00:00Lance Reisland.
00:01Coach Riz joins the program.
00:02Coach, how's it going on a Thursday evening?
00:05What's going on, my friend?
00:06Happy Thursday to you.
00:08I am excited to talk to you, Coach, because it is preseason football time.
00:12We've got a dozen of these training camp practices under our belts.
00:16I did want to start the interview off, Coach, though.
00:19I just want to know from a coaching lens,
00:22what are the Browns and Todd Munkin going to be looking for
00:26in their evaluation process with Deshaun Watson
00:30against the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon?
00:34Well, I think for all quarterbacks, it starts with Deshaun,
00:37and it'll be Shador and his start.
00:38You're looking for, first and foremost, the operation.
00:41This offense is calculus before the snap and addition after the snap,
00:45so changing a run play from right to left,
00:48making sure you might have to change pass protection.
00:51You might have to change the play completely.
00:54Then you have motion and shifts, and you have six to ten snap counts.
00:58So just that overall operation.
01:00And this is a brand-new unit, so you want to make sure you're getting
01:03on and off the field.
01:05Not just the offense, but the entire, you know, this is new coordinators.
01:07This is a whole new operation.
01:09So there's going to be some learning curve here.
01:11So they want to make sure that operation is done right.
01:14Then the next thing for me is anticipation and accuracy.
01:17Are you able to match your eyes with your feet?
01:19Is the ball going to the right spot?
01:21Obviously, it'll come down to making the plays when you get to week one,
01:26but I think they're looking for more for both these guys.
01:29Are you going to the right spot?
01:30Are you getting into the right play, and does the play look –
01:32are we getting in and out of the huddle, and are we doing it with pace
01:35and tempo and sense of urgency, attention and detail,
01:38and just kind of that, you know, playing with your hair on fire.
01:41But on offense, it's a little bit different than defense,
01:43so you've got to play under control a little bit.
01:44So obviously, this is a whole new offense.
01:47I think the progression has been really good.
01:49For me, the operation issues that have been, you know, an issue,
01:52I don't think they're a huge issue, just not yet.
01:55You know, a week from now, Nick, or a week and a half from now,
01:58then I start going, uh.
02:00But right now, they're doing so much.
02:01You can argue that the operation has been better than I thought it would be
02:05because of all that they're doing.
02:07Coach, if there are, like, you know, operational issues, pre-snap penalties,
02:12those type of things in this preseason game Saturday,
02:15is that worth, you know, worrying about or probably not until later in the preseason?
02:22Well, you know, here's the thing.
02:23Operation issues, it's kind of a broad, you know, a broad issue.
02:27Is it the quarterback is not getting the play in on time?
02:29He has to go fast.
02:31His count is not as rhythmic as it's been throughout camp because he's in a panic
02:36or he's in a rush, or is the left tackle just excited?
02:39You know, is Austin Barber in his first nap just excited?
02:42There's a difference between that and my opinion, right?
02:44So one guy just has nervous energy ready to go.
02:47He'll get that cleaned up.
02:48You'd be a little bit more worried if the quarterback,
02:50just because this is such a quarterback-driven offense, you know,
02:54the quarterbacks have such leeway, but it's going to take some time
02:57because to get into a really good play, they have to learn so much.
03:00So for me, the operation comes down to what is the operation issue?
03:04Is it a receiver jumping off sides?
03:06That's a bigger deal for me because they're looking down at the ball
03:09as compared to an offensive lineman.
03:11You know, is it a formation issue?
03:13Did the quarterback call it wrong in the huddle?
03:15Or did a young receiver line up wrong?
03:18Did they get the motion wrong?
03:20Did they get the shift wrong?
03:21Things like that.
03:22So it comes back to the quarterback.
03:24That's the nature of position.
03:25It's always too much credit, too much blame.
03:27But where is the operation issue coming from kind of tells you,
03:31and obviously that will be behind closed doors that we don't hear about,
03:33but when you watch it on film and you're in that meeting,
03:37if you had to be a fly on the wall, what is causing the operation issues?
03:40That's where the, that's where if it's all quarterback, then yes,
03:43you're a little bit more concerned.
03:44If it's nervous energy and you're ready to play, you want, you don't,
03:47those aren't good either.
03:48And those aren't acceptable,
03:49but those are a little bit more acceptable than, you know,
03:52not knowing what you're doing.
03:54Coach from your lens,
03:56is it a big deal that Deshaun Watson is the first up
04:00and then Shador in preseason week two.
04:03And we don't know who it's going to be yet.
04:05Obviously in preseason week three,
04:06I spent the whole first hour of the show saying how I do think it is a big deal.
