This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Get a quote at FBHP dot com. Farm Bureau Health Plans celebrating seventy six years at providing Tennesseeans with high quality health coverage at an affordable rate With Amy Wells. I'm Mike Keith and we're joined in the Snickers Hot Seat today by the newest member of Titans Radio, Ramon Foster.
Welcome, thank you, Thank you both.
Welcome to the Snickers hot Seat.
I see them over my left shoulder. I was wondering where they were real, where they real? They are one percent real. If I want to grab one like Amy did last week.
I could, Yeah, you could?
You should?
I should.
I think that there should be more eating and less talking on this show show.
Yeah, that's your policy, that's my policy. But we want to talk to Ramone Foster because we're excited to have him as part of Titan's Radio.
Absolutely.
How has he done in his first three games on the sidelines. How would you grade him?
Oh?
Phenomenal.
It's an I mean this is not just me talking because he's sitting right here and he's a very big dude. Really truly, it's been fantastic to listen to. You seem like you've been doing this forever. And the insights that Ramon has are so interesting. He sees the game in a completely different way than I have ever seen the game, or then I would think a lot of people see the game. Just the things that you notice on the sidelines are so different than what I notice. And it's
really interesting to listen to. And your voice just fits in very well with the group, and that's a real thing.
That is a thing, huh, it fits.
I appreciate that because I knew there was a lot of pressure. Amy has held it down, and of course, following her up being a part of you guys's crew for so long, I was thinking than myself, don't mess this up. Please get Amy's approval, okay after game one, and a part of everything that I've done so far has been because our conversation we had was really good
before I took the sidelines for the first time. But you guys might keep you Coach mac Ratt, just everybody involved, Phil Noel, Brad, Everybody's just been a part have welcomed me in to make me feel that comfortable to where I could just do my thing on the sideline and see those things that you guys maybe up top don't see.
And it's been it's been a real cool experience so far.
So I appreciate you played eleven years for the Steelers, You're only four years removed from being an active player. How different is the sideline view as a quote unquote member of a radio team compared to being on the sideline age a player. U, It is slightly different, just because I have the opportunity to see everything.
Now.
The defense makes a mistake, I can see that more clearly now. The conversations between the coaches and the players on the sideline is something that you don't see because you're so locked in as a player. So getting an opportunity to always wonder what that was like and actually being able to do it now on the sideline is the reason why I'm so engaged. I have to tell myself sometimes talking to Philip in my ear, I gotta shut up because I'm calling out everything that you guys
already talking about because I'm so into the game. Because as a player, you was always told if you're not actually playing, watch what's going on at the field so that you can digest stuff, and so that you can communicate what the coach is something they may miss. So my first year in the NFL reserve role for the most part, so watching the right tackle and the left tackle at the same time. It was always something that was on my hit list and make sure that we
didn't miss anything. So now I'm being able to watch the flow of the game, an understanding glowing down and distant situations, whether they're probably more likely to throw the ball right here or looking at the way the stances of players are. I can tell when they're going to run the ball, I can tell when they're going to pass the and just being alert for that, especially in the matchup situation. I'm watching Deniko Autrey this past weekend and seeing the way the tackle said against him or
the way he set his feed up. I figured it was gonna end up being a pass for us and it was or third and one, and watching Deniko attack the line, the tight end split and split both of them for TfL like I enjoy watching the process of a play developing, which is why I want.
To lend my expertise to you guys.
One of the things that's so interesting to me is that five different people can watch a football game, and they all see completely different things, and it depends on the perspective that you're coming from. So I watch a lot of football with Mike Keith, obviously because we work so close together. And the way that you watch a play develop or the way that you watch a football game is very wide because you are used to calling
a game and so you see the whole field. When you watch with a former player, a lot of times you see that position and they are so locked in in the intricacies of how a certain position or a certain side of the ball plays. When you watch with a coach, you get more, not strategy, but you get almost more minutia when it comes to a specific play or like that broke down or this guy was supposed to go there, and they see in a very different way.
