April 23, 2025 • 31 mins
Welcome to Unbreakable! A mental wealth podcast hosted by Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer. On today’s episode, former New York Jets GM Joe Douglas pulls back the curtain and shares what it’s like behind the scenes as a general manager during the NFL Draft. People don’t really know the inside so to have someone like Joe paint a picture of what it’s actually like to be on the clock or what goes on in all those pre-draft meetings is invaluable.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Unbreakable with Jay Glacier, a mental wealth podcast
build you from the inside out.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Now Here's Jay Glacier.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome into Unbreakable mental Wealth Podcast with Jay Glazer. I'm
Jay Glazer, and I'm pumped about today's guests because he's
gonna be working with me this week covering the NFL Draft.
Good friend of mine, Joe Douglas, former general manager of
the New York Jets, and you know, the Jets was
one experience.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Working with me on the draft. That might be your
most challenging mission yet.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I cannot wait. I am really looking forward to Thursday night.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
It's going to be a good time talking ball, talking players,
talking draft.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Look and I love having you guys on because you
guys give us an insight. It's so funny that I've
had some good insight, Like I've sat in draft rooms,
which by the way, are not ADHD Conducer. And you know, shoot,
I sat in the Saints draft room. Oh man, what
years it's maybe two thousand one or something like that.
Two thousand when the rounds were what was the first
round back in fifteen minutes? Right? Yeah, they went a while,
(01:07):
they went a while, right, and you had three rounds
of the first day, right, it was brutal, But I
always look and I obviously a lot of you guys
are have good insign info. I was find it funny
when prognownst Sicarus, if you will come out in like
February and tell people all this team has this kuy
on the top of their birth that you guys don't
set your boards until. I know every team is different,
(01:29):
but your board's really not set till this week.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Right, I mean it's not set until the day of
the draft, sometimes a few hours for the draft. I
mean you're constantly and we used to say the scouts
all the time. Just because the meetings were over doesn't
mean you know you're not still on job for this draft.
We're constantly trying to acquire download as much information as
humanly possible on every single player in your area, in
(01:53):
your in your position group. So I mean, the the
boards never set until until that night.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So the night before you're saying with or before the drift.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Neither draft, you're literally you're going through all these different scenarios.
I mean, the bulk of it's taking shape during that
last round of meetings with the coaching staff and when
the coaching staff brings in all their opinions, brings in
all their the work that they've done.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You know that's starting to solidify.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
But really, I mean that that pick in the first
round exactly what's going through all the different scenarios you're
working through. I mean you're working, You're working on that
all the way up until like a few hours before
the craft.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I find it amazing. I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
The cowboys called me many many, many many years ago.
They were set to pick Sean Merriman with the I'm
gonna say it's the eighth pick or tenth pick. I
forget what it was.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Damn. All of a sudden they called me up, said, hey,
we found out some stuff about Merriment news maryln can
you find it? Can you find out?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Is the day before the draft, and I'd found out,
and you know, they had found out also in the
morning of the calling back said hey, comfortable with what
we heard, we're going to.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Change what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I said, what do you mean if you're comfortable to said,
we're comfortable, ish, we're gonna change.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So that is Sean Meherman like they thought they want him.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Let's you know again, we're it really comes to play,
you know, ship a couple of weeks before that morning
of they changed from him to DeMarcus Worth the morning of, right,
And people don't understand things like that happen on draft.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Dack absolutely absolutely. I think you've seen a couple of
cases of that happened. I mean I can remember back
back my one draft with the Bears. You know, when, uh,
some things happen that you're not expect expecting to happen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
There's videos that come out that you're not.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Really expected to happen, in offensive tackle falls and si, yeah,
the tunsil.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
And then I remember even when I was with the Ravens,
you know, there's some crazy reports about like l Collins
and like he he should have been a first or
second round draft picks.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So yeah, yeah, and so like you know, it's just you.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Got to be ready for anything, you know, and like
you think you've got all the answers, but a lot
of times you don't.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I got a call a couple of years ago from
these teams that are saying, hey man, we're pulling this
guy off our board because he got pot for meth.
And I said, read me what it was, and they
read it and I'm like, it's not meth. What you
teams don't understand is a lot of these generic forms
of adderall have met in the title. I'm like, it's
(04:23):
not meth.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
This is adderall.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Make sure you don't spread that around because that's two
totally different things.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Right, absolutely, absolutely, Like you know, a lot of teams
lean on their security staff, you know, you know, if
they got a big dom in the house or something
like that, they're leaning on on that for you for
all the information on tests and things that come coming
through like that. So yeah, but oftentimes you're taking that
information right to the doctors and just making sure that
(04:52):
it's not something that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Look, I don't do a mock draft because when you
guys tell me, hey, Glaze, we're doing this, you can't
say anything right until you're on the until we're you know,
draft night around the clock, you can't say anything. So
I'm not gonna lie to the fans and put something
else at when I know it's not gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And the same right, you know, I live in this
world of trust.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
But I think a lot of you guys called me
in the past and go, hey, we're like there was
a team years ago asked me about man, we want
one of these two top corners. I said, can't do it.
You got to move up five spots. I don't think
you have the capitol. I could put you on the
phone with a team and see if you can get
this done. But otherwise, who's your third guy? And they
told me I said, okay, you could drop down around
(05:33):
five because I don't have anybody.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Liking him before that. So all good things like that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But as a result, when I'm on Fox Sports Radio,
I already know a lot of what's going to go
on going into it. That's why I think we're the
most excessive you know, draft show you could you could
watch now having you out absolutely tell me again, tell
me the process going in for you guys of let's
say this last couple of weeks here you're saying you're
(05:59):
meeting with the coach. Tell me your process and how
you how you put your you're born up and what
those conversations are like.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah, so our process, I mean obviously it starts in May,
right right after the draft. The guys are starting to
work on next year's draft class. And really we have
our first group of meetings of putting the initial board
together in December once the college seasons played out, and
probably right before the playoffs are starting, and now in
(06:26):
today's format college schedule, and we're really just kind of
getting with the scouts. Who's your top thirty guys, Like
who are the guys.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
You're excited about?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Like who would you be most excited to be a
Raven or an Eagle or a Jet?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Like who fires you up?
