00:00Well, we talked a lot about Jordan Davis leading up to the draft that he was taken in because the
00:03Ravens were heavily linked to him.
00:05You were never a big fan.
00:07Can't rush the passer.
00:08And that was the Hamilton draft, wasn't it?
00:10Yes.
00:10So, I mean, we feel exceptionally fortunate there.
00:13No disrespect to Jordan Davis.
00:15I mean, he put together a good year a couple years back to get this big payday.
00:18But I view this trade, and it's a reason why I thought that the Eagles might trade Saquon Barkley as
00:24well,
00:24is that I think Howie Roseman wanted to just get out of this contract.
00:27Correct.
00:27And that once he paid Jalen Carter, too, he's like, I can't afford to pay both of these guys on
00:32the D-line,
00:32especially when one's just a run stuffer, so I got to get out of this thing.
00:36And maybe he felt that way about the Juergens contract, too.
00:39Still relatively early in that.
00:40But I don't know.
00:41Maybe a win-win in the long run, but certainly respect the Jaguars.
00:45Ravens moves could end up being just Jacoby Bursette.
00:48I think it's more likely if they're going to make a trade, it would probably be on the selling side
00:51of things.
00:52Not that it'd be a flashy player, but still.
00:55What do you think?
00:564-1-0, 5-8-3, 1-0-5-7.
00:58Get back to this grading right now.
00:59We talked about Jesse Minter off the top, head coach and defensive side of things.
01:04Offensively, here's another one.
01:05Declan Doyle.
01:06He's also suffering from the Lamar thing.
01:11But when you get past that, what are you seeing out of Declan this year?
01:15Because to me, it's been a mixed bag.
01:16Even when Lamar was in there at times, I think that there was maybe some signs of growing pains and
01:22whatnot.
01:24Yeah, I don't disagree at all.
01:27Some of the games, I've thought he's been spectacular.
01:30What was the game where they used Zay in all different ways and kind of disguising with Zay and everything?
01:40I thought he was fabulous, that one.
01:43And, you know, but he's got the thing that he's got is, I mean, he wants to run the Bears
01:49offense, which we know that.
01:51All right.
01:52And he's got a terrible offensive line.
01:55That's a problem.
01:56He's got no tight ends that can block.
01:59That's a killer.
02:01So, I think he's kind of in a tough spot.
02:06I guess I'd give him, because they're four and five and, you know, he's got no quarterbacks.
02:12I mean, with Fagnano, what are you going to do?
02:14You can't.
02:14You're afraid to do anything.
02:16You can't even throw it down the field.
02:17And even with Snoop, you can't throw it down the field.
02:20You know, you've got to change what you do.
02:22And for a first-time play caller, he's got to adjust everything, every game, because he's got different.
02:28Same with this week with Jacoby Brissett.
02:32So, I'll give him CC+, something like that, just because he's got a lot of tough things he's had
02:41to deal with.
02:42And I'm guessing that he didn't realize that the O-line would be that.
02:46Maybe they found out.
02:47But they probably realized it, Nolan, when we were up at Minnesota.
02:51Because that's the first time you went against somebody else, and you got the crap kicked out of it.
02:57Basically, it was like last night watching the Vikings.
02:59And that's how it was.
03:00They couldn't pee a drop the whole day.
03:02Two days.
03:03So, obviously, the Jaguars game was like rock bottom for the O-line.
03:07You know, when you're getting quarterbacks hurt, or I guess even the Bills game, probably the—
03:11Yeah, three quarterbacks hurt.
03:12That was the one that rock bottomed these last two weeks.
03:15But, like, go back and revisit the Colts game, the Saints game, Cowboys game to start the year.
03:20I don't remember the conversation around the O-line being this dire.
03:24I think the warts were still there.
03:26The concerns were there.
03:27Because you're right.
03:28It carried over from training camp.
03:29Everything, this didn't pop up out of nowhere.
03:32You throw in the center, you know, revolving door.
03:35That doesn't help.
03:35But I feel like the way we talked about them in the first three weeks, all right, they can be
03:39fine.
03:40You know, they can be okay.
03:41They can get by.
03:42But then all the pre-snap penalty stuff starts coming in.
03:45And that's like, well, that doesn't even require skill, right?
