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00:00Not only is this person incredible at what they do, they're award winners, all right?
00:05And I was not here when the award or the ceremony or whatever...
00:09Wait, wait, she was nominated. Did she win the award?
00:11I only assumed.
00:13Am I now going to put her in a bad position if it turns out she didn't win it?
00:17I offered up. I said, we'll trash everybody else that got nominated.
00:19I got no problem doing that. She didn't want to go down that road, rightfully so.
00:23We'll see how she feels now.
00:25I go low, she goes high. Good job.
00:27That's smart.
00:28But I don't know if it's been announced. I missed it.
00:32Well, I didn't realize that...
00:34I feel really bad now if she won this award.
00:35...corner that I was painting her in, but that is this show.
00:38On the Wiseheart, right? We make it right.
00:40Call Kyle Wright Hotline, ashleybastockcleveland.com.
00:44So did you win the award, Ashley?
00:47JP, have no fear. You didn't miss it.
00:50The award has not been announced yet, Nick.
00:52You just missed the nomination last week.
00:55The award, I believe, gets announced June 3rd.
00:58The PFWA announces one of these each day.
01:02So I believe it's the last one, and it's not until June 3rd.
01:05So I think that's a Tuesday, though.
01:07So maybe that first week of June, guys, we'll have some good news to talk about on Wednesday in my
01:13weekly hit.
01:14Who's your competition?
01:16I'm not talking about my competition, guys.
01:18It was one Ravens reporter, and then I don't remember the other person.
01:21Two other great writers from Philly and Baltimore.
01:25Sure there.
01:25So I'm really happy to be nominated for this, guys.
01:29I heard the guy from Philly has got a gambling problem.
01:32Is that right?
01:33Yeah, I heard he and Brendan Source be our buddies.
01:36The guy from Baltimore.
01:37I think it's a girl from Baltimore.
01:39She's very nice.
01:40Yeah.
01:43But not as nice as Ashley.
01:44That's right.
01:45There we go.
01:46Vegas says you're the frontrunner for this award, so I don't know what to tell you.
01:49If you lose, I'll be shocked.
01:53Well, thank you for your unwavering belief in me.
01:56I appreciate you, too, as always.
01:59So who do you like more of the two people that you're going up against?
02:02You guys, I'm not talking about this award anymore.
02:05All right, that's fair.
02:07All right.
02:08All right, so we kind of have the picture of what the offense is going to look like,
02:11barring any surprise trades from Andrew Barry.
02:14I was thinking about this today, driving in.
02:16What do you think is going to be the strength of this offense?
02:20The strength of this offense?
02:23That's an interesting question because I think for years we would say the O-line,
02:27and I do think while I like the moves they've made to remake the O-line,
02:32it's still a bit of an unknown entity.
02:36So I would say for me, the strengths are going to be predicated upon what was good last year,
02:43and I'm going to have to give it to the run game as my number one,
02:48just because I think Quinshawn Judkins had such a strong rookie year.
02:52Now, that's going to be predicated upon how he comes back from his injury that he suffered.
02:58But I would say it's either that or the tight end room led by Harold Fannin.
03:03And, I mean, Harold Fannin would be the main reason for that.
03:06But those would be my two picks right off the bat because I think I've liked the moves they made
03:14to shore up the O-line, to add more pass catchers in that receiver room.
03:20But until I see it, I'm not ready to make that leap.
03:24And, look, I think this team is going to want to run the football in many different ways.
03:29So that's kind of my gut instinct right now.
03:32Todd McShay was speaking today.
03:33He said the Browns should take Sorsby.
03:35Is this more in play for the Browns than people believe?
03:39You know, I have no idea, quite honestly.
03:41I haven't heard anything about that.
03:44So that's the first I'm hearing about it as well.
03:47So don't really have much more to add.
03:49Would you – what would your reaction be if they did decide to make a significant offer for him,
03:56be it a second-round pick in a supplemental draft?
04:00Wait, I'm sorry.
04:01Who are we talking about again?
04:02Brennan Sorsby, the Cincinnati-turned-Texas Tech-turned-FBI-investigated quarterback.
