It started as a conversation about the Ravens’ re-working the contract of wide receiver Rashod Bateman and what that will mean for Zay Flowers but amidst the $50 million-a-year quarterback being absent from “voluntary” organized team activities, Luke Jones and Nestor make the argument on both sides for the value and validity of a franchise player opting to stay home while his team hits the practice field in Owings Mills. This one got spicy.
Luke Jones and Nestor Aparicio discussed the Baltimore Ravens’ OTAs and the recent contract extension of Rashad Bateman, who signed a three-year, $36.75 million deal through 2029. Jones highlighted Bateman’s breakout season with 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, and the extension’s affordability. They also debated the significance of Lamar Jackson’s absence from OTAs, noting his historic season last year despite missing practices. The conversation touched on the Ravens’ safety situation, with Malachi Starks being evaluated, and the potential impact of Bateman’s contract on future roster decisions.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Lamar Jackson, Ravens OTAs, Rashad Bateman, Zay Flowers, contract extension, wide receiver market, salary cap, practice attendance, safety position, Malachi Starks, veteran players, team leadership, mandatory mini-camp, training camp, NFL contracts.
SPEAKERS
8
Speaker 1, Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. We are positively taking the Maryland crab cake tour on the road. We will be at Faith Lee’s and Lexington market next Friday the 13th. Promise to have a lucky shrimp salad sandwich and some oysters as well, some fried oysters and crab cake, Back to the Future scratch. Also the Maryland lottery available our friends at Liberty, pure solutions, as well as curio wellness sending us out on the road. They’re putting Luke out on the road as well. He was in Owings Mills this week. The Orioles are in Sacramento, and then heading home next week as well. The Ravens have been practicing otaing kind of quietly. And then this Bateman signing happens if you’re on our W, N, S, D, tech service Baltimore, positive, you’ve got that courtesy of our friends at Coal roofing and Gordian energy, Luke joins us now to discuss whatever this time of the year is, right? I mean, install players, learning physicians, learning things. You’re out there trying to learn stuff. I guess what we did learn is they’re investing in Rashad Bateman and zay flowers might not be getting an extension,
Luke Jones 01:04
huh? Well, I think we’re a long way from determining the second part of that, but it is interesting for all the players that we’ve talked about as contract extension candidates. I mean, we’ve talked a lot about Isaiah likely and the dynamic of Mark Andrews and what his future is, but we’ve talked about Lamar. Knowing Lamar is cap number goes up to 75 million next year. You’re obviously going to have to do something there, and you want to do something, you want to keep Lamar under contract as long as you can. But we’ve talked about Kyle Hamilton. We’ve talked about Tyler Linder bomb. I don’t think too many people were mentioning Rashad Bateman, mainly because he had signed that extension last year. Remember, there were some odd circumstances. He had a blunder with his agent, or him or both, but he didn’t report at the start of training camp a couple years ago, when he was still injured, he didn’t report at the early time when injured, when injured players were supposed to report. Now it was only a day. It wasn’t like some kind of falling out or anything like that, but that resulted in him losing in a crude season, that resulted in his march toward free agency being delayed so last year in an effort to throw him a bone, a proverbial bone, so to speak. But also because the Ravens had all the leverage, they signed him to a three year extension. It was only for about $15 million total. Like I said, it’s it. A lot of it stemmed from, you know, a clear whether you call it clerical or something, whatever, however you want to explain that he clearly was not making a lot of money. He has a breakout season last year where he has 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. You know, legitimate rock solid number two wide receiver production. But he was under contract the next couple years. The Ravens owed him only 10, little over $10 million for this year and next year combined. But, and you know, Bateman was asked about this after Thursday’s OTA, I don’t know if there was a handshake agreement where Eric Acosta said, look, go out there and play, play your butt off, do everything we think you’re capable of doing, and then we’ll get back to the table, but they did, and they signed him to an additional three year extension worth $36.75 million that now has him under