- 2 days ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Let's get more perspective on what's going on, try to figure out where the Browns are going with this,
00:04and how did they actually do in their first 24 hours, or almost 24 hours here, of free agency.
00:09We turn to Mary Kay Cabot from the Plain Dealer in Cleveland.com.
00:11She is on the Make It Right Call, Kyle Wright Hotline.
00:14Hi, Mary Kay, how are you?
00:16I'm doing great, guys. How are you doing?
00:17We are good.
00:18All right, so just give me your overall thoughts on yesterday with the two guys they brought in,
00:23Zion Johnson, Quincy Williams.
00:25Well, they filled two big needs that they had,
00:27and, of course, the second one was created when Devin Bush signed with the Bears.
00:32But I've been talking a lot about this and writing about what happened after that,
00:38and I think they did a really, really good job of recovering from the departure of Devin Bush
00:44because what they got in Quincy Williams is a player who knows new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg really, really well,
00:52and he's going to be somebody that can be of great assistance to Mike Rutenberg in many ways.
00:58Sometimes you need that guy that can come in and kind of show the way, set the tone for how
01:03you like things done,
01:04and I think that's what Quincy Williams is going to be for him.
01:07And I also think that he will be able to revive his career coming off of what he called his
01:13worst season.
01:14He just wasn't with Mike Rutenberg last year.
01:18He was with Steve Wilkes, and I think that he's going to get back to one of those 100-plus
01:24tackle seasons
01:25and be very, very productive here.
01:28Mary Kay, obviously we know it's a big day for Joel Batonio in terms of the deadline to make a
01:32decision on his future.
01:34We saw Zion Johnson get signed yesterday, who's primarily played left guard throughout his career
01:38but has played some right guard as well.
01:40But then we also saw this morning, and I know Diana Rossini reported that the Browns were in on Elijah
01:46Vera Tucker,
01:46so it seems like they're being very aggressive in pursuing interior offensive line guys.
01:52So I guess the question in this is, what does all this mean, you think, for the big decision that
01:58Joel has to make today?
01:59Well, I mean, it's hard to say because, you know, when I saw that they signed someone who played left
02:06guard
02:07for the last three years, that immediately said to me, Joel's going to be announcing his retirement soon.
02:12But then I was told that's not necessarily the case.
02:15So I don't really know.
02:17I think the radio silence might point to the end of Joel's career,
02:23but I can't really honestly say if that's how I think it's going to go.
02:28Yeah, do you think he'd go play for another team?
02:31I don't think so, no.
02:32I think that if he's going to play, he'll come back and he'll play here.
02:35He's a Cleveland Brown through and through, and I don't really think that he would go play elsewhere.
02:41Mary Kay, obviously everyone curious about the quarterback position,
02:44and the Browns haven't been too active in that regard just yet.
02:48And I know when I talked to you with Earl on Saturday, you mentioned that you felt it was more
02:54likely
02:54the Browns maybe add somebody as a developmental piece in the draft than go hard for any of the free
02:59agent guys
03:00that are out there.
03:01Is that still the way that you sort of feel about how they're assessing
03:04and how they're going to let this quarterback room play out?
03:07It seems like it, but once again, you never really know.
03:10You have to let free agency and the trade market, at least in the early going, play out a little
03:15bit
03:15because what you think might happen doesn't always go that way.
03:19And opportunities arise that you didn't know were going to be there.
03:22So I think if you look at it right now, there are still some quarterbacks out there
03:26that are somewhat intriguing.
03:27I don't think they're clamoring for one of them, but once again,
03:31sometimes it's right player at right price.
03:33And when you can get one of these guys for a bargain basement price,
03:37sometimes you toss your hat into the ring for that.
03:41So I don't know if they're going to pursue one of these guys.
03:44You've still got, you know, Smith out there.
03:46You've still got Kyler Murray out there.
03:48I think that they are poised to move forward with what they have.
03:52But we didn't know, once again, necessarily at this time in 2022,
03:58that Deshaun Watson was going to be a Cleveland Browns.
04:00So I think we just need to let it play out a little bit.
04:03I just, and I know you shouldn't let it play out, but let me ask you this way.
04:08If two was gone, Malik Williams gone, Kyler Murray sounds like Minnesota.
04:13That's what it sounds like he's going there.
04:15Are there any guys out there that would be instant starters in free agency?
