Our old pal from Owings Mills, Turron Davenport now of ESPN in Nashville comes home to talk Ravens and Lamar and Titans and King Henry after spending a week in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
lamar jackson, ravens, derrick henry, deal, quarterback, lamar, year, money, chuck smith, running, draft, wide receivers, league, cincinnati, passing, podiums, covered, titans, agent, offense
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome back at wn s. T, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we’re positively taking the Maryland crabcake tour back out on the road I’ll have these these aren’t they look old but they’re new. They’re the instant lottery scratch offs. The $2 are from like the 70s but it’s the 50th anniversary so we even these AP metallographic doors walls are friends of winter nation 8669 the nation you buy to and you get to free and 24 months. Three financing all month long. I don’t know what’s going to happen here with Lamar Jackson i i am starting to call around to people who do what I used to do professionally which is covered in National Football League from the inside out. This guy covered the Ravens he also covered the Eagles. He’s been pretty embedded down in Nashville, Tennessee as they grow the community down there and the ties got Barry trots back now with the predators. Toronto Davenport’s been our friend for oh man well over a decade covering the National Football League back from the Combine just up the road, I see what you did out there strategically located in Tennessee, you just get the drive in and out of Indy. But how have you been man, I follow you on on Facebook, and I watch your work. We’re all proud of you moving onward and upward at ESPN and doing the work you’re doing, man. It’s good to have you bored. Thanks for coming on.
8
01:13
Oh, yeah, no, it’s great to be on and everything is is awesome. You know, I cannot complain. Not what but
Nestor Aparicio 01:20
Well, I’ll tell you what, if I’m if the Lamar Jackson saga, weren’t the saga that it is to the Players Association to ESPN broadcast, as you know, the guaranteed money. The Derrick Henry think would be pretty interesting, right? Like you’re in your own little situation down there in Tennessee, and maybe even a situation with Lamar Jackson could be an antidote?
01:42
Yeah, yeah. It’s It’s interesting with Derrick Henry. And he actually foreshadow this, when he was on a vocal podcast called busing with the boys, Taylor lawan and will competent. And he spoke about the fact that he’s 29 years old and how that’s old in running back years. And he said, maybe the next EMS coming in, and I could be the next guy out. And he understands the business. But I would have to think there’s a degree of taking it personal that he has, and those athletes like that, like they always find ways to motivate themselves. So this is pretty cool, even if they don’t train them, because you’re going to see a highly motivated, Derrick cannot become a bat for camp.
Nestor Aparicio 02:27
8Well, I mean, Frank Gore, right. I mean, we could talk about veteran Adrian Peterson, right? I mean, I mean, there are guys that have done this at at a high level, when I think Derrick Henry, and you know, I’m having Euler thing, right. Like, I’ve had an Euler thing my whole life. So I’ve been into collecting Houston Oilers stuff again, and I think of Earl Campbell, and I think of the tread on the tire and the kind of hard running Jamal Lewis. I think he’s a mutual friend of ours, certainly a friend of mine. You know what, what that pounding represents? I don’t know what the Titans are, what is their identity without Derrick Henry moving forward. I mean, that would certainly be as much as an identity shift as the Lamar Jackson, les ravens would be next year.
03:11
That will be a huge identity shift, because this is a team that prides themselves on running the football stopping teams from running the football. And when it field position, just the physical aspect of it. So you don’t have a 22 back there. We changed things a lot. I know they liked the sound Haskins, the second year player out of Michigan, this draft has some pretty tough backs in it as well. But it’s just different creature with Derrick Henry. And I think when you look at the quote, unquote devaluing of the running back position, that is happening to an extent, but Derrick Henry is a playmaker, and this league always values play.
