00:00Daryl Ryder, he provides plenty of curveballs and he joins us right now.
00:03Hello, Daryl.
00:04Hello, boys.
00:05Are you boycotting covering the Browns because Luke Floria is not being kept on the active 53?
00:12No, I am not.
00:14Will they be able to pass him through to the practice squad?
00:18I haven't read anything yet on the future of Luke Floria.
00:20That's why I ask.
00:21I beg your pardon if there's something that's come out.
00:23I'm sorry.
00:23Yeah, I think he'll get to the practice squad today.
00:26You know, I said that this morning, if they were coming off of 2020, going into 2021,
00:32I think a lot of fans would be like, yeah, them's the breaks.
00:35You know, that's the way it goes.
00:36Because you were coming off a playoff season.
00:39But if you're a team that's coming into 2026 after eight wins combined over the last couple years,
00:45you got a guy that is very unpopular starting as quarterback.
00:49I think some people want somebody to root for,
00:51so they might be a little bit upset that Luke Floria didn't make the team.
00:54I actually think I can understand it.
00:56Well, he doesn't play special teams.
00:59He doesn't.
01:00I mean, that's why he didn't make the team.
01:02So he'll be on the practice squad once he clears waivers, and that'll be that.
01:08And he'll be a roster move away from getting elevated.
01:13So I know he's a local kid.
01:18I just, I'm not going to get all that upset because he didn't make the 53.
01:23Yeah, it's a little disappointing.
01:24He had a great camp, had a great preseason.
01:27It would have been a great story.
01:30But when you look at that position room, when you're the sixth receiver in the position group,
01:39you have to do multiple things.
01:41And unfortunately for him, you know, his spot came down to special teams.
01:48If this were, can I probably say, you know, to your point, if this were like 10 years ago, right,
01:56where they're just, you know, the entire roster got burned to the ground,
02:00and they are really just rebuilding this thing top to bottom, inside and out.
02:09And I think that, yeah, then he probably makes the team way back then
02:15because the number six wide receiver is actually seeing the field offensively and whatnot.
02:22Like, right now, when you look at the wide receivers, I mean, even if he did make the 53-man
02:27roster,
02:28he's probably not seeing the field.
02:30Well, Darrell, I don't disagree with the football reasons why.
02:33Like, they went out and they drafted two.
02:34Basically, I know that one was pick number 39,
02:37but you basically have two first-round picks there in your wide receiver room.
02:40And then you got one in Isaiah Bond that they feel probably better than the fans do about his future.
02:44You've given money to Jerry Judy.
02:46I mean, I know the score, but from a fan standpoint, you know,
02:51they get excited about local guys scoring touchdown in preseason games,
02:54and I think we all get tired of going, well, when can we make something of a preseason performance?
03:01Because every time there's a good preseason performance, hey, you can't put anything into it.
03:04Well, any time there's a bad preseason performance, hey, you can't put anything into it.
03:08So what can a fan put into a preseason?
03:10No, I know.
03:11I mean, look at Dilla Gabriel, right?
03:14He had a great preseason performance there, and he's on injured reserve with a back injury.
03:20Apparently, he was carrying the team in that game against the Patriots or something.
03:24I don't know.
03:24I think Lima might have to ask you about that coming up here in a moment.
03:27Yeah, I'm sure.
03:28Very convenient timing on it.
03:30That's all I'll say.
03:31But, yeah, I mean, I just think that, you know, yeah, I mean, preseason is sometimes really hard to judge
03:42sometimes
03:42when you're talking about, you know, those performances, and there always seems to be a caveat that comes with it,
03:50right?
03:50I mean, Deshaun Watson did not have a good preseason at all, and he's the starting quarterback, right?
03:57And versus a guy like Floria, who had an outstanding preseason, and he doesn't even make the football team.
04:05So, I get where you're coming from, Ken.
04:08It is certainly a head-scratcher, but you've not heard the last of Luke Floria, and I think that's the
04:14good thing.
04:15I'm pretty sure that Andrew Barry or Todd Markin, whoever informed him that he did not make the 53,
04:21they told him to keep the phone handy today because they do want to bring him back on the practice
04:26squad.
04:27All right, Daryl, was yesterday the first day you had heard anything about this back situation for Dylan Gabriel?
04:36Yeah, I was surprised.
04:38So, like I said, I'm not going to go, I said this on the roster breakdown recap with Lance Reisland
04:45that we did on YouTube yesterday evening.
04:48You know, I'm not going to go full conspiracy theory.
04:50I certainly am going to have some fun with it, though.
04:51So, the timing of it just is absolutely beautiful for the Browns because they get to maintain the roster control
04:59of all four quarterbacks,
05:00which is what they wanted to do.
