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00:00She is ready for first down.
00:02She is ready to play.
00:03She is Mary Kay Cabot from the Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com.
00:07And, of course, she's on the Make It Right Call, Kyle Wright hotline.
00:10Mary Kay, you got your eye black on.
00:12You're ready to go, aren't you?
00:12You're ready to go hit somebody, aren't you?
00:14You need to hit somebody.
00:15Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.
00:17I really am ready.
00:19By the time you get to this point, I think we're all kind of ready to witness a little bit
00:23of football,
00:24talk to some guys, and kind of get the show on the road.
00:26All right, so the big question is what actually happens at voluntary player workouts?
00:33Well, for the first two weeks, not much at all.
00:36It's mostly conditioning, strength training, meetings, and those kinds of things.
00:41So when the quarterbacks get their playbooks, or they already pretty much probably have their playbooks,
00:46but they're allowed to work in meetings with the playbooks and the coaches,
00:51but the coaches can't be with them out on the field yet.
00:54So that doesn't happen until after these first two weeks.
00:58So this is just ramping up, working out, and getting acclimated.
01:02Hello, Mary Kay.
01:03How are you?
01:05I'm doing great, Tom.
01:06How are you doing?
01:07Doing well.
01:08Miss seeing you out in Berea, but I'll be there every once in a while.
01:12So in the quarterback competition, are we officially underway now that Deshaun Watson has reported,
01:19and should we kick this thing off?
01:22Yes, it kicks off today in earnest.
01:24It really does, because they are in the meeting rooms with the coaches,
01:28and the coaches can actually start installation of the game plan.
01:33Again, they can't put it out on the field or inside the field house yet with the actual quarterbacks,
01:38but they can do so in the meeting rooms.
01:40And that's very significant because the race, I think, really begins in learning the playbook.
01:47I think that's going to be the differentiator in this quarterback competition is who can really
01:52assimilate Todd Munkin's new scheme very quickly, get up to speed in it, and really not be thinking
02:00out there, just reacting and playing fast and strong.
02:03So when can the coaches get a real idea of where Watson is health-wise, Mary Kay?
02:10I know we've seen a lot of the Instagram postings and what have you, and I know he's worked out
02:14with Jerry, Judy, and others, what have you.
02:17When will the coaches be able to really assess where he is at?
02:22Well, I think in Phase 2, they'll have a much better idea because they can be hands-on in Phase
02:292,
02:30which starts after this two-week period.
02:32That is a three-week period that comes before the next Phase 3, which is OTAs and the final
02:40minicamp, but they should get a pretty good handle on it.
02:43And then the other thing about this particular season is the fact that they have an extra
02:49bonus voluntary minicamp, and that is happening April 21st through the 23rd.
02:54And you can pretty much do anything that you can do at a regular minicamp in that bonus
03:00voluntary minicamp.
03:01So I think they should have a pretty good idea of what Deshaun, Shador, Dillon are capable
03:06of and what those guys look like in this new scheme.
03:09Mary Kay, do they get a bonus one?
03:12Does everybody get the bonus one, or do the Browns get it because they have a first-year
03:15head coach?
03:16Yeah, anyone with a first-year head coach gets that voluntary minicamp.
03:20Yeah, I was just curious.
03:22Who is there and who's not there?
03:24I guess this is another question.
03:26Well, I think pretty much everyone is going to be there, especially on the offensive side of
03:30the ball because they all know that they're installing a new scheme, they've got a long
03:35way to go, and they have a brand new head coach that they have to impress and get to
03:39know.
03:40So I think anybody that doesn't show up on the offensive side of the ball is really going
03:45to be remiss and behind the eight ball and having a lot of catching up to do.
03:48So I can't imagine anybody just deciding not to come to these voluntary workouts, especially
03:55on the offensive side of the ball.
03:57Now, it's a little different on the defensive side of the ball because Miles Garrett, he doesn't
04:02usually attend, and I don't expect him to attend this time either, but nobody should be
04:08alarmed about that.
04:09That's just how he rolls.
