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Speaker 1: Hey, everyone. Jeff Risen coming at you for your daily DLP. Today's a little bit of a different one. Don't have the coffee cup this morning. I got the jug of water because it's later in the day. And it's later in the day because I'm interviewing somebody today, and it's somebody that you all know very well, the DLP's own, Russell Brown. Let's make let let me make us bigger, Russ. Russ, welcome to the Daily DLP. How you been, buddy?

Speaker 2: I am good, man. Thanks for having me. It's been a minute. I know a lot of people, probably been wondering where the hell I've been for the last two months, but I've been great. Just kinda living the college recruiting life through my kid here. So it's been, been busy, but been fun. But we're slowly getting back in the swing of things, Lions, NFL draft, all that stuff. So month of July will be a lot of prep work and those types of things, getting ready to roll for when we get into August and preseason action with the Lions. But we're we're doing well, man. How are you?

Speaker 1: I'm very good. I we were talking a little bit off air. You are where I was, like, three years ago with your son. Yeah. And, it it's fun process, man. I'm I I'm very excited for you and and all that you get to go through with it. It's it's a lot of work, and I would like, first off, I I will ask the question everyone. So Bishop Brown is coming back this year. Right?

Speaker 2: Yep. We, we were chatting the other day. We will, have an episode dropping next week, so we will be back in the swing of things. Obviously, we'll probably touch on some of the stuff that you and I will probably talk about today. But but we'll get back into the swing of things and and just have some fun like me and Scott always do. But, yeah, we will be back another year, another another fun time breaking down everything Detroit Lions.

Speaker 1: And we got a good team again. There's a lot of people that don't believe that. I believe it. I think you believe it too.

Speaker 2: I do believe it. I I do. I I love I love how we walked away with the draft. I love the two swings on the interior defensive line at the end. I I love the addition of Blake Miller. I think he's plug and play. I think he was maybe one of the more overlooked prospects in that draft. I mean, you talk pro ready, and you think back to, like, I think back to, like, the drafts of, like, Rashaun Slater and Peter Skoranski. And I know I'm bringing up two Northwestern dudes just at random, but, like, you go to some of those drafts and, like, they're boring offensive linemen, but guess what? They're ready to go. And that's what Blake Miller is for the lions, and, I have no doubt he'll be their starting right tackle. And I think the bigger question mark for the Lions is who's gonna be the the guy at left guard. Is it Krish Mahogany? Is it Miles Frasier? Is it Ben Barch? Is it somebody like, who's it gonna be? I think it's gonna be a really interesting competition, and I still think the cream will rise to the top between Mahogany and Frazier, but we'll we'll end up seeing. But I I I think we're we're we're very much better off than we were last year, and I think we are much better off than a lot of teams in the National Football League.

Speaker 1: You know, one of the things that I've said a lot this year, every team gets better in the off season, generally speaking. I think the Lions have gotten more better than any other NFC North team this off season. I think that's important.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. Absolutely. I mean, I I think, you know, I I think you obviously gotta keep the Packers and the Bears in the back of your mind. And I I say the Bears simply because of the young playmakers they have. I mean, Luther I I was huge on Luther Burton coming out of that draft and Yeah. I mean, he is That

Speaker 1: that that's that's a good football team. There's nothing wrong in saying that.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. Absolutely. And the same thing with, like, the Packers. Like, can Jordan Love take another step? Can Christian Watson stay healthy? What's going on with the Josh Jacobs stuff? Is that gonna be clear? Are they gonna be able to run the football? And if if so, I mean, where's that defense? Where's Parsons? But there's a lot of question marks for every single team. There's probably the biggest question mark for Detroit is just where we at in the secondary. Are we better with or without Terry and Arnold? Like, that's gonna be the big question going into this season. And, but I I'm with you. I think we are are far far better off than the competition within our division, and it's still gonna be a tight race. There's no doubt about it. Every game will matter, but, it should be the lions to to you know, it's third division to lose at this point, in my opinion.