contract through 2029 now I’ll say this much. He’s now under contract for five years. He’s owed roughly, you know, 46 $47 million you’re still talking about someone for that’s still quite affordable for number two wide receiver money. And I think what’s interesting to think about here, and this is what you were alluding to, is a flowers, let’s be clear, zay flowers is better than Rashad Bateman. He’s been more productive his first two years in the league, he’s their number one wide receiver. However, if you haven’t been paying attention to the wide receiver market, we are now at a point here in 2025 with salaries only going up where you have I believe it’s eight receivers now in the National Football League have eclipsed the $30 million dollar mark for average annual value, zay flowers is eligible for a contract extension beginning next off season. Obviously, you’re going to have a fifth year option. They’re in no rush. This isn’t something that’s going to come to a head anytime soon, most likely. But the question becomes, how much will it cost to extend zay flowers. And should you do that? I mean, I’ll remind everyone. The Kansas City Chiefs, they sold off Tyree kill, right? They don’t have a $30 million the Baltimore Ravens sold off Hollywood Brown, you know, so player, right? Well, Hollywood Brown’s never Tyree kill, though, but you can draft that player to some degree. Can. Yes, you can. The Ravens until recent history, had never shown an ability to effectively do that. So I think what this does with Rashad Bateman, and let me be clear, this is not Luke Jones with a hot take saying that Rashad Bateman’s going to be a raven long term, and zay flowers has no shot. No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I think what this does do is give you some a little more flexibility from the standpoint of hypothetically. And look, if Rashad Bateman has another big year, he’s probably going to think he’s underpaid again. And there might be some you might have trouble over the next year or two with that. So this is all in a vacuum. You don’t know what’s going to happen. But on paper, you now have Rashad Bateman under contract through 2029 at $9.5 million a year, if he, at a minimum, does what he did last year, or even takes the next step. And that, I don’t, I don’t know what that is. I mean, it’s, there’s only one football, right? So you’ve added Hopkins. You still have Derek, Henry, you’re still going to run the ball. Lamar is still going to run the ball. So, you know, I don’t know if the production is going to necessarily spike anymore, but I think it does give you a little bit of a safety net to have some contingency plans here. One Bateman could become a trade asset if he has that kind of a contract that’s very, very affordable, and you might get to a point where you say, well, we have to extend zay. Zay has become perennial 1000 yard wide receiver, 1100 1200 who knows what happens the next couple years, but you could decide that, and then you’d say, Okay, we can’t, we can’t pay zay what he’s going to command and keep Rashad Bateman at nine and a half million dollars a year. So you could trade him, or if you decide we love zay flowers, but we don’t love zay flowers at approaching $30 million a year, which is what the market could dictate his price being, especially with the cap only going up the next couple years. So you might say, You know what, we love zay flowers, but we don’t love them so much to pay them $30 million when Lamar Jackson, at that point, could be making $65 million a year, whatever his next contract is. Kyle Hamilton’s making 25 million a year. Tyler Linder bombs making 18 million a year. You know, go down the list of all the guys that are making money. You know, by then, Nate Wiggins might be someone that you’re paying 20 plus million dollars a year, right? I mean, again, when you’re a general manager, yes, you’re thinking about 2025 but you’re trying to at least have a skeleton of a plan for what your next five years is going to look like. So I think that the idea that you have Bateman under contract now for the next four or five years had an affordable rate. And again, assuming he’s not going to want more money, which is a big assumption right now, at some point in time, it does give you some outs in terms of if zay flowers become someone that you think is just going to be way too expensive to keep, if you do have Bateman under contract, you can trade zay draft a receiver in the first round, and kind of do what Kansas City has done the last couple years. Right last couple years, right retool. They they traded Tyreke Hill, and then say what you want about him off the field, but Rasheed rice has been productive. They just drafted Xavier worthy this past year. They added Hollywood Brown as another complimentary piece, and they’ve made