Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, present a buy seacake. You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters and writers that cover the NFL on a daily basis. The New Orleans Saints Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers.
Welcome to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, Amaron Summers. Today we are going to recap the NFL combine from a broader perspective. What players validated, the thoughts of them coming into the combine or maybe forced some new opinions the whole athletic testing versus what we've seen on film theory. There are a lot of things that were said, a lot of measurements that were taken, and a lot of opinions, of course that we're given. So we're going to bring
in Mark Ross from the NFL Network. He's spent over a decade working in front offices in the NFL, evaluating players, making decisions on and what players to draft and who can help an organization improve. I mean, he led the Giants to two Super Bowls while working for them. Mark, thank you so much for joining me on the New Orleans Saints Podcast. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that we were all in Indie watching the Combine. How were things for you out there?
Well, for me, it's amazing being on the network side because it's stress free and I'm not worried about running all night doing interviews and chasing players, and I can just you know, I meet with most a lot of the team's website and radios, and I can solve everybody's problems and don't have to worry about the consequences of if I'm wrong about what I'm saying.
Well, after it's all said and done, what were some of the storylines that stood out to you or some of the things that we saw with people's results when they performed, or stuff that was said at podiums.
Yeah, well, it's always that you know, who's going to shock, who's going to be the Combine superstar, And despite the years in years years of data that says, you know, the Combine really doesn't show a great indication of who will be great players, and we still get caught up and there's still this fascination with the Combine and the Combine Superstars and the fast forties, and for the most part,
there were those people again once again. So but overall I think, you know, I think different team that The big thing is that a lot of teams now are realizing that. And you know, even the better drafting teams like the Eagles and the Rams. The Rams don't even show up. The Eagles are very limited with sort of how many people they've sent to the combine and how
much time and resources they put into it. So I think this might have been the first year really that there's really a shift in Okay, we know this event is really an event, and it doesn't show a great indicator, and maybe this is the first big step of other teams maybe saying there's a more efficient and effective way to evaluate this process.
A lot of teams show up to be able to interview multiple players, and they get their little fifteen to twenty minute windows and they talk to a ton of different people and then they decide who they want to have on their official visits. And that's what we're starting to see trickle out as different teams that are inviting different people for private workouts at the facilities, or they're top picks people that they want to see more of.
When you look at the top, it's going to be the Titans with the number one if they keep it, which sounds like they will, you know, who do you think some of the first people off the board are going to be?
Yeah, so well, I think And here's the fascinating thing about drafting and building a team, and you know, let's just say the Titans.
Okay, let's say the options. The three options are.
I think cam Ward is by far and away the best quarterback, and Abdul Carter is the best and let's just throw Travis Hunter in there as well, you know,
an impact player. So let's say they're deciding between these three players, and of course in their draft room they're talking about that, but they could essentially draft Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter and they both could be Rookie of the Year, defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl players next year, and the Titans could still have three four wins and be picking at the number one spot next year. But if they take cam Ward and he is what Jaden Daniels was to the Commanders this year, with CJ.
Stroud was to the Texans last year, then you're talking about a playoff team and you're.
Set for life.
So you know, the notion of I know they've come out and said, well, we're going to take a Pro Bowl player, Like, Okay, that's all well and good, and you may hit on that player, but you still don't change your franchise. And all we have to do is look at who are the playoff teams this year? Who won the Super Bowl, who was in the Super Bowl, who was in the championship games? And they all have
one thing in common. They got those quarterbacks. And it's all great to draft really good players and you have to do that, but until you get your quarterback, it really doesn't matter. You have to get that. It's almost like going to the casino. And I'm not a gambler, but I've been to Vegas and casinos where they got those high roller rooms and you got to have twenty
grand to get in there. Well, you better have a big time franchise quarterback to get into the discussion of, hey, can we win the Super Bowl.
Okay, so the Rams didn't go to Indy, maybe because they were securing their Super Bowl champ right their quarterback of the future in Matthew Stafford. How did that change the veteran quarterback market and how things may move over the.