Nestor Aparicio 03:49
If there was ever anybody that was going to get a little bit of dough, as a running back for a couple of years, it probably would have been Derrick Henry, given the way he ran and, you know, injuries aside and that goes for everybody. But this Lamar Jackson battle and reason I want to bring people like you want in experts spaces at it. It’s not even about Islam are committed, or even what you think. But this is such a global issue for the National Football League for the Players Association for guaranteed money for the way owners get together with owners and decide who’s going to do what like collusive like all of this, this dust has gotten kicked up. And to Ron what I’ve said all week long is this is the original sin. This is owners against the Players Association, right? Like this is at the top of where the money’s gonna go, who’s gonna get it whether it’s going to be guaranteed or not. And I remember back when you were covering the Ravens here, you might even been in the room and Bashaud he got all chippy about Sam Bradford and number one picks guys walking into the league and being guaranteed 6080 $100 million, whether they can play or not play, and then there’s the scale of whether you can play Derrick Henry can play Lamar Jackson can play and somehow we woke up this weekend Taysom Hills made more money than Lamar Jackson. It’s insane.
05:06
Yeah, I think you still to Daniel Jones situation as well. And for me, I don’t know, usually when a former MVP to lead the league and touchdowns, touchdown passing just a few years ago, a guy with a what is the record 46 and 17, a guy who is clearly a franchise quarterback, usually when those guys become available, there’s a line at the door to acquire it.
8Nestor Aparicio 05:33
Well, last year, there was a line for a guy who was you know, just had a criminal trail behind him and not these credentials as well.
05:42
Right. Right. And so I think we look at this, there’s a line to say, I’m not interested in him. And just the fact that that came out so quickly, you have what six teams come out and say, Hey, we’re not interested within hours of the tag being placed. And that is what confused me is why would you so quickly remove yourself from the situation? It’s not like this. So last year, I can see that happened, right? Because, hey, look, we don’t want to touch that. There’s legal issues. We don’t want anything to do with Lamar is scot free. When it comes to off the field. On the field. There’s no doubt in what he brings to the table. He is a playmaker, he could throw the football but mind you he was in an offense that wasn’t exactly the most complex passing game. We forget that he passed for over 9000 yards in a pro style offense. And Louisville. Oh, and by the way, won the Heisman Trophy there. So I really don’t understand the questioning of his passing ability. And we know he could do when he runs the football. So it’s confusing to me how so many teams so quickly remove themselves from from any type of interest in one. This is a guy that has no issue whatsoever? Well, for
Nestor Aparicio 06:54
me, it’s a three prong issue. Turon. So first things first, I’m issuing this to you in Nashville, whoever the beat reporter whoever the Adam Schefter, the Jameson whoever, it doesn’t matter who it is, whatever that media source from the team would say, All right, I’m sourced to cost the hit me on the back door, and this is what I had a boom, and I put it out, right. So quarterback, if you’re Atlanta, you don’t want your quarterback and see thinking he doesn’t navigate. The second part of this is the Players Association and the contract itself, where you got together with Eric last week in Indianapolis and said, Eric, what does he really want? And Eric says, it starts at 231. I mean, if you’re not going to give him 231, he’s not gonna get on the phone with you. He won’t get on the phone with me. He doesn’t have an agent, part three Turon. He doesn’t have an agent. There’s nobody to push back on this. And as a bargaining chip, if the Atlanta Falcons or the Las Vegas Raiders are just down the line pick any of these your team any of these teams are really interested in Lemoore they’re not gonna come out and say they are they’re gonna come out and say go pistol net fire hydrant, we’re not interested. And that lets their current quarterback a sleep. Because think about what happened that Ryan last year, right? Like, think about what happened in New Orleans and all these places where all the rumors happened. And agents are on the phone with ownership and Mr. BLANKS involved and Carolina’s involved and everybody’s running on. They don’t want that for their organization, if they are interested. If they are interested. They’re trying to beat down the price and beat down the bidding on him if you really want him. So they yell all of this stuff. And then the other part of this is there really isn’t anybody to defend Lamar. I mean, the fact that he doesn’t have an agent, I just I’ve been in business 31 years and I’ve seen all sorts of things. This to me is almost malfeasance in regard to his own money. And it’s not the first time we’ve seen that I mean levy on Bell we’ve seen guys make poor decisions with their money we’ve also seen Joe Flacco go all in and and break the bank and like No, I’m not managing his money or Marshawn Lynch’s money or any of these guys that have done things their own way row Quan Smith did his own deal.