it work that way. Now, their offense hasn’t been as explosive as it was, under Tyree kill, but they’ve still gone to Super Bowls, right? So there’s, there’s more than one way to do this. So I just think it’s to me, did they have to do this? No, they could have said, Rashad, you’re under contract the next couple years, but him, making only a total of $10 million over the next couple of years probably wasn’t going to be happy with that. And if you do this, you do this, it’s still an affordable contract. It’s not breaking the bank or ruining your cap. You’ve kept him happier. You’ve made him a little more whole in terms of the fact that he had a good year. I mean, he caught nine touchdowns last year. He was a really productive wide receiver for them last year. He’s a big reason why their passing game took a step forward, you know? I mean, well, they recognize that. Give him credit, right? I mean, and they’ve been, they’ve been very bullish on him. I mean, Eric to Costa, going back two or three off seasons ago, when everyone was, you know, guys like us were even saying shot Bateman, can’t count on him, can’t stay healthy, hasn’t been productive, comparing him to Perryman, right? Yeah, to Costa’s been very bullish about his potential, and last year he finally showed that. So they say, You know what? We’re going to make you a little more whole. We’ve also added three years on to our contractual control. So that helps us nine and a half million dollars for in terms of AAV is reasonable for a really, for a good number two wide receiver, and we also know that the price is only going to go up. I mean, when you look at how much the bangles paid, not only Jamar Chase, but also T Higgins, you look at that and say, Man, T Higgins, who, let’s face it, would be a number one wide receiver for 26 other teams in the NFL, but he’s a number. Two for the Bengals. But you look at those prices, and you say, what is a flower is going to be worth in a couple years? And can you afford to pay that? Do you want to pay that? So I just think this gives them a little more flexibility in the sense that they either have Bateman under contract, and you can go draft a wide receiver and you trade Zay, or you trade Bateman and you keep zay and you extend zay. So I think it just gives you a little more flexibility. It keeps the player happier. This is a much more representative contract for what Rashad Bateman is and and look, I know some people are listening right now and saying, Luke, what are you talking about? I mean, this guy doesn’t even have 1000 yard season under under his, uh, under his belt. You know, as far as an NFL, uh, career goes. Guys go, go. Look at what the market is for wide receivers. So on a yearly basis, I mean, three years, $36.75 million contract, that’s that’s good number two wide receiver money at this point in time. You know? I mean number one, you’re not getting a number one receiver for that. So I just think it, it was interesting because they made him a little more whole. And I think this was a way that the ravens, maybe, this is a way that they can hedge their bets a little bit, not knowing exactly what that cost for zay flowers is going to be. You know, I mean, say flowers might be a 30 million wide $30 million wide receiver per year on the open market. Are the ravens, from a salary cap standpoint, from a roster construction standpoint, from a standpoint of you have Lamar Jackson. Do you need to have a $30 million wide receiver or at that point in time, let’s say you’ve extended Isaiah, likely he’s your number one. Well, they’re not
Nestor Aparicio 11:37
gonna have a $12 million running back then either, right? I mean, by then, Derek Henry’s got a year maybe two left, right? Yeah, so
8Luke Jones 11:44
and again, that’s why I’m saying this. This isn’t me at all saying that this means they’re not going to extend zay flowers. I just think it gives you more options. You now have an effective wide receiver who’s cost controlled for the next, at least the next three or four years. Let’s say again, Bateman could go back to the table in a year, a year and a half, and say, I want more money. And if he produces at a level that that you think he’s capable of, he probably will be right in deserving more money. But I just think it gives you, gives you a little more. You don’t want to be in a position where both those guys are becoming free agents at the same time, right? I mean, I think we all would agree on that. So now you’re in a position where Bateman’s under contract, you’ve appeased him, at least for the time being, and now you’re going to see, I mean, if zay flowers hits another level this year, and he’s a 1200 yard receiver and he catches 10 touchdowns, he’ll be a 30 plus million dollar wide receiver. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it, but you do have to consider everything else about your roster. And Kansas City said, Look, we love Tyree kill. I mean, we won a lot of football games with Tyree kill, but we got to the point where we said, well, we have a lot of other roster needs. Our quarterbacks making a lot of money. You know, we’re Travis Kelsey. We still have him. Let’s trade him to the dolphins. And they did that. And guess what? Everyone thought at the time it was going to mean the downfall the chiefs. No, no, they won Super Bowl since then, and they’ve been back, and they’re still the class of the NFL. So, you know, I just think, I just think it’s an interesting dynamic when you just think about the long term, and there’s so much unknown. I mean, Rashad Bateman could get hurt again this year, and maybe we might be talking about them cutting him in two years. Who knows? I mean, you know, it’s just a lot of unknown, but I just thought it was an interesting move, just because we weren’t really expecting that. But again, I think it was they it was a nod to him after a good season that he had. And I do think it’s an interesting play when you start to think about the long term possibilities of what’s going to happen with zay
Nestor Aparicio 13:40
flowers. He is Luke Jones. He has been out in Owings Mills this week. We’re watching Oriole baseball late night and them digging out of their huge hole. But meanwhile, the Ravens will play for three months, with three months out September 7 buffalo is when this thing will happen. All right, you’ve been out there. What’s what’s going on on the practice field? Is Harbaugh having you keep copious notes as to which one of his millionaires are or are not practicing this
Luke Jones 14:06
week. I mean, obviously we’re taking attendance. I mean, it’s voluntary. I mean, attendance this week wasn’t as good as last week. It tends to be that way. I mean, it’s still been good overall. I mean, you know, Lamar hasn’t been there this week. Lamar wasn’t there for OTAs last year, and he had the best season of his career. I mean, would you like to have them there? Sure do. I think it’s a big deal. Do I do? I think that’s the reason why this team’s coming up short in January. No, not even a little bit. I’m not going to sit here and lie and be disingenuous. But, you know, no Lamar, no Kyle Hamilton. I I think Kyle Hamilton being out of the picture for some of these OTAs actually could be a silver lining of you’re trying to find out about Malachi Starks in terms of not that you don’t love them as a player, but do you love them enough that you’re going to put so much on his plate week one of his rookie season, week two, week three, week four, because we know our Darius Washington best case in. Aerio is back in December maybe, you know, I mean, that’s not, that’s not even a guarantee. So you’re going to have to figure out safety. So right now, you’re looking at Bo braid, Jalen armor Davis. They’re actually working him out at safety some right now. And I’m not saying any of these guys are going to be the guy as a number three safety. I still think they’re going to add a veteran safety at some point in time, but in the meantime, you’re evaluating, and I think really, they’re trying to throw a lot at Malachi Starks right now and really see how he handles that. I mean, Chuck pagano spoke on Thursday. It was great to talk to Chuck. I mean, it’s amazing. It’s one of those deals where I kind of looked around and I thought, Man of all the Ravens reporters that are that were on the beat in 2011 which is the last time Chuck pagano was, was part of the Ravens coaching staff. There are only a few of us left. I mean, a lot of the people that were standing around the podium give
Nestor Aparicio 15:54
8chuck my best tell him, I said a lot. I will. I will. He
Luke Jones 15:57
you could tell I mean, you know Chuck. You got to know him better than I did, even after, you know his battle with leukemia and Jen and all that, but you could just tell he’s really excited to be back at it. I mean, he said that he never gave up thinking about the possibility of coaching again. And he said, obviously Baltimore being a spot that he was familiar and and had affinity for the organization. Obviously has a relationship with John barbault. I think it helps that getting to work with Kyle Hamilton. I mean, not Ed Reed, like his first go round with the ravens, but still pretty special talent there. I think he’s excited about that, but you could just tell, I mean, you know, he’s excited to be back. I mean, he said, Look, I don’t have any designs on being a coordinator again or being a head coach again. I just this is fun, and he likes working with Zach or so. But right now, I mean, it’s a big challenge right now for them to kind of sort through what they thought their safety position was going to be with Hamilton, ardarius