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The Eagles Understand Team Building For The Future (PST Episode 607) · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everybody. Hope you are doing well. It is
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Jeff here, and I wanted to let you know. This
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: podcast episode was recorded on two separate days this week.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Our interview this week was recorded on Tuesday, March eleventh,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. The first part of our show with
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Eric and myself was recorded on Wednesday, March twelfth, twenty
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: twenty five. By the time you hear this, some things
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: may have changed here or there, but we hope you
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: enjoy the show. Welcome to the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world,
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: just about twelve years strong. Mid eight twelve years of
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: the PST podcast show. I'm Jeff Warren. I'm mean run
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: good buddy, Eric Leonard, how you doing, buddy, I've been better.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: We just had a long conversation about our glasses situation
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: and her eyesight, and yeah, I'm currently onto two pairs,
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: one for up close for distance. They tried to do
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: the bifocus thing on me, and I was just thinking,
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: like twelve years ago when you guys started the show
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: and I came on a couple times early on. Yeah,
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: I didn't have this, No, I didn't have these.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: No, no, Eric, I told Eric before we hit the
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: record button. This past weekend, I have my glasses on.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: I'm watching TV in my living room with my wife
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: for hanging out, and like all of a sudden, I
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: go to my phone and this first time this has
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: happened to me. I look at my phone. I'm like,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: oh my god, I can't see anything. Everything's blurry, Like
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: what the hell? I now have to take my glasses
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: off to read my phone. And I'm like, I got
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: the phone going in and out and in and out
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: and out of my freaking eyes. I look like an
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: old man Jesus.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: But biology and it just craps sometimes because why do
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: I have to take my glasses off to see things? Now?
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: I know it went and went why why can't why
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: can't you poke your eyes with something?
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Yes?
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: With science and just going, yeah, you can see now
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: what the hell were.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Living in the twenty first century? For God's sake, Let's
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: get this technology going inject my eye with something so
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: that we can actually see distance and be able to
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: read without any problems at all. This is something. Why
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: hasn't anybody figured this out yet? What's going on?
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Like, wasn't there this thing with Lasik. Everyone was doing that.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: I can see now. But then people's eyeballs were falling
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: out or some shit. Just the worst stories ever. So
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: I don't it be science help us out.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Michelle got PRK. It's like a Lasik thing. She got
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: that thing called PRK. I remember like when her and
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: I first got together, Like it was like like eighteen
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: years ago or so. She got it, and I remember
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: being in the actual like the room next to her
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: when she was getting the procedure done on the TV
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: screen that I'm looking as her eyeball and it's just
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: opened the whole time and they're squirting liquid in it.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Oh my god, it was. It was awful. But she
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: if she haven't had problem for years except this past
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: year she started having her used reading glasses. So after
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: time at like Wayne's, you know, are gonna fall out? Yes,
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: I just wake up one morning and it's like it's
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: like uh, Peey's Big Adventure.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: You're gonna roll over. Put you try for your arm
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: around here, iss nothing there. You open your eyes and
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: they're her eyeballs.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: That's it. Jesus Christ, Oh my god, we got a
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: great show for you folks. I don't know why that
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: was so loud right there. Dear dear God, I peaked.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: I got a great show for you, Yes I did.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: I never even peaked. I had no peak at all.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: We're gonna get into some Phillies talk Rob Thompson. He
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: said that he would like to see Brandon Marsh playing
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: every day in center field. We're gonna dive into that storyline.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: Then we're gonna get into some Flyers talk. Trade deadline
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: has come and gone. The Flyers made some trades, folks.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: We're gonna get into it with our good friend Kelly
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Hinkle from Broadstreet Hockey dot Com. Then Eric and I
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: are gonna talk about Philadelphia seventy six Ers official tank
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: mode is happening right now. Then we're gonna get into
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: some Eagles talk. And we've got our good friend of
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: the pod, Egg Kratz from Philadelphia Eagles on SI. He's
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: gonna be coming to join us to break down some
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: of what's been going on this offseason with the Birds
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: and what this team is gonna be looking like during
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty five season. So Eric, let's get into
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: some Phillies talk again. Rob Thompson saying that he'd like
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: to see Brandon Marsh play every day in center field. Look,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: when I was reading this story online, I'm thinking, you know,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: since the platoon really hasn't been very effective over all
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: the years in center field, might this be a good
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: idea given how Marsh You know, even though he has
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: trouble hitting again left handed pitchers. You know, I love
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: the guy's energy. I love where his head is in
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: terms of the game because he's very intense. And I
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: look back to the twenty twenty three season. He had
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: a seven seventeen ops against lefties in one hundred and
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: ten ten plate appearances in twenty twenty three. Now, that's
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: good enough if you're running around a nine hundred ops
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: against righty's, which he did. But even in twenty twenty three,
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: the Phillies were pretty selective regarding which lefties Marsh played against,
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: and he was platooned with Christian Pashe during the twenty
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: twenty three season. But man, twenty twenty four not good,
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: not good. I think you have some of those numbers, right, buddy.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the twenty twenty four stats, I mean, Thompson was
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: very specific that he was very happy with kind of
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: the tail end. Yeah, I have twenty twenty four and
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: March against left handers. But I mean, I compare twenty
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: twenty three numbers to twenty twenty four, and twenty three
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: was just much much better, Like, you know, versus lefties,
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: he had a one ninety two average and a five
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: fifty two OPS against lefties, much better against rieties. And
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: you know, post all start, he was kind of dreadful
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: compared to the pre All Star stats. So I think
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Thompson is either one trying to just not deal with
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: everyday questions of who's going to be the everyday starter
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: and center field he doesn't want to have a platoon anymore
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: because what what baseball manager wants that right? Or two
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: the old man's just kind of I think he's losing
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: als trying to pump Marsh up or something. Yeah, you
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: know Marsh's I looked at the defensive stats too. He's
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: kind of a middle to higher end defensive players, so
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: it's kind of a wash there between him and any
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: other people that had played a position. I just think
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: maybe he's trying to push him, you know, to either
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: either trying to pump him up or just doesn't want
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: to deal with this anymore because Marsh he's good enough.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: I think as long as everyone else around him, you know, produces.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: I'm wonder the okay, I'm under the opinion with this
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: entire storyline where like I said, the platoon, it really
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: doesn't seem to have worked very well at all, Like
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: when you have Johann Rojas, who we know is gonna
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: be out there in certain defensive situations during games. I mean,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: marshas slated to be the starting center fielder Max Kepler
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: and left field n Casianos in right field, but with
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: I don't know, with Rob Thompson specifically saying, quote he's
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: seeing a lot of left handed pitching here in spring
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: training and he's doing a pretty good job. I'd like
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: to give him a pretty good run at playing every
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: day if if we can. What's a pretty good run,
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: I don't know what that is. Is he thinking two
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: weeks the first month of the season, because like again,
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: I like Marsh's energy when he's out there. And I
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: do think too that you need and Eric, I know
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: you coach, you know you coach Little League and stuff
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: like that. You gotta give players, I don't care what
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: age they are, the ability to actually play if they're
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: going to get better at something in sports. And I
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: kind of think this is a situation here with Brandon marsh.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe that's a real elementary way of
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: me thinking about it. I don't know what are your
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: thoughts there.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't know how much I can bring in
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: my little league experience to this, but I will say this,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: You know, when you get a little when you get
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: a little higher up in age and you don't have to,
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: you know, rotate all the kids in and play them
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: a different spots, and you do kind of lean on
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: the kids you trusted at certain that certain spot. And
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know if I go buy his
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: spring training numbers one ninety average with a six hundred
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: ops right now, but he's also twenty seven to twenty.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: I think like this is one of those shitter got
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: the pot seasons for a player like him, where he's
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: shown some ability. He had a little more power in
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: his swing last year. We just went through the average
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: against righty's and lefties. But it almost feels like, just
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: just give him the mantle the beginning of the year.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: That's what really you really think for you know, that's
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: what he needs to perform at a top level to
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: maybe get one more contract like a big contract. Yeah,
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: and again put him on the right spot in the
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: in the order right, like, definitely, don't put him in
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: the top five, put him down you know, six to nine,
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: and then just kind of see what you get. I
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: think by I think by end of May June, you
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: should know what you have, and you know, by then
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: you'll know if you have a guy that is kind
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: of surging and maybe deserving of a contract extension, and
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: like the center field spot solidly, you know, solid, but
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: like but again, like you'll know for sure by May
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: or June if that's the right decision.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: I've been getting really excited about where this Phillies team
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: can go this year, and then all of a sudden,
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: and I know, it's spring training, folks, The Phillies like
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: lost games for like a week and a half. I mean,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: and I'm talking like by one score as well. We've
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: seen this happen this team during the regular season as well.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: But I don't know, I don't know. Some people were
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: freaking out about it, like, oh, they haven't won in
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: a week and a half or so, and it's like, well,
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: I don't know if we should be freaking out about it.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: It's spring training. I don't know, I'm still loving what
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: this pitching is coming into this season. I still think
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: from a batting perspective, of course, there are gonna be
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: guys who are gonna be hot and cold throughout the year.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: But like, I'm really excited about where this team could
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: go this year. I actually think they're going to be
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: better than the Mets. I really do. I just think
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: the Mets starting pitching, even though they do have some depth,
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: there's a lot of uncertainty there. There really is, and
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: I just I'm really excited about where this team is
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: gonna go.
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but they you know, you just talk about the losses.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: They just won their last three games thirty four to
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: eleven in a row. Yeah, so, I mean the bats exploded.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: They beat some decent teams Oils, Twins, Red Sox.
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Again, I know it's spring training, but you just go
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: buy the records and the total numbers. I think, I
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: said on the show a couple of weeks ago, like
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: the team that bothers me the most is probably the Braves.