05:03Certainly, you don't want Dylan Gabriel hurt.
05:05That's unfortunate.
05:06But, you know, he's down now four weeks, and that basically buys you four weeks with Deshaun Watson to figure
05:15out what is what there.
05:16And then if you ultimately make a move, you know, if Deshaun gets hurt, he goes to IR, Dylan comes
05:23off IR.
05:24Like, it just, from a roster management standpoint, again, unfortunate Dylan has this injury,
05:30but it actually really does work out in the Browns' favor that he woke up with apparent back pain on,
05:37you know,
05:37whenever it was, Friday or Saturday.
05:40And, like, first we're hearing of it, that's for sure.
05:43Todd Munkin certainly didn't say anything about it, and neither did anyone else Friday or Saturday.
05:48Well, mum's the word on a lot of things.
05:50Yeah, well, Todd doesn't talk about injuries.
05:54He does not.
05:55That is, he'll give you answers to everything else, but if you ask him a question related to a player's
05:59injury,
06:00he keeps that close to the vest, which is understandable.
06:03And, you know, you certainly respect that because he does, he's great when it comes to answering just about every
06:11other type of question you throw at him.
06:12Do you agree with my mild concern about the depth of the defense?
06:17Yeah.
06:18Well, I'm concerned about the depth on both sides of the ball, but especially on the defensive side of things.
06:25I think that there could be some movement today with the defensive line.
06:29I certainly think that there's going to be some movement in the secondary.
06:35Offensive line for the Browns could be some movement there, should be some movement there,
06:38should be some movement in the tight end room as well.
06:43So, yeah, I think depth is a chief concern on both sides of the ball for this football team,
06:51but especially on the defense.
06:53So, no, I don't think, Ken, you should feel the least bit bad about being concerned about depth
07:00because it showed, look, the preseason showed us, okay?
07:05And so, yeah, I mean, there's some shoring up that needs to take place.
07:11Well, we could just turn right around and start blaming Mike Rutenberg for it.
07:14And I'm like, well, naturally there's going to be a drop-off when you lose Myles Garrett,
07:19but there's also the part of it where you don't have a lot of back-end depth and those guys
07:23end up having to play.
07:23Like, I don't think there's anybody who thinks that our entire starting secondary is going to play all 17 games.
07:33And after you get past the starters, like, yes, we believe great things in the future for Emmanuel McNeil-Warren,
07:38but I don't know if we could just assume it's going to be insane now.
07:42Like, yeah, MJ Emerson had a great rookie season, but I don't think anybody expected him to have the rookie
07:47season
07:47and he ended up having.
07:48You get what I'm saying?
07:48No, I get it.
07:50I mean, look at a guy like Trey Avery in the secondary who got – he was in the first
07:55round of cuts that the Browns did on Friday.
07:59Like, you look at a player like that who got a lot of reps, that they were hoping that there
08:06was going to be something there
08:07that they could use him and whatnot, and it didn't work out.
08:11And look, with the way camp went, with the way the preseason went, they were looking for depth contributors on
08:21that side of the ball, Ken.
08:23And unfortunately, in a lot of respects, there just wasn't a lot there.
08:29So I certainly feel a little bit better coming off.
08:32It felt like the depth on the defense – you know, week one was a disaster, right?
08:37I mean, Chicago just absolutely put the boots to them.
08:41But against the Bills and then against the Patriots, like, it was a little better.
08:46There was improvement there.
08:48So I don't know if there's anyone to blame for that.
08:52If anything, I guess you blame the guy that puts the roster together, and that would be Andrew Barry.
08:56But, you know, developing depth, and that was a question that I asked Mike Rutenberg
09:01in our conversation that Lance Reisland and I had with him on our YouTube channel.
09:07You know, how do you build and develop depth while also at the same time maintaining your defensive continuity?
09:14And it comes down to the practice reps, the preseason reps, et cetera.
09:18So they're trying to build the depth, and I think the only way they can do that is by giving
09:25guys opportunities.
09:26And so where they are in their team-building process, yeah, they have legit starters, okay?
09:33Now it's about filling in the role players behind those starters, and, you know, that might take a little time.
09:40Daryl, what are the odds that Deshaun Watson makes it to Game 3?
09:44I think I'm going to put it over 50%.
09:48I know a lot of folks think that this is a two-week audition because of the two road games,
09:53and obviously you don't want to turn your stadium into what the arena was in December of 2010 for LeBron
10:03James' return, right?
10:04You don't want to turn that into a hostile home environment.
10:06But I do think looking at the schedule and the way it lays out, you got Carolina for the home
10:13opener,
10:13and then you have Pittsburgh on a short week.
