Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the Ravens’ current roster and offensive line draft needs and when the NFL will finally get around to bringing the event to Baltimore.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
draft, ravens, offensive line, baltimore, orioles, detroit, point, good, years, work, tackle, talking, player, ronnie stanley, week, question, 30th, pick, team, guard
SPEAKERS
Nestor J. Aparicio, Luke Jones
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home we are wn S T am 5070, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are celebrating 25 years of doing this crazy am radio station thing. But Alan was 33 years now on the radio and 40 years of media. Our 25th anniversary video comes out in a documentary telling the whole story about how we all got together. That’s going to happen on Thursday at 5:08pm. And as John Steadman would say, your young old timer if you understand what five away in the pm would represent on Thursday night, before the NFL Draft, we’re going to talk draft in this segment, I’m wearing my curio purple here I got rid of the orange and black even though it’s cool to have orange and black and we’ll all be cool on Friday and Saturday and Sunday as the Orioles come home to take on the triple A Sacramento not long for Oakland but headed to Las Vegas athletics of a formerly of Charlie Finley the first team I ever hated by the way as a kid the Oakland A’s they come to town this weekend we’re gonna be a fadeless on Friday, Luke and I will have the Pac Man scratch offs between two and five will be live there also have some other guests coming later on. I’m hoping to go to the ballpark on Friday night Luke’s gonna be covering the draft Thursday, draft Friday draft Saturday, if you’re on the WNS T tech service, you’ll get everything first as it all happens. And on Wednesday, if you’re not hearing this after Wednesday, we’ll be at Greenmount station and Greenmount bowl watching the Orioles and the angels happen in the afternoon at four o’clock. I’ll be agreement bowl from 2am to four we’re gonna be talking a lot of horse racing with Dave Richardson, Dundalk guy who is invested in 10 pins and dark pins you know that problem? Yeah, but Pennsylvania Luke where, you know, duck pin bowling is so last century. We still have some talking books. My wife said she he better have dog pins. I’m like, it’s in Maryland. He’s He’s a Dundalk. I don’t have dog pins. So I don’t know if my back’s gonna allow me to do that. Thank God for curio giving me this move to get my backwards gotta be playing a fitness for hooking me up. But look is how are you it is um, in the old days, like you would watch the baseball games and nobody else watched them. And the team was using like 711 By now or maybe five and 14 or something like that. And the draft would be all we would be talking about. We’d be having prospects suspects, ex coaches, ex scouts, all this stuff. But the Ravens were really good hosts of the AFC Championship Game and Brandon ball. Well, more times the Jackson holiday has hits for now. But they dress 30th And that’s so late Thursday night, and that and the orals don’t even play on Thursday night. So I would say beginning Thursday morning purple will hit the brain of everybody. But the Orioles have been a beautiful, wonderful diversion here the last month.
Luke Jones 02:41
Yeah, I mean, no question about and that’s okay. As I say to you, and I say this more as in a big picture sense as a sports fan, not even speaking as a Ravens reporter or an Orioles reporter per se. It’s okay to have seasons, it’s okay for something to go away for a little while. And, you know, it’s been as quiet as quiet can be at any point for the NFL. But But specifically, once we get to the end of free agency, the third final week of our March, I should say, and then we get into April, you know, draft the draft not so I’ve been focused on the draft. And that’s great. And there’s still plenty of oxygen for that in those circles. But to your point, when you are picking 30th There is a little more of a wait and see what’s going to happen. Exactly, you know, even going back to when we were in Orlando for the owners meetings, you know, being told at that point in time, look out for the Ravens potentially trading back, you know, from from someone in high places whose value I really read, or whose opinion I really value. So we’re just gonna have to wait and see how it plays out. I think it’s evident, so obvious, and I’m working on this at Baltimore positive.com. Right now, it’s offensive line. First and foremost, I mean, when you have three openings on your offensive line, even if one or two of those spots gets filled with internal options, you need a piece there, you know whether it’s going to be 30th, whether it’s going to be 62nd. In the second round, whether it’s gonna be the 93rd overall pick whether it’s a couple of those picks, devoted to offensive lineman, I think that’s by and large, the overwhelming sentiment is this team needs to add a couple impact offensive linemen. So I think that’s the big challenge right now. Because when you’re picking 30th Yeah, there could be a Ben Grubbs there. You know, there could be a Todd heap kind of talent