Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the Ravens trip to Green Bay and Lambeau Field for a scrimmage and getting through the final preseason game with good health. And then, itโs all eyes on Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and beating the Kansas City Chiefs on September 5th.
Luke Jones and Nestor discuss โฆ and unknowns of Ravens roster
Thu, Aug 22, 2024 8:01AM โข 33:16
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
game, win, week, offensive line, feel, starters, chiefs, year, talking, luke, september, lamar, work, kansas city, place, oysters, ronnie stanley, lose, team, green bay
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Music. Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, Towson, Baltimore. Am 1570 weโre Baltimore positive.com. You want to check it out. Weโre celebrating 26 years, even though it says 25 on the cupcake. Weโre going to get that together with a new oyster crab themed logo with a Maryland flag. Weโre gonna be doing 26 oysters in 26 days, beginning on the day the Raven season begins, September 5. September 4, weโre gonna be at Cocos doing the Maryland crab cake tour. Mark Viviano will be coming out. Who gave me the best advice Iโve been given in the last 52 weeks, and I took his advice, and Iโm in a writing project for any of you out there, weโre doing a lot of things, tech services coming back, a lot of columnists coming your way, a lot of letters to David Rubenstein. Chad Steele is going to finally get his letter, and Eric the cost is going to get a welcoming letter to the season, as is Lamar. I started writing a letter to Jim Palmer the other night. Iโm really looking forward to that one thatโs going to be one thatโs going to be one of my favorites. The Gold Rush sevens doublers will be with us at fates on Friday as we get ready for the finale of fake football in Green Bay. Luke and I will be gathered before the cheatstros and the Orioles get it going. The Orioles have their own problems this weekend, and our friends at Liberty, pure solutions are the ones sending us out on the road doing this oyster tour. Luke doesnโt eat oysters yet. Maybe next month, youโll have one or two with me. Iโve been eyeing up all of these interesting chipotle lime shooter fried stew. Iโm even going to the pepper mill. Thatโs how excited I am about the month of September. But in the meantime, one more fake football game, Luke and I was going to dispatch you out the Lambo field for that incredible practice on Thursday and all that. But I think we, you know, the Astros being in town, youโre we only have one press credential between the two of us. We only be in one place at one time. I think youโre better off at Camden Yards. But that being said, theyโre trying to get work done, and theyโre trying to make this roster, and theyโre trying to figure out pieces, and then itโs going to be for us to make the guesswork the next two weeks as to what exactly weโre going to see when they get together with the defending world champions and watch them raise the flag at Arrowhead Stadium.
Luke Jones 02:18
Yeah, I mean the openers right around the corner at this point, I noticed that this week, which was the last couple practices that are fully open to the media. Of course, theyโll shift into regular season mode next week, where we only watch the first 30 minutes or so. But you see the coaches holding up the cards. You know when, when you see the coaches holding up the cards for the backups. Theyโre running Kansas City scout team stuff, so theyโre absolutely getting ready. But as you mentioned, trip to Green Bay, and I think for as much as thereโs no juice, really, for Saturdayโs actual preseason game, other than, you know, the maybe two or three jobs that might or might not still be up for grabs, Thursday does represent an opportunity for the starters to get work in against another team. You know, the most meaningful work theyโll have this summer will take place in Green Bay and having a chance to go up against the Packers and getting some competitive looks, albeit in a controlled scrimmage kind of setting, you know, where they wonโt tackle to the ground and all that. But this is what qualifies as the most important work, or the most, maybe the most telling work of the of the summer for the veterans, for the coaches, to kind of see what it looks like in its totality, say, for a couple players who are just nursing some minor out ailments right now. But this is your one opportunity, if youโre Lamar Jackson or Marlon Humphrey or Ronnie Stanley or Justin matabique or roquan Smith or go down the list of their most notable players, a chance to go up against a team in another uniform to kind of see where you are individually, see where you are as a unit. I think thereโs a lot of curiosity and interest to see how the Ravens offensive line does against the Green Bay Front. Not that the Packers are something extraordinary, but just itโs different. You know, itโs not youโre not going against guys that youโre so familiar with as you tend to be during the course of training camp where you know what the guyโs moves are in front of you, you know what his tendencies are, because youโve been practicing against him every day for the last four and a half weeks. So So I think thereโs interest from that standpoint. But itโs one day, you know, itโs only one joint practice. John Harbaugh was asked about that, and think youโve kind of seen around the league these joint practices that last