00:00OTAs are going on out at Flatrate Branch, getting to hear how all the pieces are coming together now.
00:05And Tommy Reese, our new OC, talked about having a balance between installing a new offense
00:11and keeping tabs on what the rest of the league is doing.
00:14Look, we have a tremendous staff offensively here, and it's been a really fun offseason with the group.
00:20You know, it's been a lot of work, and these guys have been a lot of time, a lot of
00:23hours,
00:23because you try to balance, hey, we're installing a new system, we have new coaches that are coming together,
00:28some guys that have worked together, some guys that haven't.
00:30So you're putting in your system, but we still, you know, every team in the offseason studies trends around the
00:35league
00:35and studies ways to tweak their system and to be better.
00:38So we've had extra, you know, we've had to put in extra work because we've done both, right?
00:42We've installed a new system for the staff and then also have the opportunity within our staff
00:48to have projects and study some things from across the league.
00:53New offense loading.
00:55New offense loading.
00:56Let's go.
00:57So I just think, I think about, and one of the reasons that this clip in particular jumps out at
01:03me
01:03is because we spent so many times the last couple years just recognizing things that different teams have done.
01:10Charlie Warner and the way he was utilizing Zach Robinson's backfield was different than most other teams.
01:15We also used to talk about the Miami Dolphins, Miami Daniel.
01:19Some of the motions and different things he would do out wide were given defenses a lot of trouble.
01:25San Francisco and Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay.
01:29So I think it's awesome to hear this from Tommy Reese because it's evidence that not just is the Atlanta
01:34Falcons offense
01:35changing to what, you know, was possible in Cleveland or whatever the players can do from their past,
01:40but you're also just keeping an eye out on things that might excite you from around the NFL.
01:45Well, and that's, that's, that's, that's development, man.
01:49That is, that is unbelievable.
01:50I love to hear that.
01:51Hey, it's willingness to change too.
01:57Um, I don't want, I'm not trying to go back and knock people, but like, remember when Arthur was there?
02:03Arthur Smith, I mean, um, it just kind of felt like it was his, I thought he was really good
02:11at coming up with stuff,
02:12but I also felt like if it wasn't his idea, he wasn't doing it.
02:16You know, like he just kind of felt like he was one of those guys that he, he liked what
02:20he liked and, and anything else,
02:22it was, it was not going there.
02:24And, and then you look at what Zach was last two years.
02:28And I think Zach came from a system that he stayed, he didn't want to, he didn't want to do,
02:35it was almost like he was unwilling to make anyone uncomfortable.
02:39If you, Hey, if you like doing this, we're just going to do it a thousand times over again.
02:45And I want to see these guys have to do more than just what they're comfortable doing.
02:49I want to see these guys maybe getting outside of what they've done in the past and,
02:54and using them in a way that people don't expect you to use them.
02:57Dude.
02:58Yes.
02:59Yes.
02:59Yeah.
03:00I just, I just like just hearing you say that I'm like, man, can you imagine if we throw like
03:05a double screen?
03:07Like, which is something that the, the great play callers or offensive minds around the NFL
03:13I'll go Andy Reed.
03:14I'll even go Sean Payton.
03:15Drew Brees used to do this too.
03:17I mean, just beautifully pump one way, turn pump the other way.
03:21It's just the ingenuity that it just stopped.
03:24It's stopped with this offense for the last couple of years.
03:27There's no ingenuity.
03:28There's no imagination every now and then you'd get it sprinkled in.
03:31Well, hold on a second.
03:32What are you talking about?
03:33A couple of years ago, Arthur Smith had, um, a tight end throwing it to another tight end, right?
03:40Yeah.
03:41Well, yeah, we were, we used the tight end last year to run a quarterback sneak.
03:44There's your ingenuity.
03:45That's what I'm saying.
03:45Every now and then.
03:46Yeah.
03:47I see what you did there.
03:48Every now and then to poke its head out.
03:50But it was always one of those things where I felt like it, and we'd always go back to
03:54it, but didn't work.
03:55It doesn't look smart.
03:56And a lot of times it would come back to bite you.
03:59You go, what was that?
04:00Why did we just run a speed sweep on, on third and three on the goal line?
04:04When do you think the last time you've seen like true ingenuity and creativity on offense
04:08was Kyle Shanahan?
04:11No, not going to go back that far.
04:12No, I thought Sark did some stuff.
04:15Well, Zach did some stuff too.
04:16You know, we did, we played the Orlovsky cut on here last year, remember?
04:19And he was like, I've never seen this before.
04:21Yeah, I think the problem is, Ali, is I think for me personally, ingenuity is dismissed when
04:33it doesn't work, right?
04:34Like you can try something and if it doesn't work, everyone calls you the village idiot.
04:41But the first time it works, you're a genius, you're creative, you're thinking outside the
04:47box, but when it doesn't work, you're an idiot.
04:51What were you thinking?
04:53You know, this guy should never even call plays again.
04:56And that's what happened with the Johnny Smith play we were talking about with Archer
05:00Smith a few years ago where they throw it.
05:04But that's what happened with Zach a couple times, you know, last year.
05:08Like, it just, when it backfires, it's almost like it never happened.
05:14You only get credit for being creative when it works.
05:18And then every other time, it's just like, it's like telling a, you know, trying to tell
05:23a joke and, you know, like you're in a big crowd or whatever and everybody's all eyes
05:28on you trying to tell a big joke and it just flops.
05:30Yeah.
05:30Well, everybody thinks you're, like, you look, you have egg on your face.
05:34Yeah.
05:34And that's all everyone remembers you for.
