Addressing Media Reporting Controversies

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We're gonna start out Eagles and talk about day two targets for the Eagles, talk about Howie Roseman and Nick Siriani's press conference this week. Then we're gonna do a little bit on the Sixers and the Flyers. Then we're gonna move on to the mailbag because it is a Thursday where we got to do a mailbag as well. So I don't know how long this pod is going to go, what directions we're going to go in, but there is a lot to get to. ZB, how are we feeling, my friend? Doing great. Been looking forward to this show. There we go. Short and sweet. Looking forward to this show. Well, I didn't mention the Phillies in there because they are just a you know a disgraceful watch right now. When Dylan Moore has to pitch twice already and it's April sixteenth, that is not a uh not a good sign, but we'll have plenty of time to talk about the Phills with Tony Buns in the weeks ahead. All right, ZB. The pre-draft press conference. How do you feel about the pre-draft press conference? Where every team's required to have this, Howie Roseman and Nick Siriani go up there. They're obviously not going to tell you who they're gonna pick. They're probably not gonna give you hints on what they're gonna do or who they're gonna pick. Yet at the same time, there are some bigger picture questions there. There was a Jalen Hurts question in there. So uh what stood out to you talking to those guys yesterday? Yeah, to the first part of the question as far as like what do I think of it, I I acknowledge it's the least substantive of every press conference we get during the year, but as I've I don't want to say grown in my career, but kind of like evolved on the beat. Like I've I've um I've come to appreciate it from the perspective of it gives you if if you approach it like, all right, I'm not gonna get their draft plans, their thoughts on play ers, but I can really get like a window into their process, into how, how they think. And Howie, I think, is kind of at a point in his GM career too where he's more comfortable sharing some of the process-oriented stuff. So I actually find it real helpful him talking about, you know, putting the draft board together, their approach to picks, their their philosophy. And so that came through, you know, when he was talking about the horizontal board, when he's talking about how the analytics department uh looks at at at data of like pro bowl players, uh you know, picks that work, picks that miss, uh, and you know, see what what the common trends are there. The the uh different, you know, philosophy in terms of w when guys fall to you and uh, you know, like I asked him about because they they do want to go offense heavy this year, but you can't dictate the board and like how how he he he navigates that. Uh so there there was interesting insight in that area to the Jalen Hurts point. Yeah, he was asked about uh the articles on on Jalen from you know yes SPN most notably, right? Uh and he said that uh he he said him and Jeffrey Lurie and Nick Sirianni are like direct with players. They they they let players know he kind of um implied or suggested that other pe you know, if if this isn't happening elsewhere in the organization, they they need to fix it, right? That 's kind of the interpretation that I had. He didn't directly or even indirectly acknowledge like the the content of the articles as far as was Jalen holding the the offense back? Was Jalen holding is is there an issue with Jalen ? He said it's unfortunate that these articles come out. He understands, you know, this is what sells. Um but he he didn't acknowledge the the Galen part of it and Howie Roseman's quite savvy too. Like Howie knows what to say and what and what not to say. So uh I'm not gonna like suggest that this this is them endorsing or validating what was said, but it's yeah, it's not like their strong rebuttal was it's not like they came forward and said , you know, Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl winning quarterback. Like this is ridiculous. This is ridiculous to even have these questions, right? Like that's that's not their they they kind of took objection to the idea that they're not um you know talking to him or that there's people in the organization who have frustration to him. So that was kind of my interpretation. That was the most interesting thing. They could have ja uh like you said, uh it's been what, weeks since uh the Tim McMahon is Jeremy Fowler article came out on ESPN. They know they're having a pre-draft availability. They know they're gonna get asked about the article and Jalen Hurts. And yet it was, I thought, an extremely clunky clunky answer from uh Howie Roseman. And it I thought that maybe he would just come out and say what Jeffrey Lurry said at the owners' meetings. Like this guy's Jeff Jalen Hurts' record is whatever, 48 and 15. We've been to two Super Bowls. He's won one. He's played great in both of them. He's been a Super Bowl MVP. We've made a financial commitment to him. He's great in the community. He's uh his work ethic is second to none. He's the most mature, whatever, you know, how however old he is. Now, and he didn't do he did not do that. You know, so we can just say he did not do that. So then the question becomes, well, why didn't that? And why did he sort of you know go around in circles? And I had two thoughts on this, CB. One is what we've discussed before, and that's that you know, it is possible that he's just not on the same page as Jeffrey Lurry in terms of having this very high opinion of Jalen Hurts and having full confidence that three years from now, Jalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles quarterback, and I have no doubt that he's going to have a long career here in Philadelphia. That could be it. Some of the question, not to say that, you know, this the stuff in the article was from Howie Roseman, but he might just agree with some of the stuff uh in the article. He might have questions about it. And he's trying to figure it out and he's hoping Jalen Hurts plays great this season with kind of the new infrastructure around him, but he's not totally sure that that's gonna be the case. But I thought maybe more likely is that Howie Roseman knows his building, knows the people in his building, knows the players in his building, and knows that there might be this sense that Jalen Hurts is, I don't even want to say coddled, that's too strong, but maybe not um held to account for some of the issues with the Eagles offense as much as he should be held to account, that he knows that people in the building feel that way. And so he doesn't want to come out and just give this full-hearted uh Jalen Hurts is not the problem, Jalen Hurts is the solution, we need to do a better job, because he knows people feel that way and he doesn't want it to look like all right, Jalen Hurts is so favored by the owner and Howie Roseman, uh, you know, in this organization that nothing he, you know, he's never at fault for anything, and it's always somebody else's fault, and it's the OC or it's the wide receiver or it's the O-line injuries, and it's never Jalen Hurts. And if he knows people feel that way, he doesn't want to kind of feed into that with strong public comment. So that's what I was kind of thinking about um as I heard those comments that maybe that was part of his strategy there because the way he answered it that we're direct with our players, you know, letting people know, no, we, you know, if we have criticisms of him, we're gonna let him know we're not just everything's great with Jalen Hurts here. That it felt like that's the direction he was trying to go in, even though I'm not sure that that came across uh the way he intended it to that's a valid point. It might be all the above . As as you say it, I I can say uh yeah like I I I could see that because I I do think this was something that came up in the Carson era. And I even asked you know, Howie, if you had a franchise quarterback again, would you approach things differently? Because there was that idea that it was like Carson and the rest of the team. But I guess my interpretation of it, you know, you know, Cliff, when you see a group photo and someone says, Oh, this is a great photo. Um like what are you looking at when when you look at the photo? You're looking at the group, you're looking at you. Uh probably I mean I would say me first and then the group. Yeah. Right? Yeah. So you so you so your view of whether it's a good photo or not is how you look in the photo. Right? Exactly. So that's kinda like I think that that it's it's it's human nature to look at well, wait, wait, I'm not, you know, this isn't look. If you want to talk about like my complicity in this, this isn't on me here. You know, and I that was kind of my interpretation. And I could speak for Jeffrey, and I can speak for the the head coach sitting next to me. L likeike, we're not the ones at fault here. Yeah, so that that was kind of my interpretation of it. Like I could speak for myself here because there is that idea uh and this was actually in Mike Silver's article in The Athletic back in January that um that specifically said that there's a belief in the organization that Jeffrey, Howie, and Nick don't criticize Jalen. Right. And that was kind of what you put out. So I think like Howie wants it known that no, like I'm I'm not afraid to be direct quarterback. We have these conversations. Yeah. So we'll see. It it has been. I feel like every offseason's kind of weird for Jalen Hurts, regardless of whether he's coming off a Super Bowl MVP or coming off a season like last year, it always feels like there's something going on with the uh with the conversation, the discourse around Jalen Hurts. And it's not just externally, it's obviously internally as well there. The stuff with the draft board was cool, ZB, I thought. He was a little more open, you know, talking about the horizontal board. We don't just stack players one through whatever. It's hey, they're in different tiers. And so then when they're in a different tier, now we might look at uh position al value or who did we already draft or those kinds of things. So I that I I I don't know that he's probably I guess he's probably said that before, but I thought he was a little more open uh to discussing that in this conversation. I liked when he was explaining that uh what you said about the you know, our analytics team comes up with models for what does an all pro guard look like? What does an all pro where do they come from? What are the traits that they have? And then we have the same conversations with the scouting staff. You can kind of it was a good window into what his actual job is, which is let me talk to the analytics group, let me talk to the scouts, let me talk to everyone personnel, let me talk to the coach es. Let me talk to Jeffrey. Let me watch the film and come up with my own opinions. Okay. Now we put these all together. And yes, I am the final decision maker. But now all right, who are the players who might just have like a green check mark from all of these different groups? Well, and including myself. Well, that makes it a lot easier for me to draft that player because nobody had a question about them, versus hey, analytics love this guy, but the scouting staff said they had questions about X, or the medical staff said they had questi ons about X. It's like it's a good view into the process of how he approaches the job versus maybe some more older school GMs in the NFL. And I was thinking, ZB, like he's been on a hot streak, and it's you, know, as he was explaining that, there's been this view that, you know, many years, many people have done studies on the draft that there aren't actually great drafting teams and bad drafting teams. There's just like going to be a lot of variants. And if you have the same people in positions basically for 20 years, you're not gonna see a lot of difference uh between all right, they this team knew what they were doing and this other team didn't. Have the Eagles figured something out with the draft? Or is Howie Rose has Howie Roseman just been on an incredible hot streak? But we'll probably look at the next three years and say, okay, he came down to earth a little bit . Well , uh it probably somewhere in between. He is on an incredible hot streak. You look at I mean the first and second round picks in particular, like the amount of blue chip players they have, you know, I put something out yesterday, the second round picks that they've had between 2020 and 2024, every one of them made the Pro Bowl. Every one of them is like assuming Cooper the Jean signs a second contract, is a second contract player for big money, you know? Uh Jalen Hurts, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Cooper the