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: I'm not as worried about the Mets. I don't like
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: their starting pitching. I think this one of the starting
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: pitchers was a Yankees reliever last year, and from what
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: I from, I can't think of its Clay Holmes. Maybe
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: that name which is that is either going to be
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: a genius move or a that that's like a Jordan
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: my a lootta just stick a rugby player in there
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: and see what happened. Right, But they don't have a
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: Jeff Stoutlin and the and the Mets organization as far
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: as I know, So you know that's that's a that's
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: a risky move on their part. They have a lot
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: of bats, a lot of power. But I could see
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: that team again it's it's it's a it's a it's
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: an absolute blender up there that if things go wrong
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: the first month and a half of that season, in
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: that in that media circus up there, that could get
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: really ugly fast and then all of a sudden there's
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: this one million dollar team that can't win and just
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: things get the I think that I think the Phillies
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: are in a great spot. The city loves them, the
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: media is not after them. They're veteran lane, they know
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: what they know what they are. They might have the
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: best pitching staff in baseball if they're healthy, the starting
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: starting pitching, So they're in a great spot. I think
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: Atlanta is actually the scariest team with the two big
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: guys coming back from injury yep, and a lot of
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: great young players that are like just they just have
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: this farm system that keeps producing as opposed to what
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: we have. So yeah, I like I like the I
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: like where the Phillies are like, it's it's it's kind
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: of you know, the fact we're talking about Brandon Marsh
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: not platooning in center field instead of who the hell's
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: going to hit home runs or who's going to be
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: like the major quite like usually in past seasons it
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: was like, Okay, we got an ace, but what the
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: hell do we do after that? Like this, we're not
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: even having those talks right now.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's a great, great, great point. We'd love
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: to hear from your Philadelphia Sports table at gmail dot com.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: We'd love to read your email here on the show
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: and respond to it. Let's get into some Phillies talk
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: with you folks out there again. Send us an email,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: we'll read it here on the show and respond to it. Eric, Buddy,
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna let you go for a little bit. We're
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: gonna get to our interview and discussion with Kelly Hinkel
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: from Broadstreet Hockey dot Com to break down the Flyers
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: trades from this past week. You don't wanna do you
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: want to join us at all? I don't know what
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: do you think you want to get into some Flyers talk?
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: All right? About anything else but the Flyers?
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah?
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Maybe?
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: Uh no, we're talking Flyers. Nope, okay, nothing hockey, No, buddy,
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna let you go. We're gonna get to Kelly
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: here and we'll be back with Eric for some Sixers
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: talk and some Eagles talk. Joining us this week from
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: broad Street Hockey dot Com. We love having her on
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: the show to talk about this Philadelphia Flyers team. We've
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: got the one and only Kelly Hinkel. How you doing, Kelly?
• 13:45
  Speaker 3: Great, Jeff, how are you?
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: I'm good. I appreciate you taking the time to join
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: us to talk about the trades that the Flyers front
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: office and Danny Brier recently made. It's an interesting direction
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: that this Flyer's front office and team and organization are
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: heading in. And wanted to get into that with you.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: So let's get into these trades here. First, I mean
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: losing Scott Lawton, I mean it really stinks in a
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: lot of different ways in my opinion, but they were
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: able to get a twenty twenty seven first round pick
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: for him. They've got a winger prospect out of that deal,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: And I'm just wondering, you know, when you first heard
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: the news and you've actually had some time to dissect it,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: or I should say digest it as most of us have,
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: you know, what were your overall thoughts on this trade,
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: and you know what it does for the team here.
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: So I think it's.
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: It's a good It's one of those moves where it's
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: like it stinks that it has to happen, but also
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: it kind of has to happen, Like, yeah, got Lawton
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: at this point in his career, Like, if we're being
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: honest with ourselves, like a third line winger at best, Yeah,
• 14:44
  Speaker 3: I feel like you know what I mean, Like if
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: this was like a fully fleshed out hockey team, he
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: would be our third line winger. I don't even know
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: that he would be a center on the Flyers if
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: the Flyers were good. Right, So, if you can trade
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: a guy like that who's you know, getting up they're
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: in age career is obviously going to be on the
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: down side, obviously not going to fit the timeline of
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: when the team's going to be good. If you can
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: get a first round pick for that guy, you kind
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: of got to do it. Yeah, they got a first
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: round pick and a prospect. So it was the kind
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: of move that like you don't like to see made
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: because you like the guy and you know he's been
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: here forever. But also it's good to know that Brier
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: is able to make those kind of hard decisions when
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: it comes to like parting ways with someone that you
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: might like if you know it's going to further the rebuild.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: And I think this is that.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what we've kind of been waiting for as
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: fans and saying to ourselves, can Danny Breer make the
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: tough decision? I mean that's been a narrative that's now
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: been ongoing for quite some time. He was able to
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: make that tough decision here, and I think that says
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: a lot about his leadership. That's what I've been thinking.
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: No, I think so too, because it's it's one of
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: the questions that we haven't had like a firm answer to,
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: because I mean, like the Farbian Frost trades, I don't
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: really think it was that hard to get rid of
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: those guys. Frost was obviously not fitting in. I think
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: Farrabee was more of like a disappointment that he doesn't
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: seem to be shaping up to what we thought he
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: was going to be, and then you have that contract
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: that he doesn't seem to be worth. So, like, I
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: don't really think that getting rid of those two was
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: a difficult choice. I think that was something that they
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: were glad to be able to do.
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: But this is the first.
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: Time Briers had to make the choice on a player
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: that everybody likes. Fans like him, the players like him,
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: the coach likes him, the front office likes him. He's
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: not terrible yet. So yeah, I'm sure this was a
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: tough choice for him, but it's good to know that
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: he can do it, because I mean, I honestly had
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: some questions because like I kind of thought maybe they
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: should have traded connect me. I'm past it now, like
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: it's fine whatever, it's fine that he's on the team,
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: but I kind of thought maybe it would have been
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: better if they traded him. And I thought to myself,
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: are they not able to like say no to their guys? Yes,
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: And like, if anybody is their guy, it's Scott Lawton
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: and they were able to move on from him.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: So, and it's my understanding too. Look, I don't know
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: a ton about him, but Nikita Gribenkin, I think that's
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: how you say his last Yeah. Yeah, from a prospects standpoint,
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: like not a terrible prospect at all to be within
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: within this system.
• 17:16
  Speaker 4: No.
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: We over at phl Y we talked to Rachel Dorry,
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: who I think works for ESPN and she's a leaf
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: Span and we asked for about him and she said
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: that he's like the kind of player that's like quintessentially Flyer. Like,
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: I think he's just got a lot of personality and
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: he plays like a tough game and all that kind
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: of like he's not a fighter or anything, but like
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: you know, that gritty kind of tough style.
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: The vibe that I got is that he's a player
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: that we're going to like. I was kind of hoping
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: that we would see him up with the Flyers this season.
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: There's still a chance that we could. They still have
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: one more call up spot, so maybe once he gets
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: a few games in with the Fantoms, we'll see him
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: get called up to the Flyers. It'd be fun to
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: get a look at him and see what he's like.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: It would be it's it's gonna be fun to get
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: to look at certain a certain and players and certain
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: aspects and talent of this Flyers organization, you know, as
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: we're getting to the latter part of the season. But that,
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: you know, it's leading me to the next topic here
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: with regard to these trades, which is Andre Kuzmenko, who
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: you know, basically spent you know, an hour here in Philadelphia.
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: I mean they just acquired him recently, and then he's
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: also traded this past week. He's now in la I'd like,
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: why trade for a player and then give him up
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: just like a few weeks later. It seems kind of bizarre. Yes,
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: there were contractual issues you know with Kuzmenko, but you know,
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: what were your thoughts on this particular trade, Kelly.
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: So that's one of those things where you have to think, like,
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: they didn't really trade for Andre Kuzmenko, Like the Frost
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: and Farabee moves were subtraction moves, most notably getting that
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: Farabee contract the whole thing off of the books, right,
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: And in order for them to do that, Calgary had
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: to shed some salary, so they were like, all right, fine,
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: we'll take Kuzmenko. That'll get all that money off your books.
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: You could take Faribe off of our hands. And since
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: cusemego is unexpiring contract, not really a big deal to
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: take on his salary. I don't think the Flyers would
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: have re signed him in the summer, and I don't
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: think that even if they had wanted to, I don't
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: think he would have signed here because I would imagine
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: that he is going to try to chase a bag
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: like they all do, which is good for you and
• 19:25
  Speaker 3: for him. The most money will probably be in Russia,
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: so like I could see him going back there, just
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: because he's had such an up and down career in
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: the NHL. I don't know if anyone's going to throw
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: a whole bunch of money at him.
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: He was on.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: This is like his fourth team now, isn't it.
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: Lay When he seems to do a thing where like
• 19:39
  Speaker 3: when he first gets there, he's like really fun and
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: good and then just completely drops off a cliff. And
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: but I mean he was fun to have around for
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: a little bit. It's just like it for me, that
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: wasn't so much like losing a guy that you just
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: got it was just kind of like a now instead
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: of getting like you kind of just got an extra
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: pick for Fariby and Frost rather than getting go.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: It makes sense. It makes sense, you know, just from
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: an asset standpoint, and I think you know, that's what
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: we were really seeing here with this trade deadline with
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: Danny Brier in the direction of this front office. So
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: I guess, I guess the final question I would ask
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: you is about that direction, Kelly, You know what direction
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: do these trades and what we have seen this past week,
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: what does it really give the Flyers as a team
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: and an organization As they're still in this restructure mode
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: for the future, we're certainly seeing some things coming together.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: I don't think all the pieces of the puzzle are
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: necessarily there yet for this team to be a contender,
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: But you know, what does this direction look like? What's
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: it supposed to look like for us fans here?