04:11And I do think it matters just because I don't know how many starters are going
04:15to play with Sanders against Buffalo in week two.
04:19You know how that goes, especially with the joint practice.
04:22That's where a lot of their real work is going to come in.
04:25And then they're probably potentially going to arrest a lot of guys against
04:28Buffalo in week two.
04:29So I don't know how true enough of an evaluation we get on Shador.
04:33Do you think the order of how they're starting these quarterbacks matter any?
04:38Well, you know, I'm a little opposite.
04:39You know,
04:40obviously you and I always have good discussions about like what's important,
04:43what's not for me.
04:43It's not.
04:44And here's why,
04:44because of this offense,
04:46you know,
04:47there's a lot you can do now.
04:48He can't help pass protection if they get beat,
04:50but if he doesn't set the pass protection,
04:53then that would be on him.
04:54If a guy gets beat and he has to scramble,
04:56that's not on him does he throw an accurate ball,
04:58but the guy doesn't get separation?
05:00Does he,
05:01you know,
05:01is he on time?
05:02Does he anticipate?
05:03Does he get them in the right run play?
05:04There's so many things that you can do that are within your control in this
05:08offense that you can get a good look.
05:10And you are in,
05:11for me,
05:11anytime you're live bullets and when you're going to see,
05:14even in practice,
05:15you're Munkin has made up more live around the quarterbacks,
05:18but in the preseason,
05:19you're going to get hit too.
05:20And there's a big difference between when you're getting hit and going through
05:23your stuff and not getting hit.
05:25And,
05:26you know,
05:26for me with this offense,
05:27everything he can get into,
05:28I don't,
05:29I think they're going to have plenty of reps.
05:30You know,
05:31the,
05:31the reps have doubled in practice.
05:32The 11 on 11 competitive reps have doubled.
05:35And for me,
05:36after 13 practices,
05:38there's,
05:38there's been too many highs and too many lows.
05:40There's been too many,
05:40uh,
05:41Shador is the answer and too many Shador is,
05:44uh,
05:44terrible too many,
05:45which,
05:45uh,
05:45the Sean,
05:46uh,
05:47hasn't been good for six years.
05:48Uh,
05:49for me,
05:49that means absolutely nothing for what he's doing in camp.
05:52For me,
05:52it's everything they've done.
05:53And I've been very impressed with both of them.
05:55I don't understand the narrative.
05:56And once again,
05:57I'm very respectful to how people,
05:59because everybody looks at football differently,
06:00but I thought they've done some really good things because there's so
06:03much,
06:04it's like a receiver.
06:05You're not,
06:05you just don't catch football.
06:06You have to block.
06:07And as a quarterback,
06:08yes,
06:09throwing is the most important thing,
06:11but you've got to do a lot right besides throwing it.
06:13And obviously it comes down at the end of it.
06:15You got to make the throws,
06:16but leading up to it.
06:18And this whole kind of thing leading to this test,
06:19I don't think it's a big deal.
06:21I think these both guys got to improve.
06:23There's enough reps in practice.
06:24There'll be enough reps throughout the training camp and throughout these
06:27preseason games in the joint practices,
06:29somebody will kind of push themselves to the front.
06:32Coach Riz,
06:33Lance Reisland,
06:34joining us now on the wise heart,
06:36We make it right.
06:37Call Kyle,
06:38Hotline Lance.
06:40The Browns published that first unofficial depth chart that everybody loves to get
06:45their paws on.
06:46Um,
06:47and Elton Jenkins starting center,
06:51Tevin Jenkins,
06:53right guard.
06:54Do you think that's what they could potentially have up their sleeve for week one against
06:59the Jaguars as well?
07:00It feels like that Parker Brailsford injury probably just happened at the worst possible
07:04time.
07:05Yeah.
07:05You know,
07:06the wrist injury is bad for him and it's hard when you don't get these camp day in day
07:09out camp reps.
07:10It's really hard to even get caught up,
07:11especially as a rookie.
07:12Now I look at it this way,
07:13Elton Jenkins being,
07:14uh,
07:14when you look at a guard in a center,
07:16that's a little bit,
07:17you know,
07:18he's been an all pro guard,
07:19but he's a really good center and you do so many things with the guards.
07:22It's for me,
07:24the idea that he can play tackle as well,
07:26which he can,
07:26it's super impressive,
07:27but those interior guys,
07:28uh,
07:29they're pretty universal as long as they can snap in terms of their blocking
07:33responsibilities against an odd and even front.