Gene. Uh you look at their first round picks during that period too, like it's it's been remarkably success, it's been remarkably successful, and there has been kind of a a shift. Uh um, and you can talk about the consensus big board. I I think that early in the draft, like they they target guys that that they love and that might seem that you know that I I think that's why he's made these modest trades up. And you spoke about the Marcus Smith draft in in Monday's show. Like I don't think he he wants to be in position where he's on the board and it's like, eh, you know, who do I go with here? And I I think almost like that was kind of what the Drew McCuba pick was last year. I that I mean that's a guy they really liked, but they might have kind of overdrafted him because I think they were they the board didn't fall the way they want. And I think that you know you made the point. I was listening back to the show, uh a fifth and a sixth round pick, which is what they gave up for for Wicks. Like that's not significant. And I was like, yeah, it it's draft, it's more draft capital than they given up. Howie , if you just study him, and he doesn't explicitly say this. He feels like you can trade back in rounds three, rounds four, rounds five, like trade back and just add a fifth here, add a sixth there. And so you can always use picks to move up early in the draft. And then you use picks to trade back in the third and fifth, you know, third, fourth, and fifth round and kind of collect those picks back. And that's why he's been the king of this, like of the trade-up here, because uh you know, if if if he's on the board uh and Quinyon Mitchell was the only year that that that that didn't happen recently. But then he was able to do that in the second round. Like the process was outstanding because then he was able to move up and get Cooper the Jean. So I think they've had a a targeted approach um where they've had a lot of these trades up to ensure that they've gotten the guys they wanted Devontae Smith was a great example of that. Uh you know, Jalen Carter, they moved up one spot. Jihad Campbell, they moved up one spot. And so there I I think that he is on a hot streak. I don't think anyone ever figures out the draft because as Howie said, you're projecting how a guy is going to be three years later. And I think if if anything, that's where I give the Eagles credit. We spoke about like production versus projection. Uh but Howie even said yet said uh this this week that their first round picks are about like who can be a Pro Bowl all pro player and get a second contract. So he's not worried about what year one looks like for that guy. And I think a lot of times, and you see it, I see these mock drafts where it's like the Eagles need a safety. Well, it's like the Eagles is this guy going to be a blue chip player or is he going to be your starting safety this year? And I think so the Eagles really emphasize like, like, is this guy going to be a six, seven, eight year player for you All right. Howie Roseman, Nick Tiriani, spoke to the media yesterday. Anything else there, ZB, or should we move on to the day two targets since we've got so much today? There's like big picture stuff that I can intersperse into observations, comments. All right, let's get to the exercise. Same exercise as our previous episode. So listen to that if you haven't, where we each individually wrote down our top 10 most likely targets for the Eagles in the first round. What do we have? Six , Z B, I think, that were the same. Let me look here. I got the spreadsheet. Yes. We had six that were the same. We had four that were different. Now we're doing day two. So the Eagles, correct me if I'm wrong, have three day two picks: 54, 68, and 98. Obviously, that could change. They could trade up, they could trade back. So we don't know. But so we just identified 10 day two prospects that we think the Eagles could select CPR. So if we got six that were the same in the first round, what is your number here for this exercise ? Five. You think we're gonna have five? There's a lot of players to choose from on day two, Z B. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's much harder. Yeah, I thought it was gonna be lower. I thought I'll put it at three and a half would be my three and a half. Okay, I'm going the over then. Over. Okay, he's going. over there Now are you okay doing the countdown, Z B? Have you had some time to reflect? I know you said you re-listened to the show, you self-evaluated. Do you still want to say no, we should go one through 10, or do are you embracing the idea of a countdown 10 to 1 here? I learned about like 13, 15 years ago that don't uh don't bet against Capatia, right? So if if if you think something works, I'm rolling with it. Uh I I tend to think that I want to hear, you know, if I'm listening to to some of these uh mock drafts, I'm not listening to it from thirty two to one, right? Um but I I I I tend to want to hear number one first. But yeah, I uh the show was entertaining the other day, so clearly it's working. So yeah, I'm people are hanging around., C B Yeah, don't worry, but it's one segment. Then we got the mailbag, we got six or stuff. So people are hanging around. What else are they gonna be doing here? You know, as they you know, walk around, get their steps in on this uh beautiful week in the Philadelphia area or wherever they're listening. All right, so we'll start with 10. So one is the player we feel like is most likely to land on the Eagles in day two. Uh, and 10 is the 10th most likely player here. Z B. And maybe we'll do a we'll switch it up a little bit. We'll go alternate. So you go 10, and then if I have them or don't have them, then I'll go 10 and we'll go on from there. And we'll we'll if you have a if somebody says 10 and I say I have them at six, then I can reveal it right away. All right. Get us started. Who do you have? Who is the 10th most likely player to land on the Eagles on day two of the draft? Chase Pacintis. Uh or Pisantis, rather. I'm sorry, Chase Pisantis. And the reason he's least likely here is 'cause uh he he might go in the first round. And if he goes in the second round, I think he's a guy the Eagles would have to trade up to get. But I uh he's the he's a guard from Texas A and M. Yeah, we gotta be really good about saying where these peop who these people are uh, you know, for the for the non draft seco's out there who might just be getting acclimated. Yeah, six five, three fifteen, three years starter and three years. Uh so you know, he left early. We'll start off as a right tackle at Texas AM. He's been a left guard the past two years. He'll be a guard in the NFL because of his arm length. But man, real good, like tough player . I really like him. Uh, I think that the first round buzz is is warranted and he's someone that Deagles brought in. He's a Jersey guy. He modeled his game after Quentin Nelson. And you can see like the the Quentin Nelson in the game from the size that he has to play that he plays. And so uh I like him. I just don't think he's gonna be on the board with the Eagles pick in the second round. He just missed the cut for me, Z B where I had him on. Yes. And I just thought, well, is there a sweet spot where they're going to be drafting where he's going to be available? You know, Fran had him going 36th, Dean Bruegler had him going 28th there. So I thought, hmm, uh, you know, I I don't think they would take him at 23. Uh it maybe if they move down end of the first round, start of the second round. Sure absolutely. I think the second round is kind of their, you know, their sweet spot that day too for some of these interior offensive linemen. I could absolutely see him being a player uh that they like. I think he visited the Eagles shout out. Yep. Uh Dave Zankaro's keeping track of all the prospect visits I saw. Uh so I I saw that he visited the Eagles there. So there's obviously some interest with the Chase Bisantis, but I felt like maybe there's not that sweet spot where he's gonna be around when they pick. And so I did not include him here, although I like that one from you. By the way, let's give a shout-out to all the great draft guides. Of course, our friend Fran Duffy with All City, Dane Brugler at the Athletic. We've got Danny Kelly, we've got Todd Bickshay. So yeah, as we aggregate all this information, I can tell you, I was not necessarily grinding all of the Chase Bisantis film, uh, you know, for in in preparation for this exercise. So those guys are all doing a tremendous job painting a picture of these prospects where we can look at it and go, all right, does that sound like an Eagles player or does that not not sound like an Eagles player? All right, let's take a break. We come back and I'll hit ZB with my number 10 . The Ringers Philly Specialist brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA play-in tournament is back, and you can get better payouts this NBA play-in on FanDuel. All FanDuel customers can claim a profit boost every day of the tournament . Plus you can also enter FanDuel's play in Palooza for a chance to win a share of two million dollars in bonus bets every day of the play-in tournament. All you have to do is place a live bet using your play in Palooza token. Visit FanDuel.com/slash ringerphilly. Play your game with FanDuel, official sportsbook partner of the NBA. 21 plus select states or 18 plus DC, Kentucky, or Wyoming. 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Listen, I was looking at it. I if you actually had me sit down and say you get, you know, you get $500 if you nail the pick. I don't know that Nusmeyer would have been $10, but I felt like we should have the conversation about on day two, would they look at a quarterback? They've done it before. They did it with Kevin Cobb when they had Donovan McNabb. They did it with Jalen Hurts when they had Carson Wentz. Even, you know, going back to he,y, they signed Michael Vick when no one thought why why why would they be a team that signs Michael Vick? We know the quarterback factory. We know the jokes. At the same time, it's not a bad, you know, it's not a bad strategy, obviously. I've listened I've changed my after they know when they drafted Jalen Hurts. I thought, what are they doing? This is crazy. How could they do this? I learned from my mistakes. You know, and so I look at it now. And if you have Tanner McKee on the final year of his rookie deal, you know, you can easily sell this. Garrett Nessmeyer, you know, we knew his dad when he was in the building. We got great intel on him. He played through an abdomen injury last year, but man, 20 going into the season, go look at some of the you know I can you can hear how he's saying, go look at some of the mock drafts and the rankings going into the season. He was viewed as a first round pick, had twenty nine touchdowns, twelve interceptions, threw for four thousand yards in 2024. We never want to pass on a quarterback who we feel like can be a really good player. Good quarterbacks are hard to find. And so he's going to come in. He's going to be a great uh guy to add to the quarterback room. Listen, Jalen, we all know Jalen Hurst is the starter. He's the franchise quarterback, but Garrett's going to come in, uh be a backup for us, low-cost backup. Uh, and then we'll, you know, like to develop him down the line here. So, you know, we just thought I don't know where the pick would be. Fran had him 61, Dan Bruegel had him 85. So somewhere there on day two, maybe they have a pick. And they say, you know what? Uh there's good value here in Garrett Nussmeyer. Do you think it's crazy, Z B, that they would go this route on day two of the draft ? I don't think it's crazy. Now, I I think probably more that one of their two third round picks than their second round pick, right? Uh, but no, I don't think it's crazy. You laid it out, and I think Nussmeyer would be the type of player that you look at too for the reason you said like like the stock fell. They had a lot of exposure to him. I I actually saw Garrett Nussmeyer play in person. I did a story on him when when when his his dad was the quarterback's coach, Doug Nusmeyer was the quarterback's coach, spoke to Sirianni about him, spoke to Jalen Hurts about him. Garrett Nussmeyer was was on the side, you know, on the sideline before the game at the Eagles Super Bowl or was at the Eagles Super Bowl. Uh was post-game party was there. Like they they know him well. And anyone who follows college football knows LSU was a beep show last year, right? It was just a mess. Um and he was hurt. Shocks, Brian Kelly. Yeah. Yeah. He was I he was injured too. So you can actually you can absolutely talk about uh that value there. And and yeah, like I think a third round quarterback is not an indictment on Jalen Hur ts. It's like an acknowledgement that