there. But it could be Matt Elam. They could be you know, and I don’t say this to lump them with Matt Elam. But adopt AOA, it’s a little more of a question mark, you know, so when you’re picking 30th One, there’s so much variance that you just you don’t know how it’s going to play out. You might have Eric Koston probably has, I’d say a list of five or six guys right now that he feels pretty confident that one of them is going to Be there at 30. But you know, you have quarterbacks, you have a lot of quarterbacks that could go in this first round. So that impacts things. And, again, when you’re talking about oh line, in a perfect world, you know, we’ve talked about some of the names and, you know, okay, there’s probably a Jordan Morgan that’s going to be there. But is Marius Mims gonna be there, you know, is you look at some of the other names, you know, Tyler, for like that, probably a good chance, they’re going to be long gone, by the time the Ravens pick. So there’s plenty of excitement. And there will be this week, to your point, Thursday, the Oreos are off. So it’ll be all Ravens. And there’ll be plenty of enthusiasm. But it also could be a long night where you wait till 30 And then they trade out. And then you’re wait until till Friday night. So yeah, it’s just it’s one of those traps. And I think especially for team that is at the point where they are with their salary cap, and with some of the big contracts headlined by Lamar Jackson, I think Eric, the cost is going to value more picks. So whether it’s gonna be the first round, or whether it’s going to be later on in the draft, I’m definitely impact are expecting, anticipating a couple of trades that they’re going to be able to accumulate some more picks, but, you know, to try to drill down to thinking it’s gonna be one player that’s there for them at 30. That’s really difficult to do when you have 29 Other picks that are going to come off the board between now and then
Nestor J. Aparicio 06:28
well, then I mean, I think it makes it more natural, that we’re not talking as much about it. And when you talk about haves and have nots, and we talked a lot of baseball here this week, and you know, I’m gonna have Susan fallen off on long time, she got her start bone, she’s really one of the four runners of Women Journalists, even before Molly Dunham, whom I worked with 40 years ago who covered baseball. She’s infamous for the Dave Kingman rat episode. She was that reporter 40 years ago. And she’s, you know, been associated with the Oakland A’s for a long, long time. And Baltimore, she grew up in Baltimore, being an Oriole fan back in the 60s and 70s. So she’s going to be a great, great guest to talk to you this week. So I’m looking forward to that. But you know, the idea that when you’re really good, and we sit here nitpick, but you’re these bad teams have nothing. You talk about the Chicago White Sox, they have no talent, we see the seams that come through here with no players, no future any of that. The ravens are the exact opposite of that with the RO Quan Smiths and Lamar j, we could say your topic, Kyle Hamilton, you’re talking about paying players, Linder been plenty of great players. Now we’re just talking about filling holes, little holes, but big holes, if they’re the offensive line, you start to decimate that you got King Henry now he’s gonna run the ball that looks like everybody was kumbaya on the building. Last week, I saw you wrote, you know, no news is good news. But it is really been as quiet a month from a Ravens perspective. But it’s really because of the din of the noise of the baseball team. That sort of credit. We only have 24 hours in the day. Right. And the ravens to your point, I sent you a reduced rate because we haven’t done much now. And that’s sort of by design, because they don’t have much to do, because they were the they were the best team they have seen till they weren’t the last 10 minutes of the season last year. Well, I
Luke Jones 08:16
mean, they do have a lot to do that. I mean, that’s a line. I agree with you everywhere else, you know, you can look at and we even did that when we were at fadeless a couple of weeks ago where I had the updated depth chart in the mind of Jones which isn’t worth much right. It’s not an Arctic caster John Harbaugh, of course, but But you kind of go down the list quarterback All right, we could debate about backup quarterback but you’re fine running back again, three, I think they’re going to add a running back at some point during the draft but you have Derrick Henry, you know, you gave Derrick Henry big money to come in and be the guy. You have Rijkaard tight end they’re covered, right? I mean, okay, they could use a blocking tight end, you know, in a big picture sense maybe from a long term planning standpoint, but they’re covered their wide receiver could they add? Yeah, no question about it, but you have saved flowers. You’re hoping Rashad Bateman finally pops. You did resign that Nelson Aguilar. I think you absolutely would like to add a wide receiver, but is that critical for them? You know, probably not a wide receiver. 30
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:15
is what you’re telling me unless they have a guy that might be 16.