Washington, and then working Malachi Starks in. And now you subtract Washington, and it’s how much can Malachi Starks handle right away? I think it’s going to be fine. But do you need to bring in a veteran safety and even throw a little bit of money their way to have that other guy, and then you can slow play Starks a little bit more, or does this kid look like he can handle it and he’s ready to go, and he hits the ground running, and you can go with one of these other guys as your third safety. I mean, so I think that’s one of the things that I’m monitoring right now. I mean, you know me, man, this time of year, when you’ve been at it this long, you know, not to be fooled by too much when guys are playing in shorts in late May and early June. That’s just the reality. But, but certainly looking at we talk in practice, man, practice, yeah, practice without even pads, right? I mean, I It’s so shooting practice. I’ve given this advice to a couple, you know, couple reporters that you know when they first come on the beat. I’m just like, don’t be fooled by what you see in the spring. And I say that not because I’m a know it all. It’s because I could go back and tell you, show you things I wrote 15 years ago about guys that look good during OTAs, and then then you kind of realize, oh, that he’s not really that good. And I was really wrong about that. So, you know, you just take it for what it is. I mean, it’s, they’re, they’re basically practicing how to practice right now. I mean, that’s kind of sort of what it is right now. But, you know, safety, I’m certainly looking at the offensive line. I mean, I think we all expect Andrew Voorhees to be the left guard. But that’s not to say that Ben Cleveland is not going to still get some reps. It’s not to say that Emory Jones or third round pick who, right now is is recovering from a shoulder issue, but sounds like he’s going to be ready for camp. He’s going to get a look, you know. I mean, I don’t think Voorhees is just going to be handed the job, but, you know, you’re looking at that. You’re looking, you know, with Lamar not being there. You’re looking at how Cooper rush looks. I mean, the Ravens wasn’t
Nestor Aparicio 19:04
lucrative, but what’s the situation with Lamar? What’s, what’s that he’s just
Luke Jones 19:08
not, I mean, he’s just, he’s not there for all of OTAs. I mean, it’s just,
8Nestor Aparicio 19:13
it’s embarrassing. I mean, yeah, let’s say your leader lead. I don’t know this is, this is me being old world, new world, though, right? I’m just being a dick, right? I mean, right. I mean, I mean, right, yeah, I don’t know. I pay you $50 million I’d expect you to show up. I don’t
Luke Jones 19:27
think it’s being a D, but at the same time,
Nestor Aparicio 19:31
do you care? How much do you care? Well, we paid you $50 million you’re the leader. We got the team here. You haven’t been here four months.
Luke Jones 19:37
8I think his play suggests he cares when it actually matters. I mean, we’ve talked about this the last couple off seasons, $50 million a year. Does it does it matter? But does it matter?
Nestor Aparicio 19:49
It does to the coaches, it does to the team, it does to the coaches, but does it really but does it actually matter to their results? It should matter to him, that it should matter to him, fair enough. The only here’s the. Only thing I will telling fans to perform facial on you as well on Twitter is also like, so I don’t, I don’t know when it comes to Lamar. He’s great at football. I haven’t figured out the rest of it. You know what I mean this, it’s just not, it’s not a good look, it’s not a good decision. It’s not in the best interest of the team. It’s not in the best interest of the best season of his career. It’s not in his best interest to not be there. But he also skipped OTAs last year, and he had the best season of his career. That’s fine. I mean, that’s fine. I mean, I mean, I’m just saying, man, does it really matter? Like, does it really actually matter? That’s like, saying I drank a lot on Sunday, did the best radio my career on Monday, it didn’t matter. Well, you know, but, like, it, it does matter. Everything matters. I run a place, so it matters. I mean, I, and that’s, and I’m a grown up and, and they put a lot of they put a lot of effort, they put a lot of effort into OTAs, into what they’re doing out there. They’re all from the top down, from hardball down, we’re all serious. We’re all in. We’re all in. Hey, where’s Lamar? Come on, man. I mean, that’s it’s just it’s freaking weak and I and it’s not the language. I just don’t think it matters. I just don’t think, well, if it doesn’t matter, then don’t have ot then don’t have OTS at all. Well, do they really need to have OTAs? Yes. Do they Yeah, yeah. More football is better for them. Okay, more walk arounds better. Yeah.
