00:00Ashley Bastog joining us right now as she does every single Wednesday at 320 Cleveland.com.
00:05Ashley, welcome back.
00:07Guys, I was listening to your international takes in the lead up to this,
00:10so I feel like I'm ready to go and just jump into the conversation here.
00:14Now, I'm curious, how do you feel about Seattle hosting the first game of the regular season when they were,
00:22many people are saying it, the most boring NFL champion ever?
00:25You're saying it.
00:27You know, I'm okay with it.
00:29I think that's obviously been pretty standard as we see that Super Bowl champion opening the season.
00:35I don't have a problem with it.
00:37Why not?
00:38They won.
00:38You can call it boring, but they did win, so I don't mind it.
00:43All right.
00:44Who's more watchable in that first game, the Seahawks or Josh Allen and the Bills?
00:51Who's more watchable?
00:52I mean, you want to say Josh Allen and the Bills, right?
00:55But I don't know.
00:56The Bills let a lot of people down last season.
00:58And so that is where things stand, right?
01:02I mean, I think going into the playoffs, everyone was thinking this is the Bills year.
01:06This is the Bills year.
01:08And then they couldn't get it done.
01:09And so, I mean, I think Seattle, by winning the Super Bowl, to me, earns that right to open the
01:16season.
01:17You earned the right to place the Lombardi.
01:19That's what you get when you win the championship.
01:21You shouldn't be bookmarked into the first game of the season if you're boring.
01:25It sounds like you have so many feelings about this.
01:29I have a lot of feelings.
01:30You have so many feelings about this.
01:31Big emotions, Ashley.
01:33Now we could.
01:33You have some big feelings about the Seahawks being boring.
01:38Oh, my goodness.
01:39I had no idea.
01:40I genuinely had no idea.
01:41Here's how you really piss them off.
01:42I looked at the Seahawks' schedule for this upcoming year.
01:46One of their home opponents happens to be the Patriots.
01:49Oh, yeah.
01:50So you could just run back the Super Bowl week one if you wanted to.
01:52I'd like to relive that one.
01:54Can we also run back the awful Super Bowl commercials from this year, too?
01:58They got the Chiefs on there.
01:59They got the Bears on there.
02:00We can do four-hour pregame shows of nonsense like they did for the Super Bowl this year.
02:05Sam Darnold, Patrick Mahomes.
02:06Sam Darnold versus Caleb Williams.
02:08Sam Darnold versus Drake May.
02:09Those are all good times.
02:10I'm happy with any one of them.
02:12I would be.
02:13You know what?
02:13I'd be honestly content with any of them.
02:15I know people hated that Super Bowl.
02:18They thought it was boring.
02:19But you know what?
02:19I think from – it's not like I watch the Seahawks every single week.
02:24Like the Browns obviously didn't play them this past year.
02:26But that defense was so good.
02:28So, I mean, unlike Nick, I won't go too hard on them for being boring.
02:33But I did appreciate how well-run that defense in Seattle was.
02:39And maybe I appreciate it a bit more just because it obviously is so different than the style of defense
02:44the Browns play.
02:46Yeah, no, it definitely is.
02:47All right, so let's talk, though, about the offense because that's where I want to fix the Browns.
02:51I want to get them all set up and ready to go.
02:53At number six overall, are we feeling offensive linemen or are we feeling Carnell Tate versus Tyson or anyone else?
03:00So here's what's been so interesting to me.
03:03And it's funny because I think no matter what I've written about what mock drafts are saying with them at
03:09six, people are unhappy right now.
03:12They're unhappy with the tackle suggestion.
03:15I did have somebody in my mentions last week telling me Carnell Tate was overrated at six.
03:21I don't agree with that, but I think there's some people out there that feel that way or are going
03:26to be unhappy no matter what.
03:28But the interesting thing about this crop of offensive tackles to me kind of remains that the top guys are
03:36maybe a bit more position flexible in terms of you have Francis Maui Noah out of Miami and you have
03:43Spencer Fano out of Utah.
03:46And I think both of those guys are really high for a lot of people and they both play tackle.
03:52But the interesting thing is because of their size, their arm length, people are saying, would they be better suited
04:00as guards?
04:01Or I believe Maui Noah even took snaps at center while he was at the combine.
04:06So how does that connect to the Browns?
04:09We obviously know they need a left tackle.
04:12Spencer Fano didn't play left tackle this past year at Utah.
04:16That was actually Lomu, Caleb Lomu, who I've seen going later in the first rounds in a lot of mock
04:21drafts.
