Alex Curry & Carmen Vitali Preview the NFL Draft, NBA Playoffs & More!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hey, welcome to Fox Sports Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here
with Carmon VITALI. Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon
with carme and me and you guys.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
It is such a beautiful time of year for sports.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Happy NBA playoffs, happy NHL playoffs, Happy NFL Draft week. Carmie,
we got so many things going right now, so much
to talk about it.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
I just like I we're gonna dive into it all.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
We're gonna talk about, you know, top three draft order,
who will they pick, who should they pick? How many
quarterbacks are going to go in the first draft, all
the NBA breakdown. We've had one game already in the books.
Clippers and Nuggets just started pissed, and Nicks this afternoon,
Lakers tea Wolves tonight. I mean, it's just the West

(00:50):
first round I feel like is going to be interesting.
The East feels a little more. I mean it's been
top seed is probably gonna.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Take it all year.

Speaker 5 (00:59):
Yeah, like the all ten seeds were locked up super early. Yeah, Like,
there hasn't been a whole lot of mystery in these
but that doesn't mean there can't be true. I mean
this channel takes as a couple of upsets and now
the East looks completely different, and well maybe we'll talk
about some teams that could puss we did.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Hey, nice tease.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
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Speaker 5 (01:29):
A reminder to be sure to check out the Fox
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search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube and you'll see a
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videos on YouTube.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
And we got a great show coming up today, Charmie.
We've got one of your dear friends as our first guest.

Speaker 4 (01:50):
Tyler Batiste.

Speaker 5 (01:51):
Yeah, he's the managing NBA editor for The Athletic long
time you know journally, He's been in the industry for
a long time.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
UH, and he's a fable human being.

Speaker 5 (02:00):
To talk about the uh the NBA Playoffs with and
this is also a big weekend for him, and the
fact that he is turning his attention away from WrestleMania
for US is a huge, huge, So shout out to Tyler.
We're going to talk to him in about half an hour.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Gosh, I love like the WWE, like wrestle like just
like it's a different kind of fandom.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
It's next level.

Speaker 5 (02:24):
I will be completely honest, I don't totally understand it.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
I don't either, but but I expect it to.

Speaker 4 (02:31):
Each their own, to each their own. And Tyler is
we can talk to Tyler.

Speaker 5 (02:35):
I know I have a lot of just into WWE.
He is into every level of professional wrestling.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah, it's what next all that.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
I mean, it's performance, Like the way you look at it,
it's a full on acting performance.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
And they're incredible athletes.

Speaker 4 (02:49):
The athletic portion of all of this is something that
you can show.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yes, it's a show. Okay, I'm actually really excited about that. Okay.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Then in hour two, we have NFL Networks fine as
Cynthia Freeland to talk the Path to the Draft, Executive
producer Ian with US Today Technical producer Chris Martin wise
at the news desk.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
But let's start with.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
The NFL draft because we are officially five days, five
days away from.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, five days.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, we are five days away from dreams coming true.
Like that that's the starting starting dreams.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, I mean your dream is to like play in
the NFL, and like this is your getting drafted.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
This is the beginning.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
I love the emotion, I love the tears, I love
the human aspect of everything behind it. And we're at
the point where there has been like hundreds of thousands
of mock drafts and we can all think we know
what's going to happen. I think the only thing like
everyone knows for sure is probably the number one pick.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, so let's start with the top three the draft order.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
We got the Titans at one, Browns at two, Giants
at three Titans. I think everyone feels pretty confident that
they're locked in and taking cam Ward at number one.
We had Buck ride on a couple weeks ago, and
he was even saying, like, we have to take cam
It's similar to a Bears and Caleb situation.

Speaker 5 (04:06):
Yeah, when we had when we had Buck on long
time at National radio host has covered Titans very closely
for a very long time. That was kind of the
turning point of when we knew for sure that this
wasn't just a cell job. Because with the number one
overall pick, an option is to trade down get a Hall.
The Titans have a ton of needs. And do you
think that cam Ward can ascend to be a top ten,

(04:29):
top twelve quarterback in this league? Because this is a
down class for quarterbacks this year, would it be maybe
more beneficial to set the team up a little bit
better and then wait for next year's class was just
supposed to be better. That was the thinking, right, But
now we're it's a ninety nine point nine as sure
as you can ever be, Just like just like the
Bears were last year, where you knew they were going

(04:49):
to take Caleb, the tense Titans are going to take
Miami's cam Ward and he is he does have the
potential to be a top ten, top twelve quarterback.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
He does.

Speaker 5 (04:59):
He isn't a class all his own in this year's
draft because he is in Tier one for quarterbacks and
then it might not even be Tier two for shaudor
for tier You have to go a couple tiers down
before you get guys like Shador, guys like Jackson Dart.
That is the drop off between I think cam Ward
and some of the other quarterback prospects.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Which is like, yeah, okay, okay, it's tears.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
I'm not talking rounds, no, I know, because I was
looking at a couple like obviously top prospect like orders
from the Athletic are Joe Klatt on Fox.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
It's like in his top eleven prospects.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Joe Klatz, Yeah, he has Chadure at eight and cam
Ward at ten, like he has a a bullion, which
is like as like when you're talking about tears as well,
it's like it's crazy that it's like some.

Speaker 5 (05:56):
People from watching Shad at Colorado, from watching some of
his film back and then watching cam I think the
biggest difference between the two of them, well, hey, cam
Ward is extremely athletic. Yes, he has incredible athleticism. And
also you've seen him at all his different stops because
Miami was not his only college in current word, I

(06:17):
think was his first, and then it's Washington State, which
he got better every step of the way. And even
if you look at last season, some of those beginning
games for Miami compared to the end of season games
for cam Ward, you can see it, and like he's
very creative when he creates from the pocket, Like he
has kind of some interesting arm angles that he can

(06:38):
get the ball out. He's not an overly big guy,
but he doesn't have balls batted down. He knows how
to kind of fit the ball into some tight windows,
some interesting windows, some creative windows. He gets rid of
the ball really fast, he processes well, and then he
has the athleticism to back it up. And so he's
a very dynamic quarterback when you're talking about that. He

(06:58):
has multiple kind of aspects to his game, whereas you
look at a guy like Shador and the anticipation is
lacking a little bit, like things need to be wide
open for him to see it. He like he has
to have the best way I can describe it, because
I do think Shador is a good prospect. Do I
think that he's a top five he should go top five? No,

(07:19):
But that is a quarterback when it comes to the draft.
Quarterbacks rise depending on need all of that. But what
I do think that Charedor does well is he can
when things are set up for him, he delivers the
ball really well.

Speaker 4 (07:35):
He can get into a rhythm.

Speaker 5 (07:37):
He is really good at distributing the ball all over
the field, but he is not the guy that is
elevating the guys around him. Whereas cam Ward, I trust
putting an offense on cam Ward's back, I don't necessarily
trust putting an offense on Shador Sanders back without a
good offensive line in front of it, without really good receivers.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
Because that's what he had at Colorado. Doesn't mean he.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Can't get there, No, but we haven't seen it yet,
and that's why you see the for me, that's why
you see the tier differences between the two of them.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
And but again.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
These are probably like Shadoor is probably still a first
round pick and probably would be regardless. I would like
to see him go maybe later in the in the
first round.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
But like the Sailors the Steelers, I don't steal it.
I don't think he's gonna drop.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
No, I'm not saying I think he's going to He's
not gonna last that long. I think that from where
his talent is right now, that's a better spot for him. However,
there are so many different teams and the concern that
the biggest concern I have.

Speaker 4 (08:37):
With a team taking Shadur Sanders. Is that if you.

Speaker 5 (08:40):
Are taking him in the top of the first round,
say the Browns, say the Giants, even the Saints. At
this point, you need a guy to come in and
deliver right away. I do not think shad Sanders can
deliver day one. I think that he needs some time
to develop. And that's where the danger of coming of

(09:02):
being taken in the like really tie in the first round,
Like if he goes to the Giants.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Okay, so then let's start. Let's go to number two
and three then okay, so we know what the Titans
are going to do. Right Let's talk about the Browns
because they have a very weird situation going on in
the quarterback room right now. Okay, they have mister Badman,
Deshaun Watson, who won't be ready for the start of
the season. Their owner came out a few weeks ago
and admitted it was a big swing and a miss,
something we all knew and this is just awkward energy

(09:28):
going into the season. If you're planning to stay with them,
then they have Kenny Pickett, who they signed this offseason.
He was Jalen Hurt's backup, so he has a Super
Bowl ring. What a come up Joe Flacco, and they
signed Joe Flacco. Papa Joe is back who won Comeback
Player of the Year with the Browns a couple of
years ago. But none of these guys feel like the
future of your franchise, right Kenny Pickett feels like a
bridge guy. Flacco is forty, feels like insurance.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
Flacco is the bridge guy.

Speaker 5 (09:52):
I don't even think that Kenny is a bridge guy
at this point if he has not shown anythridge.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
Backup, bridge, bridge backup. I think Flacco at this point
will start. So if you believe in any of the
quarterbacks in this draft, if you believe in any of them,
it is the most important position on your team. Yeah you,
And I guess question is do you believe in should
or Sanders? Because that that is going.

Speaker 5 (10:18):
To Do you believe in Shudar Sanders in a bad situation?

Speaker 4 (10:22):
That offense, that offensive line is.

Speaker 5 (10:24):
Old, Yes, it's not, it's not gonna They're gonna need
a lot, if not all, like, if not four of
the five, they're gonna need three of the five, and
by next year they.

Speaker 4 (10:34):
Will need new a new offensive line. Essentially, who do
they have as receivers right now? There's not.

Speaker 5 (10:40):
It's not set up for a young quarterback to succeed there,
especially when you're talking about a guy that's not as
ready made of a prospect like cam Ward Is. You're
talking about a guy that's gonna need some development and
need some things to go right on this offense. If
I'm the Browns, I don't trust it. And so if
we're doing our little mock draft with the top three teams,

(11:00):
with the Browns, I'm gonna go.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Get Travis Hunter.

Speaker 5 (11:04):
Or so I'm between Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter because
if you have Abdul Carter on the other side of
Miles Garrett, that's the most formidable pass rush anyone could
fathom right now, and if you're bolstering your defense either way,
Because I do think that Travis Hunter, while he could
be a two way player, I think the easiest way
for him to play in the NFL is full time

(11:26):
corner package wide receiver in certain like I said certain
similar but I and so like I think Travis Hunter
is the most incredible athlete in this draft. I think
Abdul Carter would make your defense insane. So I think
either one of those two for the Browns.