Luke Jones 21:12
It doesn’t seem like it mattered when Lamar had a historic season last year. I’m just saying like this is something, honestly, I, I, I agree with you more than
Nestor Aparicio 21:23
I’m played the way that he did, and flew on a separate plane and say, like, that would be okay. I mean, no, it’s at some point we’re a team, you know what I mean, and Harbaugh preaches that shit until it’s his quarterback, and then it’s, well, it’s just, it’s okay, we won a lot last year, didn’t we? Then he’ll take your line, like, but it’s just sort of like, you’re either all in or you’re not all in, and if it’s your leader, the fact that he’s not there is shameful. I mean, it’s shameful and it’s and it’s regrettable, and it’s unfortunate and it’s not what they signed up for. I think they can give him $50 million a year and say, You’re gonna skip OTAs. I’m sure when they said to him, here’s the 50 million you’re gonna come to practice, right? You know what
8Luke Jones 22:00
he would say is, no, you gave me $50 million because i i play great football in the fall, when it actually
Nestor Aparicio 22:05
matters. Well, then that that, but I would also use, but I would also say
Luke Jones 22:10
Ray Lewis didn’t go to OTAs Ed Reed didn’t go to and I said it was wrong. Then I know, but did it actually matter? I mean, they’re Hall of like, you can say that. But who are you? Who Am I? Right? Those guys are Hall of Fame players, like
Nestor Aparicio 22:23
8those guys are, but you don’t make special rules for them. In regard to what everybody else, there’s always
Luke Jones 22:29
special rules for the best players. You know that? I mean, you know, it’s no different than it’s the same thing when players get in trouble. You know? I mean, afraid if Ray Lewis,
Nestor Aparicio 22:37
I would just say this, Luke, I’m married, right? So if anything in my marriage, I said, That’s the 10% I I’m just not going to I’m not going to worry about that. I’m not it’s not a good partnership. Part, you know what I mean, even in the framework of our partnership, and what we do when you’re in a deal and you’re a part of the team, the thing, the entity, well, then don’t you should want to be there, you should want to be there and want to participate and want to be the leader and want to be the guy and says, I’m not special, I’m not different, I’m just like you. I’m here, practicing and sweating when you are because I care as much as you do. That’s all that’s simple, simple. That’s grown up shit. I mean literally, like, that’s just the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to do to be there it is, and I’ll never for your employer, it’s the right thing to do, and I and anything else to me is, is eyewash, as you like to say, I
Luke Jones 23:33
think, I think OTAs are eyewash as I get as I do this longer and longer look, are OTAs valuable for 90% of the roster, 80, 75% of the roster? Absolutely do. I think veteran players get much out of it. No, I don’t. I just, I don’t. I think, I think veteran players get to a point in their career where they know how to get ready. Ray Lewis wasn’t OTAs, but you’re
8Nestor Aparicio 24:03
a part of the team, that’s all, and you’re a leader on the team. Be a leader. That’s all. That’s just me, be it. That’s I almost sound conservative. I’m like, I know, like, almost like an old man, but like, you’re making $50 million a year. This isn’t the hobby. I mean, come on. I mean, you know, we don’t ask much. We, you know, we really don’t ask much. Yeah, we don’t ask much. We ask what we ask. And we’re asking nicely. You know, my wife doesn’t have to do anything for me. She’s my wife. She’s still my wife, today, tomorrow. But like, if you ask nicely, you would hope that there would be, yeah, compliance. If you’re getting paid $50 million and you’re an employee, and that’s just, that’s,
Luke Jones 24:41
I hear you. I just don’t think, I just don’t think it matters that much. I mean, no, if
Nestor Aparicio 24:45
they tell Lamar, it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. If they say Lamar, skip it, don’t worry about it. I’ve done that too. I’ve done that with you. Sure. Skip it tomorrow. I mean, let’s not worry. Like, if that’s what it is, then that’s what it is. But if, if everybody else is out there sweating, doing their thing, and you need to be creative. This week. Come on
Luke Jones 25:01
8and let me be clear. I’m not. This isn’t me championing him staying away like rooting it on. I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal. But because I he wasn’t there last year, and he was better than ever. I mean, he’s, he’s clearly putting in the work because he’s, he shows he’s ready when it actually matters, right? I mean, it would be one thing if he came in the training camp out of shape, or was playing poorly, whatever it is. So, so he’s putting in the work. The only thing I’m gonna do to you,
Nestor Aparicio 25:29
what you did to me an hour ago, don’t carry water for excuse makers. A guy’s making $50 million not showing up for practice. I mean, excuse
Luke Jones 25:36
maker, he was the best quarterback in the league last year.