Luke Jones 09:21
I mean, they’re going to draft best player available that fits a need. I mean, we know that we know that that’s a team that there are a lot of things that you could maybe question but they’re going to take the best player available. That’s not like a hold on
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:34
even if it doesn’t fit in need they took a safety two years ago and we’re all like why racks
Luke Jones 09:38
and these are the best spot now I mean with Kyle Hamilton so but but is that scenario gonna even present itself? You know, we’ll see. That’s why I said offensive line so fascinating because you’re at a point in the draft where you’re going to have guys that are certainly attractive, but I think they’re guys that are Beauty is in the eye in the eye of the beholder. For example, you know, you look at someone like Jordan Morgan right? Now, there’s probably a decent chance and again, I haven’t been obsessive in covering the draft this year because I’ve been focused on baseball, but also when you’re picking 30th, there’s a lot more unknown, there are a lot more moving parts, but someone like Jordan Morgan, who could be there at 30, but the question is, okay, is he an offensive tackle at the next level? Or as you’ve seen some pundits to whose opinions I value? That kind of question, okay. Could he be a guy like Marshall yonder where Okay, he can play tackle, but he’s got he could be a studded guard. I think we’re the ravens are picking I think that’s where you’re going to have a really interesting crossroads with some of the prospects that are going to be there, where you say, okay, is this guy more of a right tackle? Is this a guy that might be able to play left tackle, but he’s better suited at right tackle? Is there a guy that okay, probably can stay at right tackle and play right tackle, like martial Jana did at a couple points in his career, but he’s got a chance to be a pro bowl Oh, guard. So I think that’s where the ravens are gonna be, you know, they’re gonna have prospects, you know, first round, and probably the second round, you know, guys that are kind of in that category, where I think it’s gonna be interesting, because you’re looking for long term upside, long term potential. When you’re talking about the draft, you’re not just drafting for 2024. We know that at the same time, they have some very real 2024 needs on their offensive line. So I think that’s where it is really interesting for them. That said, I also be remiss if I completely ignored the fact that they could use some depth and some long term options at corner when you consider Marlon Humphrey big year for him coming off of an injury plague season, and Brandon Stevens going into a contract here. Who are your outside corners behind those two guys? Right now. It’s a whole lot of Jalen armour Davis types were okay, maybe you liked them at one point, but they haven’t developed so you have corner you have wide receivers. So Ed drugstore is still there, even though Kyle van Noy being resigned certainly helps you at least in terms of 2024. And you’re counting on young guys to pop hoping a David a Java or OA taking the next step even. So, you know, you have other positions. So it’s not as though I’m gonna sit here and say they’re definitely taking an offensive lineman. But when you’re looking at this roster on either side of the ball, it’s glaring that they need offensive lineman. So that’s where you look at this and say, Okay, who exactly is gonna be available? And, you know, how do you view that guy? Do you view a Jordan Morgan, where you say, Okay, you can be a right tackle. But, you know, he probably is better suited as a guard, you know, so, I mean,
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:43
Patrick Macquarie for a long, long time.
Luke Jones 12:46
I mean, like, they have it No. And, and, and that’s valuable. However, Patrick Macquarie, you don’t? He’s not you don’t want him to be a starter, right? I mean,
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:59
Patrick McCarthy in this draft, but if you draft three offensive linemen, maybe four, you know, through this, you would say, All right, I need one of these guys to start one of these guys to swim through. And that’s about as good as you’re gonna get. I mean, I don’t think you’re getting Marshall yonder and Ben Grubbs in a draft again, maybe you are, but they did that once. I pictures of me.
Luke Jones 13:22
Right, you certainly can’t expect that. Right. So so but that’s where it’s challenging. I mean, you know, really, the model and not obviously, it’s a different position. But can you find a Tyler blenderball. And what I mean by that is not necessarily that you’re drafting a guy that’s going to be a pro bowler, but a guy that you can plug and play on day one. And Linda Obama is a rookie now. Okay, he had a couple, a couple of tough games as a rookie, but by and large, he was an above average player from day one, right? I mean, that’s basically what he was. Is there a guide that’s going to be there when you pick 30th? Or if you trade back and you’re picking 37 And I’m just saying that off the top my head that you can plug and play? Is there going to be a plug and play guy because that’s where, for me? I really am uneasy if you don’t come away with that in this draft. I think you can sell me on Ben Cleveland playing right guard. Okay, you can sell me on picking up a scrap heap guy Vorhees playing left guard. Yeah, because John Simpson was a scrap heap guy last year, you know, so, but all three spots internally or, you know, just kind of scrap heap or acquiring a veteran in training camp. You know, that’s that leaves me uneasy and you know, to me, that’s where you know, I think at 30th You’re really hoping that you can find a guy that
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:44
offense to be functioning but have the offensive line before and that’s my big thing. Yeah. Everything
Luke Jones 14:49
else is in place, right including now, you know, even if you and I had different difference of opinion about how much of a need it was, they’ve got the running back in place. Now. You’d like to add another guy because As you know, Keith Mitchell is not going to be available until October, November. This
Nestor J. Aparicio 15:04
time last year, they’re trading Lamar for the Colts first pick, right? Like literally Oh, he couldn’t. Yeah, come a long way.