04:11And it hasn't stopped him from winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year two out of the
04:17last three seasons.
04:18So we will see him at some point, probably not during these voluntary workouts.
04:23Isn't it almost, though, wouldn't it be symbolic, though, from a leadership standpoint, Mary Kay,
04:28for Miles to be there?
04:29I agree with you.
04:30Like, he's not been there in the past and has gone out and done Superman-quality things
04:35on the field, but, you know, for instance, Lamar Jackson reported to the Ravens voluntary
04:42program, which, you know, shows that, hey, you know, this is my team.
04:46We've got a rookie coach, and it's not a dissimilar situation in Cleveland, and that's how I'm
04:52going to roll.
04:52So would it have meant more than if Miles had shown up?
04:58Well, I think it's different with a quarterback.
05:00When you have a quarterback and you have a new head coach, you have to be leading that offense.
05:07You really can't execute your scheme and do the things that you need to do if your quarterback
05:13is not there.
05:14So I think that's a little bit different.
05:16Now, having said all of that, I think in a perfect world, if I were the head coach of
05:22any football team, I, of course, would want every single person to be there.
05:26And I like Denzel, right?
05:27I mean, Denzel Ward has a great approach to this.
05:30He always shows up.
05:31He's a five-time Pro Bowler, but he comes to these because not only does he want to be
05:36the best version of himself, but he really likes to mentor the young guys.
05:40And I just, I really like the vibe that he displays during these voluntary workouts.
05:47And if they had 90 guys doing that, I think that that would be great for the team.
05:52Since you mentioned him, if I don't mind, if you don't mind Andy jumping in again, Denzel
05:57Mary Kay, can you just talk about, and you and I have seen it firsthand, his maturity over
06:03the last few years has really been something.
06:05He's grown into, you know, to your point, you know, a leader, you know, quite the professional.
06:12He really has.
06:13He is one of the best leaders on this football team.
06:16He's got tremendous, tremendous character, great work ethic.
06:20We know that in the offseason, he invites young guys to work out with him in Florida and stay
06:25at his house.
06:26Again, he shows up for these offseason workouts.
06:29He's wonderful in the community.
06:31And, you know, the Browns are really lucky to have a player like that who sets the tone
06:36on and off the field.
06:37How about Denzel's contract there then?
06:39So, I mean, he had a restructured deal.
06:42Where is he at in his contract?
06:43His deal runs next year, doesn't it?
06:45Like 27, I think he's through.
06:47Do you know?
06:48Yeah, I think so.
06:49You know, I haven't looked that up lately just because I know he's still under contract.
06:53But he's still very well paid.
06:55He's among the top paid cornerbacks in the NFL.
07:00And, again, they're very, very fortunate to have a player like that.
07:04So, we're just a little more than two weeks from the draft, right?
07:08Two weeks from Thursday.
07:10Where do you think things sit right now, Mary Kay, in terms of the let's just let's stick
07:14with the number six overall pick.
07:15You feel like it's still wide open.
07:17Do you feel like Andrew Barry still has a for sale sign hanging on it?
07:21Where are we at with that top pick of the two the Browns have?
07:25Yeah, I think it's still wide open.
07:26I think it's wide open in part because I think in a perfect world, if he could trade
07:32down and collect some more assets and maximize that pick, I think he would absolutely love
07:37to do that, especially because next year is going to be such a rich quarterback class.
07:42So, I think you want to set yourself up.
07:45And by the time the draft rolls around, they're still not going to know yet exactly what Shador
07:49Sanders is going to be all about.
07:51And they're not going to know yet what Deshaun Watson is going to be all about.
07:54So, you really would like to set yourself up to have an extra several picks in the 2027
08:02draft in the event you still need a quarterback.
08:05In a perfect world, they won't need one.
08:07Maybe Deshaun goes out there and becomes everything that they hope he can be.
08:11And you don't need to go draft that quarterback next year.
08:14But you're not sure about that.
08:15So, I do think that they will try to do that.
08:17Now, short of that, because this isn't the number two overall pick.