uh you you have your backup on the last year of his deal and then a thirty seven year old third stringer. Like you you do need to think about what the future of the quarterback position looks like. So I I wouldn't criticize that pick. I think even and even second round, I don't think is like this this crazy stretch. But when you have three day three picks, I think in if you took about if it if you spent um I'm sorry, three day two picks rather, if you spent one on a quarterback, I think the reaction locally would would um be incongru ent with like the value that they're that they're getting with that pick. Which they're not afraid of, you know, they they made the Jalen Hurts pick. That that was more controversial at the time than I think this one uh would actually be. So I, you know, I felt like we should just have that conversation before the actual draft. All right. So you don't have him ranked, I assume, in your title. I don't. I don't. Okay. All right. Number nine, Z B. What do you got? Number nine is uh I'm sorry, I'm getting the pronunciations correct. Dejaan Stripling, wide receiver, O miss. Uh not a personal favorite here, but look, you can see the appeal six two, two oh seven, run a 4-3-640. The Eagles were quite intrigued last year with the Ole Miss. He's a wide receiver from Ole Miss. The Eagles were quite intrigued by the Ole Miss offense. Charlie Weiss Jr., someone who they tracked closely. Stripling was was the the top receiver for them. Um , you know, good dirty work player. Uh there were other receivers that I like more, and I think that kind of fit maybe the Eagles more on uh in the in the in the second round. He could be , you know, early third as well. And the Eagles brought him in for a visit. Uh so I I do think wide receiver, if if they go O line round one, I don't think they leave day two without a wide receiver. And so you have to look at these day two receivers, and that's why I have stribling on this list. Ran four three six over eight hundred yards each of the past two seasons. Uh started his career at Washington State, then Oklahoma State, then Ole Miss. Fran mentioned him on our uh pod when he came on. Jacoby Myers was his comp. So outside receiver, like ZB said, physical player, good blocker, good ball tracker. Also has visited the Eagles on one of those top 30 vis its. Uh Dane Brugler had him sixty third in his seven round mock. So Deshaun DeShawn Stribling, wide receiver, Ole Miss had him written down . Also just missed the cut. Okay. We're in the also receiving votes part. Also receiving votes. Yeah, this this was actually hard to uh limit it to 10 because there's so many players on day two here. Now we will do our seven-round mock next week, ZB. And that's our official on the record. Yes. Here's what we think is going to happen here. Because I'll be honest, I felt a little dirty. You know, we did our pod, and then I did WIP later in the week. And I was like, you know, Monroe Freeling, I think it's the guy they're gonna take. And I'm not trying to have it all these different ways on the record next week. It did I'm having trouble with this draft. I told you, you know, during our last pod, where I'm just like, man, I actually don't know which one of these guys they're gonna end up drafting here. So I I changed my mind just a day after we did our pod. All right. Number nine, I also have a wide receiver. You want to guess who it is? I'll give you three guesses . Antonio Williams ? No . Malachi Fields? No . And then so I'm gonna guess someone I have on my list then Chris Bell . Not Chris Bell. Chris Brazzle. The second I like Chris Brazzle. This is the Z V type player here. Yeah. I've ever seen six. I like Chris Brazil. One nine eight. Ran four three seven size and speed as Z V. You can't teach. You know, those kind of measurables. Began his career at Tulane , transferred to Tennessee, uh, had 62 catches for 1,0 17 yards and nine touchdowns last season, averaged over 16 yards per reception, led the SEC in receiving yards per game and touchdowns, dangerous vertical threat, can track the ball well. Now did not play special teams. Fran called him a very high variance player. But you know, I was thinking about what Howie said yesterday, Z V, and just kind of I I do feel like they're not trying to draft, you know, number three and number four wide receivers to fill out a roster. They're trying to say, if we hit , we want there to be upside. We want this to be really meaningful and a great player. And I feel like Chris Brazzle, the second from Tennessee, looking at it, I felt like he had that kind of upside. So France got him going 70 in his mock. Dave Brugler had him 78. Mel Kuyper had 63. So that's kind of the area we're talking about in the draft. Chris Brazzle II, CB. You got to love this guy. I do like him a lot. And I I had him I had him go in the second round for the Eagles in I I had to do a mock draft before the combine. I had him going there. And um yeah, I I don't I'm not a draft analyst and so I defer to the draft analysts who have him, you know, lower. I I d I don't see why not. And I think um frankly that there's in the draft process sometimes people scout the helmets and what I mean is like you hear oh,, the this Tennessee offense is really hard to to project to the NFL. And I'm looking at it like, well, maybe he's just like a really talented player and he's got size speed and makes plays downfield, makes catches that are outstanding. Um like I see some T Higgins in his game. Uh he is um yeah, I I I I I've really liked him. I I liked him at at Tennessee. I liked him going back to Tulane. Um, I think that uh he's he's gonna be one of the better players taken day two this year. And so um I'm on board with it. I don't have him on my list because I guess I just haven't heard him as connected to the Eagles as much, and I don't want to make all ten wide receivers here, but I'd certainly like him more than Stribling . All right. We do not have a match yet. Z B and I not we're we're kind of on the same page, but we're not totally on the same page here. We're like, yeah, I thought about him. But we haven't gotten somebody who's on both our lists yet, ZB. Maybe that changes here with your number eight selection. Who do you got? My number eight selection, Travis Burke, offensive lineman from Memphis. And this would probably be more of a third round pick, although I think that did Dan Happen going round two, maybe. Um, but six foot nine, three hundred twenty-five pounds, thirty-four and a quarter inch arm . Uh he's been a I don't want to say a late bloomer, but like, you know, he was at Gardner Webb in the Florida International, didn't get to Memphis until this past year. He's someone that the Eagles uh showed interest in. And this is the the you know, he's he's a he's a potential starter in the league. Has has races that are hard to find. I think the fact that the Eagles showed interest in him and someone else that I have on my list demonstrates what I've been speaking beyond what Howie Roseman said the other day, which is that the way they view offensive offensive line prospects hasn't changed. And they look for traits that uh like are um you know, impervious to scheme or that that aren't affected by scheme. And Travis Burke has the size and athleticism that you can't find and was a productive player at Memphis last year, twenty-three years old. Uh and so I I thought that he'd be more in the third round, fourth round. And so when I texted you last night, like are we just doing second round? Are we doing day two? Then and you said day two. So he got on my list based on that. But I will say here, I'm pulling up the seven round mock. Yeah, okay. He's he's in the third round from um from uh date. So eighty-third overall. 83rd. So yeah, the Eagles have two third-round picks. So that would be the range if they went like, let's say, pass catcher, edge rusher in the first two rounds. I think Burke was someone to watch in round three. Figuring out offensive tackle for this exercise was difficult because I'm like, yeah, if they take an offensive tackle in the first round, I don't think they're going to take an offensive tackle exactly in the second round. So like what's that percentage that they actually take an offensive tackle uh in the first round and let's weigh that properly here? There are a lot of six, eight, six, nine tackles in this class. I mean, it's crazy going going through the guys who might be available there on day two. Every one I felt like was at least six eight, neat, neat, solder, King Dunlap, you know, these these very tall uh Jordan Mylotta . Jordan Mylotta. I know, you know what? It's like I don't think of how tall is Jordan Mylotta. Six'eight. Six eight. Yeah. It's sort of, I don't know why. Like he's just he kind of look like he's a monster of a man, but when I've been around like I remember when I first went to training camp and saw like King Dunlap, and I'm like, oh my gosh, like that guy's huge. Yeah, and maybe it was just I was older by the time I saw Jordan Mailada. He wears it very well. You know? He does wear it very well. Handsome guy. Just looks like he that's how he's supposed to be. He's supposed to be that big. So he he walks around that way. But other people probably feel different. I think Fran was saying when he first saw Mil ata, he was like, Well, who is that guy? But um, yeah, I didn't have the same experience there with Mil ata. All right, I didn't have him. Z wrote him down as you know, my initial list , but did not have him on my list. I'm going with now I know you're not gonna have any safeties on your list. I do have one. You do have one. Okay. All right, let's see. Do we have the same one coming at AJ uh uh halsey okay safety from LSU. No, still not a winner. He's not on my list, but I I I certainly if you're looking at a second round safety, AJ Halsey would fit. All right, so that's who I've got at number eight, six foot, two fifteen from LSU. Started 43 games first at New Mexico, then Houston, then LSU, 22 years old. France's outstanding zone awareness led LSU in tackles per game last season. 10 career interceptions. I like this one from Dane. Zero penalties in 700 plus defensive snaps last year, Fran comptim to Kevin Bayer. So A.J. Halsey from LSU, listen, I don't know that they're gonna take a safety in the first uh three rounds here, but if he's someone who Vic Fangio says, I love this kid. He can play for me right away. He'll be a starter for us right away. And they say this is the best player on the board. Then I thought he had the profile of someone that could interest them. Fran had him going 51st. Dane Brugler had him going 82nd . AJ Halsey, my number eight pick, and Z B does not have him ranked. It's a fine pick. I think yeah, I think safety. Um, I don't love the second round safeties, but if you're looking at a second round safety like him or Traden Stukes are two guys to look at for sure. All right. Number seven, ZB. Who do you got? Number seven, I have tight end. Yeah, I have to have tight ends on this list. I tight end Max be a match. Max Clare from Ohio State. Um okay. Uh Max Clare from Ohio State is I I really liked him when he was at Purdue. Uh the year he had two years ago. He was awesome at Purdue. Didn't kind of take the step um forward that you might have expected at Ohio State last year, was a loaded offense. But I can certainly see the appeal here. So he's he's six four, two forty six. Uh he's real good in the open field. He uh he's not the best blocker, but I I believe he can block. And um yeah, I I I just thought that if you want to go in like the you know going into the year who were some of the tight ends who are identifying Max Clare was absolutely on the on that list. So I I think if you're looking at like third round tight ends, which I think makes sense for the Eagles, Max Clare would make sense . Like I said, I'm not sure about much about the Eagles draft here this year. I do feel strongly that if they don't draft Kenyon Sadiq in the first round, they're coming out of day two with the tight end. It feels like that's going to be a nice sweet spot for them. Multiple guys available, whether it's a slight trade-up, whether it's sitting where they pick, that there'll be a tight end on day two that they end up liking. I would be really surprised if they came out of the first two days of this draft without a tight end. So ZB says Max Clare as one of the potential options there. Did not have him on my list. We're sure. But listen, this is good. These are the kind of, you know, you're in the draft room. You're not always aligned. You got to talk it out. You got to figure it out. I've got ZB at number seven . Offensive lineman, interior offensive linem an, Keel an Rutledge. Okay. From Georgia Tech. No, still no hit. With Z A. This is crazy. All right. You know, it was hard to find