To on the move, Glan Deep Speed Wins Peas Dolls.
From the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield.
He's got my advands in the playoffs.
What is up, Dolph fans and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host, Travis Winfield. And on today's show, another edition of free agent Interviews. A pair of linebackers joined the show today, Anthony Walker Junior Jordan Brooks. They are both here, they are both glorious. They are both here to knock some heads on the football field.
Talk to both of those guys. We're also going to talk to members of the beat that covered those guys, Nathan Zigera in Cleveland and Michael Sean Dugger and Seattle plus analysis on their games. A heavy, heavy episode here of the Draft Time Podcast from the Baptist Health Studio inside the Baptist Hill Trading Complex.
This is.
The Drive Time Podcast.
New Dolphins linebacker kicking it off for us right here, Jordan Brooks joining us. Stay on in the podcast. New Dolphins linebacker Jordan Brooks. Jordan, welcome in man.
How you doing I'm doing great, man, I'm excited to be here. I haven't been here that long, but you know, it's been a good time for as long as I being already.
I heard you kill the Dolphins trivia and the previous content thing we do with you. Well, how do you know so much Dolphins trivia?
I just know a lot about football, man.
I grew up just like watching the NFL Network and they would play all the like the old Super Bowl games, all the old throwback games. So I kind of learned the history of there. And I'll go on YouTube's kids just looking up everything. So I think that's where it comes from.
Maybe a fan of our other podcasts or the Fish Tank. They do stories from the old players from the old Dolphins teams. Sometimes I can up your alley. So you make the jump from Seattle to South Florida. You're from Texas, You're used to the heat, but I'm also from the Northwest and coming down here the climate difference, man, it really hit me in the face. But you're getting off the plane in March that it was pretty nice this time you're downe here, isn't it.
Oh yeah, it's perfect.
You know, Like you said, I from Houston, So I'm gonna use to this kind of you know, humidity in the heat, and so it's familiar to me, but it's a lot different than how I was at Seattle.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
So you did something pretty remarkable last year coming off of a torn ACL in twenty twenty two and then played every game just nine months removed from that injury. I'm curious how did you do that and what did you learn from that process?
A lot of people asked me that question. I can give you the same answer. It wasn't me, honestly.
It was got to come back from that injury in less than seven months and play a full season with no problems at all.
I have to give credit to God for that one. That's my answer to it.
Honestly, it's really impressive because it used to that injury was a lot more significant than just as you said, seven months turnaround that it.
Took you there seven months, that's pretty impressive.
I remember last year we had alec Ingold here for his second year, his first year he was coming off in ACL and he had to go through the whole off season program, training camp in the Red Penny, and then last year chance to ditch the Red Penny of the medical Jersey and he was just so thrilled to be out there for a full camp.
Is that kind of the same for.
You this year?
Yeah, because I didn't have a full camp.
I came back like they ended training camp last year, and so to have a full camp, you know, getting ready for the season, it's definitely gonna be big for me.
So I know you mentioned you're a big fan of football in the league in general. New running may at the linebacker position. David Long came in here last year, had a great year for us. What do you know about his game and how excited you to play with David Long.
I've got a chance to see a couple of games and watch him play. I think he's a great linebacker. I actually used to think he was in West Virginia, so we came from the same conference in the Big Twelve. I would see some of his games he was there. I think he's always been a fantastic player. So I'm excited to get to play with at lead this team.
Him and Anthony Walker from new linebackers here, We've got three new linebackers. The last two years, all you guys been playing under a new defensive coordent er coach Anthony Weaver. His first year is DC here. Have you had a chance to meet coach yet? First impressions? How do you think you'll mesh with Anthony Weaver?
Yeah, I got a chance to talk to him on the phone. He surprised me because he had a Houston area code, so I was like, all right, I might like this, you know. And so you know, I know he comes from a great organization with the Ravens. They had a lot of success last year. So I'm excited to work with him and see what he brings scheme wise and coaching wise.
So I read an article about how you kind of took we're taking under the wing of Bobby Wagner up in Seattle, the great linebacker there for a long time, and when he left to go to the Rams a couple of years ago, you took over the defensive signal calling right, yes, in Seattle. So I'm curious what you learned from that experience and how that kind of helps a linebacker when you see the see the field that way you call the defense, how that just helps you be even more instinctive and play faster.