multiple days. That tends to be when some of these fights break out, because, you know, the competitive juices get flowing and maybe it carries over from the previous day. So theyโre just doing the one day. Theyโll play the preseason game on Saturday, which I expect it to be very similar to what we saw the first two games. Maybe they pull out a couple guys, you know, Trenton Simpson would be an example of someone to who, to me, got enough work in the first two games. Heโs going to start, you know, next to roquan Smith. Thereโs no question about that. Does he really need to play all that much on Saturday? So certainly not going to see any of the veteran players that we didnโt see in the first two games are not going to suddenly play in this game either. So thereโs not a whole lot of juice for that, unless youโre really a hardcore fan thatโs paying close attention to the back of the roster. As I said, maybe thereโs two or three spots up for grabs. Maybe not. You know, there have certainly been years where I know theyโve gone into the preseason finale with their 53 man roster all but decided, right? And other than an injury or someone does something thatโs so extraordinary, or something thatโs really below the bar, and maybe that changes their mind about someone, but by and large, they usually have most of this set. Theyโll have final cuts on Tuesday. Keep in mind with them having that Thursday night open, or they actually next week. Normally itโs Labor Day weekend, when players will get some time off. Theyโll be eyeball deep in Kansas City prep by that point. So itโs actually the middle of next week where theyโll get a little bit of time off, and then theyโll reconvene back in Owings Mills for the weekend next weekend, Labor Day weekend, because, you know, they play on the fifth so it itโs just about here, and theyโre already preparing for the chiefs, as I said, youโve seen it in practice this week, but certainly some, yeah, at least some very, very mild relative interest to see how things go against the Packers in the joint practice. But again, Paramount is staying healthy, not getting anyone hurt. Thatโs going to jeopardize their status for week one,
Nestor Aparicio 06:39
my old buddy, Doug Russell. I worked with him at Sporting News Radio 25 years ago. Reached to me. He does the Packers pregame show. TMJ, I believe it is in Milwaukee. So he and they do the bucks and all that. And Iโve known Doug forever and ever and ever. He was a big I have a kid of mine. My wife was battling, and we did 30 ballparks. We went to Milwaukee. So Doug reached me this week to have me on his show, and we taped it for Saturday for the pregame show, and we talked ravens football, and heโs asking me about the team and different stuff like that. It was interesting. He asked about Mark Andrews health after the car accident, because when a when a headline happens like that, itโs, is he going to be okay? And it was just sort of like questions about a team that ran the ball three times in an AFC Championship Game, and what the expectations of Lamar are. And, you know, even talking to people in Green Bay about like, this teamโs expectations are they have to win the Super Bowl. I mean, like, thatโs where it is, and thatโs just a whole different level of something in the end of August than any of my friends who are dolphins fans or Packers fans or Steelers fans, even at this point, because I donโt think thereโs a lot of places where it feels that way. Thereโs only a handful of places where youโre like, You got to win the Super Bowls. I mean, I think the lions sort of feel that way. In some way. They feel like they can reach the ring, the brass ring. The Bengals always feel like they can reach it back, because they got there a couple years ago. But, you know, this is, this is a place was a lot of hope here. You know, hope of making the playoffs, hope of being the two seed, wouldnโt be good enough around here. And it really begins with this, this bang on opening night for the fans, for the country, for the Mojo. And I said this the dog. Iโm like, they open up against the chiefs, and the feeling around here is theyโre not going to beat the chiefs. You know what? I mean, they havenโt beaten my homes like until we see it. Itโs, itโs kind of like, how are they going to go out there and be maybe they do. Maybe Derek Emmer runs the ball 28 times. Maybe they shove it down their neck. Maybe Lamar throws for three touchdowns and rushes for 80 maybe everything goes perfect. I donโt know. Maybe and the chiefs were have able last year, but I feel like all Packers fans and dolphin theyโre all you have one thing in common. Theyโre all going to be watching Lamar and Patrick bombs play opening night. And itโs a, itโs as big an opening game, not because weโre in it. Itโs just a, really, itโs a, itโs a Super Bowl to start the season and hold on, because the couple of days leading up to that and whatever happens after that, itโs going to feel heavy. It is. I mean, Iโve, Iโve been the bartender around here for a long time. The day after losses, Iโm not preparing. I mean, they think theyโre going to win. Theyโre going to go out there and steal my homes lunch and catch them early and get them all riled up. But, man, that place can be a cauldron on that. This is a big, big game. Itโs a game that, quite frankly, as Iโll be writing the Chad Steele, Iโm quite disappointed Iโm not a real media member this kind of game. I like to go to, this kind of game I like to cover.