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So you're going over those guys in December and that
kind of gets you going, kind of kind of gets
you started in the process. And then All Star Games,
the Senior Bowl East West, all the guys are hitting
those and just kind of trying to fill in some
puzzle pieces to each player. A Senior Bowl is usually
a big week, but really you get back together as
(07:00):
a group right before Combine, so that that week before
the combine is when we get together and really start
hammering out are what our front board is going to
look like. And then we hit the We hit the combine,
hit the pro days, and now you bring the coaches
in usually that first first, uh, first or second week
of April, and they've they've been on the road, they've
been doing the private workouts, interviews with the players, saw
(07:22):
them at the combine. They've they're really they're really locked
into their position group who they love, and that's when
the scouts and the coaches really come together. And kind
of that's kind of the magic of it is when
when when you find when you find guys that the
scouts and the coaches are all fired up about, that
kind of makes your job a little easier as a
general manager.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
You told me something the other that I didn't realize
reading your your reports out loud.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Repeat that.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I mean, I probably picked that up from being fifteen
years with Ozzie and Hall of Fame player, hall of
Fame personnel, executive, Hall of Fame person you know. And
so been fifteen years of Ozzie watching how he operated
the meetings, you know, and as he never read his report.
Ozzie never wanted to really sway the room one way
or the other, you know. He wanted it to be
(08:11):
as organic as possible in terms of how God has
felt about a player. He didn't he didn't want his
opinions swaying anything. We really wanted to avoid a group
thing phenomenon. So I kind of carried that over when
when I had the opportunity to start running draft meetings.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And so I never really read my reports.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
And you know, you may read them out loud to
the room, right if somebody doesn't trying to suck up
to the boss and change their grade.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Yeah, or someone just yeah, a younger scout that may
not have as much conviction or may not you know,
have as much confidence in his ability, like well, well,
you know I'm gonna I'm gonna go the side of
the GM or like I'm going to change them up.
And that's the exact opposite of what we're looking for.
You know, we want your conviction. You're the one that's
done in the work as a scout, like you know
(08:57):
this player better than anybody, Like we want like you
you have to you have to be strong in what
you think. So you know, as a leader, you don't
wanna you don't want to sway that person one way
or the other. So you know, I went years without
reading any of my reports. So you know, it stacks
because I love writing reports. I love I love I
love painting the picture on what I think a player
(09:19):
is and how I think a player can help a team.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So yeah, it's uh, it's the essence of what we do.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Man, It's just it's just describing capturing a director or
a GM, a coach's attention in a minute and thirty
seconds to paint the picture of exactly who this, what
this player is, what he's all about, how he's gonna
help the team, where he fits on the depth chart,
if I'm excited, if I can't warm up to him,
Like that's that's the real beauty of scouting.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
When you go around the room. Is there a time
limit on guys or it's like.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
No, no, we don't put a time limit. We don't
put a time limit. I put that limit in my
own head because probably I'm I'm adhd so like you know,
I you know, with someone's long winded, someone's talking about
reading their report and it's five minutes, and guys are
like fading out, Like you're trying to avoid that, Like
we're trying to we're trying to capture. We're trying to
(10:09):
capture the GM and the and the head coach and
the owner if he's in the room, and like this
is what this guy can do for us, Like this
is a guy that's gonna come in here and help
us win games. And I want you to know exactly
how I feel about that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Guy when you got her going to games, college games,
cout these guys. What can you get? I never knew this,
and I don't I've never asked a question. What can
you get by being there? Because you just up in
the press box, are in a stand that you couldn't
just get on the TV cop.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Yeah, press box. The press box is just where you
sit to watch the game. I think I think you
get the most. I mean when a players on the
field and you're in the press box, I mean you
can get that and more watching the tape. But but
you're there for all the things that you can't see
on television or you can't see on the tape. I
(10:56):
want to see a guy. I want to see a
guy warm up. I want to stand on the side.
I want to get a feel for his I want
to I want to be right next to him.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm gonna I.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Want to feel how big he like? I want to
see how big he is? Like, all right, how's this
guy put together? Like?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Can I can remember?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Like, here's a story, like I was at a Mississippi
State Auburn Thursday night game at Mississippi State and Auburn
that was a year.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Auburn won the national championship, so they had like nineteen seniors.
Mississippi State had a bunch of seniors. So I've got
my back to Auburn and.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I am I am writing notes on Mississippi State seniors
and all I hear for like two and a half
minutes is stoo. And I look back and I'm like,
why is this defensive end throwing the football?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And it's Cam Newton.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Like you could hear like I say that because you
could hear the ball jump out of his hands and
when it hit a receiver bad, Like, it just sounded different.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
It looked and sounded different.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
So like, those are things you can't like you can't
see from the television or tape. You can see how
a guy interacts with his teammates on the tape. That's
not the sideline. You're not getting the sideline, you know.
I think TV's a lot better now capturing sideline interactions.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
With players and coaches.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
But you didn't necessarily get that all the time, and
you're looking for all you're looking at all of that
at a game when you're watching the player interact with teammates,
interact with coaches. How seriously, is he how mature? Is
he like is you know, does he carry himself like
an alpha? Is this guy a dog? Like you're looking
at all those those things that you wouldn't otherwise see
(12:35):
on television or tape.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Give me some trade stories of trades it almost happened
but didn't.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, trades, it almost happened.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
I mean, I feel like there's been a lot of like, uh,
I made like thirty twenty calls trying to trade up
and get your mate. So a bunch of those didn't
didn't happen obviously, but we were able to get a
trade done with Tennessee to get Jermaine Johnson. I think
it's just a lot of my memories of the almost
or what could have been. I mean, you're there's so
(13:07):
much information coming at you during the draft and so
when you get locked in, like I talk about the
Jermaine trade, uh, just because that for me, that was
like that was like a really fun hour and a
half for me because we had we had picked we
had pick Sauce three, we had picked Garrett ten, and
I think after like the twelfth or thirteenth pick, you know,
(13:30):
Roberts like, hey, let's let's get Jrmine he's in our
top ten, Like, let's let's go get him, Like, yeah,
let's do it.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So you know, you're on the call. You're on the
phone from.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Basically pick thirteen to pick twenty six trying to get
done and you're you're trying to get.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Every pick is like here's where you go.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
He's going right here, like we're missing out on him,
and uh, it's still lost. So you're just smiling and
dialing for two hours, you're just trying to like smile
and down man work the phone, was trying to get
a deal done and just the jubilee, like it felt
like ten hours because you're just talking, You're just calling
all these people. But they finally get that deal done
and get someone that everybody was excited about, you know,
(14:10):
and and I'm fired up for him. I know he
just got to fit your option picked up. But that
was just announced. So like to get a guy that
like loves football, which the main love football plays plays
so hard, place physical and just knowing like yeah, man,
like we worked really hard to get a really good player,
you know, and so that was fun.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
You already, I know a lot of guys have great relationships.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You messed with each other, and I just remember being
in that Saints draft room and Bruce Allen calling and
trying to trade talk to them about trading up. The
Saints at that point, I think they had two first
rounders and they moved up to like number six. Forget
what it was or whatever was if I remember Bruce
Allen calling.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I'm saying that.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Bruce like like, what are you calling for? You don't
want to trade up for this pick? He's like, actually don't.
