00:00We are Dukes and Bell. What a day. Oofah. We start off every day and every hour by saying,
00:07Hey, man! Hope you're having a great day. We know Kyle Pitts is. He has been, he's gotten a new
00:12deal, guys.
00:13Three years, $54 million contract that includes $36 million fully guaranteed.
00:17It's the largest three-year contract for a tight end in NFL history.
00:22And if you're wondering, we said he ranks now third per year average behind Kittle and Trey McBride.
00:28They make him out $19 per, and he's going to make $18.
00:30But he was under the franchise tag, just to refresh.
00:34And that allowed them to negotiate a long-term deal.
00:38And that is exactly what's happened before we get to the date that you can't.
00:42Like, you get past that date in July and before camp starts.
00:46Here's the deal, Mike. And I want to, before we grab more phone calls and your thoughts at 404-726
00:50-0929,
00:51we will talk about the NBA draft. We know Hawks fans, you are very interested to know
00:55what is going on with the Hawks as we speak, and we will fill you in on that.
00:59But how do you feel about this? Because I got a great text from one of our listeners.
01:04Follow Mike. He's at MikeBell, A-T-L, and I'm at Put'EmUp, C-Dukes.
01:08And Casey, who hits us up and says,
01:11What just happened? I just got home. I got a notification on my phone.
01:15I came in here to see what was going on.
01:17And then I saw that your text about, we're talking about it right now on the show.
01:20He says, I love the franchise tag. Not sure. I love this.
01:24I think there's a lot of people who are being honest about their true feelings with Kyle Pitts
01:29and saying, Mike, did he do enough already? Or weren't we supposed to see that this year?
01:33No, look, we said it last hour, guys. We spent more time.
01:36We joke around with Kyle when we interview him up at the branch talking about him.
01:40What is he? What isn't he? Where's the effort? It's not his fault.
01:42Bad quarterback play. Bad offensive design.
01:44The guy's got the God-given skills. He's got the talent.
01:47I mean, I talked about, you know, Greg Olson talked about route running a couple years ago.
01:50Rodney Harrison talked about a guy that big shouldn't play that soft.
01:53That was a phrase that we talked about two years ago.
01:55He can dominate. A guy like that should get the separation.
01:58Should be a vital cog in the offense. Should have 10 touchdowns every year.
02:01That hasn't been the case.
02:02But he was the second-best tight end as far as receiving yards.
02:06He did get the end zone five times.
02:08I just thought, to the texters' point, Carl, they were going to do it.
02:11Let's kick the tires on him in Stefanski's offense.
02:14See how he does here.
02:15And, again, worst-case scenario, if he balls out, he gets this deal plus another 5% or 10%
02:20next spring.
02:21Or you franchise tag him again.
02:23But they're going all in.
02:25And I like what the other guy brought up saying, look, we've got all the money invested.
02:29Bijan will be next. We know that.
02:30But all these guys you're throwing money at haven't won anything.
02:33You know?
02:34But a big part of that is the quarterback situation.
02:37Oh, by the way, which we have not resolved yet either.
02:40So I would have not done this.
02:42I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
02:45Yeah, and that's what I'm asking you.
02:47How do you feel about this?
02:49Look, I don't think there's anybody driving around right now or listening on their smart speaker
02:54or maybe you're walking the dog and you've got this in your headset.
02:59Paying Bijan Robinson, you have no problems with.
03:02He's already given the effort, Mike, and certainly shown you what he's capable of.
03:09There are people already, and one of our callers earlier said he's the best player in the league.
03:13Hell, Ra was saying that last year, okay?
03:16There have been other coaches who have said, hey, we think he's the best player in the league.
03:19I don't think anybody has an issue with that.
03:21The problem here is, have you seen enough of the sample size?
03:25And if you go, wait a minute, we drafted him.
03:28He's been 20-20.
03:28Dukes was 20-26.
03:30How much more do we need to see?
03:31And then that's where Mike's argument comes in.
03:35There are circumstances that have been out of his control.
03:38He's just shown up and done his job.
03:40Has he done it to the best of his ability?
03:41Yes, according to what he's told us.
03:44But, Mike, this new regime comes in and goes, maybe they watch the tape and go, man, this guy's unutilized.
03:48He's a beast.
03:49He's going to be a hellraiser in this offense.
03:52We've got to take care of him.
03:53Right.