Speaker 4 (11:41):
Would would be great.

Speaker 6 (11:43):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
I don't think there's a wrong answer between Travis Hunter.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
And I don't think they're gonna take a quarterback. I
think it's good.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
I don't think it would be smart. I really don't
think it smart.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Okay, let's move to the number three pick the Giants.
Should they take a quarterback? Let's just remember, Okay, they
just signed Russell Wilson and Jamis would.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
And they have Tommy DeVito.

Speaker 4 (12:07):
Can't I just need I am a camera in that
quarterback room.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
So again, I don't think any of these guys are
the future of your franchise. Yes, you just signed two
quarterbacks this offseason, but they're also good veterans that if
you believe, again, this is all just do these franchises
believe in Shadoor Sanders? Do they believe he can be

(12:33):
the future because he can come and he can sit
behind these two veterans and think about he could be
the future for your franchise, how big he could be
of a brand in New York.

Speaker 5 (12:43):
Here's what I think about when it comes to the Giants, though,
and it goes beyond whether or not you believe with
shirt Sanders, because you have to consider Joe Shane, Brian
Dabele Dabell's coaching for his job. Joe Shane is GMing
for his job. Yeah, you can sell ownership on and
exactly what you just said, where you have two veteran

(13:04):
guys that aren't your long term solution, but they give
you a cushion when it comes to bringing in a
prospect like Chador to develop him. And if you can
create enough of a belief based on what you see
once he gets into the room and say hey, look,
you know, look how good he already is. Look at
all the potential he has. If you can sell ownership

(13:24):
on the potential, then that's where I think the Giant
Plus you know, the entire Giants staff was at Shadar's
pro dae. But is is the Marra family going to
fall for that again? Because you already had had the
Daniel Jones experiment in New York.

Speaker 3 (13:43):
I feel like it's different, different kind of prospect.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
No, they're not at all the same prospect, but you
already had an experiment at quarterback where you and this
this regime. Joe Shane told you that Daniel Jones was
the guy Brian's.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
Able told you like, that's crazy that go and like
you did all that, all the still mind blowing you
guys makes zero sound.

Speaker 5 (14:03):
So do you trust this regime to tell you again
to take a gamble? Because that is what this is
at the end of the day, It's still a gamble.

Speaker 4 (14:12):
And I don't know the answer to that.

Speaker 5 (14:13):
That lies with the Mara family of are you gonna
let this regime take another gamble and tell you and
sell you on the potential of somebody only for them
not to potentially reach it. And again, you look at
what New York has offensively. Sure, they've got blak neighbors,
They've got some good offensive pieces. The offensive line needs
a lot of work.

Speaker 7 (14:31):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (14:32):
Andrew Thomas is great, he's not usually available all season. Uh,
And what else do you have along that line?

Speaker 4 (14:37):
Again?

Speaker 5 (14:38):
Trying to set up quarterbacks to be successful. Now you
do have veteran guys in front of him that he
could learn from all of that kind of stuff. You
could afford to have a longer leash.

Speaker 4 (14:47):
Yea with sugar.

Speaker 5 (14:49):
Yeah, But is ownership gonna let you get away with
that again? Because you have this year to prove to
them that you should stay and you should keep your job.

Speaker 3 (14:58):
You do, But you also like hope you don't have
this high of draft pick next year.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
You only won three games last year, and you hope
that Russ and Jamis can get you more than three wins,
like so that again, they've.

Speaker 4 (15:09):
Got a lot of They've got a lot of other teams.

Speaker 5 (15:12):
I believe in him conditionally if he goes to a
good situation. I don't believe in him if he has
to be the guy right away, because I don't think
that's fair to put on who he is as a player,
who he's shown us to be. Do I think that
he's reached his ceiling? Of course not, He's gonna be
a rookie, but I don't. I'm not comfortable with my
entire livelihood, my franchise riding on him immediately.

Speaker 4 (15:37):
That is the qualifier here. Immediately. Don't get mad at
me for saying it's immediately.

Speaker 5 (15:42):
I'm not at all speaking to who should or can
be as a quarterback where his ceiling lies. But if
you put him in a bad situation and you expect
him to be the guy, and you expect him to
elevate your team to places they haven't been in a
long time. If you're the Giants, for instance, Uh, I'm not.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
I don't trust that.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yeah, no, I get that.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
And you also remember, like it's not a bad thing
for a young quarterback to sit behind a veteran, Like
it's not as common. We don't see it as often now,
but Patrick Mahomes, if you're spending.

Speaker 4 (16:11):
Its top three pick on a quarterback, it's very hard.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Jackson's behind Joe Flacco and he only came in because
Flacko got hurt.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Like it's just it's interesting.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
So, okay, questionnaire, how many quarterbacks you think you're going
to go in the first round?

Speaker 5 (16:22):
I think too, Okay said, I think maybe Jackson Dart
sneaks in there. But again, Jackson Dart is also another raw, raw,
more raw prospect where he's going to need some time
to develop.

Speaker 4 (16:34):
I'm not going no. No.

Speaker 5 (16:37):
Milroe is a tremendous athlete, Do not get me wrong.
He has the vision of a running back, but when
it comes to be playing quarterback throws.

Speaker 8 (16:47):
No.

Speaker 5 (16:47):
God, No, he's a Day three guy. Okay. I like,
if it's anybody else.

Speaker 3 (16:54):
Who are the three?

Speaker 2 (16:55):
Who are the two teams you think you're going to
take in the first round.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
I I think it's gonna be the Saints. That takes
Shore at nine, okay, and then it's gonna be cam Ward.

Speaker 4 (17:04):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (17:05):
So I mean I like again, you could do the
Steelers take a gamble with Jackson Dart, But like again,
you want ideally, you wanted Jackson Dart to go somewhere
like the Rams where he's gonna have Matthew Stafford there
and then being a great organization that's gonna develop all
that other stuff. I think that if the Rams want
to take that that that dark for.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Instance, you're doing the motion.

Speaker 4 (17:29):
I think that that's that's a really easy answer.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (17:32):
But outside of that, I I don't see Jackson Dart
being a first rounder.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, I mean I have three. I think three teams
will draft a quarterback in the first round. I have
the Titan, Saints, and Steelers. It's kind of my gut.
All right, guys, we're going to take a quick break here,
but when we come back, who will be the first
non quarterback taken in the draft?

Speaker 3 (17:51):
That's next? On Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 9 (17:54):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our showsports radio dot com
and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Welcome back to Fox Sports Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here
with Carmen Vitali. We are broadcasting live from the Tire
dot Com studios in Los Angeles.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon with Carme.

Speaker 5 (18:15):
And me and calm the chaos with the shipping software
that delivers. Use code Sports for a free trial at
shipstation dot com. That's shipstation dot com Code Sports, and
be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Draft Night Live,
which is Thursday night at eight pm Eastern, five pm
Pacific throughout the first round of the Draft. Insider Jay Glazer,
former Jets general manager Joe Douglas, college Football Hall of

(18:36):
Famer LeVar Arrington, and Fox Sports lead college football reporter
Jenny Taft. We'll have you all covered for all thirty
two picks with predictions and reactions. That's Thursday at eight
pm Eastern, five pm Pacific throughout the first round of
the Draft, live right here on Fox Sports Radio and
with a live video simlecast on the Fox.

Speaker 4 (18:52):
Sports Radio YouTube page. Brought to you by Shipstation. Bye bye.
Every time I get through that read, I.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
Just yeah, you did great. Stay Station. It's all in
the back of our mind every time.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
All right, guys, well, since it's not as strong, like
super strong quarterback draft, let's talk about the other guys.
Because we've heard a lot of executives call this, coaches
call this a depth draft.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
Right, it's not even other positions.

Speaker 3 (19:20):
Yeah, we'll add depth to your team at other positions.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
So the non notable, like the notable non quarterbacks in
the draft, and where do you think they'll land, and
why let's start with.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Our own. I'm kind of going off.

Speaker 2 (19:36):
I looked at a couple of different top prospects, but
Travis Hunter wide receiver, quarterback, I think he's probably number
one just because of his duality of what he can
number one quarterback, number one non quarterback.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah, the first non quarterback pick, the.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
First non quarterback pick.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
And I think whatever team drafts him should let him
keep playing both sides of the ball. It's not going
to be every snap on both sides of the ball,
but like, let let the man cook. You know, just
won the Heisman Trophy, the highest honor that you can
win at the college level playing both positions. Obviously, I
think the last time we saw like a high level
two way player in the NFL was his coach Dion

(20:22):
Samers like played quarterback, primary and then wide receiver, and
he just coached him like he had he's had a good.

Speaker 4 (20:29):
I don't have a good.

Speaker 5 (20:30):
I don't think it's a question of like whether or
not they're going to let him play both sides of
the ball at some point or another. It's just what
do you focus on? And whatever team he goes to,
that's what's going to determine where if he's a prime
primarily a wide receiver that sometimes goes on defense, or
if he's primarily a corner. Because you look at if
he was going to go to the Browns.

Speaker 4 (20:51):
Yeah, so I think I.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
Think that's where he's.

Speaker 4 (20:53):
Going to go.

Speaker 5 (20:54):
If he goes there, he's automatically the first their best
wide receiver. Yes he is, and so like do you
you you kind of have to use him as a
wide receiver and then the dB part takes a back seat.

Speaker 4 (21:05):
Cornerback takes a back seat to that.

Speaker 5 (21:07):
I think it's it's an easier like to exploit his
entire skill set. I think the easier answer is to
have him be a full time corner and then come
in for offensive packages because there are plenty of players
whether it's an offensive lineman or you know, a defensive
lineman sometimes playing fullback, like guys that play defense coming
in on offense. Is it's kind of the precedent is

(21:29):
there a little bit more? And I do think that
whichever one he plays, whichever position he plays, because and
I've talked about this so much when it comes to
Travis Hunter, because he played two positions that mirror each other,
his experience at one makes him a better player on
the other side of the ball. So like he is
a better corner because he played wide receiver. Yes, he

(21:49):
is a better wide receiver because you understand leverage, you
understand routes, you understand how to gain an advantage on
your opponent because you know what they're trying to do it.
That is going to help him whatever he ends up playing.
But I do think that it just depends on what
team he goes to, which is that will depend that
will determine rather what he ends up playing.

