April 28, 2025 • 37 mins
Amie Wells sits down with Titans Radio's dynamic draft duo of Rhett Bryan and Dave McGinnis to recap the 2025 NFL Draft on the OTP.
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
This is the OTP.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm Amy Wells, joined by Rett Bryan and coach mac
Dave McGinnis. You guys, the twenty twenty five NFL Draft
is over. It has officially ended today with a final
press conference from general manager Mike Borganzi and President of
Football Operations Chad Brinker. So I figured that now we
(00:34):
should all get together, like we should sit and talk
about this, put a bow on it, wrap up what
all of this means, and then talk a little bit
about the future and where we can head. Does that
sound good to you?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yes, that's good. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So for starters, did everyone have a good draft experience?
How do you guys feel? We had a bunch of
content on Titan's radio. We were all over the place.
Did you guys have a good time?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I did, Yeah, I do. I mean we've been living
with each other for quite a while now, it was
it was good. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I mean, we're gonna have a weekend of parts.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
What he's saying, I'm not too tired of both of you.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
But well, that's good. No, that was a very informal
way of asking. But you guys do a ton of
prep work. We talk about it for months and months
leading up to it. Do you feel like you got
to use all of your information? Do you have any
leftover ret nuggies that didn't make it in number one?
Speaker 4 (01:27):
It pertains to one of the draft picks, for sure, Yeah,
I've got to I've still got a leftover nuggie. I
would like in this just in something people can relate
to young people getting married. You know, there's all this
planning and forethought to the wedding day, huge day for
the bride. I mean, all of that build up. She
wants everything to be perfect and then like that, it's over.
(01:49):
And that's kind of what this. It's just a big
build up, only they're building, you know, a roster here.
And I love what they did structurally. They came into
the office with six picks, ended up with nine due
to a couple of trades. And I know we're going
to dive into that, but I think they got some
nice players to get this thing rolling.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Well.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
When you start putting the draft together, I mean the
thing that I enjoyed doing. I mean we looked at
over two hundred and fifty players. I mean we went
through that made up our draft boards, so that and
you only get you only get to pick nine of them.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
But the way we.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Do it, we do it so that we've got information
for our listeners. That's why we do it like this.
And plus, I mean it helps, it helps all of
us when we're broadcasting games because now we know who
these players are. We know who they are because not
only the players that we picked, but the players across
the league. We can say, I remember when he was
in the draft, Remember what we said about him, here's
(02:46):
his strong points, Let's see how he's developing into a professional.
I mean, all of those things. That's that's why I
keep all thirty nine of these notebooks, because I've got
a good file on who these players are in the league.
And it's important. Yeah, I love doing it, and it
was we did a just all honesty. We did a
(03:08):
real thorough job, which is what we do. Yeah, and
we had a lot of fun doing it.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And the head coach saw the mac red board.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
That was pretty cool, yeah, and he seemed into it and.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He didn't throw it on the floor. He looked through
it and it was good. Well.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
One of the reasons he didn't is because you have
a long pedigree in this league. If it was my board,
he'd be like, yeah, that's nice, son, have a good day.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
He'd probably want to see my board.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
I'm just saying, okay, that's fair, of course, let me
see Amy's draft board.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I agree with that, Amy. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
No, it'd be a real, real hodgepodge of craziness. But
what is not a hodgepodge of craziness. The Titans nine
draft picks. Let us review them really quickly, just in
case anyone missed what happened over the last couple of days. So,
with the number one pick in the NFL Draft, the
Tennessee Titans selected quarterback cam Ward.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Then in two at pick number.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Fifty two, they selected linebacker Oloa femi Ola Dejo. Round three,
pick number eighty two, the Titans took safety Kevin Winston
Junior out of Penn State. Then in round four, things
start getting a little bit interesting. The Titans had three
picks in that round. At one oh three, they took
(04:22):
wide receiver out of Florida Chim ray Dka. At one
twenty they took the tight end out of Texas Gunner Helm,
and then pick one thirty six they took wide receiver
elk iomanor the wide receiver out of Stanford now at
one sixty seven. In round five, pick one sixty seven,
they took guard Jackson Slater. He was from Sacramento State,
(04:45):
and then they had two picks. In round six, pick
one eighty three, they took Marcus Harris, a corner out
of California, and then finally pick one eighty eight, they
took Klel Mullins, a running back out of Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Those are the Titans draft picks, all nine of them.
And the pundits seem to like this draft for the
Tennessee Titans. A lot of response, a lot of high
grades a's and b's from the national media. Mac, I
know you probably don't put a lot of stock in
those grades, but.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Tell me why, your guys tell me what you see?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Nothing that is you know who?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I like it, likes it our draft room.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Like the fact that the Titans like it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
My question to you, Oh, I'm just being honest.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Is why why do you think that draft class is
being so well received on a national level.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Well, because people that know what they're doing, know how
they set up the draft, and know how they when
they traded back what they were trading for. And also
it's the same way that we put our board together
is you look at pods of people as to where
intrinsic value is.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
See, you get a lot of names, and then.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
People will say when it comes up, well we need
a receiver or we needed this, so we needed that. Though,
what you need is a player that fits what you're
trying to do in conjunction with everybody else that you're
trying to take on your board.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And that's what's extremely extremely important.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
I mean, I every what I like read is when
we first started this back after the season, this first notebook,
we have every player that they took in this book
somewhere because we went over those names and we went
all the way, we went all the way to sack State.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
And what's important is is that you're.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
And they spend they spend as much time as we spend.
They spend infinitely more time, and they've got more resources.
They've got a lot more resources than we do. So
the people that are looking at it that know what
it is in the league, the reason they respected because
they were looking to go that makes sense, that makes sense,
(06:56):
that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
That's why they like it. Now.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Some of the goofle loops that just write stuff. Doesn't
move my needle at all.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That's fair. That's fair.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Now, Ritt, you mentioned earlier that at the beginning of
this kind of draft process it had six picks. They
ended up picking nine players. That's pretty impressive for a
first time GM working with a first time personnel group.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Right, I think it is. But it also speaks to
his experience as his whole body of work with the
Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
And you got to.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Remember the last handful he was assistant general manager. I mean,
he wasn't just walking around with some kind of empty title.
I mean he was boots on the ground doing the work.
And then I think the collective that they brought together
between Chad Brinker, president of Football Operations, and he spoke
about it in the press conference about being able to
dip out of the war room and go handle some
(07:51):
meetings with other things that are on the purview of
his duties and then come back in to know that.
But when you're talking about when you have Reggie Mackenzie
and you have Dave Ziegler who have been general managers,
they have an all star crew in there, and then
you mix in the talent evaluators in the Scouting department
all that. It's a great, great group of people, and
(08:11):
I think Mike Porganzi, you know, it kind of spoke
to what he's about and what his vision is, what
their vision is aligned because you know, you make that
picket from thirty five right here in this room. We
were recovering this on last Friday night, and you pick
up a picket fifty two overall, and then you add
(08:31):
in a third rounder you didn't have so that you
didn't go from thirty five to one oh three, which
is a long way to fall to see names come
off the board, and then you make a day three
trade with Baltimore Ravens so that you go back into
the bottom of the fourth round to take elicioman Or
from Stanford. They not only address need, they got some
depth position stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
I think all these guys have interesting stories that we
all like to tell. But I think the whole body
of work I'm with Mac. I like that they like it,
and I think time will tell on the rest of it.