Luke Jones 09:37
I mean, itโs certainly exciting. I mean, as Week One goes, you canโt get any better than that, right? I mean, maybe the peak of Raven Steelers rivalry, when you know the couple times where they did meet in the opener, 2011 comes to mind. You know that that home game, but yeah, that wasnโt a a prime time game. That wasnโt the Thursday night season opening game. So if the Steelers want to come here, not of the thought that after
Nestor Aparicio 09:58
we. Possible that would have been a big thing. I mean, you know what? I mean, like, had we had that game here and it was us against Denver, us, you know, us against Tom Brady, it would have been a big, big, big thing that we never experienced here. Iโm saying not Kansas City. Itโs a big even though they won a couple times and whatever I I just, um, I longed for that, right? We all do, right? We all along for that night? Yeah, sure,
Luke Jones 10:24
sure. Well, I long. I long more for a Super Bowl, more so than the week one game. But yes, that comes with winning a Super Bowl. But I think, look, itโs a big game. Iโm, I kind of disagree. Thereโs no reason to think they canโt go to Kansas City and win the Chiefs a September game, a regular season game is not the same as January. Thatโs for Iโm going to stress, if they do win, it doesnโt prove anything other than, hey, itโs a great season opening win. They beat the Chiefs back in 2021 in their home opener, which is a Sunday night game. And we know how the rest of that year played out because the injuries were just so impactful and so heavy that they fell apart down the stretch, specifically when Lamar went down. But, you know, itโs a big game, I think thereโs absolutely a little more of a psychological impact one way or the other, win or lose that could linger for them a little bit. I think it could be a nice injection of early season energy and optimism, if they win, if they lose, itโs not it truly is not the end of the world if they lose, but there will be fighting that mental block of here we go again. Canโt be Kansas City. Canโt be Patrick mahomes, but you look no further than last year, look back no further than last year, Detroit. Who at the time, I think the lions were perceived as being on the rise and improving, and they had had the good second half of 2022 after getting off to a bad start. But no one thought the lions were going to go into arrowhead and win, and they did so, and it turned their life known for that phrase. Yeah, sure. I mean, you know, you never really know. And again, you know me, Iโm not going to be the guy thatโs going to make too much out of a game in September. Iโm just not. But sure it can absolutely galvanize them a little bit. I think it can energize a fan base that, quite frankly, you know the sense I get, I think people are excited. Itโs football, right? I mean, itโs the NFL. People are excited. But relatively speaking, I do think thereโs, I donโt know the right way to describe it, but I do think there is very much a sense of, all right, this is great. Itโs gonna be fun, and weโre gonna go to the games. Weโre gonna watch them on Sunday afternoon, and weโre gonna have some beverages and enjoy the company of all of our friends who are football fans, but I think there is very much that the expectation of January and what happens in January and breaking through. And you mentioned hope, itโs not hope, itโs expectation at this point in time that nothing they do is really going to feel good enough until itโs breaking through in January. And no,
Nestor Aparicio 12:59
I did other places, they have hope. Here, they have belief, you know. But a lot of places where you hope your quarterback can do it, they know this guy can do it, and thatโs why Iโm saying, like in other places, they donโt really think theyโre going to win the Super Bowl. Thereโs not that would be wow, you know. And a lot of here, right? No, here, itโs that or else. And thatโs a weird thing, right?