It's so fascinating to me, and it's one of the things about sports that I think is so cool and I think is kind of unique to football in that there's so much happening on a single play. There's so many things to digest. I just think that that's an incredible thing. And being able to have that on Titan's Radio, having the coach's perspective, the player's perspective and the overall perspective of what's happening in a game.
I mean, what more could you want?
And that's fascinating you say that, And I've always communicated with you guys where I'll be at on the field. I like to watch the team that i'm reviewing, the type from behind the offense.
Put me behind the offensive line.
That's my lane right there, so I can see this team go down the fence, because that's always how I played the game. If I'm watching the defense, I get behind the defense. That way, I can see the front line first, the linebackers make their plays, and if something happens on the back end with the secondary always my perspective. And you're right, Coach Mack watches it from an up top view and when he breaks it down, he'll see the entire field. I'm saying it by phase, front line,
secondary line, and then the back end. And it's always fascinating to see what I see first, as usually starts up front, and then I watch the linebackers make a play and then the safeties come down offensively. If it breaks down up front for the OL then I'm anno it immediately because that's where I start to work my way back and outside with that, you're one hundred percent correct,
is different watching the game from that perspective. Keith Bullock we had on recently and he watches it from the linebacker position first, to the D line to the secondary.
It is a different perspective that way.
Ramon Foster, the challenge, at least one challenge for the Titans in this camp has been trying to pull the offensive line together to make them a cohesive unit. In terms of how you do that, what are the intricate parts that have to go on and the things that you have seen as they have tried to develop that.
I would say this, and it's gonna sound weird saying, but failure you have to have some bad moments, and those bad moments it forces us to communicate what do I need to do to service you better?
What do you need to do to help me out better?
That's always going to play a part as far as developing a group. If it was all pieces and cream from the get go, guess what, we even have an opportunity to talk about any of them because everything is perfect and we know the game of football is too many moving pieces for it to ever be a perfect game, so that's where it would start. And then having those guys communicate on the sideline. Hey, in this situation, I saw this guy tip his hand, or I saw the linebacker say a word to him.
Anytime we hear this, let's do it.
It's always a small, finite things that really builds a team up. And the inner moving of players too, always plays a part in it. We've seen some reserved guys come in and these preseason games and of course a breakdown WI happened, and you say to yourself, well, this is why were more successful with this group as opposed to the second group that we had in because you see what works in those situations.
It is a beautiful process to watch five guys.
Work at one It's the only position on the field where five individuals have to be on the same page, discussing levels as far as protections, discussing run blocking, whether I'm going if I'm stronger going to my right as opposed to my left. Then knowing that I have to ask for help. Also, that's always a big part of offensive line play known as big dudes that are super tough, but you always ask for help because me talk to you about what I need helps us as a group
be better. I've seen the offensive lineman and I've been a part of a group all five of us are wrong as far as the play goes, but as far as the assignment and completing it with no sacks, one hundred percent right on it and you score and plays like that because from left to right, as long as you're on the same page, you're gonna be more right as far as the outcome of the play than that.
So in terms of developing the cohesion of say, who's going to be the starting five for the Tennessee Titans at the beginning of the regular.
Season, it was actually really good.
Per Ramon Foster that throughout the preseason we saw some different kind of phases of this offense developed. So in the first preseason game we saw them come out, they did and played what a series two series something like that. Yeah, and then they were done because it was a great opening drive to start the game. In week two they played for a an entire quarter because there was a lot of three and outs there in that first quarter. What you're saying is that something like that is really good.
That's the natural flow of the game right there.
Everybody, every offensive coordinator has a script, and that script is beautiful until you get punched in the mouth. In Minnesota, that crowd was loud. It was an on the road environment and doors, and it was a little hot. Even though it was indoors. You felt the heat presence of
it too. And also having noticed that it was gonna be Malik's game, so now they have an opportunity to hone in on the quarterback and that makes your jobs a little bit harder too, specifically because we had to figure out what Malik was gonna be capable of at the quarterback position. They made it their job early on to stop the run, which is why they had to go three and out and back on the field. Those types of situations are always good because not every game
is going to be perfect. You can't average, and they did later on in the game. You can't average ten yards of carry in the first quarter more times than not. Yes, absolutely no possible way that's going to be the case for an offensive line. The four teams who in preseason so seeing them go for a quarter and go to the sala and finally pick it up. They chipped at the rock until Tase got the big run and that right there.
