thanksgiving. They've done back to back Christmas games.
Now they're getting the taste of Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (21:28):
Yeah, I mean, that's one of my my takeaways here
is home for the holidays finally, Well too straight.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
You're home, you're you're working now you're working that yeah,
but you're home. You're home.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, you get to know, don't don't overdo it with
the turkey before the games. You have to work that night,
holl load up on the turkey, on the red wine,
like you could try to take the nap during the
but you.

Speaker 3 (21:47):
Got I didn't pick the wine for Thanksgiving in draft?

Speaker 1 (21:50):
That was you. Okay, Hey, you had only wine. Remember
in your Thanksgiving draft.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
It's gonna be a different it's gonna be a different
menu this year.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, you better not. Yeah, actual screwed it up.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
You haven't flipped I had you had only one? Yeah,
you have that flipped a long time. Listeners allowed to
remember that one. That was one of our original drafts.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
Yeah. So, but I mean eight twenty kickoff.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
I have enough time to have the turkey, the gravy,
maybe even little gnat early dinner, though I have that
you may have the Thanksgiving lunch followed by the NAT
followed by the game.

Speaker 3 (22:23):
You do get to the games. If it's a twenty kick,
you'll be rolling in about eight eight, hey, fifteen, Hey
by there for kickoff? Eight fifty? Very am there for kickoff?

Speaker 2 (22:32):
I'd say fifty to fifty. I would say fifty fifty.
You'll be waking up from your slumber.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
Well, this this year, I might be a risk. It
might be a fifty to fifty the risk this year.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
So you are home for the holidays, but you're working
it just as a reminder.

Speaker 3 (22:47):
Well yeah, but that's just us. Look. Look, look, I
don't look at this schedule selfishly. Yeah, okay, look at it.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
For fans, it's the perfect holiday schedule of fans, Like
you can still enjoy Thanksgiving, but then you have the
night game on Thanksgiving. That's it's perfect and you don't
have your Christmas getting interrupted and all that stuff.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
Like to me, I think it's kind of perfect. Yeah. Look,
I actually liked this.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
And we're not traveling, okay, traveling on christs being away
from your families. If we're looking at it from selfish Ravens,
if we're looking at it now from your perspective, selfishly,
we're not traveling.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
I I, in all honesty, I liked the Thanksgiving night
game in Baltimore. I think it's it's gonna be The
Ravens did that. They've they've done it twice. They did
it against Steelers once, and they did it against forty
nine Ers once. That was the original hardball back in
twenty ee.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
We're supposed to have it against the Steelers again, but
the COVID yeah, Leg got his phone a couple of times.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yep, so uh I think and the Pittsburgh went both wins.

Speaker 1 (23:43):
By the way, both Ravens Thanksgiving games against the forty
nine Ers and the Steelers. And the Steelers game famously
was the Mike Tomlin stepping on the field in front
of Kobe Jones game.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yeah, that was that was That's one to remember. That's
what I remember.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, that was an exciting win. So hopefully there's another
kind of exciting uh yeah, get the pick with the
Turkey legs after that game exactly. The other one that
I have noted beyond like the big primetime games that
we just kind of ran through the Browns game Week two. Okay,
here's what interests me about that game. That it's early

(24:15):
in the season, I think the most likely starting quarterback
for the Cleveland Browns is Joe Flacca, especially early in
the year. Having that game in Week two, I think
more likely that Joe is the starting quarterback. You know,
if it's later in the season and you're maybe talking
about the rookies and should or Sanders, I think that's
a good point, and so I think that you this

(24:35):
is as it stands right now, likely the Joe Flacker
returns to Baltimore for the first time game.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Which is a pretty avict storyline. Yeah, yeah, I mean
he hasn't.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
I mean, he's been playing in the league here, it's
going on his eighth season not being in Baltimore anymore,
seventh season, not being in Baltimore anymore.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
It would be surprising to see a Day three pick
starting Week one or in this case week two for
the Browns exactly.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
And so I mean he's been playing in the league
seven years, slid for them, people would expect it.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yeah, But in.

Speaker 2 (25:03):
Terms of Joe, like the Ravens have played him, but
they never played here, and so this would be his
first game back in Baltimore. So having that game early
in the season I think makes it certainly more likely
that he's a starting quarterback and.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
That will be the big talk.