04:19That's, I keep looking at it going, okay, well, maybe those guys would all come in
04:23and then you got to make, you know, you're saying to everyone else,
04:26these guys are, this guy's going to be your starter.
04:29But like, I don't feel like that's where we're at right now.
04:32I feel like it's kind of what you said,
04:34that they're going to go forward with what they have in that quarterback room.
04:37Right.
04:38I mean, I think the only way something like that would happen is if there's an
04:43unforeseen trade on the horizon of some type of veteran that we really haven't
04:48necessarily thought about that much or talked about that much.
04:51At this point, I think they are prepared to go forward and see what they can get
04:55out of Deshaun Watson and see what they can get out of Shador Sanders with a new system,
05:00with an upgraded supporting cast, with a new offensive line,
05:04and a new play caller. So, I think they're excited about that.
05:08If you had tried to bring in a Malik Willis or someone like that,
05:11then you're basically saying that you're not going to really give Shador Sanders that chance.
05:16And I think they're intrigued and excited to do so.
05:19So, I think they're ready to march forward.
05:22Mary-K, Kav at Cleveland.com, joining us on the Make It Right Call, Kyle Wright hotline.
05:27Mary-K, as far as the wide receiver position is concerned,
05:31haven't added anybody in that group yet.
05:33How involved and active do you get the sense they are in trying to add a wide receiver?
05:39And could that come somewhere other than free agency?
05:41Do you get the sense that maybe they're picking up the phone about maybe making a trade?
05:46Well, I mean, they could.
05:48I'm sure that they've talked to a number of teams about trades,
05:51because we know that's how Andrew Barry rolls,
05:54and we know that some of his best acquisitions have come via trade,
05:58especially in the receiver space.
06:00So, I'm sure that that's probably been discussed.
06:03But there are also a lot of really good receivers in the draft.
06:06And again, money right now is an object.
06:08So, if you think that you can find the piece that you need in the draft,
06:12especially having nine picks and some fairly high picks,
06:16then you might just kind of wait it out a little bit
06:19and not go out and spend a bunch of money on a guy.
06:21So, I'm not sure where that's going yet, but there are some that could possibly be available.
06:30But I just don't know if anything is imminent at this time.
06:34Mary Kay, I like the fact that at least they were kicking the tires on some of these bigger names
06:39and whether they were able to pull it off would have been another thing.
06:41But for Tyler Lindenbaum, for them to even hear that they were kind of in it a little bit,
06:45and then Max Crosby was another one that sounded like they might be in the game there.
06:50Am I correct in what I'm saying they were in the game there?
06:53Do you think they were?
06:54And then, you know, just the whole notion of just trying to get involved
06:59and not be sitting on the sidelines letting good players go from one team to another.
07:04Well, you know, I don't know.
07:06There are degrees of involvement, of course.
07:08I don't know if they picked up the phone and asked about Max Crosby or if they didn't,
07:12but that would be one that would have sort of surprised me
07:15because I just don't think that you're going to be able to pay him.
07:19What you would need to pay a player like that.
07:22So I don't know.
07:23I mean, I'll find out more about that as the weeks go on,
07:26and sometimes you don't find out things until you get to the owners' meetings
07:30and everybody's there again.
07:32But that one would have surprised me.
07:35But certainly Andrew plays big in these moments,
07:37and I'm sure that he has explored every avenue
07:41and every opportunity to upgrade this football team.
07:44Going back to the quarterback position for a second, Mary Kay,
07:46I know another thing we talked about on Saturday was just the future of Dylan Gabriel.
07:51But obviously you mentioned you think they feel comfortable kind of rolling with what they have right now
07:56as kind of the front-line guys.
07:57What do you think could play out with Dylan?
08:00Is he truly part of their future plans,
08:02or is he somebody that maybe gets moved here in the coming days as the new league year begins?
08:08Well, I don't know if it would be the coming days,
08:10but in the event that they draft a developmental quarterback,
08:14that's something that maybe you revisit during draft weekend.
08:18So I don't think anything is on the front burner right now.
08:22But depending on how that quarterback room shakes out,
08:25they will have some flexibility there probably.
08:28All right, don't laugh at me.
08:30What are we doing at punter?
08:31Sorry.
08:33Maybe I'm the only guy that cares,
08:34because I thought we had a pretty good punter,
08:36and then yesterday these guys were yelling at me saying,
08:38whoa, you can't hit the coffin corner.
08:40I'm like, what?