Yeah, so, yeah, I think a lot of teams really had that. You know, I thought it was odd. I thought it was odd when all of that came out about Matthew staff Anyway, I like this, this doesn't sound right, you know, you know, it had been one thing at the Rams, had someone that they had drafted and was
the air apparent to Matthew Stafford. But to all of a sudden, you know, after being a player two away from beating the Eagles, you know, in the in the playoff game, to say, okay, we're gonna just move on from Matthew like that, it didn't make a lot of sense, first of all. So and then of course teams get a little bit of hope. You know, there's always hope in the NFL. There's hope, and that hope of okay,
well maybe we can get Matthew Stafford. Then once that, you know, he was the first domino, he was the big fish. Okay, now that you had to reset to say, okay, now who's next, whether it's Sam Darnold, whether it's somehow in the draft. But you know, he really was the only one, in my view, on the market that in the right situation, could still make an impact. So I think a lot of teams who maybe had their eye on it are severely disappointed.
So now people have to turn to Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, a couple other names that are out there. And you mentioned the draft as well. Cam Ward he came away with what we're going to say, small hands. Is that how they dubbed him there when he got measured. How big of a factor do you think that is?
Yeah, well, there's always going to be, you know, the measurables and the concerns. But you know, unless you see we always always talked about this my draft meeting with my staff and coaches, like, is there something about the limitations that shows up on film that okay, small hands?
Okay, does he fumble with the ball? Does he you know, does he not throw it? Throw? Well?
You know, is there something about him having small hands that you saw that was a detriment to his play? And if not, then really it's a non factor. It should be, but of course it's great us in the media. We had to bring it up. We have to talk about Will Campbell, the offensive tackle from from LSU. The arms okay, the arm line, all right, is there something that you saw in film about the arm length?
Well, there no one in history.
Okay, great, uh, and we're really just talking about you know this much that much? Does that much make a difference of his play and what you saw, And there's always outliers, So you know, that's the interesting part about it is, I don't I didn't see anything with cam war to say, Okay, he's got you know, the hand size wasn't too big, So that's really what you have to dig in and look at.
Yeah it was Will Campbell. He measured thirty two and five eighths inches and they said that the standard no one has under thirty three. So to your point, yet does a very small difference.
It's incredible.
And I guarantee you if he goes to his pro day, his arm length will be different. There's going to be a different measurement for him. I guarantee you he'll be thirty three at his pro day, just because you have someone else. And if he goes and gets measured somewhere else, it'll be differ. There's it's not a measuring someone's arm.
For people that don't know, you know, they try to find the not in your shoulder and they go to the end of your hand, and it's not an exact science of measurement with these arm and hand lengths. Let's just let's say, well.
When you look at a different quarterback in Ohio States, Will Howard his performance at the combine, You know, he missed several throws, So how much does that change your perception of what he was able to do while at OSU.
Yeah. I think for Will he wasn't really a higher rated player anyway. You know, of course they won the national championship and the things he did there, but I don't think anybody watched Ohio State and said, oh my goodness, Will Howard is crushing it. You know, he's the guy, He's a top tier pick. So for him, it was more about at the combine that was maybe his chance to show I am better than what I showed on tape.
You know.
Unfortunately that didn't work out for him. But in a controlled setting, once he gets to Ohio State, I'm sure with his receivers and everything, he'll crush it. And those who feel as if Will Howard has a chance once he gets to Ohio State's pro day, that'll help him out.
Yeah, you brought up somebody that's been very popular in Travis Hunter a little bit ago and you mentioned him as a defensive player, So is that what side of the ball you're leaning on, because he's still trying to convince people he can play both.
Yeah, you know, when I watch him, I think the consensus would be more for him to be a corner. But when I evaluated him, I think he's a better receiver and with a lot more untapped potential at receiver and ability to make more impact as a receiver than as a corner. And just as I talked about the differences between cam Ward and at Bill Carter and Travis on the defensive side, on the offensive side, you know, as we saw, let's just go to the Super Bowl.
You know, just.