Speaker 2 (25:15):
If that's the case, that'll be the big storylineup that week.

Speaker 3 (25:18):
Yeah, the boo yeah could have hit it.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
I Mean my thing with the primetime games was it
was just fewer than I expected. Yeah, right now it's
four technically now the Chiefs game at four twenty five.
Like we said, that's a lot of people in America
are going to be watching that game. But I still
expected more than four primetime night games. And you know,

(25:43):
so that there were some big games that didn't get
that treatment that I thought certainly could have. I mean,
right as of now, you could have a week eighteen
flex and that Steelers game could be primetime, but it's
a one o'clock kickoff versus the Steelers and TBD that
Packers game again, who knows what time that'll be. That
could be a primetime game. But you know, Vikings could

(26:05):
have been, Rams could have been, Houston could have been.
Like there's a number of games here that I thought
were good, strong candidates for prime time.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
They probably could have gone maybe one more and then.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
The chief and honestly the Chiefs not being on Sunday
or Monday Night Football or Thursday Night football something at night.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
It's I do think that the NFL schedule makers, as
they like divvy up the schedule, and like I always
am interested in hearing like Mike North do interviews.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
You know, he's the one of the NFL league offense
who really sets the schedule at his team.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, but like they want to they want all the
networks to have a piece of the action. And so
like I'm sure CBS is looking at it.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
Oh they were fighting, they were I'm sure networks for
fighting for that gay hard.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
I mean, like Kansas City Baltimore is like one of
the top games on the calendar this year, right, and
so like that's a great get for CBS. And so
like I think the NFL schedule makers they don't want
basically all of the good games to be.

Speaker 3 (26:59):
Sunday and Monday night. You want to have some really
good ones.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
The four to twenty five game for CBS or Fox,
like that's essentially a nationally televised game, and so that's
what that game is really going to be. And I
do think like as you look at the Packers and
the Steelers games since week seventeen and eighteen, uh, don't
be surprised if those are national TV games.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
At least one. I thought, I thought we already slated.
This Steelers game has no meaning, right pack Packers. Packers
saw that for the national TV game, and then they
seal it.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
Up, right, that's when they steal the top seed. Yeah yeah, actually, yeah,
we're getting.

Speaker 3 (27:26):
Close to the win lass game. Yeah, we're kind of
screwing that.

Speaker 1 (27:29):
Yeah, but I mean last year was they ended up
playing eight. The Ravens did eight nationally televised. Right now
it's on the schedules four. Yeah, so that's a pretty
big difference.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
Yeah, all right.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
The last thing that stood out for me was the
bye week, and so the Ravens have had late buys
the past two years. For listeners, you can have the
bye week anytime between week five and fifteen. Last year
was week the past two years were week thirteen and fourteen.
So it's been late the past couple. This year a
week seven by that's on the earlier end of the

(28:04):
bye week. So it's like, all right, is that good?

Speaker 3 (28:07):
Is it bad? What do you think of the placement
of the buy? It's not so like week five is
the week seven is.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Earlier, but like if it's weak eight, then you're saying, like, oh,
it's right to smack down.

Speaker 3 (28:19):
I don't know. I think it's fine. I don't like.
I'm good with where the BIA is.

Speaker 1 (28:22):
I'm good with it. And here's the thing. The past
two years, the Raves have views. You know, the narrative
around the late by was like all right, gives them
a chance to get fresh and heal up for a
late season push and into the playoffs. And that's come
to fruition. Like the Ravens last year went undefeated after
the bye four and oh the previous season they lost

(28:45):
one game, but that was when they rested all their
starters in the season finale Againsteelers, which are gonna be
the going again this year. So like you know, it
kind of the late by the past two years, John Harball,
I thought it did a good job of like getting
the guy's minds right and all that stuff. Now the
bodies start to get tired. You know, you get the
last game before that, by like you it's tough. You know,

(29:06):
the Ravens had to face the Eagles right before they
went into that late by this past season, and that
was physically demanding. So I there's pros and cons the
earlier by why I like where it is right now
is it's after that initial six game really tough stretch
to open the year where we're playing five division winners.