04:11Okay, yes.
04:12I, you know, I think probably just stay out of that one is my first instinct.
04:20What do you got against gambling quarterbacks, Ashley?
04:24I think this football team has had players with too many off-the-field legal issues or otherwise in recent
04:31years.
04:32And you might just want to sit that one out is my gut.
04:37And, you know, I think there's some interesting things that potentially we could see them do with Talon Green.
04:44And, like, that's the move I expected them to make, right?
04:47Like, we talked before the draft.
04:49Like, I think there's going to be four bodies in that room.
04:51They've typically liked to go into training camp with four bodies, keep four quarterbacks as long as humanly possible,
04:59sometimes parlay them into other assets.
05:02So, I mean, I think I would be surprised if they make a move like that.
05:07And that, like, to me just doesn't really make sense given where the roster is now,
05:11how we know they've operated in that room.
05:13I feel like they're kind of set barring something really, really, really unexpected.
05:18And that would be included in the unexpected for me.
05:22Okay, yeah, I did want to ask, like, how settled do you think the quarterback room is then?
05:25Because, like, Dylan Gabriel, I think everyone thought was going to be traded at some point.
05:29He's obviously not traded.
05:30Is there something about Dylan that maybe we're missing and they actually really do want to continue to see?
05:37Yeah, I mean, I think they do want to still continue to see what he's going to do.
05:42And, obviously, I think he came off an injury.
05:45I think, like, the interesting part of this with Todd Munkin is this idea of even though guys may be
05:54competing,
05:55like, reps aren't going to be equal.
05:56So, I am curious about that.
05:58But, look, I think the preseason, we know how those preseason games go.
06:04And, I mean, I'll be curious to see how Todd Munkin wants to run those preseason games with reps
06:10and when he's going to choose to rest guys and when he's going to need another body.
06:14But, I think with this team, like, they're always strategically looking for moves, potentially.
06:19I would think, like, if something's not imminent, like, that doesn't mean it wouldn't happen in the future.
06:25And, look, we know they really liked Kenny Pickett last year, right?
06:28And then when they got a good deal for Kenny Pickett after Kenny Pickett was hurt, they took that opportunity.
06:34So, I think it can be multiple things, right?
06:39I think maybe they still want to see what else they can get out of him development-wise, figure out
06:46his role here.
06:47Like, is he somebody they could see being a long-term backup, for example?
06:51Is he somebody they want in that room?
06:54Or is he somebody that they can parlay into a piece later?
06:59So, I feel like the room, as it is right now, is kind of set going into the next stages
07:05of this off-season program,
07:07going into training camp.
07:09And we've seen them try to wheel and deal.
07:12Kenny Pickett, obviously, Joe Flacco in the season.
07:14They brought in Snoop Huntley and tried to wheel and deal with him on their roster before.
07:19So, it just wouldn't be that shocking for me to see something down the line and see them figure it
07:25out that way.
07:27Ashley, now that we're through a bulk of the off-season, again, there can still be surprise moves out there.
07:33But they tend not to be significant moves.
07:36How would you stack up the four teams in the AFC North?
07:41Hmm, how would I stack up?
07:42Like, in terms of how do I think the division is going to finish?
07:45Yes.
07:47I mean, it's way too early.
07:49No, I think for me to...
07:50No, ma'am.
07:51Nope, you want to win that damn award, you're going to give me the rankings right now.
07:55Yes.
07:56We don't know who the quarterback is for the Steelers or the Browns.
07:59I get it, Ashley.
08:00I get it.
08:00Yes, we don't know who the quarterback is.
08:03The Steelers and the Ravens both have a new head coach, obviously, along with the Browns.
08:07There's three new coaches in the AFC North.
08:09Zach Taylor's the last man standing.
08:11So, I think that's what is making it so hard for me to tell.
08:17Like, I mean, the Bengals' defense was just such a mess last year.
08:21So was a lot of the Ravens, quite honestly.
08:24And I feel like, given all the moves, like, the Ravens had made and hiring Jesse Minner,
08:30like, their defense is going to be better than it was last year.