Speaker 1: And and it feels like the the power rankings that are out now tend to reflect that too. The Lions are pretty much on top of just about all of them. There's a couple of bears here and there, but you don't really see since the Micah Parsons news came out where he's gonna miss at least the first four weeks and probably more, by his own choice, apparently, as well, people have really gone south on the Packers very quickly. And, I I actually think it's a little hasty, but at the same time, you know, we're replacing Terry on Arnold, who was CB two, maybe, not really irreplaceable. And they're trying to replace Aidan Hutchinson for all intents and purposes, and that's a much harder job to do.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. It is. And you still have you know, to me, I think they still have question marks along their offensive line. And, you know, is their secondary gonna be able to take another step? Like, things are are moving well with Jonathan Bollard and Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney, but, you know, are there gonna be liabilities and issues on the outside in the perimeter of their defense? You know, as we know, Jair Alexander is not coming back. There's you know, there are some marks there. So it'll be very interesting how they how they proceed and even with the I mean, we can get into the Vikings as well even though I I have this stupid background on behind me. But what a, I mean, what a just what a dumpster fire that is there at at the quarterback spot. I mean, there's just so many so many things that seem to be going south there on the outside that Yeah. Maybe it is good internally, but it doesn't seem like it from afar.

Speaker 1: I was talking with a friend of mine who covers the Texans, last weekend. We were talking about, like, who's the least improved team this year? And he said right right right off the bat, Minnesota. And he's like, Philadelphia isn't really better either, but Minnesota's they might actually be worse. I'm like, okay? And, like, he he's completely he is a Cowboys fan who covers the Texans. So Gotcha. Like, no no ties to, you know, anything NFC North. That that was his and I kind of agree with you, Cody.

Speaker 2: Yep. I would agree with him. I would definitely agree with him there. It's it's gonna be it's gonna be very interesting. I I can't wait. I I mean, I I can't believe we're we're pretty much here. I mean, another week or so, and and it's it's go time.

Speaker 1: I know. Yeah. So training camp comes up. I think it opens the July 25, which is not far from now. Alright. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Terry Ann Arnold. Little elephant coming from Alabama. You said something before we went on the air, and I want you to just sort of go off on that if you would. And I will give you the floor on that with because it it it it's an interesting thought, and I hadn't heard it framed that way. And I like the way that you framed it, so I want you to roll with it.

Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, so the the question that I proposed going into the show today was, are the lions better with Terryon Arnold or better without Terryon Arnold? And, I mean, I'm I'm not gonna sit here and pull up a bunch of data and analytics of what it looks like with him on or off the field. It was just more of like an organic conversation, and that question came up. So I'm not prepared to necessarily answer it with a bunch of data. But I can say just from a depth chart perspective that I think the Lions have enough depth in their secondary to stay afloat without Terryon Arnold. And I think you're better without him because now you don't have this distraction looming in the locker room. People are focused on Arnold's case and all that. Sure. They're gonna focus on it now from afar, but it's not in your in your four walls. It's not something that's taking away from your football team. Guys aren't going to the building thinking, oh, I gotta I gotta I'm I'm the locker mates with Terry and Arnold, and I gotta listen to him talk to his attorney on the phone.

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Speaker 2: You don't like, those things Yeah. Don't have to happen now. And you're opening the door for other guys and you can kinda see, did you swing and miss in 2024? Very clear you swung and missed with Terry on Arnold. That's more so his doing than I think you're doing. But Agreed. Now you get to find out what's going on with Ennis Rickshore. Is he a legit dude? Is he a guy that can stay healthy and contribute? If he's not, you kind of know where you stand. You know that you can move on from that guy after this season or that you don't have to give him a long term deal, whatever the case may be. You get to see what you invested your money in with DJ Reed coming off the hamstring injury. We know how that kinda ended last year, but he's got an opportunity to be the number one corner in that room. And rightfully so, he's getting paid similar to to be that guy. So I think there's still some good there and then you look at the other players. I mean, you have a a guy like Roger McCreary, Christian Isian. You drafted Keith Abney. I think Keith Abney has a much more important role than people are gonna give credit for as an outside corner, not a nickel. Everybody says he's a nickel and I and I get that. The size, the ability screams nickel. But for this season, he might have to play on the outside because the last two seasons, he played over 90% of the snaps at Arizona State on the perimeter. So that's a guy that shouldn't have an issue playing out there. There's gonna be times that he loses those battles, but oddly enough, I thought he was somewhat comparable to, like, a Jerry Jacobs. And I know that kinda fears some people but that could be a guy that kind of steps in and you you get a little bit out of him maybe in a two to three year window and and this is a really good corner class coming up so I think the reinforcements in the futures are are gonna be there and you just gotta make it work with what you have here. And, obviously, the other elephant in the room in the secondary is, you know, of course, Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph, but we we can get into that. But, yeah, that that's that's my take on the Terry and Arnold thing. I think corner, they're they're gonna be okay. I would like to see another body added, but, I I understand it's gonna be tough to do that.