03:50I mean, I get pissed off at guys that blatantly hold and everything.
03:53And we get pissed off at O-line play for a lot of reasons when we watch football.
03:57But the one thing that I cannot tolerate is before the play even starts, taking yourself out of it.
04:02I mean, that should be easy.
04:03That's baseline stuff there.
04:04So my concern with the O-line is that they are trending down, down, down.
04:08And after these two most recent games, I don't know if they can recover.
04:12And it's, you know, you can talk about personnel all you want.
04:14I'm saying mentally.
04:15I don't know if they've got it right now.
04:17And it's actually becoming a major concern for me, even more than it was.
04:20Well, I kind of agree with you there, Nolan, because they're going into it.
04:27And everybody they play is licking their chops.
04:31Oh, I'm going to reap the benefits.
04:33I'm going to get sacks.
04:34You know, I'm going to make plays today.
04:36Those guys stink over there.
04:39So that's the thing that they're in.
04:42They're not good pass blockers and they're having trouble picking up stunts and everything.
04:47You know, it's just bad right now because even Venga, he struggled last game at guard.
04:54I didn't think, you know, he looked at that good.
04:58And so, yeah, they're they're struggling because if they struggle, can't run it.
05:04If they struggle, can't throw it.
05:07Then the receivers, you know, they're like Justin Jefferson last night.
05:11Like, what the hell?
05:12You know, so it's it's an offense that when they go with their friends, they're probably bitching like hell, you
05:19know, because it's it's never anybody's fault, you know, in their minds.
05:24But you see what happens when an O-line stinks.
05:30The two teams, Nolan, with the most penalties, Cleveland and Baltimore and Baltimore, it's all on offense.
05:38And Cleveland, there's a ton on offense, too, because they got five new offensive linemen and a new quarterback.
05:45Yes.
05:45Let's get a quick call in here.
05:47Dante's in White Marsh.
05:48What's up, Dante?
05:50Hey, good morning, guys.
05:51How you doing?
05:52Good morning.
05:53You guys pretty much touched on all of the points that I was going to say or talk about.
05:59The one thing I was going to say is that I think that these coaches need to start putting fire
06:04under these guys' legs, man.
06:06Take them out the game, you know.
06:08Go back to the old school hard-nosed football.
06:10If they're not playing up to the standard, get them out the game, you know.
06:16But also, this has to fall back on the coaching staff also.
06:21They have to be held accountable, too, because when it comes down to drafting, these recruiters and stuff like that,
06:26what are they looking for?
06:27You know, do they even understand our identity, you know, of being a Raven that we've had for 20-plus
06:35years?
06:36But, you know, I want to dig it back to that.
06:38To answer that, the biggest thing I would say is you better, if you want to be a Raven, you
06:42better be smart, tough, love football, passionate about football.
06:47That's where it starts.
06:48To Dante's point about the personnel changes, right?
06:52I mean, light a fire under these guys, make it actually feel like, you know, your job is on the
06:57line here.
06:58Minter talked about that yesterday.
06:59I will get to that in today's show for sure, because I'm trying to pinpoint a few areas where I
07:05think changes could be made.
07:06It's easy to say, well, just put the backups in there, try something different.
07:10I hear you out, but I think the depth chart's a little slim in some areas where you might need
07:14some help.
07:15Secondary, for sure, is at the top of the list.
07:17That's an area where I think we can shuffle some things.
07:19Marlon Humphrey doesn't need to be playing, you know, 95-plus percent of the snaps.
07:23I'd start Tampa or Wuzier and send a message to Mr. Podcast.
07:27And who knows?
07:28I mean, look, if they get eliminated from playoff contention here in, you know, the next couple weeks,
07:33and you're playing out the string for the season, and it becomes more of a developmental thing,
07:37well then, yeah, I mean, I really need to see it from those guys.
07:41Worse, has Kone's clock started yet?
07:44That's a good question.
07:45I forgot he was around.
07:46Yeah, because that'd be another guy that you could throw into that mix.
07:50Yeah, just young guys in general.
07:52Whether it's like a Kone or a Tampa who's been a little stunted by injury stuff,
07:56just see what you got.
07:58If they fail, they fail.
07:59But at least you know, right?
08:00Mm-hmm.
08:00Mm-hmm.
08:00Mm-hmm.