(29:28):
The Ravens are going to get a good idea in
those six games where their strengths are and where their
weaknesses are, and what it's going to take if they
haven't done it already to be and beat the top
teams in the NFL. Right, So it's like less of
a physical break than it has been the past couple
of years, where it's like John Harball's like prior number

(29:50):
one during this buy is just rest, get off your feet.
The whole time it is about resting. This year, I
think it's a little bit more of a mental kind
of uh break and a chance for kind of earlier
adjustments and to see kind of where you stack up
and what you need to maybe tweak.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
I last year felt so late from a bystandpoint, and
the Ravens had some really tough games before that, and like,
had the bye been early, you will never know. This
is impossible question, but like when they played that game
against the Eagles, which was the game before the bye week,
to me, it felt like a team that was really
worn down at that point. It just felt like, man,
they needed a break. Like I think that, like they

(30:29):
were a little bit gas and like it was a
really tough stretch and like I just think that, like.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
And by the way you were facing the.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
So like Eagles were great and the Ravens played them tough,
especially earlier in that game. But I just feel like
having the buy a little bit earlier has the potential
to keep you fresh. And like, again, had the Ravens
had a Week seven by last year and then that
played that game against the Eagles in Week ten or eleven,
whatever it was, like, Uh, would it have been different?
We'll never know, but I think it could have been well.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
And to me, it's almost like I think if the
Ravens had earlier by last year when they were having
the struggles in the secondary and given up too many
big plays, like maybe an earlier buy would have given
them that reset button where they could have made those
changes a little bit earlier and solve some of those
early problems that they had in the year. That's what
I think the potential benefit is of this buy. You

(31:21):
play some really good teams, you're gonna get an idea
of what you are and what you're not and where
you might need to make some changes.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
And then coming out of the by its Bears, Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, Jets.
That's the next five and so like on paper, the
Ravens will likely end up being like the favorites and
the majority of those games, if not all of them,
and so you have the potential there after a really
tough stretch to maybe rattle off some wins.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
But that's also when you go on the road for
three straight and there for three straight. Here's the thing,
it's like the Ravens have the eleventh toughest schedule in
the league.

Speaker 3 (31:55):
Yeah, based on last year, based on last.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
Year's strength of their opponents. So there's not cupcakes on
the schedule here. It's tough schedule.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
It's tough.

Speaker 2 (32:05):
Well, you win, when you win the division, you play
a tough schedule, Like that's just how it goes, right, So,
like you know that.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
You know the AFC North is going to be tough.
All those games are going to be tough. And oh,
by the way, you're also playing the entire NFC North,
which is a really good division, was the best division
in football last year, right, right, And so.

Speaker 3 (32:20):
It's a challenge. Yeah, it's not by any means in
easy schedule. So I think the Bears will be better
than they were last year. I think.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
You know, the Jets and the Patriots are two teams
with new head coaches. Mike Vrabel has been doing this
a long time with new coaches and young quarterbacks. Who
you know, are ascending in their careers, so those are
going to be challenging games too.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
Yeah, so it's not an easy schedule, but again, we
knew it wasn't gonna be an easy schedule. But thenhen
you look at a paper like, man, it's just like
that's tough.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
That's tough schedule.

Speaker 1 (32:49):
Yeah, I mean it's tough. But when I go through
and play the wins lost game, I mean I'm seventeen.

Speaker 3 (32:53):
No, well, you're you ready to do it? Yeah? All right,
let's go kick it off.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
Dubs, Okay, Buffalo, you get revenge, Dubs, dubb come back home,
Brown Rounds Dubs. Oh, Mon night Football, Monday Night Football
at the Bank, Are you kidding me?

Speaker 3 (33:09):
Dubbs over the Lions.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Three and oh Chack Kansas City Revenge. I mean, come on,
Isaiah likely wears different colors, white shoes, shoes, he's white cleets.
Isaiah likely wins that game. Dubs for four and oh
Houston Texans. We've we've been good against Texans recently. Five
and Oh Dubs Rams, I mean, now you're on a roll,
so you know, going into the bottom. Doves by rest,

(33:34):
come out, Bears, Dubs at Dolphins. Oh Yeah, you're feeling good.

