- 2 days ago
In the last hour of the show, Dukes and Bell continue digging into questions surrounding the Falcons offseason, including how Jeff Ulbrich will navigate the loss of Kaden Elliss and uncertainty with James Pearce Jr. Plus, will Kyle Pitts break out in a big way in Kevin Stefanski's offense?
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00:00It is good to have you listening to Atlanta's number one station, it's number one sports show.
00:04What's more important to you, accuracy or arm strength?
00:08Now, both quarterbacks currently with the Falcons possess, I think, both of these traits.
00:13I think Michael Pinnock probably has a strong arm. He's known for his deep ball,
00:16but we didn't get a chance to really exploit that last year because we didn't have really deep threats.
00:21But a lot of discussion around Tua Tungabailoa's accuracy,
00:24and I would prefer accuracy over arm strength, Mike, because I want to be able to put it where I
00:28want.
00:30Tight windows, red zone, we talk about this, scoring touchdowns.
00:34I need to put it in those tight windows.
00:35I'd rather be able to do that than just to say I have a guy with a great arm strength,
00:40and I'm not taking anything away from Michael Pinnock,
00:42but this is one of the areas that Tua has a leg up on him.
00:45Well, as we said, the joke is, yeah, 68% because every throw is 10 yards.
00:49Well, there's a little bit more than that, but that's also part of what made him effective,
00:52yards after the catch in Miami, and Stefanski has some similar traits with his offense.
00:56We looked at it earlier in the show, man.
00:58Again, small sample size.
00:59Hopefully it improves.
01:00But the knock on Panix was his receivers bailed him out at Washington.
01:03You can go back and look at some of the tape.
01:06You know, yes, we saw him drop dimes on long 50-yard throws, and it looked great.
01:09But too many times after another, there was some – and I thought the accuracy this year,
01:13throwing behind, balls in the dirt.
01:14That's why if you look at it, Tua, even with a down year where he got benched,
01:18was eighth in completion percentage, and Mike is at 32.
01:21This is last season.
01:22So he's got to be better at that.
01:23What's the line from the old tire commercial?
01:25Power without control is nothing.
01:26It isn't.
01:27You know, so he's got to be more accurate in this system, period.
01:31There are comments we do want you to hear from Jeff Ulbrich, our defensive coordinator,
01:36who spoke.
01:36Also, we'll hear from Kyle Pitts coming up.
01:40And again, with OTAs going on, you know, you're just trying to get a sense of what is it
01:45that the coaching staff is asking guys to do.
01:47For example, what are they asking Kyle Pitts to do?
01:49You'll hear what he said about that.
01:51As far as Jeff Ulbrich, Mike, the question is, can this defense be as productive,
01:56even more productive than it was last year?
01:58Guys, second in the league in sacks, and everybody's wondering about James Pierce Jr., JPJ.
02:03He was asked about the dependence upon James Pierce.
02:08If he's not there, Mike, what happens?
02:10And if he is, what's this going to look like?
02:13Here's what Jeff Ulbrich, our defensive coordinator, said.
02:16We'll see how this group, you know, progresses and comes together, and we'll see what we're
02:20capable of doing.
02:21You know, like, when your rush is humming with four, you know, we'd all like to lean on that,
02:26you know, and play coverage.
02:27And obviously, you know, especially towards the end of the year, James got going, and
02:32he really started to get a feel for it.
02:34So, you know, we'll see if we got a guy here that can replace that role, which I'm excited
02:40about the guys that we have, whether it be Samson or Braylon, it just, there's countless
02:44guys as he's, all these guys, just to see what they can do collectively and see what
02:51they can do within this system.
02:52It's going to be exciting.
02:53Yeah, he's saying, look, the system that he runs is not independently, solely independent
02:59or dependent, should I say, on James Pierce Jr.
03:01Mike, it shouldn't be.
03:02One player should make or break your defense, but it also, let's not fool ourselves, is any
03:07of these guys going to get 10 and a half sacks?
03:09No.
03:10I don't think so either.
03:11I mean, unless Aziz Ojolar, now, I mean, you could argue that Brandon Dorlis could certainly
03:15do that.
03:15He could build on the eight and a half sacks, and he's a guy that gets in the backfield.
03:19But the other guys, I mean, it might be a sum of its parts.
03:21Will we be the second best team in sacks this year in the NFL?
03:24Probably not likely if Pierce isn't out there with his 10 and a half, but you do have a bunch
03:28of guys that are talented.
03:29I'm more interested in how Jalen Walker takes over for Caden Ellis' job than what Ulbricht was
03:33talking about.
03:33You know, he's basically going to be asked to do, if not replace Caden Ellis, do a lot
03:37of what Caden Ellis was doing, in addition to some of the other linebackers who signed.