I think with the biggest area helped me surprisingly probably be endurance. I didn't realize how much in shape you had to be called a place and go out there and play full speed at the same time. It's a lot harder than it looks. But besides that, I think it helped the IQ of the game for me personally, just knowing what's going on. Because it's a mic linebacker, you got to know. You got to know everybody's job.
You got to know what a piece is fit, if we need to make adjustments during the play, you got to know those things.
And I think it forced me to grow as a player in my knowledge of the game.
What does your preparation like to take on that, especially for like a new Dolphins defense here, If that's something you're asked to do in Miami, I'm curious, what's your approach to getting yourself in that position with the defense is second nature? Not just for your role, but all the guys like you mentioned in front of you and behind you, just.
Really dialing, locking it in, paying attention to meetings, studying, creating a good routine of getting ready for that challenge.
I think all that goes into it.
So one thing that I've talked about on my podcast a lot this offseason is that all the teams that were in the conference championships this year seem to have those rangy linebackers that can drop into that hook though and take away those deep passing wines and play the run as well. I see that a lot in your game. I'm curious why you think it's so important to have so much range, like you have a linebacker position and a defense.
I mean, it's just a league that we're in. Got to be able to descend the past, you know, safe for instance, we're in some type of company. We we got to take over routes and you know the special routes. You know, linebacker's got to be able to carry those guys come across the ash and then also the next play line up and play the run.
And so I think you have to be versatile.
And like you said, you know a lot of those linebackers that made it deep into the playoffs, that's what they were capable of doing it.
So I think it's important.
You're looking forward to when Tyreek motions into the three and runs that vertical seam on you and you get that matchup in training camp.
Yeah, I'm looking forward looking now.
Look, I would say this, he is fast without a doubt, but I don't think I think people are us made. How fast I am? I really really, I really think I might be one of the fast guys in the league.
So hopefully I get to show you guys.
That's why I asked you stands on tape. Man, it really jumps off with tape and you watched the Seahawks last couple of years.
Absolutely kind of funny ending there.
But let's go ahead and pivot now to our next guest on the show, New Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Junior joining us now. New Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Junior, Anthony, welcome in.
How excited you to be here?
I'm excited, man, I'm thankful for the opportunity, you know, happy to be here with you guys, Happy to be in Miami, back at home, great opportunity to play, you know, for a historic franchise, and you know, obviously in my backyard where I grew up.
So yeah, you mentioned your backyard growing up here. I'm just curious that has to be I'm sure one of the main reasons you wanted to come play with Miami Dolphins, But is there anything else that was kind of behind that decision besides the homecoming.
I think the weather.
Yeah, since I was seventeen, I've been in the midwest
Chicago for school and then Indianapolis and then Cleveland. So at the chance to get it playing some warm weather again and be a be close to home obviously, you know, family can't travel all the time, so to be able to be closer to them and they can come see me play as my career is you know, you know, at the end of the day, it's I'm getting up there in age and getting up there in years, and you know, obviously want to you know, have this opportunity with my family.
Was a little bit of a culture shot going from South Florida to northwestern.
Oh yeah, definitely, you know, definitely got out of my comfort zone really quickly. You know, I had some great teammates s though, some great friends that I met that that really helped that transition. You know, was not ready for the snow for the first time when I got there, but got used to it. But yeah, it was it was a great experience for me.
That's how you brought Pops into the building. He's pretty fired up, imagine.
Yeah, no doubt obviously, like I said, just being close to home, literally growing up five minutes down the road.
My dad still lives there. He doesn't know, but I'm going to move back in with him.
But laundry done, you got home cook, That's right.
So but yeah, to have that opportunity, and obviously to have him share this moment with me, you know, the guy who really put the football in my hand when I was you know, two years old, and has been with me every stepping away, you know, on his on his journey playing football, you know, from every level, every you know, grade, everything, just you know, when you have that that that influence that your father can bring, you know,
and I know how rare that is. So for me to you know, share this moment with him is really special.