09:12
8And particular case, man. Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 09:16
but what but ro Quan isn’t hitting the market right now as topic class quarterback, and it feels to me. Like Lamar doesn’t trust anybody. Right? Like he hasn’t trusted anybody. But it feels like he trusted the union in a way to put his case forward. And I don’t know that that was the best negotiating tack for him. We’ll find out but I’m I’m worried about him and his negotiation.
09:40
Yeah, I think it’s more of trying to keep things will go in the direction of guaranteed money. That’s my opinion. I mean, the agent thing I get it, but you know, it didn’t stop by Wagner when he negotiated a big deal, but didn’t stop. As mentioned ro Quan Smith he was able to, so I don’t Know that the agent thing is as big I think this is a different case. And even if he had an agent, I think this is something where we’ll be in a similar situation because this league doesn’t want guaranteed contracts. And that’s what he’s looking to get. And it’s one of those things where I think that the sound Watson and Cleveland deal last year is a one off, but it’s one of those where they’re going to look at that, like say, hey, he got it. I want
Nestor Aparicio 10:29
well, the money’s there to run. Right? I mean, that would be the that would be the issue is that there’s plenty of money there, that if the Browns can afford it, you can afford it too. And you know, when I hear shotty, saying the Browns are stupid, we’re not going to be stupid. Yeah, this non exclusive tag and this period of time, when you saw that, were you shocked on Tuesday when you saw nonexclusive and 30? Because he never, he shouldn’t have stepped on campus for 23 Last year, right? Like he cost himself 20 million last year, he’s already behind because he didn’t collect that money and that money is gone and the injury and like all of that, but I’m shocked by all of this. I really am. And I think in the end, he’ll wind up somewhere else. I really believe that. I just believe there are significant calluses here, as Dennis Kalonzo said, or as I would say bruised feelings. I just think it’s very difficult for him to come back here.
811:20
Yeah, I’m just really knowing how much they invested in him and knowing what he means to that team. Even to John Harbaugh, there’s a chance John Harbaugh was not around if he doesn’t come in, in 2018 and save the season. So knowing all those things, it’s just interesting to me. Why he has to go through all this. It really is. I don’t think the organization should put him through this. I think a deal should have been done. And it’s
Nestor Aparicio 11:52
he says 231 or nothing, then I don’t know that because he said that though. I don’t I don’t know what’s been said. I know what’s been done. And what’s been done is he’s been on sidelines holding up signs saying give me money. He was out on Twitter. He held out.
12:09
He wasn’t in Cincinnati. That’s the thing.
Nestor Aparicio 12:11
8I don’t have the team side. Trust me, bro. I mean, I know
12:15
I’m not saying you do. I’m not saying you do. But I don’t believe he said to 31. I don’t believe that. He said that. You know,
Nestor Aparicio 12:23
the Ravens insulted him either, though, I think the Ravens offered him life changing. If I think the Ravens said they offered him 130 Whatever it is not to say that he had to take that deal. But if he wasn’t going to take the deal to your point, agent, no agent, if he believed I’m 150 or whatever the number he thinks he is they haven’t gotten there yet. And then there’s the part where he hasn’t played the last at the end of the last two years. And the Cincinnati thing drum and you’re on the inside of this. You talk to these guys every day. I’ve been doing this, you know, since you were a teenager, right? Like I just the fact that he wasn’t in Cincinnati, just let me know. There’s a problem here, either one side or both sides,
13:08
traveled to multiple games. That’s not the first time he traveled to a broke game.
8Nestor Aparicio 13:12
I saw him in Pittsburgh today. I was credentialed. So he was with them initially, initially.
13:17
But I mean, there were times where he hasn’t like that. That’s not a one off.
