00:00Darrell was on with us just moments ago, brought up how he was thinking about the offensive line.
00:05He would like to take an offensive lineman at six.
00:07See, this is where I'm at with this.
00:09And I want to get to the Cavs coming up at 9.20 this morning because I think I kind
00:14of want to ask some people,
00:15hey man, what's your problem? What the hell's going on over here?
00:19I'm an inside-out builder, and I always think that offensive line is more important.
00:24You got to have some blocking. You got to have guys up front so you can develop plays,
00:29develop routes, be able to take deep shots.
00:32You'll be able to do the things you want to do as an offense.
00:35You want to get vertical, you got to have some guys up front.
00:37Now that all being pointed out, there's a couple things that are messing with me.
00:41One, I like CeCe Maunoa. Two, I also like Spencer Fano.
00:46The third thing is that when it comes to Monroe Freeling,
00:49boy, anywhere from 6 to 24 is where this guy is at right now.
00:53And I don't like some of the reasoning that's been given.
00:56You know, when you got Joel Klatt saying that the Browns are basically going to freak out.
00:59My words, not his, but the Browns are going to freak out and take that guy
01:03and reach for him at number 6.
01:04But then we also have Brian Baldinger coming on the show.
01:06Was Baldy with you or was he with me and Daryl?
01:09No, we had him on.
01:10Okay.
01:11When Baldy comes on the show and says, and you can go back and says that he's afraid
01:17that Miles Garrett would ruin his confidence in training camp,
01:19I mean, those are several red flags.
01:22Now there's guys who are veterans that Miles Garrett ruins their confidence.
01:25I understand that too.
01:27But when you have the best that's ever done it in a Cleveland Browns uniform,
01:31going up against a guy who doesn't have a lot of experience,
01:34might be overdrafted and then overplayed or played too soon,
01:40we're asking for trouble right there.
01:43We also have a problem with a general manager who has a problem with wide receivers.
01:47I mean, he got Murray Cooper right, okay,
01:50and he knew when to let go of him, Murray Cooper.
01:54Maybe we'll find out that's Kevin Stefanski's fault too.
01:56I'm not sure.
01:58But he let go of Murray Cooper.
02:01He brought in Jerry Judy.
02:02Has not had the same results with Jerry Judy.
02:04Two years ago was pretty good.
02:06This year, it was certainly a rough year for Jerry Judy and the Cleveland Browns.
02:11And one of the answers is, well, he's never had first-round picks.
02:14I'm going, man, if you've got a guy,
02:16you know, if Jaden Tyson wasn't hurt, maybe Jaden Tyson would be that guy,
02:21but he's always banged up, or he's coming off an injury, I should say.
02:25Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate, part of me just kind of wants to take that.
02:30Like, it's not set in stone.
02:31There is something of me that thinks about,
02:33hey, why don't you just take a wide receiver and move on with it?
02:36Because I know you're not very good at taking wide receivers.
02:38But when you get deeper into the draft at 24,
02:41am I taking a starter there on the offensive line?
02:44Hell, that's where I give, where Keith, Keith has brought it up several times.
02:48And I just go, well, why would they do that?
02:51And you're going, well, you need offensive players.
02:53You need weapons.
02:54Maybe you would just go with two wide receivers in the first round.
02:57It would be pretty wild.
02:58I don't think it would be very popular, especially at 24,
03:01if you went after a wide receiver at number six or even vice versa.
03:04But it is a possibility of something you could do.
03:06If you really want to help out your offense that much,
03:08I still, I just don't know who's really going to be playing left tackle.
03:11The one thing that I was a little bit confused by,
03:15maybe you can help me out.
03:16I know it was Daryl who said it,
03:17but I think he's echoing the sentiments of a lot of individuals
03:20who are talking about this stuff,
03:22is looking at these guys and where they're at today
03:27and acting like that matters on this particular football team.
03:30Like, if we were contenders and happened to have a sixth overall pick,
03:35like, then I would understand,
03:37hey, we need guys that help you right this instant.
03:40But because we are not contenders,
03:42I think it actually affords you a little bit of the leeway to project,
03:47which is what we do with prospects.
03:49We project them.
03:50And so when Daryl was talking about how he thinks
03:54if you take someone at six overall,
03:56they got to be ready right away.
03:57And I'm like, do they?
03:58Or aren't we projecting what they could be as a prospect
04:02and trying to take somebody who has a higher ceiling?
04:06Because that's what the Browns ultimately are going to need offensively
04:10or guys with some ceiling.
04:11They just don't have that.
04:13They have a lot of offensive linemen who are average to below average.
04:16Like, when everybody is saying,
04:18hey, they fixed the offensive line.
04:20No, they addressed the offensive line
04:22with a bunch of guys that their previous teams did not prioritize.
04:26That doesn't mean that you're going to have a great offensive line.
04:29It probably just means average might be the ceiling of that group.
04:35Well, average is not going to be good enough.
04:37That average offensive line does not keep your quarterback upright.
04:41Average offensive line still probably gets your guys killed.
04:44Maybe you can run the ball a little bit better.
04:46I understand.
04:46So that to me is why I am not crossing off Monroe Freeling
04:52just because he can't play today.
04:54I think that's a silly reason to cross a guy out.
04:57Well, I think I am because I'm closer to –
05:02I mean, nothing's ever set in stone here, but I think I am.
05:04And the reason why I think I am is because I don't want to have a situation
05:07where I'm already nervous about him in camp.