Built that cohesion, that belief.
They look, even if it's not working early, let's just keep doing our job, and they did and finally had that big break with Tase.
Continue with Ramone Foster on the OTP momentarily after we remind you it's always game on with Duncan, So grab a coffee and kick off the action. Whether that's drinking a cup of coffee on your way to the game or grabbing one to go before watching the game at home, Duncan is always there to help you get your game on,
just like the pros. Like Ramone Foster, we need to be at our best come game time, which is why Duncan is the most important part of your game day ritual because it's always the best call for Football America runs on Duncan. Two part question Ramone Foster. As we continue about Aaron Brewer, it has been said by several people who know ball that he is a better center than he is guard. A. Do you believe that? And B, If so, why do I believe that?
Yes? I do.
Just size doesn't really matter a whole lot, but it's certain body frames and types that work better at certain positions.
I could play tackle in the NFL.
But I'm better off as a guard. Body type, fits it, arms, stize, all those things matter. I look at Aaron Brower and said this to Straits. As far as being the starting center in this league, most of them are are not really big. They hold between as far as been six ' two, six ' one all the way up to six four. I wouldn't put a six to sixth center in the game at all. I know there's one around the NFL. I wouldn't do that, just the.
Height difference of it.
You know.
As far as the quarterback seeing them and levers too, He's strong, he's quick, he moves well side to side. He can pull around trash is what we've said, not trash, but around the guard tackles and tight ends. We see him do those things, and he doesn't have to carry the blunt of having a one on one each and every play. Most times he lined up, he will have
a shade or he'll be uncovered. His biggest task that he's gonna get is having a linebacker trying to run through his face, or if they go a solid five down man and they'll have a man over him and two guys over both sent I mean both guards. That's his only adversity he's ever going.
To have to have.
And just he's smart. That always plays a part in the center probably has to be the second smartest guy on your team aside from the quarterback. He should know almost everything that the quarterback does except for the routes, potentially shelves, coverages, defenses, strong week seeing safety shift down. I know he's capable of doing those things because he's still here on this team and he's been around to know the system.
He may be one of the five best overall athletes on this team. Does that make a big difference in his success at that position he does?
On that taj run we speak about in Minnesota, if he isn't limber enough, athletic enough to cut off that big nose tackle, that play is dead. When I saw that, I pointed to people at my job in my morning show and said, without Aaron Brewer, this play is dead because that tackle is gonna h That d tackle was going to tackle him. He was strong enough to cut him off and quick enough to wall them off so that he could take that leaping run for the touchdown.
Those types of thing is what makes you great. Let's go to Kelsey and Philadelphia. He's a guy that we rave about because while he's great in space, and he's quick and he's tough, you have a guy just like that in Nashville and Aaron Brower and I say this, I'm cautiously optimistic about what he could be because all it takes is the way we get noticed offensive lineman is being good in space.
If Derek Tanninghill or.
Trailing or d Hop have a screen down the sideline and he's running up the sideline making blocks, that's where the conversation is. This guy's a stud, which we'll know that, but the rest of the world will see that, and that's when he starts to get in the conversation of Pro Bowl and top centers in the league. And that's
where you get noticed when you play a position like that. So, yes, Mike, his athletic ability is going to do nothing but great things for this team, considering, of course, staying healthy, sure, keeping his strength, and staying on top of his game.
Well, and he can do a backflip, Well.
That's what I'm talking about. I mean crazy, yeah, I mean they utilized him at one point in the backfield when he first got here. Because he he does have some unusual skills. Let me ask you about Peter Skeronsky. When the Titans took him at number eleven, the whole world said, massive win for the team. He's going to be here for however many years he's going to be. He has the potential to be a Pro Bowl type player. What you've seen so far of Skeroonsky, does he meet the hype?