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: So I think that this deadline, even more than last year,
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: really kind of like shows us what Danny Rher's long
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: term plan is, and that is in twenty twenty six,
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: summer twenty twenty six, we're going to put the pedal
• 21:01
  Speaker 3: down and we're going to turn this into a hockey team,
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: because this trade deadline seemed to be more than anything
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: about getting money off the books and making sure that
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: in twenty twenty six, Like when Hayes comes off the books,
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: who are are they retaining on that comes off the books?
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: Then I forget there's a bunch of guys that come
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: off the books in twenty twenty six.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: Is Rich off the books then? Or is he? Yeah?
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: Yes, maybe traded this summer anyway?
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, probably, but.
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah, like they seem to be making like incremental moves
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: toward making sure they have a bunch of cap space
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: and contract space available for them for that summer to
• 21:47
  Speaker 3: be able to start like signing free agents, making trades,
• 21:50
  Speaker 3: like doing taking like the next steps towards turning this
• 21:55
  Speaker 3: team into like a perennial at least playoffs and hopefully
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: cut contender, because that seems to have been like what
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: they have been telling us all along was that twenty
• 22:08
  Speaker 3: twenty six was the year that things were going to
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: start to come together, And it seems like every move
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: that they've made since coming on board has been like
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: working towards the idea that summer twenty twenty six, we're
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: gonna have cap space we're gonna have contract space and
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: we're gonna start doing stuff. And I think that's good because,
• 22:25
  Speaker 3: like I think, obviously the biggest complaint for Flyers fans
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: over the last many many years is that there's never
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: seemed to be a coherent plan. Ron Heckxall, I guess
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: kind of had one, but he kind of seemed to
• 22:36
  Speaker 3: be like one foot in, one foot out with executing
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: that plan.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: Part of that was draft picks too, if we're you know, being.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: Not really not great at drafting apparently. But it's good
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: to know that the plan that we were sold really
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: when Brierre first got this job, every single move they're
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: making is telegraphing were still on track to do this,
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: and they seem to be putting things in place to
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: be successful at it. And I know a lot of
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: people are still kind of doubtful that it's going to
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: work the way that they've been doing it.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: I know it's such the Flyers fan base of pessimism
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: and just waiting for the rug to be pulled out
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: from under him. I mean, I get it and stuff.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: But like, as we're talking about this, and just as
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: I read on Broadstreet Hockey dot Com and you know,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: I listened to you on the podcast, and you know,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: I listened to Charlie and Bill over a phoy, Like
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: there is a sense of optimism that I have that
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: a plan of action is coming to fruition. It's taking
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: some time, but guess what, folks, that's what happens when
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: you have a hockey team that has been completely stagnant
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: for well over a decade. You know, it's good. It
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: takes time, and I'm honestly glad to see where this
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: team is at and where this organization is at at
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: this point, me too.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: And like, obviously Breer still has to execute on all this,
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: Like you've got to make the right trades, he's got
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: to make the right signings all that kind of stuff,
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: the right draft picks. So yeah, could this still fail fail, sure,
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: but like up till now, all signs point to it working.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm pretty optimistic. I think things are looking
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: pretty good.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: I love it. Great way to end this segment here, Kelly,
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for jumping on real quick on this
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: week's episode. Again, folks, Broadstreet Hockey dot Com feel free
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: to subscribe. They got great content over there. I'm a
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: subscriber for like five dollars a month. They have great,
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: great content at Hanks on the Twitter slash x. I'm
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: not sure if you're accepting new followers. If they're listening
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: to me, they're probably following you at this point over
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: there now and again. Yeah, you're on Blue Sky mostly
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: now right. Oh, I love Blue Sky. I've been enjoying it.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: I've been I've been liking it all right, my friend.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for taking the time to jump
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: on here for some Flyers talk. We'll catch you down
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: the road. Okay, thanks Jeff. Always great talking to Kelly
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: about the Philadelphia Flyers. We're getting ready to take our
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: first break of this podcast. Make sure you're subscribed on
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: whatever podcast platform you are listening to us on. If
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: you are a new listener here at the Philadelphia Sports
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: Table podcast show. We are on various social media sites
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: as well. You can search out the Philadelphia Sports Table.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: You can search out myself, Jeff Warren, and my co
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: host Eric Leonard as well. Give us a follow on
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: various social media sites. I highly recommend, I highly recommend
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: you head on over to YouTube, search out the Philadelphia
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: Sports Table and subscribe. You're not gonna see any videos
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: yet yet. The keyword. Yet something's coming. Just wanted to
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: let you know, subscribe on our YouTube channel for what
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: is yet to come. All Right, we're gonna take our
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: first break to pay some bills. We'll be back in
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: just a bit. All right, we are back and Eric
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: is now back. It was great talking to Kelly, but
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: we got to get into this Philadelphia seventy six ers teams.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: My god, the lineups have been absolutely pathetic as of late.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: And as I was watching one of the games this weekend, Eric,
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: I'm thinking to myself, is this team really now in
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: official tank mode? I mean, are they in official tank
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: mode to be competing with in terms of tanking the Wizards,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: the Jazz, even the Pelicans. I mean, holy cow, the
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: the game tonight against the Raptors. I know you want
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: to get into that in a bit, but man, this
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: team is in full tank mode. I believe here at
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: this point, thank goodness, Thank goodness because of that okayc
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: pick that we've been talking about over the past you know,
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: month or two here on the show. But I'm actually
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: glad to see this at this point. I'm actually glad
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: to see that they're not holding out some hope that
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: you know, embiid is gonna be okay. I know he's
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: shelved for the rest of the season. You know, you
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: know we're not seeing Maxie, We're not seeing Paul George.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: I'm glad that they're not clamoring to keep this season
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: quote alive, tank this season. See what you're gonna be
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: able to get, get that OKAC draft pick. I'm actually
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: glad where this team is at right now. I was
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: rooting for them to lose tonight against the Raptors. It
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: was funny.
• 26:57
  Speaker 2: I saw the topic on the Jenny sent me and
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: I was like, is he is he kidding? That is
• 27:03
  Speaker 2: he asking? Is he asking me if they're tanking? Or
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: is he just verifying with me? Because I mean, if
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: you look at the tonight's starting lineup, yes, and the
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: fact that you're probably canna see Paul George again this year,
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: probably I can see Maxie again. Obviously with the back injury,
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't even bother.
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and real quick, can I can I just go down?
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: It's Edwards, Drummond, Grimes, Kelly u Bright, Junior Butler and
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: some somehow I don't even know who Jeff Douton is,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: but he scored twenty points. Tonight.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I was actually happy to see that Lonnie
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: Walker was out tonight, Yes, because he's been playing well.
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: I'm I'm I'm a I have a graduate degree in
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: in the in the tanking and the process, so I
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: I you can't pull you can't put this one past me.
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: This is this is pure tank. I'm actually upset that's
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: Quinton Grimes is still playing. He's actually too good. Yes, tanking.
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: He had twenty nine points tonight and six six turnoverers.
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: Though he's not very good with the ball.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: That helps.
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: But no, this, this, this lineup is is atrocious. Yabaselli
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: has knee soreness.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: Yep, knee, he's a quote knee soreness.
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: That's okay, you keep having knee soreness. I don't see
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: you again. We'll resign you. We'll give you some money
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: the off season, but like, just take go back to
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: France and do do what you gotta do.
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: If you have a headache ever any other night, that's
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: fine too.
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: This is this is grade. This is not as a
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: level tanking as twenty three, twenty fourteen or thirteen fourteen
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: back then. Yeah, where literally you you know, you look
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: at the court a third quarter game you'd be like,
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: I don't know a single player, what college they went to,
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: if they went to college, where they came from, where,
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: if they actually have ever played basketball for I don't know.
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: But this, this is this is where we were starting
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: to we're starting to we're starting to gain ground on
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: that because this is bad. The starting five had a
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: plus minus night combined to minus ninety five.
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: I don't know if that's the worst in the NBA tonight,
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: but I'm willing to make a wager you right off
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: the starting lineup. It's it's atrocious. And this is exactly
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: what it to do because that this lost time that
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: actually ties you for the worst fifth worst record with
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: the nets. Yes, and you gotta stay in that bottom
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: five somehow, which withou this this lineup, you absolutely have
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: a chance because if OKC gets that pick, they beat
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: Boston on National TV tonight in Boston, they're probably win
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: the title. And what a kick in the balls. The
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: title winning team gets your first round pick at least
• 29:28
  Speaker 2: number seven in a loaded draft. By the way, there's
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: like ten to twelve players that can help our roster
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: next year, not just help, but like may actually make
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: contributions and to hand it over to them. A team
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: that doesn't need anything that is that is that that'll
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: that'll turn this catastrophe like a three year catastroph into
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: like a five to six year catastrophe.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: Yes, look, keep getting If you're gonna give a team
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: like the Raptors, if you're gonna give them three point
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: looks and wide open looks throughout the game, keep it going.
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: I mean, the Raptors are one of the league's most
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: impotent teams from Downtown, twenty ninth in volume, twenty third
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: in percentage coming into the game, and they entered halftime
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: tonight twelve to twenty three from the three point line. Oh,
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: I'm telling you right now, it's not that hard to
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: make threes if you're constantly being presented with wide open looks.
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: Let's keep it going, six ers. Keep doing it with
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: every other team, please.
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: Well, and this particular Raptors lineup was I mean, I'll
• 30:28
  Speaker 2: use the term flaccid. Yeah, this is I mean. There
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: was no Brendan Ingram, no Scottie Barnes, ra J Barrett
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: was out. Their starting line was battle yakaperl Castleton, Rodin
• 30:39
  Speaker 2: and Shed.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: I don't know those guys.
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't.
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: I know nothing about them there, but they had a
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: much higher plus whatever plus minus than we did and
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: we lost the game, lost by thirteen points to a
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: really dilapidated Raptors roster. So I think the route we're
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: going is perfect for this. Like we're not playing we
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: don't we can't play defense. We have no defenders on
• 31:02
  Speaker 2: the floor. Paul George used to be a good friend.
