Lots to Say: Bobby Abroad, Brian Baldinger, and Fandom Auction!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bobby Bones Show – "Lots to Say: Bobby Abroad, Brian Baldinger, and Fandom Auction!"

Release Date: March 26, 2025
Host/Author: Premiere Networks
Podcast: The Bobby Bones Show

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1. Introduction

In the episode titled "Lots to Say: Bobby Abroad, Brian Baldinger, and Fandom Auction!", hosts Bobby Bones and Matt Castle rejoin after a brief hiatus to delve into a variety of engaging topics. Joining them is NFL Network analyst and former lineman, Brian Baldinger, affectionately known as "Baldy." The conversation spans Bobby's recent travels, insights into NFL dynamics, draft prospects, and a lighthearted discussion on fandom.

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2. Bobby Abroad: Exploring Europe

Bobby Bones opens up about his passion for traveling, sharing his experiences across several European countries:

• Japan:
  “It's the longest flight ever. So torturous, but extremely clean.” ([00:44])
  Bobby recounts walking around Japan and the unique experience of feeling taller than locals, which added to his excitement.

• Ireland:
  “I got on one of those double-decker tour buses and looked at a castle. It was like looking at my trailer park.” ([02:17])
  Despite frustrations with the lack of alcohol-centric activities—a personal preference as Bobby doesn't drink—he enjoyed the historical vistas.

• London:
  Brian shares his love for London, highlighting its rich history and iconic landmarks like the armory with King Henry VIII's armor and Big Ben.
  “The history is incredible.” ([03:45])

• Paris, Germany, Austria, and Italy:
  Bobby praises Paris for its cleanliness and safety, enjoys traditional German sausages in Munich, and appreciates Austria's beauty. Italy stands out for its cultural depth, with Bobby even mentioning purchasing a part of an Italian domestic basketball team.
  “We did the Batman touchdown. We were kicking it for three like that.” ([20:58])

Bobby’s travel anecdotes reflect his growth from someone who rarely traveled in his youth to an avid explorer influenced by his wife.

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3. Aaron Rodgers’ Career and Future

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Aaron Rodgers, his performance, and potential team movements:

• Performance Insights:
  “He is a very smart, intellectual guy, will challenge popular thought.” ([10:31])
  Brian praises Rodgers' intelligence and contrarian nature, noting his ability to challenge the status quo.

• Potential Team Moves:
  “Minnesota would be the ideal landing spot for any guy of that caliber.” ([09:14])
  Brian analyzes Rodgers' possible destinations, emphasizing Minnesota's strong roster and Pittsburgh’s defensively robust team.

• Personality Traits:
  “I need attention as oxygen. That’s my whole career.” ([10:13])
  Bobby compares his own need for attention to Rodgers', highlighting both their contrasting approaches to seeking the spotlight.

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4. NFL Postseason Seeding Proposal

Bobby introduces a hot topic regarding the Lions' proposal to alter the postseason seeding format:

• Proposal Overview:
  “Wildcard teams to be seated higher than division champions if the wild card team has a better regular season record.” ([16:01])
  The Lions suggest that if a wildcard team boasts a superior regular-season record compared to a division champion, it should receive priority in seeding.

• Discussion:
  “I don’t like it. There’s always something different with every division.” ([16:39])
  Brian expresses skepticism, arguing that the current system maintains fairness by ensuring division winners receive home games regardless of wildcard records.

• Conclusion:
  The hosts agree that keeping the existing format is preferable, citing unpredictability in playoff outcomes as a reason to retain the status quo.

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5. Rule Change Exercise

Engaging in a creative exercise, Bobby and Brian propose rule changes:

• Legitimate Change:
  Bobby suggests modifying pass interference penalties to grant yardage to both the wide receiver and quarterback, likening it to free throw assists in the NBA.
  “If There is a 45-yard pass and it is pass interference... the wide receiver and the quarterback should get the yards.” ([19:43])

• Wild Change:
  Bobby humorously proposes that the player who scores a touchdown must attempt the extra point, making it worth three points instead of one.
  “It's still back at where it is now, but whoever scores the touchdown actually has to kick the field goal for three points.” ([20:55])
  Brian enthusiastically supports the idea, praising its creativity.

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6. NFL Draft Prospects: Focus on Offensive Linemen

Brian Baldinger provides expert analysis on this year's draft, particularly spotlighting offensive lineman prospects:

• Top Prospect – Tyler Booker:
  “Tyler Booker is the best lineman in this draft... He’s just a rock.” ([29:15])
  Matt Castle lauds Booker's versatility and reliability, comparing him to elite players like Trey Smith.

• Coachable and Experienced Players:
  Matt emphasizes the importance of players like Will Campbell, who demonstrate excellent footwork and adaptability, making them valuable assets in the NFL.

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7. Mobile Quarterbacks and Offensive Line Adaptations

The evolution of quarterbacks' mobility has necessitated changes in offensive line strategies:

• Quarterback Mobility:
  “You have to adapt to the speed of the game as you get back into the mode of operation.” ([14:46])
  Brian discusses how mobile quarterbacks require offensive lines to maintain a flat pocket while being ready to compensate for scrambles.

• Offensive Line Preparedness:
  “The pro game can only take what the college game gives us.” ([30:35])
  Matt addresses the gap between college offensive schemes, like the RPO and zone read, and their readiness for the NFL, suggesting that some linemen may need further development.

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8. NFL Network Analyst Brian Baldinger’s Insights

Brian Baldinger shares his experiences and perspectives on various NFL topics:

• Player Evaluations:
  Brian discusses players like Trevor Lawrence and Kyle Pitts, noting the impact of injuries and coaching systems on their careers.
  “Trevor Lawrence’s injuries set him back... Kyle Pitts has not been able to run like he did coming out of Florida.” ([45:41])

• Favorite Teams and Personal Reflections:
  Bobby expresses his desire to adopt an NFL team fandom, leading to a playful and personal exchange about team colors and preferences.
  “I want to have a favorite NFL team. Reach out to me, send me stuff...” ([58:07])
  The conversation culminates in light-hearted banter about team choices and personal preferences.

• Personal Anecdotes:
  Brian shares heartfelt stories about his marriage and the influence of his wife, highlighting the personal side behind the professional insights.
  “Your wife runs the show.” ([66:07])

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9. Favorite NFL Team Discussion

A humorous segment unfolds as Bobby admits he doesn't have a favorite NFL team and contemplates choosing one through an auction:

• Bobby’s Dilemma:
  “I have never had one and I'd like to have one.” ([59:00])
  Bobby weighs factors like team colors, future prospects, and personal connections in deciding his potential favorite team.

• Brian’s Encouragement:
  “You should absolutely be a front runner.” ([61:20])
  Brian advises Bobby to embrace the role of a dedicated fan, suggesting that Bobby can find fulfillment in supporting a team with promising prospects.

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10. Conclusion and Personal Wrap-Up

As the episode winds down, the hosts and guest share personal reflections and express gratitude:

• Personal Reflections:
  Bobby acknowledges the supportive presence of his wife and shares a light-hearted moment about his relationship dynamics.
  “I lose. I do not have. There's no superiority. Your wife runs the show.” ([65:33])

• Final Shout-Outs:
  The hosts thank Brian Baldinger and Matt Castle for their valuable contributions, encouraging listeners to subscribe and engage with their content.
  “Thanks to kickoff. Kevin. Kevin O'Connell...” ([66:41])

• Closing Remarks:
  Bobby humorously recounts a mix-up with their show being featured on another platform, reinforcing the camaraderie and ongoing collaborative spirit among the hosts and guests.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

• Bobby Bones on Japan Travel:
  “It's the longest flight ever. So torturous, but extremely clean.” ([00:44])

• Brian Baldinger on London's History:
  “The history is incredible.” ([03:45])

• Bobby Bones Comparing Attention Needs:
  “I need attention as oxygen. That’s my whole career.” ([10:13])

• Brian Baldinger on Offensive Lineman Tyler Booker:
  “Tyler Booker is the best lineman in this draft... He’s just a rock.” ([29:15])

• Bobby Bones on Choosing a Favorite Team:
  “I want to have a favorite NFL team. Reach out to me, send me stuff...” ([58:07])

• Brian Baldinger on Personal Life:
  “Your wife runs the show.” ([66:07])

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Conclusion

"Lots to Say: Bobby Abroad, Brian Baldinger, and Fandom Auction!" is a vibrant episode that intertwines personal anecdotes, expert NFL analysis, and playful interactions. Listeners are treated to a rich tapestry of stories—from Bobby Bones' enriching travels to Brian Baldinger's nuanced perspectives on NFL dynamics. The episode not only entertains but also provides valuable insights into the ever-evolving landscape of professional football.

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For more episodes of "The Bobby Bones Show," visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Bobby Bones]

Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcasts. We got lots to say.

[Matt Castle]

We got lots to say.

[Bobby Bones]

What a glad you're here and we hope you stay. Cause we got lots to say. Yeah, we got lots to say. Now here's Bobby and Matt. Welcome to another week. It's good to see buddy. We've been working apart for the last couple weeks.

