Latest / AFR Saints / Saints Made the Right Call? NFL Execs' Linebacker Rankings Examine Demario Davis Move

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Saints Made the Right Call? NFL Execs' Linebacker Rankings Examine Demario Davis Move · AFR Saints

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  Speaker 1: dot org. Golf dot Brek dot org. So when we
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  Speaker 1: get back from SEC Football Media Days the following week Tuesday,
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  Speaker 1: the same report for training camp. I mean it is
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  Speaker 1: upon us and ESPN is running a series right now
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  Speaker 1: that I think is interesting. I talk about it all
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  Speaker 1: the time. I don't care about lists. I don't care
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  Speaker 1: about subjective opinion. Top ten coaches, bottom ten quarterback, don't.
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  Speaker 2: I don't care.
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  Speaker 1: If you give me some type of objective data, some
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  Speaker 1: metric behind you're finding, then I'll consider it. The exception
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  Speaker 1: is whenever you have like coaches or executives that are
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  Speaker 1: given anonymity to talk about players or positions or coaches
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  Speaker 1: or things like that. People in it and ESPN is
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  Speaker 1: running this feature, whether they're they've given NFL executives anonymity
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  Speaker 1: to vote on the top players of positions, and it
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  Speaker 1: was interesting. I wanted to look at linebacker today because
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  Speaker 1: obviously it's a massive change for New Orleans. To Mario
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  Speaker 1: Davis since twenty eighteen when he came to the Saints,
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  Speaker 1: has been the heartbeat of that defense.
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  Speaker 2: He is.
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  Speaker 1: Arguably behind Drew Brees, the best acquisition the Saints.
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  Speaker 2: Have ever made.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, whenever you talk about all right, so it's
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  Speaker 1: Drew and then what's next, I mean, Jonathan Film was
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  Speaker 1: in that conversation and clearly to Mario Davis is as well,
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  Speaker 1: and the Saints let him walk because they didn't want
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  Speaker 1: to invest a multi year, guaranteed deal into a thirty
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  Speaker 1: seven year old linebacker. Now I think that's foolish. We've
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  Speaker 1: talked about it plenty, because he has each of the
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  Speaker 1: last two years, had the two best seasons of his
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  Speaker 1: career the last two years. There's a story a couple
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  Speaker 1: of weeks ago where de Mario Davis talked about spending a
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  Speaker 1: million dollars a year on his body, investing in his
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  Speaker 1: health and wellness, which is why he's not only had longevity,
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  Speaker 1: but continue to accelerate his production even later on in
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  Speaker 1: his career. So this was interesting because again, these are
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  Speaker 1: NFL executives that were given anonymity to vote on the
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  Speaker 1: top ten linebackers in the NFL, and there's not a surprise,
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  Speaker 1: a lot of surprise among these top tens. Maybe the
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  Speaker 1: order is a little bit, but Fred Warner won, Rokwan
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  Speaker 1: Smith too, Carson Schwessinger of Cleveland three, Zach Pond four,
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  Speaker 1: which is just crazy. The Saints had him and couldn't
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  Speaker 1: figure out what to do with him, and so now
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  Speaker 1: he's at Philly and good luck to him. Jack Campbell
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  Speaker 1: with the Lions. Five, Asia's Al Shaier of the Texans. Six,
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  Speaker 1: Jordan Brooks down in Miami. Seven, Nick Bolton with the Chiefs. Eight,
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  Speaker 1: Edrian Cooper with the Packers nine and then Panthers linebacker
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  Speaker 1: Devin Lloyd is ten. Well, then they list four honorable
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  Speaker 1: mention linebackers Kuai Walker, Demarvion Overshown, Patrick Queen p Q.
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  Speaker 2: They're with the Steelers now, and then.
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  Speaker 1: To Mario Davis with the Jets, of whom an NFC
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  Speaker 1: executive said two words quote fine wine appropriate right, and
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  Speaker 1: then in also receiving votes, which Remaine Edmunds Frankie Luvu,
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  Speaker 1: Bobby Wagner FOI said, Aluiscun, Ernest Jones, Ire, Franklin, T. J. Edwards,
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  Speaker 1: Drake Green, Lodgey Hot Campbell, and Kate Ellis. So kateen
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  Speaker 1: Ellis was on the also receiving votes list, and the
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  Speaker 1: Mario Davis was honorable mention, so ten eleven twelve. So
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  Speaker 1: to Mario Davis was effectively fourteenth on the list. So
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  Speaker 1: I look at these two guys and I actually think
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  Speaker 1: it's pretty appropriate, and I can't help but look and say,
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  Speaker 1: it's just so clear what the Saints were looking to
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  Speaker 1: do here. If to Mario Davis would have accepted a
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  Speaker 1: one year deal, I believe he would still be a
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  Speaker 1: member of the New Orleans Saints, or an incentive laden
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  Speaker 1: deal similar with cam Jordan got But to Mario Davis said,
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  Speaker 1: why would I do that coming off the two best
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  Speaker 1: years of my career. You can look at the age
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  Speaker 1: at thirty seven, or you can look at the productivity
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  Speaker 1: and the Saints under Mickey Loomis and previously Sean Payton,
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  Speaker 1: their mantra has always been they'd rather get rid of
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  Speaker 1: a player a year too early than a year too late.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes it's worked watching guys like Roman Harper walk albeit
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  Speaker 1: to Carolina, and sometimes it's backfired. You let Malcolm Jenkins
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  Speaker 1: go to Philly and he had a lot left in
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  Speaker 1: the tank. You let Darren Sproulls go to Philly had
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  Speaker 1: a lot left in the tank. And I think they're
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  Speaker 1: going to regret the to Mario Davis decision. That's my opinion.
