- 2 months ago
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham speaks with The Midday Show about contract philosophy, player retention, and establishing a winning culture under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Cunningham breaks down the team's quarterback evaluation process, details the decision-making behind acquiring Gervon Dexter Sr., managing roster cuts, and developing young defensive tackles.
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00:00General Manager Ian Cunningham joins us
00:02fresh off the press conference.
00:03I mean, hardly any time to catch his breath.
00:07Save the best for last.
00:07Save the best for last.
00:08How are you, Ian?
00:09What up, Ian?
00:10I'm good, guys.
00:11I just had to run back up to my office
00:12so I could call you guys.
00:13Well, I mean, your cardio for the day?
00:16No, no, no, no.
00:17I need a little bit more, though.
00:22Well, we haven't had a chance.
00:23We haven't talked to you since
00:25the introductory press conference.
00:26I know you met with the media
00:28at the beginning of training camp
00:29and then, again, just a few moments ago.
00:32But thanks for the time today.
00:33We appreciate it, as always.
00:35I just want to start with some of the big news
00:37from the offseason of
00:39you guys gave out a lot of new contracts.
00:42What do you feel like it does message-wise
00:44for a new regime to come in
00:46and get so many extensions done?
00:49Yeah.
00:50There was a lot that went into that
00:52just in terms of
00:54we've had conversations with
00:57some of the guys' representations
00:59all the way back to the combine, right?
01:01And so, like I've mentioned,
01:03it was top of mind.
01:04Knew that we were going to get to a point
01:05where we were going to do this,
01:07but needed to really focus on
01:10free agency and the draft
01:12and those sorts of things.
01:16But also, what it did was
01:18buy us a little bit of time
01:19to create our plan
01:21and understand the marketplace
01:23for all these positions
01:24and put our best plan forward.
01:27So, once we got to that place,
01:30it wasn't like we were just working
01:32on one extension at a time.
01:35There's a point where we were working
01:37on three extensions at one time.
01:38So, that goes to a lot of the preparation
01:41that we put in
01:44and happy with what we were able to do.
01:47And, Randy, I know, I'm sure you know,
01:49like, what is the message it sends
01:51to the locker room is like,
01:52hey, man, like,
01:53you do what you need to do on the field.
01:55You make an impact on the field.
01:57You make an impact in the locker room.
01:58You make an impact in the community.
01:59You know, we're going to reward you.
02:01And that's part of our philosophy
02:02is to retain our own.
02:04So, hopefully, the message was received
02:07and we look forward to continuing
02:09to show the locker room
02:13that's what we believe in.
02:14And you've been,
02:15obviously, you've been a part
02:16of the front office before now.
02:17You're running the one here in Atlanta.
02:19And this has to be still
02:21the hardest part of your job
02:23this past couple days
02:25as far as releasing
02:26and telling these guys,
02:27guys, you probably called
02:28to tell them to come to Atlanta,
02:30having to go that they,
02:31we're no longer going to be
02:32a part of the team.
02:33Yeah, it's the, you know,
02:34it's the worst part.
02:35And it's, it was the worst 72 hours.
02:38It never gets easy,
02:39nor should it get easy.
02:41You know, you know,
02:43I've been in that position.
02:44I've been in that seat.
02:45I know what it was like
02:45to be released.
02:47Granted, it wasn't as,
02:49as good as a lot of these guys,
02:51but knowing what that feels like,
02:53I've always made sure
02:54whenever I had that opportunity
02:57to be on the other side of the table
02:59that I would have, you know,
03:01show empathy and understanding
03:03and care and be thoughtful
03:05in that it, it, it,
03:06it doesn't get easy, you know,
03:08and some of these guys,
03:09a lot of these players,
03:10like you've built relationships with,
03:12you know, some of which
03:12I've built relationships with,
03:14you know, from some
03:16of my previous stops.
03:17So, uh, to, to tell them,
03:19you know, wanting to have
03:21that conversation face to face
03:22and not, not on the phone
03:23just to show respect.
03:25Um, and I do feel like
03:27it's, it's good for us
03:28to be able to share like,
03:29Hey, these are some of the things
03:30why, why we decided to move on.
