Thirty five after the hour here on Exes and Bros. Across the Great State
of Michigan. We're on in Potoski and Potoski and Traverse City, I should
say, in Potoski and Charlotte. Boy, We're on in Midland of Saginaw,
Bay City. We're on up in Grayling and Gaylord and Grand Rapids,
of course, Cadillac Flint. Wherever it is you may be listening on our
network throughout the great state of Michigan. We're glad you're with us on this
Wednesday. Also glad to have Ben Raven on with us. He writes for
M Live. You can follow him on x at Benjamin S. Raven and
he did a great job covering the NFL Draft and the Lions season with Kyle
Minke, our friend on M Live, and Ben joins us here on Exes
and Bros. Ben, glad to have you man. Appreciate it very much
because I know your time is valuable and I know you've been swamped with all
the draft coverage. Wrote the other day the best move and the Lions' biggest
risks. For those who don't subscribe to the en Live pay Chase pay page,
can you give us an idea of what you thought their best move was
and where are their biggest risk life from the NFL Draft this year. Absolutely,
thank you Matt for having me, by the way, But the best
move, you know, it starts at the top. It starts with getting
carry On Arnold, that picked twenty four, someone who I think was a
widespread thought to be top fifteen pick. I think heading into the draft every
step of the way it was kind of hard to see him getting past even
fifteen. So the fact that Harry and Arnold the CB one A or one
B of this draft, truly pick twenty four for a team that needs as
much pass defense help as they can get. I mean, you look back
to that NFC title game, that blown lead. I mean they couldn't attacks
to two or three score lead their past defense and broke and broke it finished
last season twenty ninth in the NFL, that passing years, period time,
bad red zone marks again, and you go out. You get the nation's
top run defending cornerback who was also just as sticky and coverage at Pig twenty
four without Mortgage in the future. That it's just that's that's a home run.
That was a home run. Value and picked by Brad Holmes there and
then the biggest risk is obviously the six foot eight three and fifty pound offensive
tackle from British Columbia. I mean, this is two years in a row
where you mentioned Kyle Mikey, where I turned to Kyle and we rotate picks
when we're writing up the draft picks as they come in and I'm like,
hey, man, I can't find a photo of this guy for your stories.
It's they see the trades, they see the athleticism, and it's a
risk. But as I said the other day on Them Live, it's the
Lions are positions with the Eagles. You know, this kid gets compared to
Jordan my Lot though a lot. They are positions like the Eagles to take
a risk to develop a raw prospect like that with the guys they have in
that room and the fact that Hanks say has proven himself to be one of
the best developers of the offensive line in the NFL in a short time leading
that room in Detroit. As good as they were a year ago, reaching
the NFC Championship Game befoint just short in San Francisco, they will now have
a different mindset and a different expectation coming into this year. How will things
change do you think for Dan Campbell and the Lions now that they're the hunted
rather hunting. You know, I think we know who Dan Campbell is.
I think we've found out pretty quickly in twenty twenty one, and I think
we've found out at the end of last season that he is. And as
long as he's the head coach of the Detroit Lions, they will be among
the biggest gamblers, the biggest risk takers, the most aggressive teams in the
league. And I don't think I mean, he will adapt, he will
evolve, but I don't think he's going to change from who he is because
both he and Brad Holmes have been very clear and upfront about who they are.
You see it in Brad's draft classes, going back to back corners taking
two risks in the fourth round like that, and I think you see Dan.