Speaker 1: Yeah. And one of the things, you know, because we get barrage with this a lot and, you know, I I love getting the comments on the daily DLP, but some of them get repetitive after time. And one of the biggest ones is what cornerback can we go out and sign? And I have looked at the available list on, you know, and and, like, all the places look like. Ain't none of those guys better than than Rakusin. There isn't. Right. It's just not there, folks. You can take a a swing and a miss on somebody who might have had a big name four years ago and has had two knee surgeries since then, but that that that's where you're at. That's where the market is right now. Now that could change as we go forward and get close to the season, but I I'm I'm glad you brought up, the the the new guys. I'm a big Roger McCurry guy. I wanted them to sign him last year.

Speaker 2: Yeah.

Speaker 1: Didn't work out for him where he went. So that was the he wasn't a great fit for what they were asking to do. Some of it was that the team wasn't very good, and I think that weighed on him. He's he's always had that reputation of being a guy who, like, on a good team, he's gonna be really good. On a bad team, he might not be as engaged.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: So I I'm I'm comfortable with him in the slot. I think he's gonna be an upgrade there. Will we see Abney playing outside, that's what he brought up Christian Watson earlier. That's gonna be the type of player that that Abney is gonna struggle with, a big guy with speed because Abney is five nine, maybe. Maybe.

Speaker 2: Right. Right. No. Yeah. It's it's gonna create a lot of interesting matchups if he is on the perimeter, and I and I get that. Same thing with Justin Jefferson. But guess what? Yeah. That for for the fans out there, that's gonna happen if you had Terry and Arnold because he didn't do great in some of those matchups either. So, I I think it's worth the roll of the dice of a of a second rounder in Rake Straw, Keith Abney in the fifth round of this year, and just seeing what you have with other draft picks. And then you can kinda reassess the room in the off season. Do you go sign a big name? Do you trade for a big name? Do you go take do you double down again at corner next year in the draft in the first and second round? How does that look, of course? But I I think ultimately there's there's enough depth there and and I think probably the the bigger question marks now moving forward away from Karen Arnold is just, you know, what are we getting out of Kirby Joseph? When's Brian Branch coming back? And what's that safety room going to look like? Because I I I like the depth behind it. I don't mind Chuck Clark. If Dan Jackson's healthy, I've I was a fan of him coming out. So, fingers crossed there. And then I mentioned Christian, I think I'm saying it right, Christian Azean. That's that's a fine

Speaker 1: fit. He can play He and Avonte Maddox are the same guy. He's just younger.

Speaker 2: Yeah.

Speaker 1: And and Maddox is back too. So there's Yeah. And Maddox and and I've said this before. He had two really good games last year. Unfortunately, there was 17 games. But, hopefully, he hopefully, he can, you know, be a little bit more steady throughout the year. He did actually finish the season well. So I got I'm I'm with you. I don't think it's catastrophic losing Terry and Arnold. And it seems to me, and this is just my opinion, but based on social media and radio and everything, and I might be a little guilty of it too. It feels like the people who are crowing the loudest that the lions are doomed because they don't have Terry and Arnold were the same people who were like, Terry and Arnold's a freaking bum. Get him out of here. He's awful. Like, those hands don't go together, y'all.

