00:00But the Kyle Pitts contract is front and center because we are weeks away
00:05from camp, and this is one of those things, again,
00:07that I think a lot of people were surprised about the fact that the Falcons
00:11at this particular junction did this deal.
00:13They didn't have to.
00:15They could have.
00:16Again, they said that you got until mid-July to work on a deal,
00:20potentially long-term deal, after the franchise tag, and they got that done.
00:23I just want you to hear Kyle Pitts talking about the culture change
00:26in camp with Kevin Stefanski.
00:27This is courtesy of ESPN.
00:30I'd say it's a culture change in terms of every year.
00:33Every year is a new reset, but he's bringing just the work is the work,
00:37and that's something he's been implementing into us, this OTAs and mini camps,
00:42so it's been great to see and excited to see how we're taking this break off
00:46and going into camp.
00:47Yeah, the work is the work, and I think he's right.
00:51Every time you get a new coach, it's something new, and it's different.
00:54But I think the overwhelming sentiment, Mike,
00:57is we're hearing this from a variety of guys.
01:00However they've stated it, Drake's talked about it,
01:02you talked about Bijan talking about it,
01:04and we're talking about what they're getting from Kevin Stefanski
01:08and what this kind of looks like right now.
01:10Now, you and I have always felt that Kyle Pitts,
01:13no one debates the potential in the game,
01:15and we were talking earlier about him just having more consistency.
01:18The guy brought up that he had the least drops of any tight ends
01:21with X amount of catches,
01:22and he had just a few yards shy of 1,000 last year receiving.
01:26We know what he can be,
01:27and how much can you blame on him
01:29because he can't throw the football to himself.
01:31Once Cousins got in there, his production skyrocketed.
01:34The touchdowns came up in three-in-one game.
01:37And not that Penix can't do that.
01:38Once Penix receives the coaching, it is 100% healthy.
01:41I was going to put that caveat in there,
01:44provided he can win the battle.
01:46But Tua, I think Tua, because of all the experience,
01:48and that's what you've talked about,
01:50this could be the beginning of something special this season
01:53with Tua to the tight end
01:55and what the tight end means to the Stefanski offense.
01:57Hey, look, no one's ever debated Kyle's not a – he's a good dude.
02:00We love talking to the guy.
02:01Fans is a fan favorite.
02:02He just makes you sometimes pull out your hair
02:04because you don't just need more consistency.
02:06Here's Kyle Pitts talking about those quarterbacks Mike's just aforementioned
02:09and what this competition has looked like for him.
02:12I just want to catch the ball as many times as possible.
02:15It's cool to see.
02:16For me, I mean, I've been in the – some people say quarterback carousel,
02:19so, I mean, me seeing quarterback competitions is cool,
02:22but to have two guys like that or peak competitors is great to see
02:27and great to play along inside them.
02:28No, you're not lying, Kyle.
02:29I just want to get the ball.
02:30Let's just be honest.
02:31Like, that's what – they ask Drake, oh, man, they're great competitors,
02:34and I think Drake's being honest, but who – just throw me the rock.
02:38Just give me the ball.
02:39And that's something – the chicken and the egg argument.
02:42Does he tune out sometimes because he's not involved early enough?
02:45You know, and then –
02:47You mean in the offense?
02:48Yeah.
02:49I mean, at times – I think over his five years, I think there was some times there.
02:53But then again, he's also – the injury part that was also affected him
02:57for a year and a half, he wasn't the same guy.
02:59Arthur Smith's offense at the end made no sense.
03:01Can we all agree?
03:02Yes.
03:02It just didn't make any sense, and the quarterback play was brutal.
03:05So, now, with Tua or Penix getting better and healthy and learning the offense,
03:12you could think that potentially they can break through.
03:14Now, just real quick, let's take the view outside of 285 and beyond.
03:19Some people would say you've got 70 million a year locked up in skilled position guys,
03:23and you don't have a quarterback.
03:24And you haven't been to the playoffs in eight years.
03:27So, why would you double down on your skilled guys?
03:29So, my question to those folks – I'm going to ask a question based on a question.
03:34What would you have done?
03:35You're going to wait?
03:37How long?
03:38Because –
03:39I would have stayed with a franchise tag and seen what he is.
03:43Okay.
03:43As you said yesterday, this could be the bigger plan to create the cap space for Bijan's deal.
03:47Yeah.
03:47And, Mike, that's what I believe.
03:48I just think they're getting ahead of it, and then you've got guys coming off the books next year.
03:52You're going to have plenty of money to play with.
03:54It's not going to be an issue, and Bijan will get what he deserves.
03:57But I would just say, like, how long would you have waited?
04:01Would you have waited until after the season until you paid Drake?
04:04You would have waited, okay, until you paid Kyle.
04:07I hear what you're saying, but at some point, rubber hits the road.
04:10You have to make a decision on guys.