Luke Jones 15:12
This is this is small potatoes compared to that, like that. That’s understood. And that was part of what I wrote last week. I mean, but I, it’s not small potatoes that you have to figure out your offensive line. Because let’s also keep in mind, who are the two Givens on this offensive line right now? Okay, Tyler Lindenbaum pro ball, all pro caliber center. You feel great about him for at least the next two years after this one and you know, hopefully hoping you extend him. But the other given is Ronnie Stanley at left tackle. Mare, let that marinate for a moment. That’s the other given the guy that you just cut his pay and tore up the last year of his deal, because he was a compensation concern. So they have three clear question marks in terms of openings. But that’s also considering long term planning purposes for Ronnie Stanley and someone to step in at left tackle potentially as, as early as next year. And knowing how Ronnie Stanley’s been at some point this year, potentially, although you still have Patrick McHenry in that regard. So there’s the point is not to be an alarmist because, yeah, this roster overall, I still feel excellent about, but I don’t feel excellent about the offensive line right now. So that’s where it is important that I think that Eric d’acosta Got to find another lender bomb. And what I mean by that is just a guy that you draft and say, he’s gonna be a starter for us. And maybe it’s a guy that might be a starter, where you say, okay, he’s either gonna play right tackle or he’s gonna play left guard, you know, I mean, we’ve talked about those different scenarios and kind of scrimmaged all those different possibilities. But, you know, that’s where that’s where I am with this draft, you know, every other position that they’re drafting for depth, and certainly they their depth took a hit with the free agents that departed, that was always going to happen, you know, and there isn’t a team in football, that isn’t going to look at their roster, come week, one or week 10 And not be holding their breath at certain spots. That’s just the nature of the salary cap, right? I mean, you’re gonna have attrition. So the orange or the Ravens endured plenty of that during free agency that was not unexpected, and it’s not something to crush them over. You know, that was just that was always going to happen that way. But you do look at the O line. And yeah, it’s unsettling right now it is. And, you know, if it’s not, then we’re completely doing a 180. Because all I heard for the last few years was how important the O line was in protecting Lamar Jackson. So you know, you’ve had a lot of change here. And, look, the Ravens might have been smart, Kevin Zeitler, might not be the same player in Detroit and Morgan, Moses was dealing with an injury last year, and might not be as good with the Jets. So I’m not even saying those individual decisions were wrong. The point is, you have to replace these guys. And, you know, we’ve seen in the
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:56
past plan that their plan is to go draft good football players this week. And that’s their plan
Luke Jones 18:00
you got, you have to hope that it turns out that the board falls the way you need it to right, and you need to guide us that you feel good about your evaluation that you hit that they’re that good. I mean, we were talking about it, lots of people were talking about it when they drafted Tyler Linder bomb, we spent the next week and a half talking about the fact that they had not invested at the center position and so long, you had to go back to Matt Burke, in terms of either drafting guys or signing guys, it had always been later round picks, or you know, someone like Ryan Jensen or Matt scurll was a rookie free agent, or it was, you know, a veteran like a Jeremy Zuta that you would sign for modest money. I mean, they hadn’t invested there. And then before you know it, they’re they’re drafting Tyler Linder bond, they’re trading Marquis brown to draft Tyler Linder bomb and two years into it, it’s looks really, really good. Because Lindenbaum has already been to a pro bowl and looks like he’s gonna be one of the best three or four centers in football for the next decades. So to your point, whatever
Nestor J. Aparicio 18:55
we say on Friday morning, or Saturday morning or Monday morning of next week, whatever our report cards are for their drafts and all that the lender bond thing. I like that pic. I remember liking that. Because I like if they’re going to take a center, they’ve done their homework and they feel like they got a guy, the Kyle Hamilton thing, I really gave him the benefit of the doubt because they didn’t need to safety. And they just spent a bunch of money on safety. And I said they must have a plan. So there is a sense of with them in general much better than his immediate member asking them questions as to whether they’re going to be truthful as to things as to like whether I’m a real media member or not. But when it comes to football evaluation for them, whatever weirdness happens, like it won’t be hard for you and I after all of these years, and Eric, the cost is widely featured in our 25th anniversary because he was a part of this for a long time. Or participated in and I should say, I would say whatever we say if they deal back, it’s because they didn’t like anything at 38. Right? If they deal up somehow which ain’t happening, we’ll know. Right? And if they pick a player there and they make Pick, turn the card in, as Eric would always say, you know, then they’ll have some conviction about that player being the guy you’re talking about, and not being Travis Taylor or Matt Elam, or Sergio Kendall, and being Tyler Linder, bomb or pile, Hamilton, but maybe not Ray Lewis or every but maybe Todd heap, you know, like, we can do that at 30, we can find a player that we have 15th on our board feel like we got great value, even if it is, I don’t know, a left tackle or you know, I don’t know. I mean, even if it’s a place where they already have a player, but it can’t be a running back, it won’t, you know, they’re thanks to me, it won’t be because that won’t be where their critical need is. And to your point, if you had a lot of people whispering at you down in Orlando a couple of weeks ago, there’s people that you trust in the in the current state of things that say they would move back, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they don’t make a pic on Thursday night.