You mentioned Ola with femi Ola Day Show, so that
was the guy they picked at fifty two and when
they traded down from thirty five. He is his family
(09:14):
is from West, the western part of Nigeria in the
Congo area of Africa. And their language they speak, which
they speak, what I understand frequently when their family unit
is together, Ola with Emi in their language means God
loves me, and so I think that's why he wants
it to be referred to by his full name, even
(09:36):
though Femi is his nickname. But you just look at
the production in these guys, and then Kevin Winston Junior
at eighty two, Let's face it, they needed a safety.
Kevin Winston Junior would have been much higher drafted in
this draft had he not had the ACL. He played
and the season opener for Penn State felt a tweak
(09:58):
and practice that next week try had to go played
about a series or two in the next game, and
then he had to have ACL surgery. He's far enough
removed from that he'll be all right. But had he
been healthy, he'd have been taken early on Night two
instead of where he was at eighty two. And then
you just start picking through this stuff. There's some very
interesting like Kalel Mullings the last pick. He's a converted linebacker.
(10:22):
He's still learning the running back position. But what I
like about that is he brings the physicality in his
style of running, plus his his stuff could translate to
being a core special teams guy and maybe the third
running back.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
That's a that's a huge part of a huge part
of that. I mean you said that, you said that
so well, that that's pretty common thread that runs through
these guys. They're really they're really football dudes. I mean
it's it's you can tell throughout their careers. It's been
very very important to them. Some of them have overcome
some things to get to it, to get to what
they've done. And also it shows that you don't have
(10:58):
a group of PREMI ma, donna, dudes. I mean, you've
got guys that They've got guys that were willing to
do what the team needed them to be and then
they took it and ran with it. So I mean,
as I say, because they're happy with it, I'm happy
with it. But as we were going through the draft,
you know, all three of us sitting here, and they
would take them and then we list would just check
it off our list over here and.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Go okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 5 (11:22):
That that to me made me, you know, feel good,
because I knew they feel good.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Well, and you go back and you look at you
read their bios. It's littered with they were obviously multi
sport guys, but they were captains on their team. They're leaders.
These are foundational style pieces and some of the later
rounds maybe you develop into more there. But the football
character is that needle is pegged.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
The other thing that.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
With the transfer portal world that we're living in now,
when a player transfers from somewhere where he had a
a legitimate position as a captain and goes to his
new place in the spring, and then is elected captain
with that new group, that tells you that that trait.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
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(12:35):
Download the Little Caesars App and get your favorites delivered today.
Delivery fees apply now. Back to the OTP SO the
way that Chad Bricker described what they were looking for
in his press conference was big, fast, tough football players
who love winning more than anything else. And it was
(12:56):
just that simple. It wasn't something he had to think about.
It wasn't like that's the answer. Is that such a
clear and concise description of what they're looking for. Is
that the makings of a strong identity for a football
team that maybe didn't have such a specific guiding identity
(13:18):
in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, let's let's let's go to the last part of that.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
We said that love winning that comes after you're willing
to put the work into winning.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's what that I mean. And that's and that's what
Chad is meaning with that.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
If you really, if you really, truly, everybody, I haven't
found a player yet in all the years I've been
doing this that didn't like the feeling of winning.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Now, the subset of those of that group is very small.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
That's willing to put all the work in when nobody's
watching that it takes to do that on a consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
This is hard. It's hard.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
The preparation is hard, the practice is hard, the mental
stre hard. All of those things are important, But if
you've got guys, put a group of guys together that
are willing to do all of that to get to
the end result and win together as a group. That's
what you're looking for, because it's really easy, you know,
for somebody to say, coach, I love to win. All right, now,
(14:20):
let's go out here, not just today, not just tomorrow,
not just when you're really feeling good, because we all
wake up some mornings not feeling great. And especially when
you're doing something as exhaustive as playing professional football is,
and in the National Football League as a player and
a coach, you've got to be willing to you know,
the word grind gets used a lot, but when you've
(14:42):
lived it and you know what it is, you've got
to have those guys that are willing to do it
and on a consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think that's what he's talking about.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
The other thing I would follow up with mac on
that too. Someone asked general manager Mike Borganzi in the
press conference about the cultural shape of things, and he
had and I'm paraphrasing, but it was a quote something
of the the to the effect of, if we get
enough of these guys in there, that will build culture
and I think there's you know, when you look at
(15:11):
this team on paper, they're very young. I mean, there's
there's a few guys that are older in this but
they're I mean when you're looking at Amani Hooker and
you're looking at Jeffrey Simmons as the two longest vested
you know that were actually selected by the team, that's
saying something. So you're gonna need the football character, the
people that put into work when nobody's looking. And I
(15:33):
think that's the other identity of this draft is every
one of these guys, in their own individual ways coming
to this town and this team have put work in
and I think will continue to do so.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Also, who the mindset of the quarterback that you selected
is huge. That's huge because and I've never sat down
yet and talked with him face to face and don't
have to because just just from what I can ascertain,
every time he opens his mouth and he starts to speak,
he's saying something with a purpose.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Can I pause on that for a second because I
want to PSA for the ot people. If you have
not listened to that OTP that Amy Wells did with
Cameron Ward, go, it's eleven minutes it's not a great commitment.
Just go listen to it. You'll get a better idea
listening to that young man talk and listening to the
background he's from. I mean, his family dynamic has clearly
(16:29):
shaped him into the man that he is. There's a
couple of funny things in there. You need to hear
about family game night. That's funny canceled, but he said,
I'm not afraid to get into somebody's ass when I
need to. Like, the dude's a natural born leader. He's
earned the stripes coming up to this point. Now he's
going to have to move into this lane. I don't
(16:52):
think he's going to have any trouble with that part
of it.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
But I just I learned a little more about him
from your your great interview with him from last week.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I mean, you're the only one sitting at this table,
in this group of wizards, in this wizard round table here.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Let's talk to him. Do you come with a way
with that sense? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
He is so even keeled to the point where you're
almost like like he's very comfortable and not in a
casual way though, just in a quiet confidence kind of way.
He's just delightful to talk to, very kind, very respectful,
(17:35):
was a great person to talk to, a great interview,
but also like isn't afraid to kind of poke the
bear a little bit because he has that quiet confidence,
So he'll give you a hard time, he'll kind of
mess around with you a little bit, which I think
is great. I think that's one of the ways that
you really connect with people. But he also seems to
have a really good understanding of his surroundings.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Almost he does a great job.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Of reading the room and reading the people within the room,
and I think that that is something that is such
that's not something that's developed, that's something you're born with.
You like people can read the room or they can't,
and it is just innate. And he had such a
great ability to meet each person that he was interacting
(18:21):
with because I watched him, you know, as he went
when we bring the first round pick in spoiler alert
for those of you who don't know when the first
round pick comes in for the very first day, right
after he's picked, and he does the media and he
does all kinds of stuff. We ask him to do
about eight hundred and sixty five different things, so he
is all over the building, he's meeting with a ton
(18:42):
of different people, and he's doing a lot of different things,
whether it's photo shoots or interviews or talking to the
media or shaking hands with this person or that person.