Speaker 2: Yeah. And I and I will say this for fans. Like, don't go back to that draft and be like, oh, they took Terrion Arnold. They coulda had Cooper Dujean. They could guys, you can do that year over year in any draft. Like, they could have tried to get a deal up far enough to get Quinion Mitchell if they really wanted to. It just that's how the that's how the cards fell on draft night. There wasn't a defensive player taken until, like, the sixteenth pick when it was Latu, the first defensive player off the board, if I remember correctly. So Yep. It's it's not like there was all these corners going and the like, the Lions just went after the guy that was the consensus, essentially number one or number two guy depending on who you talk to that day. And there was no sure thing that Cooper Dujean was going to be in a corner in the NFL. There was a lot of thought that he was gonna be a nickel or a safety. And it sounds like he's moving to safety. And I get, well, the Lions need a safety.

Speaker 1: Just here.

Speaker 2: Yeah. But it's just like, you know, yeah, Lions need a safety this year, but drafting Cooper Dujean might not have necessarily been the better fit. Arnold just couldn't get out of his own way.

Speaker 1: Yeah. And it it he was a frustrating guy because I liked him a lot in the draft. Mhmm. I do like Nguyen better, but I did like Terryon. And I I love the fit as I did with and I've I've talked about this and people who watched the the episode earlier this week about Dennis Rakesh run now. I love the fit of the player in Detroit, and I thought the same was true with Terryon, but it didn't always translate. I do agree with Therion. The one of the last things he said to us since we left mini camp was that he felt like he was playing his best football last year right before he got hurt, and I agree with him. Mhmm. And if that guy comes back, I I do wish him well wherever he might wind up in the NFL. I don't think he's gonna play this year. If even if he's cleared, I think he's gonna get a massive suspension. Yeah. But, you know, I I don't I don't see the doom and gloom for the secondary, and I'm I'm glad you phrased it the way you did, Russell. Thanks for that.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. I'm with you. And I agree. I don't think he'll be back this year, and I think it'll be I mean, I I I would be surprised if he did sign with the team because if there were truly three or four or five or six teams, however many teams they were saying that he was talking to, if that was the case, when he hit waivers, they would have claimed him. And Yeah. That didn't happen. So, to me, that that says nobody is interested. Nope. That's why the Lions didn't trade them. They released them because they probably called 31 other teams and everybody said, not until this gets sorted out. And the Lions said, well, we're with you. We'll wait till it gets sorted out. And That's just that's the reality of the matter. People can try to twist it however they'd like, but I think that's the reality of of what we're living in. And I wish them all the best. I really do. I I hate seeing that for any player. And

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Speaker 2: Hate seeing the Lions give up on a guy like that because imagine if they would have done that with Jameson Williams. Imagine if they would have done that with some other guys in the past. But this is just one of those where there's so much uncertainty. And when one of your players has a million dollar bond on his end, I don't I mean, I can't fault the team there.

Speaker 1: Oh, god. People were talking like he won in that hearing from a like, Hayden he's on a million dollar bond. They didn't dismiss any like, he's still facing eight felony charges.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: Like, that's, yeah. You you you can't have that on your team. You just can't and and more to the point, if you're another team, can you imagine signing that? Now I'd say that knowing that the Browns did, in fact, trade for Deshaun Watson amidst all of everything. True. True. Hopefully, the league has learned from my hometown's mistakes.

Speaker 2: Hopefully. Hopefully. No guarantee, though.