08:35So, that's kind of how I feel like they're the team with the fewest questions, maybe.
08:42But I don't know.
08:43It's like, it's all just such an unknown to me, given the coaching changes, given the quarterback
08:50uncertainty on multiple teams.
08:52Like, it's interesting to see the trajectory of this division after, you know, being a couple
08:57years removed from that 2023 season when there was just so much good.
09:02But there's been a lot of turnover.
09:04So, I think it's way too early to try to figure out any possible form of division rankings and
09:10stuff.
09:10Well, allow me to redirect, then.
09:12A valid point on the Browns' quarterback spot, definitely.
09:15So, what do you see as maybe the difference in your expectations or maybe win total expectations
09:21if Shador wins versus if Deshaun wins?
09:25Win total expectations dependent on the Browns' starting quarterback.
09:32I know.
09:32I was wordy as hell.
09:33I really set you up there.
09:35I know.
09:36I still, look, we don't even have the schedule yet.
09:38Mine's pretty massive, Ashley.
09:39That's what makes it so hard.
09:41My difference is pretty massive.
09:42We don't even have the schedule.
09:43What is your difference?
09:44It's like a four-win difference.
09:45I feel like if Shador plays, you can be in the 7-8-9 category.
09:49I feel like if Deshaun plays, you're in like the 4-5-6 category.
09:53I feel like Deshaun is mentally broke.
09:55I can't believe they're going down this road.
09:59I hear the trepidation in regards to Deshaun Watson because I think Browns fans in his time
10:05here just obviously haven't seen it outside of half a game in Baltimore in 2023, right?
10:12They haven't seen what the expectation was.
10:15But I think what makes it so tricky with Deshaun Watson, number one, the fact that he hasn't played a
10:22full season in so long, right?
10:25Like 2020 is a long ways away at this point.
10:28And what also makes it tricky is the injuries.
10:30Like you just don't know.
10:32And I know that's not exciting fodder for Browns fans, and it's not the hot take maybe that people want
10:39out of me with this question.
10:41And by people, I mean Nick Wilson.
10:44But I think like that's just what makes it so unknowable to me is this idea of the injuries.
10:52So much has happened since we last saw him play a full season.
10:56And I think like what I've said before is that Todd Munkin is confident in his abilities.
11:01And I think if Deshaun Watson surprises people, number one, Todd Munkin is going to have a lot to do
11:06with it.
11:07And number two, the injuries and how he rebounded from it is going to be a positive that not a
11:13lot of fans expected.
11:14So that's just kind of how I feel about it.
11:16I mean I'm not surprised they're going down this road just because like I thought there was a point last
11:21year we were talking about,
11:22are we going to see him play in 2025, right?
11:25And especially when they opened that practice window, like we just didn't know.
11:29So I think I'm less surprised than you, JP, for that reason.
11:33But I don't even quite have like a win total difference number in mind with those two guys just because
11:40of the injuries,
11:42because we don't have the schedule, we can't play that schedule game, which is wrong most of the time anyway.
11:47But it does kind of inform some thinking.
11:50So that's what makes it tough for me to lay any numbers out like that right now.
11:54How important do you think the schedule is?
11:56Because I thought last year, how hard it was in the beginning, it just kind of sunk the season before
12:01it ever even got going.
12:02Yeah.
12:02Like brand new offensive line, five new guys on that O-line.
12:06I would think the schedule would matter a lot this year, Ashley.
12:09Yeah.
12:09I mean last year I definitely think it played a factor, right?
12:12All those division, like the division games early that they had, coupled with the London game being in week five.
12:19Like that stuff was really interesting.
12:21And it feels like to me the league has maybe gone away from backloading division games as much as they
12:27did.
12:27Like when I first started covering this team in 2021, all six of their division games were like week eight
12:34and later.
12:34And we just really haven't seen that.
12:37Like we've seen early division matchups.
12:39Those are tricky when these teams like know each other so well.
12:42Now you have the different head coaches.
12:44Three of these division teams added into the mix like we talked about.