I'm just really bored right now. You get some of
those calls too, you know what your what's you're fun you?
Which I always loved. I loved uh.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I love John Dorsey because like, uh yo, he would
be the he's the best because he like four oh one.
On the trade deadline, he'll call and be like, hey,
I'll give you three first.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
For that player. Hey, you're you're on the clock.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And I know, I know boalers talk about four because
him he worked together. But you're on the clock and
and Dors will call you and just be like we
doing We think like I'm working man, like you shoot,
all right, where are.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You gonna go here?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But it's so fun. I just that that stuff just
cracks me up. Man, cracks me up. He's the best.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Now, I know a lot of you know, you get
all your grades done and then you have the instrumental
hurdle of talking to your owner about it. You're a
former owner, is a known meddler, whatdy Johnson. But everyone
has to deal with this differently. When would you bring
the owner into what your thought process was and how
is that tightrope to convince them what you want.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
To do instead of him?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Too many owners, I've said this to many owners like
you guys again, you've been scouting dress since Man. Also,
they want to come in the last couple of days
and tell you what you should draft, which makes no sense.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
But talk about how you bring them in and how
difficult that is.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Yeah, I mean, well, for me, those those conversations happened
really towards the end of the season, right after the season.
You know, we would we present our off season plan,
we'd present our free agent plan first and then we'd
go into our draft plan. But really, I mean, those
conversations are happening towards the end of season leading into
(16:47):
the All Star Game. Combine, you know you're having those conversations,
you're you're just relaying, you know, who the scouts are
excited about, who you're excited about, and then as the
coaches information comes in, you know, and you're just you're
just constantly providing information on really who the guy, who
the players, who the coaches and scouts, and who I'm
(17:07):
excited about, and who I think can help the team,
and you know, just uh and obviously you know, getting
that getting the owner's opinion to and and talking through
any questions or concerns that he may have on any
particular player. But you know, for me, those conversations happened
early and often in the offseason, so you're trying, you're
trying to just do your best best you can just
(17:29):
to communicate in a real and honest way who who
the players are that are that are garnering the most
excitement in the group.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Well, was there like a final like all right, one
last being in, Hey, this is our plan?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Those would be like this is what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah for for me.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
For me, I'm sure everyone does it differently, but for me,
that was the that was the day of the the
day of the draft. Wow, that that morning of the
draft where I would literally have every scenario on paper,
basically a map for for ownership to follow, Like, Okay,
(18:06):
these these are the players if if this player gets
to pick five or six, Like, these are the four
players that we would trade up for if they're there. Okay,
if they're gone, we're gonna stay put. And if these
five players are here, we're gonna we're gonna be really
happy to turn the card in. All right now, if
those players are gone, this group of players, we're gonna
(18:27):
be happy to turn the card into. But we're gonna
field calls on on a trade back situation. You know,
so you're you're basically like I would just essentially here,
here is the roadmap for tonight, Like this is exactly
what you can expect, Like how exactly how you think
it's gonna go down? And who you know, if these
guys are here, we're gonna be aggressive. These guys aren't.
(18:48):
We're gonna let the board come to us. And then
if these guys, these guys are here, like, let's let's start,
let's start.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Talking trade back.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I heard you tell me this.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
I was told that he wanted here, he took sauce,
he wanted multiple receivers instead of sauce.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So what is that a yes or no? And B
how is that conversation of trying to convince them.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Know, this is what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
You know, I think it's no different than the conversation
you'd have with the coach that was that that kind
of saw things differently. But I mean, ultimately, you know,
wide receiver is a premium position. You know, I feel
like the pre all the premium positions affect the pass game,
right quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, pass rusher, and corner,
(19:30):
and so you know, ultimately it's it's another opportunity to
get a premium, premium position and sauce premium premium corner
and premium person, you know, and we are definitely going
to get that premium wide receiver as well. And we
were very we were very fortunate, I mean to be
(19:52):
honest that Garrett was there when we picked you, because
I mean, this also wasn't the first corner taken and
Garrett wasn't the first wide receiver takens. So we were
very fortunate to get both those guys. So I feel
like we came out of that process with two premium
players or premium positions that are quality, quality people and
(20:12):
quality players.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Did he ever veto a pick for you?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
No, no, no, never never vetoed a pick, you know.
I mean, look, I feel like there was there was
always constant communication and you know, I feel like when
it when it came down to it, we were all
on the same page about who we're going to take.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Give me some of the cooler stories when you either
gotten on the phone, are you gonna draft a kid
orhen you first met him, like after you drafted him.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Oh, man, I tell you, the first time I met
Olu last year was just a great, a great experience. Forshana,
who was who had picked at number of number eleven.
He's just an awesome, awesome guy, you know, just a
blue collar mindset, great family, great person.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
I feel like you can say that about a lot
of the guys that we took high.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Like the cool There's been some good phone calls.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Uh, you know, when you're when you're on a call
and the emotions are going, you know, and the tears
are flowing. You can hear the guys crying, you know,
and the family is going berserk in the background.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just just to just to experience that, just to just to.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Kind of be with them on that that moment, that
milestone moment in their life and just realizing like all.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
The hard work that they put in, all the family support.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
That they've gotten, just like, I don't know, it's not
the end, this is this is just a checkpoint for them,
but it's a huge milestone. And not many people on
the planet can say they've been drafted by an NFL team.
But just when that emotion hits them and you know,
they're cracking up and they're crying, like that's a that's
a wild moment, and you feel like very grateful to
(21:58):
be able to just be a part of that, to
share that share that moment with them and their families.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
It's try.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I've trained a lot of kids coming out into the
draft and unbreakable and a couple of things I tell
them things they didn't realize, you know. One of them was,
you know, they thought, oh, they're cannet draft or they're
gonna have draft parties, and like, are you going to
that team? Like now, there's no draft parties after you
go into the team, and they're like no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
you're going that night, dude, there's no draft parties and
(22:28):
hanging out and seeing family it's the next that night,
and I don't think they realize that, right.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Look, it's like when you win a game, you celebrate it,
You celebrate it for a little bit, and then it's on.
