00:00The OTAs are starting up again, looking forward to hearing from some of the coaches and players this week.
00:05And while that's going on, we're handing out hypothetical contract extensions.
00:10We're taking Bajan out of this today, guys, because that would just be the easy answer.
00:14Earlier, we talked about guys on the offense that deserve a contract extension at this point.
00:19Right now, we're going to move on to defense.
00:21So who comes to mind immediately when you think of we got to extend that guy?
00:26I mean, I think the likely, probably, slam dunk answer is Divine Diablo.
00:30I think there's probably more options defensively than offensively, but maybe I'm wrong about that.
00:38There's definitely some movement there with him.
00:40I just think that, and we've talked a lot recently about Divine Diablo and what he means to this defense,
00:44what he means for Jeff Ulbrich, some of the things that have been said about him.
00:47Now he moves into that green dot role.
00:49You know, you're 0-5 last year without him being a part of this defense.
00:54So I would say, you know, he's been about as steady as it comes,
00:59and you signed him on a deal here that you had no idea what you were getting.
01:02None of us did.
01:04When that news came across the wire that we had just signed Divine Diablo,
01:07it was kind of like, oh, okay, he'll come and compete with Troy Anderson.
01:09Don't know what you're getting.
01:10But he has very quickly become the focal point of what this defense is.
01:15I would argue that he's definitely the guy at the top of the heap
01:19that you would take a look at in terms of locking up for a few more years.
01:22I would say not so fast.
01:26I think Jesse Bates is the obvious guy that I would absolutely want to get locked in.
01:33He signed a four-year deal here.
01:35He's been nothing short of spectacular during his time here.
01:42I love Divine Diablo.
01:44But the argument I would make about Divine Diablo is are you going to be so quick to do that
01:51when you drafted two guys that essentially could be his replacement?
01:55And I think that Harold Perkins could be his replacement.
02:04I think that Kendall Daniels could be his replacement.
02:08I think either one of those guys were drafted to help you with the fact
02:15that if he went down again, like you would have a guy that could fill in
02:19and you wouldn't look so lost.
02:20I'm not saying they're going to be there this year.
02:21But what if you get midway through the season and Diablo misses a couple of games
02:27for whatever reason and those guys step in
02:32and now the green dot would transfer to probably Jalen.
02:36But what if they can step in?
02:38I mean, Troy Anderson maybe as well.
02:40So I know that's a pinus guy one, probably not even worth bringing up to some people.
02:45But those are guys that maybe could be doing something
02:50and save you the money in that spot.
02:52Yeah, and I don't think nobody's going to sit here and listen to us
02:55and say, well, you need to go with Mike Hughes or any of those other kind of players.
03:01And a lot of these guys are still so young.
03:02I mean, you could see yourself getting a year from now
03:06and talking about Brandon Dorliss in this situation
03:09where if he's able to come up with seven, eight, nine more sacks this season
03:14and he's all of a sudden in line for a ton of money
03:16at an interior defensive line spot because that's highly valued.
03:20And you used to say in situations like this, going into a year like this,
03:25mostly for edges, but for really any defensive position,
03:30that a sack was going to be worth about a million and a half dollars
03:35in your next contract.
03:36Like, you know what I mean?
03:37You'd have pass rushers that make $20 million
03:40and it started getting doors $30 million
03:42and you start looking at, you know, hey, that guy got 12 sacks.
03:46He's going to be up there north of $20 million, you know?
03:49And the numbers have just gotten so crazy.
03:52And I always think about that now when I think of interior defensive linemen.
03:55Like, you've been talking about a guy with eight and a half sacks.
03:57He'd make a lot of money at that kind of spot.
03:59But I still think you're probably a year away
04:02from having that conversation about Dorliss
04:04because of where he's at in his contract.
04:06You said a sack is about a million dollars?
04:08Yeah.
04:09It used to be.
04:10Like I'm saying, like 10 years ago, I used to look at it that way.