[Brian Baldinger]

We have been. And it's great to see your face. You look revived. You've been over on a European extravaganzas. Tell us a little bit about it. Have you been to Europe before?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Oh, only recently. I didn't travel much growing up. One never really left the state of Arkansas till I was probably almost 18. And that was just like to play ball. Like, we'd go and play like in St. Louis Cardinal baseball stadium. Like, that was the coolest thing.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's amazing ball.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So once I started to make a little bit of money, I was like, I'm going to go places. Because I don't think we ever even went on a vacation as a kid. Didn't grow up with a whole lot of money. So you don't go on vacation. But then I started going to places that I would see on tv. And so I went to Japan because Full house Jesse and the Rippers.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes, of course.

[Bobby Bones]

They got a deal, went over to. So I was like, I got to go to Japan. Went to Japan by myself.

[Brian Baldinger]

How was that? Incredible.

[Bobby Bones]

It's the longest flight ever.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's what I heard. I did hear that. It was a really, really long flight.

[Bobby Bones]

So torturous, but extremely clean. And you know how you feel walking around and everybody else is like a few inches shorter than you. I feel like you there and that's awesome.

[Brian Baldinger]

You're like a giant. It's like, look at the. Look at this.

[Bobby Bones]

I was walking around, they were like, are you Matt Castle? I was like, I am not. I'm Bobby. But man, I know what he feels like in America. So I did that. I've been to Ireland. When I was finishing my second book, I went the closest, farthest place away.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

And that's basically what Ireland is. And because it's just like right across the ocean, it's the first thing you go to. And I've never had drink of alcohol. So if you don't drink, ain't crap to do in Ireland.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's not say right?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it was terrible.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's like, oh, yeah, let's go to the pub. Let's go out to hit the links, do this, that or the other. But really it's all about, you know, the spirit of Ireland.

[Bobby Bones]

And I was by myself because I wanted to go, get out of my time zone and work. So I went to Ireland. I got on one of those double decker tour buses and looked at a castle. But it was like back in the old days, I guess, rich people and poor people had castles. And I was like, torn the poor people's castle. So I was like looking at. I was like looking at my trailer park. You got somebody in 100. Yes. Somebody in 100 years that have been in my trailer park looking at it. So I've been to Ireland and that's when I realized it was also an island. And you can't really go anywhere from Ireland. So I did that. I've been to London. You've been to London?

[Brian Baldinger]

London's incredible.

[Bobby Bones]

Why is it incredible to you?

[Brian Baldinger]

Well, I believe it's probably because I was there with the team. So we did things that I probably wouldn't have otherwise done. So we went. Is it the armory that has all the old.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, that's the word.

[Brian Baldinger]

That was incredible. Everything's like King Henry VIII's armor from.

[Bobby Bones]

Like the year 12.

[Brian Baldinger]

Exactly. So I'm a little bit of a history buff. So you're walking around and you're looking at all the different armor and the swords and the different weaponry that they use. Then they go and they have got all these different crowns from different errors. And it's just unreal how England and the power that they had back then, but it gives you kind of insight to what that regime was. And then we also got to see different parts. So we stayed out at the Grove, which is outside in the countryside. And you got to experience that and go to these small pubs and stuff out there. Played a little bit of golf. And then we went into London. London's an overwhelming city, but then it's also got the history right. The palace and Big Ben and real history is unreal. The history is incredible.

[Bobby Bones]

We think. Dang. Merrick, Zold, Bicentennial. 250 years. Tricentennial. That hasn't happened yet. Ben Franklin, bro. That's a. That's an infant, right?

[Brian Baldinger]

It's a baby.

[Bobby Bones]

There are buildings that you can just walk into and get a Slurpee from 1200.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

It's crazy. So did that. So. But I went to London because on Friends, I went to London when I went to Hawaii for the first time. I went because the Brady Bunch went to Hawaii. So I'm only going places by myself when I start to make money, because I saw it on all on television. So that was really the extent of my traveling. Then I got married, and my wife, who has, you know, really pushed me to expand. We've been to Paris a couple times. It's. It is an awesome city.

[Brian Baldinger]

Is it. Is it your favorite of all the cities that you've been to the country?

[Bobby Bones]

So it's clean, it's safe. The museums are amazing. Everybody walking around, which I'm not exaggerating, is, like, dressed up.

[Brian Baldinger]

Oh, they're dressed to a T, too. That European swag.

[Bobby Bones]

Normal people in Paris walk around. And I wore a scarf. I don't really wear scarves. And I really took some. Took some real punishment online for not knowing how to wear a scarf. In Arkansas, we didn't wear scarves, but I tried it. It kept my neck warm. But my wife started calling me Edgar Allan Poe because apparently I didn't have it right. Then we went to Germany. Had the best freaking sausage. I don't even know what it was.

[Brian Baldinger]

Snitchel or whatever they call it.

[Bobby Bones]

No. But I did have Wiener schnitzel, which was good for the first time, because over there, there's a lot of cranberry sauce on it. And. And I'm. Cranberry sauce that. Yeah, I know.

[Brian Baldinger]

But not. Big cranberry sauce fan.

[Bobby Bones]

It works, though.

[Brian Baldinger]

Does it?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it works. And again, I'm not a world traveler, so the things I'm saying could sound extremely hillbilly, but I. I go to this, like, market in. In Germany. We weren't in Berlin. What's another city in Germany, Kevin? Munich. Thank you.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's exactly where you went.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank. And I ate this. This. It was, like two feet long, and it was this. And it was so good. And I don't like sauerkraut, but it was covered in sauerkraut and as mustard. It was so good that I would take a bite of it and then shake my head because I couldn't believe how good it was.

[Brian Baldinger]

And then you'd have another bite. Did you finish the whole thing?

[Bobby Bones]

The whole thing, too. All two feet of it.

[Brian Baldinger]

Good for you.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, I down the whole sausage and then went to Vienna, which is in Austria. Never even really thought about going to Austria.

[Brian Baldinger]

Sound of Music.

[Bobby Bones]

It sounds like the University of Australia. Like, if you can't afford to go to Australia, you stop short in Austria because there are less letters. Like, that's what my. But it was amazing.

[Brian Baldinger]

Amazing. That's what I heard as well, it's amazing. Beautiful country, too, right?

[Bobby Bones]

You know, the first time that I go somewhere, we're only there for two or three days. We really just do the. The city things. And the second time. Yeah, Been to Italy a few times now. And about the third time we went, we started going out and about and, like, we bought, like I told you, like a part of an Italian domestic basketball team. And so, yeah, it's cool.

[Brian Baldinger]

So we should definitely go check out the free agents going on and.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, let's go. Let's nil.

[Brian Baldinger]

Those suckers, all those guys.

[Bobby Bones]

But, you know, it was. It was. It was really good. Again, I'm not a European dude. Don't really understand some of the vibe. My. Let me ask you a question, because I do think you were one of my most intelligent friends.

[Matt Castle]

Wow.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's a bold statement. I don't want to meet your other friends.

[Bobby Bones]

You play the dumb guy, but don't you. I watch you. I watch you break things down. And not even just football. Like, you're. You will be humble, but you're highly intelligent. And whenever I am in a foreign country, let's say Germany, yes, they will speak English. They speak English everywhere, which is nice.

[Brian Baldinger]

Of course, America's ignorant in that sense. Everybody anywhere else you go speaks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 languages.

[Bobby Bones]

We barely know our own.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's.

[Bobby Bones]

It's not even our own. It's Britain's.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's not even proper grammar half the time.

[Bobby Bones]

And so. But what I'll do is I'll try to meet them halfway. And my wife gets a little annoyed because if they're in German and they're like, my accent's terrible. They're like, you have a reservation for 7pm and your hotel room is. I will talk back to them in that same accent. Like, thank you very much for that. Because I feel like I'm meeting them halfway. I don't know their language, but they're speaking in an accent that I feel like I'm talking back in there. So that's a little source of contention.

[Brian Baldinger]

I love it.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't feel like I'm. But sometimes I do it like Asian restaurants. And I don't mean to.

[Brian Baldinger]

Oh, wow, that would be strong.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't mean to, but if they have an accent, I don't want to do that accent, but I'll do it. I'll do an alien. I bring. I have brought you your soup. I'll be like, thank you for bringing me the soup.

[Brian Baldinger]

I don't mind sour soup. So good.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, well, you Kind of hit it a little bit, but that's. It was good. It was great.

[Brian Baldinger]

So your wife basically would sit there and probably smack you after a certain amount of time.

[Bobby Bones]

Stop doing that. And I'm like, I'm not doing that.

[Brian Baldinger]

You're making her uncomfortable.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm not doing no purpose. But the whole time I'm watching, like, where the, where the frick is Aaron Rodgers going to play football? Those are like the two things I was doing, like Europe, March Madness and Aaron Rodgers. And I know that you and I had both made a prediction where you had picked the Steelers and I had picked the Giants. And for a while I was pretty, I was feeling pretty good. I was going to be the Giants. I was. Yes. Now I, I definitely think it's 90% Pittsburgh. Why does Aaron Rodgers make us wait? What, what, what's happening in his mind?