Speaker 3 (33:39):
Warm weather, warm weather game.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
Lamar, Lamar back home, Lamar in Miami. Come, I know
that one year kind of got a little sideways on
the cycle. He handles like the blitz is not a problem,
like it was that game anymore different stress, different story.
Cubs at Minnesota, Doves all right at Cleveland, Doves, Jets
Doves Beck Thanksgiving?

Speaker 3 (34:00):
Do we lose on Nay?

Speaker 1 (34:01):
No, Dubbs versus Pittsburgh back home Pittsburgh. I mean we've
won the last two against him at home. Dubbs at
since he Dubbs, I.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Mean normally we say, like split with the Bengals. So
is that are you just going I'm not there yet.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
You put the cart before the horse on One game
at a time, page, One game at a time. Patriots
Dubbs at Green the Frozen Tundra. We love Dereck Henry
to your extension, Dubbs. Okay, and then and then we're
wrestling everybody. Yeah, I mean obviously.

Speaker 3 (34:36):
Else of course, No, we got the depth Dubbs Okay.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yeah, Like I said, let's go, that is the expert
analysis that you need from Ryan make everybody so all right,
that's those are our those are our takes on this schedule,
and I think it's gonna be a really fun year.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
I am really excited.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
It sounds good. Also, want to make sure that you
can get you get your tickets. You can do that
by visiting Baltimore Ravens dot com slash tickets. You can
do that on Sea Geek as well. So now we're
going to take a break and when we come back,
we're going to do our travel draft. This is something
we've been doing for years. We basically go through the
entire schedule and look at which road games we're going
to get to go to. So I'm going to trust
your draft and we'll do that on the other side

(35:22):
of the break, you're listening to the Lounge podcast when
you're coming to you from the Sea Geek studio. We
also want to mention our partners at Draft King Sportsbook.
They are an official sports betting partner of the Baltimore
Ravens Draftking Sportsbook. The Crown is Yours also Ravens fans.
The schedule has been released for the upcoming season and
seek Geek is here to help you experience all the action.
Seek Geek makes it easy to find tickets so you

(35:44):
can be part of all the touchdown celebrations this season.
Whether you're buying or selling tickets to Ravens games or
to any live event in Baltimore, Seak Geek is the
place to do it. Seek Geek is the official primary
ticketing partner of the Baltimore Ravens. Expect the expected, Seek Geek.
So now it is time to go through our travel Draft,

(36:04):
which again is always a fun day on the podcast,
and we have a special guest.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
We do do so we do.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
We have our editorial assistant, Matt Ryan here on the lounge.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
It's got a little round a pause.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Matt is on the lounge. He was a longtime quarterback
of the Atlanta Falcons. You might remember he was in
that two thousand and eight draft with Joe Flacco. Matt,
we really appreciate you coming on.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Yeah, you know, I wish I was the real Matt Ryan.
I have a lot more money if I'm very honored
to be on the lounge finally, So I appreciate you guys,
and it'll fall along.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Yeah, So Matt's gonna be the judge of the travel Draft.
Longtime listeners might remember that we used to have the common.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
Man on that long time old longtime listeners com Man
so out so yet yesteryear.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
Clifton Brown is also stepped in and been the judge
on some of our's a good judge, he's a great
She's unavailable today, yes, so we have our backup judge,
Matt Ryan, who I've made sure he hasn't seen our
big boards.

Speaker 1 (37:07):
Like this is on the up and up, all right,
and uh before Matt will give you before we start this,
I will give you a little time to just let
listeners know who you are, and I'll give you a
little time to brag about your mock draft. Right. So
we we did our mock drafts. I, as everyone knows,
hit Malachi Starks, Garrett hit, Carson Vincent. Matt did get

(37:30):
one hit on his mock draft this year.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
Too, I did.

Speaker 2 (37:34):
I did.

Speaker 4 (37:34):
It was Emery Jones. I had him going on the fourth,
anyone on the third. But you know, Malachi Starks pretty obvious,
pretty obvious.

Speaker 3 (37:42):
Wow, Wow, I'm already starting on the race all the time.

Speaker 4 (37:47):
Shout out to Garrett.

Speaker 3 (37:48):
It was.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
It was a snipe with with Carson Vince.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
That was Stark. He had the tweet about the visit.