I mean, there's a lot asked of them on their
very first day, and he did such a great job
of every room he walked into, he met every single person,
and by the time he left the room, he knew
everybody's name, and he interacted with each person in a
(19:07):
very different way that felt so familiar to them. And
so that's why I think he is such a natural leader,
is because he can instantly walk into a room and
recognize that, like, this person wants to be dealt with
different than this person, Like this person will appreciate this
kind of humor. This person won't think that's funny at all.
I need to talk to this person that way. That
(19:28):
is something that you're born with. And so aside from
all the football stuff, being able to do that, that's
just an amazing skill set as a human.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Well, and the other thing about it is and I'm
glad that you bring that up, because I've done this
so many years. Bring those guys are operating on about
two hours of sleep.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
He said he got exactly one hour of sleep.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Yeah, and that's universal for those guys, especially those guys
that go to the draft, that asked to be at
the draft. I mean it's a horror wind. It's four
or five day a horl wind there doing the same thing.
So to still be able to muster the wherewithal to
do that and understand the importance of the first impression
(20:09):
where you are, because I mean I can tell some
stories about guys coming in with one hour sleep that
we had to wake up off a couch, Yeah, trying
to get him to do the next thing. So that's
those are legitimate points that you're making that you've observed.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, I mean he was definitely a tired pup, like
especially by the time I got to him at the end.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Of the day.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He had been through the car wash.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
The man had been through the car wash. But I
mean he kept going and he gave everybody one hundred
percent even if he did not have one hundred percent
to give.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
The more I heard him speak in that OTP, there's
just this country charm and quiet confidence. It's like you
were sitting there talking to Steve McNair. Yeah, that's how
he handled himself, and I was reminded of that the
more I heard him talking that OTP the other thing
I would say. I went back and I watched a
(21:03):
couple of his games yesterday afternoon. Do you rest ever
ret Well, I mean I do, but it was it
was good to just be able to.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Can I can I say this? Red?
Speaker 5 (21:16):
She asked, if you ever rest? He was very pleasant
with one hour sleep. Can you be more pleasant?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Sure? Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I didn't know it was unpleasant, but sure, okay. Watching
him operate in the pocket, and I know this is
going to be a whole different ballgame for him literally
in this league. But there's this confidence in just the
way you talked about his spatial awareness and just the
way he didn't get rattled. He didn't And the wolves
(21:46):
are coming, and I know the wolves in this thing
is that's a whole different animal.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
There's something about the way he carries himself. I just
I don't know. I just kept I went back. I
was like, this, this is going to be a lot
of fun.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
One of the things that's a good point, Rich because
one of the things he's very self aware.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yes, incredible to me.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's the one thing when he's asked by a coach
about he is one of his.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Strengths, he said, I can see space spatial awareness on
the field.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I was just very impressed by him, and I'm excited
to see him as he gets into the locker room
and gets with the rookies when they're in the building,
and then.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Also with the vets and to see that dynamic.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's just going to be really fun to watch throughout
the off season program and through training camp watching him
grow and really find his footing and get more comfortable.
I do think it's interesting that as we're looking at
this draft class here six editions on offense, three on defense. Mac,
do you think there was a concerted effort to add
young talent around this young quarterback so that they can
(22:53):
all develop together. Is that something that would be beneficial
for him and his development?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Oh? Absolutely, it absolutely was.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Now a lot of it, A lot of it has
to go with you know, how their board looked, how
their front board looked. Is that as the vertical at
horizontal started to come off and they started to trade.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But absolutely, and I mean that that helps, that helps
a lot.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
It sure does now, sooner or later, whether they're young
guys that came in with him, are there veterans that
he's around. He's got to assimilate with all of them.
Everybody's got to assimilate together. But to your initial point, sure,
sure there was you know, said, how can we utilize
this guy within the framework of what he likes to
(23:32):
do offensively and so what we're going to work together
as a.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Group to do.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Here's the other thing that because you're right, and in
day three, I'm my god, they gotta go all offenses
the first four selections right or offense the other part
of it in a bigger picture, got scored more than
eighteen points a game?
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, got to yep, that would be helpful.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So some of these guys are going to be counted
on for that stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
That's a valid point. Read well.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
A word that came up in the press conference over
and over and over again with speed. Speed was something
that seems to be another point of emphasis Mac. Why
was this team needing speed so much?
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Well, first of all, I mean, this team was injured, right,
You had guys had to fill in that weren't good.
There weren't starters, they didn't have enough requisite speed.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
You can you can never be.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
In this league too fast, right, you can never be
too fast. Now, some of the other things have to
fit into it, and you have to be able to
function that speed.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
There's a difference between just running.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
I mean, I've been at workouts where we've brought in
Olympic athletes that were speedy guys. But then when you
start putting a ball in it start throwing it at them.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
They were ducking it like where you're throwing it at me, So.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Potatoes a sudden you get people throw stuff at me.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
What were we doing?
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Now?
Speaker 5 (25:02):
You got you gotta have football speed. Football speed is
different than just running fast in a straight line. But
play speed, play speed, and you you'll hear You'll hear
the evaluators talk about it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
You heard our guys talk about it. He's good with
the ball.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
In his hands, he or he's got a GPS to
the ball on defense, he can get to the football
because you've got to be able to You got to
be able to incorporate your speed into the flow of
the ball game.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
Straight line speed and football speed are two very distinctly
different things.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Jim Ray DK four to three four at the combine. Wow,
thirty eight and a half inch vertical leap ten eight
broad six eight two in the three cone.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah, but see and now right there, right there, what
he said six' eight two in the three. Cone now
he can change, directions he can start stop. CHANGE i,
mean you, know we talked about it earlier in one
of the. OTPs if y'all missed, it go, BACK i
can listen to.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
IT i Mean elkioman or four four four but one
five six in his first. Ten, yeah and see thirty
eight and a half.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
Vert because those those things also matter, too because it's
not just straight vertical speed that you're incorporated into. It
but the reason that they do that they have some
of those other qualities amy that.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Supplement that. Speed you can never be too, fast.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
But you've also got to be able to be fast
enough to play, football which is incorporates a lot of
change of, direction a lot of start and.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Stop you, know a lot of those things have to.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Happen that corner they took From Cal Marcus. Harris by the,
way there's some good players in this draft from That cal.
Program four four five at the, combine run four to
three eight at is pro, day but one five seven
and one five five in his first ten thirty thirty
six and a half inch, vert a little over seven
and the three. Cone BUT i mean forty two pass,
(27:03):
breakups eight interceptions to the.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Ball he's got some twitch to. Him, yep he's got.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Twitch you know That our good Friend Peter sermon was
the defensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
There that's now with The New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Saints Hey titans, fans with A Kroger boost, membership you'll
score big with double, fuel, points free, delivery and lots.
More go To kroger dot com slash boost for. Details
kroger the official grocer of The Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Titans Tighten Up home is the forefront of all we.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Do it's why we're so committed to caring for the
places and spaces in which we work and. Live ashley
the official furniture provider of The Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Titans now back to THE.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Otp in other, news The titans have also added another
free agent wide, Receiver Tyler. Lockett for those of you
who are not familiar With Tyler, lockett let me tell
you a little bit about. Him he played in one
hundred and sixty one win games with one hundred and
thirty four starts in ten seasons with The Seattle. Seahawks
that would be from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty. Four
(28:08):
they selected him in the fifth round of the twenty
FIFTEEN Nfl. Draft during his, career he has recorded six
hundred and sixty one receptions for eight, thousand five hundred
and ninety four yards and sixty one. Touchdowns last, season
he played in seventeen games for the second straight. Year
he had forty nine catches for six hundred yards and two.