[Brian Baldinger]

Well, I think when you, when you look at what teams he has available. Right. He talked to the New York Giants. Absolutely. Then he, I, I believe the destination for anybody like Aaron Rodgers would be Minnesota.

[Bobby Bones]

But they don't want him. Right?

[Brian Baldinger]

But they don't want him. Well, they don't want to pay him probably the 40, 45 million, whatever he's going to ask for for one year or he's looking for a two year deal potentially, because Minnesota would be the ideal landing spot for any guy of that caliber because of Justin Jefferson. Right. Addison. Aaron Jones came back, he's in the backfield. You got a good offensive line. You made some transactions this offseason, free agency, and they've got a really good defense with Brian Flores. So that's a team that can win right now, and he understands that. And then Pittsburgh, they definitely made a splash when they went out and we talked about DK Metcalf last week, but they've got a good defense as well. But I think that he just always likes to prolong that because again, for him, offseason is irrelevant. It's one of those situations where he wants to go to a winner, make sure it's the right situation. And it might be contractual, but he did go and spend six hours though. So I would say that Pittsburgh has a leg up on all the rest of the competition right now.

[Bobby Bones]

But he loves the attention. And I say that as somebody whose career is built off needing attention as oxygen. I need it. That's my whole career. But I've never seen an athlete need the attention as much as he does. Would you agree with that?

[Brian Baldinger]

I believe he's at the forefront of an attention. I don't know if he's an attention seeker just at the same time. Just he is one of those guys that naturally does it because of the things that he says. He is a very smart, intellectual guy, will challenge just popular thought and what people view as the norm and challenge that as he did when it was Covid and didn't want to come out and say anything.

[Bobby Bones]

He's a contrarian. He's absolutely contrarian. 100 and I can respect that because I'm the same. Sometimes I just like to hear myself talk. I'll be honest.

[Brian Baldinger]

I think he does too, to be honest with you. I'm not. I'm gonna, I, I, if I sat in the room with him, I'd be a little bit intimidated with some of the subject matter you bring up.

[Matt Castle]

Yeah.

[Brian Baldinger]

You know, sometimes you watch how Joe Rogan when he's getting interviewed and I'm going, man, they're getting really deep into some seriously heavy subject matter. But it sounds, I mean, the guy wanted to host Jeopardy. I mean, he's one of those type of individuals. So he's a little bit different in terms of his mind, thought and how he's in his intelligence level. And he's a polarizing figure because again, he is Aaron Rodgers, the football player that we know him as, which he's going to be a first ballot hall of Famer. He's won a Super Bowl. He's won how many? Three, four MVPs. He's an incredible player. And so now he's at the tail end of his career and trying to figure out one Do I want to keep going at 40 years old or soon to be 41 or 2? Am I going to put myself in a position like Brady did to go to a potential winner?

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[Bobby Bones]

Let me give you Two questions about Aaron Rodgers and answer them together. Number one, do you know him and have a relationship with him? And then to. Do you feel like, because he did play well the second half of last year with the jets, that that was because of his health getting better or because of the changes they had made internally with the coaching staff? So I give you a whole bunch there.

[Brian Baldinger]

Okay. So I know Aaron because Aaron Rodgers and I have the same agent, Dave Dunn, when we first came in the league, so we were always at the different charity events and stuff like that. And over the years, we came in in the same draft as well. So he's one of those guys that I've had a lot of respect for. We've always been friendly, played golf together, but I wouldn't consider him a friend. But if I saw him after a game or something like that, go up, give him a big hug, we'd catch up, you know, with each other. So it's one of those more part of the fraternity type situations than it is anything else. And then in terms of why he played better, I. I think it goes hand in hand. One, he was getting healthier and he took a whole year off. And for any quarterback, even if you're as established as he is and as veteran as he is, the speed of the game and everything, you have to adapt to it as you get back into the mode of operation. And so they had their own struggles, and then there was some changes. I'm sure he took more influence over the offense after the head coach got fired, their offensive coordinator got fired. He implemented things that he really liked, and that's when you started to see him really play well. His health was better. But two, I'm sure that he was able to really have more of a voice in terms of what was being called.

[Bobby Bones]

We're recording this late Tuesday afternoon, so if for some reason Aaron Rodgers ends up playing for, like, the Argonauts or something, we totally miss.

[Brian Baldinger]

He's going to Canada.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Then. Then we just miss. You know, we missed it by a few hours, but I don't expect he's going to be making a decision real soon. One of the other things that happened over the last week was the playoff seating suggestion by the Lions. And I'm going to read the story. And mostly it's, are you a fan of this proposal? With the NFL's annual league meeting coming up in a couple weeks, teams have already started to submit their rule changes or their proposals for possible changes or their proposals for. Let's look at the rules and see if they need to be changed, it's kind of a 3 level, 100%. So the 32 owners go in. It definitely feels like the Illuminati. Or there's a movie called the Conclave where.

[Brian Baldinger]

Oh, dude.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you like it?

[Brian Baldinger]

Yeah, it was awesome. It was really good.

[Bobby Bones]

It's like how the popes vote for.

[Brian Baldinger]

A 100, where they lock them in the room. You're like, we're not leaving here.

[Bobby Bones]

That's what I feel like.

[Brian Baldinger]

Half of you guys might die, but we're gonna put off the smoke one way.

[Bobby Bones]

Where'd you watch the movie?

[Brian Baldinger]

I watched it at home.

[Bobby Bones]

I watched another plane. It was sick.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's good, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Baldinger]

So much controversy, too, around that. Okay, never mind. Go on.

[Bobby Bones]

But I feel like that's what this is going in. And they'll let the white smoke out whenever.

[Brian Baldinger]

The rule is talk to the media later.

[Bobby Bones]

Uh, the Lions proposal is to amend the current postseason seating format to allow wildcard teams to be seated higher than division champions if the wild card team has a better regular season record. And so me breaking it down, in my simple version, it would be like a team like Tampa Bay that ends up a game under.500, because now there's an odd number of games yet they still win their division, but they get the four seed in a home game over a team that has a better record. So how do you feel about a division winner not getting a home game because they have a worse record?

[Brian Baldinger]

I don't like it. You know, everybody's division's a little bit different from a competitive standpoint. And I understand what they're saying, because you look at the Minnesota Vikings this year, that was 14 and 3.

[Bobby Bones]

The whole NFC north was like, yeah.

[Brian Baldinger]

The whole NFC north, like, the entire. The entire division was up there. That would have been probably one through four or whatever it might be in the division sayings for potential home games. And then the other teams, whoever the division winners, would. Would be the wild card because they have lesser. Yeah, so it's interesting, but it's always been this way. And I feel like there's teams. For instance, when I was playing in 2008, we played the Arizona Cardinals late in the season. They had already clinched, like, I don't know, Week 5, but they had a weak division. They finished, like 8 and 8 that season. They went on as a wild card team, and no, they had actually a home game, but they went all the way to the super bowl and played the Steelers, lost in the last minute to the Steelers. So you never Know what teams are going to get hot. Same thing with the Washington commanders this year and Jaden Daniels and what they did going to the NFC Championship game. It all depends on how you play at the end of the year. And so was Minnesota Vikings. Were they playing their best football at the end of the year? No, but they had one of the best regular season records. But then you look at the LA Rams and they might not have had the elite record that those teams had, but they were rolling and they gave Philadelphia the best shot of anybody to defeat them in the playoffs. So I like the way that it's formatted right now. I do like that the two top teams get the buy and the home field advantage and then from there you're the division winners.

[Bobby Bones]

Just one gets a buy now.

[Brian Baldinger]

Just one, right? One on each?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah, yeah. It used to be two. Usually two on each side, right? Yeah. Now one. Okay, I'm with you. I think if it ain't broke, let's not worry about fixing that. Because there are broken things, right? And you're right, every division is different and every team is playing a different type schedule. And the one constant is if you win your division, you get a home game, right?

[Brian Baldinger]

And there's years. Look, you're having. Your division might be having a down year, but you still have an opportunity to go make the playoffs and make some noise in the playoffs. If you get on, get that momentum at the right period of time where there's other teams that can play great all season long. But then all of a sudden they. They just for whatever reason don't play well when they hit the playoffs and they're out in the first round. So it doesn't always make common sense of why one team goes far in the playoffs. One team doesn't. But at the end of the day, I don't mind how the rule stands right now.

[Bobby Bones]

So speaking of rule changes, a little exercise we're going to do here, okay? Two rule changes. You get one proposal that actually you'd like to see that makes sense. And then one wild one. And I'll go first. The one that I would like to see that I think would make sense. A rule change would be if there is a pass interference and I'm not even doing the 15 versus the 40 yard. I don't mind that. I don't mind that. I know a lot of people have problems that I don't mind. I'm good with it.

[Brian Baldinger]

No, I'd want to see that changed.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. And you can use. Hey, feel free to have it Because I ain't not touching that one.

[Brian Baldinger]

No, no, no. Touch it.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't like touching it. I don't like when you say that.