Speaker 4 (37:56):
You can't use that stuff, well, the big thing about
Mink getting Malachi stars as what was it February thirteenth,
exactly like he was on it from the start. So
while it seemed like an obvious pick, then I think
he kind of really I call it a horse on
that one. So it was impressive. But Emery Jones, you know,
I was very happy when I got that. I think
I had us taking what Walter Nolan in the first round,
you know, got a lot got a lot of shade

(38:18):
for that after he went what sixteenth overall? So it
was it was a really good rebound.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
We got there. Yeah, well, well done, you earned your
way on.

Speaker 1 (38:24):
I did tell him mad that he would get a
full time job if he nailed three Monck draft picks.

Speaker 4 (38:28):
He came too short. Sorry, Yeah, Day three. Day three
was pretty intense. I was like, oh, my livelihood's on
the line right here.

Speaker 1 (38:35):
Not well, Matt's been an amazing intern for us, and
we'll see how amazing by the results of this draft
and who he declares the winner. So Garrett, with no
further ado, Rock paper Scissors determined first overall pick. Wait, wait,
you gotta get in your head first. I'm like, over
the last five, Yeah, I gotta make sure I get this.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
Okay, all right, Rock paper scissors. Shoot, I'm back. No,
I'm back, and I'm packing my swim trunks from Miami. Wow. Wow, wow, Yeah,
you played right into my hands. I'm head now. I'm
just getting on the beach and my floaties and my

(39:16):
swim trunks.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
Okay, all right, so Miami, we're a great opponent. Way
to go the day on the beach.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
Sure, okay, you don't get plenty this summer, like you
were not taking Miami with the first overall.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
I did not have it.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
I have a trip to the thron We want to
talk about epic I'm done, okay, we want to talk
about epic games, epic atmospheres. Late December in Green Bay,
snow game again. I can tell you I play off online.
This is when we clinched number one overall seed. This

(39:56):
is Look, we only get to go there once every
eight years. I've never been, so I gotta go. You
went last year what in the preseason or something, but
I went.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
I went eight years ago. I went way Yeah, but
you wait, well, last year you put it roll high
and you're like, oh, I'm gonna freeze you out. You
see you honestly blew this.

Speaker 1 (40:13):
You had a chance to freeze me out of the
first and tundra what you promised to do last year
when you got green Bay. You let yourself down by
you went to defensive. You should have played more defensive.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
I've been to Green Bay. It's it's cool, sce you
could have first me out, but that's you would have
ruined my whole life. You know, I would have never
I would have possibly never gotten there. I've been. I've
been to Green Bay. It's great. Guess what, It's gonna
be cold. Have you ever been cold? You know how
cold feels? So like it's gonna be snowy.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
It's gonna be no guarantee there, it's just cold, like
you're just there. No, it's like a tease. You're there,
You're like, oh, this is gonna be awesome. It's gonna
be a snow game. And then it's like ten degrees
and you're no snow.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
How many times do you think I'm gonna get to
go down on the field and and say the frozen tundra,
because the tundra, as you said, will be frozen. I'm
gonna recite that line like fifty times.

Speaker 3 (40:59):
You may say it like there's no doubt that the
Miami game is higher on the pecking on.

Speaker 1 (41:04):
Yeah, but this is Green Bay Ravens Late. It doesn't
get if you're a football fan, if you're a football affectionado,
if you eat, breathe, live football, that's.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
The game you want to be at. If you're just
a pool boy, all you want to floating around the
lazy river, I'm gonna get to do that all summer.

Speaker 2 (41:26):
Miami is the pick there. That game all Ocean City.
Ocean City, Maryland is better than Miami. Everything's overpriced all day.
It's really two days on the beach. I'll probably play
golf in the morning, head to the beach in the afternoon,
get pull making making, get to the game.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
Eight fifteen Sunburn, Red.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
Bag.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
I know you.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
My next pick there. If you want great football and
you want a great game, gladly, I'm gonna go to
Kansas City. I'm gonna go to Kansas City again. I'm
going to see the revenge game against the Chiefs against who. Well,
the revenge you can there's multiple, there's multiple. The revenge
game is against the Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
So I'm taken next, which is the season opener, Look,
that's the season opener every year, is the game you
want to be at.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
It's just that there's a different vibe at the season opener.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
Yeah, season over against the team that just knocked us
out of the playoffs last year. And again, I mean
it's a great it's on equal footing with Ravens Chiefs, Ravens, Bills,
Josh Allen, Patrickhos. It's on equal footing in that way.
But the narrative, I mean the same is the Bills
game is better because it's the season opener. No, to me,