04:21He has played left tackle before, though.
04:24And then Maui Noah is really the one people are talking about should he be moved inside.
04:29So the Browns, is it worth the number six overall pick if you are taking a guard?
04:34Like that is the thing you have to weigh.
04:36For me, I really struggle with that.
04:38I think if you're taking someone in the top ten, they need to be a surefire left tackle because that
04:45is the obvious hole on your line.
04:46It is the marquee position on your line.
04:51So I think that's where things get interesting.
04:54I personally have liked the mock drafts that have them being aggressive at receiver and going like Cardinal Tate if
05:01he's there.
05:02That, I think, would be worth it to me just because of the state of the Browns receiver room and
05:09pass catching core.
05:11And the other thing I'll say is, you know, when even when you've looked, I've looked at mock drafts and
05:16written like the case for Monroe Freeling out of Georgia, who is a surefire left tackle.
05:21I've gotten pushback on that from fans I know that don't think he should go within the top ten.
05:26So I think it depends on really how the Browns view him, if they think he is a sure bet
05:33and they want to take him at six, and how they view those other two guys, like a Maui Noah
05:40and a Spencer Fano and even a Caleb Lomu.
05:43Do they think they are more tackles?
05:46Do they think they would move them to the interior?
05:48And therefore, do they view that as a valuable pick?
05:50But otherwise, I don't know.
05:52It's hard to turn down, I think, first-round receiver talent when you have struggled to acquire that as much
05:58as the Browns have over the last five years.
06:00All right, so this leads us to the conversation about Cardinal Tate, where we've had people come on here and
06:06say they don't think he's the number one receiver.
06:08They think he'll be a good receiver.
06:10He might be the safest of that top three, top four receivers in this class.
06:15So if you think, if you're talking positional flexibility with that top ten pick, how much does it matter whether
06:23Cardinal Tate is or isn't a number one wide receiver, a surefire kind of guy with a number six pick?
06:30Well, I think that is an interesting conundrum as well, but I don't know.
06:37It's like I think you have to look at the teams and what they have already.
06:40And I'm looking at the Browns, and I'm like, they don't have anything surefire at this point.
06:45So maybe he would have a better chance if people are saying, oh, he might not be a true number
06:50one.
06:50And maybe he would on this Browns receivers room right now.
06:53And that is, I think, a big part of how the room has been built.
06:58I do wonder just if some of that is just the perception of him coming out of Ohio State, where
07:05he's obviously a teammate with Jeremiah Smith, who sophomore, you look at what he's done, obviously, in his two years
07:12there.
07:13And it's pretty incredible, but I do wonder if the Jeremiah Smith, Cardinal Tate, if that comparison kind of changes
07:20the perception on him for, you know, especially Ohio State fans who have followed this team so closely.
07:27And I do wonder the factor that plays in everything.
07:30Can you lay out for fans what exactly is happening with these pro days where you see that, yes, the
07:36Browns have sent people over to Columbus.
07:38They've also sent people over for Ty Simpson's pro day, but Andrew Barry is not at either one of them.
07:43He typically isn't at these things, if my memory serves me right, in general anyway.
07:47Can you just explain that for fans?
07:49Yeah, that's kind of how my memory is right now as well, JP.
07:54Like, I don't think that this has ever really been that much of a storyline of, oh, Andrew Barry's not
07:58going anywhere, because I typically think he doesn't put as much stock into these.
08:02Like, look, we obviously know he's flown around the country watching these guys with games.
08:05But also, I would remind people of the top 30 visits.
08:10Like, those are so key because teams only get 30 of them, right?
08:14Like, they really are honing in on the guys that they are considering drafting when they make those offers, they
08:21bring them in.
08:22So I think that is certainly a part of it.
08:25Look, I think the interesting thing about pro days, like, you know, there's always the jokes about, oh, well, it's
08:30a fast track at that school's pro day, right?
08:33Like, it's typically going to be more player friendly.
08:37But I think for the teams and for this Browns regime over the years, the way they've gone about the
08:44process, maybe it's less important to be at those things and then more important for the combine.
08:50What's happening during the season, what's happening on that guy's tape?
08:54And if you're bringing in a guy for a top 30 visit, do you really need to see him run
08:59at a pro day?
09:00Like, I don't know that that's entirely necessary.
09:04I don't think they think it's necessary.
09:07And, yeah, I don't think it's really anything to look too much into or draw too many conclusions from regarding
09:14their interest.
09:15Like, we know they have interest, I think, in multiple Ohio State guys potentially in that first round.