You know, You're you're going on. Like this is almost
like that. I mean, it's a bigger mouse. It's more
important than just one game. But but like this is
just a step, This is just a checkpoint in your career. Like, yeah,
celebrate this with your family and the loved ones everyone
you hold deer and tied to you. But like it's
(22:57):
go time now, Like this is this is just starting,
you know, and the expectations are that you you are
going to roll and you're gonna come here and hit
the ground running and be and be the dude that
we all think you're going to be.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
And the other one, I was telling them I was
with another team. They're like, hey, I was with them
and I picked up a draft pick with them just
for experience from the airport. Run them back the facility,
and the dude looks at me and like that first
day you get there, you guys, these guys feel out
like tax forms and none of these guys have that
(23:29):
life skill of life experience and the.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Guy looks at me, had to fill out this tax
form and I'm like, fuck, don't look at me, but
it's right.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
But I'm telling these guys we get ready for the
comment or for the draft, be ready.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
This is the type of stit you have to be
ready for. You got to find out from your guys.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Like that's a.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Pretty wild thing, Like like what's their process when they
get to that team?
Speaker 3 (23:49):
The different stuff that you put them through.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Yeah, I mean they've come on one of our pre
draft visits, because you get thirty pre draft visits each year.
I mean we pretty much put them through the ring
of what their day is gonna look like at a
heightened level, like there's a touch point with every single department,
football ops. We put them through mock interviews, uh, press interviews,
(24:12):
like we hit We've hit them with player engagement, Like
they spend a lot of time with player engagement.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
To go through a lot of what you just just.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Describe the financials and like where you're gonna live, like
getting you set up in a new town.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Uh So, like if they've come on a pre draft visit,
they they kind of know what to expect. But if
not like, well, then they're just getting they're just getting
a length lengthier version of our our pre draft. Is
it like you you come here, you're going through the washer, right,
You're gonna hit equipment and and uh medical training, uh
football engagement, Like you know, the first thing they're gonna
(24:50):
do is they're gonna spend a lot of time with
with player engagement, just to make sure that they get
set up with everything they need in this new environment.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, I don't think about that.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Also, yeah, you moved, you got you go find a
home and find a car and find Yeah, it's just yeah, yeah,
and I think the real the outside world doesn't realize that.
And they're also like they're twenty one years old, Like
I didn't know shit when I was twenty one.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
I don't know how to do this stuff, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
And yeah, so who's coming with you? You know?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Are you coming by yourself or is your is your
mom coming to your dad? Coming girlfriend? Or we know,
like who's coming with you? Because we it's really like
we were not just draft We never thought it was
we're just drafting the player. We're drafting that entire person's ecosystem,
you know that, Like that's how we we we think
about it. That's why we put so much work and
(25:36):
effort into to to try to find out what this
person's all about. So you know, we're trying. It's a
full on education for the player on what to expect here,
How can we help you? This is what you can
expect from a living standpoint, car taxes, Like we our
engagement team did a good job with attacking that.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Two more questions for it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
One, who's the most impressive kid you ever interviewed that
you didn't draft?
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Man? I didn't interview my set in. I was a
personnel assistant back in Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
But it was a Kwam Bolden and it was at
the combine and he just was he was everything.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
He was everything.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
He was such and he ended up being perfect fit
for the Ravens and helped helped us win a Super
Bowl in twenty twelve. But when he walked out, it
was like, oh damn, like this guy, this guy is
ray Lewis as a wide receiver. Like this guy is
an absolute just tough as nails, badass. You know, It's
(26:45):
just like he was serious, but it was a man
a few words, but everything was everything was all ball
and like imposing imposing my will on other people and
all the stuff that just kind of makes your hair
stand on end. And he walked out of a room
and everybody's like, oh, yeah, man, that guy's are raven
for sure, Like that is a bad dude, you know, Like,
(27:09):
and we didn't we didn't draft him. He went second round.
He didn't run, he didn't run a great forty. But
that's one of the better wide receivers of that era.
And it was just because of what he was all
about as a as a dude, and as a competitor
and as a tough guy. And you know, when we
had the opportunity to trade for him and Ozzie had
the opportunity to trade for him, like that really solidified
the team.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
He's like a dude from three hundred playing football.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Yeah, he's right right, Like that is a guy like
you know, describe it and scouting like dark alley guy,
foxhole guy. Right, those are the guy like who do
I want next to me in in a dogfight? Like
yeah that like Inmolden, Yeah, that's your guy, you know.
And there's there's there's always a good group of those
guys in every draft. But like you know, just try
(27:52):
to surround your show as many those guys as possible.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I love it well, Joe d Man, I cannot tell
you how excited I am man to do this with
you this week. It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Dude.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I go one more question for you. I leave this
with all my guests.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I know we haven't talked this way in this podcast,
but and ask everybody.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
For the unbreakable moment we could all learn from those things.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Give me the moment in life, career, whatever it is
it could have broken you shouldn't but didn't.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
As a result, you came through the other side of
the tunnel stronger forever.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, I mean i'd go I probably have one for
each life and career life probably just you know, being
the kid that was constantly picked on and for a size,
you know, because I mean I haven't grown an inch
since eighth grade, you know, so like I was always
I was always a big.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Kid, and I was a target for a lot of
older kids bullying.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But football, football was the place I felt normal, you know,
where I felt okay, I belong. So I football saved
my life in many ways, not so much from I mean,
just from making me feel like this is a place
where I belong, where I feel like I belong, but
also the teamwork discipline that it instills in you, you know,
(29:09):
working for more than just yourself, you know, work working
as a unit to achieve greatness.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Like so many, so many.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Things about football have changed my life, you know, you know,
and obviously you know, this was the first time I've
ever been fired from a job this past November, so
it's certainly not going to break me. You know, I've uh,
you know, you do, you do, I know, we had
a conversation. You you kind of sit, you sit in
the in the craft for a little bit and you
(29:38):
just kind of go through everything that didn't work out,
what you could have changed, what you could have done differently,
and you got to come come out on the other side, energize,
ready to go. And then what makes me very previously
that this Thursday night, we can we can get together
and talk about the draft, not letting the draft class
go without knowing who the these guys are, and we
(30:00):
can you know, we I've watched all these guys and
you know, we can we can talk about each of
them as they come through the board, and then you
know what's next after after that, Like you know, I
feel good about about the opportunities that are out there,
and you know, you're you're really re energized into into
into knowing, like yeah, man, I am, I am that
(30:23):
guy that can that can help help a team win
a championship. Still, so like, yeah, I'd say those two
things for sure.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Love it man.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Well again, Jod's with me and Jenny Taft and LeVar
Arrington on Fox Sports Radio on Thursday night for the Draft.