04:12What was an interception then?
04:15I don't know. Good question.
04:15I'm curious about the going rate of these things now.
04:18Yeah, much tougher.
04:19I don't think they're as much, believe it or not,
04:23because there's so much emphasis put on the edge position.
04:27I mean, the three most important positions by salary have at one point.
04:33Now, I think it's changed slightly, but quarterback, edge, left tackle.
04:39So, the left tackle thing is going down a little bit to me as far as,
04:45I think wide receiver is starting to peak up there with that.
04:50And it's really now, honestly, it's just your best offensive lineman
04:53in a lot of ways.
04:56I also think there's more, to me, I'm not saying everybody,
05:00but I think some put more emphasis on just shutting down a whole side of the field.
05:06If, you know, you could have three interceptions over two years,
05:12but if you shut down that side of the field,
05:16you're going to get paid off of that more than the interception, right?
05:19I don't know how many interceptions.
05:20I know Daryl Rivas did a pretty good job at doing both,
05:22but I'm not sure how many he had at one point in time,
05:24but it was about it being an island, not about, well, there he goes,
05:28another interception.
05:29And that's just because there's no production coming from that side.
05:33And you're not getting thrown to,
05:35so sometimes the interception thing doesn't count against you, right?
05:41But I just feel like it's important when you bring up guys like Dorlis,
05:48Diablo, and Jesse Bates,
05:51that this is one of the reasons why Ian Cunningham put such an emphasis on draft picks.
05:57Because you can't repay, you can't extend everybody.
06:00Everybody, and not everybody gets paid.
06:03And you've gotten a core that's been productive in a lot of ways.
06:07I mean, we're talking about a lot of guys that have been extremely productive,
06:10yet you have no playoff wins.
06:11You have no playoff appearances.
06:13And that is because mismanagement at the head coaching job,
06:16and some past GMs,
06:19and also that mismanagement,
06:23it's sending you onto the field with a quarterback position, right?
06:25And not being able to get that position right.
06:27So you've got a core that probably should have a couple playoff wins
06:30and need to be paid like they do.
06:32But you don't have that.
06:35So that's why, you know,
06:38normally teams would be an easier situation for them to make a move.
06:41But now, you're looking here and you're like,
06:43man, I need to fill some of these.
06:44I'm going to have void soon.
06:45I need to fill them.
06:46I need a lot of, you know,
06:48more draft picks makes it easier to do that.
06:51You know, you're saying that Mike Hughes wouldn't exactly be on your list
06:55for this hypothetical contract extension conversation that we're having.
06:59If you're on the other side, though, if you were his agent,
07:02what would be your argument for him to be extended?
07:07Consistency, I guess.
07:09And I know that there's been some hiccups,
07:11some injuries over the last couple of years.
07:12But I think that you have two different ways to do things,
07:16in my opinion, when you play in the NFL.
07:18Like, some of these guys are going to be technicians
07:21and they're going to be a pleasure to be around on a day-in
07:24and day-out basis.
07:25You're going to enjoy working with them.
07:27And guys, I can't say this enough, that's a big deal.
07:31That's a big deal.
07:32If you have a guy that you don't enjoy coaching
07:34or you don't enjoy being around
07:36or do you think is an energy vampire
07:38or brings the room around at any given meeting,
07:40you're less likely to stand on the table
07:42and scream from the mountaintops
07:43that that guy's going to need an extension.
07:45Unless he's an all-pro caliber player,
07:47which obviously, you know, for the most part,
07:49they probably fit hand-in-hand.
07:50But Mike Hughes has been that guy.
07:53I think we've all had those conversations with him
07:55and we all have that understanding
07:55that he's been a pleasure to be around
07:57and has worked hard and has been relatively consistent.
07:59Yeah, the problem for me with Mike Hughes
08:01is I think he can, with the draft pick of Avion Terrell
08:06and hoping that Billy Bowman is the guy at nickel
08:09that returns and comes back to the form he was
08:12at some points before the injury bug
08:14kind of got him last season.