Nestor Aparicio 13:22
playoff game. It’s a knockout game. He’s the face of the franchise. Simple like for me like Yeah,
13:27
8I mean, I will disagree on that one. I’m not putting an apple for that. There’s a lot of guys who are injured that don’t travel. So I will not come for that one. But, you know, this is the thing that’s always, in my opinion, unique to Lamar Jackson. He is He gets treated with such a, you know, in a white glove treatment. It’s I would hate to be in his shoes, because it’s almost he can’t do right. It almost seems like it just feels like there’s a lot of like, just needling with him on things that I don’t think are Oh, He’s
Nestor Aparicio 14:05
different. He’s different on the field off the field represents he’s, he’s He’s different. He’s valued differently. And I think for a lot of teams to have success with him. They would have to really change their program. I mean, the Ravens committed to this right? Whether it was Willie Snead, the way they were going to run the ball, the type of offensive lineman that they brought into the program, either through the draft or free agency. He hasn’t been the same without Mark Ingram to me Marshall yonder when you lose a Hall of Famer pulling up front and leading and truly healthy Ronnie Stanley, right, like I thought they could win was subpar wide receivers because they did but I thought when they took Mark Ingram away from him, I think it really he had been the same sense for me and and that’s injury that’s all of this. You
14:58
could say that Got a lot of quarterbacks, you know, you take away things that are valuable parts of the offense, they won’t be the same. And as far as like the scheme, like the scheme didn’t have to be built that way. Again, Lamar Jackson passed for 9000 yards over 9000 yards in the pro style offense. He’s very capable. In fact, I believe that that scheme actually shortchanged, if I was running that offense, you know, I would have spread things out more, allow him to operate in space. And then also that offense really kept a lot of my receivers from Florida to come here. You know, people make the mistake of saying, oh, that’s the mark. No, that’s that’s the passing offense. It’s very limited, is not detailed. And that was something that kept players from coming and I think it would have been perfect if he could have stayed there with Todd Monken. And then they start to build around Lamar his passing ability and Mark Andrews and get Rashad Bateman to be able to be healthy and continue to play. Get Devin du Vernay and space get other receivers, I think that seemed like you know, this year get acquainted Johnston from TCU. And I think you could really be cooking but now because of everything that has happened as far as the damage to the relationship. I mean, I just it’s just crazy to be that we’re at this point. I mean, you have a franchise quarterback. You do what you got to do to maintain them. And I mean, everybody’s saying that has to be 231 being guaranteed we don’t know that. But I think they should be able to have come to some type of deal but by now it’s just it’s confused.
Nestor Aparicio 16:50
Toronto Davenport’s out of Baltimore but spent a lot of time here in Baltimore covering the ravens and then the Philadelphia Eagles now covering the Tennessee Titans for E SP and the worldwide leader go follow him out on Twitter and anywhere Titans are sold but not all errs. Although I know they have some all their stuff in the throwback gift shop down there. Before I you know I get to the Combine just state of the Titans give me a little pretend on nasty Nestor doing Sporting News Radio, and I get three minutes on the Titans with you. I’m about to have a transition well coached about to get a new stadium, right, like all sorts of the city’s going through huge transition down there, if not the state of Tennessee, it’s that that franchise and that whole thing’s ready to cook. But they haven’t had a franchise quarterback for real.