[Brian Baldinger]

Makes me feel weird, but okay, I know it does. Make.

[Bobby Bones]

Here's what I would say. If There is a 45 yard pass and it is pass interference, right? And they throw the flag and you get the 45 yards, that wide receiver and the quarterback should get the yards. Oh, that would be the rule change that I would make. That I think makes sense. The sensible rule change is you just cheated. Basically, a flag is a cheat, right? You just cheated. To eliminate my ability to catch the ball or my ability to throw the ball, I should get the yards that we just got from that penalty. I would change that. And it's also in the NBA. I would compare it to. If you make your free throws, let's say you get fouled and you make your free throws. The person who gave you the assistance when you missed your shot because the foul didn't get the assist.

[Brian Baldinger]

Okay, okay, I see where you're going with this.

[Bobby Bones]

So that would be my legitimate change. Now my. My stupid change that I think will be hilarious is whomever scores the touchdown, it doesn't matter if they are the wide receiver or the running back, the quarterback, they kick the extra point. But it's worth three.

[Brian Baldinger]

I actually like that one. I like that one a lot.

[Bobby Bones]

And so it's still back at where it is now. But.

[Brian Baldinger]

But whoever scores the touchdown actually has to.

[Bobby Bones]

If Tyreek Hill scores the freaking touchdown.

[Brian Baldinger]

You gotta kick it.

[Bobby Bones]

He gets the. He doesn't have to. But he has the opportunity now to kick the field goal for three points. The extra point for three points.

[Brian Baldinger]

That's fantastic. You know what? I can't even match that with anything in my brain right now because I never even thought of that. Even though there's sometimes the big guy touchdowns where they, you know, fake one way and throw it back to the tackle eligible. How great would that be to see an offensive lineman try to kick a field goal for three points? I think it's fantastic. I'm going to go with that and I'm not even going to change anything about that at all. That's very creative and fantastic.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you very much.

[Brian Baldinger]

How long did it take you to come up with that?

[Bobby Bones]

I've always wanted to see the person who scored the touchdown kick the field goal. And then now that they've moved it back, I think I like to watch Jameer Gibbs. But the team has to decide their strategy involved too. Like they don't have to. You still have a kicker that's going to kick 90% of the time.

[Brian Baldinger]

Like you've got to think even more as an offensive corner. We're down here in the red zone, guys. Do we really want to give it to the tight end here?

[Bobby Bones]

We want worse. We did the Batman touchdown. We were kicking it for three like that.

[Brian Baldinger]

But you're. But at that point you could be down by. You could be down and you need that three points. See, I like this.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you.

[Brian Baldinger]

This is fantastic.

[Bobby Bones]

Give me a traditional change.

[Brian Baldinger]

Traditional change. You know, defensive holdings always been an interesting one. I and I'm interested because we just talked about two defensive. And I'm an offensive guy. I mean I used to love when I throw the ball 50 yards downfield and they give us the ball on the five yard line, I'm like, we didn't even have to do anything. I don't even know. I think I overthrew this guy by 10 yards, but the guy clearly pass interference, so. But defensive holding, you could be second and 20, but as soon as you get a defensive holding and that's usually in defensive backfield or something like that, it's an automatic first down. But it's only five yards. So you move up five yards. So it's not one of those significant 15 yarders or something like that. It is a five yard penalty, but you automatically get a first down. Significant as significant because it keeps the chains moving. And it usually happens. Like I said, it's a passing situation, it's a third and long, something like that, where guys get grabby, there's some contact downfield, judgment call, they hold or they grab the guy and immediately it's a first down. I think that they should look at that also. Quarterback protection.

[Bobby Bones]

How would you do it differently when they say. When you say look at that. How? Propose what I'm looking at though and what you want from me.

[Brian Baldinger]

Look, say it's a spot foul. Okay, so say you're 10 yards downfield. Defensive holding, it's not a five yard penalty, it's a defensive spot foul. But still, if it's third and 15 and you hold at eight yards, you get the ball eight yards further up and a replay of downs. That's what I do.

[Bobby Bones]

So no first down, no first down. You think the first down is too much? I think it's too early after 5 yard.

[Brian Baldinger]

100% got it. If you're just giving him a 5.

[Bobby Bones]

Yard penalty and I cosign. I like that.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yeah, I'm going to. I'm going to go with that. And then the. The quarterback play. I know we're trying to protect these quarterbacks, but some of these hits that they're calling or landing on top of the quarterback, I think it's become so overblown in the protection of the quarterback that it just makes us look soft. We're tough league, man. Gotta get hit every now and then.

[Bobby Bones]

I hear you. I. That one I. I have trouble subscribing to. Only because you ever watch a game of two backup quarterbacks? It's awful.

[Brian Baldinger]

Look, that's how I got my start. Leave me alone.

[Bobby Bones]

I hear you. And you know what you took and you earned.

[Brian Baldinger]

You got to earn it, bro. But that's what you sign up for the game.

[Bobby Bones]

But most aren't you. Most aren't you.

[Brian Baldinger]

Hey, hey. That's what happens, man. You got to always be prepared. Always.

[Bobby Bones]

If I'm watching the backup for the Bears versus the backup for the packers, and it's the Thursday night Amazon game.

[Brian Baldinger]

It'S brutal, then you might as well do two hand touch back there.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm okay with that.

[Brian Baldinger]

You're okay with that?

[Bobby Bones]

I'm okay with protecting the valuable assets, period.

[Brian Baldinger]

They're all valuable. That's true. There's only 32 of them. And if you lose them, you're taking a step back.

[Bobby Bones]

How many quarterbacks do you think we need to go down for them to call you right now?

[Brian Baldinger]

Oh, man, a lot. They'd be like, castle, can you come in for a workout? And they see me? And they're like, nope, not today. We're going to make you run a 30 instead of a 40.

[Bobby Bones]

Brian Balinger, come up in a second. Thank you guys for being here. This has lots to say. Give us one second. Would be back.

[Kevin O'Connell]

It's T Mobile's critical mission to provide unparalleled 5G coverage for when connectivity is mission critical. Introducing T Priority. With the world's first network slice for public safety, T Priority delivers America's best 5G network experience for first responders even in times of congestion. For uninterrupted communication between more emergency response teams. T Priority has more capacity and faster speeds for real time actionable intelligence built with coverage that goes even farther for reliable connectivity in rural areas. From HD drone footage to real time body camera feeds. T Priority is ready for data intensive emergency technology. T Priority from T Mobile built for tomorrow's emergencies, ready today. Discover more@t priority.com for qualifying organizations on eligible rate plans. Coverage not available in some areas and may be impacted by emergencies.

[Brian Baldinger]

Now we're going to go over and chat with NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, all also known as Baldy. Baldy played for over a decade as an NFL lineman and is known for being the best in the biz when it comes to breaking down film in the trenches. He was also at Cam Orange pro day this week, so it'll be great to pick his brain on how it went to see him in person. Big thanks to Baldy for coming on. Go follow him on social media at Baldy NFL. He's got some incredible videos on here. And here is Brian Baldinger. Brian, how you doing, man? I know you're one of the hardest working people and I know that you were just down in Miami to watch Cam Ward in terms of his performance on his pro day. Do you think that he validated and solidified himself as a potential or the number one pick in this year's draft?

[Matt Castle]

I think so. I'm going to see Shador on April 4th out in Boulder and so that might change a little bit once you see him. You know how it is, Matt. Like once you, you start watching guys throw, you can kind of see how they, you know, their footwork, their torque, their balance, like the ball comes out hot. You know, it's pretty accurate. He's done have the tightest spiral, but, you know, it gets to where he wants to go. I think he's got good movement. You know, I think it helped him that he stayed in school and played in Miami last year. I think he had probably good tape at Washington State, but I thought last year probably really helped him. And just his, you can just tell, like he's very, very comfortable guy, very outgoing players just gravitate towards him. And I think the pro day validated, to answer your question, they validated a lot of things that people wanted to see.

[Bobby Bones]

I know this is annoying question, but I'm going to ask it anyway when it comes to Cam Ward and the quarterbacks in this class. But if Cam Ward were in last year's class, would he have still been a number one, number two, number three quarterback where we have fallen in the Kayla Williams, Jaden Daniels, Bo Knicks list?

[Matt Castle]

Well, I mean, Michael Penck went eight, you know, to Atlanta. Would he have jumped in front of. I love Michael Penn coming out and I thought Atlanta would take him, but he might have jumped in front of him. I might have jumped in front of J.J. bo Nicks. I, I feel like Sean just had something with that kid like, like that might not have changed if Sean had a chance, you know, to do it all over again. If he had a chance between Bo and Cam, I, I think he would still stay with Bo. Nicks. I, I just think there was some, I don't know, connection between those two early on.

[Brian Baldinger]

So, Brian, I know you played offensive line. When you look at this year's class, who's your guy that you say he's for sure the number one offensive lineman in this class or do you have not have one?