Luke Jones 20:53
Yeah, I mean, I don’t think there should be any surprise, especially,
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:58
I mean, if the board gets picked, have the safer, better offensive line prospects and the guys that you’re looking at, or guys that you feel could beat could still be there if you move back 12 spots, right? Well, they were that team with Lamar to get that quarterback to exactly fit into that pocket in that hole where you get an extra year. But But more than that, moving from 30 to 37. And, and and getting a one that getting something next year and still getting a guard. If that’s what you’re fancying. There will be guards available at 3747 57. They’re really good at this. Yeah. And I they were really good. Even getting dolphins and getting Ray Rice and picking some of the they’ve been bad at wide receivers we’ve been you know, but their offense. I always ask the question, how much do they really want to pass and you tell me what a great passing team they are. I don’t know that every wide receiver in college football is looking forward to playing with Lamar, or in this particular offense or Todd Monken. I think they’d rather you know, go for the bomb like Bobby Brady. But I, I would say there are a limited amount of options here. But I will not be the guy urinating upon whatever they do Thursday night because they’re thinking about it a lot. And they’re really good at this. And it needs to be pointed out despite my their lack of character, lack of integrity, lack of courage, lack of communication, lack of decency, up there go to pick a football players. They
Luke Jones 22:23
are and look, I mean, I I think there’s a middle ground here also in recognizing that they have had some years in the Lamar Jackson era, where the offensive line has been an issue though. They did not do enough to replace Marshall, Jana, and look, this doesn’t mean When Marshall yonder rides off into the sunset that you’re expected to plug and play a Hall of Famer, let’s be clear about that. But that position was an issue for them the following year. They did not do enough coming off of the Ronnie Stanley ankle surgery the first time around l 100. Villanova was woefully unprepared to step into that role the way that the Ravens needed to and it was a problem for them. So you know, they don’t bet 1000 When it comes to that, but your general point as far as picking players, yes, of course. No, but that’s where I am a little uneasy looking at the offensive line right now. And so you got to fill three spots, you know, and that’s with working under the assumption that Ben Cleveland’s gonna work out it assuming he’s going to be the right guard and that’s the widely held assumption that’s assuming that you know, maybe an Andrew Voorhees does work out or they the guy they brought in that was with Houston Josh Jones might be their last left guard. But you know, as it stands right now, if they’re lining up and playing today the offensive line I’m I have legitimate concerns about right now and that my point with that with the draft is generally speaking and why the Ravens have been as successful as they’ve been. They are typically not in this position too often where you go into the draft and you must draft a starter at a certain spot in round one now plenty of those guys end up being drafted and then they take over for someone else they replace they upgrade someone else. But when you look at where they are, oh line wise, you know if you’re lining up today Stanley at left tackle intercom at center I assumed and Cleveland at right guard. I think Patrick Macquarie would be the right tackle though follow a lay will get an opportunity and then left guard it’s either big Salah Andrew Voorhees, or Josh Jones. I mean, well, that’s about it. If so, I just saw a
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:31
question. And looks like the Riddler is outfit that
Luke Jones 24:34
that’s why I said if you can come away with a plug and play guy and number 30 And the scary part here is we don’t know if they actually are going to or not right. I mean even Tyler Lydon, Obama till we saw him play You don’t know 100% There was a point in time when this organization was over the moon about drafting Matt Elam, for example. And we saw that turned out so you never really know and that’s why I always laugh at it. grading drafts immediately after they happen because it’s just like, well, it’s either you liked the player, you as a draft pundit or you as a fan, like the prospects that they drafted or you didn’t like them that, you know, but no one really knows. But that’s where, but you do look at the rest of the depth throughout the rest of the roster. Where, you know, you look at the starters and you say, okay, wide receiver, you know, we can debate Rashad Bateman, you know whether he’s going to finally break out or not. And we can debate some other spots and edge rushers certainly, where you’re doing a lot of projecting with OA in a job Oh, and Malik cam and, and a couple other guys, but, you know, you at least have van Noy that you brought back there. But oh line right now, that’s still a lot of shrugging going on there. And that’s not to be disrespectful to some of the incumbents that they have that I expect to be in the mix. But, you know, it’s not just as simple as saying, Oh, we’re going younger, cheaper, better than Kevin Zeigler or younger, cheaper, better than Morgan Moses. You know, I mean, those are, those are two guys that started a lot of games for you the last couple years. And Kevin Zeitler played it up a Pro Bowl level four didn’t get recognized for it all three years, but he played at a really high level. So you know, that’s a pretty high bar to clear. So it doesn’t mean they won’t, that doesn’t mean they won’t figure it out. I’m not sitting here saying that the ravens are doomed with a row line far from it. But I’d be disingenuous if I just looked at what they have right now and say, yeah, they better hit on, you know, and not say they better hit on a legit guy that you can plug and play and 30 it can be done. But that’s where I go back to it is one of those beauties the high the eye of the beholder, because you are going to be talking about guys that are are those fringe, you know, are they right tackle? Are they a guard? Are they a right tackle or a left tackle, you know, so, you know, you’re not going to get a perfectly clean, awesome prospect at 30. Now, that player might turn out to be awesome. But as a prospect, he’s not going to profile he’s going to profile as having some question marks some warts, some some unknown tool, and that’s okay. And that doesn’t mean that a jodel Sandras. And the coaching staff won’t be able to develop a couple guys. But again, as it stands for this team, and its championship aspirations, which they still very much have no, no, anyone who is arguing otherwise is putting way too much stock into the guys that they lost this offseason, they lost some valuable depth pieces, they lost a couple starters, no doubt, but this is still a heck of a football team. But the offensive line is the one area where it makes me take some pause. And that’s where you’re hoping that a good football player gets to them at 30 that they can just take that guy and whether he’s going to become a multi Time Pro Bowl player, or whether he’s just a plug and play starter that you just feel really good about, at least for the next four or five years. You know, that to me is they can do that. Then I don’t even have to know what happens with the rest of their draft to feel pretty good about where they are as a football team post 2024 draft
