00:00Our buddy Mary Kay Cabot has been my partner in the Get Us Some Wide Receiver campaign.
00:06And it's finally happened.
00:08Mary Kay, you probably didn't even know.
00:09We go to the Wise Heart, right? We make it right, call Kyle Wright Hotline.
00:13She covers the Browns for the PlainDealerCleveland.com.
00:15You can hear her on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
00:18Mary Kay, we have wide receivers. At least it looks that way.
00:22Oh, I know that we've been in the wide receiver club together, Jeff.
00:26There's no question about that.
00:27You and me.
00:28Right? We've been hammering away at this for years, really.
00:32And I do think they finally have that formidable wide receiving core that they have needed.
00:38And these two young guys have just been dynamite.
00:40They're fun to watch. They're eclectic.
00:42They can do so many different things.
00:44And I think fans are going to love these guys.
00:46I love when you two wear your velour jerseys to your games.
00:50You guys are the best.
00:52And Jeff's got those sequins. They're amazing.
00:54It's a good look, yeah.
00:55They are amazing.
00:56It's a real good look.
00:57How refreshing is that, though?
00:59I mean, just from a big...
01:01I think Browns fans, you know, there were a lot of things that they were probably like,
01:04oh, over the weekend.
01:05But being able to see a couple wide receivers that can do some damage.
01:09And then watching Casey Concepcion not only play wide receiver, but also return punts,
01:13I think was...
01:14It's just, it's one of those things that's been broken and it feels like it was fixed.
01:20Well, all you have to do is look to last year and see what Joe Flacco was able to do
01:25in Cleveland and then what he was able to do in Cincinnati when he went and had some great receivers
01:30to throw the ball to.
01:31So, it really helps a quarterback and you just can't put a quarterback out there without enough weapons.
01:37Now they've got weapons.
01:39And once it all comes together, whoever's out there at quarterback, if you've got Casey and Denzel and Isaiah and
01:45Jerry, who's starting to really heat up and look great, and Harold Fannin Jr., you're going to be able to
01:51pick your poison.
01:52You know, Mary Kay, Jerry Judy has caught a lot of grief here and people will say, well, it's because
01:57he hasn't caught enough balls that were thrown into his hands.
02:00Okay, whatever the reason, fine.
02:02The idea that there are a couple of other wide receivers who are going to attract some attention and keep
02:07maybe some of it away from Jerry, I expect him to look pretty good this year and maybe have a
02:13big-time season.
02:15Well, I think so, too.
02:17And the key here right now with Jerry is that they're freeing him up to move around, to play in
02:22the slot, to play outside, to do some different things.
02:25And teams aren't always going to know exactly where he's going to be on any given play, and they can't
02:31always commit their number one cornerback to him.
02:34So, he's going to get some different looks.
02:36He's going to get some different coverage.
02:38And I think it's really going to bring him back to an elite level, and he looks really good in
02:45camp lately.
02:46And I just think that he'll have a better year this year.
02:49What do you think Todd Munkin learned about himself in the first preseason game, and then what did he learn
02:54about his team?
02:56Well, I think operationally, they are owning some of the issues themselves.
02:59I think they know that they have to fix some things on the coaching end of it.
03:03And if they have to simplify a few things, so be it.
03:06But I think, for the most part, he felt pretty good about how they were communicating, how they were handling
03:13things on the sidelines.
03:15I'm sure it's just a lot of traffic and a lot of busyness for him that he hasn't had to
03:19deal with before.
03:20And he really hasn't been in this kind of role since 2013 to 2015 when he was the head coach
03:26at Southern Miss.
03:27Fortunately for him, he's been a head coach on some level before.
03:30I think that's important because you do then realize how you are in charge of the whole entire operation
03:37and how many ways you are being pulled on any given day.
03:41So I think that's good.
03:42But they still have some kinks to work out, and they still have some operational stuff to work through.
03:48Mary Kay Cabot joining us.
03:50Orange and Brown talk podcast.