[Matt Castle]

I think, honestly, man, I think Tyler Booker is the best lineman in this draft. Like I don't care how fast he runs, he's a guard and you know, he just. The defensive tactics league are just getting bigger and stronger. And you playing quarterback in the pocket when that middle gets collapsed, I mean you're, you can elude the edge to a degree. You can't elude the guys right up the middle. You better get guys that can just keep that pocket flat. I was around him this year. I was interesting. Matt. I go to this OL masterminds in Dallas every year and it was really heavily intended. But these guys with this nil money now, these college kids are all coming to it. So the whole Alabama offensive line came. Like seven guys all set at the table. So I met Tyler Booker last, last summer in Dallas. And so he introduced himself, really nice kid. And we sat down. He wanted me to break down his tape against Georgia. Hey, can we, can you find time? Can you just go through it, tell me what you think. He's really open to any criticism or suggestions, but you think he's really coachable and so he's just clean. You don't have to ever worry about him. To me, he's Trey Smith. If you watch Trey Smith in Kansas City, the guy is the highest paid guard in football. Like he's, he's a rock. I feel like Tyler Booker is going to be that guy in this draft.

[Bobby Bones]

We've watched quarterbacks become way more mobile over the past five, six, 15 years. Now quarterbacks that are just drawback guys can move as well. But how has that changed with the offensive lineman and how they have had to adjust because now everybody can move.

[Matt Castle]

It's an issue. Honestly, Bobby, I played with Randall Cunningham and I mean Randall was a great talent but you never knew where he was going to go. And he was like the original, you know, scrambler in this modern day type of quarterback, you know, and it was, I mean, some days you're grateful that he was your quarterback and then some days you're like he's sacking himself, you know, just leaving a pocket and so it was kind of difficult, but I think there's always kind of a dance that has to take place between your quarterback in your offensive line. I don't think anybody, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, you know, I don't think anybody in Kansas City ever looks at, you know, Patrick and says, where the hell are you going? Like he's just won their overall trust. But I think there's some quarterbacks I know, even in Philadelphia, Jalen hurts. There's the issue some Sunday about when he takes off, why he takes off, where he's going, why he's holding it so long. I mean, that's just the feedback from the guys up front. So. But, you know, the pro game can only take what the college game gives us. And that's what they're giving us. They're giving us these mobile quarterbacks for the most part that can move. And so you got to kind of build these offenses around some of their abilities like that.

[Brian Baldinger]

Well, to piggyback off that, you talk about how you've got these more mobile quarterbacks, but also the scheme has dramatically changed, especially in college with the RPO game and the zone read and they're not running these traditional offenses that you see in the NFL. Do you feel like the offensive linemen coming out in this day and age are pro ready or they have more work to do because of the systems that they ran in college coming into the NFL?

[Matt Castle]

It's a good question, man. I, I think they're far less prepared than they were like say 10 years ago with the advent of what you described. The college offenses made the guys. Their past protection is actually a little bit better than it used to be. But the run blocking is awful. Like the run blocking schemes in college are just so different. The NFL, very few teams in college run power football counter trays. This is stuff that you, you know, that you lean on in the NFL. And then the play action passes often. So I feel like guys that really. And then just. I was at University of Miami practice today, Matt, so Mario Cristobal, to his credit, he's an old school coach. I mean, they're doing half line inside drills. I mean, it's full contact. It looked like an old school practice to me. And he really prides himself on that. So you might see kids coming out of a program like that maybe a little better and a little more advanced and prepared for the NFL than some of these Big 12 schools I've watched for a long time where, you know, they never get in a three point stance. You know, they, you know, it's. They're never running a pro run scheme. I mean, Cliff Kingsbury to his credit, I mean, when it's at Texas Tech, I mean, you spread you out to run it. They basically ran draws. You know, that was the run game. So. But that's. So I think some of these guys aren't as prepared as they need to be.

[Bobby Bones]

There seem to be body part deficiencies that become an issue every year. If it's Bryce Young's height, if it's Kenny Pickett's hands, if it's Will Campbell's arm length, which is what now we're talking about, or his arms long enough to actually hold off, you know, a defensive end, is that actually going to matter whenever it's time to draft?

[Matt Castle]

You know, it really depends on the player. I mean, everybody's different. I remember when Dion Dawkins came out of Temple, they said he's a guy. I happen to befriend Dion. When he was one playing, I was living in Philly, so I knew the kid and everybody said he's going to be a guard. Except he's been to like three or four straight pro bowls at left tackle and never misses a game, never misses an opportunity. But you've seen him. Zach Martin was left tackle Notre Dame. He's, you know, an all world, you know, hall of Fame guard. Quentin Nelson was a left tackle Notre Dame. You know, he's an all world left guard. So I think it depends. Just Will Campbell though to me he wins with his feet. He's got excellent feet and so I feel like he can play left tackle. Rashawn Slater, who came in and set the world on fire, left tackle for the Chargers, they said the same thing about him. This is pretty similar arm length, but he's so strong that literally Myles Garrett can't beat him. Nobody goes through him. And so I think it really depends on the player and every player is different. I believe Will Campbell can play left half.

[Kevin O'Connell]

It's T Mobile's critical mission to provide unparalleled 5G coverage for when connectivity is mission crit. Introducing T Priority with the world's first network slice for public safety, T Priority delivers America's best 5G network experience for first responders even in times of congestion. For uninterrupted communication between more emergency response teams. T Priority has more capacity and faster speeds for real time actionable intelligence built with coverage that goes even farther for reliable connectivity in rural areas. From HD drone footage to real time body camera feeds, T Priority is ready for data intensive emergency technology. T Priority from T Mobile. Built for tomorrow's emergencies. Ready today. Discover more@t priority.com for qualifying organizations on eligible rate plans. Coverage not available in some areas and may be impacted by emergencies.

[Brian Baldinger]

Brian, you played in the league for a long time and you had a lot of probably different relationships with quarterbacks that came in as young guys, as rookies. Did you ever notice that you immediately could see that this guy was going to be special? Or is it was something that you always felt that just because a guy was drafted high as a quarterback, they still had to earn your respect? And was there ever a quarterback also to piggyback off that, that you did not like that came in?

[Matt Castle]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I don't want to name any names here.

[Brian Baldinger]

No, please do. I love this.

[Matt Castle]

I know we had a quarterback from Florida State when I was in Philadelphia. Third round pick, looked a lot like Joe Montana. Man, that's as close to the name I'm going to give you. Like, he came in the huddle of the preseason game, he couldn't call a play. Literally couldn't call him play. Like, you know, I mean, like we had a quarterback that came from the USL USFL in Dallas who wore literally a headset and a hoodie to every single meeting, but they wanted to see if he could play or not play. So it's week 16, it's the end of the season, we're not going anywhere. They throw him in the huddle, they throw him in to start the game, to see. And I'm not going to say his name, but I mean, he was, he was just awful. Like, I don't care what he did in usfl, he wasn't an NFL quarterback. But then you played with guys like Jim McMahon and you're like, Jim McMahon could come off like he could roll out of a hospital bed with a splattered spleen and he could take you right down the field. You know, I mean there's, you know, the position is just so unique and the type of personalities, the type of leaders that can just get the job done, might not be the most athletic, best arm, all that stuff. I mean, Jim McMahon was one of my favorite quarterbacks, favorite players of all time. He was ambidextrous. He could throw a left handed, right handed, he could kick right, left, right foot, left foot, he could drop kick. Like he was just an athlete. He had a. I remember going to his house in Chicago one time, he had a racquetball court in the middle of his house and he challenged anybody to play racquetball any time of the day. If you just drank, you know, a quart of whiskey and some beers and wanted to go play racquetball, he's ready to go play in racketball. Like, that's, I mean, Everybody's got Jim McMahon stories, but, you know, there's nothing special physically about Jim, except he just knew how to play.

[Bobby Bones]

Be the Titans, you're on the clock.

[Matt Castle]

Well, I mean, I, I think yesterday, like, I've never seen, like the head coach is there, right? So Brian Callahan is there, general managers there. They got two members of their social media team following around everywhere. They've got the lead writer from the Tennessee in there. Like, the whole organization is there to see him. And at some point in his, during his workout, he just said, have I solidified my position with you guys? And they all kind of smile and I feel like it's not going to take long for them to, to, you know, to walk Cam Ward's name up there to be the guy. I don't think you're going to trade the pick. I don't think they're, you know, they're bluffing. I mean, I think it's a month away, but I feel like that's going to be their guy.

[Brian Baldinger]

Right? You also do what you call is baldy breakdown. And I love these, right, because they're true football. You're talking about scheme, you're talking about whether it's the pass game, the zone, you're breaking down players. When did this all start? Because I love watching those videos. I think that they're special and they're also super informative for anybody watching.