08:16You can move Avion outside.
08:18So Mike Hughes is expendable
08:20based on the fact to me that I think he could go somewhere else
08:23and get paid for doing a pretty solid job
08:27as that second cornerback.
08:30But also somebody could pay him,
08:31which has become a position of great need in the nickel.
08:36And he can do that.
08:37So I think his experience with his versatility
08:41gets him paid somewhere else
08:42and with the other guys we've mentioned
08:47and what you've done in the draft,
08:49I mean, he's expendable.
08:51I also think that a lot of this conversation
08:56also, as Ian Cunningham's here longer
08:58and the Matt Ryan presidency extends out,
09:02we become a little bit more comfortable
09:03with what the game plan actually is
09:05at some of these spots.
09:06And we know that he values draft picks
09:08and we know that he obviously values Drake Lennon, right?
09:12Or there's also going to create competition
09:14at the quarterback spot.
09:14But it's so funny because
09:15when we've had these conversations around Ronald Acuna
09:19or some of the other sports,
09:20it's like, no, that's not how the Braves do business.
09:22Or, hey, that's not how the Hawks do business.
09:25We don't really know with the Atlanta Falcons
09:27for the most part
09:28because of this new tenure
09:29and this new president
09:30and this new structure of football operations.
09:32It's like, I'm not really sure
09:34where their value is going to be
09:35on a guy like a Mike Hughes.
09:36Yeah, the only thing we do know
09:39is that they said they like it
09:40sending their own players
09:41and they want a lot of draft picks.
09:42That's why every time I hear someone
09:44want to talk about
09:45or write an article
09:47or talk about an article
09:48where, could the Falcons trade
09:50for this guy or that guy?
09:51I laugh
09:52because I'm like,
09:53you're blatantly ignoring
09:55everything they've said,
09:56not to mention of where they're at
09:57and what they've done all season
09:59with moves, right?
10:01That's the only thing we know
10:02is that they put a value on draft picks
10:05and they want to sign their own guys
10:07that are worthy of extending.
10:08That's the only thing
10:09that I have to go by.
10:11Well, we are just working
10:12in hypotheticals today.
10:13So, and I know AJ Terrell,
10:15he signed through a 2028.
10:17What kind of contract
10:18would he be looking,
10:18extension would he be looking at
10:20after that?
10:22It's so far out.
10:23Yeah, I was going to say,
10:24let's get a lot closer.
10:25You know, and I,
10:26look, it's the same conversation,
10:27Ali, that you have around
10:29Chris Lindstrom.
10:30It's the same conversation
10:31that you have around
10:31multiple players,
10:32any player that you have
10:34signed to a long-term deal.
10:36That's what makes this
10:37next offseason so unique
10:39is the amount of cap room
10:41and the amount of roster spots.
10:43Like, we don't know
10:44how they're going to go
10:45about painting this picture.
10:46You know what I mean?
10:47Like, we really don't know
10:49what the attack will be.
10:50Will it be one of those offseason
10:51where they go out
10:51and try to trade out
10:52for more draft picks
10:54and really try to stockpile
10:55a lot of young players?
10:56Or do you go hit
10:57the free agent market
10:57and try to make
10:58all these big splashes?
11:01And where are you?
11:03Where are you at
11:03the quarterback spot?
11:04I just mean,
11:05where are you drafting?
11:06That's a good point, too.
11:08Because, Mike,
11:09if you're not sold
11:10on the quarterback spot
11:11and none of these guys
11:13are going to be hit,
11:14but you win,
11:16once again,
11:17seven and eight games,
11:20now you've got to figure out
11:22what this draft class
11:23looks like quarterback-wise,
11:24where you want to go.
11:25You know what I'm saying?
11:25Like, you're in kind of
11:26a conundrum
11:27of what to do with it
11:28because you might have
11:29to do something
11:30you don't want to do,
11:30which is trade draft picks.
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