Luke Jones 13:21
Well, and thatโs why you know hope is something where youโre saying, you know youโre if things go right here, itโs Dare I say this word. It almost feels like itโs becoming a demand, right? Like you guys have to break through. Being the number one seed isnโt good enough anymore. Having the best record in the NFL and the best point differential in the NFL isnโt good enough. Weโve seen that. Weโve seen that twice in five years, not good enough. Lamar, right, right? Not having, you know, 12 guys making the Pro Bowl like they had back in 19 or 13. I think it was, you know, theyโve done everything there is to do in the regular season and, and letโs be clear, thatโs a compliment to them in a warped kind of way, right? But itโs also a curse in the sense of understanding just how long a season is, just how difficult it can be, understanding the attrition of just injuries, and not just attrition in terms of injuries, but knowing that they have new coaches on their staff, knowing that theyโre not as deep as they once were from a roster building standpoint, and some of the depth pieces that they lost in the off season, understanding that youโre counting on some really young, inexperienced players at some key spots, mainly the offensive line, that theyโre going to be some hiccups. I mean, theyโre theyโre going to be they could go up, by the way. Letโs
Nestor Aparicio 14:39
talk about the coaching on the offensive line. We havenโt talked about Joe D at all, not even a little bit,
Luke Jones 14:43
right, right? I mean, you know when Joe Dallas Andrews goes down and, you know, you bring in an experienced assistant to take his place. I mean, that sounds fine on paper, and thatโs not something thatโs going to make the talking head shows. You know, thatโs not going to make it on ESPN or NFL Network as a headline, but thatโs a headline for this football team right now, when youโre talking about trying to sort out a, you know, a a group that has three new starters, any way you slice it, right? So, I mean, thatโs just, thatโs a thatโs a challenging place to be in, so unproven, that doesnโt
Nestor Aparicio 15:21
mean guys too, not just new starters, unproven guys, sure.
Luke Jones 15:26
I mean, itโs just, you know, that itโs definitely something, that itโs part of it, and itโs another complication. So that doesnโt mean that theyโre not going to have a competent offensive line. That doesnโt mean that theyโre not going to have a solid offensive line. Doesnโt mean the offensive line wonโt be really good come December, but it is unknown. And I thought it was interesting, you know, John Harbaugh was introspective, you know, this week talk about when he was asked about this, and, you know, he kind of went into what he holds on to when he talks about the offensive line specifically, is, How good can these guys be? You know, whatโs the upside? You know, I see the improvement. But he also went on to acknowledge, I get the questions. I understand why thatโs a major topic of interest. I understand why thereโs some concern there. So for him to say that, and look, we all know whether weโre talking about John Harbaugh or Mike Tomlin or whoever the head coach is, around the National Football League, thereโs a lot of ego and bravado, right? And there are the times where they bang on the podium and say, No, that your questions are ridiculous. This is going to be something thatโs really good even, even if the coach may not believe that deep down. But this was a time where John Harbaugh, he expressed cautious optimism. He he expressed optimism that those guys are going to get better over the course of the year. But he also acknowledged that, I understand your questions. Your questions are fair right now, because he, you know, he, heโs looking at it through honest lenses and saying that, yeah, they are replacing three veteran players, or two, very much veteran players, and another guy that started every game for them, and John Simpson. So, you know, it doesnโt mean that the offensive line wonโt work out. It doesnโt mean that itโs going to be a colossal liability, but thereโs just a lot of unknown right now with that group. And itโs complicated by the absence of Joe Dallas Andrus. Itโs complicated by the fact that Tyler linderbaum, albeit every everything Iโve heard, doesnโt sit, you know, suggest that heโs not going to, you know, that heโs going to be fine, right? That itโs that this has been way more precautionary for him, with a little bit of a neck issue during training camp, but he hasnโt been out there to build chemistry on field chemistry and that on field cohesiveness that you need as an offensive line, especially on some of the inside zone, outside zone, stretch plays, all these things where youโve got to move as one, I mean, you really do. So those, those circumstances have not been ideal. Now itโs itโs great. Ronnie Stanley has been healthy throughout the summer. He is practiced every day. That is a credit to him and recognizing where he is at this point in his career. But itโs also Ronnie Stanley, and we know how the last better part of the last five seasons have gone for him in terms of health. So, I mean, there are a lot of unknowns here. So thatโs when you add the Joe Dallas Sanders thing to the mix. Itโs definitely a concern. Itโs a fair concern. And John Harbaugh even acknowledged understanding those questions and understanding that thereโs, you know, I donโt know if heโd go as far as saying trepidation, you know, I donโt think John Harbaugh truly