Very cool, Souff. I'm sure he's very very proud of you.
Let's go ahead and put me down talk some football here, because watching your tape, you're a great run defender.
You go downhill and smash them guys in the face.
And I was I was curious because you know, this league has kind of gone a little bit more towards the passing game in the last you know, decade plus, but it seems like maybe transitioning back a little bit more the pendulum swings a little bit more towards some run game these days. I'm curious from your perspective of someone that does, you know, banging those big gaps. How important is to be able to stop the run for a defense.
Yeah, when you make a team one dimensional, we always talk about that as a defense everywhere I've been. You make a team one dimensional and you get the pass rush going and you have dbs that can cover it makes it it makes it hard on an opposing team, you know. So that's always been something that I prided
myself on, especially being a Mike linebacker. You have to be able to really control that and you know, really you set the tone for the defense of stopping to run and making the team one dimensional.
So obviously that's what I look for. So, like you said, the game is transitioning all over.
You know, before it was the spread and it was you know, option to read option to all the Turrek Hill motions, you know. So you know, it's it's great to see the game evolve, but as defense, you have to evolve with it, and you have to be able to be versatile. Like as a linebacker, you know, you gotta be able to stop the run. But you also got to be able to cover drop zones, cover man and man. You know, you got to put yourself in, you know, some really uncomfortable positions to be an elite
linebacker in the NFL. And uh, you know that's a challenge that you know, a lot of guys are willing to take. That's why the linebacker position is so special.
It's the only one that you have to go forward, background, sideway. Yeah, it's all over the field. I'm sure you'll hear this at some point from coach McDaniel. He talks frequently about his first year in Washington with RG three and they've built this run game around RG three, a zone read concept they had never really instituted before previously, and they learned that and so off of that, this Dolphins run
game is so diverse and so complex. And I'm sure as a student of the game you've seen that from Afar. I'm curious what you think about Miami's run game and how that might kind of challenge you come training camp.
Yeah, a lot of versatility.
You know, you can line up in two one personnel, eleven personnel, ten personnel, but just change the picture for the defense.
You know, they do that really really well. And it's not more so just how they run the.
Ball, is the ways that they attack, the angles that they attack, the wy zone, the split zone, the tight zone, toss reverse. You know, we have playmakers like the Dolphins half, you know, and I'm happy to be on the team now because covering it.
I know when we were preparing for them, it was really really tough for the guys.
So you know, I think they do a good job marrying the run in the past, you know, making the same run action looks like you know, play action pass and then you hit you know, Tyreek Hill over the middle it's an adr touchdown. So just how you know, again the versatility of the of the offense, but also like how it just looks at all looks the same.
Got to have your eyes right right where guys are going. Yeah, So my next question for you was about your linebackers coach. And I was going to say, have you met him yet? But I just saw you meet him if that was just what just happened. But what's your first impressions here of coach Parry?
Just you know, you know, straight nose, you know, hard nose, you know, want to set the tempo for the team, and I think that's what all linebacker groups, you know, try to get accomplished.
But you know, he could tell he's a tempo setter.
You know, he's going to give it to you, you know, the right way and tell you how to, you know, help you become a better player. And that's the first impression that I have meet him in person for the first time obviously, but you know, he has a really nice handshake.
It's important.
Uh So, speaking of coaches, back to McDaniel a getting here real quick. So he's been very adamant in his time here about building the right type of locker room, getting the right type of players. I'm curious, from a two time captain yourself, why is it so important to have a great locker room.
Yeah, you know, that's the extension on the off the field, on the field, that's the extension of the football field the locker room. You know, how guys interact with one another, the little details of you know, sometimes it's going to dinner, you know, just the camaraderie, all that, all that plays a huge factor. And these are brothers. You go to war with these guys every day training camp, during the season.
It's a long season. You know, you spend more time with those guys you do your own family, so this becomes your family, and the closer those relationships are, the better it is.
On the field.
You know, you have you feel that you know that brotherhood that you know, I got my brother's back. And also, you know, we you start to you know, I know what he's going to do. You know I can cover up for him or whatever it is. You know, you build that in the locker room.
