00:00Denzel Ward, terrific player, gets a two-year extension.
00:05That's all well and good.
00:07What's really well and good is $50-plus million guaranteed.
00:11Hello, who's buying lunch today?
00:13It's not you.
00:14It's not me.
00:17Apparently, on the two years that he had left on his deal,
00:20and Denzel had two years left, but no guaranteed money.
00:24And now, you tack on two more years,
00:27that means he's under contract through the 2029 season.
00:31So he should be under contract into the Dome.
00:34There you go.
00:35There you go.
00:36And at least from what we've learned so far,
00:40we don't necessarily know all the contractual details yet,
00:44but if that's the case, Tom,
00:47that's going to be a seriously punitive cap hit and everything else
00:53if, by chance, Denzel loses it and they want to trade him
00:58or he loses it and they want to cut him, whatever.
01:01It almost assures that Denzel will be here for the next four years.
01:07Right, and you don't want to think about those draconian aspects of this,
01:11but it is the reality of the NFL and guys get hurt and guys fall off, whatever.
01:17Yeah, but from a positive spin standpoint, Jeff, as you said before,
01:22good guy, local guy, you know, Nordonia High School, Ohio State,
01:28has been a productive player.
01:29It was funny, yesterday, his name came up.
01:31I was out and somebody mentioned something about Ward and said,
01:35you know, he's a heck of a player.
01:37He just gets hurt all the time.
01:38That's not true.
01:39No, he's played at least 12 games, I think, every year of his career
01:43and has been insanely productive.
01:45You know, I would consider him one of the top five cornerbacks in the league.
01:48I would agree.
01:49He'll play this year at 29.
01:51There you go.
01:52So, cornerbacks, when you hit 30, you always keep an eye on them,
01:57but this would mean he's under contract in what could be a really difficult
02:03salary cap situation until he's 32.
02:06Yeah, and he's learned over the years, Jeff, as we know.
02:09You know, he had the concussions.
02:10He's kind of learned how to play the position a little bit differently, right?
02:14Hey, they don't throw to his side of the field half the time,
02:16which is all you can say about a guy, right?
02:18Yeah, because, you know, there's the argument that, no,
02:20he doesn't make enough plays.
02:21Well, they're not throwing him the ball, and there's a reason for that.
02:23So, he is making plays.
02:24He's forcing everything to the other side.
02:26I think the other part of the equation here, too, Jeff,
02:28to keep in mind is that this defense needs a leader, and, you know,
02:33Carson Schlesinger is probably the next guy to take on that role.
02:37In the interim, this is Denzel Ward's defense in many ways.
02:41I mean, he's the longstanding veteran of this group, right,
02:45who's played at a high, you know, at a pro bowl ever,
02:48all pro level for several years now, and with Miles Garrett gone,
02:52and he kind of picks up the mantle there.
02:55And one aspect of this, Tom, that I think is real critical, as you said,
02:59it's his defense.
03:00He's the leader of that defense.
03:01He's clearly now, at least for now, you know, maybe Carson Schlesinger,
03:07maybe Jared Verse, maybe Mason Graham.
03:10Right now, Denzel's the best player on that defense.
03:14It answers the thought that as soon as Miles Garrett was traded,
03:18well, Denzel's next.
03:20Yeah, right.
03:20They're unloading.
03:21That was an assumption.
03:21They're unloading, guys.
03:23Denzel's going to be out of here because he's, you know, pushing 30
03:26and no guaranteed money and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
03:29He's not going anywhere.
03:31And that's really good because if, to me,
03:36there are two most important positions on the defense,
03:39defensive end, getting to the quarterback, and corner.
03:42I don't disagree with that.
03:44I mean, those are the things you have to have.
03:45Yeah, I know Dan's a big defensive tackle guy,
03:47but we can get into that too.
03:49Yeah, I think it's a positive sign for the franchise, Jeff,
03:53from the standpoint that we've talked for years about, you know,
03:57the Browns throwing money at problems, right?
03:59This is not a problem, right?
04:01This is a good situation.
04:02This is a positive situation.
04:04So, yeah, good for Denzel, you know, rewarded justly.
04:08And I think the only thing that kind of caught me a little off guard
04:10was just the timing.
04:11And I guess I shouldn't be surprised about that
04:13because it is the beginning of camp, right?
04:15He did miss some of the workouts in mini camp,
04:18which I know raised some eyebrows, right,
04:20to your point about whether or not he might have been on the trade block or not.
04:23So, yeah, I think this is good.
04:25I think this may soon be followed by Grant Delpit getting his contract extension.
04:29So, keep an eye out for that.
04:30Yeah, there's some buzz there.
04:31If you have a defensive backfield of Denzel, Tyson Campbell,
04:37who's a different style of corner,
04:39and I thought came in and did a nice job last year.
04:42Terrific.
04:42I like Tyson Campbell, and he's under contract.
04:45Grant Delpit, who they're rumblings, as you just mentioned, Tom,
04:49might he be getting a contract soon?
04:51Ronnie Hickman.
04:53And then you drafted Emmanuel McNeil-Warren,
04:56and they like Miles Harden.