03:40Well, we know this about Jalen.
03:41He can run.
03:42He can't cover.
03:43Right?
03:43Side to side.
03:44So, the things that you say, all right, where is he lacking?
03:48He's not lacking in any of those areas that Caden Ellis played last year, or for the last
03:54couple of years.
03:54So, I'm curious as well.
03:56Here's what he said, Jeff Ulbricht, that is, about Divine Diablo.
04:01Gosh, he's so unique.
04:02Like, because I've been around, like, guys that are really demonstrative leaders that
04:06can have that effect, where it's like, their voice just calms you down because they have
04:11such, you know, they're so demonstrative and so certain in everything they do, and so even-keeled
04:17when it comes to whatever the situation it may be.
04:20They just, they're that rock, you know, that you can lean on.
04:22And he does that in a way I've never seen before.
04:25It's so unique in his calmness and his demeanor and his consistency in all that he does.
04:30It's, I'm excited for him to get the green dot.
04:34I think it's going to be an opportunity to really push him in the direction that he's
04:38headed.
04:38I think he's got the capacity to be an amazing leader, you know, and a leader in his own
04:43unique way now, but an amazing leader.
04:45And I think we saw just the tip of the iceberg from a player's perspective, what he can become.
04:51So excited.
04:52Like, you know, he misses a few days here and there.
04:54And this is no shot at anybody else.
04:56This is more a testament to him when he's out there, we feel different.
05:00Like when, when he's out there today, it was like, oh, like I feel calm, you know, it's
05:06just this big avatar out there, you know, you know, protecting big windows.
05:10And he's just so, you know, so athletic and he's so intelligent.
05:13He's so instinctual and he's so long and big.
05:17And, you know, he checks so many boxes for you, you know, and now to see him finally
05:21get this opportunity to, to be the voice of the defense, because I think he's ready
05:25for that.
05:25And I'm excited for him in that way.
05:27It's a hell of a compliment, man.
05:29He's long.
05:29He's big.
05:30It's a hell of a compliment.
05:32And we, we saw, look guys, when he was out and, you know, we talked about things that
05:36were beyond Michael Penix Jr.'s control.
05:38When you lost him, we lost five games in a row.
05:40And, you know, we had J.D. Bertrand who just couldn't do, you know, it was Nate, no, J.D.
05:45Bertrand.
05:45But Bertrand just, for all the things he tried, he just could not match the athleticism
05:49and coverage.
05:49And we were exploited.
05:51Yards after the catch, running backs releasing out of the backfield.
05:53We just had no answer for it.
05:54Yeah.
05:55The big thing with Devine, and he'll be fine, but he's not a talker.
06:00And now he's about to get the green dot.
06:02And that's all you got to do.
06:03You got to be, you got to be getting guys in position and telling everybody where they
06:06need to be.
06:07He's just not.
06:08And so Jeff challenged him to do that.
06:10I need you to communicate more.
06:12And so it'll be interesting, Mike, but from a playmaking standpoint, he's a dog.
06:16Let's talk about Kyle Pitts because the expectations for Pitts is high.
06:20And they asked him about Matt Ryan, ironically.
06:22Remember, guys, his rookie year, his quarterback was Matt Ryan.
06:27Here's what Kyle Pitts said about Ryan still being able to throw the football.
06:31Man, yeah, it's a nostalgic moment.
06:33It's great having Matt out here.
06:35You know, he can still spend it like he can still play.
06:37So it's pretty cool to see.
06:39Yeah.
06:39Look, do you think this helps Kyle Pitts with Matt being there?
06:43I do, too.
06:43I do, too.
06:44It's so cool.
06:44The video yesterday that Mark Ramondi posted Matt Ryan throwing footballs to receivers
06:48and some of the drills.
06:49That's really great, man.
06:50And Roddy White was out there.
06:52Yeah.
06:52If you could get some Roddy White, you know, DNA, and throw that into Kyle Pitts, then you've
06:56got the 10-year Pro Bowler, and we're talking about Tony Gonzalez type results.
07:00I agree.
07:00Because if you put that work ethic, that physical toughness, that mindset into Pitts,
07:05and we've talked to Kyle about it over the years, and, you know, I think at times I felt
07:09I don't know.
07:10I don't think he'd cop to it.
07:11I got the impression when he didn't get dialed up early, he checked out.
07:14Okay.
07:15And then conversely, when they dialed him up, well, you've got to make the play.
07:17Sometimes he wouldn't make the play.
07:19Then he plays the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
07:20He does look like Tony Gonzalez, right?
07:22Yeah.
07:22Look, that's why we spent so much time talking about him last year.
07:25I have no issues, though, Mike, with playmakers wanting the ball early.