(28:29):
Touchdowns he is a three Time All pro selection as
a return. Specialist he can kind of do.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Everything he's a pros.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
PRO i, mean this guy is alleged In, Manhattan kansas
At Kansas.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
State, YEAH i think that last year's, STATS i think
that broke a four or five year consecutive streak of
thousand yard receiving seasons for him. TOO i, mean he's mister, dependable.
Reliable he's clearly durable because he's you, know and you
get to his, age you're gonna have some dents and
things to show up and all Those i've always had
an immense respect for. HIM i, mean and, again you'd
(29:07):
hope that one of these fourth fifth round receivers ends
up if they have a career anywhere near. That titans
had a great. Draft well the YEARS i was in
THE Nfc wes at The.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
RAMS i, mean this is a guy when you Played
seattle you had to figure out where he.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
WAS i mean's he's a pros? Pro he's a.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
Pro and you talk about intent when you bring people
in for certain. Reasons before this draft, started that room
was light on, numbers the receiver, room but it's also
very light on.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Experience, yeah it was the young.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Room well well, yeah young without much.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
EXPERIENCE i mean you Had Calvin ridley basically the experienced,
player and then a lot of then a lot of
young dudes trying to make their. Mark that was a
that was a great. GET i love the fact when
they signed, him.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So is his is the intent for him to be
obviously a contributor on the, field but just as big
a contributor in the classroom and in the locker.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Room that's what you. Get, yes that's exactly.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
WHY i, mean you can't how many times have y'all
heard me say you can't manufacture? Experience, Yep and you
can't manufacture the value of, experience especially with a this
is going to be a young. Team we've already said.
It this is a young football. Team this team is,
Is this team is. Refitting it's refitting everywhere That you've
got to have some vets that understand how this. Works
(30:32):
but they have to be the right kind of. Vets
and he's one of. Them well do you think you?
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Know to that, Point Bryce oliver got to where he
was getting some playing time down the, Stretch Bryce oliver
already had some examples to show him how to be a.
Pro here's another solid person to continue to meld and
mold him into what he needs to be and more,
importantly what The titans want him to.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Be. Yeah, WELL i just experienced it in all my
years of coaching in this, league because a really good
veteran can mentor a younger player and accelerate their comfort
and they're learning in the league even much quicker than
a coach, can much quicker because they're with they're with
them more.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So The titans have their draft, class they have their
undrafted free agents who we are not discussing.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yet we don't know the final.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
List but they are actively working on getting that group
of people.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Together actively is a good word because we should we
should do.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
It we could do a whole segment on the way
that process.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Is it's.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
Wild, okay go, Ahead, yes WELL i just had a
flashback to thirty one years of the, wild wild cool
down or. Something are you over with four telephones in my?
Ears oh, No Old ricado running in here and telling,
(31:52):
me don't talk to that guy right, now said see
How i've already got.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Him don't talk to.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
It oh, No, yeah that is definitely a crazy process
that at some point we'll have to completely pull back
the curtain and do the whole thing because the undrafted
free agent kind of, SWARM.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I think we call. IT i don't even know. What
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Town so they are still actively working on getting that
group of people.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Together obviously our draft classes.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Set they have a solid group of free agents that
they brought in during the first wave of free, agency
a couple more after the draft With Tyler. Lockett there
could be. More there's usually a second wave in the
post draft. Time you're, right but now the real work,
begins Right, Mac now we've got to get them in
the building and see what they.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
Got, well it's all been, WORK i, mean it's to this,
point it's been real. Work and now now what you
get to do is you GET i mean it's kind
of like, YEAH i mean you try to get all
your seeds and you plant your. Seeds now you get
to water and watch it. Grow this is what's. It
this is as a. Coach this is why you. Coach
(33:02):
this is why you're in. It this is why. You
you can't wait to get in the room with these.
Guys you can't wait to get them on the. Field
you can't wait to go through the whole process with.
Them this is THE i, guess the real adrenaline pump
time for.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Coaches it really.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Is this is the time we are going through. OTAs
there in phase one right now of the off season.
Program OTAs begin in a couple of weeks and then
we have the mini, Camps Mandatory mini, camp we have
Rookie mini camp before, that getting guys in, here getting
them in the, classroom getting them on the field a
little bit to. Do each phase has its own set of,
(33:44):
rules but getting them on the field doing some work
and starting to see where this team is before they
take a little break and then they come back and
it's training camp and it's gonna.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Be, uh you, know of, course with the three preseason.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
Games it's a little bit unusual training, camps you, know
if they've said that they may be away for a
couple of weeks too with training, camps so that always
makes it. Different but, yeah it's a linear, progression but
you can't you can't.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Skip any of these.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
Steps, yes and what you just laid out amy is,
true but you. Can't every step is. Important you can't
just be looking ahead to the next step if you
have to complete each step in the progress so that
when it comes time to decide which of these guys
you're going to keep on the fifty three to begin,
with that you've done all the prep, work just like
(34:33):
they did three and a half months prep work on this.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Draft, well the good news is there's going to be
some semblance of football in the. Building it's not entirely
the real thing obviously there we're still ways off when
it comes to games and that kind of. Thing but
having people in the, building having them work, out seeing
them on the field a little.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Bit it feels feels a little bit more. Normal, well
the feels better.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
The football building comes, alive players.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Are, Here, yeah it, does.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
Because everything comes together and it's JUST i, MEAN i
love everything about. IT i, mean that's why professional Footballs
i've been in over half my adult, life and it's
just it never gets.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Tiresome, PROBABLY i promise.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
You, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Ritt do you have any final thoughts to wrap up
the twenty twenty FIVE Nfl. Draft you put in so
much work getting ready for, This do you have any final?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Thoughts, NO i Just i've enjoyed doing all this draft
coverage with both of y'all and the feedback that we've
all gotten about. IT i think it's been, positive And
i'm just looking forward to kind of learning more about
these young men that have been selected and the ones
that'll come in is undrafted free, agents and learning their
(35:48):
stories and telling their stories On Titan's. Radio that's WHAT
i love as just as much as about, anything because
they're just people like we. Are they just have the
coolest job in the world and they have to have their.
Name they get to have their name played on their
uniform and play in front of a bunch of.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
PEOPLE i can't wait to go to practice every, day
stand there with you two and watch and talk about,
it and standing there With rett while he's timing the.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
PUNTERS i, mean does it's about it's about hang, time clocking.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Time we're getting, there.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
Well just taking role and learning numbers because there's lots
of new numbers and vases and you, know all that
stuff to try to learn and. PEOPLE i, know people
around here probably Think i'm, crazy but it is an
exercise for me, mentally just to familiarize myself with faces
and numbers and all that.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Stuff this roster is so.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Different i'm going to have to make flash cards this.
Year i've been able to get by the last couple of.