08:21And, you know, there might not be six amazing franchise-changing players that somebody is
08:28going to want to, you know, climb up there and get.
08:31But if they had to stay there, I think right now, they still have a bunch of different options.
08:37It doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to draft a left tackle because they need one.
08:42Andrew Barry does not draft for Nate.
08:44It's a tiebreaker.
08:45But he does not set forth into the draft to draft for Nate.
08:49So, it's very difficult for people to grasp that.
08:53But if the best available player to them at number six is a defensive end and nobody wants
09:00to come up and grab that guy, then there's a chance they would take that player themselves.
09:06Who's your guy there, Mary Kay?
09:08Who do you like there?
09:10At number six?
09:11Yeah.
09:11Well, I did say, and I asked Ken and Anthony, or it was Ken and Jason, I think, maybe last
09:20week, I asked those guys, please don't hold me to this because, again, I'm still going
09:26through my process.
09:27Sure.
09:27But I did mention that, you know, I wouldn't mind seeing them draft Ty Simpson there.
09:32And, again, I told them I could change my mind on this next week because I'm still doing
09:39my due diligence on all of this.
09:41But just hear me out very briefly on this.
09:44The reason why I said that is because first-round picks usually have a hit rate of about 50%.
09:51And if I am going to, if I don't love a generational player at number six overall, then I'm probably
09:58either trying to trade the pick or I'm willing to take a chance on a quarterback more so than
10:04any other position.
10:06And if it doesn't work out, then you could always come back at it again next year.
10:11If you hit on it, then you hit on a very inexpensive quarterback that you can have for the next
10:18five years.
10:18So I always sort of skew towards a quarterback in that situation unless I know for sure that
10:26there is that premier generational player sitting there for me at number six.
10:33How about you, Andy Baskin?
10:35Who's your guy there?
10:36Who's my guy at six?
10:38I'm not.
10:39I'm super hesitant on a quarterback.
10:42Right.
10:43If I'm taking anyone at six, it's a left tackle, or I'm taking a wide receiver.
10:47I just, I don't, we can talk more.
10:49Mary Kay, I just kind of, you know, what, can you just, just walk through that though
10:56with Ty Simpson?
10:57Okay.
10:57So let's just say you do take him at six and let's just, I love this hypothetical game.
11:01Now you're sitting there in a room with other chess pieces that have to move.
11:04Yeah.
11:04That with two quarterbacks that you drafted last year.
11:07And then people already think you were off your rocker because you drafted two quarterbacks
11:11last year.
11:12Now you're drafting another quarterback.
11:13So now you've got three young quarterbacks in the room with Deshaun Watson.
11:19Obviously I would think that, you know, if, if you were playing Jenga, that the Gabriel
11:24piece would probably, well, I probably the Jenga piece would, would be true.
11:28Yeah.
11:28Would be Gabriel and he would fall off.
11:30I just, can you just let's, let's kind of talk that through.
11:34Okay.
11:34Let's say you, and I, and, and I can listen to your logic cause I don't have a problem
11:38with it at all.
11:38I agree with you.
11:39If you think he's the guy and if it's 50, 50 shot, all right, I'll buy that, but just
11:44walk me through what you think that room, how that room plays out.
11:46And then the decisions that would need to be made if they did draft Simpson at six.
11:52Well, first of all, I got completely annihilated for even mentioning this last week.
11:58I'm not annihilating you because I am also a believer because if they truly believe now,
12:03I may not agree with them, but if they truly believe that he's a quarterback that can lead
12:06you into the future, why wait?
12:08Sorry.
12:09It doesn't matter what his last name is.
12:11Yeah.
12:12Well, you know, like I said, I'm not even 100% wed to this idea yet, but that is just
12:17sometimes my thinking that if you don't see somebody there at number six, that you think
12:23can change the game for you, why not take a chance on a developmental quarterback?
12:27And again, I don't even know how I feel completely 100% about Ty Simpson, but here's the thing
12:33that cracks me up about a lot of, you know, experts or fans or people.