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: He's gone. There's no one on this team to play defense.
• 31:07
  Speaker 2: We're gonna get outscored by even bad teams like this.
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: So we're in a really good spot to start really
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: tanking and really get into that Wizards. We're not We're
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: not gonna get the Wizards spot, but like we're gonna
• 31:19
  Speaker 2: start to go that direct that when Sunday against the
• 31:21
  Speaker 2: Jazz was just a heartbreaker. Yes, I can't believe it's
• 31:25
  Speaker 2: it sucked mid March and I'm talking about Sixers losses
• 31:28
  Speaker 2: being a heartbreaker. That's where we're at, man, with this team.
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: I can't believe what we thought it was going to
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: be the beginning of the year to what it is now.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: But I can actually breathe. Now you have to worry
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: about Embid.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: It's no expectations.
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: We can just put that ship to the side and
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: enjoy a good tank. Yes, fun. Sometimes it's actually fun
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: to watch and be like, we're down twelve, don't hit
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: that shot. Sometimes I hate doing it, but but you understand,
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: if you're a real basketball man, you get it.
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask you a question right now, and I
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: feel I feel like one of the these dummies on
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: ninety four to one, these radio quote personalities asking this
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: because I feel like we need to brand this tank
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: a certain way, like like I feel like we like,
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: is it an honest tank? Is it a is it
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: a is it an ethical tank?
• 32:19
  Speaker 4: Like?
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: I feel like we need to brand this tank a
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: certain way, like are they ethically tanking here or are
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: they just honestly tanking? I don't know, I maybe conscientiously
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: well conscientiously tanking.
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll say this, it was pretty stealth. It kind
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: of happened. Yeah, it happened pretty quickly, but I didn't
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: even notice it in a stealthy tank recently. Yes, No,
• 32:48
  Speaker 2: I think it's ethical. I think it's even righteous at
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: this point. Yes, you've got to keep this pick because
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: you saw what the team was like beforehand.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: That's why I put the question on the agenda the
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: way that I did because it was healthy. I was like, look,
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: is this really happening? And you're the basketball guy on
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: this podcast, and I'm like like, is this really had?
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: Like I'm seeing this and like, am I correcting this?
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: That's why I was asking why.
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: I think as soon as Maxie started having some back issues,
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: that's when I think the front office was like maybe more.
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: It was like, Okay, we can do this. Let's let's start.
• 33:23
  Speaker 2: Let's start combing the dread dregs of the league, the
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: G league stuff, yes, and just start filling out the
• 33:29
  Speaker 2: roster that way. Making no moves. I mean, I think
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: I think that we were tipped to it, tipped off
• 33:36
  Speaker 2: to it when at the trade deadline they just made
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: these moves. It just did nothing but shed money. That's
• 33:42
  Speaker 2: all it was. They didn't make any moves to improve
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: the team. Not that they could, but some obviously Caleb
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: Martin just you're gone. We signed you to be get
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: like actually like make us compete this year, yea, and
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: you were just you're just out. You're gone. And they
• 33:57
  Speaker 2: got back Quentin Grimes who's makes less money, good player,
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: but can't play defense. He's off the books next year
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: if you want him to be. And and then and
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: then when Maxie went out, it was like it just
• 34:08
  Speaker 2: kind of over the course of like a week and
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: a half, two weeks, it was like, we have a
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: minus ninety five starting to mind up against the horrible
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: Raptors team. You can't play defense like it, I'll give
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: them that. Like the the Hinky tank was so obvious
• 34:25
  Speaker 2: and so egregious. But they did this mid season so
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: fast that like even I was like kind of caught
• 34:31
  Speaker 2: off guard, like I was. I think I was watching
• 34:34
  Speaker 2: the Bulls game. They were down by fifty two weeks ago,
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: and I was like, oh, we're tanking.
• 34:40
  Speaker 4: We're going.
• 34:42
  Speaker 2: Like in your fourth quartery you saw these guys on
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: the court, You're like, oh, Jeff Dowton, yeah, put down
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: forty two now, Like what I remember this time. It
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: was eleven years ago. It was kind of fun. But
• 34:52
  Speaker 2: but then you felt like I had no hope, right
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: because all he had was ambid and like what else
• 34:57
  Speaker 2: do you have? And like, at least now you don't
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: have to you don't have to talk about the swampy,
• 35:03
  Speaker 2: dirty stuff that we had to deal with all year. Now,
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: just let's just tank, you get the pick and then
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: we'll go from there.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: Yes, ah, it makes me. It actually makes me feel good.
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: It makes me feel good to know that we're in
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: this position. I wonder, is this like a strategic like
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: how can I say, Sam Hanky? As we talked about
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: years and years ago on the pod, it was a
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: strategic tank. But I feel this is strategic as well,
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: but in a different way, more as my daughters would say.
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: It's low key strategic. You know, it's it's not high
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: kids strategic. It's like low key strategic.
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: It was low key until, like I said, in that
• 35:41
  Speaker 2: Bulls game where everyone gave up, including Maxie on the
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: coach and in the fourth quarter, it was just it
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: was a doubt and Bona Edwards, you know Martin, Uh, well,
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: what's not even extravaganza, Like what's extrava like garbage? Like
• 36:02
  Speaker 2: what's the I don't know what you get dumpster fired
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: y sanza or something. It was just it was really
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: bad and that's when it really that's when the snowball,
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: the dirty, disgusting, piss covered snowballs started rolling down the hill. Yes,
• 36:14
  Speaker 2: in any wind up games like this, and they got
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: to keep going like this, I think they play. I
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: think they have they. I think Toronto plays the Bulls
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: on Friday, who are right right above us. We need
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: we need them to beat the Bulls because the Bulls
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: are beatable, like they could maybe jump up like that.
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: Now I'm watching the bottom of the standings. Yes, which
• 36:32
  Speaker 2: is so weird. I used to like all I cared
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: about was like, oh, it's gonna make the playoffs. Yeah,
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: it's like who the Jazz have next week?
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: Exactly who the Pelicans have? All Right, good discussion. We'd
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: love to hear from you about what we've been talking
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: about on this show. Philadelphia Sports Table at gmail dot com.
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: Shoot us off an email. We'll read it here on
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: the show. Let's now get into some Eagles talk. That's
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: how we're going to finish off this episode. Eric and
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: I are gonna die into some stuff here, and then
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: we're gonna get to our interview with Ed Kratz from
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles on SI. We of course Len and I
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: recorded last week, or Eric, len and I are recording,
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: and the next day Zach Bonn re signs with the Eagles.
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: That we're like, of course, that happens constantly. We always
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: record the episode and then we get some big news
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: coming in. We wanted this to happen. Eagles Nation wanted
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: this to happen. It was a no brainer, and I
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: love how Howie is continuing to grow, and I think
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: I mean again, it was a no brainer. But then
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: again two years ago, No, the linebacker position, what are
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: you talking about. We're not gonna invest in the linebacker position.
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: The running back position. We're not gonna invest in the
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: running back position. Sa Kwon Barkley is extended another three
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: years as well. I love all the extensions. There's only
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: been one free agent signing that we're gonna get to
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: in just a bit and that news drop today. But
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: wanted to get your thoughts, buddy, with regard to Zach Bond.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: I know, we talked about him couple of weeks ago
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: and it was kind of a no brainer thing. Yeah,
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: let's bring him back. And I'm just happy that it happened,
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: and we're going to have a guy who is finally
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: in the middle of the field. There his pursuit to
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: the ball against the rush, and even in terms of
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: passing plays. He's a great linebacker, one of the best
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: in the league. We got him. I'm happy about it.
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I talked about two or three weeks
• 38:24
  Speaker 2: ago about you know, potentially who would be the worst losses,
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: and I think I kind of said if Bond left,
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: wouldn't be the end of the world. But as long
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: as you resigned like a Sweat and a Becton, yeah,
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: there was like a caveat to it, right, But I
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: did say, if you lose a Josh Sweat, you you know,
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: you have Bryce Huff coming back, you draft another defensive end.
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: Maybe you're solid there and you're you're definitely solid at tackles.
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: Williams could have walked. Can't believe that much money he got,
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: but yeah, God bless him. But in light of like
• 38:58
  Speaker 2: Sweat leaving and Huff being there and being able to
• 39:01
  Speaker 2: sign or draft a defensive vendor even picking one up
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: cheap on the market in a few days from now,
• 39:07
  Speaker 2: once everything the desk dust kind of settles, Bond probably
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: was the most important signing because Vic Fangio, as far
• 39:13
  Speaker 2: as I know, is still the defensive coordinator yep, and
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: he's one of the first coordinators that that position that
• 39:19
  Speaker 2: Bond plays is actually really important. Absolutely, And when to
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: Kobe Dean coming back too, I mean, now you're just
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: solid across the front seven, so solid, and I have
• 39:30
  Speaker 2: no doubt that even if Huff doesn't come back, and
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: I know, I'm pretty sure I said fuck the man
• 39:35
  Speaker 2: a couple times during this past Yes, warranted by the way, warranted.
• 39:40
  Speaker 2: He did nothing and he was complaining on Instagram or
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: just whatever. Come back next year.
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: And he was inactive during the Super Bowl too, So.
• 39:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, healthy as far as I know, couldn't even see
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: the field. So in light of all that, if if
• 39:54
  Speaker 2: somehow they bring back them back, they probably won't. Now
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: with the trade of Gardner Johnson for the kid from
• 40:00
  Speaker 2: the Texans are yeah, yeah, another reconstruction project for Stalin.
• 40:04
  Speaker 2: Probably he'll probably make ten million next year on the
• 40:06
  Speaker 2: free agent market, right when Stallin fixes him bond. It
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: was probably the most important signing in light of kind
• 40:15
  Speaker 2: of what happened around them. Yeah, and in light of
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: what they have coming back off injury and back off
• 40:20
  Speaker 2: of whatever the hell Bryce off was. Bryce Huff was on.