You know?
The best thing about peters Kesky? Okay, we hadn't heard a word about him.
Yes, he does.
Mike to get around that question, Yes, he has to pedigree the smarts and the poets. I've watched him on the sideline. Nothing excites him, which is good. He doesn't seem like he's a deer in the headlights whenever he lines up, and he finishes and understand the game. Watching him and Andre dial at work with each other, you can tell communication has been at all time high.
But not just that, the confidence of it too.
He's going against somebody who's an All pro here in Nashville and Jeffrey Simmons. That is one, by far, one of the best tests any offensive lineman can have in this league is to battle him every day in practice in most days.
I like what I see out of the young guy.
The rookie is going to have a huge challenge in front of him, because if I was a d lineman, I try to run down his face, okay.
Just to test him, just to see what he's capable of.
But everything that I've seen so far in the preseason, they've tried that, and he's pushed back. And he is a name that you don't hear during our games, right, you don't mention him, and that's the best possible thing you can do. But this is also the case. His run blocking has been well and his pass pro too. They runffiently on left and right side of the ball because that interior that.
Broer, Bronskull and Peter.
They have held their own up the middle, and I would say the young fella is a big part of that.
You know, you touched on something that I was gonna mention, which is the Titans are done with training camp now they're getting into the flow of what a regular season is going to be like. And this team has come off of This offensive line has come off of weeks of going up against the Titans defense, and there's a lot of strong defensive linemen on that side of the ball. How beneficial is that to them for their preparation, especially
when you're developing that cohesion. You've got a lot of new faces and you're going up against some dudes on the defensive side of the ball.
And you're going to see some in Week one in New Orleans too. That is a very underrated defense.
It is very underrate.
They have outside Russias and guys up the middle that can get to the quarterbacks on top of some one of the best linebackers in the NFL too. But that's good though, Amy on the on the status of I know there was a lot of trash talking. I know they knew that they had to go push and fight
and get the most out of this bump. You got to think of it other than Aaron Brewer, everybody on this offensive line is new or have low experience here in Nashville on how they play, and I know the challenge was probably pushed out to them, Hey go make those guys tough and as far as from the defensive line, and they did. We heard early, of course, dilat versus are and key being a thing we Jeff and Peter
Skensky going at it. It's not an easy day with when when Brewer has to take on Tierra, you know all those things, and I feel like they've.
Answered the call.
As far as this training camp suggests, battle tested is one thing. In practice, we've seen some of their fruits of their labor in these preseason games. I'm confident that this group can be can be the reason this offense is successful.
Are they blocking things differently in the run game from what you've seen in the Tim Kelly offense so far than what you've seen them do in the past.
What I've seen from this group is this, and I'm not sure if many people have paid attention to it. Their double teams are solid. The way I've seen Daniel Bronskoll and Chris Hubbard engaged to move a guy to the second level, or watching Peter Skeronsky and Aaron Brewer block on the backside zone plate, I don't think we've paid enough attention to the way their combination blocks have been up front. It's funny because we always seen in the NFL, you're not blowing people off the line of scrimmage.
I've actually seen this group move the line. Coaches need one yard I've seen sometimes in the run game, these guys get a yard and a half, two yards, like the line of scrimmage moves forward, and I didn't want to believe it because I'm like, this can't be possible in the NFL. You don't move bodies like this. You don't move the line of scrimmage. That's been one consistent phase that I've watched this group that I hadn't seen in years passing. Maybe it's because Mike Amy those dudes
are trying to prove themselves. Think about the way this is set up. Sign Chris Hubbard early in the training camp. Andre Diller is going to prove it deal and essentially to be a starter. You got a rookie who's got a lot of pressure on him, a center with a lot of pressure on him on a franchise tame a franchise tag, and then you got Bronskoo coming from another team trying to prove himself too.
It's fit to where you put a.
T bone in the middle of a pack of dogs and say y'all better eat, and they seem to be catching up to eating and making other teams pay for it.
