00:00We've got a venerable beat reporter joining the program right now.
00:05I realize that's not the word I really wanted to use, and she's very smart.
00:08She might jam me up for using that word.
00:10But I mean, it was a very talented reporter here.
00:12You know her from CBS Sports.
00:15You know her from covering the AFC North for not as long as you think,
00:20because, you know, just a couple years, because I'm just going to stop talking.
00:24On the Wise Heart Right, we make it right.
00:25Call Kyle Wright Hotline.
00:28Aditi Kinkabwala joining us now.
00:30Aditi, welcome to the show.
00:32Venerable does feel like an adjective you would use for someone who's older.
00:37Yeah, so I just thought if I keep it.
00:40I mean, it's a good adjective.
00:41It's complementary, that's for sure, but doesn't imply age.
00:46I just thought if I kept talking, I'd talk my way out of it,
00:50and then I realized that was not happening.
00:53No, you talked yourself further into it.
00:54Which is usually how this goes.
00:58Okay, but I can't have it both ways, because I am older.
01:02I've covered the league for 17 years.
01:05So if I want to feel like there should be some credibility, authority attached to my experience,
01:15well then, I'm not going to lie about how long that's been.
01:19It has been a long time.
01:21So I could have just stuck at venerable.
01:23All right, Aditi, you're out of camp today.
01:26I know you're back on the road.
01:28You're just a bit ashamed.
01:29Oh, that's so much.
01:31See, this is why you graduated college, and I drank a lot of beer.
01:36All right.
01:37What did you see out here in camp today, Aditi?
01:38It's usually exclusive.
01:41You know, I went, so, it's funny, I'm telling you, 17 years I've covered the NFL.
01:45In my very first training camp, I was a beat reporter, and it was Tom Coughlin's Giants.
01:50And obviously, that was a different era.
01:52There were two a day, lots of walkthrough, lots of full pads.
01:57But in a lot of ways, Todd Monson's practice made me think of that.
02:02The attention to detail, the pace at which things moved, the speed, the energy, all of it felt the length.
02:13This wasn't any little, like, one hour, okay, we're out here, and that's it, and now we'll get ice cream.
02:18These felt like really intense, good, hard sessions, and clearly there's buy-in.
02:28You know, so I almost feel like the bigger statement there is that there's a really good core of players,
02:35both young and old, who are willing to work this way.
02:40And, you know, I did get to chat with Todd Monson in a bit, and I was saying to him,
02:44you know, like,
02:45I'm pretty impressed that there's this kind of buy-in, and his response is, we've got good guys.
02:50We really do have good guys here.
02:52So it's nice to hear that.
02:53It's nice to hear that that's what a coach thinks.
02:55It was certainly nice to see the work.
02:58The music is loud, and so that means the coaches are coaching loud.
03:02And you kind of appreciate that, because that almost forces them to bring even more energy.
03:07I don't know.
03:09It was a good experience.
03:11Aditi, it was obviously another day where all eyes were on the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shador Sanders.
03:20What have you made of this entire competition?
03:23But more specifically, what did you think of what you saw from both of those two guys today?
03:29So, obviously, today was the day that it was Shador's turn to work with the ones, and Ben, this is
03:36my first practice this summer,
03:38but he definitely looks like he has grown as a player in year two, but he has definitely...
03:59All right, we're going to pop Aditi on hold real quick.
04:02Mac, if you can go ahead and see if we can strengthen the connection there.
04:08See what happens is...
04:09Oh, can you hear me?
04:10Did you lose me?
04:11Is that the Ohio turnpike?
04:14I always blame that damn turnpike.
04:16I was brilliant when you lost me.
04:19And not just that.
04:20That was one of the best answers of what I've heard.
04:23One of the three best answers I've heard about this quarterback competition, Aditi.
04:29Well, where did we leave off?
04:31Was I telling you what I saw of Shador?
04:33Yes.
04:33I think somewhere in the...
04:37Somewhere in there.
04:39Well, yes.
04:40So, as I said, as you would expect or as you would hope for any player in his second season,
04:45we've certainly seen a lot of growth, or I am seeing a lot faster.
04:52It appears that he's managing the huddle, the operation, all of that, more comfortably, with more confidence.
04:59But, you know, Deshaun Watson looked good to me.
05:06The velocity and the accuracy with which he's throwing the ball, his ability to catch some guys in stride.
05:13You're not seeing receivers come back to get the ball.
05:16That all looks good.
05:17I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but from what I've been told, he's in a much better
05:23headspace than he's been for the last few years.
05:25That he himself has seen and made a lot of growth, progress.
05:31And I just think that so much of this is what do we see when the lights come on?
05:37What happens then?
05:38What happens to Deshaun in a hostile environment when he's booed, when people are screaming for Shador because you know
05:45that that will happen?
05:48I want to see that piece of it.
05:50And then, of course, you want to see what Shador does in a game.
05:52And so, you know, in an ideal world, the Browns know who their quarterback is.
05:58I don't think that this is for show.
06:00I think that there are still, indeed, some questions that need to be answered that can only be answered in
06:06a game environment, a game setting.
06:09And I don't think that there's any established timeline other than they'll name a quarterback when they know who the
06:17quarterback should be.
06:19So it's interesting, Aditi.
06:21Today, you know, Deshaun has, in camp specifically, had some really rough stretches here.
06:29And then yesterday, in 11-on-11s, the light kind of came on, and he had another good practice today.
06:35And I thought it was really interesting that there was a lot of reporting today, a lot of maybe opinion
06:40pieces out there today, that Deshaun was still kind of in the lead.
06:43I don't think that was a mistake.