I mean, I I love these kind of talks because
you know, obviously the drafts gets more attention now than
ever has, but people don't really know the inside and
have somebody like you to be able to pull back
that curtain a little bit and show the fans this
is what happens when you're on the clock, this is
what you're looking for for these certain guys, this is
(30:54):
what comes up on these pre draft meetings.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
It's invaluable.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
I appreciate you, brother, Yeah, man, I'm gonna have fun.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Thank you, Joe Douglas, thanks for being our guest and
The Unbreakable Podcast
This is Unbreakable with Jay Glacier, a mental wealth podcast
build you from the inside out.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Now Here's Jay Glacier.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome into Unbreakable mental Wealth Podcast with Jay Glazer. I'm
Jay Glazer, and I'm pumped about today's guests because he's
gonna be working with me this week covering the NFL Draft.
Good friend of mine, Joe Douglas, former general manager of
the New York Jets, and you know, the Jets was
one experience.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Working with me on the draft. That might be your
most challenging mission yet.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I cannot wait. I am really looking forward to Thursday night.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
It's going to be a good time talking ball, talking players,
talking draft.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Look and I love having you guys on because you
guys give us an insight. It's so funny that I've
had some good insight, Like I've sat in draft rooms,
which by the way, are not ADHD Conducer. And you know, shoot,
I sat in the Saints draft room. Oh man, what
years it's maybe two thousand one or something like that.
Two thousand when the rounds were what was the first
round back in fifteen minutes? Right? Yeah, they went a while,
(01:07):
they went a while, right, and you had three rounds
of the first day, right, it was brutal, But I
always look and I obviously a lot of you guys
are have good insign info. I was find it funny
when prognownst Sicarus, if you will come out in like
February and tell people all this team has this kuy
on the top of their birth that you guys don't
set your boards until. I know every team is different,
(01:29):
but your board's really not set till this week.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Right, I mean it's not set until the day of
the draft, sometimes a few hours for the draft. I
mean you're constantly and we used to say the scouts
all the time. Just because the meetings were over doesn't
mean you know you're not still on job for this draft.
We're constantly trying to acquire download as much information as
humanly possible on every single player in your area, in
(01:53):
your in your position group. So I mean, the the
boards never set until until that night.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So the night before you're saying with or before the drift.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Neither draft, you're literally you're going through all these different scenarios.
I mean, the bulk of it's taking shape during that
last round of meetings with the coaching staff and when
the coaching staff brings in all their opinions, brings in
all their the work that they've done.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You know that's starting to solidify.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
But really, I mean that that pick in the first
round exactly what's going through all the different scenarios you're
working through. I mean you're working, You're working on that
all the way up until like a few hours before
the craft.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I find it amazing. I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
The cowboys called me many many, many many years ago.
They were set to pick Sean Merriman with the I'm
gonna say it's the eighth pick or tenth pick. I
forget what it was.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Damn. All of a sudden they called me up, said, hey,
we found out some stuff about Merriment news maryln can
you find it? Can you find out?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Is the day before the draft, and I'd found out,
and you know, they had found out also in the
morning of the calling back said hey, comfortable with what
we heard, we're going to.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Change what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I said, what do you mean if you're comfortable to said,
we're comfortable, ish, we're gonna change.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So that is Sean Meherman like they thought they want him.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Let's you know again, we're it really comes to play,
you know, ship a couple of weeks before that morning
of they changed from him to DeMarcus Worth the morning of, right,
And people don't understand things like that happen on draft.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Dack absolutely absolutely. I think you've seen a couple of
cases of that happened. I mean I can remember back
back my one draft with the Bears. You know, when, uh,
some things happen that you're not expect expecting to happen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
There's videos that come out that you're not.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Really expected to happen, in offensive tackle falls and si, yeah,
the tunsil.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
And then I remember even when I was with the Ravens,
you know, there's some crazy reports about like l Collins
and like he he should have been a first or
second round draft picks.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So yeah, yeah, and so like you know, it's just you.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Got to be ready for anything, you know, and like
you think you've got all the answers, but a lot
of times you don't.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I got a call a couple of years ago from
these teams that are saying, hey man, we're pulling this
guy off our board because he got pot for meth.
And I said, read me what it was, and they
read it and I'm like, it's not meth. What you
teams don't understand is a lot of these generic forms
of adderall have met in the title. I'm like, it's
(04:23):
not meth.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
This is adderall.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Make sure you don't spread that around because that's two
totally different things.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Right, absolutely, absolutely, Like you know, a lot of teams
lean on their security staff, you know, you know, if
they got a big dom in the house or something
like that, they're leaning on on that for you for
all the information on tests and things that come coming
through like that. So yeah, but oftentimes you're taking that
information right to the doctors and just making sure that
(04:52):
it's not something that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Look, I don't do a mock draft because when you
guys tell me, hey, Glaze, we're doing this, you can't
say anything right until you're on the until we're you know,
draft night around the clock, you can't say anything. So
I'm not gonna lie to the fans and put something
else at when I know it's not gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And the same right, you know, I live in this
world of trust.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
But I think a lot of you guys called me
in the past and go, hey, we're like there was
a team years ago asked me about man, we want
one of these two top corners. I said, can't do it.
You got to move up five spots. I don't think
you have the capitol. I could put you on the
phone with a team and see if you can get
this done. But otherwise, who's your third guy? And they
told me I said, okay, you could drop down around
(05:33):
five because I don't have anybody.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Liking him before that. So all good things like that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But as a result, when I'm on Fox Sports Radio,
I already know a lot of what's going to go
on going into it. That's why I think we're the
most excessive you know, draft show you could you could
watch now having you out absolutely tell me again, tell
me the process going in for you guys of let's
say this last couple of weeks here you're saying you're
(05:59):
meeting with the coach. Tell me your process and how
you how you put your you're born up and what
those conversations are like.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah, so our process, I mean obviously it starts in May,
right right after the draft. The guys are starting to
work on next year's draft class. And really we have
our first group of meetings of putting the initial board
together in December once the college seasons played out, and
probably right before the playoffs are starting, and now in
(06:26):
today's format college schedule, and we're really just kind of
getting with the scouts. Who's your top thirty guys, Like
who are the guys.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
You're excited about?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Like who would you be most excited to be a
Raven or an Eagle or a Jet?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Like who fires you up?
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So you're going over those guys in December and that
kind of gets you going, kind of kind of gets
you started in the process. And then All Star Games,
the Senior Bowl East West, all the guys are hitting
those and just kind of trying to fill in some
puzzle pieces to each player. A Senior Bowl is usually
a big week, but really you get back together as
(07:00):
a group right before Combine, so that that week before
the combine is when we get together and really start
hammering out are what our front board is going to
look like. And then we hit the We hit the combine,
hit the pro days, and now you bring the coaches
in usually that first first, uh, first or second week
of April, and they've they've been on the road, they've
been doing the private workouts, interviews with the players, saw
(07:22):
them at the combine. They've they're really they're really locked
into their position group who they love, and that's when
the scouts and the coaches really come together. And kind
of that's kind of the magic of it is when
when when you find when you find guys that the
scouts and the coaches are all fired up about, that
kind of makes your job a little easier as a
general manager.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
You told me something the other that I didn't realize
reading your your reports out loud.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Repeat that.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I mean, I probably picked that up from being fifteen
years with Ozzie and Hall of Fame player, hall of
Fame personnel, executive, Hall of Fame person you know. And
so been fifteen years of Ozzie watching how he operated
the meetings, you know, and as he never read his report.