(42:47):
like if they were pretty honestly, they're pretty level, but
the Bills game being the season over put it ahead.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
Now Kansas City, Kansas City, that atmosphere, that atmosphere is
going to be I mean, both the atmospheres are going
to be good, but Kansas City probably has a leg
up and that ard and on what basis just in
terms of the difficulty of playing at Arrowhead and that's
just like adds to the environment overall.

Speaker 1 (43:09):
It's difficult to play an Orchard Park two plus, it's
difficult to play there in January. Plus it's there really
difficult in January, Like you're basically the best of Buffalo,
though you don't get it in January.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
It's great, are you arguing against? The cold? Weather is different?
The frozen tundra is different.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
Like we just saw what it's like being in a
cold weather game. So like you're one, I'm saying, you
don't even want to be part of the cold. So
another another another advantage from me there.

Speaker 1 (43:33):
Wait, last thing with the Bills is that they're kicking
off their last season in that stadium. Like this has
from go go way back to twenty eighteen when Dallas
it was the last year in Dallas and the Ravens
the same spoiled the last game. They're kicking it off.
They're gonna have a big ceremony at the beginning of
the game, last season in High Mark Stadium, last time,

(43:55):
and then the Ravens get to go in there.

Speaker 3 (43:57):
And just that is a that is a reach of
ma that is a reach of all reaching. That's legit.
The vibes are gonna be impeccable.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
The next one I will take here and this is
a great this is a mid round jem here. I'm
going to Minnesota and this is one of the best
stadiums in football. I've been there before, awesome stadium environment.
It's uh, it's just great. I mean, the the atmosphere
there is like an underrate. This is an underrated one
of the best stadium experiences in football. And you will

(44:25):
never see it because you have been frozen out.

Speaker 3 (44:28):
So that's true.

Speaker 1 (44:29):
You are freezing me out of Minnesota. You are freezing
me out of Minnesota. So but whatever, A dome, Okay,
it's cool, cool.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
TVs there stadiums in football, it's and you're never going
to see it.

Speaker 3 (44:42):
Who cares?

Speaker 2 (44:43):
Oh fine, yeah, you talk about how you want a
football officionado.

Speaker 3 (44:47):
You know nobody.

Speaker 1 (44:48):
Nobody says, oh yeah, Minnesota is the mecca of football.
I gotta go to Minnesota if you want.

Speaker 3 (44:52):
If you want a great game day atmosphere, Minnesota has it.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
But again, you know, you know, it's classic, great atmosphere,
class game Ravens Steelers. Okay, in Pittsburgh, the rocking, rocking.
Now we're gonna be rest in our starters were talking about.

Speaker 3 (45:09):
There's that.

Speaker 1 (45:11):
But if we're not, if we're not division on the
line in Pittsburgh stadium rocking, that's that has a chance.
It won't be because they're gonna be rest. But it
has a chance to be an epic game. I love
I love how you if you're true football See, you're
just your pool boy.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
You're pool boy. You're not a true football fig You're like, oh,
I want an atmosphere with the beach.

Speaker 1 (45:36):
No.

Speaker 2 (45:36):
See, you just keep arguing against your own pitch, like
this is gonna be an incredible game and incredible everything.
It's gonna be incredible that you're like, oh, but we're
also rest in our starters, so it's actually not gonna
be good game. So like you can't decide which way,
Like I want to be in the cold, but I'm
glad we're going to Buffalo week one, Like, you.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
Can't decide what side you're even on. I want to
be in the cold in Pittsburgh. Yeah that's good too.
That's like, Okay, you like Pittsburgh cold, you like Green
Bay cole, but you don't like Buffalo cold. Okay. I'm
just trying to make sure i'm tracking here, all right.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
So my next pick here, I will go with the
Cincinnati Bengals, another great division matchup, and so look, you
want this that is the game. That game really could
go the longest way in deciding the division. Late in
the season, but like we.