uh interior offensive linemen that had a little positional versatility, I felt like on day two. You know, it didn't totally align there where it's like this guy, you know, sometimes I look through the draft guides and it's like, oh, this guy had this many starts at left guard, this many starts at right guard . He played a little center, that kind of thing. Rutledge was one of the few there on day two that I felt like fit the bill. So uh began his career at middle Tennessee, then transferred to Georgia Tech, 6'4 , 3'16, gets all those, you know, things that get people fired up about interior offensive linemen, Mahler, physical, bully, all those things, started all 26 games the past two seasons could have versatility to play all three interior offensive line spots, even though, you know, to be fair, he hasn't necessarily proven that. So I think they would love to get an interior offensive lineman at some point on day two. They've had success with that. I don't know that the board's definitely going to fall that way where they're going to be able to do that, but I think a player like Rutledge uh and now Fran had him as a first round pick. Yeah. 28th over all. Dane had him 53rd on his board. So there is some variance about maybe how teams feel about this player and where he could go. But I thought maybe he's there at some point with a second round pick. Yeah, I look, I I I can't knock it there too. And he's someone who definitely has has some buzz. So I uh yeah solid selection here. And I think this is like this is the challenge with offensive line and you and you mentioned it. Like I think the Eagles go all O line first round. So they go O line first round. I don't think they're coming back and going O line second round. So actually more of the O line man I have outs outside of Chase Bisantis uh are like round three guys. Okay. All right. CB's up with his sixth most likely Eagles target on day two. What do you got? Number six, staying in the tight end depart ment. And I think we might have overlap here. Georgia tight end, Oscar Delp. Do we have overlap here? We do. I have number four, Oscar Delp, the tight end. Yeah. Georgia. Let the people know about Oscar Delp. Yeah, so long time listeners of um it's weird to say longtime listeners of me, but if you remember when I was on the PHLI show uh and I was really into Brock Bowers when he was coming out and I said, Man, just just wait until you see Oscar Delp play. And my good friend and co-host Bo Wolf was was mocking me for uh talking about Oscar Delp then. And but it is true. Like I've been tracking him for a long time. Hasn't quite had the college production that uh I expected him to have. But the like the on-paper resume in terms of like size, athleticism, that really jumps out here. And I I just think that if you're looking at, you know, the Eagles don't need a starting tight end this year, but if you say outside of Sadiq, who can become like the best tight end from this class? I think Oscar Delp's that type of player. So six foot five, two hundred forty-five pounds at his pro. Now he did not run at the combine because they uncovered a left foot injury there . Uh, but he ran a 4-4-9-40 at his pro day, 38-inch vertical jump. Um, and he's someone who like he can be a do-it-all candidate uh at at tight end. He can block. He can make plays downfield. He can catch the ball. He had underwhelming production in college. And that's that's that's what Dane said in the beast years. His best year was actually, or his most catches came in 2023 when Brock Ballers was there. He had twenty four catches, two hundred and eighty four yards, three touchdowns. Then I thought he was going to kind of step in and be the guy during these past two years. That has not been the case, but I just think there are so many tools here. The Eagles know the Georgia program well. He's well thought of in the Georgia program. So I'm going with Oscar Dell . Fewer than 300 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons had just one touchdown. last year So yeah, you are projecting, although this is not a bad position to project for uh with tight ends. If you like the athlete, feisty blocker. Franz Comp was Brent Sellick for this. I was like, oh, Brent Sell. Brent Sellick, I mean, he had some stretches there in his prime where he was just like a tackle breaking machine. You know, and then give the big, big first down signal. Then I remember he had to adjust CB when Chip Kelly got there. He wanted to do the big first down celebration, but you had to get back to the huddle because they were going hurry up. I remember making that observation early uh there with Brent Selleck and uh and Chip Kelly. So um yeah, I think he's a good option sometime on day two . Again, you know that program well . You're really betting on the traits, betting on the upside. There's obvious risk given that he hasn't uh performed at a high level there at Georgia previously. All right . My number five. Wait, no, six. Six, right? All right. So I had I had dealt at five. My six. I had I had delp at four, correct. Thank you. I'm getting confused very easily here . All right. My six isn't very uh exciting. Caleb Tiernan, Z B. Offensive tackle from North Western. Okay, he's exciting to Z B. Six eight, three twenty three, three and a half year starter. Uh, Fran liked his play strength and competitiveness better in pass pro than run blocking, fits his ocking scheme. Some thought that even though he's a monster of a man, maybe he can slide into guard there. Uh 43 career starts, has played right tackle, has played left tackle, very durable. It sounded like the type of profile Z B I thought that could make sense for the Eagles on day two. Dane Bruegler had him going 75th in his mock draft. Absolutely. He was actually on my list before I was like, all right, I'm just going to put Bisantis on because there's not going to be 40 first round picks, right? You know, you every year I kind of hear like uh you know teams don't have 20 first round grades, but then every guy's sneaking into the first round, right? So so I was like, all right, I'm gonna put Basantis on. But yeah, uh Tiernan was the guy I took off, but I think that um I don't think he's a guy that wows you, but I think he's a guy that does uh uh real yeah, I think he he can fit. I think there's a lot to work with there, known to be like a a smart player, you're you're looking for a swing guy, and he makes sense in that respect. Now why didn't you go to Northwestern for college? C B? You were looking for the big time journalism program. You just apply. Where did you apply to college? I actually don't know the I know you went to Syracuse. What else, what else was on the list there? Was it a tough decision or were you just like Costas? I'm going. Yeah. So uh well, I applied to Syracuse early and I got in, and that's where I went. Um, but to answer the question succinctly, uh my dream school succinct. I'm very interested in this. Yeah. My dream school growing up was Michigan. Um I loved the fat five, I loved like everything about Michigan. And I took summer courses there. After my freshman year of college, I went to a program at Michigan and I didn't want to um to be like a flight away from Philly. You know, and it's I know you can drive it, but it's it was a long drive. And I I just remember like the the the the distance was something like I I didn't fly to college every you know if I had to come home. Um and, so uh Syracuse, I took courses at Syracuse after my junior year of college. And I loved it. And I loved the proximity and I hold on. Are you saying high school? When did you I I apologize. My in high school. Did I say college? In high school, you went to Ann Arbor? To take some courses? Yeah, so after my fresh your freshman year? After my freshman year, I went to a program at Michigan. After my sophomore year, I went to a program at Columbia. Um, and after my junior year, I went to a program at Syracuse. You were just gone every summer? These various college campuses? Well, I I was, you know, I I was doing other stuff I it wasn't like 12 week programs. The Michigan one was a was a four-week program. The four weeks away at all Columbia one the Columbia one was a one week program and the Syracuse one was a My sister did one at Delaware, I remember. Summer college. She was yeah. You know, calling them like a Yeah, I I I I I like to learn. I'd like being on college campuses. I thought there was like yeah you'd you'd stay in a dorm and it was like it was cool. It was who would you stay in a dorm with another high school just you and another high school kid from somewhere in the country. Yeah somewhere in the country yeah yeah it was great you get to meet different people, you get to experience different things. And so um yeah, I I did that. And then uh and so I um and then I I'd be writing for the local newspaper in Philly when I was after my yeah in Am in Ambler PA Ambler Gazette and I was do I was valet parking I was doing some I was doing odds and jobs, counselor things like that. I think we'll do uh you know the various sub Okay. Yeah. But uh Northwestern, I have I mean Northwestern Evanston's beautiful and uh just I I just wanted to stay closer to Philly. That's kind of what it was. So did you apply anywhere else to college? Or you just uh you got the early Syracuse and you were there? Yeah, I got um got in early to Syracuse. I I did uh you know I didn't know if I was gonna get in, right? And so you applied uh you applied to other places, but I got in early, so I was like uh committed to Syracuse, so to speak. Why aren't you telling me the other places you applied, C B? Where else did you apply 'Cause you don't want anyone to feel like that's uh I don't want to be. What are you talking about? College isn't gonna feel bad? Are you seriously not gonna tell me? You are strange . No, I mean I mean it's Cliff, where else did you apply? I could tell from the get go. You were saying something about it. You didn't want to say where else you applied to college. Yeah, Maryl and Lehigh. Okay. Yeah. So they got over it. Merrill those were the other two? Are the full list? You know I have contacts in your life. I can double check this. Um yeah, Merrow and Lehi uh were the were the that were two that I applied to. Yeah. Two that I applied to. He didn't say the only other two. There's some mystery school out there. I don't know if he applied. He didn't tell anybody in his family or i is it an Ivy and he's you know I mean, I got into this Ivy but you know I didn't go there. I think that could be it. Cliff, wait is is your mic plugged in here? I mean what what wha what do you what do you make of this um obfuscation from Z B on the the college application stuff here. I was about to say Z you act like this is some top secret information. Like how long ago was you in college? Bro, there is there is I graduated high school in 04. Okay, so this is twenty-two years ago, twenty-three years ago. I just don't I don't there is no statute of limitations, like you're good It's not a crime, like you're good. It's like saying, yeah, I mean I I pro here, I proposed to one person and I married her, right? I mean I there was one school that that was the best school and that's where I went. The best fit for me, and that's right . So unbelievably shitty. All right, so ZB, shady with the college application process. I mean, do you I I can be a clean you know, I'll just I I can just tell you. I Penn State, Penn, Boston University, and Syracuse were the four. So Syracuse was your safety school? Uh no, Sarah. I got a little I got a little scholarship from Syracuse, but then as I was weighing the finances, I thought, is is it really worth it? You know, my visit there was kind of cold and rainy, not that Penn State had beautiful weather, but I had the familiarity from the siblings having gone to Penn State. So I said, all right, you know, let's uh we we'll just uh go to Penn State. Didn't get into Penn,. uh U soh it was BU, Syracuse, and uh Penn State were the three that I was choosing from. Um, but yeah, I Northwestern wasn't even on my radar at that time. It was kind of like Syracuse was the big, you know, journalism uh school. So, you know, who knows? Maybe in another era, I'm applying to Northwestern. All right. Intrepid reporters out there, ringerphilly at gmail.com. Let us know why ZB is being shady about his college application? I'm not being shady, but I can say whatever Shield did it worked out well. Yeah, no, we can all we all know that uh first you wouldn't mention any of the other schools, then you would mentioned two, and we know that there's another school out there that you did not mention. So listen maybe that's no I just thought like the context of it was like when I was like I applied Syracuse early that's where I want and I applied other places in case I didn't