Years i'm gonna need flash cards.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Again, well it's just because it's it's all so.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
IMPORTANT i, mean it really. Is AS i, SAID i
really enjoy watching practice with you.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Too, likewise we like to watch practice with.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
You indeed sometimes.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Every time here it is all.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Right, WELL i think that wraps it up here for THE,
Otp thank you for listening to another edition of The
Official Titans. Podcast For Coach mac For Rep, Rian I'm
Amy wells and this has been THE otp
This is the OTP.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm Amy Wells, joined by Rett Bryan and coach mac
Dave McGinnis. You guys, the twenty twenty five NFL Draft
is over. It has officially ended today with a final
press conference from general manager Mike Borganzi and President of
Football Operations Chad Brinker. So I figured that now we
(00:34):
should all get together, like we should sit and talk
about this, put a bow on it, wrap up what
all of this means, and then talk a little bit
about the future and where we can head. Does that
sound good to you?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yes, that's good. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So for starters, did everyone have a good draft experience?
How do you guys feel? We had a bunch of
content on Titan's radio. We were all over the place.
Did you guys have a good time?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I did, Yeah, I do. I mean we've been living
with each other for quite a while now, it was
it was good. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I mean, we're gonna have a weekend of parts.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
What he's saying, I'm not too tired of both of you.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
But well, that's good. No, that was a very informal
way of asking. But you guys do a ton of
prep work. We talk about it for months and months
leading up to it. Do you feel like you got
to use all of your information? Do you have any
leftover ret nuggies that didn't make it in number one?
Speaker 4 (01:27):
It pertains to one of the draft picks, for sure, Yeah,
I've got to I've still got a leftover nuggie. I
would like in this just in something people can relate
to young people getting married. You know, there's all this
planning and forethought to the wedding day, huge day for
the bride. I mean, all of that build up. She
wants everything to be perfect and then like that, it's over.
(01:49):
And that's kind of what this. It's just a big
build up, only they're building, you know, a roster here.
And I love what they did structurally. They came into
the office with six picks, ended up with nine due
to a couple of trades. And I know we're going
to dive into that, but I think they got some
nice players to get this thing rolling.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Well.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
When you start putting the draft together, I mean the
thing that I enjoyed doing. I mean we looked at
over two hundred and fifty players. I mean we went
through that made up our draft boards, so that and
you only get you only get to pick nine of them.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
But the way we.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Do it, we do it so that we've got information
for our listeners. That's why we do it like this.
And plus, I mean it helps, it helps all of
us when we're broadcasting games because now we know who
these players are. We know who they are because not
only the players that we picked, but the players across
the league. We can say, I remember when he was
in the draft, Remember what we said about him, here's
(02:46):
his strong points, Let's see how he's developing into a professional.
I mean, all of those things. That's that's why I
keep all thirty nine of these notebooks, because I've got
a good file on who these players are in the league.
And it's important. Yeah, I love doing it, and it
was we did a just all honesty. We did a
(03:08):
real thorough job, which is what we do. Yeah, and
we had a lot of fun doing it.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And the head coach saw the mac red board.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
That was pretty cool, yeah, and he seemed into it and.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He didn't throw it on the floor. He looked through
it and it was good. Well.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
One of the reasons he didn't is because you have
a long pedigree in this league. If it was my board,
he'd be like, yeah, that's nice, son, have a good day.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
He'd probably want to see my board.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
I'm just saying, okay, that's fair, of course, let me
see Amy's draft board.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I agree with that, Amy. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
No, it'd be a real, real hodgepodge of craziness. But
what is not a hodgepodge of craziness. The Titans nine
draft picks. Let us review them really quickly, just in
case anyone missed what happened over the last couple of days. So,
with the number one pick in the NFL Draft, the
Tennessee Titans selected quarterback cam Ward.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Then in two at pick number.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Fifty two, they selected linebacker Oloa femi Ola Dejo. Round three,
pick number eighty two, the Titans took safety Kevin Winston
Junior out of Penn State. Then in round four, things
start getting a little bit interesting. The Titans had three
picks in that round. At one oh three, they took
(04:22):
wide receiver out of Florida Chim ray Dka. At one
twenty they took the tight end out of Texas Gunner Helm,
and then pick one thirty six they took wide receiver
elk iomanor the wide receiver out of Stanford now at
one sixty seven. In round five, pick one sixty seven,
they took guard Jackson Slater. He was from Sacramento State,
(04:45):
and then they had two picks. In round six, pick
one eighty three, they took Marcus Harris, a corner out
of California, and then finally pick one eighty eight, they
took Klel Mullins, a running back out of Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Those are the Titans draft picks, all nine of them.
And the pundits seem to like this draft for the
Tennessee Titans. A lot of response, a lot of high
grades a's and b's from the national media. Mac, I
know you probably don't put a lot of stock in
those grades, but.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Tell me why, your guys tell me what you see?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Nothing that is you know who?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I like it, likes it our draft room.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Like the fact that the Titans like it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
My question to you, Oh, I'm just being honest.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Is why why do you think that draft class is
being so well received on a national level.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Well, because people that know what they're doing, know how
they set up the draft, and know how they when
they traded back what they were trading for. And also
it's the same way that we put our board together
is you look at pods of people as to where
intrinsic value is.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
See, you get a lot of names, and then.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
People will say when it comes up, well we need
a receiver or we needed this, so we needed that. Though,
what you need is a player that fits what you're
trying to do in conjunction with everybody else that you're
trying to take on your board.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And that's what's extremely extremely important.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
I mean, I every what I like read is when
we first started this back after the season, this first notebook,
we have every player that they took in this book
somewhere because we went over those names and we went
all the way, we went all the way to sack State.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
And what's important is is that you're.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
And they spend they spend as much time as we spend.
They spend infinitely more time, and they've got more resources.
They've got a lot more resources than we do. So
the people that are looking at it that know what
it is in the league, the reason they respected because
they were looking to go that makes sense, that makes sense,
(06:56):
that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
That's why they like it. Now.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Some of the goofle loops that just write stuff. Doesn't
move my needle at all.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That's fair. That's fair.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Now, Ritt, you mentioned earlier that at the beginning of
this kind of draft process it had six picks. They
ended up picking nine players. That's pretty impressive for a
first time GM working with a first time personnel group.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Right, I think it is. But it also speaks to
his experience as his whole body of work with the
Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
And you got to.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Remember the last handful he was assistant general manager. I mean,
he wasn't just walking around with some kind of empty title.
I mean he was boots on the ground doing the work.
And then I think the collective that they brought together
between Chad Brinker, president of Football Operations, and he spoke
about it in the press conference about being able to
dip out of the war room and go handle some
(07:51):
meetings with other things that are on the purview of
his duties and then come back in to know that.
But when you're talking about when you have Reggie Mackenzie
and you have Dave Ziegler who have been general managers,
they have an all star crew in there, and then
you mix in the talent evaluators in the Scouting department
all that. It's a great, great group of people, and
(08:11):
I think Mike Porganzi, you know, it kind of spoke
to what he's about and what his vision is, what
their vision is aligned because you know, you make that
picket from thirty five right here in this room. We
were recovering this on last Friday night, and you pick
up a picket fifty two overall, and then you add
(08:31):
in a third rounder you didn't have so that you
didn't go from thirty five to one oh three, which
is a long way to fall to see names come
off the board, and then you make a day three
trade with Baltimore Ravens so that you go back into
the bottom of the fourth round to take elicioman Or
from Stanford. They not only address need, they got some
depth position stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
I think all these guys have interesting stories that we
all like to tell. But I think the whole body
of work I'm with Mac. I like that they like it,
and I think time will tell on the rest of it.