03:33Right.
03:34And, and be open and honest
03:36and give them, you know, feedback
03:38because, you know,
03:39if we can help them, uh,
03:41further their career, uh,
03:42maybe change a thing or two
03:44that could potentially help them
03:45at their next stop.
03:46Um, you know, that's,
03:48that's worth it, you know,
03:49um, but it doesn't get easy.
03:51It's, it's not fun.
03:52Um, it's it, but the bitter,
03:55I guess the sweet that comes
03:56out of it is when, you know,
03:58you get your 53 and your 16
03:59practice squad guys,
04:00and you're about to take
04:02the field next week.
04:03With the 53, I think most
04:06people understand there's
04:07only so much you can do
04:08that you may want to do
04:10in a given off season
04:11to, to change your roster.
04:13And obviously we just
04:14talked about you wanting
04:14to retain some of the guys
04:16that, that you all
04:16inherited as well.
04:18Um, but what would you say
04:19as it stands now is
04:21the most obvious way
04:22that you could tell that
04:23you and Kevin Stefanski
04:24and this new regime
04:25have put your fingerprints
04:26on this roster?
04:28Yes.
04:29It's hard to just, uh,
04:30to, to pick one spot.
04:32Um, you know, really proud
04:34of the, the culture that,
04:37um, Kevin has created
04:38on the field and we've
04:40created in the, in the
04:41building, um, where you
04:43see guys that, you know,
04:44we release and, and they
04:46want to come back, right.
04:47And they want to come back
04:48on our practice squad, um,
04:50or they're waiting to, to
04:52hear if there, there's
04:53going to be an opportunity
04:54here.
04:54Like for me, if you can
04:55take anything out of that,
04:57it shows you that these
04:59guys want to be here, um,
05:00for us to be able to get
05:01guys from other, other
05:03teams who were with other
05:05teams during training camp
05:06and, um, to get them to
05:08decide to come here
05:10instead of going to
05:11another place.
05:12Uh, it shows, it shows us
05:14that, you know, guys in our
05:15locker room, you know, it's
05:16spreading, spreading around
05:18the league, like, Hey, how
05:19we do, how we do things
05:20here.
05:21And people see there's an
05:22opportunity for us to, you
05:25know, that we really value
05:26them as human beings first
05:27and foremost, and looking to
05:28develop them on and off the
05:30field.
05:30So proud of that, proud of
05:32what we're doing.
05:34Um, and, and, and really
05:35happy with where we're at
05:36right now.
05:37And you brought some guys,
05:38like you said, you brought
05:38some guys back that you did
05:39release.
05:40They were already on the
05:40team guys like Zach Harrison
05:41and, and, and, and those
05:43gentlemen like that.
05:43But I went out and want to
05:44talk about this trade that
05:45you made right before the,
05:47uh, right before the cuts and
05:48all this thing.
05:49And, um, Jervon Dexter
05:51senior, he's a guy that
05:52obviously you're familiar
05:52with there.
05:53What does he bring to the
05:55table?
05:55Obviously, you know, him,
05:56you're part of the process
05:57bringing him to Chicago.
05:58Yeah.
05:59I mean, you, you, when you
06:00guys get a chance to see
06:01him, you know, him and
06:02Mace are, are looking eye
06:04to eye.
06:05We've got two big young, uh,
06:08defensive tackles, uh, in
06:09the building who have both
06:10have a tremendous upside, but,
06:12but Jervon is, is, is he
06:15plays with, with violence.
06:17He's tough.
06:18He's a strong, uh, he can
06:20dent the pocket.
06:21Uh, this is a guy that has
06:23upside.
06:24He's got, you know, he had
06:25six sacks last year, so he's
06:27just, he's not just a run
06:28stopping, uh, defender.
06:30He's got, he's got the chance
06:32to, to put pressure on the
06:33quarterback as well.
06:34I'm really excited.
06:36We're really excited to see
06:37these two, uh, a lot of these
06:39young defensive tackles,
06:40defensive linemen grow
06:41together along with
06:42doorless.