Ozzie never wanted to really sway the room one way
or the other, you know. He wanted it to be
(08:11):
as organic as possible in terms of how God has
felt about a player. He didn't he didn't want his
opinions swaying anything. We really wanted to avoid a group
thing phenomenon. So I kind of carried that over when
when I had the opportunity to start running draft meetings.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And so I never really read my reports.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
And you know, you may read them out loud to
the room, right if somebody doesn't trying to suck up
to the boss and change their grade.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Yeah, or someone just yeah, a younger scout that may
not have as much conviction or may not you know,
have as much confidence in his ability, like well, well,
you know I'm gonna I'm gonna go the side of
the GM or like I'm going to change them up.
And that's the exact opposite of what we're looking for.
You know, we want your conviction. You're the one that's
done in the work as a scout, like you know
(08:57):
this player better than anybody, Like we want like you
you have to you have to be strong in what
you think. So you know, as a leader, you don't
wanna you don't want to sway that person one way
or the other. So you know, I went years without
reading any of my reports. So you know, it stacks
because I love writing reports. I love I love I
love painting the picture on what I think a player
(09:19):
is and how I think a player can help a team.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So yeah, it's uh, it's the essence of what we do.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Man, It's just it's just describing capturing a director or
a GM, a coach's attention in a minute and thirty
seconds to paint the picture of exactly who this, what
this player is, what he's all about, how he's gonna
help the team, where he fits on the depth chart,
if I'm excited, if I can't warm up to him,
Like that's that's the real beauty of scouting.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
When you go around the room. Is there a time
limit on guys or it's like.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
No, no, we don't put a time limit. We don't
put a time limit. I put that limit in my
own head because probably I'm I'm adhd so like you know,
I you know, with someone's long winded, someone's talking about
reading their report and it's five minutes, and guys are
like fading out, Like you're trying to avoid that, Like
we're trying to we're trying to capture. We're trying to
(10:09):
capture the GM and the and the head coach and
the owner if he's in the room, and like this
is what this guy can do for us, Like this
is a guy that's gonna come in here and help
us win games. And I want you to know exactly
how I feel about that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Guy when you got her going to games, college games,
cout these guys. What can you get? I never knew this,
and I don't I've never asked a question. What can
you get by being there? Because you just up in
the press box, are in a stand that you couldn't
just get on the TV cop.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Yeah, press box. The press box is just where you
sit to watch the game. I think I think you
get the most. I mean when a players on the
field and you're in the press box, I mean you
can get that and more watching the tape. But but
you're there for all the things that you can't see
on television or you can't see on the tape. I
(10:56):
want to see a guy. I want to see a
guy warm up. I want to stand on the side.
I want to get a feel for his I want
to I want to be right next to him.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm gonna I.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Want to feel how big he like? I want to
see how big he is? Like, all right, how's this
guy put together? Like?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Can I can remember?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Like, here's a story, like I was at a Mississippi
State Auburn Thursday night game at Mississippi State and Auburn
that was a year.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Auburn won the national championship, so they had like nineteen seniors.
Mississippi State had a bunch of seniors. So I've got
my back to Auburn and.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I am I am writing notes on Mississippi State seniors
and all I hear for like two and a half
minutes is stoo. And I look back and I'm like,
why is this defensive end throwing the football?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And it's Cam Newton.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Like you could hear like I say that because you
could hear the ball jump out of his hands and
when it hit a receiver bad, Like, it just sounded different.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
It looked and sounded different.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
So like, those are things you can't like you can't
see from the television or tape. You can see how
a guy interacts with his teammates on the tape. That's
not the sideline. You're not getting the sideline, you know.
I think TV's a lot better now capturing sideline interactions.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
With players and coaches.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
But you didn't necessarily get that all the time, and
you're looking for all you're looking at all of that
at a game when you're watching the player interact with teammates,
interact with coaches. How seriously, is he how mature? Is
he like is you know, does he carry himself like
an alpha? Is this guy a dog? Like you're looking
at all those those things that you wouldn't otherwise see
(12:35):
on television or tape.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Give me some trade stories of trades it almost happened
but didn't.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, trades, it almost happened.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
I mean, I feel like there's been a lot of like, uh,
I made like thirty twenty calls trying to trade up
and get your mate. So a bunch of those didn't
didn't happen obviously, but we were able to get a
trade done with Tennessee to get Jermaine Johnson. I think
it's just a lot of my memories of the almost
or what could have been. I mean, you're there's so
(13:07):
much information coming at you during the draft and so
when you get locked in, like I talk about the
Jermaine trade, uh, just because that for me, that was
like that was like a really fun hour and a
half for me because we had we had picked we
had pick Sauce three, we had picked Garrett ten, and
I think after like the twelfth or thirteenth pick, you know,
(13:30):
Roberts like, hey, let's let's get Jrmine he's in our
top ten, Like, let's let's go get him, Like, yeah,
let's do it.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So you know, you're on the call. You're on the
phone from.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Basically pick thirteen to pick twenty six trying to get
done and you're you're trying to get.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Every pick is like here's where you go.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
He's going right here, like we're missing out on him,
and uh, it's still lost. So you're just smiling and
dialing for two hours, you're just trying to like smile
and down man work the phone, was trying to get
a deal done and just the jubilee, like it felt
like ten hours because you're just talking, You're just calling
all these people. But they finally get that deal done
and get someone that everybody was excited about, you know,
(14:10):
and and I'm fired up for him. I know he
just got to fit your option picked up. But that
was just announced. So like to get a guy that
like loves football, which the main love football plays plays
so hard, place physical and just knowing like yeah, man,
like we worked really hard to get a really good player,
you know, and so that was fun.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
You already, I know a lot of guys have great relationships.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You messed with each other, and I just remember being
in that Saints draft room and Bruce Allen calling and
trying to trade talk to them about trading up. The
Saints at that point, I think they had two first
rounders and they moved up to like number six. Forget
what it was or whatever was if I remember Bruce
Allen calling.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I'm saying that.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Bruce like like, what are you calling for? You don't
want to trade up for this pick? He's like, actually don't.