Speaker 3 (22:11):
Who do you think is the next it has to be?

Speaker 5 (22:13):
I mean, I think Abdol Carter is probably the best
player in the draft because of just the insane NFL
readiness he already has.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
Yeah, I say he's a good plug and play like
he's ready to go.

Speaker 5 (22:28):
He is an incredible edge rusher. He is the consensus
number one edge rusher. You can never have enough edge rushing.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah, you be getting a star, Yes, a star on
your defense immediately.

Speaker 4 (22:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
Like there has just been a lot of comps of
like he'll have those are I mean.

Speaker 5 (22:42):
We talked about both of those guys when we were
talking about like who's going to go one tooth three,
because those are the guys that are going to go
one too three. It's gonna be Cam Wore, Travis Hunter,
Abdol Carter in some order.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
And I don't know if you saw, but he posted
a photo of Lawrence Taylor last week, who was a
giant his entire career, arguably the best in the NFL.
So was that a mess to the giants like take me,
I can be your next Lawrence Taylor.

Speaker 5 (23:03):
I'm sorry it was, And like he has the confidence
and he has the game and the film to back
it up. So I mean, like you never want to
compare anybody to Lawrence Taylor, greatest pass rusher, but like,
I mean, this is the guy that is going to
come in and make a difference to whatever organization he
goes to right away. Yeah, and from a pass rusher perspective,
I mean that's an impact position that gets the quarterback,
that creates turnovers, that makes it harder on the other team.

Speaker 4 (23:25):
So those are those are.

Speaker 2 (23:26):
The two flashy the quarterback names.

Speaker 3 (23:30):
All right, let's check you out with Martin Wise and
see what's trending.

Speaker 10 (23:36):
Game one of the Western Conference playoffs underway. Game one
of the series between the Clippers and the Nuggets. Dereck
Jones Junior's got a shot black by Christian Brown Wild.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
I didn't say it was like head.

Speaker 10 (23:49):
The score Clippers forty seven, Nuggets thirty four. Is Jokic
puts a missus a layup and he thought I got fouled.
Rep Anyway, the score here, James Harden uh leading the
all scores with fifteen points. Kawhi Leonard has twelve. He's
got ten points in the last six minutes because he
finished the first quarter with two. So uh yeah, the

(24:13):
playoff Kawhi here, Jokic, he's got seven.

Speaker 7 (24:16):
Peyton Watson it's with six. Earlier today in the Eastern.

Speaker 10 (24:19):
Conference, all the Pacers beat the Bucks one seventeen to
ninety eight. Pass Gal Siakam led the Pacers with twenty five,
seven and seven and.

Speaker 4 (24:25):
Hear that name and not hear e forty say it.
By the way, I.

Speaker 11 (24:28):
Can't see him in that pas galiaka passalciaka Psgalciaki, Chris
find that Chris fivety saying past galsiakam this pass galiyakam
can find.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
My next up the game.

Speaker 12 (24:40):
I was gonna say, at least it's more clean for
air than what I've heard one of our callers try
to pronounce Pascal Siak.

Speaker 5 (24:46):
I just Heary's voice in my head every single time.

Speaker 10 (24:49):
Miles Turner had nineteen points and Yannis led all scores
with thirty six. No other Milwaukee Buck had more than fifteen.
In related news, Damian Millard may be coming back for
Game two or three after he cleared deep paint for
brosis off The blood Thinners. Staling Cup playoffs face off
today at six pm Eastern. The Jets had the best

(25:10):
record in the NHL this season. They will host the
Saint Louis Blues, the team that had a best record
in the NHL last season. They missed the playoffs this
year and fired their head coach. That's the New York Rangers,
Peter Laviolette out of there after two seasons.

Speaker 7 (25:23):
Shame story for the Anaheim Ducks.

Speaker 10 (25:25):
They fired head coach Greg Cronin after two seasons in
Major League Baseball.

Speaker 7 (25:30):
As soon as I find it, there we go.

Speaker 10 (25:31):
Top of the eighth inning, the Cubs have a six
to one lead over the Diamondbacks. Top of the fifth
of Blue Jays won nothing over the Mariners. The Reds
and Orioles tied two to two. Top of the second.
Bottom of the second the Guardians of Pirates scoreless. Same
story for the Cardinals and Mets. Top of the third
for the Dodgers and Rangers scoreless.

Speaker 7 (25:49):
There Chohl tiny not.

Speaker 10 (25:50):
At this game, correct, because I believe I know he
wasn't there yesterday. I don't know if he traveled, but
he was there for the birth of his first child yesterday.
So I imagine probably still hanging out back in l A.
Top of the second inning, White Sox round and get
their first road win of the season.

Speaker 7 (26:06):
Scoreless so far.

Speaker 10 (26:07):
I'll keep you updated on that, mccarmen and top of
the second inning, Yankees with the two nothing lead over
the race Nationals lead the Rocky Student nothing.

Speaker 7 (26:15):
Bottom of the second inning.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
Back they just they just put it up on the
screen and I'll be on Fox.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
They just welcome to Baby Girl Show.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Hey, Atani and his wife and decoys.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
The Baby Girls feed on the bottom of it's.

Speaker 10 (26:28):
It's all about to Congratulations to Thomas.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
Congratulations, Thank you Martin. All right, you're listening to Fox
Sports Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here with Carmen Vitali. We
are broadcasting live from the Tire dot Com studios in
Los Angeles, and it is time for our first guest.
He's the NBA Managing editor at the Athletic Tyler Batist.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
Thank you for joining the show.

Speaker 6 (26:47):
Hey, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
Congrats to the Yeah, and right in the middle of
NBA playoffs, this is big.

Speaker 3 (26:53):
I know this is a big day for you.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Huge day.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
Game one already in the books.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
Pacers taken down, it was basically be honest, but I
want to start with my Lakers tipping off at Crypto
tonight against the t Wolves. Are you in the belief
that this group, now with Luka Doncic, is good enough
to get to the NBA Finals?

Speaker 6 (27:18):
You know, yes, But I think I don't want to
say that they they're the favorite, right, I mean, when
you have a player like Luca and you have a
player like Lebron, anything really as possible. We saw that
last year with Luca and what he did with the Mavericks.
I think the Timberwolves are going to be a pretty
interesting matchup for them because of Anthony Edwards. I don't
think any Lakers fans would probably want Luca or Austin

(27:40):
Reeves on Anthony Edwards for forty minutes a game. So
the JJ Reddick is gonna have to get pretty creative
to try to get the ball out of Anthony Edwards hands.
And if some of the other Timberwolves can, can you know,
have big games every now and then and try to,
you know, match what Luca and Lebron are gonna do.
It's gonna be a pretty interesting series. I would not
be surprised if that when even though it's to three
six matchup those seven games.

Speaker 5 (28:02):
Tyler, thank you so much for taking the time away
from getting ready for WrestleMania.

Speaker 4 (28:06):
I know this is a good year outside of the NBA.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
I forgot about that show.

Speaker 5 (28:11):
You're such a pal and I really appreciate you doing this.
I'm stinging in the Western Conference, though, I want to
talk about the OKC Thunder.

Speaker 4 (28:17):
Because now, like last year, I think a lot.

Speaker 5 (28:21):
Of people, as fun of a team as they were,
as as talented as they are, as young as they are,
that was kind of held against them, right, like lack
of experience. They didn't know how to win yet they
didn't know how to win these really close games.

Speaker 4 (28:32):
Now they have the experience of last.

Speaker 5 (28:33):
Year going into this year, and they have, you know,
arguably the.

Speaker 4 (28:36):
NBA NBA MVP.

Speaker 5 (28:39):
Where do you see them then as the favorites to
come out of the Western Conference.

Speaker 6 (28:45):
I think I do, Yeah, I mean I don't think.

Speaker 5 (28:47):
I do.

Speaker 6 (28:47):
I know I do. I mean, they've had they went,
you know, they went sixty eight and fourteen. They have
one of the best regular seasons of all time. And
the thing that's in their favor is that they don't
have to go against another jug or not like Cleveland
or Boston will have to do in the Eastern Conference.
One of them inevitably probably is going to have to
play the other. Those three teams were by far the

(29:08):
three best teams in the league. I also think that
the inexperience thing is still probably being held against the
Thunder a little bit because of what they did in
the playoffs last year, they didn't get past the second round.
We've seen historically that teams kind of have to sort
of lose before they kind of end up poisting the
trophy at the end of the season. We've seen that
with the Celtics. That Celtics group with Sayson Tatum and

(29:30):
Jalen Brown had a lot of playoff setbacks, including getting
to the finals against the Warriors in twenty twenty two,
before they actually got to the mountain top. So, I
think all the numbers and all the statistics point to
okay see coming out.

Speaker 9 (29:44):
Of the West.

Speaker 6 (29:44):
But even if they do, it will be something that's,
you know, not something that we regularly see to see
a team go from you know, a second round loss
to all the way to the top in the historic fashion.
So but I just look at the rest of the
Western Conference. I think there's some teams that could get there,
But I don' any reason to bet against OKC at
this point.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
All right, let's talk about the game going on right now.
We have a healthy Clippers team with James Harman and
Kawhi getting hot at the perfect time going against then
I get who just fired their head coach and GM,
but they also have the three time MVP, the Joker.
How do you expect how do you see this series unfolding?

Speaker 6 (30:26):
I think the Clippers are probably playing as well as
anybody in the league. Yeah, I think, if I'm not mistaken,
they're eighteen and three in their last twenty one games
coming into the playoffs, and I know two of those
losses were against OKC. Yeah eight in the Roads they
lost Okaye and they lost to Cleveland, So it's not
like they had some missteps. I think the way that
they've been playing, and if Kawhi Leonard continues to play

(30:48):
like he's been playing, they can beat anybody. The thing
about the playoffs, obviously there's not going to be back
to backs. You're going to have a day off in
between games. A lot of times you'll have multiple days
off in between games. That's gonna help Kawhi Leonard relatively healthy.
I think if he is, you know, he's still kind
of working his way in the safe. He only really
started playing five on five you three months ago. Yeah,

(31:09):
so they're really scary. I think they have obviously, you know,
championship experience, with Kawhi Leonard having two titles. Tyron Lou
got into the finals a lot with Cleveland, led Cleveland
to a championship when he was the head coach there
alongside Lebron James in that group. So they've got guys
who've been there before, as do the Nuggets. But you know,
four or five matchups are kind of toss ups and

(31:30):
during normal circumstances, but when you have a team that's
coming in as high as the Clippers are and looking
at right now they're up double digits, I don't think
you know, that would be a shock for them to
advance past past Denver and presumably face okay see in
the second round. I mean, okay see, he does have
to play Memphis, But I think you know, that would
be one of the biggest shocks of playoff history if that,
if that series didn't go the thunder Way.