[Matt Castle]

Well, I appreciate that, Matt, honestly, I'll give you that story. But I just want to ask you one question, because the one thing that seems like it bugs people about them is there's no high tech to it. It's like, I just want you to feel like you're in the film room like you were for 14 years, you know, and you're going through these plays, why it worked, why it didn't work, who played well, who's superhuman? What should have we done? So I just want to get inside the game. But I, I can do all the technology stuff. I can do all the bells and whistles. I got all those, you know, all of those websites to do it. It just takes too long. But honestly, I used to do this show at the NFL Network on Monday mornings called the Aftermath. And I would do games on Saturday in college, Sunday in the pros, and then fly to LA to the show and I would get up like at 3 or 4 in the morning and try to watch as many games I could. So I knew what I was talking about and I just started putting my iPhone up and I just got an iPhone. I had a flip phone forever. I just put my iPhone up there and started kind of just videoing some of these things and it just seemed to connect. But what's weird though, Matt, it connected with fans, but it was connected with the players right away. The players, like the fact that somebody that actually knew a little bit about the game was actually talking about them and maybe players that don't get mentioned a lot, offensive lineman, whatever. So I just started having fun with it and it just sort of connected. Caught fire. And I just said, well, now I gotta what the problem became. You couldn't just do Dallas and Kansas City or Philadelphia and you know, Kansas City, like pretty soon you had to do all 16 games. So then I was like, oh hell, now I gotta like really go to work, you know, because now these people get pissed off if you don't talk about Jacksonville or you know, the Atlanta Falcons, you know, when they were stinking. So now I'm like kind of forced to watching all of them.

[Bobby Bones]

You mentioned Jacksonville. I want to ask quarterback a question about Trevor Lawrence. What is he, Is he a thing? What's happening?

[Matt Castle]

He's going backwards, Bobby. Yeah, he's, he's been injured now. He's been injured. So you know, I don't know the severity of some of these injuries that he's played with the last two years. The ankle two years ago, last year. I know the work ethic is there. I spent time with him. But all he's seen is to see a change since he's been there, starting with Urban Meyer. And you know, I mean, it's just been one change after another. So I think quarterbacks want to find some rhythm to what they're doing. The receiving core has changed every year. It's going to change again. No Christian Kirk, no Evan Ingram. I sound like I'm making excuses for him, but there is some consistency that you have to build upon year after year. But ideally he just has not been able to play big in big moments, I would say. And that's kind of how most quarterback gets measured. We, we measure fourth quarter comebacks and game winning drives and all that kind of stuff. And there's just not a big resume of those games for him at this point. And I think, you know, I talked to him last year after he got his contract. He was relieved because everybody Wants to just go back to work and not have to worry about it. But at the same time, you got to produce. And sometimes it's not even the core of guys that are with you every year. It's up to you to make that core. It's up to you to make that receiver special. And I don't know that he's been able to do that yet. I mean, Evan Ingram put up some good numbers his first two years. Christian Kirk had one good year, but for the most part, people just made a lot of excuses for him. No run game, offensive lines average. All that stuff is true. But I feel like in big moments, he's got to play better.

[Brian Baldinger]

Of all the teams that have gone through free agency in this early signing period and all the different things that go on in the off season, from a business standpoint, what team do you think has improved the most? Just from the players that they brought in and improved their roster this season in terms of the free agency market and what they've been able to acquire this off season?

[Matt Castle]

Well, I would say Chicago. I mean, Chicago's coaching staff was invisible, you know, so maybe Ben Johnson can help. It was just a disaster. Coaches fired, offense, coordinators fired, quarterback coaches elevated. I mean, really wasn't fair to Caleb, the offense line. I got friends with Matt Pryor, he's a buddy of mine. He's not a starting guard in this league. He's just not like the line was terrible. So for them to go out there and really improve the interior three of that offensive line, you know, through free agency, add Ben Johnson as a coordinator, I think Chicago, I mean, if we're going to see Caleb make a jump this, you know, in his second year, I think this is the year you're going to see a real jump. I mean, how many times he was sacked? Some of it was his fault for sure. Some of it he's just got to play from the pocket better than he does and trust his, the routes and the protection better than he did. But I feel like Chicago's made a big jump. I think Washington has made a significant jump. I mean, Larry Tunel, there's too many penalties from him last year, but there's only a couple of guys that could be as consistent in protection as Laramie Tunsil. So I think getting him, getting Debo, letting Cliff work with him, you know, bringing Bobby Wagner back, I think they've done some significant things on a team with an elite young quarterback in, in Jaden right now.

[Bobby Bones]

Final question. And I'm obsessed with players that have Shown glimpses of greatness but had a lot of expectation coming in, which is why I mentioned Trevor Lawrence. But also want to ask about Kyle Pitts because that's a guy at Florida he was a wide receiver but he was a tight end. But he was like nothing I had ever seen that. That was a hybrid of that position. And in the NFL with Atlanta you would see flashes but nothing ever consistent. What is Kyle Pitts?

[Matt Castle]

I think he's somewhat damaged goods right now. I mean I talked to Arthur Smith, Dirty combine. He's the offensive coordinator or the head coach who drafted Kyle Pitts and he thought he was, he was on a good arc his rookie year and then he got hurt his second year and you know, tore up his knee pretty good. And he doesn't think he's been the same since. He's, he's a real hybrid tight end, at least in theory. He's not a great blocker. He doesn't separate. He's not a red zone threat like Sean Payton would take an elite tight end like he had Jimmy, Jimmy Graham name a guy and he's, you know, Sean just happens to be maniacal about red zone offense and it goes to his tight end. Give me a 6 foot 5 tight end that's got length and leaping ability. Let me put the ball in the rim. Let me just go to him. And they've never done that to Kyle Pitts. He's never been a go to guy. Drake London maybe. Okay. But I feel like we're never going to see just because the injury. I don't know that he's ever going to be able to run like he did coming out of Florida.

[Bobby Bones]

Balder, we really appreciate the time. We love the work that you do. We watch it when you're not watching us. Yeah, it's, it's awesome. And thank you for the the Cam update. And we now will put our money on the Titans drafting Cam Ward. Yeah, just on him.

[Brian Baldinger]

Number one overall.

[Bobby Bones]

Number one overall.

[Matt Castle]

I don't know if you can make any money on that betting line right now. Cam Ward to Tennessee. But you know, if you can make a few bones, put the ball, put the money on there right now. I'd say it's pretty, pretty good selection now.

[Bobby Bones]

We appreciate you. I hope you have a good rest of the week. Thanks for the time.

[Matt Castle]

Thank you guys.

[Brian Baldinger]

Thanks Paul.

[Matt Castle]

Thanks for joining. Appreciate it.

[Kevin O'Connell]

It's T Mobile's critical mission to provide unparalleled 5G coverage for when connectivity is mission critical. Introducing T Priority with the world's first network slice for public safety. T Priority delivers America's best 5G network experience for first responders even in times of congestion. For uninterrupted communication between more emergency response teams. T Priority has more capacity and faster speeds for real time actionable intelligence built with coverage that goes even farther for reliable connectivity in rural areas. From HD drone footage to real time body camera feeds. T Priority is ready for data intensive emergency technology. T Priority from T Mobile built for tomorrow's emergencies ready today. Discover [e-mail] for qualifying organizations on eligible rate plans. Coverage not available in some areas and may be impacted by emergencies.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to position this as in Matt Castle's the one that got away. Players that you played with or against who you think should have or would have been stars had they been in the right system or had the right coaching. Because you've said many times and now I'm a massive subscriber to your newsletter of you need to be in the right system to thrive.

[Brian Baldinger]

Right? You know it's always difficult because as players even at for me, you have to adapt to your surroundings in offensive scheme. Because when I came from New England, we were a machine. We did things a certain way off season we were super regimented. We would go through stuff, we'd get quizzed during the off season, all these and also how you handled protections. You were just a machine. Then all of a sudden I went to Kansas City. Chan Gailey was our offensive coordinator who had a lot of success as an offensive coordinator, but it was a brand new system and it was foreign to me about some of the concepts that when I came from New England it was like, well, we would never throw this against this coverage, but we would just call and run it. And it was a different way to look at it, view it. And so what I learned because I fought the system a little bit my first year in Kansas City is you have to try to be able to adapt and buy in because if you don't buy in at all, you're never going to be successful. You got to figure it out and find ways to be successful. So there's a lot of different players. It might not always be scheme, but well, a guy that I remember playing with here actually in Tennessee, Marcus Mariota, he came in and it was his second year. It was my first year here and I was in year like 11 at that point, maybe year 12 and he was a stud. I mean freak athlete, could throw it and had a tremendous year that year. I thought he was going to go to the Pro bowl he threw 29 touchdowns, maybe like seven, seven, nine interceptions. But then the next year is when he got hurt. And sometimes it's not even about scheme as much as it is. You get hurt and it sets you back. And he broke, I think, his fib and tib. And it was a nasty. Well, the year after that, when he came back from that late in the year, that was my first year, actually, that I was here late in the late. Late in the year. He came back that next year and he was not ready to go yet. But he pushes himself because he's the starting guy, he's the franchise guy, but his ankle wasn't ready. And so systematically we had to adapt a little bit because the things that we did before with the zone read and some of the running ability that he had, you had to protect him against himself because he was an ultra competitive guy, would do anything for the team, but he just continued to get banged up and hurt throughout his career. And so I was. He was one of those guys that I always thought was going to be in the upper echelon of quarterbacking, but injury set him back. And then the view of him was always like, well, he's an outstanding player when he's playing, but because of the injuries, it took its toll. And then he was viewed as, okay, he's a good guy to come in and spill for a few games, but you just don't know if you're going to have him on the field.