They're going to go for it on forts down more than anyone in the
league forever and forever, as long as he's in that job. Ben Raven
from Mlive joining us here on Exus and Bros. You can fall him on
x or on Twitter. Benjamin S. Raven, How much better is the
NFC North because the prevailing thought is that Minnesota got a lot better. Chicago
got a lot better. Of course, they had a bigger room to grow
as well, more so than the Lions. But how much better do you
think the NFC North is? Yeah, it is funny the Lions win their
first division in thirty plus years, and all of a sudden, the NFC
North starts to line up like you can be the best division in football,
and much sooner than later. But yeah, the Bears. I mean,
I know it's hard to thank on a rookie quarterback. It's hard to oh,
this guy's going to be amazing right off the bat, but my goodness,
citis really hard not to just see an amazing situation set up for both
Caleb Williams or JJ McCarthy and Minnesota down the road. I mean, just
the receivers, the offensive flying, the running backs in Chicago. I mean,
we were talking about the Chicago receiving corps. I mean, if Romo
Duze is a quality rookie, I mean, it's gonna be the third wide
receiver this year. They got DJ Moore, they got Keenan Allen. I
mean, these are proven pros who do a lot of things differently, and
they I mean, I got to give it up to Chicago. It's not
easy to recover from flunk in the first round draft pick that quickly. Yeah,
I mean, I'm not gonna Callustin Field to plunk. But they just
didn't build around them. They have built a team for Caleb Williams to step
into. I don't think they're going to compete for the division in the year
one, but the Bears are going to be. The Bears are coming and
the Packers are coming to because they just continue to throw premium picks at that
defense. They continue to throw verstall offensive lie picks at the inside their trenches.
And they got a new defensive coordinator. So I mean you got to
expect Jordan Love is going to be better this year. And then I mean
as long as the I think he's got Addison, Hockinson and Jefferson and Darris
all that, that's going to be a tough group to stop right there too,
And I mean they did pretty well to get this. Yeah, I
think get one of the top addressers that they're rookie at too. Yeah,
I think a lot of people were disappointed at Jordan Morgan is their first round
pick as the offensive tackle, But those same people probably oftentimes talk about needs.
But overall, I think the Packers, especially with Jordan Love at the
helmet another year under his belt, are pretty damn good. Where's your biggest
concern for the Lions going into their camps. It's hard to say right now
because we have we don't even know what the fifty four man roster looks like,
right but we're overall when you look at it right now, where's the
part where you're looking at going this could be could be a little bit of
an issue for the Lions. Yeah, it feels weird. There's not a
ton of glaring glaring hold. I mean, with the developmental thick and man
Wu, you could you could argue that there's a little lacking down that offensive
tackle because I don't think he's going to be anywhere near ready. I think
you're looking at a pretty similar Robert Martin situation there where he's lucky to get
ten snaps at best this first season. But yeah, there's a little depth
that offensive tackle, just in the short term. And you know, I
like down of the people's Sjones. I love the idea of down to the
people's Jones. He's done it in the NFL before. He's a local kid.
We know what he's capable of, but it hasn't been there for a
couple of years. Maybe a full off season with the team, maybe a
full off season working with golf will help him be that wide receiver three,
one of those top deaf wide receivers. But I do there is a need
for like a vertical outside wide receiver, somebody, somebody to kind of fill
that Josh Reynolds role, Somebody to kind of fill that red Dune role.
Because while I expect Jamo to be the second wide receiver option and to be
much better and much more involved in the offense this year, they really do
need another dependable outside guy. I mean, Jared Duff closed his eyes and
know where Josh Reynolds was, I mean for three years now. So I
really do think there's a short term need at wide receiver. There's some potential
short term need for a little offensive line depth at tackle, and that's that's
about it. Because they've set themselves up well to have some options in the
defensive backfield and that was the main concern for me coming into the draft.
So you know, it's a weird deal. You know, there's just not
a lot of glary red marks. What's the expectation specifically for the first two
picks, Terry On, Arlold Arnold and Inus Rakestraw. Where do you expect
them to be when the season begins their roles specifically? I have a hard
time not imagining Terry and Arnold won't be starting almost immediately. I really do
think he's that side the town. Obviously, he's got to go out there
and earn it because the Lions have a little deeper situation at corner. So
I think Arnold is going to be very much in this situation. Well,
Rigstraw, you know, you might not. You might not see him.