DeVante Smith play here. You know that boom you know, one player receiver can make. Of course, Cooper dejen had the pick, you know, for a touchdown, but that's rare. You know, those are rare occurrences. Whereas a receiver, if you're getting the ball in a receiver's hand, they have the potential to make impact plays almost every drive, whereas a corner can almost go through a whole game you not know he's there. So when I watch Travis, you
know his route running is phenomenal. The ball skills are incredible and tremendous, and I just think he has a lot more untapped potential and ability to make an impact on a consistent basis on the offensive side of the ball. I think it's going to be far fetched for him to do what he did at Colorado. The NFL is a man's game. I admire him for what he did at Colorado, playing so many snaps, but if he gets to the NFL, they will attack him relentlessly on both
sides of the ball, like they just will. He will not be able to hold up. And if he does, he'll be the greatest athlete.
Of all time.
So do you think that anybody will really allow him to do that and play both both ways?
Yeah?
I don't think so. And that's the that's the thing. They're not recruiting him. You know, this is not Travis Hunter coming out of high school and you're recruiting him and trying to convince him.
When you're in the.
NFL team, you just draft people, and uh, you know, Travis is not going to get drafted by a team and say I'm not going to play unless you play me both ways. He's going to do what the coaches want him to do, and in the interview process at the Combine and Free Cowmbine, they may tell him, yeah, Travis.
You get here, you know we want to play you both ways.
But once he gets there in training camp, somebody's going to stick him at a position and say you learn this, you get proficient at this, then we'll talk about those other both sides of the ball conversation.
He got some flak for some of the things that he said and his confidence and maybe came across as too cocky, But when you look at him and should our Sanders he I mean he has a camera crew follow him everywhere he goes. I mean that's going to be a big spotlight that's going to be on wherever
those players go because of what they came from. Because obviously Sanders' dad is so is that something that you take into consideration when you're talking about amongst the front office about drafting people.
Well, that's why you do the interviews, and that's why you talk, and that's why you.
Evaluate these players for what.
You see in them and not what other teams may say. Because look, Travis Hunter could have went through sixty interviews, seventy interviews eighty interviews this past week, and one person could have said something negative and that gets the attention, not the sixty nine other that say, oh, he's fantastic. It's the one negative that gets the attention. And who knows what the agenda is of that one person, who
knows where that person is coming from. I think there's been enough tape and video of have this and Shador talking and interviewing it.
You can.
You don't need to go to the combine and tell you it's just looking and google Travis Hunter or Shador Centers.
Interviews and you have enough.
You have enough evidence to form your own opinion, whether you're an NFL person or a regular person. So uh, I think those those guys handled themselves with class, especially both being I mean, it's such you know, the attention that they get, as you mentioned, it's just amazing. And all I've heard and all I've seen from those two is just handling themselves like professionals.
What did you make of Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond saying that he was going to run sub four two and him from four three four?
Yeah, that's just you know, he just should not have put that that target on his back like that, and he could have went and ran a four to four not said anything, and people would have been talking about, oh man, we really like Isaiah Bond and you know, he ran fast and he's interesting and for him to do that and I don't know, but I don't know if his if his speed coach was timing him and
tell him it was four two. But there's absolutely no way you go from that to what he ran and really come out with those comments, especially coming from Texas.
So he knows Xavier Worthy.
You know, it's not as if he's gone, you know, it was Texas in Alabama or Florida at the USC mean, he was at the school with the guy, so he obviously knows, like, I have no chance of being faster than Xavier Worthy, So you know, it was kind of a bizarre thing. And again getting back to Combine interviews and doing it for twenty years, and we had, you know, every night before a player would run like what are you gonna run themro I'm gonna run a four to four.
I want to run this, And the percentage of people that actually ran as fast as they said was about five percent. So I've heard that a lot of players promising a time and not living up to it.
That's fair. With the running backs, Ashton Genty has been getting obviously the most pub talked about the most, but players like UNC's running back a Mario and Hampton really did well at the Combine and became a name that started getting talked about. Do you think there might be a running back resurgence? Come in now with you know what Saquon Barkley was able to do this past year at the Eagles.
Well, this is in the off season, probably the most asked question, and there's not a resurgence.
It's a What happened last year really.
Was a culminator, culmination and an intersection of you had three, maybe four really outstanding running backs that got into situations that were completely ideal.
So you look at Sakwon Barkley, who was.