Yea, it proves that communication on the field, right, And that's kind of a big part of what you've been in the past with Cleveland and Indianapolis as a signal caller. And Jordan Brooks we hadn't here earlier this week, did the same thing in Seattle, and I asked him this question and he talked about how that helped him understand concepts and defense more. I'm curious same question to you. How did being a signal caller help you see the game better and play faster?
Yeah, well, you got to know what everybody's doing if you're going a signal call, So I had to pride myself on that. Been doing that pretty much is high school for real. But obviously when you get to the NFL. You know, you're you're a leader of men, So learning different techniques, different you know, leadership tactics, you know, for different guys.
You know.
But like I said, you have to know your job inside and out, but you have to know everybody else job inside and out as a signal caller.
And like you said, it helps concepts.
It helps you know understanding how the office can attack you, what you should be on the look out for, communication, all that stuff, you know, second and long, their tendency to do this. You know, let's all be on the same page as be ready to play the same thing. And you know, get eleven guys flying to the ball. I mean, that's a special site to see.
It sounds like you're gonna fit in pretty well here. These guys love ball, so it's like you love ball.
One more here for you here. So you're a Pace grad. Did you know that there's one other Pace grad to play for Miami Dolphins.
You just antribute to the room.
I'm gonna do to you here. It's it's you probably don't know it. It's it's cave On Webster. He was here a couple of years ago. He went to Pace as well.
So yeah, okay, well, okay, okay, the tough question. I didn't know you played with Dolphins.
I know you had a couple of stints with the Rams and you know Denver for a while, So yeah, I didn't know the Dolphins.
Yeah, good company. A lot of homecomings down here because so many, so much talent in South Florida. Anthony Walker, new Dolphins linebacker, appreciate your time today and thank you guys, Thank you so much anytime. Really really good stuff there from those two guys. Gosh, talk about smarts and intelligence and it shows up in the football and stinks as well. Right, let's go ahead and take our first break right there.
Come back on the other side due to analysis and welcome in a couple of guests talk about these guys in their careers and covering them. That's all next to Draftime Podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by AutoNation.
We've done some deep dives on the.
Tape here a little bit as these signings occurred earlier last week.
The days have kind of run together, guys.
We did for these interviews on Friday with the players, have four more today on Monday. When you heard this show, so plenty coming your way here with Dolphins free agent content, but I want to just go ahead, and after watching a little bit more tape on these guys and talking
about their game, I'm excited, man. And I had a chance to meet coach Joe Berry for the first time as well, and the vision at the linebacker position seems to kind of jive along with what they did in Green Bay with those guys, and really I think that that Green Bay influence and understanding what the offense is the attack them in practice every day. Matt Lafleur off the Kyle Shanahan tree, which is part of what Mike McDaniel came from, is this ability to get depth in
the passing game. And we know that David Long is kind of a little bit of everything, but his best trade probably his quicks in the running game and diagnosing pre snap what he sees and pulling that trigger and going and fit in the AB or C gap, making a play at or by behind the line of scrimmage. And he has those skills as a blitzer as well. And there's some coverage ability in that sense too. And now I think Miami has options on options when it
comes to sub packages because Anthony Walker. You know, three linebacker packages, strap it up, play downhill, and go make some big hits B gap to B gap.
He is a thumper. He is a Land and Roberts in that regard.
There's also some pass rush in there, probably not as much playing backwards in coverage.
That is part of what he talked about is his skill set.