Speaker 5 (31:52):
All right, let me go to the other conference that
real quick, because we're Eastern Conference. Hasn't been a lot
of mystery of the season, and you know the All
ten ss were locked up really quickly, and you have
the Juggernauts there, which you mentioned Boston, Cleveland. Cleveland with
the best record in the NBA, the regular season record
in the NBA this year. How do you see this
kind of unfolding. Then now come playoff time, because it's

(32:12):
a new season. At this point, do you see kind
of more volatility in the East or do you see
kind of it going the way of Listen, at some
point Boston and Cleveland are gonna be the ones that
match up against each other, and whoever wins that series
gets out of the East and goes to the finals.

Speaker 6 (32:30):
Yeah. I mean, I'd be shocked if we didn't get
Celtics Cavaliers in the conference finals. The Pacers looked really
good today and they made the conference finals last year.
I feel like a lot of people kind of forget
that they were one of the last four teams standing.
They played really well this season. Yeah, they played really
well this season after a slow start, so you know,
they could give whatever team they would match up with

(32:51):
the in the second round some trouble. But you know,
I think a lot of people went into the season
thinking that the Knicks are sort of going to take
that step to be the competitor against Boston after they
made the Karl Anthony Towns trade. But Cleveland sort of
assumed that, you know, that that kind of contender status
alongside the Celtics. The Knicks haven't played well against Cleveland

(33:11):
or Boston this year. It Yeah, yeah, really, it'd be
a sock for them to kind of all of a
sudden change that in the playoffs. But you know, I
think I'd be just as shocked as that would be
for the Grizzlies to beat the thunder is how socked
that would be if we didn't get a Cleveland Boston
Conference finals in the East.

Speaker 2 (33:28):
Okay, but right before we let you you kind of
dropped a little nugget there that you think the Pacers
are probably gonna beat.

Speaker 3 (33:35):
The Bucks in the series.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
After Game one and also the fact that we might
get Dame back for Game two or three, you still
think Pacers got this.

Speaker 6 (33:43):
Yeah, I mean, I think Damian Limit seems like he's trending.
He's trending on coming back, and obviously he's not going
to be one hundred percent when he starts to come back.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
I think too has done it.

Speaker 6 (33:52):
Yeah, exactly. And I think the Bucks just for them
to win this series, they probably need a few superhero
efforts from and they got something like that today, But
they also had two starters who didn't even score in
the game, and so he can't do it you know,
he can't do it. As great as he is, he
can't do it all alone. And like I said, the
Pacers have you know, they were there last year in

(34:14):
the conference finals. I'm also really big and I mentioned
this earlier, just kind of on peep having people around
your team who have that championship experience. You look at
the Pacers, Pascal Siakam has a ring with the Raptors,
Rick Carlisle coach a title team with the Mavericks. They
have guys who've done it before in Tyrese Haliburton. Although
he hasn't you know, been to an NBA finals, he's
proven that he's an all Star caliber player. And you've

(34:35):
got a nice trio of folks there on the Pacers
who can kind of you know, I'm sure they want
to get further than they did last year, so I
would expect them to beat the Bucks. But you know,
Giannis is one of the greatest players of all time.
Wouldn't put anything past him again to have kind of
a herculeans like effort. We saw it in the finals
a few years ago. They were down to nothing to
the Suns and then won the series and game in

(34:57):
six games. So don't put anything past the honest, but
I think the facers are probably the favorite, especially after
this game.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
To day, Tyler, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
Thanks by Enjoy the playoffs and WrestleMania when.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
We come back.

Speaker 2 (35:08):
The dudes and the don't in sports. You're listening to
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
Welcome back to Fox Sports Saturday. Alex Curry here with
Carmen Vitally. We are broadcasting live from the Tire dot
Com studios in Los Angeles and rocking out because gotta
love these oldies. Okay, you can stream this show on
all of our Fox Sports Radio shows live twenty four
to seven in the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Just
search Fox Sports Radio in the app to stream us live,

(35:38):
and one of the newest features in the app is
that you can select Fox Sports Radios one of your presets,
just like the presets on a radio dial. So be
sure to preset Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app
and it will always pop up on the top of
your screen.

Speaker 5 (35:51):
Fox Sports Radio's Draft Night Live throughout the first round
of the Draft on Thursday night, is brought to you
by Dollar Shave Club, your place to get everything you
need to stay smooth mel great, visit Dollar Shave club
dot com slash Draft and use promo code Draft for
twenty percent off your order of twenty dollars or more
plus free shipping. That's Dollar Shave club dot Com slash Draft.
Be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Draft Night Live,

(36:12):
which is Thursday night at eight pm Eastern, five pm Pacific.
Throughout the first round of the draft, insider Jaglazer, former
JUTS general manager Joe Douglass, college Football Hall of Famer
LeVar Arrington, and Fox Sports Lead college football reporter Jenny
Taft will have you covered for all thirty two picks
with predictions and reactions. That's Thursday at eight pm Eastern,
five pm pacifics We're out the first round of the

(36:33):
draft live right here on Fox Sports Radio and with
a live video simulcast on the Fox Sports Radio YouTube page,
brought to you by Dollar Shave Club.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
What a novel, Good job, thanks, you nailed that all right, guys,
It is time for the dues and the don'ts and sports.

Speaker 7 (36:49):
Highlighting the dush.

Speaker 9 (36:50):
I love that putting a spotlight on the don't.

Speaker 3 (36:53):
The subject brings me no joy.

Speaker 7 (36:55):
Don't do that.

Speaker 4 (36:56):
That's insane.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
It's time for the dues and the.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
Don't since Okay, I'm gonna sell what they do.

Speaker 13 (37:03):
Do.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
Keep these Lebron James songs coming in honor of the
NBA Playoffs starting this morning. I love these fun, funny
Lebron James songs that keep going viral. And I'm just
gonna play you the most recent one that I found
last night.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
I'm determinely outline, so like reality, I get the head.
It's so easy, have been.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
So much, it's so good, it's so good.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
I just it really has.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
It's crazy because it's like kind of that younger generation
is now like giving him the flowers that like we've
all known since he got drafted out of high school.

Speaker 3 (37:56):
I mean, Laker's rookie.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Don't Connect, had an incredible quote this week. He's like,
Ron has been playing in the playoffs since I was born. Yes,
he's got a couple of years off, but like yeah.

Speaker 5 (38:05):
Basically no, I mean he's playing with guys that weren't
born when he.

Speaker 3 (38:09):
Was drafted, yes, which is wild, wild.

Speaker 4 (38:13):
Which sucks because I remember Lebron James.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
I remember the draft.

Speaker 5 (38:17):
I was a teenager at that point in high. All right,
I gotta do you stand on business? Because draft prospect
running back to prospect Ashton Genty, widely accepted as the
number one running back in the draft out of Boise State,
he wrote an open letter in the Player's Tribune and
detailing why you know he's this is all he's ever wanted,

(38:38):
all these wonderful things. He closed it with just an
iconic sentiment line phrase, I don't know anyway. He said,
it's tackle football, tackle in all caps. You know what
I'm saying. I draft the guy that can't tackle, and
I'm like, drop Ashton Genty, stand on business, down your

(39:00):
abilities and dud. He's got the swagger to back it up.
I absolutely love this out of the draft prospect.

Speaker 4 (39:08):
I do too.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
He's had a lot of good quotes this week.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
He's like, I'm going to bring to a team what
like Saquon Barkley just did for Philly. Like he he
is so confident in his ability.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
Yeah, he did it. Poise State were absolutely insane.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
I love that. I love that so much. Okay, do
honor your city. For the first time in NFL history,
a team will make their draft operations to a fire station.
When la Rams draft from LAFD Air Operations. I love
how much this team and all of the LA Sports
teams have done to support the LA Fire Department since
the devastating LA Fires, Because just to remind the rest

(39:41):
of the country, it still looks like a war zone
in Palisades, Malibu and Altadina Like it's I just it.

Speaker 4 (39:46):
Will remain fully functional. It will remain fully function.

Speaker 5 (39:49):
I think that's that's a good thing to say that
the the LA Air Operations Fire Department, air operations that
will still remain.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
From a still happening. They're going to be set up
in a separate room in the draft.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
Yes, yeah, yeah, uh last one.

Speaker 5 (40:03):
Don't let up because the Caravan were petty and the
MAVs lost to the Brizzlies last night.

Speaker 4 (40:08):
I absolutely love it.

Speaker 5 (40:09):
I hope that Dallas has every Lakers playoff game on
every barn.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
I love every take quick break right back on Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio RADO.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Welcome to our two of Fox Sports Saturday. A'm Alex
Curry here with Carmen Vitale. Thank you for spending your
Saturday afternoon with Carme and me. It's such a beautiful
day for sports we are watching the NBA playoffs go
down right now.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
Happy playoff season.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
I mean, Pacers took game one basically against Giannis, so it's.

Speaker 4 (40:43):
Uh yeah, even if it's it is the Pacers.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
It's the Pacers Versusana's. Even if they get Dame back
game three, it's not gonna be game shape ready. Clippers
Nuggets going on right now.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
Clippers.

Speaker 2 (40:55):
A healthy Clippers team is a dangerous team because we
have not seen a fully healthy Clippers team in playoffs
in years past.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
That's kind of been their achilles heel. They're leading by
a lot at half.

Speaker 2 (41:05):
Pistons and Knicks tip off in an hour. Lakers tea
Holves tonight in LA. Like it's just and we talked
about this in the first hour. I think West first
round is going to be interesting. There's a couple couple
top sucks, but East feels like top seeds probably gonna
take this one.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
We'll dive more into that in just a bit. Also,
Happy Draft week.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
In the first hour, we went over top three draft order,
who we think they'll pick, who they like.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
Probably should pick, versus who they will pick.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
How many quarterbacks are going to go in the first round,
Top non quarterback prospects, So if you miss that, you can.