Speaker 1: Oh, man. Let's talk let's talk about something a little bit happier with the Lions. Wide receivers, man. Holy crap. So people are starting fantasy drafts right now, and we're gonna have our fantasy thing up and running fairly soon here at at Detroit Lions podcast. But I'm seeing leagues where Saint is the first or second wide receiver taken, and Jameson is, like, on the on the snake side coming back at the end of that next time with the snake around. Like, that's an impressive one, two punch. My god.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. It it is, man. I I get asked it all the time, especially around, like, the July 4. I see, you know, a big group of buddies and things like that around the July 4 every year, and they're always talking my ear off about fantasy football as if I'm, like, some expert, which I'm not. I just watch more football than the average person. Same. It's a sick it's a sickness. It's a blessing and a curse, but, they ask me all the time, like, you know, fantasy advice. They're like, hey. I got the fifth pick. What would I what would what should what would you do? And I go, just draft Amador Saint Brown and move on. And, like, that's a safe pick every single time because he's always going to get his numbers. He's always gonna get the ball. He's always gonna be the third down guy, short yardage. It doesn't matter. You any down or distance, any alignment, he is going to win. And he is a phenomenal player that does not get to, in my opinion, the the bragging rights or the the shine that he should get year over year. And the same thing with Jameson Williams. Like, I I get it. Jamell is only gonna catch 60 passes a year. And I've said it many times on this podcast, on this on this, network. Jameson Williams is kind of turning into the modern Deshaun Jackson. Just getting a thousand yards, 60 catches, six touchdowns, seven touchdowns, something like that, but you can get some deep shots to him, design screens to him. It's a great one two punch. And then, obviously, we are seeing this emergence of Isaac Tesla. Like, he's becoming a little bit more in the media. He's a little bit more vocal, it looks like, at certain practices. He's making big catches a little bit more consistently. So it kinda feels as if that those three guys are going to really help the 11 personnel grouping that Drew Petzing would like to run. And then, of course, Tesla will come off the field when they go to twelve and thirteen personnel, but that's okay because you have Sam Laporta. You've got Brock Wright. You've got Tyler Conklin. That's a good tight end room. It's good receiver room. You obviously have Gibbs. I think there's a lot to be excited about when you watch the Lions' offense on paper, and then when we get going, good I I I I cannot wait to see the run game that Drew Petzing designs. I cannot wait for it.

Speaker 1: It's funny. We're talking about all the offensive assets and you're like, oh, yeah. That Jamir Gibbs guy. Like, yeah. You might be the number one pick in your fantasy league.

Speaker 2: Yeah. And and, you know, it's funny. ESPN dropped a, you know, 25 top 25 players from 25 and and younger, and Pune Sewell was, like, third, and Jameer Gibbs was ninth. I I don't normally fluff that power rankings and those types of things because I I get what the purpose is. But Gibbs to not be in the top five is a little crazy considering the impact that he's already had in Detroit and just as we talk fantasy football, what he does in that realm of things. So he's a he's a hell of a football player, and and we know he's gonna be heavily featured in this offense. And I I I just hope it's one of those situations where you have a reliable guy behind it with Pacheco where he's able to get some consistent carries and and take some of the pressure off of Gibbs. I know he's a superstar, but having that dynamic, that one, two punch that we've seen time and time again, that's what's made the lions so special, offensively, in my opinion, with their ability to run the football. So I hope they don't forget that.

Speaker 1: I hope not to. I just having the brain trust in of of Petzing and Kafka coming in together, I think it gives a a needed set of fresh eyes because last year felt a little stale. Even though they were wildly successful, it felt like they to use a Dan Campbell term, they left a lot of meat on the bone last year, and I think that they're gonna clean that bone a little bit better this year. Hopefully. Hopefully.

Speaker 2: Yeah. A 100%. I mean, obviously, the big question mark is like Sam Laporto. Where is he at health wise? It seems like things are trending in the right direction. If not, I don't think, I I don't think he would have been to the tight end you thing. I don't think he would be, in the building as much as he's been. So I think things are moving in a positive direction. Just let's hope it withstands and is able to be all season long that he's involved in this offense and and into this season because we we saw the difference in that offense when he was gone last year. I think I think there's not enough credit to what he's able to provide this offense in the run game and, obviously, in the pass game.

Speaker 1: Yeah. I wanna get into an area that I know you know very well. The middle of the field run defense, because that got porous last year, and that is not something that we expected. When you have Jack Campbell as an all pro middle linebacker, and, by the way, he deserved it, you don't you don't expect the team to fall off as much as they did in the run defense. Do you think they have enough and have done enough to shore up what what became a very big problem at the end of 2025?