03:53I mean, think about some of the stupid stuff Arthur Smith did in the offense.
03:56Think about maybe they weren't throwing him open because Pitts doesn't have that in his repertoire just yet.
04:02You know, there's so many ways you look at it.
04:04If you had the baseline of rock-solid quarterback play, then you could have a more fair evaluation of Pitts.
04:09The only thing that was tough for Pitts for fans is when he got hurt in 22, it carried over
04:14to 23.
04:15And then 24, every time he plays Tampa Bay, he literally looks like, you know, Tony Gonzalez reincarnated.
04:21But we don't play them every week.
04:23And a guy brought this up on the text line on YouTube, and I talked about this last week.
04:28You know, Bryce Johnston is the guy we brought over from the Eagles, the capologist.
04:31And this probably makes better sense, to your point, to create the room when we do get the Bichon deal
04:35done.
04:35Yeah.
04:36Look, it helps all teams who do long-term deals with their big-time stars.
04:40And certainly, you know, you're not throwing around $56 or $54 million, Mike, and going, we're making the wrong decision.
04:47You're investing that saying, we're making the right decision, and he's going to be a key cog in helping us
04:51get to where we want to be.
04:52Which, you know, we know this.
04:54It's not just the playoffs.
04:55It's for playoffs for us, but it's Super Bowl.
04:57Kyle Pitts, Mike, hopefully in the next three years, helps us get to a Super Bowl.
05:01That's what this goal has to be.
05:02Right.
05:03Again, you know, as a fan, and look, this could be you're in a business setting or in your relationship,
05:10and maybe it's the wrong thing to do.
05:12I was locked in that this was going to be a prove-it year for Pitts.
05:16I didn't for a minute think he was going to get this extension.
05:18So I'm pivoting, and we're playing with the logic of it, and I get it.
05:22I think you make an argument for it.
05:23But I still think, for all the things, which are some of the things we just talked about beyond his
05:27control,
05:27I still would have made him, as they say, sing for his supper.
05:29But maybe that doesn't play out long-term.
05:32And maybe it's the fancy he already signed off on Pitts before he even coached him.
05:35Yeah, it's very true.
05:36All right, 404-726-0929.
05:38Connor's still there in Decatur.
05:40Let's talk to Connor.
05:41Connor, thanks for your patience.
05:42You can dial us up.
05:43How are you feeling about this?
05:44Look, we all want to win, but with this new staff and Matt Ryan in charge, guys,
05:49and Ian Cunningham and how they view things and how they see players,
05:52we always talk about this, Mike.
05:54What we think of guys may not be what they think of them.
05:58Right.
05:58And if they believe in him this much and say, hey, we're going to go ahead and take care of
06:02him,
06:03he's going to be here, then that may be a very good thing for our Atlanta Falcons football team.
06:08Connor and Decatur, what's on your mind, man?
06:09Hey, man, what's happening?
06:11I'm feeling pretty good about this deal.
06:14I mean, the last caller was saying, you know, how he ranked amongst other tight ends last season.
06:22And I also think that he has improved in his blocking abilities.
06:30You know, Bijan being such a big part of our offense, you know, that's pretty important.
06:36And, you know, his natural talent, so I think this is a pretty good deal.
06:41And, you know, for anybody who thinks, oh, this is a lot of money,
06:44and the reality is these NFL players make a lot of money.
06:47And so, yeah, I mean, it's looking up for us, you know.
06:52You've got to lock him down so you don't have to worry about another thing you don't have to worry
06:57about.
06:57All right.
06:57Good stuff.
06:58Who the hell is going to be the guy throwing it to him?
07:00I'm sorry?
07:01Who's throwing them the football?
07:04Drake?
07:04What'd you say?
07:05Drake?
07:05You've got Drake locked up.
07:07Drake reset the market.
07:08He's top three now at receivers.
07:09Their market has just been reset for tight ends with Kyle Pitts,
07:12which, of course, is what we thought was going to be the case when we drafted him.
07:14Yes.
07:15But who's throwing it to him?
07:17Who's throwing it to him?
07:19Who?
07:19Who, Carl?
07:20It's a good question.
07:21It's a good question.
07:22Pennix Jr. has already got to work on footwork, get healthy enough to win this quarterback battle,
07:27get more accurate to be that guy.
07:29Or is it Tua, who's one concussion away from his career being over?