Speaker 3 (41:41):
Check it out on our show.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
We are broadcasting live from the tire dot Com studios.
Tire dot Com will help you get there an unmatched selection,
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Speaker 3 (41:51):
Tyrek dot com the way tire buying should be.

Speaker 5 (41:54):
Calm the chaos with the shipping software that delivers. Use
code Sports for a free trial at ship Station. That's
shipstation dot com Code Sports, and be sure to tune
into Fox Sports Radios Draft Night Live, which is Thursday
night at eight pm Eastern five pm Pacific throughout the
first round of the Draft. Insider Jay Glazer, former Jets
general manager Joe Douglass, or college Football Hall of Famer

(42:15):
LeVar Arrington and Fox Sports Lead college football reporter Jenny
Taft will have you covered for all thirty two picks
with predictions and reactions. That's Thursday at eight pm Eastern
throughout the first round of the Draft, live right here
on Fox Sports Radio and with a live video stylecast
on the Fox Sports Radio YouTube page, brought to you
by ship Station.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Five more days. How do you do to the Draft?
Are you like? Are you going, are you so pip
orn at home? Are you writing? I will go down.

Speaker 5 (42:43):
Over the last god ten years now, yeah, I've almost
outside of I think two years, i've been in a
team facility.

Speaker 3 (42:51):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 5 (42:52):
So when I was working for the Bucks, obviously we
were in the office. My office was right across the
hall from the war room. That was really fun. And
then working for Fox covering initially the NFC North. Now
I cover the whole league for them. But the last
few years I've been at Hallis Hall in Chicago in
the media workrooms there, and then they bring out the
prospects that they chose the day before, but then the

(43:14):
general manager of the head coach will come out and
talk about it. They bro out scouts to talk, you know,
through some of the guys that they chose. So I've
almost always been in a building for these drafts because
like when you go to the draft, there's not a
whole lot and nothing the broadcast like yeah exactly, Like
there's no like the general like all of the team
every personnel is at their home base, right yeah, they're

(43:35):
they're in their war rooms. So uh, that's That's always
been a really fun experience. I've been privy to a
lot of really cool things, a lot of really cool conversations. Yeah,
off the record, and it's been It really opens your
eyes as to how it happens every year where you
do we have hundreds thousands of mock drafts every year
any media and the media perception of so many of

(43:57):
these prospects varies wildly from what teams view these guys,
and you find that out every single year in the draft.
My biggest thing when it comes to covering the draft
is this is the season where I have the most
conversations of the year. I'm constantly texting, calling, talking to coaches, scouts,
evaluators because I'm not particularly interested to I don't think

(44:19):
people are interested to what I think about these guys.
I think people are interested what the league thinks about
these guys. So my whole kind of the way that
I approach the draft and covering it every year is
trying to like kind of just say what the league
is thinking I and to be the go between of like, yeah,
this is what I'm hearing about this guy.

Speaker 4 (44:38):
This is what I'm hearing.

Speaker 5 (44:39):
So it's not necessarily my own evaluation, although I do
watch some of these guys, it's what.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
You're kind of like the middle the middle woman.

Speaker 4 (44:47):
That's what a journalist is.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
Yeah, you are.

Speaker 5 (44:49):
You're supposed to be there and canalysts and educate fans
and give them the information and give them the things
that they want to know. And I think most fans
want to know where the league is leaning versus my
own opinion.

Speaker 4 (45:00):
Who why. I don't make any decisions for any teams.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
We just have opinions and everyone's got one. So let's
talk some some quarterbacks right now. Because Rogers Aaron Rodgers, No,
but I think he's waiting to make his decision.

Speaker 3 (45:14):
Till after the draft.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
He emerged from the darkness. If you want to, you know,
bring in his past. But honestly, he went on Pat McAfee,
and honestly, I was a little I was a little
shook when I heard him share. He was sharing kind
of like obviously what went on this offseason. But he
started with his Jets farewell meeting just to recap. He

(45:36):
flew across the country on his own dime to meet
the new.

Speaker 4 (45:39):
Jets's ex sit him back so much, Yep.

Speaker 3 (45:42):
That's okay.

Speaker 2 (45:42):
Just to meet the Jets new head coach Aaron Glenn,
former Lions defensive coordinator to talk about his future with
the Jets. So you know, if you're flying across country,
you think you're going to like have a good decent conversation, right,
But he said within twenty seconds after he said yes,
you want to play, they immediately said we're going in
a different direction, which is the epitome of this.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
Could have been an email or a phone call.

Speaker 5 (46:07):
See I don't agree. I do because I mean, yeah,
you said it.

Speaker 4 (46:10):
But here's the thing.

Speaker 5 (46:12):
If they would have just called him and said, yeah, Aaron,
we're going somewhere else, then he the whole story would
have been, Oh, well, they didn't have the balls to
face me.

Speaker 4 (46:20):
I don't know if I can say that. Sorry, I
think they don't have they here.

Speaker 3 (46:24):
Then you fly out here and Eron.

Speaker 5 (46:27):
Glenn is a new head coach. You've got all this
new that you're trying to set up. You don't have
time to fly across the country. Also, like on your
own dime, Aaron, you've made millions and millions and millions
of dollars both in your career and off the field,
and all of that kind of stuff.

Speaker 4 (46:39):
I don't want to hear it. This was hey. And
also it wasn't a twenty second conversation they had. I
think I think they.

Speaker 5 (46:47):
Said it was fifteen minutes, and they eventually they asked him, hey,
do you want to keep playing? Out of like all right,
because if the answer was no, and if he use whatever,
then this becomes a completely different conversation.

Speaker 4 (46:58):
Now.

Speaker 5 (46:59):
It was like, all right, well, if you're gonna keep playing,
it's not gonna be here and we just want to
tell you that. And also, don't forget you left out
the part where Aaron Glenn was like, hey, how do
you want this messaging to come across? Put gave Aaron
the chance to say, hey, we know that this is
you know this is gonna be news. How do you
want it to come out? You can dictate that. We
want to give you that. We want to make sure

(47:19):
that this is a seamless process on like on your terms.
They gave him that option, and he was like, oh,
don't care about the messaging. Of course you care about
the messaging, Aaron. You're Aaron Rodgers. You want to stay
in the media, Like I've been so kind of checked
out of this whole storyline because I'm just like, wake
me up. If he makes a decision but like, I
did not hold my breath when he went on McCabe.

(47:39):
People were thinking that he was gonna, like say, if
he's retired. I'm like, he's gonna drag this out until
the eleventh hour.

Speaker 3 (47:45):
And honestly until after the draft.

Speaker 5 (47:46):
If he's talking this much though about retirement, Like you
talk to any former player and they're just like, the
moment those words leave your lips, I might retire, You're.

Speaker 3 (47:55):
Retired, Yeah, you're retired.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
It's interesting though, because in the interview he mentioned that
he's a lot going on in his personal life that
he's focusing on, and he said it a few times
throughout the interview, which is why he hasn't made a
football decision yet.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
But it's just.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
Then, you've made a football decision. Is not your priority, it's.

Speaker 3 (48:13):
Not the number one.

Speaker 2 (48:14):
It's just so yeah, okay, So you're under the impression
you think he's going to retire.

Speaker 5 (48:20):
Yes, because why like coming back at forty one years old,
coming off the injury that he had. I know that
he like clearly it didn't go well for him this
last year, huge injury and now who who is the
contender steal that needs a quarterback? Are the Steelers the
contender or are they gonna go Are they gonna win

(48:41):
ten games, make the playoffs and and exit in either
the wild card or divisional round?

Speaker 3 (48:45):
Yes?

Speaker 5 (48:46):
But and is that work playing yourself through the paces
of an NFL season when you are still atty one years.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
Old still want to play? Like, is this still like
your number one priority?

Speaker 4 (48:57):
Well?

Speaker 3 (48:57):
I question there.

Speaker 5 (48:58):
There is so much of Aaron Rodgers wanting have his
cake and eat it too, which is nothing new with
Aaron Rodgers. But I'm like, you cannot go to a
situation where you conceivably could win a championship after waiting
this long, after acting this way, after just you're.

Speaker 4 (49:11):
You're you're forty one, dude.

Speaker 3 (49:13):
Yeah, it's old.

Speaker 5 (49:14):
And like I get you want to go out on
your own terms, So go out on your own terms.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
Yeah, Like it just I don't see any other real
like good landing spot situations for no, because it's Rogers.

Speaker 5 (49:28):
There's not like him taking up all this time to
quote unquote make a decision, Like you've you've backed yourself
into a corner at this point where it's Steelers or Best.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
Yeah, that's what it is.

Speaker 5 (49:38):
And at this point I don't even know that the Steelers,
Like the Steelers don't have another early good option, so
that's already offer.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
So it's like they want them if it's there, But
like it depends, like do they take a big swing
in the draft too, then they might not.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
Why not need to? I mean again, there's not like
a big swing to really take in the draft. Is
just if they take a quarterback. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
That's again, like nothing's going to happen till after next weekend,
in two weeks. Okay, So now let's move to current
current college quarterbacks and some big news this week. Nico
Ia Maliava situation entering the transfer portal this week after

(50:22):
reportedly not reaching an NIL deal that he wanted with Tennessee.
I think he had like trying to find like exact numbers,
but like two point two million dollar deal. He won
four million dollar deal. In my friends, this is the
dark side of the nil. This is in his first
year with the Voles, Like he took them to the
college football Playoffs, they lost in the first round to
Ohio State, and it feels like Nico's focusing on his

(50:45):
pay to play instead of play to win.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
Well and the.

Speaker 5 (50:50):
Family came out eventually and like now that he's signing
with UCLA, they were like, it's it wasn't about money, whether.

Speaker 4 (50:56):
That's whether that's true or not.