12:37They're willing to take a chance on a Monroe Freeling who has started 17 games in the NFL.
12:44But when you even mentioned the notion of Ty Simpson at the most important position in
12:51sports, especially, you know, for sure in football, you know, then of course you are
12:56just the craziest person in the world for thinking that, that maybe you, you know, you would want
13:00to do something like that, but we'll go ahead and take a chance on Monroe Freeling who has
13:07only started 17 games.
13:08So it just kind of cracks me up how everyone at this time of year turns into the biggest
13:13draft expert that ever walked the face of the earth.
13:16And I know for a fact, they have not watched one minute of film on any of these guys for
13:22the most part.
13:23So it's just kind of funny how everybody gets so wed to their own beliefs and feelings.
13:26And again, I'm not standing on the table for Ty Simpson, but I do have a philosophy about
13:31it.
13:32And I felt in 2022 and I wrote that they should draft Malik Willis for the same reason.
13:38At number 14 or whatever it was.
13:42And people thought I was crazy for that too, but somebody just paid $60 million for him.
13:47So maybe it wasn't that.
13:48That's exactly right.
13:49Yeah.
13:49And to, to your point, Mary Kay, there's a compelling argument you could be making for
13:53Carnell Tate or Jeremiah Love or Ty Simpson, or, you know, name your poison there at six.
14:00But I, you know, I think, you know, the Browns are going to come away with a very good player,
14:04whether they fulfill a need or not, or find a generational guy that they believe in.
14:08That's, that's who they go with.
14:10So, but I'm, I'm with you.
14:11I still think that there's a pretty good chance that that, that pick is going to be coveted
14:17by somebody who might be willing to do some business with Andrew Barry.
14:21Right.
14:22And in a perfect world, Jeremiah Love will still be there at number six or, you know,
14:29David Bailey or someone like that will be there for Reuben Bain.
14:32Someone will be there at number six, an edge rusher, world team will look at that and say,
14:37we need that guy and we're going to climb up and get him.
14:39And if they can do that, if the Browns can attract that kind of a trade and pick up some
14:45extra assets next year, that would be my number one preference in this draft.
14:50Unless, unless they have determined, and we just don't know about it because they wouldn't
14:55be telling us, unless they have determined that they think that there's something there
14:58in Ty Simpson.
15:00Now, I don't think that's going to be the case.
15:02And I've, I'm on record as saying that I really don't think they're going to do that.
15:05I think they're more willing to give Shador Sanders and Deshaun Watson a chance to battle
15:10this out and then come back at it next year and try to get a quarterback in that class
15:14if they still need one.
15:16I don't think they're going to draft Ty Simpson, but it's just something that I would think
15:19about doing if I didn't absolutely love somebody else at number six and I'm stuck there.
15:25Mary Kent, last question.
15:26You got about a minute here.
15:27Just, do you feel that Todd has to have his quarterback when they roll into camp, when training
15:35camp actually starts, especially if he's saying that he's not going to do equal reps, that
15:40he, like, I feel like he needs to know who his number one is walking in.
15:45I don't know if that's necessarily the truth, but that's the way I kind of see it from the
15:48outside.
15:48How do you see it?
15:50Well, he has said that.
15:51Yes, that is what he wants to happen.
15:53And I think that will happen.
15:54I think they will come out of, I don't know if they will go into mini camp in June, knowing
16:00who that guy is, but certainly they will want to come out of mini camp and head into the
16:05break and then head into training camp, knowing who their QB1 is heading in.
16:10It could always change, of course, but they have to be able to give the bulk of the reps
16:15and all of that chemistry and camaraderie has got to go to your QB1.
16:19So I think that's a good strategy.
16:21And that's why I think this off season is going to be fascinating.
16:24Mary Kay, as always, thank you very much.
16:26You know, we appreciate your time.
16:27Good stuff.
16:28We're reading you every day in The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.
16:31And we will talk to you again next week.
16:33Sounds great.
16:34Thanks, guys.
16:35Thanks, Mary Kay.
16:35Mary Kay Cabot for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
16:38Nice enough to join us.
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