I'm just really bored right now. You get some of
those calls too, you know what your what's you're fun you?
Which I always loved. I loved uh.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I love John Dorsey because like, uh yo, he would
be the he's the best because he like four oh one.
On the trade deadline, he'll call and be like, hey,
I'll give you three first.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
For that player. Hey, you're you're on the clock.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And I know, I know boalers talk about four because
him he worked together. But you're on the clock and
and Dors will call you and just be like we
doing We think like I'm working man, like you shoot,
all right, where are.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You gonna go here?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But it's so fun. I just that that stuff just
cracks me up. Man, cracks me up. He's the best.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Now, I know a lot of you know, you get
all your grades done and then you have the instrumental
hurdle of talking to your owner about it. You're a
former owner, is a known meddler, whatdy Johnson. But everyone
has to deal with this differently. When would you bring
the owner into what your thought process was and how
is that tightrope to convince them what you want.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
To do instead of him?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Too many owners, I've said this to many owners like
you guys again, you've been scouting dress since Man. Also,
they want to come in the last couple of days
and tell you what you should draft, which makes no sense.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
But talk about how you bring them in and how
difficult that is.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Yeah, I mean, well, for me, those those conversations happened
really towards the end of the season, right after the season.
You know, we would we present our off season plan,
we'd present our free agent plan first and then we'd
go into our draft plan. But really, I mean, those
conversations are happening towards the end of season leading into
(16:47):
the All Star Game. Combine, you know you're having those conversations,
you're you're just relaying, you know, who the scouts are
excited about, who you're excited about, and then as the
coaches information comes in, you know, and you're just you're
just constantly providing information on really who the guy, who
the players, who the coaches and scouts, and who I'm
(17:07):
excited about, and who I think can help the team,
and you know, just uh and obviously you know, getting
that getting the owner's opinion to and and talking through
any questions or concerns that he may have on any
particular player. But you know, for me, those conversations happened
early and often in the offseason, so you're trying, you're
trying to just do your best best you can just
(17:29):
to communicate in a real and honest way who who
the players are that are that are garnering the most
excitement in the group.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Well, was there like a final like all right, one
last being in, Hey, this is our plan?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Those would be like this is what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah for for me.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
For me, I'm sure everyone does it differently, but for me,
that was the that was the day of the the
day of the draft. Wow, that that morning of the
draft where I would literally have every scenario on paper,
basically a map for for ownership to follow, Like, Okay,
(18:06):
these these are the players if if this player gets
to pick five or six, Like, these are the four
players that we would trade up for if they're there. Okay,
if they're gone, we're gonna stay put. And if these
five players are here, we're gonna we're gonna be really
happy to turn the card in. All right now, if
those players are gone, this group of players, we're gonna
(18:27):
be happy to turn the card into. But we're gonna
field calls on on a trade back situation. You know,
so you're you're basically like I would just essentially here,
here is the roadmap for tonight, Like this is exactly
what you can expect, Like how exactly how you think
it's gonna go down? And who you know, if these
guys are here, we're gonna be aggressive. These guys aren't.
(18:48):
We're gonna let the board come to us. And then
if these guys, these guys are here, like, let's let's start,
let's start.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Talking trade back.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I heard you tell me this.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
I was told that he wanted here, he took sauce,
he wanted multiple receivers instead of sauce.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So what is that a yes or no? And B
how is that conversation of trying to convince them.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Know, this is what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
You know, I think it's no different than the conversation
you'd have with the coach that was that that kind
of saw things differently. But I mean, ultimately, you know,
wide receiver is a premium position. You know, I feel
like the pre all the premium positions affect the pass game,
right quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, pass rusher, and corner,
(19:30):
and so you know, ultimately it's it's another opportunity to
get a premium, premium position and sauce premium premium corner
and premium person, you know, and we are definitely going
to get that premium wide receiver as well. And we
were very we were very fortunate, I mean to be
(19:52):
honest that Garrett was there when we picked you, because
I mean, this also wasn't the first corner taken and
Garrett wasn't the first wide receiver takens. So we were
very fortunate to get both those guys. So I feel
like we came out of that process with two premium
players or premium positions that are quality, quality people and
(20:12):
quality players.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Did he ever veto a pick for you?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
No, no, no, never never vetoed a pick, you know.
I mean, look, I feel like there was there was
always constant communication and you know, I feel like when
it when it came down to it, we were all
on the same page about who we're going to take.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Give me some of the cooler stories when you either
gotten on the phone, are you gonna draft a kid
orhen you first met him, like after you drafted him.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Oh, man, I tell you, the first time I met
Olu last year was just a great, a great experience. Forshana,
who was who had picked at number of number eleven.
He's just an awesome, awesome guy, you know, just a
blue collar mindset, great family, great person.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
I feel like you can say that about a lot
of the guys that we took high.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Like the cool There's been some good phone calls.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Uh, you know, when you're when you're on a call
and the emotions are going, you know, and the tears
are flowing. You can hear the guys crying, you know,
and the family is going berserk in the background.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just just to just to experience that, just to just to.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Kind of be with them on that that moment, that
milestone moment in their life and just realizing like all.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
The hard work that they put in, all the family support.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
That they've gotten, just like, I don't know, it's not
the end, this is this is just a checkpoint for them,
but it's a huge milestone. And not many people on
the planet can say they've been drafted by an NFL team.
But just when that emotion hits them and you know,
they're cracking up and they're crying, like that's a that's
a wild moment, and you feel like very grateful to
(21:58):
be able to just be a part of that, to
share that share that moment with them and their families.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
It's try.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I've trained a lot of kids coming out into the
draft and unbreakable and a couple of things I tell
them things they didn't realize, you know. One of them was,
you know, they thought, oh, they're cannet draft or they're
gonna have draft parties, and like, are you going to
that team? Like now, there's no draft parties after you
go into the team, and they're like no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
you're going that night, dude, there's no draft parties and
(22:28):
hanging out and seeing family it's the next that night,
and I don't think they realize that, right.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Look, it's like when you win a game, you celebrate it,
You celebrate it for a little bit, and then it's on.
You know, You're you're going on. Like this is almost
like that. I mean, it's a bigger mouse. It's more
important than just one game. But but like this is
just a step, This is just a checkpoint in your career. Like, yeah,
celebrate this with your family and the loved ones everyone
you hold deer and tied to you. But like it's
(22:57):
go time now, Like this is this is just starting,
you know, and the expectations are that you you are
going to roll and you're gonna come here and hit
the ground running and be and be the dude that
we all think you're going to be.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
And the other one, I was telling them I was
with another team. They're like, hey, I was with them
and I picked up a draft pick with them just
for experience from the airport. Run them back the facility,
and the dude looks at me and like that first
day you get there, you guys, these guys feel out
like tax forms and none of these guys have that
(23:29):
life skill of life experience and the.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Guy looks at me, had to fill out this tax
form and I'm like, fuck, don't look at me, but
it's right.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
But I'm telling these guys we get ready for the
comment or for the draft, be ready.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
This is the type of stit you have to be
ready for. You got to find out from your guys.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Like that's a.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Pretty wild thing, Like like what's their process when they
get to that team?