05:36And I think that, I think that the key takeaway for me is, like, if I was to turn on
05:40any play
05:41from San Francisco over the last couple years and you asked me what the play was going to
05:43be before it happened, I'd say, I don't know.
05:46If you turn on the Atlanta Falcons for the last two years and you said, what play is it going
05:51to be?
05:51I can say, I'd almost guarantee you it's one of two things.
05:54It's either a wide zone, outside zone, or it's a five-step drop and I'm going to try to get
05:59rid of the ball in under two seconds.
06:01That's what this offense has been.
06:04So even if you only, like, let's just take routes and running plays and screen, let's
06:08take all that stuff out.
06:10Even if you just tweak the protection and have ingenuity in the protection, it will be a
06:15completely different offense.
06:16You have not done that in so long.
06:19Well, and obviously, Tommy Reese, first year on the job, same with Kevin Stefanski, same
06:24with Ian Cunningham.
06:24It's a whole new regime.
06:25So got some insight from Bajon Robinson on what Tommy Reese and Kevin Stefanski bring to
06:30the table.
06:30I think he, I think like what I said earlier, like he's very intentional when it comes to
06:35the details, when it comes to, you know, wanting to make the right plays, knowing the
06:40scheme, just everything.
06:41Like, I feel like that's how you should be, how you need to be.
06:44Um, but yeah, I mean, he, he gets, he gets going, he gets hype and, you know, I appreciate
06:49it because he's, you know, he's, he's trying to be involved.
06:52Um, but he wants things done a certain way, which is, which is cool.
06:55And I just really appreciate him and what he's trying to do when he's here.
06:59I, I speak to, um, Bama fans a lot, um, you know, when given the opportunity, alumni
07:04chapters, uh, fan clubs, whatever it may be.
07:07And the number one question I get without a doubt is what was the difference between Mike
07:12Shula and Nick Saban when, when one was let go and Nick Saban was hired.
07:16And my answer is always exactly the same.
07:18And it's exactly what Bajon's talking about.
07:21If I had to pick one thing out, take X's and O's, take recruiting, take all that stuff
07:24out.
07:25If I had to take one thing out, what Nick Saban did was he stood in front of the entire
07:29team and preached accountability and then would show footage of said practice or game.
07:34And it was always something different.
07:36Picked one guy out, uh, on the far side of the field is loafing.
07:39Um, this guy has been told five times to step with his right foot.
07:42He stepped with his left and he'd put that in front of the entire team.
07:45It wasn't hidden in a, in a, in a meeting room with a position that everybody's going
07:49to give you the benefit of the doubt.
07:50It was no, you've been told to do this five times and you're not doing it right.
07:55And I want you, I want the entire team to know that you're not watching the details.
07:59And that's what I hear out of Bajon Robinson.
08:01When he says this, it's not just, Hey, we're going to focus on it's I'm going to, I'm going
08:05to very respectfully bring this to everybody's attention so that, you know, and everybody
08:10else knows what the expectations are for you, what the expectations are for everybody in
08:15this room.
08:16And if it doesn't happen, we're going to have a conversation about it in front of everybody.
08:19And I just like, I cannot tell y'all how much I lit up watching Bajon talk about this
08:24because it's respectful.
08:26They're all professionals, but at the same time, there is a level of accountability that
08:30is coming along with this that I think we haven't had.
08:32Do you remember when Jarvis Landry was doing his little podcast and he kept taking shots
08:37at Stefanski?
08:38Mm-hmm.
08:40I don't know Jarvis Landry from, from Adam.
08:43No clue.
08:44I mean, I just know of him, but it sounds like to me when I hear guys like that take
08:50shots,
08:51sounds like to me, Jarvis Landry is one of those guys that doesn't want to be held accountable.
08:55That doesn't want to be called out.
08:59And that's one of, you know, you can sit here and blame coaches all you want, not you, but
09:06fans and media alike and all that.
09:09But you got to have guys that are also willing to be held accountable and are willing to hear
09:15the message and step up.
09:17And I love the fact that you have a leader on this team, like Bajon, who not only likes
09:22it, but is praising it publicly.
09:25It helps others fall in line, but you hope that you got the right group in there, right?
09:32And, you know, it's a little bit different in college.
09:34They can just, you know, you can weed those guys out a little bit easier.
09:37And he walked in with a national title ring already on his finger.
09:39Yeah.
09:40So you were willing to listen.
09:41Yes.
09:41Well, spot on.
09:42Kevin Stefanski has something that we haven't had a coach have showing up here in a long
09:50time, which is a resume of playoff playoffs and a playoff win because Mike Smith didn't
09:57have one when he showed up here.
09:59Jim Moore didn't have one when he showed up here.
10:03Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith, Raheem Morris.
10:08Well, did Raheem Morris ever win a playoff game in Tampa?
10:10I know he went, but he might've won one.
10:13I don't think he did.
10:14Josh, uh, Josh, whatever his name is.
10:15I don't think they won one though.
10:17But anyways, it's showing up with playoff wins.
10:19That should give you a little bit of, Hey, this guy knows how to do it.
10:24Like as a head coach, let's listen.
10:26I agree.
10:27And it also helps that.
10:28And this is why it comes into focus.
10:30We've been talking about this for a long time now, a few months, Matt Ryan being right
10:34there with you.
10:35It kind of comes into focus, kind of comes into focus of, Hey, this guy's done it before.
10:40Well, I like the leadership aspect of it because those side conversations, if you pull a guy
10:44to the side, that's a lot easier.
10:45Yes.
10:47But taking the tougher route.
10:48Yes.
10:48Putting it up in front of everyone.
10:50I'm telling you.
10:51Communication is key, right?
10:52There it is.
10:53Communication is key.
10:54Continue.
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