get in. I didn't want it to be suggestive like so you know, you know, someone's school was like a safety school, right? I I didn't want that to be uh Who's gonna be offended? These colleges are just ripping students off left and right. I mean we don't have to look out for their own. I didn't want oh Zach thought such and such was his safety school. I I I I thought that would be like ostentatious or pompous or something like that. So that's why I didn't do that. I love talking to this man. The detours the detours in the conversations are always the highlights of my podcasting with Zach Brune. All right, I gotta take a let's take a break, regain my composure here, figure out what we were talking about with Eagles prospects. We'll take a break. We'll come back on the Ringers Philly Scialpe . This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. Spring is here, so celebrate it with fresh, juicy, seasonal produce and some very tasty limited time flavors. New Whole Foods, Market Peach, Apricot Rose, Italian soda. Perfect for a picnic or brunch. As is their trending mango Yuzu Chantilly Cake. But if you're on the go, new 365 strawberry pretzels make a great sweet snack. That sounds delicious. Get savings with yellow sale signs store wide and everyday low prices on 365 brand items. Enjoy the fresh flav ors of spring. Save at Whole Foods Market. All right, we are back here. We didn't get any answers during the uh during the break there. It was only about three seconds. All right, C B. I think we are to you and number five. Is that correct? Number five, yes. Okay. And this is my first and only defensive back on the list. And this is admittedly someone who I like quite a bit, but I actually think it based on the fact that there's been a visit and based on what I know about the way the Eagles play football, he's someone that the Eagles will like. And that's Jalen Kilgore, defensive back, South Carolina. Uh and so Kilgore was, he was a, I'll pull up the profile here, but he was a uh a a nickel at South Carolina. And like a really productive nickel at that. Um and he is I've when I first watched him play, I I just I was just drawn to him. Um and this is going back to when he was on the field early in his college career. So he's a three-year starter uh at s at South Carolina. Um he in in 2024 , he uh he led the SEC in interceptions with five. Um, but he was a freshman all-american in 2023. That's that's when I first saw him play. And just like a just an awesome, like active player back there. I feel like he can do a little bit of everything. I think he'll be a safety in the NFL, even though he was kind of an even though he he was more of a nickel in college. Uh 6'1, 2'10, run a 4-4-40. Um, really good athlete. And so, yeah, I he's uh I think he he can he can cover, he can hit, he can make plays on the ball. Um I I just really like the player, and I think the Eagles would too. All right, Jalen Kilgore, DB from South Carolina, number five on ZB's list. Not on my list, although in this also received votes. He was in the area there, also received votes for me as I was going through some of the players who visited the Eagles. Speaking of which, my number five is a player who visited the Eagles. I think CB's gonna have this one. Markel Bell. Yes. CB. My number four. My number. Number four. All right. Take it over, Sheo. You got it. From Miami. There you go. 6'9, three forty-six. I don't remember reading an arm measurement like this, CB. Did you see this? 36 and 38 inch arms. I mean, that's that is nuts. Like usually you see 34 inches, and you're like, all right, that guy's got you know, big, you know, that that guy's got really long arms uh for an offensive tackle. 36 and 38 inch arms, 22 years old, Juco transfer to Miami , did not allow a sack last year, started 21 games the last two seasons. This sounded like a good offensive tackle prospect on day two of the draft, Markel Bell, the O T from Miami. I've got him at five, and ZB's got him at you said four. Four. Yep. Four. All right. What do you like about a Markel Bell that I didn't Well he he he doesn't uh uh allow guys to get to the quarterback. I think that's what jumps out, right? I believe he did not allow a sack at Miami, but like that's that's what stands out. Yep. Exactly like you said. Um you were applying to college, right No, I was looking at arm length. Um the uh the uh I was looking at the offensive tackles who have longer arms than than him. Okay. Uh since the history of the combine. And so yeah, so that that's what I was looking at. But yeah. Uh and that Miami offensive line was like awesome to watch. Um, you know, the top offensive tackle in the draft played right tackle 'cause Markel Bell played left tackle. Uh you know, you you look at like Mario Christopher's history with offensive linemen, he's a good evaluator. Good his group develops it, he's a real good old O line coach. And that was a a just a really productive offense. And I thought they were a productive offense mostly because of their offensive line this past year. So um there's a lot of tools to work with. You can't teach that size, that arm length, and then add in the college production, I I I do like him. All right, so Z B had him for I had Oscar dealt four, which brings us to our top three. So so far we have had two players on both of our lists, Oscar Delp and Markel Bell will the overhit. We need two of the final three to be on both of our lists. Who do you have at number three, Z P ? So I feel a little dirty being the one talking about him because I feel like he's on your list and you should talk about . Um because on the how do you know he's on my list? Well, because on the pod with Fran, you specifically said, uh, Z B don't steal this. Oh, I don't even remember who it was. Okay. Go ahead. Okay . So I do listen to you, Sheel. Okay . I don't listen to myself . Illinois Edge Rusher Gay Backis. Oh, I don't have him. I was debating having him on the list out of deference to you because you said and we can all the stuff is transcribed. You said ZB, don't take him. Okay. And so I didn't meant your mock draft or this list. So I wasn't gonna take him in my mock draft, so you could have it. No, he was on my just miss list. I I initially had him and then I took him off here. But tell the people about Gabe Backis who Fran , yeah, Fran said this is a fangio type edge player, right? Okay. Yes, and Gay Back is so you know, six four, two sixty, just like a really physical edge rusher, um, productive too, but but to kind of buttress that point, I've used buttress now back-to-back shows, uh, is uh when I I I did something, I I did an article on the athletic on like 10 options in the second round, rank these guys, and I put those 10 options in my social media tees. And Bruce Feldman, the incredible college reporter at the athletic um responds like uh Gabyakis is like perfect for the Eagles or is like you can see that guy on the Eagles, right? And so that's a strong endorsement there. Um, but I think Eagles fans would really like the way he plays. You look at the production, he had 11 sacks last year. uh Uh he was he was a third team all American in twenty twenty-four. But then you just watch him play like the the physicality that he plays with. Um he has he has quickness. He could just he can fit in your edge rus her rotation on day one. And so um if I think that they will take an edge rusher of this draft, I think they're gonna take one day two. I have a different guy higher than him, but I would not knock the Gabe Yakis pick. I have no idea why I took him off my list. I'm hearing you talk about him. Got the Fran endorsement. Looking at my notes here. They all make sense. Honestly, could have just been an oversight. It happens. What do you want from me? You know, there's a lot of names here with the draft, and this type of thing is going to happen. So Fran had him going 56th. Dean had him going 46th in the draft. I think he's certainly a good name. Gabe Akis, the edge from Illinois. All right. My number three, Z P. I'm going back to tight end here . Justin Joe Lee. Do you have him? The tight end from NC State? I do not have him. Oh, he' doesnt have him. 6'3, 241, began his career at UConn, then transferred to NC State. 49 catches for 489 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Competes as a blocker , was a wide receiver recruit, some John U Smith comparisons. He added 60 pounds over the last four years there, trying to moving from wide receiver to tight end. It felt a little bit like a poor man's Kenyan Sadiq. You don't get Sadiq there in the first round. You say, no, we still want that type of player. Let's go for Justin Joly in maybe the third round. Dean had him going 88 overall. So I've got Justin Jolie. That sounded to me, again, you don't you don't get Sadiq in the first round. That sounded to me like a player you could maybe target there on day two. That would make a lot of sense. Yeah. Uh solid player. Uh not as much a favorite of mine as some other tight ends, but I I can certainly uh see the appeal. And I think you are right. Like I think the Eagles come out with a tight end in this draft. I don't like the second round tight ends. Um, although I I am bigger on I'm higher on Stalars than our good friend Fran Duffy. We've had that debate, he and I. Uh and so I I think that uh I wouldn't knock the pick, but I just think there's some other options that I like in the second round. I think we're gonna have the same top two here. Okay. Z B. But you give me your number two. I think we're gonna be aligned here and the over is gonna hit. So my number two is someone I would pound the table for, but I think he makes a lot of sense for the Eagles, and I think the Eagles would think the same. Wide receiver Chris Bell from Louisville. He's also my number two. Okay.. ZB Okay. Did we we're losing Z B. I don't know what's going on with ZB's. They maybe how we got wind of this podcast and said we're we gotta black them out because they are giving away our secrets. ZB's flashing on the screen. He's going off the screen. So I'll tell you about Chris Bell. 6'2, 222, 22 years old, strong bully, possession receiver. Could be a big slot, could be an outside receiver, has yards after the catch . Here's the thing with Chris Bell. Suffered a torn ACL late in 2025. So now you have to look at it and say, hmm, he might miss part of his rookie season or he could have trouble getting up to speed. Is he still worth it? Because if he was healthy, he might have been a first round pick. So 72 catches for 970, 17 yards, and six touchdowns in 11 games last year, averaged over 17 yards per reception in 2024, three-year starter. So this is someone who it looks like has a lot of upside as a wide receiver, has been productive. You have to think about the injury from last year. You have to weigh that in your evaluation here. But on day two, this seemed like a pick that could make a lot of sense for the Eagles. All right, C B. You're back with us. So I was so excited about the pick when I pounded the table. I pounded the table so hard that the microphone wire came out of the microphone. Right. Like this is why in the draft meetings they don't have microphones in front of them, right? Um I th youought're gonna say this why they don't have you in the draft picks. I believe in the little too excitable. I believe in the player, I believe in the fit. Um I think that uh I don't know if if you said this or not. Uh I think if he didn't get hurt, he wouldn't he he'd be a first round pick. Uh if you go back and you watch his game against Miami, team that made the national championship game, he was the most electric player on the field that day. Like he was outstanding. He was like a big game player . He I'm not it I want to say I'm not comparing him to AJ Brown, but the body did like he looks like AJ Brown out there when he has the ball in his hands. The size, he I'm sure you mentioned the size, the size is comparable to AJ Brown. I think like you get this guy on a on a slant, he he will he'll he'll run away with the ball. He he can make plays on the ball. He's physical. He's athletic. Um and yeah, like I don't think ACL injuries are um too worrisome for me. Uh you know, an Achilles or something like that's a a little different. I I think players recover from ACLs, you know, you never know how it's going to be. And it happened early enough. This this wasn't like a like an ACL injury that occurred during the pre-draft process. This was an ACL injury that happened during the season. So just look at the timeline. My guess is is he's he's back early in the year. And I I I just think that like makes perfect s you know when when I think about value for the Eagles, when I think of like the Landon Dickerson pick, when I think of the Cooper DeGene pick, these are guys who slipped to the second round of the