thinks that way about much of anything, you know, right or wrong, but I think thereโs, thereโs absolutely some unknown here, as far as how itโs going to look. I mean, you know, Andrew Voorhees is going to be the starting left guard. I really do think Daniel fall Lele is going to at least begin the year at right guard, unless they have a move to make that Iโm not aware of at this point in time, which could happen, but I canโt predict that until we actually see it. And I think, you know, the way itโs been trending the last week or two, you know, Iโm starting to think more and more that theyโre just going to go with the rookie Rosengarten at right tackle, you know, instead of McCary. Now Iโm not quite as convinced on that, so weโll see. But point is, any way you slice it, youโve got three new starters. And you knew what you had in Kevin Zeitler, you knew what you had in Morgan Moses, what youโre going to have in file Lele and Rosengarten, or file Lele next to McCary. You know that thatโs very much thatโs much more up in the air right now in terms of how it looks, so thatโs a major piece. And then when you you consider that first audition is going to be going out to Kansas City at arrowhead, which is already known for being an electric, difficult atmosphere in which to play Super Bowl celebration night for them, and understanding that they have Chris Jones and a talented front and I mean, itโs itโs a lot, so none of thatโs to say they canโt go out there and win. I completely reject the idea that they canโt go out there and win, but theyโre going to be the underdog, and they. Should be the underdog going out there to play Kansas City on the road, but, you know, weโre going to see and weโre getting down to, you know, weโre inside, you know, two weeks away, right? I mean, weโre, weโre getting down to the nitty gritty here in terms of, theyโll make cuts on Tuesday, and theyโll finalize their, at least their initial roster, and then weโll start to look at it from through that lens, but, you know, theyโve the weโre here, right? I mean, weโre, you know, itโs easy to talk about OTAs, itโs easy to talk about what the roster looks like in the spring, and you know, whoโs going to start, whoโs going to step forward, all those different things. But now weโre getting closer and closer to got to go out and play a game. You know, all those off season plans that you have that sound great in April, May and June. Will it come to fruition? Or will we be talking about an offensive line that looks in over its head, or a pass rush that doesnโt have enough depth, or whatever, you know, whatever comes up, because if you want to get
Nestor Aparicio 21:00
people leaving, youโre going to win the Super Bowl. Go beat the chiefs, you know, go beat the chiefs on the road the first night. And that would it wouldnโt change the trajectory of peopleโs thoughts or expectations for the team, but it certainly would validate the fact that we were the better team last year for a lot of weeks, we just werenโt the three hours on that Sunday when we needed to be but we went back out and validated that in some way. Um, and control the game in some way. Um, no. I mean, we only judging the team about where they are now, no,
Luke Jones 21:33
I understand. I just, I Iโm just, Iโm not going to be the guy that makes too much out of a September win over the chiefs. I mean, you got to do it in January. Like, itโs just that, like itโs just that simple. Hereโs
Nestor Aparicio 21:44
what I make a lot out of is Marlon, Humphrey, Ronnie, Stanley and Lamar Jackson have lost to the Chiefs more than theyโve won. And at some point itโs not baseball, where weโll get the Yankees next month, itโs you get one chance to get after him now to believe that if you see him again, itโs been a long off season for these guys getting their ass beat the way they did. And I tell you what, for you and me, weโve beaten them up a whole lot less, especially hardball on three runs, you know, and losing a home game and laying a friggin turd laying a steaming pile of poo on the on the turf down in the middle of downtown Baltimore in the biggest football game of the generation. One way to get back after thatโs the win next Thursday, right? Like, like, again, you and I havenโt been every day, every day, beating up the coach, beating up the right. Iโm the guy that said they needed Derek Henry all along. So theyโve done they followed my prescription. Now go out and beat the chiefs of terror county by running the football and controlling the game on the road in a night when that place is going to be an ish storm for them. You know, when theyโre raising the flag out there my homes comes running out and I show me something. Donโt really show me something. Go to Kansas City and win, because Iโm really not expecting them to win. Am I hopeful? I mean, I sure they can win. There they they were the better team all of last year. Go prove it on Thursday night that youโre the better team this year for now, right here, right now, show me that offensive line. Show me a pass rush. Show me that secondary getting after things. Show me a front thatโs going to be able to stop mahomes and contain him, Kelsey. Show me you have an answer for Travis Galison. So other than trip then Taylor Swift, is she still on tour? I donโt know, um, but weโll find, Iโm sure weโll find out next Thursday if sheโs available or not, or where she is via satellite. But this is, this is going to be fun, dude, to take my mind off of baseball for a minute and a half. Yeah.