Speaker 2: Yeah. I think so. I mean, obviously, it's not ideal losing a veteran guy like DJ Reader. I I know he didn't load the stat sheet, but he was pretty consistent with taking on multiple blocks at a time, withstanding his ground and holding his own, fighting pressure with pressure. But that's why you drafted Tylek Williams. Right? You knew that DJ Reader wasn't a long term fix. He was here short term. And you get a Lee McNeil back after a season of just rehabbing. And we've talked about this a lot. Like and you you were the one that brought this up to me was, like, Aidan Hutchinson, Ollie McNeil. These guys need to be people for a minute. They can't just do rehab and then jump into football. Like, rehab is its own thing. And when you're not comfortable moving and changing direction and showing your power and strength or even your speed off of a torn ACL or a broken leg or whatever the injury is in your lower body, you're gonna struggle at times. You're gonna play a little timid. You're gonna play out of position. And I think that's the case with Oli McNeil last year, and I'm convinced that he is he looks stronger from a body perspective. He looks like he's more toned. He looks like he's raring to go. So I think he can get back to being that guy. Ty Lake Williams has said he's playing faster. He's not overthinking as much. So if that's your one, two punch on the interior, I think there's enough behind it. Even if we don't know exactly what we're gonna get out of, like, a Levi Ozarike, or even like a MacKay Wingo. I know he was a healthy scratch at times. But I mentioned, you know, at the start of the show, there's there's two interior defensive linemen they took, Tyre West and Skyler Gil Howard. I'm a big SGH guy. I think Gil Howard can be a dude. There's a lot of potential there. He's gonna be minimal, you know, early in his career, but I think at some point later in the year, that might be a guy you turn to especially on passing downs and you're just you're letting him get after it. But with how quick he is, he's gonna be able to contribute in the run game because if he's getting one on one with guys, which probably is, if there's slide protection away from him towards, you know, Aidan Hutchinson, I think Gil Howard's gonna be in a in a really good position to succeed as a seventh round draft pick. And and I I I'm really excited to see, collectively what this group looks like from from the top all the way down to the bottom.

Speaker 1: Can't wait to get pads on because I was at mini camp, but it was it's not padded. It's very difficult to evaluate line play that way. I I'm excited. He I will say this. I had not seen him in person before. I'd I'd missed him at the command for whatever reason. He is taller than I thought he was or was led to believe that he was in person. I I don't know if maybe he wears, like, higher I I don't know. But Could be included. I was I I was expecting somebody who would be not not as not as much of a physical presence as as what I saw from him. So I'm I'm, you know, I was, like, here on him. No. I'm up here a little bit more. I'm physically Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2: And that was Gil Howard, you said?

Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah. He's explosive, man. I I the more, like, you watch his film I know he got injured, so I think that's why he probably went as late as he did. But when I turned on that film after they drafted him, I just was like, holy crap. This guy is awesome. And you you were the one that told me about him initially. You're like, this guy's legit, man.

Speaker 1: He wins on first step better than most guys that were in this draft who got drafted a lot earlier than him. Yes. His his thing is if he doesn't win on that first step, he's gotta not lose as badly as he does because there there are there are those moments on film too where, you know, if if the guard gets two hands on him, he's moving him out of the hole. And that's that that's one of the reasons why he fell in draft where he did, but that's that's one of the fun things we get get to. Russ, I will get you out of here on this one. This is a this is a freebie, but I was asked this on a radio show recently. Not not a Michigan based radio show either. The Lions have Jack Fox, Jake Bates, and my guy, who can happen. They don't have any camp competition at all. Is this a massive mistake on the part of the Lions for not having any competition for their specialists?

Speaker 2: It's a great question. I'm gonna say no just simply for the fact that the Lions know who their specialists are. These are an established group of guys. Now if something happens where something gets tweaked, then, of course, you bring in the competition. But I don't think you're doing yourself a disservice to see if you have a better kicker. I don't know if there's gonna be many kickers that are kicking it as far as Jake Bates. I don't know if there's many punters out there that are gonna place the ball as as efficiently and accurately as Jack Fox and certainly

Speaker 1: mini mini camp. Fox Fox was unreal. It was a display. Like, he was the most fun thing to watch in mini camp. Like, wow. Yeah. Oh my god. And when you look

Speaker 2: at the long snapper, like, I mean, Don Malbec was here for twenty years, collecting 1,000,000 a year for twenty years. And now he's part of the coaching staff, and Hatton's getting to work underneath him. Like, I think we're okay. And if they needed competition, I would trust the Lions would add competition because there if there's any team in the league that adds competition or more competent, it's the Lions. They they develop through competition, and that's why the best play and and I think, you know, if they needed competition, they'd have it in that room. But that's a great it's a odd question, but that's a fun, great question.