05:09Because the first time that Miles Garrett gets around the corner
05:13and he'll get about a foot off the ground
05:14and if he gets around Monroe Freeling
05:16and ends up slapping somebody on a shoulder pad,
05:18it's going to be like, okay, well, this is the beginning of what it is.
05:21And then you've got to deal with Monroe Freeling dealing with,
05:24hey, this – I know you dealt with speed in the SEC.
05:26It's the SEC.
05:27This is real speed.
05:29This is – there's not going to be many who are better than him.
05:32So maybe iron sharpens the iron there.
05:34Yeah, but isn't Miles going to torch all these guys no matter who they take?
05:37Let me ask you the question.
05:38It's the same thing we talk about with quarterbacks.
05:40Do you believe – I mean, you said leeway.
05:43Do you think they have the wherewithal to be able to bring these guys
05:45along the right way?
05:46That's why I do think Darryl has a point with being ready to play right now.
05:51If Monroe Freeling isn't ready to play right now
05:53and I just stick him out there, I mean, I'm going to kill his confidence,
05:55just like what Brian Baldinger said.
05:56Yeah, I agree, but that's what I'm saying.
05:58Why are we sticking him out there right away?
06:00Who's mandating that?
06:01Because he's the sixth overall pick and you have a severe need.
06:04I mean, you expect – don't act like you don't expect top ten picks to play.
06:08You expect top ten picks to play.
06:10So it would be something for a team that's coming off of eight wins
06:12over the last two years.
06:13I would hate that to be a disqualifier for a guy with a crazy ceiling.
06:17Anthony, I –
06:18So we don't get to have –
06:19So the Browns don't get to have the guy with the highest ceiling
06:21because he's not ready to play now and some other team gets to have him.
06:24Listen –
06:25And then in four or five years we're like,
06:27yeah, maybe we should have taken that guy.
06:28No, Anthony, it's not an end-all, be-all.
06:30But you have to make your decision.
06:31I would have to make my decision in real time at the end of next month,
06:34almost I think to the day actually.
06:36I would have to make the decision at the end of next month.
06:38And then I have to stick to that game plan.
06:40When have we been able to stick to game plans?
06:42So if he's not ready to play right now, fine.
06:44But you have to sell your fan base on a guy.
06:46When, again, you won five games last year, you took him in number six overall,
06:49and he's not ready to play now.
06:52Really?
06:53That's going to go over –
06:54That's not going to go over well with the fan base at all.
06:56So if you want to argue for him, you go right on ahead.
06:58But get ready for every Tom, Dick, and Harry in this area to cuss you clean up.
07:01And they would.
07:02They would.
07:03And I'd sit there and say –
07:04In so many ways, maybe they should.
07:05And I would sit there and say it's not about this year.
07:07How is it about this year?
07:08Now, I've admitted that.
07:09That's one thing I can meet you halfway on.
07:11It's not about this year.
07:12I mean, they made that very clear at the quarterback situation.
07:15So if it's not about this year, then what's it about?
07:17Well, it would be about for 2027.
07:19So you would be right about that.
07:21But, man, to take a guy at number six overall,
07:23to take a lineman at number six overall,
07:26and then to say, oh, boy.
07:27I mean, you're going to be flirting with the B word already,
07:29and it's not even his fault.
07:31Well, you just have to – communication-wise, you have to be out in front of it,
07:34which they've done a poor job of in the past.
07:36I've got to be honest.
07:37Because when it comes to managing expectations –
07:40And you have faith that they'll be right on messaging with this one?
07:42Well, I think if a guy –
07:43Because ultimately you're asking them –
07:45you're asking the fan base to trust you, okay?
07:48Yeah.
07:48You're asking the fan base to trust you with how to bring along a young football player.
07:52Fans are also not going to trust a guy even if he's –
07:53if they say a guy's ready to play right away.
07:55I'm not going to trust that either.
07:562-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
07:59I got to tell you, Tone,
08:01and if a guy's not ready to go at No. 6 overall,
08:03it just – it leads me to go away from him.
08:06I know we don't have time,
08:08but man, I just can't imagine him standing up in front of that –
08:12up on that dais, in front of the media,
08:14which is technically in front of the fans,
08:16and saying you're going to take a guy that you don't intend on starting the season with.
08:20Well, who – is he available later in the –
08:23are you going to be able to get him with your other first-round pick?
08:25I don't know.
08:25I think that's just so, right?
08:26If you trade back to 12, a lot of people are going, yeah, well –
08:29Oh, well, hey, that would be great.
08:30But there's teams in the top 10 who may have time
08:33and have the wherewithal to wait.
08:35But because of that, I think a lot of teams – I don't know.
08:38It just seems to be this big red herring where I –
08:40I just don't know if he's going to go that high.
08:42I know that he's a classic left tackle,
08:45but man, going up to No. 6,
08:47doesn't that seem to be kind of outrageous to everybody?
08:50Am I wrong?
08:51Doesn't that seem –
08:52I'm telling you, I don't think it's outrageous.
08:53He goes from a possibility from –
08:54That was my whole point.
08:55But he goes from a possibility from –
08:56but he's not ready to go.
08:58So if he's not ready to go,
08:59doesn't it seem like a lot of people are talking things into it
09:01to try to get a market going?
09:02I just think there are different facets of the draft
09:05and there are different needs.
09:07And there's a difference between we need a guy
09:08who can play right away
09:09and we're hoping that a guy can become really, really good
09:13and has the traits to do so.
09:14He just might not be ready day one.
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