Luke Jones 23:38
I mean, itโs, itโs a tone setter, one way or the other, right? I mean, if you lose, here we go again. If you win, hey, itโs a heck of a step in the right direction. And again, Iโm not going to equate it with exercising demons or anything like that. Itโs not right. September 5 is not
Nestor Aparicio 23:52
any of that. But I do think itโs purple sideโs heads that I just said we had to sit here and pound sand and watch them win the Super Bowl. I mean, I
Luke Jones 24:01
hear you, but they beat them in week two and 2021 also, like they have beaten them in a regular season game, right? I mean, they have, itโs not the same, but it sets the tone. I agree. It sets the tone. It also
Nestor Aparicio 24:12
sets the tone for where the game would be in January, here or there,
Luke Jones 24:17
sure, I guess. But they played in Baltimore last year, and it didnโt matter anyway. So you know, from that
Nestor Aparicio 24:22
slow losing Kansas City, youโll have to go back there again in January. That will feel good. You
Luke Jones 24:26
know, we donโt know that yet. I mean, itโs one game, right? I mean, we donโt know whatโs going to happen. Itโs huge from a psychological standpoint. Iโll say that. I think it sets the tone for being able to do special things. But I, again, Iโm not going to be the guy that gets carried away about a September game. Iโm just not well,
Nestor Aparicio 24:44
it sets the bar for where they are. And weโre this offensive line that weโve had a lot of questions. They go out there and they win, and they move the ball effectively, and they defend effectively, and Lamar, Lamar and Henryโs Henry and zafla and Mark Andrews. And, you know, we get the stat sheet, and itโs. Is perfect. And somehow they win 28 to 23 because they Tucker hits a kick. And like Iโll hear all of that, they figure out the kick return thing better than Dave tobe. I donโt know that. Thatโll be interesting unto itself. I always find the Andy Reid arball thing interesting. And one thing I would say for you is them holding out scat cards and getting ready for cancer. They better get ready. I mean, Andy zone, Johnโs asked too, and thereโs a lot of that in this relationship here, too for Mr. Paranoia out there, the bandโs media members. So, yeah, I mean, I think this is this a big game. I donโt know. I disagree with you, dude, I and Iโm not around there to smell it and feel it. But if weโre sitting here on Friday morning talking about them being, oh, one, thatโs they need to be, want to know, and thatโs a really hard thing to do. Itโs a big ask. I think itโs a big ask for them. I
Luke Jones 25:49
do okay, but I, I guess my point is, if they do lose, so what? Then expectations change? I mean, I, I just, itโs a big game for week one. I get it, but itโs week one, right? It doesnโt prove anything one way or the other. I mean, it just doesnโt I just, and I get
Nestor Aparicio 26:08
it doesnโt prove. I mean, my point is the measurement of I have no measurement. They go out in these fake games, but September is
Luke Jones 26:16
not the same as January, as my point, right? I mean, go out and win. Itโs a great psychological lift, but itโs one to know, and if they lose, okay, they they lost. I like, I donโt, Iโm not saying the seasonโs over if they lose. I mean, not far from it, because, to your point, you kind of expect them to lose, right? So, you know, I
Nestor Aparicio 26:35
just Thatโs not me. Thatโs Las Vegas. Thatโs anywhere you gamble, theyโre going to be an underdog, as they should be sure.
Luke Jones 26:40
I yeah, I donโt disagree. I mean, I donโt know what it proves other than just, hey, itโs great to win. Itโs great to set the tone, but weโre five months away from anything that actually, truly, sincerely matters on that front. All right, all right.
Nestor Aparicio 27:00
Then look, weโll just focus on baseball. Iโm fine. Football. Letโs get the suit, by the way, the cuts and all that that happens this weekend. And I should promote the fact that the wnst tech service has been on hiatus. I have noticed. So has Luke, and weโve talked at length about that. Bill Cole and I did a whole segment about it. It is coming back to life. Youโll see it soon, and thereโll be new ways to sign up, which was really problematic, as I explained to bill so, you know, vet tech service and whoโs getting caught and all that, um, you know, the one thing I said to Doug Russell is theyโll pick somebody up from another team. They, they usually do they, they they find something attractive at a place that they have a weakness. And I said that always tells me how they feel about their team. If they go out on the wire and get a guard, if they go out on the wire and find a password, if they find a van Noy a player, you know what I mean, if thereโs some guy in uniform next Wednesday that wasnโt here last Wednesday, I that wonโt shock me, and that will be a little bit of a tell for how they feel about their depth and how they feel about their young guys in the draft picks.