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Look they lose Josh Sweat, He's heading
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: to the Cardinals. Milton Williams received the biggest free agent
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: contracts so far in the NFL, freaking on hundred million
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: dollars unbelievable up to the Patriots. Darius lay is now
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: with the Pittsburgh Steelers and CJ. Gardner Johnson in that
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: trade with the Texans and the Eagles end up getting
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: a right guard and one of the worst in the league.
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: I think he was ranked like fifty two out of
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: fifty three NFL guards up. My gosh, terrible, terrible stats.
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: But like you said, let's see what Jeff Stotland University
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: is going to be a to do. But even though
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: it seems like there are holes on this team, Howie
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: Roseman in this front office, they are not done by
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: any stretch of the imagination. Folks. Yes, of course we
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: have the NFL Draft coming up, but we have seen
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: Roseman time and time again make trades during training camp.
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: I mean we've seen moves being made even before training
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: camp starts. This front office is not done. And the
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: Eagles made their very first free agent pickup today, signing
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: AJ Dillon. He agreed to a deal with the Eagles.
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: He has not played since two twenty three. I mean,
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: in his five seasons, AJ Dillon has five hundred and
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: ninety seven carries for four hundred and twenty eight yards
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: and sixteen touchdowns as well as and this is an
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: important number, eighty six catches for seven hundred and sixty
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: three yards to receiving touchdowns. I say that because he
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: is excellent catching the ball out of the backfield. He
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: had a neck injury which has sidelined him for some time. Obviously,
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: medical staffs have said, yes, you are good to get
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: back onto the football field. I really like this signing.
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: I really do. Like I said, as we see this
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: offense and this this Eagles, you know, whether we're gonna
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: maybe get back to a Nick Sirianni based offense. Hopefully not.
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: Hopefully we don't see what we saw in twenty twenty
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: three with new offensive coordinator. I mean who was who
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: was promoted from within? You know, I think this Eagles
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: offense is going to lean on aj Dillon, you know,
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: if he's coming out of camp a very productive NFL
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: career thus far. I really like this signing. What were
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: your thoughts on it?
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: It's it's a it's a low, low cost, high ceiling, Yeah, signing.
• 42:58
  Speaker 2: At how he's kind of known for at this point.
• 43:01
  Speaker 2: You know, he's he's trived. He's in the past with
• 43:03
  Speaker 2: Devin White didn't work but I mean, but look at Bond,
• 43:06
  Speaker 2: you know, yeah, it's kind of a kind of the
• 43:09
  Speaker 2: same thing. And a J. Dillon though, actually has pedigree.
• 43:12
  Speaker 2: And if you look at you know, they also still
• 43:15
  Speaker 2: have will Shipley in house, like they have options and
• 43:18
  Speaker 2: as long as Barkley stays healthy, if Dylan can just
• 43:21
  Speaker 2: fill in and kind of be a spot running back,
• 43:24
  Speaker 2: especially coming out of the backfield to catch the ball,
• 43:26
  Speaker 2: not one of Barkley's greatest assets. So again, it costs
• 43:32
  Speaker 2: you nothing and huge upside like potential. And I think
• 43:37
  Speaker 2: for sure, you know, you talk about him being the
• 43:40
  Speaker 2: only he was kind of the only signing so far.
• 43:42
  Speaker 2: And I saw some Eagles fans on Twitter. You know,
• 43:45
  Speaker 2: you got to tell him like relax a little bit, Yeah,
• 43:48
  Speaker 2: exactly if you we just won the Super Bowl, Like.
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: It's like, can you give the front office the benefit
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: of the doubt a little bit?
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: And it's not like if you go back twenty years ago, Okay,
• 43:59
  Speaker 2: what do they do twenty years to go to win
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: the Super Bowl? Where are all the signings they did?
• 44:03
  Speaker 2: Like what did the GM do? It's like you just
• 44:04
  Speaker 2: have to go back a year and see what how
• 44:07
  Speaker 2: he did and all the little moves he made and
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: now he hit on more than he missed, which is
• 44:13
  Speaker 2: not doesn't how he's always happen, but he's willing to
• 44:17
  Speaker 2: take the shots. He'll take twelve ten to twelve shots
• 44:19
  Speaker 2: as opposed to four to five like some gms, because
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: and now he can really do it because he has
• 44:24
  Speaker 2: another trophy in his case. He's absolute like he's not
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: going anywhere for a long time, so he can kind
• 44:31
  Speaker 2: of do whatever he wants. And it's smart not to
• 44:34
  Speaker 2: be throwing throwing out of money. You got Cam Jurgons,
• 44:36
  Speaker 2: you got Jailing Carter coming up for extensions. You're gonna
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: have like one of the best centers and the best
• 44:42
  Speaker 2: defensive tackle contracts coming up. That's going to be expensive
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: as hell, right. You know, during the draft, he has
• 44:50
  Speaker 2: eight draft picks, he has four fifth rounders in a first, second,
• 44:52
  Speaker 2: and third, fourth. You know he's going to be willing
• 44:54
  Speaker 2: and dealing during the draft, making making making trades. And
• 44:58
  Speaker 2: then once things start to die down and teams start
• 45:01
  Speaker 2: to have some injuries or you know, some of the
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: bottom feeder teams try to like try to move on
• 45:08
  Speaker 2: from more expensive players, that's when you're gonna start to
• 45:10
  Speaker 2: get like those low cost free agents that he likes
• 45:12
  Speaker 2: to go after during like after the draft and during
• 45:17
  Speaker 2: during pre season. So I'm not worried. I like the A. J.
• 45:21
  Speaker 2: Dillon signing again because it costs you nothing and it
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: might be a jackpot, it may not be, and it
• 45:26
  Speaker 2: doesn't matter. And draft, you can draft a running back
• 45:28
  Speaker 2: in the fifth round and have shippling that kid, or
• 45:30
  Speaker 2: even get somebody in preseason. So again, the Bond signing
• 45:35
  Speaker 2: and getting Dylan or the Bond signing was the biggest
• 45:38
  Speaker 2: deal out of all of it. I'm hoping Becton might
• 45:42
  Speaker 2: come back on a cheap deal because he still isn't signed.
• 45:45
  Speaker 2: I think teams might still be scared off of him,
• 45:48
  Speaker 2: like he was such a mess for the Jets. He
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: had one good season with the Eagles. I mean I
• 45:53
  Speaker 2: watched I watched his highlights from this year with Brian Baldinger,
• 45:56
  Speaker 2: and I was like, he was actually really damn good.
• 45:59
  Speaker 2: Somebody will I hope, but if you if he wants
• 46:03
  Speaker 2: to come back, totally fine with it, because God knows
• 46:05
  Speaker 2: what happened will happen with his kid from the Texans,
• 46:08
  Speaker 2: because like you said, he was the fifty fourth best
• 46:11
  Speaker 2: guard out of fifty three guards, or something. He was like,
• 46:14
  Speaker 2: actually worse than everybody else. So yeah, I and it's
• 46:17
  Speaker 2: the only the only, the only thing I didn't like.
• 46:21
  Speaker 2: I can't say I don't like. I like having a
• 46:24
  Speaker 2: guy like Gardner Johnson on the roster just because he's
• 46:27
  Speaker 2: such a dick, and I like guys like that on
• 46:31
  Speaker 2: your roster. And and listen, I think Mitchell and de
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: June and Cooper Dejean prove it can kind of have
• 46:38
  Speaker 2: like Mitchell more than more than digit Oh yeah, Mitchell
• 46:42
  Speaker 2: had a couple of games where it was like, oh,
• 46:43
  Speaker 2: this dude will throw down. Okay, he's quiet, he's not
• 46:46
  Speaker 2: as loud, he's he's not covered in tats like Johnson,
• 46:48
  Speaker 2: a little scarier, but like he's he has that he
• 46:52
  Speaker 2: has that dog in him. I would just like to
• 46:55
  Speaker 2: if we could have kept him for a cheaper on
• 46:57
  Speaker 2: a cheap deal, just to have him on the roster
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: to make plays here and there, but also to kind
• 47:02
  Speaker 2: of be the balls of the defense at times, like
• 47:04
  Speaker 2: Jalen Carter is too. But they have those two just
• 47:08
  Speaker 2: absolute assholes.
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I get it those I mean I
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: get it. Why I get the trade. I mean they're
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: saving over eight million dollars next year on it. You
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: know they're gonna they're gonna need that for Jalen Carter.
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: They just are, and potentially Jordan Davis too. You know, look,
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: I mean, Jordan Davis isn't He's no Fletcher Cox, I'll
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: say that, but he is a damn good player for
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: this defense. The Eagles are gonna want to extend him too.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: So folks, you gotta keep perspective here. This is what
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: happens to Super Bowl teams. You know, they end up
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: losing guys. But I'm I'm gonna give this front office
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: the benefit of the doubt from here on out because
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: at the end of the day, even though they've lost
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius lay CJ Garner Johnson here
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: in this offseason so far, there's still one of the
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: top teams in the NFC. There's still one of the
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: top teams by far with the offensive talent that they
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: have come on. This is people need to the people
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: who are freaking out need to calm down a little bit.
• 48:05
  Speaker 2: It's the same team on offense.
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, there's really no difference except for the night guard position.
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: I mean, whether it's going to be Ken Young Green
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: or or Tyler Steen competing for that job.