06:44Um, so we get three guys
06:46right there under, under
06:4825 years old.
06:49Um, I feel like that's a
06:51one, that's a really good
06:52thing.
06:52And, and, and for us for
06:54now and into the future,
06:55that's what I thought you
06:56were going to say.
06:57The answer to my question
06:58before was the two big guys
06:59in the middle of the
07:00defensive line.
07:01But, uh, that, I guess
07:02that's, that's my answer to
07:03that question.
07:04Um, are you, are you
07:06surprised that the starting
07:08quarterback spot still
07:09hasn't been settled yet?
07:11Uh, no, not, I'm not
07:13surprised.
07:14I, you know, it's funny
07:16people have asked it, like
07:17you never, um, you, you,
07:20you have hope and you've
07:21got plans and you're trying
07:22to figure these things out,
07:24but things happen in, in, at
07:27different times, right?
07:28I know we live in this, this
07:29microwave society where we
07:30want instantaneous, like we
07:32want, we want results really
07:33quick and we really want to
07:34know what the answer is going
07:35to be, but things happen at
07:37different, at different times.
07:38Um, look, Mike has just
07:40become, he just became
07:42cleared, you know, for 11
07:43on 11 and, uh, we're
07:45starting to evaluate him.
07:46Um, you know, Cooper rush
07:48to, uh, you know, with Zach
07:49strands preseason, a lot of
07:51these guys have done some,
07:53some good things in the
07:54preseason.
07:55Um, but not surprised, um,
07:58with where it's at, just
07:59hoping that, you know, we can
08:01kind of get a few more
08:02evaluations under our belt and
08:04we'll make that decision, um,
08:06at the appropriate time.
08:07What did you learn about
08:08these two young backers that
08:09you got in, uh, Kendall
08:10Daniels and, uh, Harold
08:11Perkins Jr.?
08:12Oh man, these guys are,
08:13they bring energy, man.
08:15They're, we've got a young,
08:16young core there that, you
08:19know, going to Oklahoma,
08:20remembers going to the
08:21Oklahoma, Tennessee game
08:23last year and seeing Kendall
08:24Daniels and realizing, man,
08:25this is a, this is a
08:26linebacker, right?
08:27And he was, granted, he
08:29was a former safety, um, but
08:31still looking at the body
08:32type and a man, he can grow
08:34into his body, um, didn't
08:36think he was as vocal as
08:38he's shown here, right?
08:40He's already shown
08:40leadership capability.
08:42Um, he's a voice, he's a
08:44Pied Piper out there.
08:45He's made a lot of plays
08:47during training camp and
08:48in preseason games.
08:49So excited for his growth
08:50and development and brick
08:52scheme.
08:53And then Perk is a guy
08:54that, you know, was a
08:55household name as a rookie
08:56or as a freshman at, at
08:58LSU, uh, for the year
09:00that he had, but, you
09:01know, obviously, uh, some
09:02injuries and schematic
09:04changes, um, uh, at LSU
09:07played a factor in, in
09:08some of that.
09:09And we're fortunate enough
09:11to get a guy of his
09:12caliber of his skillset and
09:13talent level where we got
09:14him and he's, he's
09:16developing, um, and he's
09:18going to be fun to see,
09:19you know, just as a
09:20linebacker in coverage,
09:21but also as a, uh, blitzer,
09:23he's got a knack for how,
09:25how, uh, his ability to
09:27slip blocks and put pressure
09:28on quarterbacks as well.
09:29Falcons general manager, Ian
09:30Cunningham, joining us here
09:32on the midday show with
09:33Andy and Randy.
09:33I got one more
09:34quarterback question for
09:35you.
09:36Um, like at what point
09:37does not identifying who
09:39the starter is start to
09:40impact the team's ability
09:42to get ready for week
09:43one?
09:44Yeah, good question.
09:45Good question.
09:46I feel like the plan that
09:47that Kevin's put together
09:48in terms of splitting some
09:50of these reps and being
09:51very intentional, how he's
09:52doing it based off of
09:54certain, certain plays,
09:56certain periods.
09:57Um, it allows us to, you
10:00know, compare as best we
10:02can apples to apples, right?