03:52And, of course, you can read all of her coverage, terrific coverage of the Browns, at theplainedealerandcleveland.com.
03:58I've heard you say it.
03:59I've said it, Mary Kay.
04:01I sure wish they could pick a quarterback sooner rather than later because there are so many other pieces to
04:06the offense
04:06and they need to get on the same page together.
04:09But here we are, probably about as deep as you could possibly go without having a starting quarterback.
04:15Do you expect it to happen at least by Monday of next week or Tuesday?
04:19Well, I do think that after this game against the Bills on Saturday, and maybe even before that,
04:26maybe they will know in their own minds after the joint practice on Thursday.
04:30But it's coming to a head here.
04:32They have got to know who their starting quarterback is at least by the time they get out there
04:37and practice on Monday of next week.
04:40And I actually think it should have been this week because I think this is a big week.
04:44I think these joint practices are pivotal.
04:46I think that your starting quarterback should be getting the bulk of these first-team reps.
04:52Today's going to be a big day for Deshaun because it's a padded practice.
04:55And then he's going to be supposedly splitting those reps on Thursday.
05:00But I don't know if it's going to be an actual 50-50 split or if Deshaun will get most
05:04of them
05:05and Shador will get some of them.
05:06We don't know how that's going to work out yet.
05:08But if you really think that Deshaun Watson is your starting quarterback
05:12and that's the way that you're leaning right now,
05:14then I think you've really got to nail this thing down
05:17and let him really get going with this starting 11.
05:21Let him get his timing down with the receivers.
05:23I watched him yesterday still throwing to Luke Floria and Gage Larvidan.
05:28I just don't think if he's your guy that he should be really doing that as much anymore.
05:32Mary Kay, I'm just curious about a couple players on this team.
05:35If you can just kind of give me an update in what you think their status is for long-term.
05:40One, Cedric Tillman.
05:42Two, DeJuan Jones.
05:43And Mike Hall also becomes a little bit of a mystery.
05:47Can you help me with all three of those guys?
05:49Well, Ced Tillman, you know, he's fallen down the depth chart
05:53just because of the new guys being here
05:55and Denzel Boston kind of being that big body wide receiver.
05:59So Cedric Tillman, I would think, would be somebody they would be willing to move
06:04if somebody wants to offer them something for Ced,
06:06who actually I think he looks really good this camp
06:09and I think he can help some football team.
06:11But they're too deep here right now for him, in my opinion.
06:14So that's that.
06:15And then when it comes to Mike Hall Jr.,
06:19I think we will see him back in practice soon.
06:21Not sure if it will be this week or not,
06:23but he is dealing with some kind of injury.
06:26We haven't seen him since that incident on the field
06:29that he had with Quinn Chun-Judkins.
06:32And we should see him soon, though.
06:34So I think that's really good news for them.
06:37And then DeJuan Jones, he is going to be on this football team.
06:44It's just a matter of is he going to crack the starting lineup
06:47or is he going to be sort of the swing tackle.
06:50So that's a decision that's going to have to be made over the next week.
06:54I think right now he might end up starting out as the swing tackle.
06:58But I've said this all along.
07:00I think the starting five offensive linemen,
07:04whoever's out there in Week 1 doesn't necessarily mean
07:07they're going to be all out there in Week 4.
07:09I think they have to get it out on the grass
07:10and see how it all functions together.
07:12Mary Kay, what did you think about the way the line played the other day?
07:16And though they added some assets to it,
07:18I don't know that the depth was very evident or good against the Bears.
07:23And it was weird to me DeJuan played so late in the game, too.
07:26Well, that's because he's a backup right now.
07:29And he's fighting for a position, not a roster spot,
07:32because he will make the team unless somebody makes the Browns
07:35an offer that they can't refuse for him.
07:36I know they don't want to move him.
07:38He's great, great depth at tackle, and they always need that.
07:42But I don't think that that game was necessarily an accurate representation
07:46of what the offensive line is going to be like.
07:49They did not play together very long.
07:51They were only together in there for the first two series,
07:53and the first one was a three and out.