07:35Uh,
07:35the thing that I really like about this,
07:37so having a quarterback who is either coming back,
07:39uh,
07:40from not having played,
07:41you know,
07:41particularly well in a long time or a young kid in the second year,
07:45having Elton Jenkins at the center,
07:46I think is a big deal,
07:47uh,
07:48because he's a veteran and he can help with pass protection.
07:50He can help,
07:51uh,
07:51communicate things along the line to a whole new unit,
07:55uh,
07:56where they need to line up,
07:57who they're getting to,
07:57who they're chipping to on double teams.
07:59So having that veteran presence at the center,
08:01especially early on in the year,
08:03uh,
08:04you know,
08:04it's big.
08:04And then obviously if Parker Brantford comes along,
08:06then you can have Kevin Jenkins be the,
08:08you know,
08:09the swing guard and,
08:10uh,
08:10obviously with a Fano winning that job at left tackle,
08:13who's going to win the,
08:13you know,
08:14the swing tackles are going to be Barbara Jones.
08:16Uh,
08:16but yeah,
08:17I think the idea,
08:18you know,
08:18that you're going to have a Spencer Fano Johnson,
08:21uh,
08:21the Jenkins brothers and Howard,
08:22I think that's going to be your starting,
08:24uh,
08:24your starting offensive line.
08:25And then,
08:26you know,
08:27I,
08:27the swing tackle and what's going to happen with Katie Levinson,
08:29who's been pretty solid at the guard.
08:31Uh,
08:32those are battles I'm going to be looking for,
08:33uh,
08:34Saturday afternoon.
08:35What do you make out of Spencer's rookie trading camp at left tackle?
08:39And is there anything that fans should be watching for on their TV,
08:43uh,
08:44Saturday against the bears?
08:45Well,
08:46the thing that,
08:46you know,
08:47obviously he,
08:47when you look at him,
08:48he's an interview,
08:49he's a young kid.
08:50He's got a baby face.
08:51Uh,
08:51obviously there's some girl,
08:52there's some grown man strength that he's going to have to get.
08:55And even in practice,
08:56he's battled Jared verse,
08:57but occasionally Jared verse will get into him with that strength and get
09:00into his chest and back,
09:01uh,
09:01move him backwards a little bit.
09:03There's two things that really stand out.
09:04One is he's a fierce competitor.
09:07He has not backed down from Jared verse at all.
09:10And Jared verse goes 1 million miles per hour on every single rep of every
09:14single drill.
09:14It's pretty impressive to watch.
09:16And Fano has been there right with him.
09:17And I love leadership of verse because he's pushing him in practice and then
09:21he's helping him.
09:22Uh,
09:22they're fighting in practice,
09:23but after practice or shaking hands,
09:24they're just trying to get better.
09:26But what you'll see why he was such a,
09:28why he was a top 10 pick is watch his feet.
09:30His feet are that of a tight end.
09:33He can move and he can get into those kick steps and get out to those.
09:36He will not lose many battles.
09:38Even as a rookie to speed rushers guys who go speed to power,
09:41he'll have some issues early in the game,
09:44but as things get tired,
09:45he won't,
09:45he's a competitor.
09:46Uh,
09:47and then as he gets stronger and stronger and stronger,
09:49he's going to be a,
09:50uh,
09:50in my opinion,
09:51a franchise left tackle because of the feet,
09:53the feet are absolutely amazing.
09:56How light they are.
09:57When you see him move,
09:58just watch him when he moves out there,
09:59you'll see him when he's moving on screens and stuff like that.
10:01He's incredible on how,
10:02how light he is on his feet.
10:04Lance,
10:04everybody's pointing to this preseason,
10:07uh,
10:08joint practice against the Buffalo bills is a huge day for the quarterbacks and
10:14the quarterback competition.
10:15I'm actually curious to see how the defense looks against a good Buffalo
10:21bills offense led by Josh Allen.
10:24Do you agree that that could be a pretty big test for Jared verse who has
10:27been pretty good and newly extended grant Delpit and Denzel Ward and company
10:31under Mike Rutenberg in their first season,
10:34what are your thoughts on that?
10:35And how good do you think this defense can actually be after losing Schwartz
10:40and miles in the off season?
10:41Well,
10:42you know,
10:42there's,
10:42there's two things.
10:43Everybody say,
10:44you know,
10:44you don't replace,
10:45uh,
10:46miles Garrett.
10:46We've,
10:46everybody said that he's been out there every day,
10:48but Jared versus a very good football player.
10:50And one player doesn't make a defense.
10:52You don't replace a generational talent.
10:54I didn't want to trade miles Garrett.
10:55I've always,
10:56uh,
10:56I'm not a good enough coach.
10:57I always try to get better players,
10:58right?