But I think that when you look at the makeup of this linebacker room, I imagine that the depth and the just range that Jordan Brooks have that he can really kind of expand that middle portion of the defense, expand those hook drops and give Long and Walker more curl flat responsibility playing kind of wide to the sidelines, and give you better tackling on the perimeter in that
regard as well. So I think the way this all comes together, and man going back and watching Jordan Brooks's tape, like his ability to get that depth, his ability to really understand what he sees and coverage. There's a rap against the Cardinals last year where he runs that fifteen yard deep hook that we run to Tyreek at about eighteen yards because we can because he's the fastest player of the National Football League, and he just gets that
landmark faster than other guys do. The Cardinals ran that at fifteen yards and the way that Jordan Brook's able to get vertical up the stem on that play and then recognize that when he basically is in that passing lane that they're trying to replace where he vacated with an underneath hook throw and they throw that short hook. His ability to recognize that, but also the physical skills to change direction and go back downhill and make a stop on a a ball carrier running back four or
five yards down the field. Like that's taking away a lot from one player at one position in multiple areas of the field. And when you get that, what does that mean? What's the ripple effect? It just gives you more freedom for Alan Ramsey, for Kendall Fuller, for Javon holland all these ballhawks we have in the secondary. I think that their job gets so much easier because of
what you have at linebacker. And then you look at the defensive line group, which has been kind of replaced in the aggregate, right, they're trying to make these guys up for Christian Wilkins's role, with your Jonathan Harris, with your Benito Jones, with your Neville Gallimore, and that's what they did in Baltimore.
There was mid round draft picks, low like.
Tier three four, free agent signings, guys that played above their weight because of the system, because of the continuity of all those guys together. I think you're seeing the way this defense comes together a lot like that Baltimore defense. And what is a big staple of that if not physical, bruising, tough linebackers that make you earn every single inch. And we have that here, plus the multiplicity and versatility to
help in coverage, to help us blitzers. I'm a big, big fan of this remade linebacker room with a great linebacker coach and Joe Berry.
Let's get going, baby.
Let's go ahead now, and welcome to my next guest of the podcast here from the Athletic up in my old stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest from Seattle. Michael Sean Dugger joining us here to talk about new Dolphins linebacker Jordan Brooks. Joining me today on the podcast from the Athletic Michael Sean Dugar. Mike, thank you so much for your time today, man, I really appreciate it.
Thank you for having me.
So we're here to talk about new Dolphins linebacker ex Seahawks linebacker Jordan Brooks. And you've written some great pieces and some blurbs on him, and I want to start here because I think this happens all the time in the National Football League, and the general fan doesn't get a chance to see it the way you and I do, but the way that guys evolve and as players and as people. And we're often watching these young men grow
up before our own eyes. And one of the features you wrote that regard that included Jordan Brooks talked about him want to take on a bigger leadership role, being more animated on game day. I'm curious how you saw in your time in Seattle him evolve as a leader and communicator from year one year four.
Yeah, that's a good question.
Year one was a pretty difficult time for him. You know, it was the COVID years in that twenty twenty class, so everything's virtual. You don't really get a chance to truly bond with your teammates and your coaches, you know, six feet.
All that stuff, masks and everything. So there was that part he was behind Bobby Wagner and kJ Wright. You know, these are guys who've been on the program for a decade, the Super Bowl, Champs, Pro Bowl, All probe.
So there's that part he blows his knee, I think, you know, early in his rookie year. So rookie year was like, I don't know if he's ever said it, but I'm sure he was.
Just a blurb.
Probably he's trying to do so much it gets hurt. He's like in sub packages for a little bit, and he's kind of starting kind of.
So they bench kJ right and moved kJ to to like a Sam backer role. It was a very weird year.
And then twenty twenty one he looked far more settled in. You know, I think playing is playing next to Bob. It was just those two because they had kJ had got cut and he just looked real comfortable playing. Will got to use his speed. Seahawks had one of the best run defenses in the league. He got to show off some of the stuff that made him, you know, a first round pick. But he still didn't have to be like the guy, you know, because Bobby's there, Bobby's
All Pro, and you know, Bobby's Bobby in Seattle. But then twenty twenty two came and it was like, hey, man, they got rid of kJ and Bobby, so that was your time. Like, now, now's your time to shine. They got a new defensive coordinator. You're playing Mike. Now, you're the green dot now.
It was the first time he had done that in Seattle in twenty twenty two.
The guy next to you, Cody Barton, he ain't really played before, you know, so you got to bring him along too. It was just so much newness that he was kind of in charge of commanding, and it struggled a little bit at first, but it really.
Came around later in the year.
I would say, probably right before they're buy their Germany game, and kind of after that you could see it kind of coming together for Jordan getting comfortable calling the plays, being to my being the leader, you know, knowing when to say, like, hey, just a little nugget or two, like in the in the huddle, you know, just time and space or a situation, all these little things that you just pick up on when you're in year three at that point. But then he blows his knee again
and oh my goodness. But then last year you could tell.