You mentioned Ola with femi Ola Day Show, so that
was the guy they picked at fifty two and when
they traded down from thirty five. He is his family
(09:14):
is from West, the western part of Nigeria in the
Congo area of Africa. And their language they speak, which
they speak, what I understand frequently when their family unit
is together, Ola with Emi in their language means God
loves me, and so I think that's why he wants
it to be referred to by his full name, even
(09:36):
though Femi is his nickname. But you just look at
the production in these guys, and then Kevin Winston Junior
at eighty two, Let's face it, they needed a safety.
Kevin Winston Junior would have been much higher drafted in
this draft had he not had the ACL. He played
and the season opener for Penn State felt a tweak
(09:58):
and practice that next week try had to go played
about a series or two in the next game, and
then he had to have ACL surgery. He's far enough
removed from that he'll be all right. But had he
been healthy, he'd have been taken early on Night two
instead of where he was at eighty two. And then
you just start picking through this stuff. There's some very
interesting like Kalel Mullings the last pick. He's a converted linebacker.
(10:22):
He's still learning the running back position. But what I
like about that is he brings the physicality in his
style of running, plus his his stuff could translate to
being a core special teams guy and maybe the third
running back.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
That's a that's a huge part of a huge part
of that. I mean you said that, you said that
so well, that that's pretty common thread that runs through
these guys. They're really they're really football dudes. I mean
it's it's you can tell throughout their careers. It's been
very very important to them. Some of them have overcome
some things to get to it, to get to what
they've done. And also it shows that you don't have
(10:58):
a group of PREMI ma, donna, dudes. I mean, you've
got guys that They've got guys that were willing to
do what the team needed them to be and then
they took it and ran with it. So I mean,
as I say, because they're happy with it, I'm happy
with it. But as we were going through the draft,
you know, all three of us sitting here, and they
would take them and then we list would just check
it off our list over here and.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Go okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 5 (11:22):
That that to me made me, you know, feel good,
because I knew they feel good.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Well, and you go back and you look at you
read their bios. It's littered with they were obviously multi
sport guys, but they were captains on their team. They're leaders.
These are foundational style pieces and some of the later
rounds maybe you develop into more there. But the football
character is that needle is pegged.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
The other thing that.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
With the transfer portal world that we're living in now,
when a player transfers from somewhere where he had a
a legitimate position as a captain and goes to his
new place in the spring, and then is elected captain
with that new group, that tells you that that trait.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Translates this summer.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
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Download the Little Caesars App and get your favorites delivered today.
Delivery fees apply now. Back to the OTP SO the
way that Chad Bricker described what they were looking for
in his press conference was big, fast, tough football players
who love winning more than anything else. And it was
(12:56):
just that simple. It wasn't something he had to think about.
It wasn't like that's the answer. Is that such a
clear and concise description of what they're looking for. Is
that the makings of a strong identity for a football
team that maybe didn't have such a specific guiding identity
(13:18):
in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, let's let's let's go to the last part of that.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
We said that love winning that comes after you're willing
to put the work into winning.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's what that I mean. And that's and that's what
Chad is meaning with that.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
If you really, if you really, truly, everybody, I haven't
found a player yet in all the years I've been
doing this that didn't like the feeling of winning.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Now, the subset of those of that group is very small.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
That's willing to put all the work in when nobody's
watching that it takes to do that on a consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
This is hard. It's hard.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
The preparation is hard, the practice is hard, the mental
stre hard. All of those things are important, But if
you've got guys, put a group of guys together that
are willing to do all of that to get to
the end result and win together as a group. That's
what you're looking for, because it's really easy, you know,
for somebody to say, coach, I love to win. All right, now,
(14:20):
let's go out here, not just today, not just tomorrow,
not just when you're really feeling good, because we all
wake up some mornings not feeling great. And especially when
you're doing something as exhaustive as playing professional football is,
and in the National Football League as a player and
a coach, you've got to be willing to you know,
the word grind gets used a lot, but when you've
(14:42):
lived it and you know what it is, you've got
to have those guys that are willing to do it
and on a consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think that's what he's talking about.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
The other thing I would follow up with mac on
that too. Someone asked general manager Mike Borganzi in the
press conference about the cultural shape of things, and he
had and I'm paraphrasing, but it was a quote something
of the the to the effect of, if we get
enough of these guys in there, that will build culture
and I think there's you know, when you look at
(15:11):
this team on paper, they're very young. I mean, there's
there's a few guys that are older in this but
they're I mean when you're looking at Amani Hooker and
you're looking at Jeffrey Simmons as the two longest vested
you know that were actually selected by the team, that's
saying something. So you're gonna need the football character, the
people that put into work when nobody's looking. And I
(15:33):
think that's the other identity of this draft is every
one of these guys, in their own individual ways coming
to this town and this team have put work in
and I think will continue to do so.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Also, who the mindset of the quarterback that you selected
is huge. That's huge because and I've never sat down
yet and talked with him face to face and don't
have to because just just from what I can ascertain,
every time he opens his mouth and he starts to speak,
he's saying something with a purpose.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Can I pause on that for a second because I
want to PSA for the ot people. If you have
not listened to that OTP that Amy Wells did with
Cameron Ward, go, it's eleven minutes it's not a great commitment.
Just go listen to it. You'll get a better idea
listening to that young man talk and listening to the
background he's from. I mean, his family dynamic has clearly
(16:29):
shaped him into the man that he is. There's a
couple of funny things in there. You need to hear
about family game night. That's funny canceled, but he said,
I'm not afraid to get into somebody's ass when I
need to. Like, the dude's a natural born leader. He's
earned the stripes coming up to this point. Now he's
going to have to move into this lane. I don't
(16:52):
think he's going to have any trouble with that part
of it.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
But I just I learned a little more about him
from your your great interview with him from last week.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I mean, you're the only one sitting at this table,
in this group of wizards, in this wizard round table here.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Let's talk to him. Do you come with a way
with that sense? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
He is so even keeled to the point where you're
almost like like he's very comfortable and not in a
casual way though, just in a quiet confidence kind of way.
He's just delightful to talk to, very kind, very respectful,
(17:35):
was a great person to talk to, a great interview,
but also like isn't afraid to kind of poke the
bear a little bit because he has that quiet confidence,
So he'll give you a hard time, he'll kind of
mess around with you a little bit, which I think
is great. I think that's one of the ways that
you really connect with people. But he also seems to
have a really good understanding of his surroundings.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Almost he does a great job.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Of reading the room and reading the people within the room,
and I think that that is something that is such
that's not something that's developed, that's something you're born with.
You like people can read the room or they can't,
and it is just innate. And he had such a
great ability to meet each person that he was interacting
(18:21):
with because I watched him, you know, as he went
when we bring the first round pick in spoiler alert
for those of you who don't know when the first
round pick comes in for the very first day, right
after he's picked, and he does the media and he
does all kinds of stuff. We ask him to do
about eight hundred and sixty five different things, so he
is all over the building, he's meeting with a ton
(18:42):
of different people, and he's doing a lot of different things,
whether it's photo shoots or interviews or talking to the
media or shaking hands with this person or that person.
I mean, there's a lot asked of them on their
very first day, and he did such a great job
of every room he walked into, he met every single person,
and by the time he left the room, he knew
everybody's name, and he interacted with each person in a
(19:07):
very different way that felt so familiar to them. And
so that's why I think he is such a natural leader,
is because he can instantly walk into a room and
recognize that, like, this person wants to be dealt with
different than this person, Like this person will appreciate this
kind of humor. This person won't think that's funny at all.