Nestor Aparicio 25:38
He should have won MVP. I mean, I’m just so. So my point is, we should be a practice this week. It doesn’t what you did last year. Doesn’t. Everybody else is practicing. So that’s all
8Luke Jones 25:49
I would say. If it’s voluntary, okay, the owner, that’s what he would say, the owners need to make it mandatory. And I would also say veteran players have skipped OTAs for a long time, Lamar is just bucking the trend of quarterbacks, right? I mean, because
Nestor Aparicio 26:05
he’s different and special, yeah, he is special.
Luke Jones 26:10
The numbers suggest
Nestor Aparicio 26:11
8wake me when the parade happens. That’s all I hear you. Luke is here, you
Luke Jones 26:16
know? I just, I just think,
Speaker 1 26:19
let me be clear, and I’m being a little bit over the little facetious with you right now. Just don’t think it matters that much, man. Stuff doesn’t matter right now. It doesn’t I mean, you know it mattered too. It mattered to Chad Steele, when he took my press pass away, he said, You didn’t come to OTAs. Your quarterback didn’t come to OTAs, dude, you know what I mean? So it is, I just, I don’t get together much. There’s three weeks of this, and it’s in June and May and June, and they don’t have to come back for, you know, like, and they’re getting compensated, and they’re a part of the team. And it’s right, I hear you. And when I have much, Hume is given, much is expected. Come on, I hear you. I just don’t think it matters that much. I really don’t. I just, I just, don’t I, I, I think OTAs could disappear, and you just did it for, like, players that are in their first couple years in the league. And I think we would, there would be no discernible difference, uh, come training camp and, and certainly by the sea, do you feel
Nestor Aparicio 27:14
like the mandatory week is important?
8Luke Jones 27:18
Sure, yeah. I mean, man, and he’ll be, look, if he’s not there for mandatory mini camp, then, yeah, that’s a way different conversation. I just I, I saw it last year. He was barely at OTAs, and he was better than ever. So like, what? What I’m not saying, and when I say it doesn’t matter, obviously it matters in the sense that everyone has to get go through the process of getting ready for a season. We all understand that you you’re not talking about some like if Lamar were literally just lying on the beach for the next two months before, you know, or month, you know, seven weeks before training camp starts, and he showed up out of shape. Then, yeah, that that’s a totally different dynamic. He was there last week and he looked great. I can tell you, the quarterback play this week without him on the field has not been very good. I just, it’s something that I just, I don’t think it matters all that much. Would you like him there? Yes, and I’m I’m not dismissing everything you’re saying. Let me be clear and sure you’d love to have them there. But do I think when they fully crank it up, when they’re actually playing in in September and October and November and December, in January, do I think anything that happens for these couple weeks in OTAs really has a tangible consequence to what happens then. I just don’t, I think it’s more just part of the process. Would you like them there? Sure do. I think it has any meaningful difference on how he or the team’s going to play? No, I don’t. I like
Nestor Aparicio 28:56
my leaders to lead. That just makes me a 35 year radio guy, you know, I like I generally,
Luke Jones 29:02
I agree, but I can’t sit here because I thought it was a bad look last spring. I did, and he had an unreal season then. So there are exceptions to the rule, in the same way that Lawrence Taylor, I mean, Parcells and Belichick talked about the fact that, you know, lt would miss meeting, show up, and he’d be sleeping in the back of the room, and then they call him up to the board, and even though he hadn’t heard any of the plans, he’d write out exactly what they did, and then he’d go back to sleep, right? I mean, there’s just, there are certain individuals who just completely break the mold, and it’s like, you don’t understand and you can’t comprehend it, but that that’s who they are. Lamar is one of those. If