Speaker 5 (50:57):
Though this isn't the dark side of nil, it's just
what's the business side, Like, this is the thing where
if you're gonna if you're if the players are going
to treat with the transfer portal, it's more about the
transfer portal than anything. If the players are gonna treat
the transfer portal like, all right, I'm gonna go to
the team that gives me the most money and I can.
I'm free to move about the cabin and the NC

(51:17):
Double A. Then in turn, those teams have the right
to cut you to do like at this point, colleges,
you can't cut a guy mid season the way you
can in the NFL. Yeah, so if I players right
now are kind of treating this as NFL players would
of free agency and that kind of stuff, but teams

(51:38):
aren't allowed to do the same. And I'm again, I'm
not coming to the I'm not coming to the defense
of the NC Double A or the colleges themselves necessarily,
But this is what comes with that being a business
is that you then they have autonomy. Tennessee has the
autonomy to say, yeah, this was our offer. If you're
not gonna take it, we're gonna go to the transfer

(52:00):
portal then and we're gonna find somebody else too.

Speaker 4 (52:02):
So this is just the other side of that coin.

Speaker 5 (52:05):
It's it's been the wild West, and players have had
the leverage initially because of the fact that it is
the wild West and the regulations aren't there and all
of that kind of stuff. The NCAA now the decision
should come, I believe in July is what it is.

Speaker 4 (52:19):
What they said on.

Speaker 5 (52:22):
There's like there's back pay for and it's an NCAA
athletes mostly in the money making sports going back to
twenty sixteen, going to players that should have made money
that didn't make money off of NIL. And then they're
also structuring it where essentially teams colleges have a set
amount of money like a salary cap to give to
their players, which is in addition though to any of

(52:43):
the NIL deals that these guys can get, which again
models more after the NFL model, and again the flip
side of that has to be the teams then also
have the autonomy to say, all right, we're gonna we're
gonna cut you because if you're gonna treat these guys
like professionals, which I agree with paying players.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
Yeah, oh same.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
I am a huge advocate for nil and the players
getting to make money.

Speaker 5 (53:07):
Oh yeah, But then like you don't, then then they're
players first, they're not student athletes anymore.

Speaker 3 (53:13):
These guys aren't after know they are.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
But then then again, like are you going to a
better situation? I think Nico thought the market was going
to be much bigger than it was. Like UCLA are
it known as a college football powerhouse and went five
and seven last year. They didn't even play in a
bowl game. And if you're at a better if you're
at a better school, well they in the college football
So like.

Speaker 5 (53:34):
That already limits you right there to go to a
better situation because you can't go anywhere else in the SEC.
So but like again, this is the business side of
things that happens to NFL players all the time. They
set there, they enter free agency, the market isn't what
they thought it was. They don't end up getting the
deal that they would have gotten had they stayed with
their former team or what have you.

Speaker 4 (53:55):
This is this is just.

Speaker 5 (53:56):
Business, because this is a business, and it always has
been a business for or the record at least.

Speaker 4 (54:00):
Yeah, now called benefit from it.

Speaker 7 (54:02):
A little bit.

Speaker 3 (54:03):
It's just legal, like it's open and we're talking about it.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
Okay, one more quarterback topic that we're gonna hit real
quick in this segment. Boulder announce that they are retiring
both Travis Hunter and Shador Sanders jerseys. Okay, I think
Travis Hunter makes sense. He just won the Heisman Trophy.
That's the biggest honor you can get the college level.
Chador feels like his last name is the reason that

(54:27):
his jersey is getting retired, and honestly, it's just adding
fuel to the NEPO baby fire. Joe Klattz jersey isn't
even retired at Boulder, and he held a bunch of
those quarterback records before Sanders got there from two thousand
and two to two thousand and five. For klatt, Well,
they've only retired four jerseys in school history.

Speaker 5 (54:48):
Yeah, And I mean there's part of me that I
heard I think it was was a Jonas that was
saying it before before we got on air, that like,
that's not necessarily Dion Sanders's fault.

Speaker 4 (54:58):
But that Colorado.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
But no, but.

Speaker 5 (55:04):
What so many of guys that have their jerseys retired
at their alma maters. It comes in tandem with team success.
What have the Buffaloes done? What is Colorado done with
Shader Sanders as their quarterback on a national stage?

Speaker 4 (55:21):
Have they Did they get to the College Football Playoff? No?
Did they win a championship? No?

Speaker 5 (55:26):
So, like you look at Colorado, who has won a
championship in program history? Nineteen ninety? I mean it was
a while ago, but it still the one one. Yeah,
And like I just I don't understand, like retiring a
jersey is such.

Speaker 3 (55:38):
A big deal. It's a big deal. So like, yeah,
he winner makes sense, Like.

Speaker 5 (55:44):
I'm okays, But even then that also, then, I guess
just speaks to the fact that your program hasn't produced
many Heisman winners because there are programs there are, you know,
fps programs that have multiple Heisman winners, like USC for instance,
Like if you retired every guy's jersey that wanted Heisman
for USC, if you have no numbers left, yeah you have, especially.

Speaker 4 (56:03):
If you got to include Reggie Bush.

Speaker 5 (56:04):
Yeah, Like that's my biggest thing is like this is
kind of telling on yourself.

Speaker 4 (56:09):
Then as a program, Oh.

Speaker 3 (56:10):
No, it definitely is.

Speaker 2 (56:11):
I mean they're what the response was, they completely turned
our program around.

Speaker 3 (56:14):
Like it's just like okay, cool.

Speaker 4 (56:16):
For the last couple of years, but like, is this
like the power you.

Speaker 10 (56:22):
Got also, like like you said, the like I think
the part that you just mentioned is one of the
key ones. Like for the last two years, most of
the time we're talking about retiring somebody's jersey, they can
rent a car, like you know what I'm saying, Like Travis,
like there would be in the NFL.

Speaker 5 (56:36):
There needs to be staying power or some legacy, like
some impact that that transcends even been drafted.

Speaker 4 (56:43):
Well, just it could be a blipping program history.

Speaker 10 (56:46):
They might go crater right back down in five years
now be winning one game again and there and now
what now.

Speaker 7 (56:51):
I guess nobody can wear.

Speaker 4 (56:52):
A sea you're supposed to have staying power.

Speaker 12 (56:54):
It feels weird to have Travis Hunter applied to it
because like, yeah, that's a that's a good logic. He
won a Heisman for you, Like that's a good reason
to retire it. But I think it's just because the
proximity to Schadure Sanders suddenly just everything's just messy with.

Speaker 5 (57:08):
It and again, You're you're doing this so quickly, like
they school why technically left yet?

Speaker 12 (57:15):
I just think some schools, like I know USC, like
you know there there was this thing the other year
about Caleb Williams. Jersey retired at USC pretty quickly. But
they do that with everyone who wins a Heisman. So
I'm saying, like, so I guess they did. I was like,
if they did it, well, all right, I guess they did.
But yeah, all right, still that makes.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
That makes sense.

Speaker 12 (57:31):
He yeah, the heisman makes sense. Chaudure is where it
starts to get giffy and then I think it retire.

Speaker 3 (57:37):
It's just adding to his NEPO baby fire.

Speaker 13 (57:40):
And Dion said, if his last name wasn't Sanders, we
wouldn't even be having this conversation, which is honestly right
because if his last name wasn't Sanders, his jersey wouldn't
even been retired in.

Speaker 2 (57:51):
The first place. Sanders wouldn't be stumping for you to
have a return to happen. Oh god, yeah, very interesting. Okay,
We're going to take a quick break here while we
come back. Who's going to the NBA Finals. You're listening
to Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back to Fox Sports Saturday
and Alex Curry alongside Carmen and Vidali coming to you

(58:12):
live from the Tiger dot Com studio. This is one
of my favorite songs. I mind just went into like
a whole other direction. You guys okay For the best
pregame show every weekend, be sure to tune into Fox
Sports Radio Countdown presented by Bet MGM every Saturday and
Sunday morning from nine am to noon Eastern six to
nine am Pacific.

Speaker 3 (58:28):
We will count you down to all the biggest games.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
Tune into Countdown presented by Bett MGM every Saturday and
Sunday morning right here on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 5 (58:37):
And if you haven't heard me say before, Fox Sports
Radio's Draft Night live throughout the first round of the
Draft on Thursday Night, is brought to you by Dollar
Shave Club, your place to get everything you need to
stay smooth and smell great. Visit Dollar Shave club dot
com Slash Draft and use promo code Draft for twenty
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free shipping. That's Dollar Shave Club dot Com Slash Draft.

(58:57):
Be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Draft Night live,
which is Thursday at apm Eastern throughout the first round
of the Draft. Insider Jay Glazer, former Jests general manager
Joe Douglas, college Football Hall of Famer LeVar Arrington, and
Fox Sports lead college football reporter Jenny Taft will have
you covered for all thirty two picks with predictions and reactions.
That's Thursday at a pm Eastern throughout the first round
of the Draft, live right here on Fox Sports Radio

(59:17):
and with a live video simulcast on the Fox Sports
Radio YouTube page.

Speaker 4 (59:21):
Brought to you by Dollar Shape Club.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
All Right, happy NFL playoffs, guys. Already one game in
the books, the Pacers beating basically Yannis because the rest
of the Bucks did not show up this morning. And
then right now we got Clippers at Nuggets that I
just see Bonix. They were showing court side.

Speaker 3 (59:39):
Now probably that FoST.

Speaker 2 (59:40):
Up and I was like, I think they just that
was bo Probably yeah, Clippers upisode.

Speaker 4 (59:45):
In the Denver sports culture, we love it.

Speaker 2 (59:47):
Eight right now, So okay, Denver picking it back up
in the second half because Clippers.

Speaker 3 (59:51):
Had way really big lead.

Speaker 2 (59:55):
Now we've been saying this all show. I think Wes
is going to be interesting. The East kind of feels
like top seeds are going to take this first round
series and this game right now that we're watching Clippers
against Nuggets, you have a healthy Clippers team. Kawhi and
James Harden are peaking at the perfect time, which has
not happened in Clippers history. They normally get to the
playoffs and the Clippers clip is a whole thing. Health

(01:00:19):
and injury has kind of been their achilles heel. And
then you got the Nuggets, which is like also a
very it's just weird. They fired their head coach and GM.

Speaker 4 (01:00:33):
Like it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
Makes zero sense to me. Yeah, I think we were
live on air on the Herd when that went down
a couple of weeks ago, and it was just like,
scratch your head, there's something more to the story that
we don't know about because it doesn't make sense.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
And now you're seeing.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Like Joker like writing up plays on the sideline like
that's he's the one like coming up Nicola Like that's insane.
So this is this is going to be I think
the most interesting, very interesting series. Your Clippers should take it,
even though I don't know, I don't know they.