draft because they had injuries during the pre-draft process. There wasn't standardized test scores for them, you know, you know, like standardized measurement scores for them. There were like like when's this guy gonna be ready? You know, how you know is what you saw on the field comparable to what he actually is. And uh the Eagles benefited in both those cases. And I think if they took Chris Bell in the second round, they would also benefit from him. So um I feel strongly about him, but I also think that like this isn't just my preferences. I think he makes a lot of sense for what the Eagles will need long term. I'm with you. One interesting note on him. 16 penalties in three seasons, Dane was saying. Emotional player. So maybe that's why they had him in there for a visit. Let's the QB know when he's unhappy was one of his notes as well. So you have a man, hey, can do you know, how how's the personality? Is he just competitive? Um, can we manage this? Is it going to be cool? Um, I think they would bet on the talent with a player like Chris Bell. You get an offensive tackle, maybe round one. You get Chris Bell in round two. I feel like that would be a pretty nice outcome for the Philadelphia Eagles. All right, Z B. From Yazoo City, Mississippi, same hometown. That's right. As Fletcher Cox and Kenny Gainwell. Where ZB has been. Wrote a great feature on Thank you Fletcher Cox. How many years ago was that Z B? Two thousand and twelve. So going on he just knows off the top of his head. Yeah, but I couldn't even tell you what I said in a podcast with podcast with Fran last week. I I went to P. Rowl's uh had some great crawfish there. So I I highly recommend the uh the the Cajun Crawlfish at P Raoul's in Yazoo City. All right. For many of you just, you know, sort of passing by. You can stop right there. All right, T B . This it all comes down to this. I set the over at three and a half. Will it hit? I think it will hit. Who is your number one most likely target for the Philadelphia Eagles on day two of the draft? From a fantastic journalism institution and a fantastic uh university that produced an elite podcaster from Penn State, Danny Dennis Sutton. Den ied. Deny Dennis Sutton. You denied my name of him. Deny Dennis Sutton. Yes. Should have looked. Deny Dennis Sutton. Sorry, deny. My bad. My bad. Yeah. I should have had the pronunciation guide in front of you. It's okay. It's just fun to say. That's why I wanted to. Yeah, deny Dennis Sutton. Um, sorry about that. I I should have gotten that. But is he your number one? He is my number one. Okay, good. Very trendy pick for the Eagles. But yeah, I wish I could zag and go the other way and say everyone settle down. But I kind of feel like he looks like an Eagles pick to me. Yeah, 6'6, 256, uh, you know, 4'6, 340, 39.5 inchvert , um, productive college player, eight and a half sacks, both of the in in 24 and in 25, has like the size, the athletic uh traits, the uh I I think he he's a he's a good scheme fit for the Eagles. He dropped, you know, when he was at Penn State. Um he he kind of fits that Jalen Phillips role that the Eagles are losing . He's not Jalen Phillips, but uh a player you develop, you put him in with J Alex Hunt and Nolan Smith. Um I I think he's a guy that can get in the third round. I've seen him mock the Eagles in the second round, but Dennis Sutton is uh number one on the list either in the second round or third round for me. Denied Dennis Sutton. Again, very fun name to say. Yeah, you you mentioned it. All the reasons you mentioned uh positional value, premium position, position of need. Looks like he has upside, 17 sacks, 25 TFLs, five force fumble. The last two years, had an elite three cone at the combine, led the big ten in pressures per game uh last year. So I think all the things we were talking about when we were mentioning how he rose men are he's saying, does the analytics department like him? I would think yes. Does the scouting department like him? You know, it feels like there's a good chance there would be a yes. Coaching staff feels like there would be a good chance. There would be a a yes there. They had him in for a visit as well. So Fran has him going 54th. Dean has him going 52nd. So I guess, you know, it you know, right around where that first Eagle second round pick would be. Maybe they stay put in the first round. Maybe they trade up in the second round and say, we all love this guy. Let's get let's move up and make sure we get him. So yes, I thought deny Dennis Sutton seemed like a very eagles-y pick there in the second round. So the overhits, we got four of the ten aligned here. ZB's top 10, and now we'll go in his order from most likely to number 10. Deny Dennis Sutton, Chris Bell, Gabe Akis, Markel Bell, Jalen Kilgore, Oscar Delp, Max Clare, T ravis Burke, and Deshaun Stribling. That is ZB's top 10 for the Eagles on day two. I've got Denai Dennis Sutton, Chris Bell, Justin Jolie, Oscar Delp, Markel Bell, Caleb Tiernan, Kalen Rutledge, H.E. A.J. Halsey, Chris Brazzle II , and Garrett Nussmeyer. So there you go. I mean, we got a lot of names for you on day one, day two of the draft. Now the fun begins. Where Z B and I spend our weekends looking at it, saying, All right, we want someone to look back at this years from now and say, Wow, this person really nailed it with their Eagles seven-round mock draft. And we'll come back and do that next week, ZB. Are you ready? I'm excited. Love a mock draft. Okay. We'll do that. All right. One last break, then we come back, do a little sixers, do a little flyers, and we will get to the mailbag All right, we are back here on the ringers Philly special. We'll do a little mailbag, ringerphilly at gmail.com, but first , the Philadelphia 7 6ers are in the playoffs. Fun, really fun game, actually. I thought fun win last night. Crowd was great. Naxie was terrific. VJ was going playoff mode, getting the technical, uh, which I enjoyed rebounding. Uh, Andre Drummond gave him great minutes. So now they face the Boston Celtics Sunday at 1 p.m. They are big underdogs, ZB. What is your view of how Sixers fans should kind of approach this as they now officially go into the playoffs as the seventh seed? When do you anticipate embiat? Or do you anticipate embiat? Wow, that's not a new question. Okay. Um no, I think it's appendicitis. There's nothing you can do about it. I I don't know. Is he gonna come back for could he come back for a game six and seven? I have no idea. It's all speculation. I don't know if it could be earlier. Yeah, I mean I I think I think that's the issue. Look, I I'll admit there was a part of me that was saying if you lose to the magic and you can beat the Hornets, you get the pistons in round one, that that would have been maybe more advantageous. The Celtics are loaded. They're a juggernaut. Um, but I kind of felt that way about you know the Bulls back in 20 11, it was, and then Derek Rose gets hurt. I'm not saying someone gets hurt . Injury but yeah I mean I I look I uh I give the Sixers uh credit for you know they're the seventh seed. I would have liked for them to get that sixth seed. But I I think that uh I think they'll they'll be more competitive than a typical seven seed against the Celtics. Then again, the Celtics aren't your typical two seed. Getting you know, getting Paul George back has just been huge. Um he he does make a difference. Edgecomb and Maxie are so exciting out there. And when you look at it, like the the thing working the sixers favor, and this is a little um you're a Sixers op the I'm a Sixers Optimist speaking here, is that they have a player who can win you a game, right? And like in the playoffs, sometimes if you know it's like oh the maxi game right if you can steal a game here now I don't think they can win four against Boston but they can steal a game maybe there's an ugly game that Boston has where they steal another and all you're trying to do is prolong the series they get they get they get the big guy back and I see Willis Reed coming out there you know crowd goes wild Joel is back for game six, pushes it to a game seven, right? Like that, that is the the best case scenario . Cliff, it's a it's a house money series, right? You're kind of going in. I mean I don't I don't know anybody who's gonna pick them to win. Yeah or expect them to win here. They're big time dogs and um you know minus nine hundred the Celtics. That that's a nine that's a ninety percent probability. The only team right now with greater odds, that's B lazers series is the only one with a bigger difference. Now, we haven't had all the, you know, the play-ins not over yet, so those might be the same, but um yes, minus 900, the Celtics. Game one, they're 12 and a half point favorites just for game one. So sorry, go ahead. Yeah, I think it's cool that both the Sixers and Flyers made the playoffs, but at the same time, it's like, I mean, I just hope they don't get bludgeoned by the Celtics and just get swept out of the, you know what I mean? And swept out of the first round because it's like it's cool that they made the playoffs in that little moment last night was cool being the magic and whatnot. But I also just want to see this team get past the second round for once, right? Like we still haven't seen that since I was a child. Like you think about that, since I was a a little kid with the AI sign like honk for the Sixers like when that when that campaign was going back in that time. So while it's cool in the moment and and we we can revel in what happened last night and VJ looked great and Andrew Drummond looked like Andre Drummond from like 2012 and you know a couple cool things happened last night but man i hate to be pessimistic with overall and be like i mean what's you gonna lose the celtics every game and you it's gonna be four nothing like what did we really accomplish, you feel me? Well listen, it's uh yeah yes you can look at it that way you both gave you know the two different it's playoff hoops if you like playoff hoops you know I think you're hoping for maybe like uh like that finals against the Lakers, where if you can maybe you steal r game one and everyone's excited and then game two, you're in it and all right. Like a hardened game. Like a hardened game. Yeah, you know that you lost four one. But I I want to put a scare into them. I want them to feel some pain, you know? So maybe if you can steal one of the first two games, and at least we're having a conversation after those first two, it's one-one, and you're saying, hey, you know, probably not gonna happen, but still ZB said, Maxi can win you a game. I want VJ to look like he belongs. Get it, you know, get another T. Get in somebody's face. It felt like they were at least embracing that. That's why I feel like the crowd was getting really fired up, feeding off of them last night, because they were like, we're, you know, we're here for the playoff and intensity we're not here to just show up uh and lose. So that's what I'm hoping for. No, I mean again, it's hard to come up with the scenario other than the Celtic. And honestly, would the Celtics need the Celtics would probably need two dev two devastating injuries. Yes, they were really good to win. I mean the team without Jason Tatum was still significant They're they got crazy depth. Like Baylor, like I said, I've mentioned his name a million times, Baylor Shireman is a contributor on the Celtics. Like they got if you switch coaches, you might be able to make the case for an upset. What Missoula over Nick Nurse? Uh yeah, I think so. Missoula. I mean I like Missoula, but he can't go but at least he can get more with less. He's shown that. You know, when a guy goes down, rally the the these guys they got playing. It's like how who are these people you know, some of these guys playing minutes for him? I don't think it would give the Sixers a, you know, the ch but I do wish, you know. Nick Nurse, show me something. Can we come up with some schematic advantage to steal a game or something in this uh in this series? That would be nice. So we'll be watching. Listen, we'll be watching. I think that's wishful thinking if I'm being honest. Like I I I just don't I don't see it. Um I I wish I could be way more optimistic about the Sixers here, but I'm just I'm not happy with another first round exit, bro. That's gonna probably r result in multiple blowout games. I'm sorry. Save the play. With your best player being hurt yet again. Right. Like it's it's same old story, bro. Like I I hate the poo-poo people's moment. I know a lot of people are excited about this right now, but I'm I'm just like, all right, man. It's gonna be cool. This is unlike you., Cliff This is usually and you're right, and you're right. But it's the Celtics again. It's the Celtics Fritos coupons coming down for the blimp or whatever they do down there for you