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.
Comments