Speaker 1 (46:20):
Just played them two weeks earlier on Thanksgiving. Like, all right,
I've just seen I just saw the Bengals. Yeah, but
this is since he but this is a chance. This
is the decide the division game. So yeah, it's gonna
be a big game here. Football ficionado as you pretend
to be, then that would be.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
As I am. What else you got?

Speaker 1 (46:36):
Okay, my next pick, because you know, I do need
a little I do need a little sun. I do
need a little sun because I have no freezing my
butt off late in the year. So I'm gonna go
down a little preseason down to Dallas. Dallas talk you know,
another gray stadium. It's gonna be warm pool. I'll tell

(46:59):
you that. Tell that we stayed at this last trip
to Dallas last year was oh Simon, this shout out
to our guys, signing great stadium, a great hotel.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
I mean, I can't I'm going down to Dallas. I mean,
let's get a little son.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
Listeners will agree with me on this. You are so
wishwashy and flip flopping on this is unbelievable. Also, by
the way, like you're I'm getting the best of both worlds.
I'm getting the best games. But now I'm getting a
little son. You're getting the game, wishy wash.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
Preseason two is the best game on the calendar. No, no,
this is about the game. It's not about the game
at all.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
It's about getting some sun. I need a little bit
because I'm going to be in the Frozen Puncher later
in the year.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
And by the way, we didn't mention this too at
the outset, but the preseason schedules home against the Colts,
Colts on the road against the Cowboys on the road
against the Commander. So you're taking the Cowboys there, ye, yeah,
the game that everybody's been waiting for. Then I will
take I will go with my last pick here to
round it out, I'll go Cleveland and another great division
match up there for twenty five game. So yeah, you

(48:01):
get to I get two. I get two of the
division matchups. Uh late in the season to see the
Ravens put put in the works.

Speaker 1 (48:09):
Sincy Cleveland guy, you are a since Hio baby, you
are you are mister Ohio from your roots. I mean
I'm going to Washington. Then I can just whatever hop
skipping and jump for me, big trip for you. Yeah, yeah,
just easy peasy home that night, kiss the kids, put
them the bed.

Speaker 3 (48:28):
Still whatever. Yeah, so again, easy psy trip.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
Are you mean you gotta make another flight? See your kids,
see you, see you, Betty. You know, daddy's on the
road again. Sorry, Daddy's on the road.

Speaker 3 (48:40):
Again, Betty. I want again.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
I want to hand you over here talking up your
great trips, and the other one saying I don't even
want to leave the house. I just want to be
in Washington and just head out for the afternoon.

Speaker 1 (48:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:49):
Yeah, it's just.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Like a nice easy trip to round it out, which
is why you took it dead last.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
So just to recap here, I have Miami, Kansas City,
Minnesota runaway, Cincinnati.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Cleveland, okay, I have Green Bay Buffalo two games of
the year, okay, Pittsburgh the best, the best division rivalry
on the road in Pittsburgh, it's always great.

Speaker 3 (49:14):
Cincinnati might be right there.

Speaker 1 (49:17):
Then Dallas gets some son in Dallas their son here
is easy easy here, easy.

Speaker 3 (49:24):
Peasy, finishing out Washington trip.

Speaker 4 (49:27):
And now turning over, Matt, what you got, I have
some salt, some thoughts.

Speaker 1 (49:32):
You know.

Speaker 4 (49:32):
First of all, mink is a great gas lighter. I mean,
just you know, here seventeen and oh, but then this,
this Pittsburgh game is going to be a lead. You know,
there's just there's a lot of It's actually funny because
I'm not trying to give too much away yet, but
I think we do Mink. Mink did have my number

(49:53):
one overall pick and he got fourth overall, which was
the Buffalo Bills. Wow, that's my number one overall.

Speaker 3 (50:01):
I mean, that's that's a great game.

Speaker 4 (50:03):
It's gonna be a great game. I mean season opener,
team edit your season last year. Now, Miami's high up,
Josh almar Right, I mean the worst pick of the
draft is green Band number two overall.

Speaker 3 (50:14):
What I actually Lambeau Like Lambeau, you have to go
to Lambeau. I couldn't wait another eight years.