Speaker 5 (01:01:13):
I think that the Clippers like have been seen for
a while now is a pretty sneaky kind of dangerous team,
Like if you wanted to kind of if you wanted to,
if you wanted to pick the hipster pick for that
was going to come out of the West. I mean,
the Clippers can make some noise and the hipster pick,
they're the one that you know, you don't want to
go with the Warriors, the Lakers, or even the Thunder
at this point, like.

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
A which is crazy because the Warriors are favored against
number two Houston and they are a young and talented team. Yeah,
but again, Warriors have experience. You still have Steph Curry,
who's it's one of the greatest.

Speaker 5 (01:01:44):
A lot I think every think because again, the biggest
knock on the best team in the West, Thunder, is
that they are inexperienced and they they got bounced in
the second round last year.

Speaker 13 (01:01:54):
So uh.

Speaker 5 (01:01:55):
But then you have stalwarts like the Lakers, like the
Warriors that have all the experience in the world, and
I think that's gonna matter a great deal in the West.
In the East, I'm very interested to see like the Knicks.

Speaker 4 (01:02:06):
Yeah, Like for for.

Speaker 5 (01:02:08):
As much as we were talking about how it's krobably
gonna be the Celtics in the Calves thirty minutes in
the finals in the Eastern Conference Finals will be going.
I'm very interested to see, like what knicks, because the
Knicks have not been able to stand up to higher
competition all season, So, like Tyler Patisz was talking about earlier,
it'd be weird to see them turn it on then
for the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:02:27):
But then again, that's weird things.

Speaker 5 (01:02:29):
Weird things have happened, so I don't know, like, is
there room for some weird stuff to happen in the East,
And even if it does, does it ultimately matter If
it's still the Celtics and the Calves that come out
that are in the Eastern Conference Finals, it'll be Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:02:40):
It feels like it's gonna be those two. I'm excited.

Speaker 2 (01:02:43):
Lakers tea Wolves tonight in LA. I mean, obviously I'm
taking the Lakers to take this series. They have such
a strong big three. Lebron As playing like he's thirty
not forty, Luca finally found his groove, and Austin Reeves
is just cooking like he is like such unincredible like
part of this big three. Yeah, it's gonna be fun.

(01:03:06):
Like this is who Buckle up, guys. It's gonna be
a fun day. But now let's check in with Martin
Wise and see what's trending.

Speaker 10 (01:03:14):
The trendy pick to win the West Gordon de Carmen
Vitality with a five four lead over the Nuggets nearing
the end of the third quarterg on.

Speaker 7 (01:03:22):
It, hipster, hipster, I was you know what, hand up
my bed.

Speaker 10 (01:03:26):
The Clippers with the seventy five to seventy lead with
just under a minute left within the third quarter. The
Clippers with four scores and double figures. James Harden's got twenty.
Zubox was seventeen, Kawhi with fourteen, Chris Dunn has ten.
It's jokicic and Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon kind of
coming along for the ride, but we're now Joki with
twenty three, Murray has thirteen, Gordon twelve. Michael Porter Junior

(01:03:50):
a no show thus far, twenty three minutes, played three points,
one for four from the floor, and yeah, it's been
rough so far for the Nuggets on that side of things,
and a lot of yo kids. He's got seven rebound,
seven assists.

Speaker 7 (01:04:03):
And again twenty three points. Nearing the start of the
fourth quarter there gess.

Speaker 10 (01:04:07):
Earlier, we saw the Pacers beat the Bucks one, seventeen
to ninety eight. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with twenty
five to seven and seven Miles Turner nineteen himself. Giannis
led AF scores with thirty six points, but no other
Milwaukee Buck had more than fifteen points in Major League Baseball.
Top of the eighth inning, tied three to three between
the Mariners and the Blue Jays. Orioles with a five

(01:04:29):
to three lead over the Reds on the top of
the fifth. Bottom of the sixth the Guardians have been
one run lead over the Pirates. Mets with a two
to nothing lead over the Cardinals in the top of
the sixth inning on Fox. Top of the sixth inning,
also on Fox, depending on where you are in the country,
you could see the Dodgers with a three to two
lead over the Rangers, the Whites, the Red Sox leading
the White Sox three to nothing. Bottom of the fifth,

(01:04:51):
White Sox looking for their first road win of the season.
Bottom of the fourth inning, Yankee sixth rage one in
the Oh my goodness, the Nationals nine to two. Top
of the fifth inning over the Rockets. Back to you guys, Thanks.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Martin, you're listening to Fox Sports Saturday and Alex Curry
here with Carmen Vitali. We are broadcasting live from the
TIA dot Com studios in Los Angeles, and it is
time for our next guest. She has been the Path
to the NFL Draft Queen for the last few weeks
on NFL Network, crunching and crushing all of the numbers.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
She's the best de of the show.

Speaker 8 (01:05:21):
Cynthia Freeland, Hi, girls, how are you hi?

Speaker 3 (01:05:27):
We're doing great.

Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
Let's dive right into it and let's start with the
top three draft picks.

Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
Right at number one with the Titans.

Speaker 2 (01:05:35):
All reports are pointed they're going to take cam Ward,
so it really feels like the draft starts at number
two with the Browns. Who do you think they are
going for?

Speaker 3 (01:05:43):
And why?

Speaker 8 (01:05:45):
Well, I feel like I'm believing the Travis Hunter rumors,
maybe more than some other people.

Speaker 9 (01:05:51):
I don't know.

Speaker 8 (01:05:52):
I don't think they're going to go quarterback there. They
also had the thirty third pick and ten overall picks,
so they could easily trade back up into the end
of the first around to get media Jackson Dart or
someone else at the end. But I think that they
view the opportunity to take Travis Hunter generational talent or potential.
You know, if you have to say, who's like one

(01:06:12):
of the most likely all pros is maybe him or
abdual Carter, that it's kind of consensus in that spot.
So I think that they're probably looking at a track.
I hope they do for their sake.

Speaker 5 (01:06:26):
Yeah, I mean, I think in general, when you look
at the top three picks, it's going to be some
combination of cam Ward going to the Titans, and then
either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, and then either Travis
Hunter and Abdulcarter in the third spright for the Giants
barring anything crazy. But I want to talk to you
about the strength of this draft, which is still on

(01:06:46):
the defensive side of the ball, but that defensive line,
the defensive line class is not only top heavy when
you talk about guys like abdual Carter, but all across
the line, interior pass rushers, all of that is so
incredibly deep. I've heard guys tell me like, you can
get a starter in the third round with these guys
who are some of your favorites that you've now watched

(01:07:07):
and will probably still go in the first round, and
other first rounders that we're not talking about not named Abdul.

Speaker 8 (01:07:12):
Carter, right, yeah, I'm sick of talking about Abdul Carter.
And just so you know, just because he wore a
number eleven and played for Penn stage does not make
it micros thank you. Let's not let's not get like,
Let's be nice to the kid and give him opportunity
to like do well. But setting the bar that high
would be extremely difficult. So whatever that.

Speaker 6 (01:07:33):
That's set aside.

Speaker 4 (01:07:34):
I'm a big.

Speaker 8 (01:07:35):
Donovan as a rock who from Boston College fan, not
just because I was I was gonna say, but I mean,
I'll admit it. But what I like about his game is,
you know, I obviously there's a lot of great guys
that are rated higher, but it's like, you know, when
you play for Bill O'Brien, a former pro coach, and
then you have a nice twitch and you're one of

(01:07:55):
the few players who hasn't really switched to school. You know,
all these guys have been to like eighteen different Yeah,
you get a good chance to see how someone evolves,
and when you don't go in the transfer of portal,
it just gives you a chance to see a little
bit more of how someone learns. So I feel more
confident in a guy like him than some of these
other guys who have, like you know, they've been in

(01:08:16):
like Moore, different schools, the different programs, the different opportunities.
And I understand defensive front play is pretty similar across
all sort of you know, it's not as different as
let's say, defensive back play. But I still think watching
someone evolve and grow gives me more certainty and less
volatility than someone who's played all.

Speaker 12 (01:08:36):
Over the map.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
So did you anticipate any like high first round movement
in the draft, either trading up or trading counts. We
haven't heard a lot of chatter around that.

Speaker 6 (01:08:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:08:48):
I think it will depend a little bit on if
some of the sort of what we think is chalk happens.
For example, you know there's a couple of tight ends
in this class that could throw things a little bit off.
I go sooner than we think, Or Will Johnson's one
that's interesting, the corner Michigan. You know, he had an
injury and now people are thinking you could go really high,

(01:09:10):
and I'm not sure where he ends up going. But
if there's like perhaps a run on corners or a
run on something that we aren't anticipating. You know, you
can read this defensive front class two ways. One is
that there's more substitutes, so you don't need to kind
of trade up to get the guy you want or
hammer the guy you want early in the draft. You
can get one later that would be an acceptable substitute

(01:09:32):
or other way, as they're slavers and I really want one,
So it'll it'll depend a bit on that. And I
think the ultimate wild card is do we believe that
Shador standards is worth you know, taking at eight? Because
the Panthers, who are in the position the best position
to trade down, given that they have plenty of needs,
that would be putting him right ahead of you know,

(01:09:53):
if someone wanted to come up and not allow Shador
to go to the Saints, they'd have to potentially book
at the Panthers, and that'd be an area where you know,
you could maybe the Steelers pop up and get him.
I'm not I'm not sure how keen anyone is, but
you know it's possible given their other draft equity and
other position.

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 5 (01:10:13):
It's going to be very interesting to see where Sir goes,
because I've never really seen opinions that are so all
over the place when it comes to one player like
given and you know, of course because he's a quarterback
and that you have to factor that in and they
rise and based on need and all that other stuff too.
But I want to talk about running backs, Cynthia, because

(01:10:33):
I want to know where you think Ashton Genty is
going to go if he is indeed the first quarterback
to go, And do you have any concern with taking
a quarter a running back high, especially after we've seen
good running backs put on good teams can make all
the difference in the world. Uh, i' llah the Eagles, Ravens,
all that kind of stuff. Where do you see Ashton going?