[Bobby Bones]

You're not going to say this because you're you and you're a humble guy, but don't you feel a little bit of that as you in Kansas City?

[Brian Baldinger]

Maybe to a certain extent. I mean, a lot of times when you go into a situation, you don't. You're just told, hey, this is where you're going. I was traded to Kansas City.

[Bobby Bones]

But you. You had a great year and you got hurt, right?

[Brian Baldinger]

And then I got out of the Pro bowl year in 2010, and in Kansas City next year, I come back and we started the year real slow, don't get me wrong. We were 0 and 3, but we started to roll a little bit, 15 straight, and then I broke my hand, brought in Kyle Orton. And then from there, there was all these question marks about Castle as a player. Castle, is he going to come back healthy? It was a hand. Next year we bring in Brady Quinn, who was at the time still kind of a bridge guy. But I do remember getting hurt that my fourth year there, I had a concussion against Baltimore. And Brady Quinn comes In the game. And then the next week, I come in the building. I was right. Actually, Brady. Brady Quinn played that next week because I wasn't able to go. And then they called me in and said, hey, we're going to start Brady Quinn this next game. And it was one of those tough, real conversations that you've got to kind of swallow your pride as a man and say, how am I going to act? Because I really like Brady, and I think he was a really good player. But at the end of the day, it was difficult to swallow something like that when, you know, wait, I lost my job because of injury, and now I'm not getting it back. Even though Brady Quinn went in in the first quarter, God bless him, he had a migraine headache, and he said he couldn't see anything out of his peripheral. We're in the first quarter of the Raiders game. I'm backing up for the first. First game that I'm back, and he goes, cass, I can't see anything. I can't. I was like, that is a bad deal. What do you mean? I'm sitting there, like, kind of. Kind of laissez faire, like, this is. This is bull. But, you know, and then he comes over, literally, first series or something like that, and he says, I can't see. And next thing I know, I'm back on the field. First quarter because Brady Quinn has a migraine. He's out for the rest of the game. So then I go on to start multiple games after that. So it's just a weird dynamic, you know, especially quarterback play, because only one guy can play. And if you don't get it done and not successful, or it could be you, it could be the team, it could be anything that they want to make a switch, they make a switch. Daniel Jones, case in point.

[Bobby Bones]

This year, I feel like Tim Couch was that guy. If we're going back, I like being over the terrible, terrible, terrible Browns.

[Brian Baldinger]

I thought he was going to be a stud, too. Wasn't he the number one overall?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, number one overall.

[Brian Baldinger]

Goes to Cleveland, gets shellacked, and anybody.

[Bobby Bones]

That goes to Cleveland just is on.

[Brian Baldinger]

The struggle bus for a little while.

[Bobby Bones]

I. I really felt Tim Couch was a guy that, had he landed somewhere else, would have been more substantial when it comes to how we talk about our quarterbacks. But I think what you said about Mario reminded me of your career. I knew you wouldn't say that, but you're right. Getting injured does affect many dynamics.

[Brian Baldinger]

It takes you off course, you know, is what it does. And Brady was The one that always used to say it when I was a young guy, he's like, you never want to see somebody else doing your job because there's always somebody else out there that has a story. Like I did when Brady goes down and you step up and you play well. Well, that puts thoughts in the back of an organization's mind. Can we get this guy for cheaper? Or is he the answer? Or is it because our team around him is really good? You just, you always, if you can go, you always try to go.

[Bobby Bones]

When you were playing, was there a cornerback that you hated to see? And I asked that because they just signed Stingley to a big deal and in Houston. And So he's making 30 million a year. He's shut down. He's a shut down as it gets shut down right now. Like I think of guys like a duo Rivas when you.

[Brian Baldinger]

I hate him. Okay, yeah, because he was physical at the line of scrimmage, but at the same time he, he could easily back off and play a catch technique where he would bait you a little bit. He'd make you think, okay, I'm going to bail. But then he'd have that flat responsibility or jump routes and he. The best cornerbacks that you play against, Champ Ailey's of the world, Darrell Revis, guys like that, they're so savvy in terms of. They study your route concepts, they study the wide receiver splits. So if you're running an out route and you're one of these teams that splits matter, well, you're going to be on the inside edge of the numbers. If you're running some type of in, you might in. In breaking route, you might be two yards removed from the numbers on the outside, but they study formationally where you're set up and then also conceptually, okay, if this guy goes to the flat right now, anticipate this. And that's when they get really good and jump, jump, jump certain routes. But they also have tremendous ball skills, right. They're not only smart, but they have the physical ability to transition, to get on the wide receivers, to lock them down, to make it difficult on you, make it muddy as a quarterback, but then they've got the ball skills to finish it. And those guys are intimidating as hell to go up against.

[Bobby Bones]

It seems that a guy that would have strength, that could play someone off the line, but also like you said with Revis, could back off and had the quickness, but also the brains that seems like that be like the holy trinity of a defensive back that's what.

[Brian Baldinger]

Makes those guys, hall of Fame type.

[Bobby Bones]

Players, jam him if he needed to and play him. Could back off and play the quarterback or the route or. And also just dick with you. You not knowing what he's. And then to be smart and have physically the speed, the quickness and the strength that, that, that feels like it would be miserable to go against. I just would never look at that side or I would try not to look at that side of the field. Was there ever a part of your career where it's like, man, I don't want to throw that direction, but if I don't, then I've shut off a whole side of the field and they know I'm not going that direction.

[Brian Baldinger]

And that's the thing that you've got to play that happy balance. You've got to challenge them at times because if not, then they lean those safeties all to one side over the other three. Three wide receivers that you have say you're in three by one formation. They're always going to cheat to the three wide receiver side and say, oh well, the one on one shut down Revis is over there. Don't go after him. But you've got to be able to challenge them at times. You've got to be smart about it and you've got to understand what you're trying to get done. But at the same time, when the opportunity presents itself, you can't be that intimidated or scared of any certain player because you've still got to go through your reads and if the read takes you there, you've got to be able to trust the fact that your guy's going to go out and compete. And at the very worst, it's an incomplete pass.

[Bobby Bones]

You know, I don't have a favorite team.

[Brian Baldinger]

Really? I thought you were a big Titans guy.

[Bobby Bones]

No, they're not. They're not good. And I didn't grow up here.

[Brian Baldinger]

They're gonna. Yeah, that's true.

[Bobby Bones]

And I like the colors. The colors are slow. I say this all the time. The Titans colors are slow. You can only run so fast in that color of uniform.

[Brian Baldinger]

You know, didn't they go to the navy blue helmets though? That was, that was an upgrade for sure.

[Bobby Bones]

Occasionally there's like a 4% upgrade with the Titans and I think if they won it would be better because when the Jaguars suck, they. Their colors are terrible. When they're winning, I'm like, man, that's.

[Brian Baldinger]

Sick swag out there.

[Bobby Bones]

But like, I don't have a favorite team. I grew up in Arkansas and I'm a massive Razorbacks fan. So. And that's all to me. But everybody was a Cowboys fan because Jerry Jones played in the Arkansas football team, won the national championship.

[Brian Baldinger]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Jimmy Johnson played on the same team, won the national championship. Then we have the Jerry Jones football complex, University of Arkansas. That's why Jerry Jones let me come and ride in his chopper with him and hang out with them and. But I don't have a favorite NFL team. Who should my favorite team be? Because I don't want to be a front runner. Because nothing about me is a front runner.

[Brian Baldinger]

No, you should absolutely be a front runner. Front runner. Just like my youngest son is. I'm telling you, he's got more shirts or sweaters from the. Only the teams that are winning. He's got a Buffalo Bills. He's got a Chiefs. Definitely has an eagle sweater from this year. Like, that's all he goes to. He goes to the front runner. He thinks, okay, if this team's going to win, I've got to have their jerseys. Because he just swaps them out.

[Bobby Bones]

I feel like I need to.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's not a bad way to live your life. You're always winning as a win. I mean, you're always living as a winner.

[Bobby Bones]

But I'm not a winner.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes, you are.

[Bobby Bones]

None of my teams. Arkansas doesn't win.

[Brian Baldinger]

Okay, that's your own fault.

[Bobby Bones]

The Cubs don't win. They won once in 16.

[Brian Baldinger]

True.

[Bobby Bones]

So, like, it's not far away. Like, if I were to pick a team, I would. I would actually auction off my fandom because I don't have a team. Yeah. I would let each team make a bid and, like, you know, send a box of merch and let me see what's. What's, what's best.

[Brian Baldinger]

I like that.

[Bobby Bones]

And like, whatever's like the sickest close I would follow Die Hard to that team. Like, but I would think I would. I couldn't be a Chiefs. I like the Chiefs because I like to see greatness. I like to see consistency.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes. I think consistency, yes, as you get.