07:27Get me involved.
07:28Right.
07:28There's nothing wrong with that.
07:29You've still got to keep your head in the game, but we know that – I mean, we don't
07:34know.
07:34We don't know.
07:34But I do think that the way Kyle Pitts could function in this offense, whether it's Tua or
07:39Mike, this could be a breakout.
07:41I mean, get back to what he did.
07:42Last year, he's a top four tight end in the league, and, of course, the first season he
07:46was a Pro Bowl.
07:46Yeah.
07:46It was a good season.
07:48The problem was we didn't go to the playoffs, and we didn't have enough wow or flash moments.
07:53He didn't have enough red zone for us.
07:54That's my B for Pitts.
07:56And so I don't know if he got the pub like he needed to.
07:59He had a really good season last year.
08:00But, Mike, the pub comes from – you're right.
08:03Touchdowns comes from big plays, big moments.
08:06Either way, Kyle Pitts was talking about Matt still being a leader.
08:10He still talks the same.
08:12He's very rash.
08:14That won't ever change.
08:16That's Matt.
08:17But different.
08:18He's just in a different role.
08:19He's still the same person.
08:20He's still, you know, I feel like he's wrapping me tighter under his wing from a different
08:25perspective as a front office guy now.
08:27But, yeah, he just has a different role.
08:29I mean, he's still leading the team in some sort of way, but just not physically.
08:32Yeah.
08:33That's an interesting way to put it.
08:34Kyle Pitts was also talking about, Mike, the wrinkles to his game.
08:38What wrinkles is he talking about here?
08:40Yeah, just – I would say they're just – I would say adding more tools to my toolbox.
08:44Let me do a couple more things in terms of maybe route running and just schematically
08:49being able to try and be a, you know, the asset in his offense.
08:54More tools?
08:55Hey, I like that kind of party, man.
08:57We're just talking about, you know, all the elite tight ends last year.
09:01The only thing separating, you know, Pitts from those guys is more touchdowns.
09:04You know, more scores.
09:05Wow moments, man.
09:05You look – and when I say that, I'm not talking about every touchdown or you just lose your
09:09mind.
09:10But he has to be on the highlights, Mike, like Travis Kelsey, right?
09:15And Kelsey's falling off, but I'm using the top guys and name value guys that you know.
09:19The reason why Kelsey's on the highlights is because he's catching touchdowns.
09:21He's catching these big plays and moving the chains.
09:24Like, those things matter, but it also matters that you're winning.
09:26And when you don't go to the playoffs and you're not able to show that, regardless of
09:30what we might think of him, you don't have that recognition around the league or even
09:35nationally that you should.
09:36There are guys we talk about, tight ends that we bring up.
09:39But you guys are like, who?
09:40Unless you play fantasy football, you don't realize how productive they are.
09:43Like McBride.
09:43Trey McBride with Arizona.
09:44Prime example.
09:45Right.
09:45So now this year, it's the same – it's funny.
09:49I almost feel like it's Groundhog Day.
09:50Conversations you and I used to have about Matt and Julio.
09:53Red zone.
09:53You know, Pitts.
09:54Red zone.
09:54Drake.
09:55We know Drake in high point.
09:56We know Drake.
09:56And Drake, one of the cool moments from Michael Penix's, you know, short stint now as quarterback
10:00was, you know, going to Drake and then going right back to him in that Carolina game.
10:04And unfortunately, we blew because the defense couldn't stop anybody.
10:06That was a big – that was a big moment.
10:08One other thing from Kyle Pitts, Mike, he talked about Kevin Stefanski, loves tight ends.
10:12We know this.
10:13Here's what he said about it.
10:14I would say we're just – we're all in the offense as a whole.
10:17It's not being anything more heavily, you know, one-sided than the other.
10:22I do see there is a different – you know, a bunch of flexibility throughout the whole
10:26offense.
10:27So, it's cool to see.
10:28And, you know, tight ends, he does like them a little bit.
10:32Well, let's hope so.
10:33Five touchdowns last year.
10:35McBride had 11.
10:36Kyle was second in the NFL in receiving yards, as you said.
10:39You know, so that's – these are all things that – I mean, it's all trending in the right
10:42way.
10:42It's just, to me, like Jake Ferguson with the Cowboys.
10:45Eight touchdowns.
10:46Yeah.
10:46He was big.
10:47See, I think if you look at – like, look what Dallas Goddard is in the Eagles offense.
10:52That's a unicorn-type thing.
10:53Remember those – every time the Eagles are on national TV, the Thanksgiving game, just
10:56running for miles and miles?
10:58Dallas Goddard had 11 touchdowns last season.
11:00He was big.
11:00Big, big safety blanket for Jalen Hurts.
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