07:32I mean, it's still a thing.
07:34Coach W says, fellas, he's got his deal.
07:37Now there are no excuses.
07:39Pitts has to produce.
07:42All right.
07:42Well, the thing is, in the NFL, the signing bonus is the only thing that's guaranteed,
07:45but he got himself a nice chunk of change.
07:47Oh, he was going to make 15.
07:48Right.
07:49He just got $36 million guaranteed.
07:51Right.
07:51In the back.
07:51In the back.
07:52Yeah.
07:53So, I mean, that's a nice take home.
07:54But, yes, Coach W, we agree with you.
07:57And part of our issue with Kyle has been, this is how Mike and I have felt the last three
08:02years.
08:02I have a love-hate relationship because he does so well, and then he does something that drives you crazy.
08:07You know?
08:08He shows you that athleticism.
08:10You know, poor Pennix, trying to get confidence, puts the ball in his hands in Berlin.
08:15Right there.
08:16On national television.
08:17What?
08:19Same game where he didn't pick up the audible.
08:21And if you're watching it on TV, Pennix looks like an idiot.
08:24So, I mean, it's part of the package.
08:26Blocking is part of it, all that.
08:27We do have, you know, technically better blocking tight ends now.
08:30Maybe they see him as that de facto second wide receiver hybrid we always thought he was.
08:34Right?
08:35Let's hope so.
08:36We've got more phone calls coming up.
08:38We'll talk to Grant.
08:39We will also let you hear from Ansi Saleh about the draft tonight.
08:43We are picking eighth overall, and a reminder, Mike Conte, Andy Bunker from State Farm Arena.
08:48Steve Holtman will be a part of it as well.
08:49The Voice of Atlanta Hawks, 8 until 10.
08:51They'll have live coverage, guys.
08:53And then, of course, Mike and I are here tomorrow to talk all about it with you starting at 2
08:57o'clock.
08:58And there'll be a lot to talk about.
08:59I think this is going to be an interesting night for the NBA.
09:02Let's grab some more phone calls here on the show and day-day real quick while I'm pulling that up.
09:08Let's talk to Johnny.
09:10Johnny, what's going on?
09:11Hey, man.
09:12Hey, man.
09:13What's going on, y'all?
09:14Hey, man.
09:15I was just calling in.
09:17Just about the Kyle Pitt situation, too.
09:18I mean, honestly, I don't dislike it.
09:21I like it.
09:22I mean, you keep the core together.
09:24That's a good thing right there.
09:25But, I mean, I don't think he's probably one mil under, you know, from Kittle and Treyman Bride.
09:32I mean, 16, 17 would have been great.
09:34But I do like it.
09:36You know, he's got the ability.
09:37He's got the, you know, the guy-given talent for sure.
09:40You just got to show up and play every day.
09:42But I definitely don't dislike it.
09:43Keep the core together.
09:44Keep it going.
09:45All right.
09:45Let's do that, man.
09:46Look, we all want this team to have success.
09:48And if Kyle can be, you know, a contributor to that, I'm all for it.
09:51I do not think, and I'll state this, Mike, I don't think they overpaid.
09:55I do not think.
09:55But they didn't make him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.
09:59What they're telling you is that his per-year average is right up there among the tops.
10:04But he can earn that, guys.
10:05If he has two, three, four good seasons here, whatever it's going to be, he can earn this.
10:10Guy hit me up on the text.
10:11He goes, what's your beef with Pitts?
10:12Well, we just laid it out.
10:13The only thing I need more from Pitts is touchdowns.
10:17He needs to be a 10-touchdown guy a year.
10:19You're the highest tight end ever drafted in the NFL.
10:22I know that's not his fault, but you come with that expectation of being this unicorn,
10:27this ultimate hybrid.
10:28That's why we invoked the Tony Gonzalez thing.
10:30He's got to be that red zone god that you and I have been, this team has been missing.
10:34Yeah.
10:34And it's a little misleading, I'll tell you, because this is from the agent side of things,
10:38too, sometimes.
10:39When you start saying, it's the largest three-year contract.
10:41Yes, because there are guys who have gotten bigger deals and had more money attached to it.
10:46And so it feels like, oh, but I don't think this is, they didn't, I don't think this is
10:51overpaying for him.
10:52All right.
10:52404-726-0929.
10:55Let us know what you think.
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