817:41
Right. And Ryan Tannehill, I think is going to remain the quarterback this season. But a lot of the talk about him moving on as it’s being generated from outside to build it from what I can tell inside that building, he’s the guy that is their quarterback, if they were to move on from him, it will cost him $18.8 million. So it’s not one of those things, but you could get rid of him and bring another guy in because now you’re compounding that 18 to whatever you sign that
Nestor Aparicio 18:12
there’s your Lamar Jackson issue, right? Like they might love Lamar Jackson and just say, Yeah, I mean, we just can’t,
18:20
there’s things that you could do with that, uh, you could, if you were to sign like that type of situation, you could have that cat number initially be slightly look at what the Browns did with Watson, his initial cat number was a million dollars. So that was his capital. So you can do some things to trick it up a little bit. But for the most part, if you look at a lot of these guys out here, it wouldn’t be as much of a long term deal, you know, you sign it Garoppolo you’re looking at probably a three year deal. So you can’t afford to have that first year low. But back to the Titans. You got the Derrick Henry situation. Henry is 29 years old next year, they can move on from him and it only costs him like $4 million. So they have to figure out if they’re going to continue to be that ground and pound type of offense. After Henry. So there is a transitional period that they’re going through the defense is in really good shape. But you mentioned the new stadium. And with that that is causing because they had to raise a lot of money, I think upwards of 500 to $600 million. They hadn’t raised themselves that the atom stroke family to be able to get into the stadium. So you know when you sign a free agent, you know that that initial contract, the check that you stroke, for that signup bonus bonus, excuse me is a pretty big one. So that’s kind of keep an eye out for being able to be very active in free agency once they released but Bri was set to be in effect on March 15. Because there’s some salary things that could get accelerated, that have free up Good amount of money and they should be around $23.5 million under the cap. So they can be somewhat active. But you also have the Jeffrey Simmons deal. That’s that’s pending. And there’s other defensive tackles who are going to be signing deals. So that’s just going to influence that floor for persimmons in his deal. So there’s a lot going on Grant Cardone is the new general manager, first time general manager and he walked into a bit of a hornet’s nest and we’ll see how he’s able to manage
Nestor Aparicio 20:27
8your Chuck Smith fan. I saw that out on Twitter as well and the ratings. Everything’s overshadow with Lamar even Monken and you know, the things that had happened to your structurally that have nothing to do with Lamar like glaze Campbell. Sandy’s like all of these things. The while we’re on the air, they dealt Chuck Clark literally during this segment, they dealt him off to the jets for a draft pick. But in your case, it coaches give me a little primer on that because a pass rush is something going back here to Terrell Suggs, that has been when it’s on and Justin Houston is getting after, but they drafted over a year and they’ve had some, some failures and some successes. But certainly getting after Joe burrow here has to be pretty primary to what they’re going to do if they’re gonna win in this division,
21:13
this comparison to improve that password. And when you talk about Chuck Smith, this is a guy who he worked with Von Miller they were doing the pass rush somebody, and pretty much all of the top guys, they go to Atlanta and they work with Chuck Smith, and he does an awesome job of identifying what guys do well with their go to movies, and then working off for that and developing counters and things like that. You look at the drills and things that they do. It’s Chuck Smith is the man. I don’t I don’t know that there’s many better paths for our specialists at the Chuck Smith. He’s been there done that he was a double digit sack guy, you know, in the league playing for the Falcons played for the Panthers is? Yeah, this is this is a really good thing for the Ravens. And that pass rush. Like I said in that tweet, it got better immediately. And he didn’t even get into the building. It’s better by him just being a part of that organization. Your watch, there’s going to be a lot of improvement on those guys.
Nestor Aparicio 22:14
Ciara Davenport’s got us in top five and sacks in the league. I liked that. I mean, we got to we’re getting all this optimism out of Tennessee right now. He covers things for ESPN. Last thing for you spent time in India last week combining the one thing that I kept thinking about in regard to the Ravens before all this began, and I don’t know if you were there for the little hardball and to caster podiums, and there, they love Lamar and Kumbaya and everything’s good. All I can think it was it’s a really important draft for the Ravens in a lot of ways. They have five pigs, if they deal with Mr. Doe a 678 Whatever they wind up and it’s picked up another pick now which Clark but if they are going into the quarterback market, if somehow Lamar is not there, guys, six weeks from now, then the amount of scouting they would have done would have had the been on par with Flacco and drafting Lamar Jackson and saying we don’t have the one one but how are we going to get a quarterback and the Ravens have done this? They’re two for two and I think Eric if you were to get together with him prime late one night over the second glass of wine or cocktail, he probably say we we’ve okay, we’ve been okay, we’ve wide receivers. Okay, but my problem which started the problem with Bateman, but on quarterbacks, they’ve done a good job. And they found Lamar when nobody else was looking for Lamar, if they were to go into this, this would be pretty important for our franchise here the next six weeks as to what’s going to come out of this thing come April 28.
23:38
Yeah, I mean, that’s gonna be really important. The wide receiver thing against me that is a product of the scheme. It just wasn’t conducive to receivers being productive. I firmly believe that but well suited Hollywood
8Nestor Aparicio 23:51
Brown, by the way. Was that showed it Hollywood Brown?