07:56So they really didn't have much time to show what they can do.
07:58It's time to get that starting five together,
08:01working like that, five fingers on a glove as soon as possible.
08:04Mary Kay, how many guys are playing for their job
08:07as far as guys that maybe have been here before?
08:10I know I asked you about those three guys,
08:12but I look at a guy like Luke Whipler,
08:15who got some pretty good time the other day.
08:16He did.
08:16But then Parker Brailsford's probably ahead of him.
08:20So I'm just curious, like, Whipler,
08:22or maybe even some of the guys they've already drafted
08:24that might be on the bubble,
08:25other than Cedric Tobin, who you already talked about.
08:28Well, right now they need depth at center,
08:31so Luke Whipler is safe in that regard.
08:34Parker is still hurt with a wrist injury.
08:36Elton Jenkins is going to be their starting center.
08:40You know, I don't think there's too many guys
08:42that we're going to be shocked about come August 30th
08:45when they make the final roster decisions.
08:46I think we know pretty much who's going to make the team
08:49and who's not going to make the team right now.
08:51I think the one thing to look at is the quarterback position
08:54and what are they going to do with Dylan Gabriel and Talon Green.
08:57Are they going to try to put all four on the roster at the outset
09:00and then see if they can maybe trade one
09:03or finagle the roster or the practice squad a little bit?
09:07So I think that's an area to watch.
09:10But other than that, I don't think we have a whole bunch of guys
09:12that we're super curious about.
09:15Mary Kay Cabot joining us.
09:16You think we're going to see Talon Green in the third preseason game?
09:21You know, maybe.
09:23I would like to see him.
09:24I would definitely like to see him.
09:25I think this would be the game to play him
09:27because we know that it's going to be Shador and then Deshaun.
09:34And by the way, I don't think Deshaun should play in this game.
09:36I'm on record as stating that on our pod and stuff like that.
09:40I just don't think that it's going to be good work for him
09:43in the third quarter of this game with and against backups.
09:46I think it's too much of an injury risk.
09:48I just don't think it's the wise decision.
09:52But I know nobody agrees with me on that.
09:56I'll buy in.
09:57I'll buy in.
09:57You sold me on that.
09:59I didn't really think about it until you just said it.
10:01I'll buy in with exactly what you're saying.
10:03What does Deshaun have to gain by playing in the third quarter
10:05if he's playing with all his backups?
10:07Yeah, he's going to play.
10:08I think that they want him to have more time just in a live situation.
10:13And maybe they also want to see how he's going to handle the inevitable,
10:16probably, boos at Huntington Bankfield.
10:19So maybe that's part of it.
10:20But I would like to see Talen.
10:22We haven't seen very, very much of Talen in practice.
10:25I would like to see him in a game.
10:26I would like to see what he can do.
10:28I don't know if we'll get it or not.
10:29But maybe in the third preseason game we'll see some of that.
10:33But I'm very curious to see what he would be able to accomplish.
10:37Okay, there was one guy defensively who was not a starter
10:40who just jumped off the page and then he got dinged up.
10:44What do you think of Michael Coates Jr.
10:46and his opportunity not just to make the team if he's healthy
10:48but to impact the defense?
10:51Oh, he's been really good.
10:52He's a ball hawk.
10:53He's someone that just has a natural nose for the football.
10:57And you need those kinds of guys.
10:58We've seen him make those interceptions in practice
11:01and then he carried it over into the game.
11:03And that's what you want to see.
11:04You want to see a young guy like that take it up to the next level.
11:07And again, as you mentioned, he got hurt in this game
11:10and that's unfortunate because he really showed out in that game.
11:14And I think that he does have a chance to somehow be
11:17on this football team this year.
11:19Is there anybody else on the D who you're thinking,
11:21yep, they really enhanced their opportunity to make this team
11:25in that Bears game?
11:27No, I can't honestly say that I think that there's anybody
11:32that was on the bubble and isn't anymore defensively.
11:37I mean, right now, of course, they're a little short at defensive end.