An amazing player and got with an amazing team, you know, after living in misery there in New York. Then you got Derrick Henry, who was always an instant Hall of Famer. Okay, let me go get get the Ravens and crush it. Josh Jacobs was already an outstanding player. Okay, hey, let me get with a really good Green Bay team and I played really well. So I think the notion of drafting a running back for him to go save your team,
or this resurgence, I don't think that's there. I think it's still teams even more so double down on Oh, if we're a really good team, Okay, now we can add this running back piece, a super talented running back.
To go with all these other talented players.
But if you're a bad team and you're drafting a running back too high, then you're still going to be a bad team with a running back being beat up. So I think if teams take this the right way with where running back's value is on your team, then that's the resurgence. But I think if if a team takes as genty in the top five and they're not a good team, I don't think we'll hear much from from Ashton or say he changed that team around.
But if he goes to a team let's say I don't know.
Who needs a running back now that's really really good, that would be the optimal situation.
So do you think that he could be a team's top pick just based on where they draft.
Yeah, you know, I gotta look through the draft board. I gotta But.
Yeah, you know, a team, a team that is a playoff team that doesn't have an impact running back and has other playmakers on offense.
That's that's the ideal fit for him.
A team without a quarterback, a team that's not very good, that is a bad fit for him, but he needs to get in a situation for him and that team. Then you take it to a whole other level of Wow, we have a really super talented running back with a really good team with a bunch of other playmakers. Now put him on that team and go like, you know, just let's just talk about Saquon. Is Saquon flipped again and goes to the Giants next year? He's not going to be the Saquon Barkley we saw this year.
So if that's different.
It's that simple. It's really that simple.
He's not going to go even though we saw the very best version of historic version of sain Kwon Barkley this year, if he if he's on the Giants next year, he will not.
He'll be that same guy that he was before he got to the Eagles.
So you're telling me that it was all Kellen Moore, right, Yeah?
Yeah? For Saints fans, absolutely, he unlocked it all. It wasn't Jalen Hurts or A. J.
Brown or Devonte Smith or Dallas Goddard the best line in football.
It was just Kellen Moore scheme of it all up. Yes, YEA love to hear that.
That's great. With everybody that's out there to be drafted this year, what position group has the most depth?
Well, I think the tight end group is amazing just kind of everybody I watched there and they're all they're all very different, you know, with with Warren and Loveland and and Fannin and and Arroyo. I mean they're they're all a little mix and match and different with what they do. But I think impact in a lot of ways. The corner group, I think is is out that's probably you know, the tight end, I think it's top heavy and you got a bunch of just six guys are
going to be instant starters and help. But that the corner group, man, I go twelve deep or something with I think guys that are really first round talents, instant starter talents. So if you're looking that way, you know O line is really solid there and you know the D line is good. I think there's a lot of developmental guys there, but some talents so but overall, I think number one is corner as far as top to bottom and then tight end as far as top heavy, really really good players.
Which NFL team do you think has the most potential to drastically improve next year?
Oh Man, drastically improved. Well again, I'll go back to Tennessee. They got the first pick, and I think if they take cam Ward and cam Ward is who I think he has the potential to be and what he has shown to be and developed into, they have the most I mean, that's it right there. I mean, and we've seen it the past two years again with Jaden Daniels last year and CJ. Shroud the year before. So that shows you you have that picking that high and you
have the chance. And those guys were the second pick, so you know, that's that shows you how fast things can turn for a team.
I appreciate it so much. Thank you for giving me some insight into the combine and the upcoming draft. And I also like your sentiments on our new head coach.
Yes, the thank you, my pleasure. All right.
The NFL Combine just continues to set the stage for the big event April twenty fourth. That is the first round of the NFL Draft in Green Bay this year. The twenty fifth will be the second and third round, and then April twenty sixth, the remainder of the draft rounds four through seven. We'll be there every step of the way, of course, so you can always keep up
with all of our free agency coverage. We're going to introduce these new coaches to you pretty soon as well, and anything else you need to know on New Orleans Saints dot com.
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Saints Podcast presented by seat Geek. Join us three times per week on New Orleans Saints dot com, the Saints Mobile app, or you can download the podcast on iTunes. We'll see you next time right here on the New Orleans Saints Podcast presented by Seat Geek.