[Bobby Bones]

But I couldn't pick a team like the Chiefs, the Eagles, because they're already winning too much. I wouldn't want to pick a team. I mean, the Titans are.

[Brian Baldinger]

You seem more like an underdog guy.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm. I want to be a middle of the pack under somebody that kind of.

[Brian Baldinger]

Comes out, sneaks out of nowhere, and then just takes over.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, I don't mind the Texans.

[Brian Baldinger]

I think that they've got a bright future, even though they trade away a lot of their offensive linemen this offseason.

[Bobby Bones]

I know. I don't mind the Packers. Right. They haven't won it in a while. Young quarterback. But I will say this, and I will look at the camera. What camera are we on? This middle one here. I don't have a favorite NFL team because I did not grow up in a place where we had an NFL team. I am looking to have a favorite NFL team. Reach out to me, send me stuff and the coolest stuff. That's going to be my favorite team for the whole year. I'm going to follow you. I'm going to come to the games, I'm going to cheer you on, I'm going to give you an IL money. Wrong league. But still, I'm looking for a favorite team because I've never had one and I'd like to have one.

[Brian Baldinger]

You know what? I love where you're going with this. Let's get you a NFL team. Send him swag.

[Bobby Bones]

It's not even about so much the free stuff, but who has the coolest stuff?

[Brian Baldinger]

So you're kind of. You're basing it on uniform attire. Oh, look.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I'm basing it on size. How I look in the colors, how.

[Brian Baldinger]

You look in the colors.

[Bobby Bones]

How do I feel about the next five to seven years of the organization?

[Brian Baldinger]

Oh, well, you're putting in. You're starting to put in a different criteria here.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, no. All this goes in five.

[Brian Baldinger]

Five to seven years. All.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I don't need to win right now, but I want to have at least like to feel like there's some promise.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

I also, if it's cold, have a dome. Because. Or put me in a suite. Okay. Because I want to go and freeze my butt off at a game.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes. I guarantee a lot of those teams would love you to come get a suite for the game.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to be able to like the coach, and I'm only going to be able to like the coach pretty much. If you know the coach and like the coach.

[Brian Baldinger]

Right. And do one meet and greet. Please. One meet and greet with. Yeah. Being the coach.

[Bobby Bones]

So I am looking for a favorite NFL team. Reach out. Because I want to be a fan of a team. I have a. Just generally speaking, I'll be honest. I have a lot of free stuff. I don't care about the free stuff, but I want the free stuff because I want to see what you have to offer.

[Brian Baldinger]

All right?

[Bobby Bones]

And I want to find it and I want to root for them. Die hard. I want to be there.

[Brian Baldinger]

I can't Wait for you to pick one of these teams all year. Next year.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm rolling with it.

[Brian Baldinger]

You're rolling with it?

[Bobby Bones]

Rolling with it.

[Brian Baldinger]

What team do you think you would look worse?

[Bobby Bones]

Like, oh, worst at the time. The Titans colors are terrible, so I.

[Brian Baldinger]

Guess Titans don't even bother.

[Bobby Bones]

You can try. No, you can try, but I think the Titans colors are terrible. I think the Jags are tough. The Jags are tough. Detroit's colors are pretty cool. I do love red.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yes, red's a good one.

[Bobby Bones]

But. But I don't want to shut. I don't want to shut too many doors. One thing I've learned about life, if you start shutting doors, let's not.

[Brian Baldinger]

Look, somebody could just surprise you. New outlook on life. Change their uniform, change their swag this year. And you go. All of a sudden, go, oh, I'm in.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't even know where to send the stuff. I'm just saying, since. Hey, Kevin, where do people send stuff? To the studio.

[Brian Baldinger]

Send it to the studio?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What studio? Our studio downtown Nashville. Here. Okay. What are we. How are we going to. We're going to put the address up on the screen. I don't know if we should do that, but if the team reaches out. Team needs to reach out. Okay. And then we can send the team the address.

[Brian Baldinger]

They can send stuff.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. And then we can go from there. Okay. And then. And then Matt and I will come out and do a whole interview, too, with the team, and I just. I just. Perfect.

[Brian Baldinger]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Matt. Matt, you're coming? Okay.

[Brian Baldinger]

I might not have any stuff to wear to your facility, but I'll figure it out.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll get you some. No, it's my favorite team. I got plenty. I know. I have people there.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's my favorite team.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I don't know. They are. Yeah.

[Brian Baldinger]

I've got jerseys of all five of your top stars. Don't worry.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, don't worry about me. Send something for Matt and Bobby. Yeah, well, Bobby.

[Brian Baldinger]

Let's go with Bobby.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, let's go with me. Because, you know, I'm jealous. He's tall. He gets to go. The good. You know, and he probably already has.

[Brian Baldinger]

A jersey from the team that he played for.

[Bobby Bones]

Something.

[Brian Baldinger]

I've played for seven of them, so, I mean, maybe. Maybe it's one of those.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that's true.

[Brian Baldinger]

Good shot.

[Bobby Bones]

Can I. I'd like to say something as we. As we wrap up that I feel is something personal, and I hope you take it the right way, and I think you will, but there is a risk of it not being accepted in the way that I am communicating it.

[Brian Baldinger]

I'm always accepting.

[Bobby Bones]

Your wife's awesome.

[Brian Baldinger]

Well, thank you. I appreciate that. That was not what I was expecting at this point. But, yes, she's an awesome woman. That's why I married her. Been married to her for 18 years.

[Bobby Bones]

That. That part's crazy, too.

[Brian Baldinger]

Isn't that crazy? I got married at 25.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[Brian Baldinger]

When you know. You know people.

[Bobby Bones]

And you guys met at usc.

[Brian Baldinger]

At usc. We started dating when I was a sophomore.

[Bobby Bones]

And here's why. She's awesome and I'm not. Spent a lot of time with her and it was with a lot of other people, but extremely warm initially. Which? 50. 50. Some people.

[Brian Baldinger]

It's 50. 50.

[Bobby Bones]

And there were a lot of people there. And there were a lot of people around. Extremely warm. So number two, dude, you could tell she was a stone cold killer athlete.

[Brian Baldinger]

She is that. There's no doubt about that because she.

[Bobby Bones]

Played volleyball at usc. And you can just look and go, oh, yeah, I don't want to. I don't want to mess with her.

[Brian Baldinger]

I don't want to mess with her.

[Bobby Bones]

And.

[Brian Baldinger]

And she still intimidates me.

[Bobby Bones]

The thing that I liked that my wife does to me as. As my wife's the boss when I'm somewhere, because I'm the boss everywhere I go, except for when I'm with my wife, because she. It's not my choice. I'd like to be the boss there too, but I'm not. I lose. I. I do not have. There's no superiority. Your wife runs the show.

[Brian Baldinger]

She absolutely runs.

[Bobby Bones]

And I.

[Brian Baldinger]

She's the authoritarian in our household. Like, she gets when. When she talks, the kids, like, snap in when I say something. They're like, okay, dad, what?

[Bobby Bones]

Whatever.

[Brian Baldinger]

I was like, God, you gotta have that, though. That's the balance.

[Bobby Bones]

And I texted you, and I've been gone, and you've been gone, but I was like, hey, we need to all go to dinner like wives and everything, because I thought your wife was super cool.

[Brian Baldinger]

I thought the same thing about your wife. Even though there was a lot of people there. I got to give her a hug, meet her for just a second. What a beautiful woman.

[Bobby Bones]

But this is just, like, reciprocal, so.

[Brian Baldinger]

Well, no, you didn't say that about my wife. See, I said something different. Now you have to accept it. Now you can't get uncomfortable. You have to be accepting.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll accept it.

[Brian Baldinger]

Thank you.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you to Brian Balding for coming on. Thanks to Matt Castle for being my friend. You know, thanks to whatever NFL teams will ask me to be their fan.

[Brian Baldinger]

You're super fan, actually, I'll be the biggest. All in.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll be the biggest. Thanks to kickoff. Kevin. Kevin O'Connell. Not the coach, but our executive producer. Thanks to. Okay, so, New York, Casey filling in today on video. Casey, appreciate you as always. We appreciate you being here. If you don't mind, go subscribe. Push the subscribe button. We want to keep our job. Did you see? I don't know if you saw. You probably didn't. But they posted a clip because we were separate last week. And so I. I did an interview with Nico Collins for the Texans for this show, and they were like, bobby Bones talks. And I got. I was like, this is Matt Castle show, too. Did you guys see me write that? I was irritated they didn't add our boy here socials. They said yes. Oh, and shout out NFL Network because they put it up. And they were like, at Mr. Bobby Bones is talking to Nico Co Collins on his show. I'm like, no, no, no. This is not my show. 16, you got to change Castle. Yes.

[Brian Baldinger]

Underscore 16.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Brian Baldinger]

Isn't that it?

[Bobby Bones]

You'll follow it. Something like that.

[Brian Baldinger]

Something like that, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you guys for listening, and we'll see you next time. We've had lots to say. Goodbye, everybody. Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check that you pack the grill first before leaving for the tailgate. Now you've got seven hangry friends in a cooler full of uncooked brats. Checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.