11:42And so you're going to have Julian O'Quara, I'm sure,
11:46be in a good spot right now.
11:49But, yeah, I can't think of anybody else right now
11:52that was sort of in a bubble situation.
11:54This is kind of a weird question, too, but were there any optical illusions?
11:57Because I think sometimes when we watch preseason games,
12:00we see things that think, wow, that could be amazing.
12:03Or we get excited during the preseason about someone or something.
12:07You know what I'm saying?
12:08Like things that might not be what they are.
12:12Even bad play.
12:13Like people with bad play might be like, oh, well,
12:15he looked horrible in that game.
12:17But the reality of it was it wasn't scripted for them.
12:20And they were looking at other things.
12:22And the outcome of this player that we would normally expect to do something
12:25that didn't really doesn't matter.
12:29Well, I would say there's two young guys that have done a really nice job
12:33in camp, in the games.
12:35And it's probably going to be hard for them to make the team.
12:39It is going to be hard for them to make the team
12:40because they're deep at wide receiver.
12:42But Gage Larvedan and Luke Floria have had really, really nice performances.
12:46They've elevated their game.
12:48They're making plays all over the place, in camp, in the games.
12:52And if they don't end up here on the practice squad,
12:55maybe somebody else gives them a chance.
12:57But those two guys have worked really, really hard this summer
13:00and not sure exactly what they'll have to show for it.
13:03Good.
13:04Mary Kay, last thought.
13:05They signed A.J. Appanessa.
13:07Fails a physical.
13:08They bring in Jadavion Clowney.
13:10Things looking maybe positive.
13:11He goes to Houston.
13:13Now Zedarius Smith.
13:14Instead of coming back here, he goes to Atlanta.
13:17How badly do they need a defensive end?
13:19And is it strange to you that the last two guys, Clowney and Smith,
13:23both decided, hey, thanks, fellas, but no?
13:26No, it's not strange to me at all
13:28because if you look at those circumstances,
13:30Jadavion Clowney remained in Houston,
13:33where he lives year-round, where his family is.
13:36He has children in school.
13:38And he had an opportunity to just stay home
13:41and not move his family anywhere.
13:43So that one did not surprise me at all.
13:46And then, of course, the Browns would have liked to have had him.
13:50And then with Zedarius, the Browns did expect to sign him on Sunday.
13:55And that was supposed to happen.
13:57But then Atlanta came through at the 11th hour,
14:01and they have a starting opportunity for him
14:04because of things going on down there,
14:06and they offered him more money.
14:08So it's a business decision.
14:10Yeah, that'll do it.
14:11Yeah, I mean, it's a business decision.
14:13Yeah.
14:13And these things happen.
14:15I mean, these things happen.
14:16So this was not something where –
14:18I mean, if the Browns had decided to come through
14:20and throw a bunch more money at it, he'd probably be here.
14:23But if you're going to go get a couple more million from somewhere else
14:27and have an opportunity to start,
14:29then you're probably going to take that chance.
14:31So this was not something like nobody wants –
14:33I mean, Z was almost here.
14:35He was supposed to fly in on Sunday and get this thing done.
14:39And it's not that he didn't want to come here,
14:41but if somebody's going to give you a starting job
14:43and a bunch more money, you're probably going to do that.
14:46A pleasure as always, Mary Kay.
14:48Thank you very much for your time.
14:49Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
14:51You can listen to Mary Kay and, of course,
14:53read all of her work in the Plain Dealer on Cleveland.com.
14:55Thanks, Mary Kay.
14:56Thanks, Mary Kay.
14:57Thanks, guys.
14:58Mary Kay, on the Wise Heart Right We Make It Right call,
15:01Kyle Wright Hotline.
15:02They keep talking to these veteran defensive ends, Andy,
15:06and Mary Kay's reasoning as to why Clowney didn't come, absolutely.
15:11Why Smith didn't come, we get it.
15:13But they still need a defensive end, don't they, folks?
15:16It's Baskin and Phelps on the fan.
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