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:07
I’m doing some housecleaning around here this week with our 25th anniversary and I found all my old wrestling pictures from ringside. So I want to show those to you and a whole bunch of Ric Flair Ronnie Garvin, I found my Harley Race and my Hulk Hogan’s. And my Ted DiBiase is in Larry’s Abisco. So I’m gonna be all about that. I think Brad pollutions coming on this week, he lives in Oakland, he’s a professor out there, wrote the wax pack of the baseball stories don’t want to wrestling now. So I’m going to be looking forward to having him on. Also, I guess in the house cleaning department here is Mike Rosenfeld, our Chief Digital Officer here I’m here from web connection, you find them out of Baltimore positive. Also a shout out to Jessica valus. from Hartford designs, who keeps our website running great, have an all new website and about two weeks. In addition to the documentary, I’ve been working, I’ve been paddling like a duck underwater as an entrepreneur the last 90 days here since before a cup of Super Bowl and I got banned from going to the real Super Bowl by cheque stealing the Ravens. We’re working hard here to do a lot of different things. You know, the draft thing. Mike has a part of his business, Mike Rosenfeld out in Detroit, and he is left early this week. I was gonna have him on we’re gonna do a segment. He’s not here. His kid lives in Detroit. They’re going out there. They’re gonna drink beer, we’re going to hoot and holler, they’re going to yell at the draft. I went to one draft. In 1996 When John Ogden was drafted, he gave me the hat off his head and Eddie Carroll was there. By the way, you know, my Euler affinity. I haven’t found the King Henry, Euler jersey to wear the 25th but I found this for sale on eBay was 350 bucks. I’m not buying it. It was the Houston Oiler helmet from the 1992 draft on the table. Remember how they used to have the helmets with the phone on it? When you call in the bat phone and make Steve McNair your pick? Well, so in 1996, it was still that way. And the Ravens didn’t have a logo, so their helmets just had like Baltimore Ravens in black and silver and white on it. Every all the other tables had like a Jets helmet and a Lions helmet and all that stuff. So I only went to one. And that day we were the official broadcast partner WL G 1996, April 19 1996. And we did the party at the Sheraton and spear Marika hosted it and I was on site in New York. And there was no flagship there was no 1300 or li F or any of that stuff like that. Dave Carberry will remember all this. So, that day I went up there and Jonathan got drafted. You remember the Ravens had that second pick and everybody wanted Leland McElroy and whatever. They wind up taking Ray Lewis, he’s not there. His friend had been murdered that week. Like the whole deal. The team didn’t even have a logo. I keep going back to that as he was the general manager. He wasn’t qualified. Because he was arts buddy and art was trying to save the team and like, the art was kicking the door, all this awful stuff that was going on. And after that draft, I never went back to New York. I could go on anytime I want for 20 years that would Mel Kiper and watch and do his hair in the bathroom. And like all that stuff. I never ever went back because it never. It wasn’t all that good. And we’re trying to get the thing here. And I know you have some sour points when I brought it up. You’re like, I wouldn’t go live. I’m with my trap books. I’ve got all my draft books with levar Arrington on the cover. sitting in the back right from back in the day. She kid Lamar about that. Get levar get him on the show. One day. He’s good dude. Penn Stater, you want to your people up there drink good dairy people up there. The draft one day, it’ll be here. Right, Remy? Right. I mean, you talked to Sasha. And he told you so it must be true. Right. I mean,
Luke Jones 31:44
I think where you’re seeing this going with the draft. Now there has been at so many different venues including not exactly the most, you know, but what you would think is warm weather venues. And it’s late, you know, it’s late April, you know, it’s the weather. It’s not as much of a concern on that front, although, tell the people in Denver that this past weekend where they had snow at Coors Field. But, you know, I think it’s inevitable. I don’t think it’s necessarily imminent, I think it’s probably going to be a few more years just just based on planning purposes. But, you know, it’s become, I think it’s a nice compromise for the cities that are not going to get a Super Bowl. And you know, any city that’s not building a brand new stadium and in a nice location, that’s a destination. You know, obviously, Miss Minneapolis had one a few years back. And, you know, New York happened a little over a decade ago. But I think that was a very unique circumstance from the league’s perspective. So, you know, this is Baltimore’s opportunity. Much like we’ve talked about the all star game for going on a decade plus now in terms of Camden Yards, getting into other All Star game, which I’m hoping that’s going to happen at some point now in the not too distant future. Post Camden Yards, renovations, so I think it’s going to happen, but yeah, just from a fan standpoint, I, you know, it’s an it’s an opportunity to have a party, it’s an opportunity to gather, it’s great for the city, it’s great for the community, you know, none of those points Am I against obviously, but I just find, you know, an event like the draft where if you really are enjoying the draft, the actual draft the actual football aspect of it, you know, attending it, that’s something that has zero appeal to me, right. I mean, if I’m someone that is into, you know, Dane Brugler with with the athletic, he’s got his huge draft guide, and pro football focus as their draft guide, and Mel Kiper, and go down the list of Daniel, Jeremiah, all these people are do phenomenal draft work right over the last three months, they’re household names, as it pertains to fans. If it’s someone that is really into all that, the last thing I’d wanted to do is to go somewhere where I don’t know how self service is going to be, I’m not gonna have my laptop, I can’t pull up the player profiles for the guys the ravens are drafting. So that’s just me personally, but in terms of a party, in terms of thinking back to what Baltimore missed out on back in 13. Yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:09