• 48:18
  Speaker 2: Or you or you draft one in like the third round,
• 48:20
  Speaker 2: like it's the draft is heavy and defensive end, defensive
• 48:25
  Speaker 2: line or yeah, defensive end, offensive line. I think what's
• 48:28
  Speaker 2: the other like cornerback maybe, like yeah, there's there's lots
• 48:30
  Speaker 2: of and and and you got you. You have guys
• 48:34
  Speaker 2: in the wings too. We don't talk about you got
• 48:36
  Speaker 2: Sidney Brown, you have Klea, Kylie Ringo, Jelex Hunt. Like
• 48:39
  Speaker 2: I said will Shiple earlier. You have young guys that
• 48:41
  Speaker 2: aren't like from aren't from Georgia. Yeah, that could probably
• 48:44
  Speaker 2: contribute to they're just kind of sitting there waiting and
• 48:46
  Speaker 2: they're cheap. Yeah. So my only reason for the Gardner
• 48:49
  Speaker 2: Johnson thing is I just like having a dick on
• 48:50
  Speaker 2: the team. But I understand the eight million dollars because
• 48:54
  Speaker 2: you can spread that around somewhere else and bring back
• 48:56
  Speaker 2: pretty much the same team that just won the Super
• 48:58
  Speaker 2: Bowl a month ago. Yep.
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: Right, Well, uh, I think it's time to get to
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: our interview with Ed Kratz. Are you going to be
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: diving into this Eagles team a bit more? Eric? Have
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: anything else, buddy? Before you hit out?
• 49:10
  Speaker 2: I think I mean, I I think we're every every
• 49:13
  Speaker 2: time I did the show, we should do six ers
• 49:15
  Speaker 2: watch Tank watch.
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: I like it. Yes, we try to.
• 49:18
  Speaker 2: Give our great let's give our grade. We should give
• 49:20
  Speaker 2: our grades on the tank itself into like a couple
• 49:24
  Speaker 2: of let's give a little wards, a couple of wards
• 49:26
  Speaker 2: out to like certain players.
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: Oh, I like where this is going. Yes, oh, this
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: is going to be great.
• 49:32
  Speaker 2: Because this this is I I'm looking at the stats
• 49:35
  Speaker 2: further right now, it's just Andre Drummond. I think I
• 49:40
  Speaker 2: think Andre Drummond was told listen, pal, we don't want
• 49:43
  Speaker 2: you to rebound or play defense exactly. We'll we'll help
• 49:47
  Speaker 2: you out at the end of the year. We'll bring
• 49:48
  Speaker 2: it back next year. He had twenty five minutes. He
• 49:51
  Speaker 2: had four point six rebounds to assist.
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: Jesus one assist, one assist, not to exist.
• 49:58
  Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, a minus twenty five. He's just has no center. God,
• 50:04
  Speaker 2: I mean Yaka Purtle's okay, but like, yeah.
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: He's just Drummonds just standing out there like a mook.
• 50:09
  Speaker 2: He really is well in today's game, like you come
• 50:13
  Speaker 2: you in an actual basketball team, you would bring him
• 50:15
  Speaker 2: in for twenty minutes just to give and beat a
• 50:18
  Speaker 2: spell eighteen minutes and he gets rebounds. He's tough and everything,
• 50:22
  Speaker 2: but like a in a game where he's your starting
• 50:25
  Speaker 2: center in a in a version of basketball now it's
• 50:28
  Speaker 2: just all three pointers in fast breaks. Yeah, he's useless.
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, He's like, where's the ball? Where's the ball?
• 50:37
  Speaker 2: Just stand under the basket and throw it in after
• 50:40
  Speaker 2: the other team makes it so good, well, just and
• 50:41
  Speaker 2: just stay there. Don't even come down on offense.
• 50:43
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: I love the idea, the grading the tank, like giving
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: out grades to different play Oh I love this.
• 50:48
  Speaker 2: And maybe some awards here and there.
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. Nice all right, good deal, good deal,
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: good way to end this segment. We are going to
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: be head and to a break now to pay some bills.
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: We'll be back in just a bit, all right, We
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: are back, gonna be getting into some more Eagles talk
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: with our guests this week. It's what we're thrown down
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: on the table and now on the table. Joining us
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: this week from the Philadelphia Eagles on SI. You can
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: follow him on the Twitter slash x at kratz e.
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: He's been coming on the PSD podcast show now for
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: some time. Love talking to him about this Eagles team.
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: We've got the one and only egg Krats.
• 51:26
  Speaker 4: How you doing, Buddy, I'm doing good, Jeff, how you doing?
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: I'm doing all right?
• 51:30
  Speaker 4: Man.
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: We are in full swing when it comes to this
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: Eagles team. Howie Roseman in the front office getting some
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: stuff done, which we're certainly going to be getting into
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: during our discussion here, Ed, But I wanted to first
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: kind of go back a little bit because I'll be honest,
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: I'm still very much on a super Bowl high after
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: a month. I mean I think I'm gonna be on
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: a super Bowl high for months and months to come
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: because of what the game was. How it's just such
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: a special season that we all just witnessed. But I
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: really wanted to get into your experience at the Super Bowl.
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: I know that you were down in New Orleans and
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: it must have been just incredible in so many ways
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: getting a chance to cover this Eagle Super Bowl team,
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: and I really wanted to just again get your thoughts
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: on what covering the Super Bowl team was really like
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: during the run and can you describe what kind of
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: experience it was.
• 52:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah, boy, a lot to cover there. Obviously, the Eagles
• 52:27
  Speaker 4: won the Super Bowl, so yeah, we're on this big
• 52:29
  Speaker 4: high and it was it was cool to be a
• 52:31
  Speaker 4: part of. And you know, it was the fourth Eagles
• 52:33
  Speaker 4: Super Bowl I've covered. I was there in Jacksonville when
• 52:36
  Speaker 4: they lost. I was there in Minnesota when they won.
• 52:38
  Speaker 4: I was in Arizona when they lost, and then I
• 52:40
  Speaker 4: was in Louisiana when they won. So on two for two,
• 52:43
  Speaker 4: that's the best I can two and two. But this
• 52:48
  Speaker 4: experience was great. I mean, you could see all week
• 52:50
  Speaker 4: the Eagles had kind of a sense of business to them.
• 52:53
  Speaker 4: They had a sense of purpose. And then sure enough
• 52:56
  Speaker 4: you talk to the guys after the game and what
• 52:58
  Speaker 4: was a very cigar smoke filled locker room, which was awful.
• 53:02
  Speaker 4: I'm not a big cigar guy. I don't mean to
• 53:04
  Speaker 4: rip anybody, that is, but these guys with their bodies,
• 53:07
  Speaker 4: they treat them like temples. I don't understand how they
• 53:10
  Speaker 4: could be in this smoke choked locker room breathing all
• 53:13
  Speaker 4: that in. I had to step out of the locker
• 53:15
  Speaker 4: room a couple of times to breathe clean air, relatively air,
• 53:20
  Speaker 4: you know. But talking to them afterward, they all said,
• 53:22
  Speaker 4: you know, listen, we should really have three And I
• 53:25
  Speaker 4: think that, you know, going back to the lost to
• 53:27
  Speaker 4: Kansas City two years ago when they got called for
• 53:30
  Speaker 4: that penalty late, and I really think that's kind of
• 53:33
  Speaker 4: what drove the guys that were on that team that,
• 53:36
  Speaker 4: you know, hey, we should have won that game, you
• 53:37
  Speaker 4: know the way it was to and Jeffrey Lourie himself
• 53:39
  Speaker 4: even said they weren't happy with the way it was
• 53:42
  Speaker 4: taken away, which was his words. So you know, you
• 53:46
  Speaker 4: had this this this idea, you know, going to all
• 53:49
  Speaker 4: the media availabilities during the week. I was there for
• 53:51
  Speaker 4: the full week and you know, going to both availabilities
• 53:54
  Speaker 4: with the Chiefs and Eagles. And I'll say the Chiefs
• 53:56
  Speaker 4: are a very likable team, a lot of likable guys
• 53:58
  Speaker 4: on that team. But that being said, the Eagles really
• 54:02
  Speaker 4: wanted this game. They wanted to get revenge, yeah, for
• 54:05
  Speaker 4: what happened to them two years ago. And I kind
• 54:07
  Speaker 4: of think thought that they would win, but to win
• 54:10
  Speaker 4: by the way they did, to be up thirty one
• 54:12
  Speaker 4: nothing and then thirty seven to six, there's no way,
• 54:16
  Speaker 4: you know, I saw that happening. But it was a
• 54:18
  Speaker 4: fun experience. New Orleans is a fantastic city. If you
• 54:21
  Speaker 4: or anyone else out there listening has never been there,
• 54:24
  Speaker 4: I highly recommend it. Just a great time in the city,
• 54:28
  Speaker 4: and you know it won't be as crowded as it
• 54:31
  Speaker 4: was during the Super Bowl week when fans started filling
• 54:34
  Speaker 4: up the French Quarter, but you know, it's a great
• 54:36
  Speaker 4: place to go and eat that great food, great music.
• 54:40
  Speaker 4: The whole vibe in New Orleans is fantastic.
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: Well, it's great to get your take on that end.
• 54:44
  Speaker 1: And I would imagine that the media circus that it
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: is down there as well is probably like nothing you've
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: ever seen before either, probably getting pulled in so many
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: different ways.
• 54:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 54:53
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's just it really isn't made for play like
• 54:57
  Speaker 4: guys like me who cover the team every day and
• 55:00
  Speaker 4: so many of us, you know, there's probably more than
• 55:03
  Speaker 4: a dozen everyday Eagles beat writers insane with Kansas City.
• 55:07
  Speaker 4: It's not made really for us. It's made for all
• 55:09
  Speaker 4: these interlopers. I mean, they have journalists from so many
• 55:12
  Speaker 4: different countries so come in and ask these ridiculous questions.
• 55:17
  Speaker 4: But it's nice that you get to sit down at
• 55:19
  Speaker 4: a table with every Eagles player that you want, you know,
• 55:22
  Speaker 4: and kind of get some you know, one on one
• 55:24
  Speaker 4: time with them if you can, or ask them some questions.
• 55:27
  Speaker 4: But you know, when they're up on the risers and
• 55:29
  Speaker 4: they're surrounded by you know, reporters from all over the world.