04:59So, right there, just listing off six quickly.
05:02You've got six defensive backs who they're pretty high on,
05:05and I'd say they're pretty high on them for pretty good reasons.
05:08Pretty solid group, yeah.
05:09Maybe lacking a little depth there, and there's some inexperience.
05:12But, yeah, a group you can definitely work with, Jeff.
05:14And you hope to bring some guys along.
05:15No doubt.
05:16Which gives Mike Rutenberg, I would think,
05:21what's the best word to describe it?
05:23Just a little security.
05:24Comfort?
05:24Yeah, just a little.
05:26I'm with you.
05:26You know, it's like, okay, I've got a good defensive backfield.
05:29I have Carson Swessinger, who I really like at linebacker.
05:33Verse on the defensive line.
05:36All right, he's not Miles, but he's pretty dang good.
05:38And then we invested in defensive tackles each of the last two years.
05:42Alex Wright came on.
05:44I would think if you're Mike Rutenberg today, you're thinking, okay,
05:48you did me a solid.
05:50He'll still have some sleepless nights getting ready for Joe Burrow.
05:54I would think so.
05:56And Chase and that group.
05:57But to your point, I do think it's a nice starting point for him.
06:02And a defense that doesn't necessarily know his system,
06:06but played at Jim Schwartz's for the last couple years in a very aggressive style.
06:12That unit is going to carry this team again, Jeff,
06:15until this offense really makes strides.
06:17And that's going to be, that's going to take a little bit of time.
06:21Yeah.
06:21A lot of young guys there.
06:24And a lot of guys, a lot of young guys are going to have to really lean on too.
06:27That's the other part of it.
06:28It's one thing to be young, but then to be asking a lot of these young guys is going to
06:33be a big deal.
06:34Yeah.
06:34They're all, they have first or second year players who are going to have to produce.
06:39Immediately.
06:40Yeah.
06:40Good luck.
06:40Exactly.
06:41And Tom, realistically, if half of the first or second year players at the skill position on offense produce,
06:49congratulations.
06:50I was going to say, that's an A plus.
06:52It really is.
06:53Yeah.
06:53And you're counting on a ton of those guys.
06:56And especially, I'm sorry to interrupt, you really need the left tackle.
06:59I mean, Fano's got to step in immediately and be not only productive,
07:03but be able to hold down that position.
07:05That's a big ask, I think, Jeff.
07:07And I think that's going to be, there's going to be some ups and downs there.
07:10That's just the, you know, with all due respect to him, I don't see another Joe Thomas there necessarily right
07:17now.
07:17And I hope he proves me wrong, but there's going to be some ups and downs there.
07:20And, you know, with the, with the skill guys, there's going to be drops.
07:23There's going to be miscommunications, all those kinds of things.
07:25So before we even get to the quarterback, we've got to have those young guys at those key spots playing
07:30well.
07:32Fano to me is a guy to keep an eye on.
07:35That sounds stupid because he was the ninth overall pick.
07:38You know, he was their big investment.
07:40We talked about rookies the last couple of days because, you know, when they get drafted,
07:46we talk about the rookies and then you forget all about them.
07:49So we wanted to refresh everybody and then talk about how they fit in and where they might, you know,
07:54where it might work and everything.
07:56It was interesting to see again.
07:58And I appreciate the Browns and Andrew Barry came out and said it right away.
08:02He's our left tackle.
08:04We view him as a left tackle.
08:05He's going to play left tackle.
08:07He's played left tackle for one year in his life.
08:10He was a right tackle in high school and he was a right tackle all but his first year in
08:17college.
08:18And I thought, okay, I'm assuming you're pretty sure he can go over there and play well.
08:27And I won't say it's an assumption, Tom, because, you know, if you're a good offensive lineman,
08:32I would assume you'll be at least competent on the left side.
08:37But I just wonder, okay, is he going to answer the question for you?
08:41Yep, we have our left tackle for the next five to ten years.
08:44And I think it's fair to wonder that just based on the fact that, okay,
08:51it's not really the position you've ever really played.
08:54One year and then you moved.
08:56But you moved because you had, was it Lomo who came in there?
09:00And so you had two really good tackles, both of them in a really highly drafted.
09:05But I just, I can't wait to see him there.
09:08And if I had to bet your money, Mennegan's money, I wouldn't bet my money.
09:15I would bet he does just fine.
09:16I think he'll do fine as well.
09:17And he's going to have George Warhop there, who's a well-regarded coach working with him.
09:21You know, the backup situation is better with DeJuan Jones, who, you know,
09:27from all appearances during mini camp in the spring, looks healthy, looks leaner.
09:33Knock on wood, he can stay healthy.
09:35But, you know, he's already shown that he can be more than serviceable at that spot
09:39or on the right side if they have to swing him there.
09:41So I'm with you, Jeff.
09:43It's going to, you know, there's going to be some growing pains at that position.
09:45But he's a first-round draft pick for a reason.
09:48They see upside there.
09:50They see stability there.
09:51And, you know, you've got to hope you can plug him in there for the next,
09:54like you said, five to ten years.
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