Nestor Aparicio 29:45
8you would ask Bill Parcells if Lawrence Taylor, if they would have won more championships, if Lawrence Taylor showed up sober and would have been that player, he probably would have said, Yeah, you know, like and and showed up and be there
Luke Jones 29:55
and do all that, you know. LT, was that player. What are you talking about? It’s the greatest defensive player in the history of the league, and how much better would he have been if he were
Nestor Aparicio 30:06
sober? Hello, maybe not as good. Maybe that
Luke Jones 30:09
is a better debate. I don’t say not as not as good, but i It’s like saying
8Nestor Aparicio 30:14
David Wells wouldn’t have thrown the perfect game if you hadn’t been drinking all night. I
Luke Jones 30:18
mean, I just think there’s certain individuals who just completely like I said, there are different rules for certain individuals. I mean, there just are. I’m not just if you’re John Harbaugh, would you rather fight Lamar about OTAs or about other stuff that you want to do over the course of a full season? I don’t know, like, I just think, think it’s one of those things you pick, pick your battles, so to speak, in the same way that Brian Billick wasn’t going to rock the boat too much when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed weren’t there in the spring, even though he would have liked to to have them there, right? I mean, you’re so you know. Again, I don’t, I don’t want this to sound like I’m completely on the far end of the spectrum, opposite of you. But as I get older and as I just see what Lamar does, I just, I don’t know how much it matters. I I think he’s bored this time of year, if you want my honest opinion, I think he’s bored to tears being at OTAs because it, it’s something that’s remedial for a lot of other players, and he’s at a point where he’s bored doing that. I don’t know that he, he’s never told me that. Let me be clear.
Nestor Aparicio 31:25
Fine, you’re making $50 million a year. Come be bored with your teammates. Okay, come play canasta. Come take him out to dinner. You have enough money. Go take this. And this is,
Luke Jones 31:35
8this is where I will push back, even though, you know, I’m certainly, you know, sounding like an apologist here. I just don’t think it matters that much. But I will laugh. I did, kind of, I do, kind of laugh at the notion that zay flowers did make a comment about Lamar wanting, you know, to have more, more meetings, more get, you know, more camaraderie with some of the offensive skill players. Which to me, it’s like, Dude, you’re not at OTAs. Like, you know, that’s not really that that’s a complete contradiction. Then, I mean, if you want to do more of that stuff, then you need to be there. So
Nestor Aparicio 32:07
fair enough. OTAs are here. Luke is there. I’m not because they don’t let me, but I wouldn’t go anyway, because it’s not that important. Tell Chad that it’s not that important. I’ll text John over the next time he sends me a text about Lamar not being there and say, not that important. I mean, he played well last year. He should have been the MVP. Tell him that I am Nestor. He should have been. Yeah, there’s no doubt about that.
Luke Jones 32:31
I love how we could have this fight every year. It’s fun.
Nestor Aparicio 32:37
I’m done with you. I’m sick of you. Go watch, go watch baseball in a minor league stadium all weekend. Jones Luke will be here next week. Mandatories are two weeks from now. We’ll be on that as well. I’ve done some great radio this week. I was up at Greenmount station in Hampstead, giving away the Back to the Future scratch. Also the Maryland lottery. I will be doing the same thing at Fauci. We have 16 Maryland crab cake tours this summer. We’re going everywhere. We’re gonna be readers and Reisterstown. We’re going to be at the Y in Randallstown. We’re going to be in Eldersburg at 1623, brewing. We’re all over the place. Big news, big stuff, big weekend. My God, summer is here. Go enjoy it. We’re W, N, S, T am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stop talking OTAs in Baltimore. Positive. It’s.