that’d be great. But talk so much about the baseball stadium getting renovated the football stadium getting renovated, how much of our money they’re spending to make more money for themselves that by the time the all star game gets here on the on the baseball side, and by the time the draft gets here, we’re going to be two three, mayor’s down the line 1320 30 whatever, wherever we’re going to be. And crime the city, the Inner Harbor, Baltimore Peninsula, I will never call it that poor Covington. The bridge the bridge, right? I mean, holy hell, the red line. I mean, we got all of these real serious Baltimore positive I talk about them every day. I talked to Sheila Dixon last week and Shannon Sneed, I’ll have through one, I have all these people in the next couple of weeks before the election, that what our city can become and I got a little feisty with you and your We’ll segment about, well, the world’s could never have 3.6 million. I don’t want to think like that. I want to think about like, what could it be? What could the World Series Three World Series down the line, maybe they can be that they be they have two more AFC Championship games here they went to have them win three Super Bowls. And six years from now we have an inner harbor that’s filled with whatever they’re going to build down there and whatever is going to be there and the bridge will be up and had been up for four years at that point. And you know, Mike Elias would be going to the Hall of Fame and so we’ll gladly like that’s not crazy to dream that but it’s gonna take my money, your money your brother in law’s money he’s gonna get out have to get the hell out of Philadelphia and come down here and races your nieces and nephews right. And make them Baltimore oriole fans and Baltimore Ravens fans and the city and Baltimore downtown in the harbor in the water in the Science Center and the Daddy, I want to go to the aquarium and I want to see the Orioles play and that was 30 years ago I lived through it. It can happen again. But all of these dreams we have and we see do Detroit’s got the draft. Detroit now do you think Detroit was on fire dude in my lifetime not long ago. Like the time they had the Superbowl their 1518 years ago now in 2006. It wasn’t like, worthy of that. And it and you know what I mean? But now it is stadiums for Bill. They’ve had things they’ve fixed some things they’ve gentrified. They’ve done all this stuff, that they’re gonna have Miami people gonna be downtown Detroit. I’m gonna tell you what, when Schwartz got the job. So we’re going back 15 years and they still haven’t won anything. They’re the lions. They were oh and a billion at that point, right? He gave me the whole like tutorial on the Detroit media thing. We’re sitting down at his place in the eastern shore. The Redwings had one cops, the Tigers of the Tigers. And in the pizza company. And like all of that with those two companies. The pistons had bad bad boys and fallen hard times and playing out and the lions are the biggest brand of all the brands in Detroit by far we’re even though they’re awful. You saw that their fans came in here and bought tickets for $300. When they finally got good, the one time they’ve been good this last year, and now they’re good, man, they couldn’t hit this any better. For it to be an inferno in Detroit, I would think I mean, for what we would want to see 10 years from now here if we get all of these things. Marty Conway told me over the weekend, there’s some city that has Philadelphia, Philadelphia and 26 because of the Bicentennial oscilloscope Ateneo that happened at 76 spear to 7626 50 years 250th anniversary of the country all that they’re they’re going to have the MLS All Star game, the baseball All Star game, NBA like they have, like all the all star games in 26 and Philadelphia, because they lined it up. No, it takes the line that up mayors governors Civic, you know, like all it’s really hard to do. But we’re in a position where rebuilding the city and you being a little younger than me, you may live long enough. By the time you’re 50 must feel a whole lot different around here for the complexes, the city. And it won’t seem far fetched about all star games like it did as long as Angelo. So in the team, they were never getting an all star game here, right. And then you have to fix the stadiums and do all of these things. The money’s there the initiative, the Federal money’s coming for the bridge. Like, we have a real opportunity that when we show it off, maybe it will smell as good as Detroit or smell this week. You know, that’s my dream.
Luke Jones 38:30
Yeah. And look, I mean, the point I was trying to make about the NFL Draft, it feels like that’s going to become much more of a every city can get that at some point. It’s a Super Bowl you can have Yeah, well, right, exactly. Whereas the Super Bowl is not that right, unless, unless you have built a brand new stadium and you are in a location that’s considered by, you know, vibrant in the middle of or not even the middle of January and more than the end of January, early February, because no one wants to go and be in the cold. Right. So. So you know, that’s a very limited, you know, that’s a very limited pool that they’re going to draw from, but the draft can be that and we know, the Camden Yards, it has been a completely fine, capable, perfect place for an all star game to return to full time we know why that’s been the way it is because of Angelo send the mass and dispute I mean that I think that’s evident I we’re going to see Camden Yards have at this point. Now. I think it makes sense to wait until after the renovations are done. I think that’s kind of logical at this point. Probably ownership with David Rubenstein would probably prefer it that way. So you’re gonna see that and with the draft, I mean, it’s not like a new stadium as a requisite to get the draft. You know, I think we’ve seen that play out but that’s not the case whatsoever. Just a matter of where are you going to hold it and that’s where I think the Inner Harbor, you know, the reimagining redeveloping of that’s going to be so interesting and see are the parking lot
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:58
in front of the football All State Yeah, wherever it’s gonna be, like the whole complex, they could open the baseball stadium and the football stadium on drag away. And there might be 180,000 people that would come downtown and be the biggest night in the history of the city. And I think for Rosenfeld, the run out to Detroit, and you’re like, I’m like, I don’t want to go with you. You know what I mean? Like, I saw in Philly, I can do my point, I saw the theater in New York, 28 years ago, I didn’t think it was like anything I wanted to do as even when I drank in chase girls, and did all that kind of fun stuff. I am a nerd I liked. I mean, I used to throw draft parties, where everybody I’d say, shut up, Mills talking.