Luke Jones 28:01
I totally agree. And I think where Iโm really looking is, I mean, people will say edge rusher, and I get that, I donโt know, I donโt know whoโs going to shake free thatโs really moving the needle in that way. I I think for most of who might would be available out there, itโs not going to be someone that has more upside than their young guys. It might be someone that maybe has a very specific skill set, sets the edge, well, something like that. But where Iโm really looking is offensive line. And look, Iโm not going to sit here and say that. I think itโs necessarily going to be someone that starts, but I think it could be a veteran backup type that gives them, you know, another McCarry kind of guy, where someone that has a higher floor, someone that, if Voorhees or falele really struggle at guard, for example, someone that could be plugged in the following week or two weeks down the road, or something like that. Because thatโs where I look at this. You know, weโve spent so much time talking about the starters. What about the depth on the offensive line? You know, youโre okay, but letโs assume you go with the young guys. So you have your five starters. Then you have McCary. You have Josh Jones, whoโs going to be the backup left tackle, I think, you know, although McCary certainly can play there as well, you know, they they have Cleveland, Rick sameak, you know, the seventh round pick who I think is going to make the team, because heโs kind of slowly climbed up to the depth chart here over the last couple weeks. Ben Cleveland, but then youโre okay, so thatโs youโre at eight or nine. There youโre at nine. Okay. Who else, I mean, big salah, who you know was the toast of the not the toast of the town. That would be major exaggeration, but was a guy of interest last year going into training camp and starting training camp as a starting left guard, and heโs completely fallen off from the moment they put on pads. They lost belief in him completely, and heโs never recovered. Iโm not sure heโs making the team, let alone feeling that heโs going to be any kind of a viable depth piece thatโs. If these guys that are going to start week one donโt work out and are struggling and you need to pivot. So thatโs where I look at this thing, and say, is there some guard out there, veteran guard out there, who maybe isnโt a player that you would view as a 17 week starter at this stage of his career, but can raise the floor of your depth and maybe give you a little bit of a safety net fallback option if Voorhees or foul ale do not work out, because, you know, starting week week one is not the same as starting 17 games. Weโve seen guys start week one, or weโve seen guys thrown into action in week one and theyโre not ready for it, or they just theyโre not good enough. And, you know, thatโs where preseason can be a fuller in that way. And weโve seen that before. I mean, I can go back and probably give you four or five examples of someone that starts the year as a starter, or the number three corner, or, you know, second tight end, or whatever it might be, and then come week six, theyโre theyโre not in the picture anymore. I mean, thatโs just the nature of the game, but thatโs the position, offensive line. Thatโs really where Iโm looking right now to say, is there someone that shakes free? Is there something, someone who a teamโs trying to save a few, few dollars on their cap? And you say, hey, weโll swap fifth round picks and weโll take that guy whoโs in the last year of his contract off your hands, and heโll be our backup guard, or heโll be another option for us. You know, as you know, a backup center, you know, something along those lines. Iโm looking for that kind of move. I and I think the reason why is itโs one thing to talk about your starting five, but Iโm not sure thereโs a great deal of confidence that they have enough depth on the offensive line that they feel really strongly about. So through looking at it through that lens, thatโs where I could see Eric DaCosta making a move here. I donโt think anything major, but I could certainly see them bringing in a veteran to try to fortify that group. And, you know, if nothing else, raise the floor of that offensive line.
Nestor Aparicio 31:57
All right, Luke and I are going to be doing the Maryland crab. Kate tort fails on Friday, getting ready for the cheatstros. And then we really get going. September 4. Weโre going to be at Cocos with Mark Viviano on the fifth we begin 26 oysters in 26 days, 26 ways. Weโre doing it for the Maryland lottery, in conjunction with Liberty pure solutions, keeping your water clean and fresh if you have well water, especially anywhere in the County, North County, they do a great job. They also do all sorts of plumbing our friends at Jiffy Lube MultiCare, putting Luke out on the road and Owings Mills and Camden Yards, and then the Orioles head into LA next week as well. So Labor Day holiday, lots of writing, lots of letters to folks coming your way. My column is coming back to life. Lots of new sponsors, the wnst Tech Services returning. Our websiteโs in great shape. Lukeโs been crushing it from Owings Mills down the Camden Yards and the hope the Orioles crush the ball a little bit more here over the next week or so, theyโre going to need to hit the ball. Iโm going to hit the bottle If, on the back end of this, if they go out to Kansas City and wet the bed to start the thing here, we are hoping for a very optimistic September. Weโre moving into that Luke and I will be covering sports better than ever, as always, at wnst. Find us at Baltimore positive.com you.