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  Speaker 1: Now you'll know I'm insane. Le Bias loved to Mario Davis,
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  Speaker 1: as do I'm sure most of you. But when you
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  Speaker 1: look at to Mario Davis and Kaid Nellis, their contracts
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  Speaker 1: are identical. Both are averaging eleven million dollars a year.
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  Speaker 1: The Saints gave Ellis a three year, thirty three million
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  Speaker 1: dollar contract averaging eleven million a year. The Jets gave
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  Speaker 1: to Mario Davis a two year, twenty two million dollar
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  Speaker 1: contract averaging eleven million dollars a year. It's really that simple.
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  Speaker 1: The Saints were not going to invest multi years in
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  Speaker 1: of guaranteed money into a thirty seven year old. The
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  Speaker 1: Jets were willing to do it. That's why Demorrio Davis
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  Speaker 1: is now with Aaron Glenn and the Jets. The Saints
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  Speaker 1: have a lesser player albeit Kaden Ellis a good linebacker
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  Speaker 1: and a guy that was one hundred tackle guy a
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  Speaker 1: season ago in Atlanta, a guy the Saints drafted and
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  Speaker 1: has proven to be a good starting linebacker in the NFL.
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  Speaker 1: He is not He is not going to be to
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  Speaker 1: Mario Davis. He is not going to produce at the
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  Speaker 1: level to Mario Davis has did will in New York
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  Speaker 1: when the season's over, the Mario Davis will have more
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  Speaker 1: production than kid Nellis.
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  Speaker 2: I have no problem saying that whatsoever.
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  Speaker 1: The thing that I look at and look each of
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  Speaker 1: the last three years in Atlanta one hundred and twenty
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  Speaker 1: two tackles in twenty twenty three, one p fifty one
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  Speaker 1: and twenty twenty four last year one oh seven. That
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  Speaker 1: was Kaden Ellis the last three years. So he'll be
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  Speaker 1: one hundred tackle guy for the Saints this year, but
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  Speaker 1: Davis will have a better season. What the Saints are
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  Speaker 1: baking on is that three years from now Davis will
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  Speaker 1: be or excuse me, Ellis will be a more productive
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  Speaker 1: player over three years than Davis over two. And we'll
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  Speaker 1: see how that may all play out and manifest. And
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  Speaker 1: I'll be really curious to watch how this unfolds because
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  Speaker 1: I think the Saints made a mistake. And it's not
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  Speaker 1: a knock on Kaid Nellis. It's just to say I
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  Speaker 1: would have rather invested a two year deal into Mario
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  Speaker 1: Davis and then you figure out linebacker. After that you
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  Speaker 1: grow and develop guys behind him. That's not the route
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  Speaker 1: that they che So we'll see what ultimately this how
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  Speaker 1: this plays out in Brandon Saley's defense with a major
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  Speaker 1: change right in the middle of the defense. It's also
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  Speaker 1: fascinating to get opinions on these New Orleans Saints. Well,
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  Speaker 1: John Gruden was the guest on the Ira Kaufman podcast
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  Speaker 1: and listen, I think a lot of people around here
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  Speaker 1: are optimistic, maybe cautiously optimistic about New Orleans. Like I'm
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  Speaker 1: not bullish on the Saints. I don't think they're a contender.
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  Speaker 1: I do think the Saints will be better than their
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  Speaker 1: six wins a year ago, and John Gruden agrees.
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  Speaker 3: But I see the Saints.
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  Speaker 2: What do you think of that quarter pack.
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  Speaker 3: I love what he did in the last five games.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, he's a big dude that can run. He's
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  Speaker 3: obviously physically very tough. They added the big receiver in
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  Speaker 3: the first round Tyson. I think a lobby stays healthy.
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  Speaker 3: I love the addition of etn if Kamara comes back
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  Speaker 3: to life. They've got a couple backs, and they got
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  Speaker 3: a little old John in some spots.
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  Speaker 2: You know.
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  Speaker 3: They got rid of some age. They brought back Cam Jordan,
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  Speaker 3: they got rid of to Mario Davis, certainly, But there
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  Speaker 3: are some good players there, man. I really like Granderson.
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  Speaker 3: I like Precy, Brian Breesy. I like the young safety
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  Speaker 3: they got from Virginia. But I do think h New
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  Speaker 3: Orleans is a lot better team than people think.
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  Speaker 1: We're gonna have to get Gruden working on some of
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  Speaker 1: the pronunciations of those names. If you're ever wondering about
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  Speaker 1: that's a TV guy too. I mean, that's the guy
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  Speaker 1: did Monday Night football for a lot of years. If
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  Speaker 1: you ever wonder about the interest level nationally in New
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  Speaker 1: Orleans Saints football, John Gruden calling first round defensive lineman
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  Speaker 1: Brian Brezy Brecy like who's now going by the way
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  Speaker 1: into the final year of his rookie deal, like that
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  Speaker 1: is a case in point of how little nationally people
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  Speaker 1: actually care about the New Orleans Saints.
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  Speaker 3: I like Precy, Brian Breesy, I like eating such a
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  Speaker 3: beauty Man.
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  Speaker 2: I like Brian Brecy. Uh some gonna get that Hey
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  Speaker 2: Tea Bob. T BOP's up at barstool. True yeah, fanatic
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  Speaker 2: pronunciation call on t Bop to pronounce things phonetically. We're
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  Speaker 2: in trouble.