12:48I mean, I do think the schedule game, it's not a perfect indicator necessarily all the time.
12:53But there are instances where you look at last year.
12:58I mean, I have this schedule in front of me.
13:00You had to play all three division opponents by week six last year.
13:05And then two pretty tough NFC North opponents.
13:09And then another NFC North opponent on the road in London.
13:13Like that schedule, we were talking about those first six weeks for a large chunk of summer and spring, it
13:19felt like last year.
13:21And I think it ended up being proven right.
13:23I think sometimes the schedule gets overblown.
13:25I do think this year their schedule is going to be a little bit easier.
13:29But it does, I think, play a factor, especially when you're going to have a young offensive line and a
13:37quarterback situation with some uncertainty.
13:40All right, Ashley.
13:42I know occasionally you do have some Cavs duties as well.
13:46I have to ask you, what did you think about the debacle in game one?
13:51I mean, man, oh, man, this team and the turnovers.
13:54So I will be covering games three and four in Cleveland.
13:57So I'll have more to talk about with you guys next week, I'm sure.
14:01But the turnovers are just killer.
14:04And I think it says a lot about Detroit's offense that the Cavs were able to hang in it.
14:09I mean, I was kind of shocked, given how much they were down, that they were able to come back
14:15in the fourth quarter.
14:16But the turnovers are just going to kill you in these sort of do-or-die playoff series.
14:23Like, it just, it can't happen.
14:25You have to protect the basketball better.
14:27And I know Cleveland fans are probably used to talking about turnovers between my main beat and the Cavs right
14:33now.
14:33But I think, to me, that was a huge issue.
14:36I think this is the one that gets you the award.
14:38I felt it.
14:40Like, halfway through there, you didn't want to go too far in some ways.
14:44You played the two-car.
14:46Cross-sport analysis.
14:47There was some real journalism, I think, exhibited in this interview.
14:51You know what?
14:52We're the opposite in this way.
14:53But I think, like, it'd be boring if we were all the same, right?
14:56Like, you want me to give a hot take sometimes.
15:00I'm pretty hot take-averse, but I like to talk through the facts.
15:04I think we typically meet in the middle ground.
15:06We bring the best out of each other.
15:08It's all good vibes here.
15:09Well, now you've taunted me.
15:11What's your hottest take that you can share on air?
15:13Give us your hottest Browns take.
15:14No, no, just hottest take.
15:16It could be about anything.
15:17Oh, in life, anything.
15:17Okay.
15:19Okay.
15:20A hot dog is not a sandwich.
15:21It's its own entity.
15:23It's a very basic hot take.
15:24Yeah, I feel like you can do better than that.
15:27We believe in you, actually.
15:28No, I've got to think about it, guys.
15:28You can't put me on the spot.
15:30Give me a week.
15:30Have you met us?
15:31Give you a week?
15:32That's like half.
15:33Give me a week.
15:34Can't you tweet it in, like, an hour?
15:37Like 10 minutes?
15:38Yeah.
15:39What if we give you the 4 o'clock and you can tweet us?
15:42All right.
15:43I'll text Mac.
15:44Mac can get me back on with you guys.
15:46Oh, no.
15:47Let's cut out Mac of the middle man.
15:49Mac will butcher it.
15:52You've got to tweet it.
15:53Tweet the hottest take, and I'm sure nothing will come of that tweet.
15:58Yeah.
15:58I'm sure I'm not going to do it, quite honestly, but, you know,
16:02maybe next week we can follow back up.
16:04Wouldn't it be funny if that's how she fumbled the award?
16:07Ashley, you were going to win the award.
16:10What was with that tweet?
16:11Why did you go there?
16:13I know.
16:13Yeah.
16:14Then, I don't know.
16:15You guys would owe me big time.
16:17That's why I'm not going to tweet it, guys.
16:18Come on.
16:19You're right.
16:20You're just going to text JP and I, and then I'll tweet it for you.
16:24All right, Ashley.
16:24We appreciate you.
16:26All right.
16:26Thanks, guys.
16:27Ashley Bastock, Cleveland.com.
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