06:47Part of me wonders if the Browns are using the threat of Deshaun to keep pushing Shador.
06:54And that ultimately, while everybody thinks their goal is to get Deshaun as a starter,
06:59I think really that they just want to get Shador to a spot this year where that happens.
07:03I'm now asking you to grade my take.
07:08I'm a little bit confused by your take.
07:10Do you mind repeating that or explaining that again?
07:14Yes.
07:15I think that...
07:16You think that they're only using Deshaun to push Shador?
07:20I don't think that's the only reason.
07:22But I think the fact that yesterday he finally had a good practice in camp,
07:28and a day later, everyone's talking about how Shador...
07:32I'm sorry, Deshaun is still in the lead.
07:34I do think they are using the implied threat of what Deshaun has made in this league.
07:40And Deshaun's...
07:41You know, we all remember 2020 Deshaun Watson to keep pushing Shador,
07:47even though I think, if I just base it off what I've seen out here,
07:50Shador has been the vastly better quarterback through the five practices that I've watched.
07:55But you already said that you're biased.
07:58You said you're...
07:59Oh, 100%.
07:59Yeah.
08:00So then, I mean, is that really a credible take?
08:03I think so.
08:06Okay.
08:08I don't know.
08:08If you want to...
08:10Nick, if you want to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League,
08:15you should not need any external motivation to work hard and get better.
08:19So, this idea that the Browns are playing three-dimensional chess
08:25and planting takes on Deshaun just to motivate Shador, no way.
08:30That's not the way that it works.
08:32If you want to play quarterback in the National Football League,
08:36you yourself better be motivated.
08:39You yourself better go out there every single day wanting to get better
08:42and wanting to make discernible advancements in what you are doing.
08:48Deshaun is a veteran.
08:50He has seen just about everything he can see.
08:55The way that he can move is still notable.
09:01He has a lot going for him.
09:04He still throws, as I said earlier, a really nice ball.
09:11We need to see them under the lights.
09:13We need to see Deshaun under the lights.
09:17We need to see him when a crowd is booing him,
09:22when a crowd is chanting for somebody else.
09:24It's been a long time since he played meaningful football.
09:28Aditi, how good could this Browns defense be,
09:31even without Miles Garrett?
09:33There's just been a ton of excitement for Jared Verse out here.
09:38Well, you know what?
09:40It's a common phrase, but he really is a force multiplier.
09:44He really is.
09:46I talked to him about this today.
09:47He feels very strongly.
09:49One of his strongest tenets is that to be a truly elite player,
09:53you need to make your teammates better,
09:55and not just by virtue of your play, but by virtue of who you are.
10:00And he's certainly putting his money where his mouth is.
10:04The way that he's pushing and working with Mason Graham,
10:07the way that he is spending time with the rookie left tackle, Spencer Fano,
10:11the way that he is constantly talking out on the field, offering encouragement,
10:18all of those things, it's really marked, it's really noted,
10:24and this is a team that has really needed player leadership for the last few years,
10:30and you've got it in this guy.
10:32You really, really, truly do.
10:34And so is he Miles Garrett?
10:36No, Miles Garrett is one of one.
10:38But for all of the amazing, incredible things that Miles Garrett did,
10:43for all of the ways that Miles Garrett could wreck games,
10:46it didn't ultimately lead to enough wins.
10:50It didn't lead to a regular spot in the playoffs.
10:55So it's not just about the one superstar.
10:59It has to be the sum of all the parts.
11:02And in Jared Burst, you've got a guy who's very young,
11:06who still has so much untapped potential,
11:09who's so hungry to be better,
11:11who studies all of the elite pass rushers,
11:14and just like this can call off what he likes about everybody's game,
11:19who's only going to get better, who's only going to be used.
11:22I mean, you were just talking to Alex Wright about a defensive line
11:26that's kind of getting undersold or underestimated.
11:29And you know how strongly we feel about the back end in Cleveland.
11:33So I think that this is a player who could help the entire sum be more.
11:42And that has to count for something.
11:45All right, Aditi, let's take a quick look around the AFC North.
11:50What are kind of you hearing out of Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh?
11:56Well, Cincinnati's defense obviously has to be markedly improved,
12:01and I'm hearing that it is.
12:02They brought in a lot of talent, a lot of new bodies,
12:05but hopefully they work that scheme a little bit.
12:07And they were playing two rookie linebackers last year
12:09who got a ton of valuable reps, obviously.
12:14So that's what we want to pay attention to there.
12:17The Ravens have a whole new staff.
12:19So they have a lot of the same excitement that you're seeing in Cleveland.
12:21And new buy-in, I haven't seen them yet,
12:25but there's a lot of chatter about Lamar Jackson
12:27and the way he's working with the new offensive coordinator.
12:30We know that that team goes where Lamar Jackson takes it.
12:34And then the Steelers.
12:38I'm not sure about – there's another new coach, new energy,
12:44a different level of discipline, a different level of accountability,
12:47not a whole bunch of different rules for different people.
12:51If that should serve the Steelers well, what can Aaron Rodgers do?
12:57Aditi, it is always great catching up with you.
12:59It was great to see you out this – you didn't have your assistant, Nico,
13:02with you, which we will dock you for.
13:04But, no, it was seriously great to see you and best of travels.
13:09Well, thanks so much.
13:10And Nico is begging to come out, so hopefully in a few weeks,
13:14maybe when the Bills joint practice is here,
13:17his mom will bring him.
13:19Excellent stuff.
13:20Appreciate you.
13:21All right.
13:22Thanks for having me.
13:24Aditi Kinkabwala there, CBS Sports, on the Wiseheart Right.
13:27We make it right.
13:28Call Kyle Wright Hotline.
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