• 55:31
  Speaker 4: It's it's tough, and you know, they ask questions that
• 55:34
  Speaker 4: aren't really germane to what you know, I would like
• 55:36
  Speaker 4: to know, right so, and you know, I've heard a
• 55:39
  Speaker 4: lot of people get sick. You know, the Eagles had
• 55:41
  Speaker 4: a little illness going around during the week, and you know,
• 55:44
  Speaker 4: one of the pr staff said to me, this should
• 55:46
  Speaker 4: be called the super spread or event because there's so
• 55:48
  Speaker 4: many germs that are floating around in here and people
• 55:51
  Speaker 4: get sick. And you know it's true. I mean, you
• 55:54
  Speaker 4: don't know where all these people come from have been
• 55:57
  Speaker 4: so yeah, you know, it's just one of the compatial
• 56:00
  Speaker 4: job hazards. I'm not complaining. I'm just stand that. You know,
• 56:03
  Speaker 4: this media inflow during Super Bowl Week is really off
• 56:07
  Speaker 4: the charts ridiculous.
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it is. Look, you know, like I said, we're
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: still riding this Super Bowl high, but we're also looking
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: towards this next season. We're looking towards what this team
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: is going to be doing during this offseason. Ed free
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: agency has started, you know, the legal tampering period at
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: least from when we're recording this, but I wanted to
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: get into a tweet that you recently sent out, which
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: I wholeheartedly agreed with in terms of your insight. You
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: tweeted out that free agency winners usually don't make for
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: winners on the field. It didn't make the Bears win
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: free agency, or you said, didn't make the Bears win
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: free agency last year that got them five and two
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: rec or five and twelve record buyer. Beware, the best
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: teams are built through the draft. Again, it's a sentiment
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: that I have embraced over all these years, and you
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: outlined it so nicely in that tweet. And then our
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: good friend of the pod, Jeff Kerr he quote tweeted
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: you by saying the top four spenders in free agency
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: all had losing records last season. Both excellent points here,
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: and I think most teams really do and and even
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: fan bases kind of lose sight of how important the
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: draft actually is building a young team. Building a team
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: is not done through free agency. So I'm wondering, can
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: you kind of elaborate on this a little bit more
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: and your philosophy on this from what you've seen from
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: this Eagles team.
• 57:26
  Speaker 4: Yeah, you're right, Jeff Kerr did kind of piggyback on
• 57:29
  Speaker 4: my tweet and he said, those four teams, I have
• 57:31
  Speaker 4: it here, the Titans, Falcons, Raiders, Bears. None of them
• 57:34
  Speaker 4: had a winning record. They were the top four spenders
• 57:37
  Speaker 4: in free agency last year. To me, free agency is
• 57:41
  Speaker 4: supposed to be about kind of spackling holes here and
• 57:44
  Speaker 4: there that you can't quite cover through the draft. That's
• 57:46
  Speaker 4: how they landed with mackay Beckton last year on the
• 57:49
  Speaker 4: day after the draft, Yeah, sign McKay Beckton, because they
• 57:52
  Speaker 4: went into the draft thing, all right, we're going to
• 57:54
  Speaker 4: get an offensive lineman that can help us, and they
• 57:56
  Speaker 4: really didn't. You know, they got Trevor Keegan, developmental kid
• 58:00
  Speaker 4: from Michigan. Dylan McMahon late round pick who's already off
• 58:02
  Speaker 4: the team, was claimed by the Rams and is with them.
• 58:05
  Speaker 4: But they didn't really weren't happy with how they addressed it.
• 58:09
  Speaker 4: So you know, they went out and they got McKay
• 58:10
  Speaker 4: Beckton to fill a need. That's kind of what it's
• 58:13
  Speaker 4: designed for, is for putting into play some pieces out there.
• 58:17
  Speaker 4: It's not meant to build your roster. It's not meant
• 58:19
  Speaker 4: to spend two hundred million dollars in free agency which
• 58:23
  Speaker 4: I think the Patriots have spent two hundred million in
• 58:26
  Speaker 4: free agency and they handed a lot of that to
• 58:28
  Speaker 4: Milton Williams, the Eagles defensive tackle. So it's not what
• 58:32
  Speaker 4: it's designed for. You have to really do well in
• 58:35
  Speaker 4: the draft and and Roseman has done that. And that's
• 58:38
  Speaker 4: now why we're seeing him not really being you know,
• 58:41
  Speaker 4: overly you know, aggressive in the free agent market. He's
• 58:45
  Speaker 4: made a couple of trades, including the big one CJ.
• 58:48
  Speaker 4: Gordner Johnson. I'm sure we'll tell that out, yeah, but
• 58:50
  Speaker 4: you know, but this is why, because he has these
• 58:53
  Speaker 4: players that are going to need to get paid. Jalen Carter,
• 58:55
  Speaker 4: you know, eventually we'll need paid, Nolan Smith, maybe Camp Jurgens.
• 58:59
  Speaker 4: He's come up, Jordan Davis. What are they going to
• 59:02
  Speaker 4: do with him? You know, they have to make a
• 59:04
  Speaker 4: decision in May if they're going to pick up his
• 59:06
  Speaker 4: fifth year option at maybe eleven twelve million dollars a year. So,
• 59:09
  Speaker 4: you know, he's done such a good job in the draft,
• 59:12
  Speaker 4: and now that bill's going to come doue, So you
• 59:13
  Speaker 4: have to make sure you're budgeted properly for when that
• 59:16
  Speaker 4: bill comes to and you can't go spending on Willy
• 59:18
  Speaker 4: nilly in the free agent market, and they really don't
• 59:22
  Speaker 4: have a lot of holes, to be honest, to go
• 59:24
  Speaker 4: out and say, hey, we need to fill this hole,
• 59:26
  Speaker 4: because there's just not a I can't think of anyone
• 59:29
  Speaker 4: or any hole right now on this team. So that's
• 59:31
  Speaker 4: kind of what we're seeing here in free agency. It's
• 59:33
  Speaker 4: been a whirlwind for sure. Yeah, we may miss some
• 59:36
  Speaker 4: moves in the recording of this and apologize if we do,
• 59:39
  Speaker 4: but that's how quickly things move. But Howie is kind
• 59:43
  Speaker 4: of probably going to be a second wave person in
• 59:47
  Speaker 4: this whole process.
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's what Eagles fans. You got to keep that
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: in mind. How he's been doing it time and time
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: again over these past few seasons. You know, it's the
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: second even third waves. Even in training camp, he's making moves.
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: But ye, we got to get into the big trade
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: that just happened today as we're recording this. On March eleventh,
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: they traded CJ. Gardner Johnson to the Texans for for
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: a former first round pick in Kenyon Green, a guard
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: who has been what folks are saying, and it kind
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: of stands true, kind of a huge disappointment down in Houston.
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: So I looked at this trade from what I've seen
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: thus far, and again, this just happened a very short
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: time ago. On the surface, I'm looking at Green, who's
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: been graded as one of the worst NFL guards for
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: the past three years, and now they're losing a very
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: talented safety in CJ. Gardner Johnson. But and here's the
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: strong butt is that we should probably give this Eagles
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: coaching staff the benefit of the doubt, considering they've been
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: able to develop players very well over these past few seasons.
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: They have a success rate for sure. What are your
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: thoughts on this trade and really how it's going to
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: affect the offensive line and the defensive secondary in the future.
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, you know, the Eagles did a lot of
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 4: homework on Kenyon Green coming out of the draft in
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 4: twenty twenty two out of Texas, A and M. They
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 4: had him in for a top thirty visit, you know,
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 4: and that's usually a good indicator they really like a
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 4: prospect if they're doing that sort of homework. So Kenyon
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 4: Green was one of those thirty players that they brought
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 4: in and they talked to him at the combine. They
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 4: really really liked him, and I actually I've seen my
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 4: Saulmark drafts that year, thinking the Eagles were going to
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 4: take Kenyon Green. They didn't do it. They traded up
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 4: and they took Jordan Davis and then Green went two
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 4: picks later. Now he's been hurt with shoulder. He's got
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 4: some shoulder injury, so that's a bit of a concern.
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 4: He missed the twenty twenty three season with a shoulder injury.
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 4: He missed I think five games last year, so you know,
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 4: he hasn't been on the field as much as you
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 4: would like to see to develop. But they have Jeff Stoutlin.
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 4: You know, if this guy has any kind of talent,
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 4: if this guy, you know, possesses any sort of ability,
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 4: Jeff Stoutlin's going to dig deep and he's going to
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 4: get it out of him. And if he doesn't, well,
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 4: then see you later Kenyon Green. But right now, he's
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 4: just kind of a depth piece. He creates competition on
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 4: that offensive line, which is key. They like to create
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 4: competition at every position if they can. And then trading CJ.
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 4: Gardner Johnson creates a little bit more money for them
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 4: to keep their own players. It opens up a pathway
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 4: for Sidney Brown to start at safety. You know he
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 4: was a third round pick, red star player. The Eagles
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 4: loved the kid, had the bad luck with the torn
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 4: acl and you know, I know some other things that
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 4: he aren't public knowledge. I've talked to him off the
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 4: record about some things that happened, you know, to him
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 4: last year injury wise. So people might be down on
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 4: Sidney Brown, they might not think he's that good. But
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 4: I'll tell you right now, Sidney Brown can play, and
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 4: he's probably going to be the starter. Now, look, the
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 4: draft is still out there. I've seen Malachi Starks, another
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 4: Georgia player linked to them, possibly at number thirty two.