09:20So definitely, if you're an Ohio State fan wondering why aren't the Browns there, I don't think it means anything
09:24in that regard.
09:25Ashley, we found out earlier today the Jets have scheduled a private workout this Friday for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
09:33The Browns have been linked to Ty Simpson through various reports and his relationship with Todd Munkin.
09:37And in the last 72 hours, we've had multiple NFL analysts now going to bat saying how legitimate Ty Simpson
09:47is.
09:47And at least one of them saying he's better than the other guy, Fernando Mendoza.
09:51So you look at this, I'm just curious, like, your take on this week of Ty Simpson and this glow
09:56up he seems to be getting with one month of the NFL draft.
10:00You know, to me, it's not really surprising just given the quarterback class.
10:04Like, I do feel like this sort of happens to some extent every year.
10:09I mean, I really think it sort of happened last year.
10:12We, I think last year was a little different in the sense that there was Cam Ward who everyone, you
10:17know, assumed was going number one for a very long time.
10:19And then Shador Sanders just had this really unique star power.
10:23But, you know, after that, I remember a lot of excitement bubbling up over a guy like Tyler Shook at
10:28one point, right?
10:29Like, I think this just happens with the position because it is the marquee position.
10:36And there's still quite a handful of teams that have questions at quarterback.
10:41There obviously aren't a ton of options in free agency.
10:46We know the two biggest ones were Kyler Murray and Malik Willis going into this offseason, the official start of
10:55the new league year.
10:56So, I think that just sort of happens given the position.
11:00There starts to be interest drummed up, excitement drummed up.
11:04And, you know, it's always hard to tell at this time of year what is genuine, what is smoke screens,
11:11what is actual interest versus trying to maybe drum up interest elsewhere across the league.
11:17And it's coming from multiple angles, right?
11:19Like, an agent for Ty Simpson has a different agenda than the Jets who are having the number two overall
11:27pick.
11:28Like, that just is different in terms of the wants and needs and what is driving those things.
11:34So, it's all part of the game, I think.
11:37And you just kind of come to expect it.
11:39And I think just given the quarterback class this year, he seems to be gaining traction as, like, the number
11:46two guy out there.
11:48And that just sort of always happens, I think.
11:51And it maybe feels different this year because the class overall isn't as strong.
11:56Ashley, yesterday we had three different football guests on the station between Albert Breer, Joe DeLeon, Mike Florio,
12:01who all said in some way or another Deshaun Watson should start at some point next season and some going
12:08as far as suggesting he would start week one.
12:10Do we need to be giving more credence to Deshaun Watson getting a real look here?
12:15I mean, I've sort of been thinking that since even last season.
12:19I mean, you guys know we were talking about was it once he started practicing last year, was there a
12:25possibility we were going to see him in 2025?
12:27And we obviously didn't, but I think the messaging has been very clear in terms of how they've been talking
12:36about Deshaun Watson,
12:37really even going back to last year.
12:40So, I have been telling fans, you know, who wanted to laugh this off or, you know,
12:47they obviously look at what a disaster it has been with Deshaun Watson
12:52and the number of games he's played here having been so small and just thinking,
12:58oh, there's no way it's going to work or whatever, that that's just not reality.
13:02Like, the outside reality and the perception of Deshaun Watson is one thing,
13:06and I think the internal reality and perception, like, he's not some pariah that they don't want around.
13:12Like, he has been there.
13:13He's been working out.
13:14We know he practiced when he was able to practice.
13:17And we've talked about, as well on here, Todd Munkin and his own confidence in his abilities.
13:24And I think you now have to recognize Deshaun Watson's coming back from not only two Achilles surgeries,
13:30but a significant shoulder injury.
13:32But I think Todd Munkin's belief in his own quarterback development,
13:36the work he can do with creating these explosive offenses,
13:39it just wouldn't surprise me if he thinks he can get more out of Deshaun Watson.
13:43So that's why I think it's been important for fans not to write off that possibility completely
13:48because I think it's a very real possibility, quite honestly,
13:53that he could be starting for this football team.
13:56Ashley, great stuff.
13:57I disagree with that last thing.
13:58But great stuff, and we appreciate you.
14:02Well, the good thing is, Nick, we have months and months and months and months
14:06to keep arguing about that.
14:08And we will.
14:09And we will.
14:09Thank you so much.
14:10Thank you, Ashley.
14:11Thanks, guys.
14:11Ashley Bastock there, Cleveland.com, and the Megan Wright Call, Kyle Wright Hotline.
Comments