It's on the first couple of weeks, but his his ability in the slot,
and they're they're kind of desired to move Brian Branch to safety. Something
certain looks could get Rastra on the field. Obviously, he's probably going to
be competing with Branch and uh meet Roberts in the new corner from the Raiders
there for some slot reps. But yeah, I expect to see a lot
of Harrian Arnold pretty much from them to get well Rakestraw, you know,
he might he might be have a little slower to come along. You might
kind of follow the the tract of playing behind some guys and finding his spot
and maybe getting a taste of specialties here and there. But I mean he's
not far off either. I mean, those other three cornerbacks they brought are
all here on one year deals. Those those two are the future of the
room. I mean, they really do feel like they've built the future of
their cornerback room there, so they're going to find ways to plan. But
I do think Arnold is going to be a He's going to eat a ton
of snaps. I really do. I think he's that good. I know
you didn't think or you weren't surprised at how many quarterbacks were taken. You
may have been a little bit surprised by the fact that Michael Pennox went eighth
overalled to Atlanta and then Jay J. McCarthy a couple of picks later,
but overall you're not surprised. There. What from the NFL draft in general
stunned you a little bit. That's a good question, you know. I
the Falcons definitely broke my brain a little bit with Michael Phoenix pick, and
it's like, not even about him it's just the fact that they've pretty much
signaled on day one that Kirk Cousins is a bridge quarterback after handing him a
one hundred million dollar contract and kind of telling his teammates like, oh,
he's not the set in Stone future at the position. I mean, that
was that was the most shocking there. And gosh, not a ton of
surprises. I was a little surprised some of the other wider sivers didn't go
in the draft. I know there were some reports out there about Ady Mitchell.
I was really surprised he fell as far as he did. I was
really surprised race Cross all as far as he did. Not to keep it
just pure locally here, but pick sixty one for a guy that a lot
of people thought could be in the mixed. Twenty nine to forty is pretty
solid right there. But yeah, that's a and I'd say just maybe the
Vikings training up again. You know, they have gotten really to get Dallas
Turner there around seventeen or eighteen. They have been really aggressive giving up future
assets to move up and get guys that they want. I do think that's
that's a big risk for a team like that, that's welcoming a rookie quarterback
that might be starting Sam Darnold this year. You know, they kind of
need to keep as many assets as they can. So, yeah, those
are the surprises, but he had not the I wasn't surprised by all the
quarterbacks, but I was surprised that Atlantis at Phoenix just because you thought they
were just gonna focus on winning in this two to four year window with Kirk
Cousins, and it was just a strange methods to send to Kirk. It
was just a strange methods just under that roster before he had even suited up
as their new quarterback. Yeah, you brought up a donnand Mitchell. I
was a little surprised that Ricky Piersoll went ahead of like Lad McConkey, Jalen
Polk for example, definitely Keon Coleman. Coleman, big strong kid out of
Florida State. So that was a mild surprise for me. Were talking NFL
and alliance with Ben Raven m Live. You can follow on X at Benjamin
as Raven back to the Lions. As we look at the depth of this
team, we're starting to and I talked about this a little bit yesterday,
but we're starting to feel like Brad Holmes can do no wrong. I'll ask
you the same thing I asked your friend Dave Brikette yesterday. When do you
believe the trust in Brad Holmes was complete for Lions fans? Well, that's
a good one. Honestly, I think it came home after that first season
when I'm on Ross Saint Brown started to come on, when Panay's seol was
looking like Honestly, I think it started with the pay School pick. I
think that first season really sent at home when you know, you started to
see those fourth round picks starting to contribute near the end of the season.
But then it was just the culture setting pick of Aidan Hutchinson for that defense
too. It was like there were a lot of options that wasn't as easy
as everyone it was that pick to that year. I mean, obviously they
love touch more than anyone, but there were a lot lot of good,
good, elite premium position players in that draft. Getting Aidan Hudginson and just
kind of that set the tone for that defense. I really do. But
yeah, I have to look back to that first year. I want to
end it in that first year, A lot of people don't have growing memories
about that first season. But when you came out of that year and you're
like, Nay, Suel isn't even like he's just turned twenty one years old?
Are you kidding me? Just started the full season and looks like a
that doing it. You see, I'm manra Saint Brown catching game when he
touchdown passes, and it's like, all right, this is what this guy.
This guy made his name in LA by hitting on these mid round picks,
and he started to see it with some of those mid round picks even
by the end of that first season. So I just think and it's just
kind of expounded since then. I mean, it's grown every season since then.