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 4: If they stay there and lewis seen as a guy
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 4: they brought in in January, another Georgia player who had
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 4: a very serious knee injury. That is the reason why
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 4: he's here. So if he can play, if he shows
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 4: he has that same talent level he had pre injury,
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 4: then maybe he plays a role. But there's still so
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 4: long between now and their first game right to figure
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 4: this out. But right now, to me, Sidney Brown's the
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 4: leader in the clubhouse. And you know CJ. Gardner Johnson,
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 4: great leader, a great energy guy. Should say, I don't
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 4: know how good of a leader he was, but great
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 4: energy guy. He was an acquired taste. His personality can
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 4: feel a little over the top. Not sure it always
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 4: played well in the locker room, but you know he
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 4: certainly there's no belittling what he did to help this
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 4: team win a championship.
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: Absolutely really quick with ken Young Green. I was actually
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: giving this some thought again after thinking about it more.
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: You know, you know, we should probably, like I said,
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 1: we should probably be giving the Eagles coaching staff the
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: benefit of the doubt. But there's another aspect of this
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: Eagles organization that we should really be thinking about and
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: talking about more. And they really didn't even get their
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: due in my opinion, with regard to this Super Bowl
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 1: run this past year, and it's the medical staff. I mean,
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: when I was down at the parade, I was seeing
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: the bust that the medical staff was on and somebody
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: was holding up a poster from the staff saying, twenty
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: out of the twenty one starters during Game one, we're
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: on the field to help win the Super Bowl. It
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: was something like that. I'm paraphrasing it. Yeah, Look, if
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: you know Kenyon Green has had these injuries with his shoulders,
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: we should be given the benefit of the doubt with
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: this Eagles medical train and training staff that they're going
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: to be able to keep these guys healthy through the
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: rigors of a season and the workouts, you know, whether
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: it's their nutrition programs that they're going through. Let's not
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: forget about the medical and training staff too. As Ken
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: Young Green's coming in absolutely.
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 4: I mean, look at Brandon Graham. You know he had
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 4: to tourn rips in late November and he was on
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 4: the field for the Super Bowl. Now you know, reports
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 4: are he retore it, but he knew that risk going in,
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 4: but the medical staff got him ready. You look at
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 4: a guy like Cam Jurgons who really struggled with a
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 4: back injury in the playoffs, and you had a procedure
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 4: done on his back, and that's a concern, by the way,
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 4: with Cam Jurgens, you never know with backs, they can
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 4: be very tricky. But they got him ready to play.
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 4: And then Landon Dickerson worked his way through a knee
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 4: injury after the season required surgery. Yet he was out
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 4: there every snap in the postseason, most snaps. I think
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 4: he missed the second half against the Commanders in the
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 4: NFC Championship game with a knee injury. Yeah, but you know,
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 4: these guys were inside that training room getting treatment. They
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 4: had a plan for them, and yeah, kudos to the
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 4: training staff for getting staff for getting them ready to go.
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely.
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 4: Well.
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: Look, you know, my co host and I we talked
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: about the Zach Bond signing that happened last week, and
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 1: I think just about all of Eagles Nation is incredibly
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: happy with that contract and having Zach Bond around for
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: the next few years. It was it was a very
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: it was a common sense approach, of course, and decision
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: to be made by the front office. But actually, yesterday
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: the team lost linebacker Orn Berks, Yes, a backup within
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: this Eagles linebacker room. But I'm looking at this because
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: Nikobe still nursing his season ending injury, and suddenly the
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: linebacker position and its depth might not actually be a
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: you know, quote strength for this Eagles defense coming into
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 1: this twenty twenty five season ed. So, will we be
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: seeing more of Jeremiah Trotter Junior on the field this season?
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on how they may address the
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: linebacker position, even from a depth perspective this offseason.
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah, Well, like I mentioned, with Sidney Brown possibly stepping
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 4: into that starter's job. I mean Jeremiah Trotter. They drafted
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 4: him in the fifth round. They're very high on Jeremiah
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 4: Trotter junior. And if na Kobe Dean cannot answer the
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 4: bell when the season begins with that Pteller Terry Head
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 4: on wild Card weekend against the Packers, then it will
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 4: probably be Trotter that starts opposite Zach Bahn. They still
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 4: have Ben Van Summer and who's out there. They really
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 4: like Benvan Summer and he had a knee injury. Saw
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 4: him at the Super Bowl. We seem to be you know,
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 4: in good, good health and moving around and you know
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 4: he would probably be ready to start the season as well.
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 4: So those are two guys right there that you know
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 4: could possibly be in the mix to bring depth. But
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 4: losing a guy, you need to find another guy. And
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 4: Warren Burkes was a true professional, that guy. Yeah, and
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 4: what he did in the playoffs, I'll be honest. When
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 4: they lost in the Kobe Dean in that first weekend
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 4: of the playoffs, I thought the Eagles were done. You know,
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 4: this is the heart and soul of the defense, you know, playmaker.
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 4: It's not going to go well and they're not going
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 4: to get to the Super Bowl. But Burke's really stepped in.
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 4: I think he had twenty five tackles in the playoffs,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 4: he had a sack, he had a you know, forced fumble,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 4: a fumble recovery. I mean, he was just he filled
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 4: the statuet for him and alleviated the concern of losing Dean.
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 4: So controt or do that. I think he can. And
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 4: again we're still talking about the draft, and maybe there's
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 4: someone in free agency, a low level signing they can
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 4: bring in to create competition. That's what it's all about,
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 4: is creating competition and you know, letting it be decided
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 4: during training camp who's who's the best man to keep
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 4: at that spot. So I like what they have in house.
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 4: I think they'll bring in more.
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: Well before where I let you go, buddy, I do
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: want to talk about the NFL Draft because it's going
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: to be here before we know it. Free agency is
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: coming and going here, but the Draft is going to
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: be here before we know it, and all the draft
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: analysis and prospect talk, all the evaluations that are going
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: to be done, a lot of us are going to
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: be talking about it following it. And there's a ton
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: of talent coming out of the college ranks that's going
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: to be in this draft here, and I would expect
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: the Eagles are going to be, you know, looking at depth,
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: you know, whether it's like you just said, for the
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: linebacker position, even defensive line, offensive line two maybe as
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: well as the secondary. So how should we be looking
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: at this Eagles draft during you know, this upcoming draft
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: season and what they may prioritize, you know, on day one,
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: two and three.
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, Jeff, it's just crazy that it feels
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 4: like the season just ended and it did a month ago.
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 4: It just shows you how long the season is and
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 4: now here we are, we're already in free agency. It's
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 4: only been a month and five guys have already left
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 4: the Eagles as of this recording, right, So, I mean,
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 4: it's just crazy that they really haven't had a chance
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 4: to kind of, you know, sit back and enjoy the
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 4: glow of a winning a championship. But now the draft
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 4: begins April twenty fourth, and yeah, of course the Eagles
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 4: are built through the trenches. That's what Howie Roseman likes. So, yeah,
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 4: defensive line is certainly, you know, a position that you
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 4: have to pay attention to if you're looking at the draft,
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 4: and it's a deep draft class for those defensive linemen, tackles,
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 4: edge rushers. Yeah, the Eagles will probably invest a pick
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 4: somewhere along the line, if not two picks at that position.
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 4: Maybe they go for an offensive tackle lane. Johnson's thirty
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 4: five years old. He said he wants to play at
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 4: least forty. I mean, listen, God bless him if he
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 4: can do it a long way between now and then.
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: He's had some injury issues over the years.
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 4: That's so maybe they go offensive tackle somewhere and then
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 4: another position to really watch his tight end. You know,
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 4: Dallas Goddard his whole contract situation. There's reports they might
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 4: try to trade him. But if you're looking to knock
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 4: Howie Roseman for something, maybe it's at that position. They've
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 4: only drafted one tight end since they took Dallas Goddard
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 4: seven years ago in the second round, and you know,
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 4: he's a guy that has done Roseman's done it. Through
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 4: free agency, they brought in Richard Rodgers a couple of times,
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 4: Jack Stole as an undrafted free agent. They had cj.
• 1:10:15
  Speaker 4: Ozoma last year as kind of a fill in guy.
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 4: They were trying to get EJ. Jenkins to learn how
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 4: to play the position a former receiver. So they have
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 4: not drafted only but one tight end since they took Goddard,
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 4: and that was Grant Calkatara in the sixth round of
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 4: the twenty twenty two draft. So that's a little surprising
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 4: that they haven't kind of recycled some draft picks into
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 4: that position. And now your back's up against the wall
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 4: with Goddard, He's entering his last year, big number, twelve
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 4: million dollars against the salary cap. So the draft could
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 4: certainly be an answer for them. But is anybody going
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 4: to come in and be as good as Dallas Goddard
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 4: if you were to move on from him. I don't
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 4: think so, unless you're taking Tyler Warren from Penn State
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 4: or Courtland Loveland that kid. Yeah, two top ten guys.
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 4: So maybe there's a guy like the kid from us LSU.
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 4: I'm drawing again.
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, forgetting off the top of my head too. I
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: know who you're talking about, though, yes.
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, So maybe him or maybe
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 4: Harold fann In, a Bowling Green product who was with
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 4: Scott Loff, or the Eagles new quarterbacks coach who was
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 4: the head coach at Bowling Green. Harold Fannon had a
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 4: tremendous year. Maybe they draft him, but I think tight
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 4: end is going to be a position where they're going
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 4: to lean maybe in the first two days with three
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 4: of their picks.
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: It's going to be interesting to see for sure. Again, folks,
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: Ed Kratz from Philadelphia Eagles on s I at Ed,
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry at Kratz e on the Twitter slash x buddy.
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: It was great talking to you. Thank you so much
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: for taking the time. Always great talking to you, and
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: I'd love to have you on the podcast again at
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: some point down the road.
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 4: Any sign, Jeff glad we can make it work as always.
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: And that's going to do it for us this week.
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 1: Make sure to share the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show
• 1:12:00
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• 1:12:02
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• 1:12:05
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• 1:12:09
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• 1:12:12
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• 1:12:15
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• 1:12:18
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• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: great week and we'll catch you next time