I need to talk to this person that way. That
(19:28):
is something that you're born with. And so aside from
all the football stuff, being able to do that, that's
just an amazing skill set as a human.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Well, and the other thing about it is and I'm
glad that you bring that up, because I've done this
so many years. Bring those guys are operating on about
two hours of sleep.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
He said he got exactly one hour of sleep.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Yeah, and that's universal for those guys, especially those guys
that go to the draft, that asked to be at
the draft. I mean it's a horror wind. It's four
or five day a horl wind there doing the same thing.
So to still be able to muster the wherewithal to
do that and understand the importance of the first impression
(20:09):
where you are, because I mean I can tell some
stories about guys coming in with one hour sleep that
we had to wake up off a couch, Yeah, trying
to get him to do the next thing. So that's
those are legitimate points that you're making that you've observed.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, I mean he was definitely a tired pup, like
especially by the time I got to him at the end.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Of the day.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He had been through the car wash.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
The man had been through the car wash. But I
mean he kept going and he gave everybody one hundred
percent even if he did not have one hundred percent
to give.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
The more I heard him speak in that OTP, there's
just this country charm and quiet confidence. It's like you
were sitting there talking to Steve McNair. Yeah, that's how
he handled himself, and I was reminded of that the
more I heard him talking that OTP the other thing
I would say. I went back and I watched a
(21:03):
couple of his games yesterday afternoon. Do you rest ever
ret Well, I mean I do, but it was it
was good to just be able to.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Can I can I say this? Red?
Speaker 5 (21:16):
She asked, if you ever rest? He was very pleasant
with one hour sleep. Can you be more pleasant?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Sure? Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I didn't know it was unpleasant, but sure, okay. Watching
him operate in the pocket, and I know this is
going to be a whole different ballgame for him literally
in this league. But there's this confidence in just the
way you talked about his spatial awareness and just the
way he didn't get rattled. He didn't And the wolves
(21:46):
are coming, and I know the wolves in this thing
is that's a whole different animal.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
There's something about the way he carries himself. I just
I don't know. I just kept I went back. I
was like, this, this is going to be a lot
of fun.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
One of the things that's a good point, Rich because
one of the things he's very self aware.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yes, incredible to me.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's the one thing when he's asked by a coach
about he is one of his.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Strengths, he said, I can see space spatial awareness on
the field.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I was just very impressed by him, and I'm excited
to see him as he gets into the locker room
and gets with the rookies when they're in the building,
and then.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Also with the vets and to see that dynamic.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's just going to be really fun to watch throughout
the off season program and through training camp watching him
grow and really find his footing and get more comfortable.
I do think it's interesting that as we're looking at
this draft class here six editions on offense, three on defense. Mac,
do you think there was a concerted effort to add
young talent around this young quarterback so that they can
(22:53):
all develop together. Is that something that would be beneficial
for him and his development?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Oh? Absolutely, it absolutely was.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Now a lot of it, A lot of it has
to go with you know, how their board looked, how
their front board looked. Is that as the vertical at
horizontal started to come off and they started to trade.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But absolutely, and I mean that that helps, that helps
a lot.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
It sure does now, sooner or later, whether they're young
guys that came in with him, are there veterans that
he's around. He's got to assimilate with all of them.
Everybody's got to assimilate together. But to your initial point, sure,
sure there was you know, said, how can we utilize
this guy within the framework of what he likes to
(23:32):
do offensively and so what we're going to work together
as a.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Group to do.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Here's the other thing that because you're right, and in
day three, I'm my god, they gotta go all offenses
the first four selections right or offense the other part
of it in a bigger picture, got scored more than
eighteen points a game?
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, got to yep, that would be helpful.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So some of these guys are going to be counted
on for that stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
That's a valid point. Read well.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
A word that came up in the press conference over
and over and over again with speed. Speed was something
that seems to be another point of emphasis Mac. Why
was this team needing speed so much?
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Well, first of all, I mean, this team was injured, right,
You had guys had to fill in that weren't good.
There weren't starters, they didn't have enough requisite speed.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
You can you can never be.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
In this league too fast, right, you can never be
too fast. Now, some of the other things have to
fit into it, and you have to be able to
function that speed.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
There's a difference between just running.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
I mean, I've been at workouts where we've brought in
Olympic athletes that were speedy guys. But then when you
start putting a ball in it start throwing it at them.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
They were ducking it like where you're throwing it at me, So.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Potatoes a sudden you get people throw stuff at me.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
What were we doing?
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Now?
Speaker 5 (25:02):
You got you gotta have football speed. Football speed is
different than just running fast in a straight line. But
play speed, play speed, and you you'll hear You'll hear
the evaluators talk about it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
You heard our guys talk about it. He's good with
the ball.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
In his hands, he or he's got a GPS to
the ball on defense, he can get to the football
because you've got to be able to You got to
be able to incorporate your speed into the flow of
the ball game.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
Straight line speed and football speed are two very distinctly
different things.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Jim Ray DK four to three four at the combine. Wow,
thirty eight and a half inch vertical leap ten eight
broad six eight two in the three cone.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah, but see and now right there, right there, what
he said six' eight two in the three. Cone now
he can change, directions he can start stop. CHANGE i,
mean you, know we talked about it earlier in one
of the. OTPs if y'all missed, it go, BACK i
can listen to.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
IT i Mean elkioman or four four four but one
five six in his first. Ten, yeah and see thirty
eight and a half.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
Vert because those those things also matter, too because it's
not just straight vertical speed that you're incorporated into. It
but the reason that they do that they have some
of those other qualities amy that.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Supplement that. Speed you can never be too, fast.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
But you've also got to be able to be fast
enough to play, football which is incorporates a lot of
change of, direction a lot of start and.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Stop you, know a lot of those things have to.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Happen that corner they took From Cal Marcus. Harris by the,
way there's some good players in this draft from That cal.
Program four four five at the, combine run four to
three eight at is pro, day but one five seven
and one five five in his first ten thirty thirty
six and a half inch, vert a little over seven
and the three. Cone BUT i mean forty two pass,
(27:03):
breakups eight interceptions to the.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Ball he's got some twitch to. Him, yep he's got.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Twitch you know That our good Friend Peter sermon was
the defensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
There that's now with The New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Saints Hey titans, fans with A Kroger boost, membership you'll
score big with double, fuel, points free, delivery and lots.
More go To kroger dot com slash boost for. Details
kroger the official grocer of The Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Titans Tighten Up home is the forefront of all we.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Do it's why we're so committed to caring for the
places and spaces in which we work and. Live ashley
the official furniture provider of The Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Titans now back to THE.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Otp in other, news The titans have also added another
free agent wide, Receiver Tyler. Lockett for those of you
who are not familiar With Tyler, lockett let me tell
you a little bit about. Him he played in one
hundred and sixty one win games with one hundred and
thirty four starts in ten seasons with The Seattle. Seahawks
that would be from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty. Four
(28:08):
they selected him in the fifth round of the twenty
FIFTEEN Nfl. Draft during his, career he has recorded six
hundred and sixty one receptions for eight, thousand five hundred
and ninety four yards and sixty one. Touchdowns last, season
he played in seventeen games for the second straight. Year
he had forty nine catches for six hundred yards and two.