Speaker 1 (50:22):
I mean that's fair, Lamba have to go to Matt Honestly,
if you had a chance to go to Lambeau right
and cover that versus going the Buffalo and the Buffalo
game is great, you honestly will pick Buffalo over a
trip to Lambeau.

Speaker 4 (50:34):
The season opener?

Speaker 3 (50:35):
Yeah, wow, I think he's not true football fan. You're
not a football guy. I mean, like that is the
mecca our judge here, I'm calling into question his credibility. Seriously,
can we get a cliff back? I mean it's gonna
be what zero degrees, Yes, but that's part of the charm.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
I mean that I would have taken like that was
a good pick where it mank took it. It's not
as good as Miami, but it is a good pick
at that smart Look, Miami Green Bay were clearly one too. Yeah, exactly, really, look,
can we just decide?

Speaker 4 (51:08):
Okay, okay, all right back on, I'm gonna take everyone
behind the scenes. This is going to go hit the
slack channels in about fifteen minutes, and we're gonna see
what we're gonna the whole departments. I think a lot
of the younger people are gonna you know, they're not
gonna be in on the Green Bay.

Speaker 3 (51:21):
There's cold, yeah, but they're gonna be in on Buffalo.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
But there's Miami. You were saying, Buffalo is your number one,
but they're gonna want warm.

Speaker 3 (51:28):
Well, Buffalo, it's September. It's okay, Okay, Miami, I'm.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
Not sure, Yeah, Miami, Miami.

Speaker 1 (51:34):
Miami was just take you to my big yeah, big
board with Buffalo won Miami too, correct, Okay, Kansas City
three okay, yes, okay.

Speaker 4 (51:43):
So so Garrett, Garrett got two and three and you
got one.

Speaker 3 (51:46):
I got one in four did you have I don't know.

Speaker 1 (51:50):
I just no, no, no, no.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
Beyond it? How far was green Bay on your life?
I just in my top three? How far was green
Bay down? It was just just a cold wow.

Speaker 1 (52:02):
I mean I.

Speaker 4 (52:04):
Probably maybe would have gone Minnesota over Green Bay.

Speaker 2 (52:07):
I mean, I'm telling you Minnesota, Minnesota Stadium. I mean, basically,
I think this sounds like a run away all right.

Speaker 4 (52:13):
I mean Garrett one, I mean, listen, listen, maybe has
two preseason games on there, Like what are we doing?
Like you couldn't have at least let Garrett get one
of the preason games.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
I mean choices. I can agree.

Speaker 4 (52:28):
Green Bay is a great venue.

Speaker 3 (52:30):
It's coold.

Speaker 4 (52:30):
It's gonna be really cold.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
It is gonna be very cold. That's part of the
charm that makes it great. December. We don't know yet,
but you wanted to be frozen when you go to Lambert.

Speaker 4 (52:38):
It's part of the charm experience. But I mean Buffalo,
I like the Buffalo pick, but I mean Dallas and Washington, Washington.

Speaker 1 (52:48):
So so a victory for me. Bryceon degrees degrees. Okay,
you either one. Look, look you've been down. I'm a
good friend. We've worked together for a long time. I've
seen your confidence be shaken by the just drammings you've
taken in recent drafts.

Speaker 3 (53:05):
I had to pick up your confidence.

Speaker 2 (53:06):
Gamme draft, give me draft. Well, let us know, listeners
what you think. You can email us at the lounge
at Ravens dot NFL dot net. Let us know who
you think when the travel draft. I have a feeling
that this will be a pretty one sided affair. So again,
the other thing I will say real quick before we
wrap up. If listeners haven't done it already, go and
check out our scheduled release video. Fans of the TV

(53:27):
show Severns will definitely love our schedule release video and
it's it's super creative, really well done, So make sure
you go ahead and check it out. Let's post it
on our Apple website all across social media.

Speaker 3 (53:39):
So go check that out.

Speaker 1 (53:40):
Matt, thank you for joining us. Yeah, thanks to look
at your next internship after stop. At your next stop.

Speaker 4 (53:47):
Yeah, I'll probably not get great recommendations.

Speaker 1 (53:50):
Yeah, yeah, don't listen as a reference. Yeah, that's awesome
for anybody out there listen.

Speaker 3 (53:55):
Yeah, thank you so much for listening, and we will
talk with you against