Speaker 3 (23:49):
The different stuff that you put them through.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Yeah, I mean they've come on one of our pre
draft visits, because you get thirty pre draft visits each year.
I mean we pretty much put them through the ring
of what their day is gonna look like at a
heightened level, like there's a touch point with every single department,
football ops. We put them through mock interviews, uh, press interviews,
(24:12):
like we hit We've hit them with player engagement, Like
they spend a lot of time with player engagement.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
To go through a lot of what you just just.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Describe the financials and like where you're gonna live, like
getting you set up in a new town.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Uh So, like if they've come on a pre draft visit,
they they kind of know what to expect. But if
not like, well, then they're just getting they're just getting
a length lengthier version of our our pre draft. Is
it like you you come here, you're going through the washer, right,
You're gonna hit equipment and and uh medical training, uh
football engagement, Like you know, the first thing they're gonna
(24:50):
do is they're gonna spend a lot of time with
with player engagement, just to make sure that they get
set up with everything they need in this new environment.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, I don't think about that.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Also, yeah, you moved, you got you go find a
home and find a car and find Yeah, it's just yeah, yeah,
and I think the real the outside world doesn't realize that.
And they're also like they're twenty one years old, Like
I didn't know shit when I was twenty one.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
I don't know how to do this stuff, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
And yeah, so who's coming with you? You know?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Are you coming by yourself or is your is your
mom coming to your dad? Coming girlfriend? Or we know,
like who's coming with you? Because we it's really like
we were not just draft We never thought it was
we're just drafting the player. We're drafting that entire person's ecosystem,
you know that, Like that's how we we we think
about it. That's why we put so much work and
(25:36):
effort into to to try to find out what this
person's all about. So you know, we're trying. It's a
full on education for the player on what to expect here,
How can we help you? This is what you can
expect from a living standpoint, car taxes, Like we our
engagement team did a good job with attacking that.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Two more questions for it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
One, who's the most impressive kid you ever interviewed that
you didn't draft?
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Man? I didn't interview my set in. I was a
personnel assistant back in Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
But it was a Kwam Bolden and it was at
the combine and he just was he was everything.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
He was everything.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
He was such and he ended up being perfect fit
for the Ravens and helped helped us win a Super
Bowl in twenty twelve. But when he walked out, it
was like, oh damn, like this guy, this guy is
ray Lewis as a wide receiver. Like this guy is
an absolute just tough as nails, badass. You know, It's
(26:45):
just like he was serious, but it was a man
a few words, but everything was everything was all ball
and like imposing imposing my will on other people and
all the stuff that just kind of makes your hair
stand on end. And he walked out of a room
and everybody's like, oh, yeah, man, that guy's are raven
for sure, Like that is a bad dude, you know, Like,
(27:09):
and we didn't we didn't draft him. He went second round.
He didn't run, he didn't run a great forty. But
that's one of the better wide receivers of that era.
And it was just because of what he was all
about as a as a dude, and as a competitor
and as a tough guy. And you know, when we
had the opportunity to trade for him and Ozzie had
the opportunity to trade for him, like that really solidified
the team.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
He's like a dude from three hundred playing football.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Yeah, he's right right, Like that is a guy like
you know, describe it and scouting like dark alley guy,
foxhole guy. Right, those are the guy like who do
I want next to me in in a dogfight? Like
yeah that like Inmolden, Yeah, that's your guy, you know.
And there's there's there's always a good group of those
guys in every draft. But like you know, just try
(27:52):
to surround your show as many those guys as possible.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I love it well, Joe d Man, I cannot tell
you how excited I am man to do this with
you this week. It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Dude.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I go one more question for you. I leave this
with all my guests.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I know we haven't talked this way in this podcast,
but and ask everybody.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
For the unbreakable moment we could all learn from those things.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Give me the moment in life, career, whatever it is
it could have broken you shouldn't but didn't.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
As a result, you came through the other side of
the tunnel stronger forever.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, I mean i'd go I probably have one for
each life and career life probably just you know, being
the kid that was constantly picked on and for a size,
you know, because I mean I haven't grown an inch
since eighth grade, you know, so like I was always
I was always a big.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Kid, and I was a target for a lot of
older kids bullying.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But football, football was the place I felt normal, you know,
where I felt okay, I belong. So I football saved
my life in many ways, not so much from I mean,
just from making me feel like this is a place
where I belong, where I feel like I belong, but
also the teamwork discipline that it instills in you, you know,
(29:09):
working for more than just yourself, you know, work working
as a unit to achieve greatness.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Like so many, so many.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Things about football have changed my life, you know, you know,
and obviously you know, this was the first time I've
ever been fired from a job this past November, so
it's certainly not going to break me. You know, I've uh,
you know, you do, you do, I know, we had
a conversation. You you kind of sit, you sit in
the in the craft for a little bit and you
(29:38):
just kind of go through everything that didn't work out,
what you could have changed, what you could have done differently,
and you got to come come out on the other side, energize,
ready to go. And then what makes me very previously
that this Thursday night, we can we can get together
and talk about the draft, not letting the draft class
go without knowing who the these guys are, and we
(30:00):
can you know, we I've watched all these guys and
you know, we can we can talk about each of
them as they come through the board, and then you
know what's next after after that, Like you know, I
feel good about about the opportunities that are out there,
and you know, you're you're really re energized into into
into knowing, like yeah, man, I am, I am that
(30:23):
guy that can that can help help a team win
a championship. Still, so like, yeah, I'd say those two
things for sure.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Love it man.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Well again, Jod's with me and Jenny Taft and LeVar
Arrington on Fox Sports Radio on Thursday night for the Draft.
I mean, I I love these kind of talks because
you know, obviously the drafts gets more attention now than
ever has, but people don't really know the inside and
have somebody like you to be able to pull back
that curtain a little bit and show the fans this
is what happens when you're on the clock, this is
what you're looking for for these certain guys, this is
(30:54):
what comes up on these pre draft meetings.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
It's invaluable.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
I appreciate you, brother, Yeah, man, I'm gonna have fun.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Thank you, Joe Douglas, thanks for being our guest and
The Unbreakable Podcast
Host
Jay Glazer
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