Luke Jones 40:39
You know, and what we’re laying out here are our personal preferences in the same way that I couldn’t tell you how many Thursday night games on Amazon last season that I didn’t even turn on. And I actually have, my brother has an Amazon subscription. Because it’s a product, but people will watch it right. And that’s why the NFL, that’s why they’re King even substandard. And I’m not saying the draft hosting the draft is a substandard thing. I think it’d be great, I think be a lot of fun for people who just want to party, right, and go and see the ravens, you know, announced their first round pick, and everyone goes nuts and have concerts and all the all the different things they didn’t get to have back in 13. You know, because of the circumstances of that. So, you know, I think it really is a great opportunity. And what I mentioned was my individual personal preference. But do I want Baltimore to get a draft? Do I want Baltimore to have the all star game I’d love to have covered an all star game in Miami, I’d love to cover one at Camden Yards. So these are things that absolutely feel like it’s a matter of when and not if at this point in either case, but to your point. There’s some work that needs to be done between now and then and that’s that’s a multi pronged attack right there. Not just the Orioles not just the ravens, not just the current fan base, not just current politicians in office now but also ones that are going to be cycling through. There’s a lot of work to be done but a lot of opportunity and a lot of exciting, exciting things that the city can host here in the coming years.
Nestor J. Aparicio 42:08
Yeah, I’ve known you 15 years and I have I still have all my pictures and boxes. I’ve digitized most of my stuff. But like I don’t have one picture picture of you and me that’s not digital, right like nothing printed. I went through all my pictures. I found this picture at the Schneider that I took on the Stay Hungry tourists on chasing down Dee Snider trying to get him on before M three. But I’ve been going through these pictures and like 25th anniversary the video comes out on Thursday night in conjunction with the draft I figure you got nothing else to do on Thursday night except watch drunk people in Detroit. Judge Mel Piper’s haircut, you know waiting on to cost and either deal to pick or make the pick at 1030 at night. We are releasing no one listens everyone hears we even have a cover for the book. Now. It’s a fun cover of cover for the movie. It’s a picture from a phone booth in Germany that I took doing live radio on wn St. From a phone booth with a pink phone, everything written in German and I’m in a Team USA jersey and some really really puffy shorts and a raven hat so I’ll go check that out. No one listens everyone hears it is released at 5:08pm for all your free the birds folks out there. That’ll happen on Thursday night. Before the draft, Luke will be covering the draft loops covering baseball. I’m covering baseball, we’re together angels A’s in town we’re going to be fadeless on Friday, eating crab cakes, shrimp salad, in my case, maybe some mac and cheese. We’ll have Pac Man scratch offs to give away on Friday then at Lexington market from two to five. Also we’re going to be Greenmount bowl from two of the four in Hampstead on Wednesday. And then I’m moving over at four o’clock to Greenmount station at a proper crabcake probably some ribs and some french fries as well. Maybe a little Greek salad as well. I’m taking dessert home to my wife as well. That is Wednesday afternoon four o’clock the orals take on the angels all the brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery in conjunction with Liberty, pure solutions and clean water very, very important. If you have well especially cannot recommend Doug and his team enough on that as well as our friends if you do multi care and we’ve been talking about them for a long time and shall continue to have that and these wise conversations. Big appreciation to Bill Cole I’ve got my coal roofing mug up with my royal farms poured and I’m out of it. Well, I got one sip left, hold on here. All right, good day. Now I’m ready for all sorts of action or I’m like Pedro Morales, ready for any kind of action. The film comes out and I want to thank Jean Jacques Keith Brewer, John Allen, Mike bro Hart, Mickey, Coachella Ray Bachman and Bill Cole and especially Greg Landry from Towson transfers and Blue Rock productions for really making the thing something I’m proud of something that I hope anybody that’s participated in anything that we’ve ever done, makes you proud of working with us because I think we have an interesting story to tell here and certainly, much like the Orioles are much like the Ravens offensive line. We’re not done building. He is Luke he’s Baltimore Luke you can find him anywhere the internet is served. If you’re on our tech service, which we brag about it. Number one, listen to everyone hears you will get those texts when the pics are made. And if there’s any other breaking news, please get some hits Jackson holiday I’m tired of talking about it. I am Nestor, we are WNS da and 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stop talking Baltimore positive and holiday celebrate