Speaker 8 (01:10:57):
I don't think it gets past the Raiders, that's right. Sure,
I don't mind taking a running back high if you
have a vision for him, just like I don't mind
taking a quarterback maybe other people don't like as much
as hem Bonix. If you have a vision for him,
you just need you need to have the vision. And
the other thing is is, you know, I'm an analytics person,

(01:11:18):
wheop were like, oh, you hate running backs, never take
one in the first round. I don't believe in any
of that. I believe you need to know where your
cap sits, and you need to know how much you're
going to pay. I don't think you should overpay for
any position, but running back is one where on their
second or third contract. That's where really the Eagles saw
the biggest uptick from Saquon Barkley. It wasn't about drafting

(01:11:39):
or for going in the draft. It was they were
paying Saquon Barkley the same as Darnell Mooney, and that's
where the opportunity really existed.

Speaker 2 (01:11:48):
Okay, so there's a few teams that could target a quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:11:53):
That could be Raiders, could be Saints, could be Steelers.

Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
How many quarterbacks do you see going in the first round,
So you know, I.

Speaker 8 (01:12:04):
Would imagine, you know, it's going to be weird because
three feels very safe. But you know there's always a
team who, like if I were a betting person, which
I'm not because I work for the league, and then
it's been there no fun, you know, fun, but I
would I would, Yeah, I would say four because there's
such a big because it's such an expensive position that

(01:12:25):
you're smart to trade back into the first round. Even
if it's not a guy that you're like super super
super keen on. The difference between thirty three where the
Browns are, and like you know, thirty two where the
Eagles are, is very very very small in terms of
what you have to pick wise, but that optional for
the fifth year and the ability to be able to

(01:12:47):
longer with a quarterback, which they're going to be like
sixty million soon, you know. So it's going to be
like a sixty million dollar position soon, so you might
as well if you're going to take a swing. The
Browns would be stupid to pick him at thirty three
if they could go to thirty two and not have
to give up more than whatever that Jimmy Johnson trade
chart says is the amount.

Speaker 2 (01:13:05):
Okay, go okay real quick before we let you go.
Any sleeper picks we should watch out for, you.

Speaker 8 (01:13:14):
Know, sleeper picks. I think the sleeper or not, but
I think that we see three tight ends go in
this first round.

Speaker 9 (01:13:23):
That would be one.

Speaker 4 (01:13:25):
Who was that that you said?

Speaker 3 (01:13:27):
Three tight ends? Who are the three tight ends? Are
we losing you?

Speaker 4 (01:13:32):
In?

Speaker 3 (01:13:32):
And out?

Speaker 6 (01:13:33):
There we go?

Speaker 9 (01:13:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:13:34):
There we go back?

Speaker 2 (01:13:35):
Okay, who are the three tight ends that you have
going in the first round.

Speaker 8 (01:13:40):
Give but you're definitely going to get Penn State. You're
definitely gets the Tyler Warren from Penn State and Loveland
from Michigan. And then I think Mason Taylor goes from
obviously from as you may.

Speaker 4 (01:13:52):
I know I had him.

Speaker 5 (01:13:53):
I did five guys in the first rounds okay or
Mason Taylor.

Speaker 3 (01:14:00):
Yeah, I love this.

Speaker 11 (01:14:01):
I know.

Speaker 2 (01:14:02):
We were with Joy last weekend and the nerves and
excitement on her face leading up to the family, to
the family all being together for this draft is like,
we love it, Cynthia, we love you. Thank you so
much for coming on at you and your knowledge always
you got.

Speaker 8 (01:14:19):
It and you're also right. I think definitely Mason Graham
in the first two. So I would put the number
of Masons in the first round at too.

Speaker 4 (01:14:26):
Yeah, absolutely perfect.

Speaker 8 (01:14:29):
Also a fan of the show, this is Colleen Wolf here.
He love you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
Oh, we got the whole crew. Ladies' day.

Speaker 2 (01:14:39):
Love it you girls, We love you guys. Have a
fun time wherever you're going. And I'm jealous. I'm gonna
stalk you when I get home. All right, We're gonna
take one more break here when we come back. Our
feel good Story of the week. You're listening to Fox
Sports Radio. Welcome back to Fox Sports Saturday and Alex
Curry here with Carbon Vitally I get knocked out.

Speaker 3 (01:15:02):
I was like, let's time this right.

Speaker 2 (01:15:04):
We were broadcasting live from the tire dot Com studios
in Los Angeles.

Speaker 3 (01:15:07):
Thanks for spending your Sports Saturday with us.

Speaker 5 (01:15:09):
God, I'm just like in my attic room in the
second grade making up a routine to this song with
my best friend, which is a true story. That's what
happens when it came out Jumble one back always. If
you missed Adiam Today's show, go ahead and just search
Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcast and it's
gonna be right there right after we're off the air,
thanks to our amazing producers. So just search Fox Sports
Radio wherever you get your podcasts and check out the

(01:15:31):
whole episode.

Speaker 2 (01:15:31):
Yeah, we'll also put it out on our social media accounts.
But let's end the show with some feel good energy,
our feel good stories of the week. I'm going to
start with Rory McRoy completing his career Grand Slam. It
took him eleven years to get that final biggest win
of them all. The Masters and even said I started
to wonder if it would ever be my time, and.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
He did it last Weekend player. Ever, I believe it
was like you could do.

Speaker 2 (01:15:57):
The career me what it meant to him just ropping
to his knees and crying on the green once he
made that playoff put, Like it's.

Speaker 4 (01:16:04):
Just it was cool, like Scotti Scheffler.

Speaker 5 (01:16:06):
I met him with the green jacket and like all
it was.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
It was it was a moment, like it's crazy, like
because okay, so Masters were twenty twenty five, but like
started with the US Open twenty eleven, PGA Championship twenty twelve,
twenty fourteen, the Open Championship twenty fourteen, so it took
him eleven years in between.

Speaker 5 (01:16:24):
Did you see that mail now all across the UK
is being stamped with a congratulatory message, you know how
like it's it's stamped like when you send a letter, Yeah,
and it's got the actual stamp and then the letter
is then stamped with like where it came from and
like that it's done within the country. No, like no,
I mean like that's the thing where it's like it's
it's coming from whatever town.

Speaker 4 (01:16:43):
It's like that's what it's passing through so like.

Speaker 5 (01:16:45):
Mail gets stamped, right, there is a stamp that congratulates Rory.
Oh going around like so now the postal service in
the UK is stamping congratulatory messages for Rory. I don't
know how long it's gonna yeah, go on, but I
saw a picture of that online.

Speaker 4 (01:16:58):
I thought that was really cool.

Speaker 5 (01:16:59):
It was congratulations or mc mclory on a career grand Slam, which.

Speaker 4 (01:17:03):
Is a big It's a big deal.

Speaker 3 (01:17:04):
It is a huge deal.

Speaker 5 (01:17:05):
I've got a little different direction of this because I
I wrote something that gave me good feels let's go,
which never happens. I very much never read my writing,
but I keep finding myself saying it over and over again.
And you've, Alex, You've been with me through a lot
of this. I don't the Bears have never deserved the

(01:17:27):
benefit of the doubt from me. The Bear I've never
been optimistic.

Speaker 3 (01:17:31):
Expectations.

Speaker 4 (01:17:33):
I've always tempered expectations.

Speaker 2 (01:17:34):
No, we're not.

Speaker 5 (01:17:36):
I'm not not tempering expectations like I don't. I don't
want to assign playoffs or anything, especially when they play
in the NFC nor But Alex, this is the first
time I'm actually optimistic about the Chicago Bears. Okay, it's well,
they've done every They've made. All the moves that they've
now made, starting with the Ben Johnson higher are things

(01:17:56):
that I've been begging them to do for years at
this point. So you go and you get the high priced,
highly touted head coach like that was at least defensible
at the very least. You didn't get cute with it.
You just went out, you got the best guy you
possibly could, yes.

Speaker 3 (01:18:11):
Check.

Speaker 5 (01:18:12):
Then you go into before you even get to free agency,
you trade for not one but two offensive linemen. Yes,
one of which has won four championships, the other of
which has played at a Pro Bowl level under the
guy you just hired to be your head coach.

Speaker 4 (01:18:26):
Yeah, you are then building.

Speaker 5 (01:18:28):
And then and then in free agency you get a
veteran center, a really smart veteran center Stanford grad Drew Dolman,
to take stuff off of the plate of Caleb Williams
as you build him, build up his foundation, and you
do things the right way. And then you get on
the other side of the line. I mean, they just
they're building from the outside in. They have hired experience

(01:18:49):
to Ben Johnson's staff. They are spending money wisely and
putting a lot of resources into this team. Finally to
the point where every single thing they've done is at
the very least defensible and it's what they should have done,
which is not something I've really ever been able to
say about the Chicago Bears in my lifetime, as someone
who grew up wearing a Bears ring on my finger,

(01:19:10):
joking that I was married to the game. Like, I
did not take that Bears ring off until I got
the job with the Buccaneers.

Speaker 3 (01:19:16):
So you're telling me there's a.

Speaker 4 (01:19:18):
Chance, I'm just saying I think they're going to be
a lot better. Oh and I'm actually optimistic.

Speaker 3 (01:19:22):
That was huge, Carmen. I know, I'm really proud of you.

Speaker 7 (01:19:26):
Thank you.

Speaker 5 (01:19:27):
I Like I said, I'm not saying playoffs, okay, I
am not saying super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (01:19:31):
Okay, I'm not saying winning the division.

Speaker 5 (01:19:33):
Yet because you play with three other very good teams
in your division.

Speaker 4 (01:19:37):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (01:19:37):
However, everything the Bears have done this offseason, Hats off
to the McCaskey family, Hats off to the Bears organization,
because everything you've done was the best you could have
possibly done.

Speaker 4 (01:19:51):
This is big, it.

Speaker 3 (01:19:52):
Is this is big for you.

Speaker 2 (01:19:54):
I mean every time I've said, like, you know, high expectations,
you get a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:19:58):
Of big, big reasons to be excited.

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
You said, nope, nope, last couple of years, nope, nope,
temper expectations.

Speaker 3 (01:20:04):
You're allowing yourself to feel excited.

Speaker 5 (01:20:06):
I'm allowing myself to feel excited, which growing up ambarrass man.
You guys have to realize how dangerous. It's dangerous, very dangerous.

Speaker 3 (01:20:13):
You're living on the edge and I'm here for it.

Speaker 2 (01:20:16):
Oh my gosh, you guys, thank you so much for
spending your Saturday afternoon with us. Happy playoff weekend. We'll
see you guys soon. Stay safe out there.

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