04:12And, look, if I know a guy can play now, and he's a year away from us doing a deal,
04:18I'm trying to beat the deal that may be in front of us.
04:22So, as much money as you think Kyle just got, what if he balled out this year
04:26and becomes the tight end Mike's talking about, and all of a sudden, he is a 10-touchdown guy.
04:30And everybody's going, holy crap, he's the best tight end in the league.
04:33You're paying more than $56 million, guys.
04:35Now, the only thing, and this always irks agents, is the best-case scenario for the Falcons,
04:39if you had just kept it where it was, he's on the tag, he balls out, does all the things
04:43you just said,
04:44you tag him again.
04:45You know, there's precedence there.
04:46We've seen it happen to Kirk Cousins when he was up in Washington.
04:48But, you know, you just feel, hey, they believe in him.
04:52Maybe this was always the plan.
04:54When you tag somebody, as we pointed out yesterday, there's no one can talk.
04:56Nobody can talk to them.
04:57Yep.
04:58And you ultimately can do this deal.
04:59They did it.
05:00Yeah.
05:01And the tag thing is interesting, but we said this.
05:04Now, I don't think the Cowboys do this with Pickens.
05:06No, neither do I.
05:07I don't either.
05:08But they're in a different situation.
05:09Their quarterback's making $60 million.
05:11Right.
05:11And Pickens finally had a good year after, similar to Pitts, tremendous athleticism going all the way
05:16back to his days in Georgia, but a bit of a rollercoaster.
05:18They had another wide receiver making $35 million.
05:22They're in a different situation than we are.
05:25But, no, I don't either.
05:25I think they're going to make him earn it for another year.
05:28But, yeah, I just – I don't have a problem with the timing, even though, as Mike said yesterday,
05:32it's a little bit surprising.
05:33Right.
05:34But you've got to do it one way or the other.
05:36And if you think these guys are a part of your future, make it now.
05:39It's what Alex has done, right?
05:41I think these guys are going to be good and a part of our future.
05:44I'm going to go ahead and pay them and take these arbitration years out, Mike,
05:46and we'll just take a chance.
05:48Sometimes it works.
05:49Sometimes it doesn't.
05:49But I just think, like, you don't wait another two years and go,
05:52oh, is Drake Lennon a really good player?
05:54You already know.
05:55Yeah.
05:55And I do think that when Alec Pierce got his deal, you knew Drake was going to make more
05:59than that.
06:00And Drake's had 1,000 more yards receiving.
06:02Now, the market always resets.
06:04It's hard to bring up a bad memory, but that's what got Julio ticked off.
06:07He saw some guys that weren't as good as him getting a raise, and he wanted more money.
06:10And that happens.
06:11But this team now, and this is why it's tough now, guys.
06:15It's hard for Falcon fans.
06:16Because it's five weeks.
06:17We have nothing to look at.
06:19We have no views of two of us.
06:20That's not true.
06:21Versus Pennix Jr.
06:22There'll be videos out there.
06:23Of what?
06:24Of what?
06:24I'll put them out there.
06:28Like Michael Pennix Jr. in his backyard doing like a Jameis Winston-style type drill?
06:32Put him out there.
06:32I told you he's going to be out there in his yard.
06:34All right.
06:35Hoo!
06:36Pulling that truck!
06:37Hoo!
06:39Jameis, everybody, I'm going to run to my guy.
06:41Everyone hit me with a pillow.
06:43What?
06:45So, you know, if Pennix Jr. says doing that, or he's seen on our dance floor again, we'll
06:50have more to go by.
06:51Now, all the Pennix people and the Tua people, we got to hope that the real competition, where
06:58it's oranges to oranges, and it's both guys able to compete.
07:01Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, joining us here on...
07:04Oh, man, I love that dude.
07:05What is Chipper?
07:06Chipper, that's not germane to this conversation.
07:08It's not, but man, it just pops up.
07:11I love that guy.
07:12Now, again, I don't think Chipper has blocked me anymore.
07:16I think Chipper's...
07:16Well, that's because your account doesn't exist.
07:18He doesn't know I am.
07:20It moved.
07:22He probably doesn't know.
07:24ATL Bell 929.
07:26That's ATL Bell 929.
07:28It helps me with my marketability.
07:29I used to be an influencer without having 40,000 people, Carl.
07:33You still are.
07:33Now, you can't influence with just 2,000 followers.
07:36You still are.
07:37You influence people.
07:38If you'd like to help increase Mike's marketability, that's ATL Bell 929.
07:41And Carl, let's put him up.
07:42See, Dukes.
07:43I've got to read this from Ecuador Man.
07:45Hi, Ecuador Man.
07:45I guess he heard...
07:46Si, senor!
07:46I guess he heard our conversation with Antti Saleh.
07:50He says, hey, Dukes, you talk about Brunson's heart, which I agree with.
07:56But what about those three seven-footers behind him that the Hawks don't have?
08:00Mm-hmm.
08:00Mm-hmm.
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