I mean, you look at that first twenty twenty one draft class now
and every single one of those guys is on the roster in some capacity at
the end of last season. And I don't think people realize how rare that
is. I mean, he really is top to bottom drafting guys that are
on this rock in some capacity, and that's just that's his retention rate and
his hit rate is among just the absolute best in the league. And I
just love the fact that he sticks to his guns. I mean it challenges
the way I think about the game. It challenges what I think he should
do and stuff. So I mean, I really mean, he has really
changed the way I look at the game and break things down. And just
taking a first round running back last year too, just aggressive, aggressive,
and it turns out to be one of the best sticks in the entire orders.
So just it's a really good point by you. It's a really good
point by you because I never thought of it that way from the first year,
just because the first year wasn't very good in terms of ones and wins
and losses. But now that you bring it up that all those draft picks
are on that team, I thought it changed last year. Quite honestly.
I thought it was with Jamior Gibbs. I mean, look, that was
widely panned by national and local fans and writers and broadcasters. As an analyst,
Why are you taking a first round for he thought he knew exactly what
he wanted, exactly what this team needed, and it was a special player.
And I think we've been at least after one year, we've been proven
we were wrong. He was right, and it's tough for us in the
media to say that we were wrong. I think that's when people really said,
Okay, I'm not going to question him. It's okay to wonder a
little bit, but I don't think we're going to question him like we did
before that pick. Oh absolutely right. And now I'll be honest, I
remember when that pick came in and I'm like, wait, they've traded down,
they didn't take the job, and they still took a running back.
Like I will fully own that. That was my initial thought process for like
the first four months of that situation. I mean, I just think it
really shows the positive aspect of the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell kind of fifty
fifty roster decisions share the ownership structure for this team, because you don't see
general managers at the finger of the polls, on their on their depth chart
top to bottom like he does. Like he truly that Jamiir Gibs pick was
knowing exactly what this offense needed without looking at the position. So it's just
he's yeah, I will never question him like that again. We will question
him, we will disagree with stuff he does, but he has earned a
lot of a lot of leeway because he truly understands this roster from top to
bottom. And he don't make a pick like Jamiir Gibs at twelve. Overall,
when you need a ton of more stuff without knowing, without knowing your
team at a deep, deep level. Right, lastly, before I let
you go, what happens with Jared goffin Win. Yeah, I think it's
coming. I really do think it's coming before the start of the season.
It just kind of sounds like they're getting their p's and q's around. I
mean, we talked to Piney School yesterday and his deal took three or four
months to come together. It's Saint Brown a very similar deal. Yeah,
it's gonna be some big money with the quarterback deal. So I think there's
some Get that draft class in there, get those unside free agents sign,
get a better maybe make one more free agent edition, get a better idea
where your roster at that Jared Goff is going to be getting that new contract.
Look, I think he'll be here before the start of the regular season.
That's the last thing you want is something like that hanging over a quarterback
or any player, but especially a quarterback, because when you're in that locker
room, it's the inevitable thing that has to be discussed and and if it's
not with him, and he says, look, I'm not talking about it.
People are gonna end up talking to other players about it and it's not
something you want hanging over. So they want to get it done and they
should get it done. Ben, great stuff is always really appreciate it.
Give them a follow on X Benjamin s Raven great stuff with m Live he
and Kyle Monikey tag teaming on a hell of a job regarding the Lions NFL
Draft in the NFL in general. Have a great rest of your week,
man, I appreciate your time very much. Yeah, thank you, Matt.
Thanks for having me calling me anytime. I appreciate that. Yeah,
we will do that. We'll take you up on that. Ben Raven joining
us here on x'es and bros. Very interesting stuff. Good. I love
that personspective, you know. And you just talked with Penney Schuel yesterday.
See that's those Those are important conversations to have with a man like that.
Who was there talking with Penney? So hey, listen, how long did
it take? These are not things that take a week. Okay, it's
not you and your wife sitting down at the table figuring out a budget and
getting it done the following week or the following day. These teams, these
things take time. So the Jared Goff, maybe we'll talk more about that
tomorrow. Then we can do that, because how much do you want Jared
Goff? And for how long? How long is the term, how much
is too much