What's your concern that hangs out there. As you've seen this group now for over five weeks together.
It's always the first live game, the first two or three live games, wondering how you can protect the quarterback. We've seen them do it in a good fashion for the most part. Some leakage here there, but making sure that Ryan Tannehill stays up right. It's always going to be the biggest question for almost any offensive line, but specifically for this one. They hadn't gone an entire game with doing that. You always worry about until you see it.
And that's my only contingency when it comes down to this offensive line them seeing the stunts and games up front, that doesn't bother me. It is the finish of the play. If Ryan Tannehill wants to hold onto the ball or if he starts to scramble outside of the pocket, can you protect them long enough?
But you're confident from what you've seen that this offensive line, barring injury, is going to be better than last year's Titans offensive line.
Yes, I'll definitively say that I do think they'll be better.
And you know.
Why, it's because you have that five that's kind of gone into that fox stand together to say this is about. This offense lies on our shoulders as far as us being successful. You have the running backs, you have the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, you have the same quarterback chig with.
Expect to be so much better this year too, with some help.
It falls on their backs, but I'm a firm believer that they can get this job done.
More with Ramone Foster momentarily after, we remind you that seat geek is now the official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans. If you haven't heard the name yet, get used to it, because you'll be hearing it a lot more this season. Whether you're buying or selling tickets to Titans games or to any live event in Nashville, Seat geek is the place to do it. Seat Geek the new official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans.
So Titans fans, fans, well.
Done, Amy, Thank you, Ramone Foster. I guess we call it a bye week before Week one? What do teams get done during this week?
Small spurts of this week of the actual game plan Week one issues that have to be hashed out. Look at the tendensees that New Orleans had last year. See what's the bread and butter that they're going to go to. You get an extra jump on film study, which film.
Is always big for pros.
How can I watch those trench monsters that they have on the other side of the ball offensively? You probably go back and look at Las Vegas film, So see what Derek Carr is all about. What kind of pressures did he fall victim to? Having the ability to figure out what packages will they use as far as what
their offense could be. And it's really just breaking down the bread and butter and find the Tennessee's and getting as much of them as you possibly can this week before that pressure of week one open, it jumps on you.
How excited are you for Week one?
You don't understand. I got in retirement, was like I'm done, y'all. I don't want to do this football thing. And I find myself thanks to you guys being knee deep into paying attention to what the NFL is all about. And I am excited. I say all the time. We get four seasons throughout the year, right, summer, spring, fall, and winter football should be included in that became it's that fun and imagine how this city's gonna be when it's week one, love.
It and for you do you almost appreciate your career more now based on the fact that you're doing this job doing radio one one, OHO, four to five, joining us for Titans Radio, doing sidelines make it even more Say wow, I did that.
And you know what, I had that thought in Minnesota because I guess so many people on the sideline I need room. But then I had to realize there's a business outside of what I did that happens on the sidelines. And I'll even say this too, my pathway into which I got those eleven being undrafted, so I can appreciate the guys, you know, like an Aaron Brewer, I can appreciate all those guys that's fighting for roster spots right now,
Reggie Roberson's I get their struggle. I get what's happening, and I just try to view it from that standpoint, literally from the bottom of the bottom as an undrafted guy to being a start in his league for double digit years. Yeah, I get excited for the process of what this season is all about.
That's awesome.
He's pretty good, pretty good Pittsburgh week. I'm not sure what we're gonna do with it. He can't even go sorry, studying. He's not even gonna be allowed to go.
I you know what, I'm getting, threats on both sides have to take.
I've got people in Pittsburgh talking, I got people here for you.
They ain't paying you anymore. Yes, we are so glad to have you as part of our team and so much fun to just talk ball with. You. Have a Snickers. You've done a fine job in the stickers. I see you. You have earned it. Snickers really satisfies it. And he's handing one to Amy. I got how nice? How nice for Ramon fostered Amy Wells. I'm Mike Keith, thanking you for joining us for the O T. Petz