08:41What are we talking about?
08:42We're talking about a guy that needs to flip the field.
08:44I like Corey B. Orcas,
08:45and I know they make fun of me because of the way I say his last name,
08:47but is he gone?
08:50I don't know.
08:50I thought he would have been re-signed by now,
08:52so I don't know if that's something that will happen today.
08:55I mean, they can still extend him,
08:57so they're probably still having those discussions over these next couple of days
09:02until you get to tomorrow at 4 o'clock.
09:05We all forget that free agency doesn't really begin until tomorrow at 4 o'clock,
09:10so these guys are still under contract until their contracts expire at that point.
09:17So I'm sure that they are still talking about trying to get him signed.
09:21Okay, good.
09:22That makes me feel better.
09:23These guys were killing me yesterday.
09:24They were going, ah, they're going to let him go.
09:25And the Browns do punt a lot.
09:26I get why you want to prioritize a punter.
09:28I get it.
09:28Mary Kay, we've known that since they came back in 99.
09:30Like, right?
09:31They better have a good punter.
09:33Right.
09:34Yeah.
09:34And I thought, yeah, I thought Corey had a nice season,
09:37and I wouldn't be surprised if they're trying to get him re-signed.
09:40All right, good.
09:40You made my day.
09:41Mary Kay, in lieu of them sort of starting to build out the offensive line
09:45and that taking shape,
09:46what do you think they,
09:48how do you think they view Luke Whipler as a piece of this potential starting five
09:54or if he's more of a role player?
09:56Where does he sort of fit into the picture, you think?
09:58Well, you know, the way that they're talking about him,
10:01they seem to have him in the mix to compete for the starting job at center,
10:05but I think that's another position.
10:06They'll continue to look for someone,
10:08and maybe that's a draft type of situation there as well.
10:13But they're certainly talking about Luke as though he is part of the plans
10:18going forward.
10:19And Andrew Barry has discussed wanting to use some of their younger guys,
10:22wanting to use some of the draft picks that haven't gotten a chance yet,
10:25and I think Luke falls into that bucket.
10:28Mary Kay, what do you have your eyes out for now on the rest of this,
10:31for the next couple days here for the Browns as far as free agency is concerned?
10:35Oh, maybe, you know, still looking at a wide receiver acquisition,
10:40maybe another offensive lineman, as you mentioned.
10:42What are they going to do with Corey?
10:45What are they going to do with Tevin Jenkins,
10:47who I was under the impression that they liked enough to try to re-sign him?
10:53So just things like that.
10:54And then you hit the second wave,
10:56and then you start to just fill a few holes here and there.
10:59So I don't think there's anything, you know, huge on the horizon right now,
11:04but there could be one more, you know,
11:06one more thing that comes down over the next day or two.
11:10Last one for you.
11:11Mike Evans was somebody that, you know,
11:13would have been fun to see him if he could play here,
11:14but it sounds like he's going to San Francisco.
11:17Do you think they were in on it, or what do you think?
11:19Well, what I know about Mike Evans is that they at least had a discussion.
11:24They at least expressed some interest.
11:26That doesn't mean they pursued necessarily.
11:29It doesn't mean they made any kind of an offer.
11:31I don't know the extent of it yet.
11:34But I know that they expressed some kind of interest,
11:36and that's good because that's what you have to do
11:38when you need to upgrade those positions.
11:40They need weapons, and he certainly would have been one.
11:44Last question.
11:44I lied.
11:45Compared to the rest of the AFC North, how do you think they're doing?
11:50Well, I think they're doing fine right now.
11:53I think that they still need to keep the pedal to the metal or whatever the saying is.
12:00I still think that they need to keep adding and bolstering that offense in any way that they can.
12:08And I, for one, would like to see a little bit of a splashy move just in terms of bringing
12:13in some kind of a weapon.
12:15So I hope they still do that.
12:16I hope you're right.
12:17Mary Kay Cabot, as always, thank you.
12:18We appreciate you.
12:19We're reading you every day in ThePlainDealerInCleven.com.
12:22And, of course, we're following you on social media, too.
12:24Thanks, Mary Kay.
12:24Thanks, Mary Kay.
12:25Thank you, guys.
12:26All right.
12:26We'll talk to you soon.
12:27Mary Kay Cabot, nice to know you're joining us right here on Baskin & Phelps.
12:30And she was on the Make It Right Call, Kyle Wright Hotline.
Comments