He was the most comfortable he had he had ever been. You know he settled in.
Bobby was back, but Jordan wasn't you know, this young pup following Bobby, you know, and by then he's in year four and now he's just.
Like, you know, I'm mean, you know, I'm that guy.
I'm fast, I can hit, you know, I can I can make plays, and I'm right back at will, which I think weekside linebacker is a little bit more his speed, no put intended, I guess because he can use his speed.
Uh there, and yeah, they're being animated part. I think that popped up.
I think in week seven, I guess the Cardinals. I want to say it where you could just see he just wanted to almost just unleash himself that he can make plays.
You know.
But he's just a quiet guy.
I think you guys have already talked to him virtually like, yeah, he's or maybe a person I don't know, but he's he's a really reserved guy, pretty quiet, but man on the field, he's a beast.
Kind of seeing it. It took a little bit to kind of let that out, just ran down kind of how that went.
But yeah, now I think he should be on like you're five or something, so he should be you know, all the way you know, demonstrative I would imagine in Miami once it clicks.
Yeah, it's funny.
Man.
You mentioned that he actually was on the podcast right before your spot comes up here on the show, and once we got into like the nitty gritty football stuff, that was when he began to kind of light up and really, you know, give me some some very in depth, you know, football type of answers.
So that's definitely the way to his to his heart.
There.
You covered that very thoroughly, Mike. So I have one last question for you here. You know, we saw him.
You mentioned the ACL that he suffered just this, you know, two years ago and playing twenty twenty three, only seven or eight months off the ACL surgery he had. I'm curious about how coaches and teammates described the way he attacked that rehab process and what you learn about the person in those moments of diversity, right, Like, what did you learn about Jordan Brooks when he was coming back from all that stuff.
He's a cyborg man, It's just it's unreal to come.
So Jordan blew He blew his knee out on January New Year's Day, twenty twenty three.
I want to see. Yeah, And they had another guy, Brian Monet, defensive tackle.
He blew his knee out November or December fifteenth, twenty twenty two.
Monet still hasn't played, and he blew his knee.
Out like two weeks before Jordan, right, and still he had missed the whole year last year and State recently got cut. I don't know his status now, but kind of puts in perspective how fast Jordan came back. Like Jamal Adams blew his quadricep tendon on September like twelfth or something like that, twenty twenty two. Jamal missed that whole year. That was week one, and then he didn't come back till week four of this year. Jordan had
already been back for a month by then. And you know it's not a race necessarily, but I'm putting those other timelines in perspective. Why I call him this guy cyborg because he blew his knee out. Washington blow his knee out, and he just grinded, just grinded, grind and grinded, and he spent a lot of time I believe, in the Dallas area rehabbing.
Jamal Adams was with.
Him for a good part of that because again, they both got hurt and were away from the team, and they're both Texas guys, so they were training together and just kind of hearing them talk about how they lifted each other up and how they were like, you know, when one of them was having a bad day, the other one would peep it and just do whatever it took to bring him back to center, and then vice versa.
And the little competitions they had, you know, running the forties, cutting, you know, just trying to just get their knees.
Back to where they needed to be.
That was really cool because you know, I don't really know Jamal and Jordan both showed up in that COVID year twenty twenty, so I didn't really know how like tight or not tight they were, And it just sounds like they really got a lot more tight last offseason, threw a different maybe a different appreciation for each other. And then just the other guys who were healthy, you know, saw Jordan come back and they're like, Yo, this dude is different. Bobby would remind us pretty much unprompted all
the time. All Right, let's pretty clear here what Jordan just did is not normal, he came back, blew his knee out, it came back and didn't miss any games pretty much. He missed one game, like literally the week after he blew his knee, and then didn't miss any games after that. You know, it was just pretty remarkable, pretty remarkable stuff. You know, even seeing him getting through ankle injury towards the end of last year was was pretty impressive until it had to pull the plug on it.
But yeah, that's a tough dude. Teammates saw it.
You know, we saw it. I've seen it for four years. That's a pretty tough cat. It'll probably be the same way in Miami.