(28:29):
Touchdowns he is a three Time All pro selection as
a return. Specialist he can kind of do.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Everything he's a pros.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
PRO i, mean this guy is alleged In, Manhattan kansas
At Kansas.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
State, YEAH i think that last year's, STATS i think
that broke a four or five year consecutive streak of
thousand yard receiving seasons for him. TOO i, mean he's mister, dependable.
Reliable he's clearly durable because he's you, know and you
get to his, age you're gonna have some dents and
things to show up and all Those i've always had
an immense respect for. HIM i, mean and, again you'd
(29:07):
hope that one of these fourth fifth round receivers ends
up if they have a career anywhere near. That titans
had a great. Draft well the YEARS i was in
THE Nfc wes at The.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
RAMS i, mean this is a guy when you Played
seattle you had to figure out where he.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
WAS i mean's he's a pros? Pro he's a.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
Pro and you talk about intent when you bring people
in for certain. Reasons before this draft, started that room
was light on, numbers the receiver, room but it's also
very light on.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Experience, yeah it was the young.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Room well well, yeah young without much.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
EXPERIENCE i mean you Had Calvin ridley basically the experienced,
player and then a lot of then a lot of
young dudes trying to make their. Mark that was a
that was a great. GET i love the fact when
they signed, him.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So is his is the intent for him to be
obviously a contributor on the, field but just as big
a contributor in the classroom and in the locker.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Room that's what you. Get, yes that's exactly.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
WHY i, mean you can't how many times have y'all
heard me say you can't manufacture? Experience, Yep and you
can't manufacture the value of, experience especially with a this
is going to be a young. Team we've already said.
It this is a young football. Team this team is,
Is this team is. Refitting it's refitting everywhere That you've
got to have some vets that understand how this. Works
(30:32):
but they have to be the right kind of. Vets
and he's one of. Them well do you think you?
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Know to that, Point Bryce oliver got to where he
was getting some playing time down the, Stretch Bryce oliver
already had some examples to show him how to be a.
Pro here's another solid person to continue to meld and
mold him into what he needs to be and more,
importantly what The titans want him to.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Be. Yeah, WELL i just experienced it in all my
years of coaching in this, league because a really good
veteran can mentor a younger player and accelerate their comfort
and they're learning in the league even much quicker than
a coach, can much quicker because they're with they're with
them more.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So The titans have their draft, class they have their
undrafted free agents who we are not discussing.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yet we don't know the final.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
List but they are actively working on getting that group
of people.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Together actively is a good word because we should we
should do.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
It we could do a whole segment on the way
that process.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Is it's.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
Wild, okay go, Ahead, yes WELL i just had a
flashback to thirty one years of the, wild wild cool
down or. Something are you over with four telephones in my?
Ears oh, No Old ricado running in here and telling,
(31:52):
me don't talk to that guy right, now said see
How i've already got.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Him don't talk to.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
It oh, No, yeah that is definitely a crazy process
that at some point we'll have to completely pull back
the curtain and do the whole thing because the undrafted
free agent kind of, SWARM.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I think we call. IT i don't even know. What
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Town so they are still actively working on getting that
group of people.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Together obviously our draft classes.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Set they have a solid group of free agents that
they brought in during the first wave of free, agency
a couple more after the draft With Tyler. Lockett there
could be. More there's usually a second wave in the
post draft. Time you're, right but now the real work,
begins Right, Mac now we've got to get them in
the building and see what they.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
Got, well it's all been, WORK i, mean it's to this,
point it's been real. Work and now now what you
get to do is you GET i mean it's kind
of like, YEAH i mean you try to get all
your seeds and you plant your. Seeds now you get
to water and watch it. Grow this is what's. It
this is as a. Coach this is why you. Coach
(33:02):
this is why you're in. It this is why. You
you can't wait to get in the room with these.
Guys you can't wait to get them on the. Field
you can't wait to go through the whole process with.
Them this is THE i, guess the real adrenaline pump
time for.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Coaches it really.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Is this is the time we are going through. OTAs
there in phase one right now of the off season.
Program OTAs begin in a couple of weeks and then
we have the mini, Camps Mandatory mini, camp we have
Rookie mini camp before, that getting guys in, here getting
them in the, classroom getting them on the field a
little bit to. Do each phase has its own set of,
(33:44):
rules but getting them on the field doing some work
and starting to see where this team is before they
take a little break and then they come back and
it's training camp and it's gonna.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Be, uh you, know of, course with the three preseason.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
Games it's a little bit unusual training, camps you, know
if they've said that they may be away for a
couple of weeks too with training, camps so that always
makes it. Different but, yeah it's a linear, progression but
you can't you can't.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Skip any of these.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
Steps, yes and what you just laid out amy is,
true but you. Can't every step is. Important you can't
just be looking ahead to the next step if you
have to complete each step in the progress so that
when it comes time to decide which of these guys
you're going to keep on the fifty three to begin,
with that you've done all the prep, work just like
(34:33):
they did three and a half months prep work on this.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Draft, well the good news is there's going to be
some semblance of football in the. Building it's not entirely
the real thing obviously there we're still ways off when
it comes to games and that kind of. Thing but
having people in the, building having them work, out seeing
them on the field a little.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Bit it feels feels a little bit more. Normal, well
the feels better.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
The football building comes, alive players.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Are, Here, yeah it, does.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
Because everything comes together and it's JUST i, MEAN i
love everything about. IT i, mean that's why professional Footballs
i've been in over half my adult, life and it's
just it never gets.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Tiresome, PROBABLY i promise.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
You, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Ritt do you have any final thoughts to wrap up
the twenty twenty FIVE Nfl. Draft you put in so
much work getting ready for, This do you have any final?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Thoughts, NO i Just i've enjoyed doing all this draft
coverage with both of y'all and the feedback that we've
all gotten about. IT i think it's been, positive And
i'm just looking forward to kind of learning more about
these young men that have been selected and the ones
that'll come in is undrafted free, agents and learning their
(35:48):
stories and telling their stories On Titan's. Radio that's WHAT
i love as just as much as about, anything because
they're just people like we. Are they just have the
coolest job in the world and they have to have their.
Name they get to have their name played on their
uniform and play in front of a bunch of.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
PEOPLE i can't wait to go to practice every, day
stand there with you two and watch and talk about,
it and standing there With rett while he's timing the.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
PUNTERS i, mean does it's about it's about hang, time clocking.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Time we're getting, there.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
Well just taking role and learning numbers because there's lots
of new numbers and vases and you, know all that
stuff to try to learn and. PEOPLE i, know people
around here probably Think i'm, crazy but it is an
exercise for me, mentally just to familiarize myself with faces
and numbers and all that.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Stuff this roster is so.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Different i'm going to have to make flash cards this.
Year i've been able to get by the last couple of.
Years i'm gonna need flash cards.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Again, well it's just because it's it's all so.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
IMPORTANT i, mean it really. Is AS i, SAID i
really enjoy watching practice with you.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Too, likewise we like to watch practice with.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
You indeed sometimes.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Every time here it is all.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Right, WELL i think that wraps it up here for THE,
Otp thank you for listening to another edition of The
Official Titans. Podcast For Coach mac For Rep, Rian I'm
Amy wells and this has been THE otp
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Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.