10:59I tried to get our guys in the weight room and,
11:01and,
11:01and develop them because,
11:02uh,
11:03there's a lot of really good coaches out there.
11:04But if you have better players,
11:05you win.
11:06And then if you get better players,
11:07then you create the culture.
11:08So what's happening with this defense is they have a great culture and now
11:11they have great leadership.
11:12Obviously Carson Schwestinger is a great leader,
11:14uh,
11:15but Quincy Williams and Jared verse vocally have been the leaders of the
11:18camp.
11:19And,
11:19uh,
11:19it's pretty great to see.
11:21So I think they can be,
11:22you're not going to have the individual talent,
11:24but I think this defensive line,
11:25Mason Graham's going to have a big year,
11:27obviously question mark of Malik Collins.
11:29Can he come back?
11:30Cause he was playing at an all pro level.
11:32Alex Wright has been super impressive.
11:34Opposite of Jared verse along with Isaiah McGuire.
11:37And then Quincy,
11:38well,
11:38like I said,
11:38Quincy Williams,
11:39not only vocally,
11:40uh,
11:41but he,
11:41I think is an upgrade from Devin Bush,
11:43who I really liked last year.
11:44And then you have two elite corners,
11:47right?
11:47You have two guys who can really cover one who's top five,
11:50uh,
11:50and Tevin Campbell,
11:51especially in man coverage is just elite.
11:53And then these safeties,
11:54you know,
11:54Delpit and Hickman,
11:56and then this young kid,
11:57Emmanuel McNeil Warren,
11:58he's a special athlete.
12:00Now there's a learning curve there,
12:01but when you see him on the field,
12:02his movement skills are through the roof.
12:03So,
12:04yeah,
12:04I think this defense can't be as good.
12:06The big thing for me is not going to be the personnel.
12:08I think the personnel is great.
12:09And it's not really a Rutenberg Rutenberg is one of my favorite coaches.
12:12He's absolutely crazy.
12:13And I love him.
12:14And he's a defensive minded guy.
12:15It's going to be his first time calling plays.
12:17So what does he do on third and four?
12:19That's what Schwartz was great at.
12:20Schwartz was a situational,
12:22uh,
12:22play caller who had done it for a long time was very good.
12:25That's where the learning curve will come.
12:27I think for this defense,
12:28and I think he'll get it as well.
12:29Uh,
12:29if they're going to have a learning curve,
12:31it would be early on,
12:32you know,
12:33but Nick,
12:33there's some really good players at all three levels of this defense.
12:36I expect them to be very good,
12:37very quickly.
12:38Coach,
12:39give me one player.
12:40It could be offense or defense that you've been impressed with.
12:44And what you've seen in over a dozen training camp sessions,
12:47plus another 10 to 12 OTAs that just hasn't gotten that much time,
12:52maybe on sports talk radio or coverage on the social media streets that we
12:57should be talking more about going into this preseason.
13:00I think that's a great question.
13:01So we've talked about all,
13:02you know,
13:03the quarterback and how good the receiver room is and all these love linebacker,
13:06you know,
13:06we've,
13:07we've done all that,
13:07but a guy who I've been super impressed with is Tylan Wallace to pick up
13:11from last year.
13:12So I thought they had four receivers.
13:13I think there's a battle for the sixth receiver.
13:16Obviously,
13:16Jerry,
13:17Judy,
13:18Casey,
13:19Boston,
13:20Isaiah Bond have been outstanding.
13:21Those four,
13:22I think are a lock to make the team.
13:24And then Tyler Wallace has been nothing but very,
13:26very good.
13:27And I thought he was a special teams guy only.
13:29So once again,
13:30that's why you got it for me.
13:31I always try to get out there and watch him.
13:32He's been good in the slot.
13:33He's been a good outside.
13:34He can run the motions with the little guys.
13:36He can do a ton of things receiver wise.
13:39Now that just adds to the depth of that room.
13:41I'm also going to throw in Gage Larvardan and Luke Floria,
13:43whether they make this team or not,
13:45you would hope they'd be on the practice squad.
13:47Cause these guys will give you a great look every day.
13:49They've been,
13:50they've been nothing but open all camp.
13:52But if you ask one guy,
13:53you know,
13:53you and I and all of us,
13:54we talk about all these guys all the time.
13:56The guy that no one talks about that.
13:57I'm super impressed with Tylan walls.
13:59He just makes plays every day.
14:00I absolutely love it.
14:02He is coach Riz,
14:04the follow for all of your Browns related football conversation at Lance
14:10Riseland on X coach.
14:11Thanks so much.
14:12Absolutely.
14:13Thanks for having me,
14:13but I'll talk to you soon.
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