Really really good stuff. I appreciate that. That's Sean Michael sewn Dugger from the Athletic up in Seattle. Dolphins.
Got a good one here, Mike, Thank you so much for your time today. Man, really appreciate that.
Thanks for having me, and away he goes.
Really good stuff there from Michael Sewan.
Let's go ahead and take our last break right here, come back on the other side, and welcome in my guest today, my fourth guest, Nathan Zegura. He's the Browns color analyst for the radio and does Brown's daily radio coverage on Browns dot Com.
Nathan's coming up next after this Draft Time podcast.
Your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation, joining me today is the color analyst for the Browns Radio and the co host of Brown's Daily Nathan Segura.
Nathan, thank you for your time.
Today, man oh Man, my pleasure to be with you.
Very happy to talk about new Dolphins linebacker ex Brown, Anthony Walker, and Nathan. When you type in Anthony Walker Captain on Google, you find tons of articles about the importance of Walker to that Browns defense, which one of
the top defense in the NFL last year. For his leadership has impact all those intangibles, right, So I'm going to ask you if you can to do the impossible here and describe an intangible for us, just how important was Walker's presence to that defense and to that locker room.
Very I think in many ways he was kind of like the heart and soul and maybe even like the conscious of that defensive locker room. Because a Walk, you know, three years with the Browns and unfortunately twenty twenty two is off to an unbelievable start. Before he got hurt, suffered at devastating season ending injury against the Steelers. Was able to come back, believe it or not, against the Steelers the following year on Monday Night Football. But he was he was a glue guy. He was everybody loved
Ay Walk. Consummate leader, consummate professional, worked hard, great guy. You know, it had a He's been a very productive player in the league from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty one, average over one hundred tackles the season. No injuries have been a little bit of a problem the last couple of years. But a Walk was the guy that you know, everybody kind of looked up to, and he was the guy that was really that calming force, that steadying influence.
You know, thinking about him being next to a guy like Jeremiah usu Quorramoa. You know, a Walk along with linebacker coach Jason Tarbor, were instrumental in the development of j Oka became a pro bowler this past season and really one of the best off ball linebackers in the league. So great leader. I know when he left Indianapolis, Darius Leonard, it couldn't say enough good things about him at that time. He went by Darius Leonard, but yeah, just tremendous human.
He'll throw my guy around. Good to see my guy just always island infectious personality. One of honestly my favorite guys. Whenever I need to do an interview with him, it was always a joy. Yeah, I love ay. You guys got a very very good one there.
We love to hear it.
You mentioned the impact he had on j Ok Jeremiah Husa Korromoa, and that was common. Next question for you is about the impact on younger guys, because those veterans that have that stabling, you know, persona can really the stabilizing persona can be so impactful for a young team especially and the Dolphins, you know, they're not necessarily a young team, but there are young players on this team. Just curious about his impact on younger players. We can go a little bit further into that.
Yeah, I just think that he is one of those guys that leads by example. I mean, obviously he's not afraid to be a vocal leader either, but he just shows them how to be a consummate professional and what is important, how to maintain your body, how to approach meetings, the right questions to ask, getting everybody lined up on the field as the mic linebacker. He did that so
effectively for the Cleveland Browns. So he is he's a guy that you know, they can come to and he will give them counsel, the guy that they can socialize with, and he will kind of just help them navigate what it's like all of a sudden, you know, being in the league, being a millionaire in your young twenties. And then also just the way that he approaches his body,
his preparation, his work ethic, all of that is. You know, those are the things that when you see it and you say, Okay, a Walk's doing this, He's had this success.
That's how I want to be.
I'm not usually going to ask questions in these little additional interviews I do on the podcast six we have the guy on an analysis portion, but since I have a radio color analyst, I just want to ask you about the football. The All twenty two version of Anthony Walker when he straps it on, what do you get in the middle linebacker position.