10:17So I kind of feel like it's a four-game tryout.
10:21I know I think you guys asked me or one of the shows that asked me about the tryout runway
10:27here
10:27or whatever you want to call it for Deshaun Watson, and I said probably six weeks.
10:32That's where I'm putting it at before they, you know, pull the trigger on a change, and I stand by
10:38that.
10:38But I don't think that this is going to be a two-week thing.
10:43Todd Munkin does not strike me as a guy that has a knee-jerk reaction to everything.
10:49I know how the fans are going to feel if the first two weeks come.
10:53Deshaun Watson is just absolutely awful, and he does look unplayable,
10:57and the Browns lose, and they lose ugly because the offense can't do anything.
11:02Yeah, we all know what that's going to be like those first two weeks of the season,
11:08but I think it's going to be four weeks because of the way that schedule lays out.
11:13And then you make the change after the Steeler game.
11:15If, again, everything is just awful and unwatchable,
11:19then you give Shador Sanders an extra long week to get ready for game number five.
11:26Daryl Ryder joining us on the show.
11:27How long will it be until Austin Barber takes over that starting spot at the guard?
11:31Well, I think it could be as soon as this week.
11:33We'll see.
11:34I mean, Todd Munkin made a clue.
11:35He said he's close.
11:37Yeah, and Munkin did say Saturday.
11:39Right now the lean is still to Tevin Jenkins, but Barber's coming on right now,
11:46and that was a little bit of a surprise because it really felt like the starting five
11:50on the offensive line was settled.
11:52So when Munkin was asked about Barber and then he just volunteered,
11:57yeah, you know, we're going to take a look at this over the next week
11:59and see where things stand.
12:00But right now the lean is to Tevin.
12:02But, you know, Barber has a shot.
12:04That was a little surprising.
12:06So not just that, but, you know, Parker Brailsford,
12:10could they get him up to speed to take over the center job at some point
12:14and move Elton Jenkins back to guard?
12:16So I think that there's going to be some moving pieces and parts on that offensive line
12:21as we go through the season here, Ken,
12:24and they try and really figure out what their best five looks like or, you know,
12:28God forbid there's an injury or something like that that forces them to make a change.
12:33But, yeah, I don't think that the starting five in week one,
12:36even if it ultimately ends up being Tevin Jenkins,
12:39I don't think that starting five is going to be set in stone for the rest of the year.
12:46Daryl, do we, just judging by, you know, where this roster is,
12:49I know the last few years you would say, oh, gone are the days where, you know,
12:54we didn't have to worry about losing guys or any of that.
12:57This roster this year right now, where does it stack up with the last five or so Brown seasons?
13:04Yeah, um, it's, I, I, obviously I don't think it's, I don't think it's nearly as good as the, the
13:132023 roster.
13:15And obviously we know what happened at the quarterback position for that team.
13:18They ultimately ended up winning 11 games and making the playoffs.
13:22I'm going to be watching the waiver wire today and see how many of the players that were released, uh,
13:27yesterday get claimed, uh, on waivers.
13:31And I think that that'll be a little bit of an indication, right?
13:33Uh, if, if your players are getting claimed on the waiver wire, that tells you that, you know, you've, you've,
13:39you've got a pretty deep football team and you ran into a numbers game and you can't keep everybody.
13:44But, um, I, I do feel like this is an improved roster from the previous two years,
13:51which is why despite the quarterback situation, I think that them winning six games is very doable.
14:00And I think eight wins isn't necessarily out of the question because I go back to last year in what
14:06they could have done.
14:07I realized the only one, the five games, they flipped the green Bay game.
14:11You could just say, you could easily say that was a loss as much as it ended up being a
14:16win.
14:16Uh, but there were, you know, three or four games that they should have and could have won last season.
14:21And that was with an offense that couldn't do anything.
14:24They averaged six, they averaged like 16 and a half points per game or less than 16 and a half
14:29points per game.
14:29Right.
14:30And they still could have won seven or eight games.
14:31Part of the reason Kevin's fancy got fired.
14:33So, um, I do think that this roster is good enough to win at least six games and maybe win
14:41eight.
14:42They're not a contender yet.
14:43Let's not get carried away.
14:44Um, I think if the football gods smile upon this team this year, probably eight wins is about their ceiling.
14:51But, um, this is a better roster than the previous two years.
14:55There is no question in my mind about that.
14:57All right, Daryl.
14:57Thank you very much for the time.
14:58All the very best to you and yours.
15:00You bet guys.
15:01Have a great week.
15:01The dangerous one, Daryl Ryder.
15:03He is brought to you by.
15:05Shive and Jewelers, Cleveland's premier jewelry store.
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