23:55
Yeah, that’s fine. What’s good about it?
Nestor Aparicio 24:00
Is that Turon speaking that’s the guys who play the game. I mean, that said the same thing about wide receivers like you better draft them because you’re not going to recruit them in that offense.
24:07
8Yeah, and even draft and I mean, Rashad Bateman is a good example. Obviously injuries came into play but very talented receiver. just hasn’t worked there with that scheme. And that’s why I say it would be really great to see Lamar be able to play a top marking scheme because I would like to see those Devon duveneck Rashad Payton’s be able to really showcase their talent. And I feel like you know, you spread things out, let them operate, that would be really good for them. But at the same time, you’re Tyler Buckley is a free agent as well, from what I understand. So there’s a couple things that the title excuse me, the Ravens have to look at a quarterback plus
Nestor Aparicio 24:48
Tannehill might be our quarterback for tight who knows, you know, that would be the issue. If it’s not Lamar, then who is it? What did you see at the combine and i How much is a change? I haven’t been in a couple of years. Bri COVID All that I stopped going because it just was a lousy place to do radio. Like they stuck us down the hallway around the corner. Nobody was there. So just, you know, as a as an event as a combine was fine. From a radio standpoint, I backed off of it a couple of years ago, but it feels to me to be still as relevant as ever. I know you were there all day all night. It really is an incredible event for a job fair.
25:25
Yeah, it’s still relevant. And from a radio perspective, if you remember where they had the bench press. That’s now where the radio so it’s literally just behind the curtain, you know, the podiums you take the guys from the podiums to the behind the curtain to the radio, it’s I think it’s a lot more
Nestor Aparicio 25:44
we’ll come back next year, if
825:45
they let us know about that. That’s what I would do, honestly, but yeah, it’s a great event. They shifted the scheduling around a little bit. I mean, it starts at 8am. So the late nights and early mornings, it takes some dedication to get up. You know, it time to get over to the podium at 8am You don’t have to be an hour to three but I mean,
Nestor Aparicio 26:06
the bartender Saint almost is not happy about that switch.
26:09
What is that
Nestor Aparicio 26:10
8the bartender at St almost is not happy with that switch the bartender
26:13
at prime 47 They’re still and as people are still in their late you know, I had a couple of late nights I wasn’t gonna do it the whole week, but it’s, it’s still just the way it was before with the even with the schedule changes as well before it started a little bit later, you know, 11 o’clock or so. So yeah, time to sleep in covered and everything but now you know, is eight until about 12. And then at three o’clock, you shoot over to the stadium and you can see the drills and stuff like that. That’s from three to eight and after eight. That’s what all the socializing happens.
Nestor Aparicio 26:49
And interviewing as well. Right so Brian Turon, Davenport ESPN, please follow him if you love the Titans or the Ahlers in my case are just covered the National Football League nobody does a better job of covering his team than Toronto does. Make sure you’re following Him He covered the Ravens We miss you up here. Oh maybe you miss all this drama you got your own drama down there man right
27:10
drama bones and it’s all of everybody’s chasing
8Nestor Aparicio 27:14
somebody but you guys got Jacksonville problems in your division now we got Cincinnati prob who knew Cincinnati Jacksonville we’re gonna be such pain in the butt alright
27:25
yeah it’s good that’s the league right they want they want parity and achieved no
Nestor Aparicio 27:30
franchise quarterback changes everything try appreciate you man happy new year and new Calendar Year to you and free agency to you on it’s Ron’s gonna get busy next week. So it’s Luke Jones. Anything breaks around here including in the middle of literally in the middle of the segment WNS T tax right here. Ravens the trade safety Chuck Clark to the jets for 20 24/7 round pick per ESPN. There you go. I’ll give you all the credit in the world there. Toronto, Jameson, anybody? Shefter I don’t know who came up with it. Coons for Baltimore. brings that tech service to you. And of course the Maryland crab cakes were presented by the Maryland lottery and our friends at window nation we’re getting back out on the road. Stay with it’s gonna be a wild ride through this whole non exclusive tagging free agency period. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stop talking Baltimore positive