Yeah, he's got he certainly as I said, you know, he had three one hundred tackle seasons, so he's a good tackler, very good against the run. In our time with the Browns certainly improved in his coverage drops. He can blitz very effectively if you need him in that, he can make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's very good with his run fits. And again, you know last year, coming off that injury, I think it took him a little while to maybe get back
the full speed. Now well over you're removed from that, I think that you're going to get the better two years almost you'll get the best version of Anthony Walker because he is a guy great body, can run sideline the sideline. But yeah, he is that consummate Mike linebacker. Not necessarily a thumper because he's not a huge guy, but he is very good at a sure tackler. And
like I said, it very much improved in Calverton. If they want to dial up blitzz with of Anthony Weaver, does another former brown coach if he wants to dial up some blitzes with a maywalk and do that as well.
Certainly part of the DNA of that former Ravens defense. He was a part of their under Anthony Weaver. And of course, like you mentioned there with Anthony Walker, one more question for you here because this is kind of
a theme I've noticed with Dolphins acquisitions. We have the media Good Guy Award that we hand out every single year, and I recently spoke to a Falcons reporter about John ou Smith and he said that John, who was right in the running for Man of the Year this year, the good Guy of the Year this year, and we had the most players get votes for that award this year than any other year in the history of that award.
I'm curious about Anthony Walker's dealing with the media, his good guy persona, if you will, if you could touch on that for us.
Yeah, no doubt. He is tremendous with the media. Like I said, every time you interview him, it will be an absolute pleasure. You know, He's one of the guys that is Walter Payton Man of the Year type of a guy, you know. So yeah, great guy certainly was as I said, and we would go to him a lot because he was always willing to talk and always gave good insights and it was a great interview. So yeah, he will be a joy for you guys. You guys
got like I said, you got a great one. One of my absolute favorite guys that we've had with the Cleveland Browns. So he uh, and he knows that that locker, that linebacker room with with he and Sioni Taki. Taki is now in New England. You know we had a j Okay, we had a lot of special guys in that room, and a Walk is you know, certainly right at the top of the list.
When I reached out to your producer Jason Gibbs, I could I could feel him lighting up for an email about talking about Anthony Walker.
Yeah, yeah, that was he.
That's why it's like for a walk Yeah, that's easy. Yeah, one where you have to even try to pretend anything.
He is.
He's the real deal, great player, great guy, and uh, definitely he'll be an asset to your organization. And Mike McDaniel and Anthony Weaver, they are smart men in their own right.
They know that we got the exact same vibe from him in the studio when you heard the podcasting interview about ten minutes ago earlier on this show, Brown's Color Analyst on the Radio, also Brown's Daily nathan' zegera, Nathan, thank you so much for your time today and enjoy the rest of your freegency frenzy.
It's it's getting crazy and crazy over here.
My man, No doubt you too. Man, Thanks for having me on Appreach.
It and away he goes.
Really good stuff on this podcast. Got to know these two linebackers really well. I think the Dolphins fans are going to be excited about what these two guys can do, both from a presence standpoint in the locker room and how they just make things around them better, but also
their production on the defensive side of the football. Been a pretty fun free agency class so far, right, remember the rule, don't freak out After the first couple of days, the Dolphins got busy late into the I guess the legal tampering period with the new league year was when things really kicked off for the mimy Dolphins. So just some patience, that's all we ask around here. All right,
good stuff there. We're going to keep doing these podcasts the next couple of weeks here, I believe Wednesday, the plans for the two Buffalo Bills X Buffalo Bills I should say, Saran Neil and Jordan Poyer with Sal Capaccio playing sidelin reporter for us on that one. You don't want to miss that podcast. I've had fun chats with all these guys. Man, you guys are gonna You're in for a treat here. These guys are the same theme continues,
really good people, really good football players. Makes for fun podcast. In the meantime, you all please be sure to subscribe, rate, review the show, all that fun stuff. Go ahead and follow me on social at Wingfield NFL and the team at Mimmy Dolphins.
Check out the fish Tank podcast with Seth and Jews.
Check out the team YouTube channel for the video version of these chats with these players. The podcast, of course extended versions of those interviews and more analysis and hearing from the opposing beat writers that covered these guys. But on YouTube you can check out my chat they're in full. In addition to the media availabilities, Dolphins a Day and so much more and last button, not least Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, fins Up Caroline Cameron Daddy going on