Speaker 1: I stared at my phone while I'm like, he's really asking me this question. Okay. Alright. Yeah. Whatever. Okay.

Speaker 2: That's an odd one. I've never been asked that before. I don't think. I've I've been asked some kicker questions and punter questions, like, who's the best kicker? Who's the best punter in the draft? But nothing about the competition side of things.

Speaker 1: Yeah. So let let's because it's summer scouting season, and I've been knee deep, like, this this past week, especially since I've been home the whole time. I've been watching a lot of stuff, and I will say, I'm not scouting any punters or kickers this year. Now when they when they get to the shrine and the senior bulls, I'll look at them, but I'm not going out of my way to break down because so many so many kickers that get drafted wind up sucking. And then you get the Jake Gates of the world who comes out of, you know, selling bricks in Suburban Houston, and he's fantastic. That's just it's just it's not worth the time.

Speaker 2: No. It's it's not. I I I'm trying to remember who it was that, it's it's a colleague of ours in the draft space, and they put out a draft guide. And they had kickers and punters in there, and I, like, sent them a message. I'm like, you're a sicko for having these in here. You're nuts.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Because not all these guys get drafted. And I don't he said he broke down their kicks and film, and I'm like, alright. Good for you, man. That I'll I'll stick to the other ones.

Speaker 1: I will cop to at the senior bowl. I will have my stopwatch on for hang time on punts. That and that I've been really I moved there. Since the first year I went there. Pat McAfee and Tom Morstead were the punters for the Senior Bowl that year, and they were both fantastic. And, like, there was a special teams coach, Dave DeCamillos from it was with the Chiefs at the time, who taught me, like, this is this is what you watch for a punter. See if they can direct it from side to side and measure hang time and and get if it's over four or five every time you got yourself an NFL punter. If that's four eight one time and four four another time, probably not. Like, just little stupid shit like that that you collect along the way. Alright. So That's crazy. Summer scouting. Are you are you getting into any summer scouting yet, or have you just been too busy with the boy?

Speaker 2: No. We've we've been getting after it a little bit. I'm not probably as further along as I would like to be, of course, but, it's it's been yeah. No. It's but it's been a it's been a good start so far. Watched a little bit of Caden Green from Missouri, Charlie Becker from Indiana, who I think is is maybe better than a lot of people wanna admit to. He's got the goods as a wide receiver. I'm a big believer in Wittweeks out of LSU. I like him quite a bit at linebackers coming from a broken, I believe it was fibula that he broke back in January. So, it'll be interesting to see how ready he is to start the season. I think he'll be good to go, but he's a fun player. And then, of course, I mean, just some of the guys at the top. Like, I watched a little bit of Dylan Stewart out of South Carolina. A lot of intrigue there with just the body type, but he's not always a consistent player and that kind of bothered me a little bit off the edge. And then Leonard Moore, of course, from Notre Dame is just a stud. He is a stud corner. He might be one of the five best players in this draft early on. Very good. Yeah. But I'll get to the Oh, go ahead.

Speaker 1: They got a hell of a safe they got a hell of a safety at Notre Dame and Tay Johnson too. I'll give a plug for him, just because my son played basketball with him at AAU for a year. And I know Tay Tay is Tay is gonna be a Tay should be gone before the Lions pick if everything goes to plan for both of them.

Speaker 2: Yeah. I've seen a little bit of him, and he's he's definitely stood out from just kind of afar watching Leonard Moore. He's making plays. I'm like, who who is who is this guy? Who is this number nine guy? Like, let me let me see more about this guy. So kinda cool that there's a connection there with you, knowing him a little bit. So that's pretty cool.

Speaker 1: I I always root for guys like that. Russ, thanks for joining the Daily DLP. We we could keep talking for hours and hours, and some people would probably watch. But most people are like, it's time to be done, guys. So we're gonna call it a show.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. Appreciate it. We'll, we'll we'll do more of these, of course, as the summer moves along as everybody knows, and and Bishop Brown will be back next week. So we're we're excited to get going again.

Speaker 1: Yay. Ross, thanks for joining me. And with that, we're gonna end the show with both of us together. Jeff Friston signing out. Be good to one another, everybody.