10:04And so, uh, these guys are
10:06getting meaningful snaps and
10:08Mike's been getting a little
10:08bit more just with the ones
10:10just in team settings because
10:11he hasn't had that yet.
10:13Um, and I feel like he's
10:15done some really nice things
10:16these last few days, right?
10:17So, uh, kudos to, to, to
10:20Kevin, um, and the
10:21thoughtfulness of how he wanted
10:23to go about doing it and
10:24Tommy of how they wanted to
10:25go about attacking practice
10:26so we can get a true
10:27evaluation and a controlled
10:29environment.
10:30Um, and they've done that.
10:31And so, you know, we've got
10:33a couple more practices here
10:34and then, you know, look
10:36forward to making, making
10:37that call, uh, soon.
10:38I got to talk about my dogs
10:39real quick before we let you
10:40go.
10:40How many, obviously Zachariah
10:42Branch is going to play a big
10:43role in everything.
10:44And as far as the return
10:45game, uh, somebody you want
10:46to get the ball in the hands
10:47of, obviously him and also
10:49so happy for Cass Jones
10:51making the practice squad.
10:52Yeah.
10:53Yeah.
10:53ZB, man, I think you guys
10:55have seen it, you know,
10:55what he's been able to do.
10:57I think we talked about it
10:58before just in the draft
11:00process.
11:00And once we selected them
11:01saying that, you know, we
11:03saw him, like he's, he's
11:04not just a gadget guy, you
11:05know, I feel like a lot of
11:06people labeled him as that.
11:08And, um, when you go, when
11:09you went back and you looked
11:10at the USC tape, you saw
11:11like, he's got route route
11:13running ability.
11:14He can run all three levels
11:16and he's, he's shown that
11:17and he is continuing to show
11:18that, uh, throughout
11:20training camp, looking
11:21forward to seeing him, um,
11:23as a punt returner, but
11:24also grow as that receiver,
11:26uh, throughout the season.
11:27And he's wired, right?
11:28You know, he's a wired how
11:29we want our guys to be
11:31wired.
11:31He loves the ball.
11:32He's out.
11:32He loves being on the
11:33grass and competing.
11:34Um, he's tough as nails.
11:36Uh, so excited for him.
11:38And like you said, cash,
11:39you know, he's had a really
11:40good preseason, you know,
11:41with the, with the
11:42opportunities that he was
11:43able to get, uh, he's
11:45made the most of them.
11:45So proud of cash for what
11:47he's been able to do as
11:48well.
11:48Ian, I never thought I
11:50would ask a general
11:50manager, an NFL general
11:52manager, this question,
11:53but this is the world we
11:54live in.
11:55Um, have you gotten calls
11:57from college football
11:58coaches about guys that
11:59you guys might cut?
12:02I have not.
12:03Okay.
12:03All right.
12:07Great question though.
12:08Simple.
12:09Simple enough.
12:10Hey, good.
12:11We always get excited when
12:13we hear good or great
12:13question.
12:14And I got good and
12:15great.
12:15Oh man, he's, he's
12:16filling himself for the
12:17rest of the day today.
12:18Yeah.
12:18I already gassed him up
12:19Randy.
12:20I gassed up Andy.
12:21Sorry.
12:22He's filling himself
12:22today, man.
12:23Ian, thanks for the
12:23time.
12:23Appreciate you, my
12:24brother.
12:25All right, guys.
12:25Appreciate y'all.
12:26Falcons general manager
12:27Ian Cunningham there.
12:29Nice enough to spend
12:29some time with us as the
12:30season is right around
12:32the corner.
12:32And, uh, you know,
12:33obviously excited they
12:34are about a lot of the
12:35guys and young guys and
12:37whatnot and still no
12:38answer on quarterback.
12:39We knew we weren't
12:40looking at that, but I
12:41still, because I still
12:42don't think they know.
12:43They don't like, they
12:45may, no, I'm not going
12:46to say that.
12:46Well, I guess maybe
12:47they know.
12:47Maybe they know they
12:48don't tell us.
12:48Maybe they know they
12:49don't tell us.
12:50We asked.