know It's the Celtics again, it's gonna be you know I mean it's it's like deja vu every single time. I would love a big time Sixer Celtics series where it feels like like you know, you know, they had the one there where it felt like they could steal it and then they blew that one too. Yeah, the game six, yeah, when Tatum just went nuclear on them. Yeah, yeah. I just think like when you look at the the standings at the end of the year, it's why like there's no such thing as like a throwaway game in January, right? Because like the the difference between like one and two wins is playing , you know, the Celtics or like the Knicks or the Cavs in the first round, right? And that's that's an enormous difference. And so Yeah, yeah, right. Yeah. And so that and I I get like there's people who say it all balance itself out. Like sometimes you get, you know, you get a a team on the second night of a back to back and like it's a scheduling win for you. But like over eighty over eighty two games, when you look at like you're a game out, you're two games out and it changes everything in the playoffs. All right. So we'll see what happens. Six years, Sunday, one o'clock. Cliff will be locked in. Just win game one and then Cliff will have him winning the series. He just needs something to grab on, you know, to to grab onto there in terms of optimism. All right. The Flyers . The Fly Guys. Base. The Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. I'll tell you what, people were flyer up after that win when they clinched the playoffs in the city. Yeah, I was in the city for part of that day. I was in media for part of that day, and people were legitimately talking about the flyers, had the flyers gear out there. Some comparisons is this 2022 Phillies-ish , where they kind of, you know, they finish strong. They come out of nowhere. It's a sport where you can, you know, be a lower seat, and you know, it doesn't matter. You can surprise if you're playing good hockey and no one expected them to be here. That kind of thing. So I do think there's some excitement for the Flyers. So here's what I did: I asked my friend Joe Monty, huge Flyers fan, mayor of Country, I call him. Shares he's the Cliff, he's the one. He shares the birthday with you. Oh yeah. My wife with Serena Williams. Big day, September 26th for me. And I said, I said Monty give me a player who I should throw my support behind you know I'm gonna throw my support behind the flyers I who's my guy give me a guy who like this is my guy. I want this guy to play well. So here's how he responded via text. He said, going off the board slightly here, everyone is gonna say Ziegris, Worster , Mich kov. Nope. But how about Jamie Drysdale for you? He said. He said he's playing some elite hockey right now. He got traded for Gotier. Did I pronounce that right? I don't know. After that deb, acle cutter. Is an afterthought for a while and is now one of their most important players. So there you go. That's my guy, Jamie Drysdale. Long been a Jamie Drysdale guy. Going back to his days growing up in Toronto. I call him big game James. Jamie Drysdale got picked sixth overall in 2020. Traded with the Anaheim duck. You know what I like about the Flyers fans? They are embracing everybody jumping on the bandwagon right now. They're so happy. They you know, the fans. Yeah, you felt kind of like, oh man, you know, they're kind of snobby. They don't usually. I feel like now they're like, man, we've had this playoff drought. We're just so happy to have playoff hockey back in Philadelphia. Anyone who wants to jump on the bandwagon, jump on the bandwagon. So I'm jumping off. And I'll I'll even say this. I think this series is kind of gettable. I I I'm gonna be honest with you. Look, the the penguins listen, the penguins got the star power they got Sid, they got Malcolm. We all we already know how good the penguins can be, but the defense can cave in a little bit. Ladar, like you remember, what'd you say? Standing on your head. That's the old hockey saying with the gold. I call them Vladdy Dottie. We like someone. Vladdy Dottie. I like that. I like that. Vladdy Dottie. No, Vladar's been awesome the last you know month or so. It's hell, even since the uh Olympic break, um since the dudes have come back since Olympic the Olympic break, Porter Mart one uh just has given this team some life. It's almost like the Flyers kinda kinda got like a like a star player edition for like the second half of the season. Like that's how good Martin has been. He's only 19, and it's still crazy to think that Mishkoff is coming along a little bit there. Kanectnik, Zagra, like everything is all coming together now. And I'm not sure the penguins defense can hold up against the Flyers, man. They do got the star power though. I will say that they win the star power battle. I think the Flyers have a better chance in the Sixers than in uh to advance. Um , oh, that's not even close. The Flyers Yeah, like like not trying to make like an obvious statement here, but yeah, no, it's gonna be fun to watch that, man. And it's just is Pittsburgh, is is Philly? You already know that rivalry, you know what I mean? It's gonna be crazy. I might have to go somewhere and watch the game. I was actually I actually ran into um I ran into my boy Nikki uh over at Bad Brother the other day. We I was just in the neighborhood chilling. I was like, you know what, man, I might might pull up over there for the game if you're doing a little watch party. He's like, bro, great. Anytime, bro. Yeah. He's like, anytime, brother, anytime. So I might be over there. What do you think? Are they gonna go on a run here? Are you feeling it? What do you think? Well, so two things here to the to the part of the run. You are correct. Hockey, you can't make a like. I think the most comparable situation will be the 2019 Blues, right? A team that was like just Barry. Okay. They won the company Ruby. They kind of came out of nowhere there. They they had like this. It's just they like caught fire at the right time. Uh an exciting team. Really galvanized St. Louis. Um yeah, I mean the Flyers have some pieces. Um they they're putting it together at the right time. And I agree the penguins are gettable. I just think it's just I don't want to say hilarious to me, but yeah, you know, she always says that like the best time for a sports fan is like the come up, right? Yeah. It is the the Sixers like bought through all these injuries in suspensions squeezed through to make the playoffs. And there's like such vitriol and petty on the seventh seed. They have they have these young, exciting players. They're such like pessimism and vit riol and you'll hear off they if they're out in the first round it's a waste the flyers haven't been in the pla in the in the playoffs in all these years have all these mismanaged picks. The'yve had they have a top five they had a top five pick who didn't want to play for them, who demanded a trade out of the organization. They have all these like weird signings that they do. And then and and it's like, oh, they're so excited, this town's fired up. Like it's just it's it's fascinating to me that like the Sixers. What are you talking about? Why is that weird to you? This is when the Sixers got in in 2017 for the first time, it was the same feeling. I mean that that building was electric. Yeah, I saying but now we've had like a decade since then that has been Garbanzo B. I was about to say this is kinda like a newer version of the flyers here, ZV like that actually kinda hit a reboot with the obviously with Michkov and Martin and and dudes like the I agree with you. I'm matter of fact, Katori who's the oldest one. Katuri is the oldest flyer, I think, actually. The longest thing is the Katori . Yeah. I think I think Katori . Yeah, yeah. Before Brandon Graham came back, I think Katori is the longest most tenured athletics. He's longest tenured athlete in Philly. Yeah, it's it's just like like the Sixers like on the surf, you know, they they endured so much this year to get to the playoffs. They have this like young, exciting rookie, this young, exciting star. And there's like there's just such fatigue about the organization. Whereas the Flyers, there's no like just true super, you know. I think they're hoping Mishkoff could be it. I know Ziegris is really exciting, but there's not like this like superstar on the team. You know, you they you're they're still kind of in the early stages of this building, even though it's been building for like four years with this current situation, and they they they were were plucky to getting into the playoffs, but uh it's there's the towns fired up and they should be. But it reinforces your point shield that the come up is like the m when it when you're not expecting it, this is the most exciting time.. Ye Yeahah. And there's so many good young players too that to be excited for for the future for the Flyers. That's I think that's another reason why. I think the Sixers really have the the the dudes you really hope for is what? Just Maxie and and and VJ and then after that you just kinda like all, right, I I seen enough of the whoever else is on this team, right? Yeah. Like isn't that the field? Yeah. Like the fives have a good like six players that you probably you could probably think of the future, be like, oh, all right, this is kind of cool. Like these dudes could be here for a while. Dude, Bono was cracking me up last night, man he was it was like he had been let out of a cage or something he was he was like he couldn't control his limbs he was just jumping and nailing people I was like dude somebody settled him down a little bit here. But he had some incredible place in that game as well. All right. I like it. I like it when the Flyers and Sixers is springtime are in the playoffs, you know, those weekends, we watch the games. We'll have time to be upset, but uh I'm gonna try to enjoy it. Like I said, Pittsburgh is very gettable, man. Scrappy butt shout out to Rick Talkie too, man. Shout out to Rick Talkie too. We gotta show him some love. Uh Rick Talking got this team together coming out of that uh Shout out to Charlie O'Connor, CB or four colleagues uh at the athletic. That's honestly who I'm most happy for because he you know is writing like three thousand word recaps of every game for teams that just suck and just pouring his heart into it. And now finally he gets to cover some meaningful hockey. So shout out to our friend Charlie O'Connor. Check him out uh over there on PHLY. All right, let's do a little mailbag. Might be a little abbreviated mailbag because we got too much to get to. Here, don't worry. It's gonna slow down when these teams are out of the playoffs and the Eagles have a slow time and the Phillies, who knows what's going on with them? We'll have time for longer mailbacks, but let's get to some of these. All right . Aaron says, Dear ZB, Cliff and Shield, I enjoyed a laugh when listening to Sheil's story on PHLY. This is an older email, by the way. This is like, you know, in uh February. Uh Shield on stor PyHL Y about his amateurish bathing techniques as a young boy. Now just let me fill the audience in here. Okay. So I said that when I was a uh a boy and I would take a bath, I would sit crisscross applesauce under the faucet and just splash water on myself. And that was like the way uh I bathed there. So he says it reminded me of a time when I myself was a splasher. My friend and I flew to San Francisco for a music festival, and our mutual friend let us use his apartment while he was out of town. We had never been to his place before, so we were not familiar with the plumbing. The first morning I went to shower and did not see any way to flip the shower on. I tried every lever and knob I could see, but nothing worked. Then I saw a small bucket next to the tub. I figured that this shower must not work and that the bucket was there as a helping hand I proceeded to sit in the tub with the water running using the bucket to wash myself. It was a bit strange, but worked well enough. So after I got out, I gave my friend the rundown and he also bathed this way. We did this during our entire stay . After getting home, the friend who lived in the apartment texted and asked how the stay was. I thanked him for his generosity and said that other than having to use a bucket to shower, everything was perfect. He quickly called, laughing hysterically and asking for more info. I told him the story, and once he finally stopped laughing, he told me that the bucket is there for when he washes his dog and that to turn the shower on, you simply have to pull down on the inner inner spout. Since then, anytime I've stayed with him, he'll ask me if I am in need of a bucket in the morning to get clean. Thank you, Sheo, for bringing back that memory and the last that came with it. And of course, shout out Sizz. So listen, the bucket in various parts of the world, it's not uncommon to have kind of the bucket uh over there and you use that uh you know to help wash yourself there but yeah there are weird things we I feel like we do as children um and I was gonna give you guys a heads up on this but I forgot but yeah that was definitely one where I would sit there crisscross applesauce and just turn the faucet on and just splash some water on myself. You know, a little boy. I'm like, all right, I'm good, I'm clean, I can get out now. I don't know if you guys had anything else that came to mind. I had two really weird things I did as a kid that I can also uh share if you mean here. I'll share these and if you guys have anything that come to mind as you think about it, let me know. Did you ever do the fake brush when you were a kid? What's the fake brush? All right, fake brush. Here's what you do. You're told to go brush your teeth. Don't feel like it. Okay. You go into the bathroom, you run the water, you wet the toothbrush because you're thinking next level here as a kid. If anyone checks this, I don't want to get caught in a lie. So I'm going to wet the toothbrush here. Well they'll they'll come in, they'll look all right. Oh you did. Then I kind of just looked in the mirror, you know, made some funny faces at myself in the mirror for 60 seconds, and I wouldn't actually brush my teeth. The fake brush. Why did I do this? Great question. I have no idea why I actually did this, but I did do the fake brush as a kid there. That's one. And the second one is hilarious. Every time I meant I I mention it, I still don't know how this happened. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what went wrong. I usually laugh hysterically, you know, when I when I tell people about this. At some age, and I don't know what age this was , I remember vividly , I would sit backwards on the toilet. Like I'm talking like AC Slater style. Turn the chair around. I would sit like that to take a poop. I don't know why. I sure at some point someone taught me how to poop. I'm sure I knew the right way to the right way to sit. But I'm telling you, I remember vividly as a young as a little boy I would go in there and I would sit backwards on the toilet. Oh my gosh. If anybody ever did that, am I the only person who ever did that? That's crazy at gmail.com. All right, I don't think ZB is gonna share anything. No, I'm I I I 'm trying to think what's weird. Like, yeah. I used to put peanut butter in the refrigerator. Is that weird? I mean sack. No , that's not I mean yeah. All right. That doesn't try to think. I know, yeah. I gotta I gotta think about that one. Yeah. Talk to your talk to your siblings. Yeah. I'll talk to your siblings if you want. And I'll get something. I mean my I hold my pen weird. That's probably this is something when you were a kid as weird as my things. Oh people need to email us some of those. Email us if you have a story because those are funny. If you have this weird thing you did as a kid, like any anything in that realm, email us at Ringer philly at gmail.com. I feel like those could be some funny, uh, some funny emails we get and read out loud. All right. Mike from Havertown says, Dear Sheel, ZB, and Cliffy2, your recent opinions on the coffee syrup and salad dressing email sound like they come from people who don't work on Monday to Friday nine to five office environment. Focusing so much on the cost of the item is missing the point. The rules of the office kitchen are simple. If it's out in the shared open communal space of the kitchen, it's fair game. If it's not, like in the fridge, it's somebody else's, and you don't take any of it unless you are directed otherwise. People need to use the communal fridge because they don't have a personal one. If the emailer with the salad dressing had a fridge at his desk, that salad dressing would be stored in there and would be considered off-limits, right? The same consideration must be given to items in the kitchen fridge. You need to treat the zone around the fridge item as a mini off-limits area. You didn't bring it in. You weren't told you could have some. You don't use it. Now, the coffee syrup guy is out of line. You can't put your personal item out in the open space and limit usage. This goes against the rules. If coffee syrup guy wants the syrup only for himself, he needs to put it at his desk. If it's on a counter or table in the kitchen, it's up for grabs. Some of the best days you have in an office is when the left overs from a meeting, catered lunch, or the cake from the birthday celebration for someone in another department is put on a kitchen counter or table for anyone to eat. However, if that same leftover or cake was put in the fridge, it's off limits because you have to assume the owner is coming for it later or tomorrow. You just hope eventually it makes its way to the counter so you can semi-enjoy a th ree-day old chicken Caesar wrap or slice of cake. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Shout out, Sizza. And by the way, our friend Yateen, who had the salad dressing?ember Rem he labeled it because someone was using it in the fridge. He said he'll do whatever we rule. We said let him use the salad dressing. He sent a video. The post-it note has been removed. ZB, but do you think this is a good solution that in the fridge , if it's not yours, don't touch it. Out in the open communal space, it's up for grabs, and we don't need any other legislation of these types of situations. It sounds like a good solution to me. But the person has SB Peg, I don't work in a traditional office environment. So I I feel like I feel out of line legislating on this. Um but yeah, I I mean I would think that I still stand by what I said is that the coffee syrup there's enough pumps in there to it's for to like go around. I feel like the the salad dressing, even if it were yeah, uh the cake's a good example. Cake's fair game for everybody. So I suppose if it's out for people, it's fair game. But I I think there is like a pay it forward part here. That you shouldn't be the employee who goes in planning to use other people's salad dressing, planning it it has to be a one time usage and then you're bringing in salad dressing down the line as well. Yeah. I mean for me I still stand on what I s what I said as well too. Like I I feel like it it it just those things are just so like they're they're just not that much, and I get it. I don't work in the office environment like a normal person would, but still to me, I'm type of person where I'll just share it. Like I don't really care. I feel like every whatever three weeks or a month or so or however long it takes for that bottle to leave or that bottle to get used up, it's fine with me. Like I don't I don't think that's the craziest thing in the world. Again, I get it, office etiquette, like whether it's in the fridge or outside, like I I don't think that makes a difference for me either. I agree with Zach on that. But yeah, it's just bro, it's it's creamer. It's it's hell dressing. It's like such innocuous things. Like just share it. I'm sorry. Just share it. I know. We're so far. He is right. We are so far removed from the uh office setting that we are not the experts on that type of thing. I liked his ruling. I think that's a good general rule to follow there. So nice job by him. All right. We had some discussion about the balsamic vin aigrette. You remember this last time? So yeah. Jim says, Dear Sheel, Zach, and Clifford with two F's. It'll make sense below. Augustine. Listener, since the start of the old B WF days and reader since burst 247, your content in print and audio has been a source of connection between me and a few dear friends for years. My wife even enjoys the nonsense mailbags, and it's stimulated some fun convers ations over the years. She and I recently witnessed a school bus filling its gas tank at a Wawa in our not-to-be-named school district, only for it to begin overflowing uncontrollably all over the parking lot, with the driver sitting in the bus completely oblivious until I intervened to alert her. Setting aside the oddity of a school bus filling up at W awa . I thought they did that at the bus depot or something. It was the first time I witnessed such an occurrence, and it renewed our prior discussion inspired by your mailbag. I've had strong opinions on many mailbag topics in the past, chief among them my staunch position in favor of backing into parking spots, but never felt compelled to write in until the latest salad dressing discussion. Zach seemed to imply that there was a difference between balsamic dressing and balsamic vinaigrette, because the latter has different stuff in it, or something to that effect. Yes. This misapprehension cannot stand, and your listeners deserve a retraction and a correction. A vinaigrette is a type of dressing with an oil and vinegar base. Balsamic is a type of vinegar. Yes. Balsamic vinaigrette merely denotes a vinaigrette in which the vinegar being used is balsamic. There is no such thing as a balsamic dressing other than a balsamic vinaigrette. Many will simply use balsamic as a shorthand to refer to this variety of vinaigrette dressing, but it is not a distinct sal ad accoutrement. I'm almost embarrassed that my first contribution to your mailbag is for something so pedantic and trivial, but something about this triggered me to the point that I had to write in, blame it on the fact that I'm currently on paternity leave with a three-week old and have new dad brain. The newest Eagles fan is Elliot with one T, not to be confused with two-time Super Bowl champion and two T Elliot, Jake, with love and appreciation and vinegar-soaked shout-outs to Sizza, Rizza, The Jizza, and ODB RIP. All right. So there you go. First of all, thank you for reading and listening for all those years. Congratulations on the little guy Elliott Jim. ZB, have you received any other feedback about whether there's actually a difference between balsamic and balsam ic vinegarette. There is. And I look, I appreciate I appreciate the nice words here. Balsamic , you know, people put, including myself, my wife, just the balsamic vinegar . You don't mix it with oil. Just the balsamic vinegar on the trash. That's what I was referring to. There's no oil. There's no oil. You just put straight balsamic vinegar, which is a pop , it's it's it's a healthy option, popular option. You're just putting the balsamic vinegar. So if you look at a salad bar, they'll have the actual vinegar um canister and you're taking it from there. You're not taking the dressing, you're just the balsam ic vinegar. Balsamic vinaigrette, you are correct. It's by definition the vinegar and the oil mix is the vinaigrette, but it often has like a Dijon mustard in there. So you see sometimes the thicker balsamic vinaigrette dressing and that comes how do you get it thick? It's not the oil that makes it thick. It's the you put Dijon sometimes there's like a little bit of like sugar or something put in there. So balsamic vinaigrette dressing tends to be uh has some other stuff in there. Whereas balsamic vinegar is just the straight vinegar. So when I was saying balsamic dressing, I was saying just the balsamic vinegar, you're putting it on. Okay. So one thing, balsamic vinegar , that's what ZB's putting on his salads. Balsamic vinaigrette is gonna have other ingredients, including oil and other stuff in there. Okay, I I think that makes sense. Cliff, what do you think? No, I like his E B now real quick I gotta give a uh birth shout-out too. Shout out to my boy Richie. Shout out to his wife Alex. They just had baby Phoebe. I still ain't see her yet. So my guy, you know what I mean Rich, I'm gonna I'm gonna go over there pretty soon. He'll listen to the spot and he'll text me like yeah you you g gottaotta come over but shout out to them too but uh right yeah yeah congratulations to Richie what's his wife's name zeb uh cliff alex alex alex and phoebe strong name there little phoebe coming in as our new big time Phillies fan already. Big time Phillies fan already. Big time Phillies fan along with Elliot. Phoebe and Elliot. Congratulations to you. Now we got one more on this. Maddie Bones says, She'll Z B and Cliff Two Sox Augustine. The audience is, I mean, they've really picked up on make sure we say his last name on all these emails, which I love. Maddie Bones says, I could not sit idly by while you all suffer through inferior salads. Matty Bones comin' in hot with the balsamic vinegar vinaigrette recipe that will get you off the wishbone, John . Not only cheaper, but infinitely better and free of all the nonsense that makes dressing shelf stable. Restaurant dressing just tastes better, and if you have a blender in two minutes, you can make it yourself at home. I'm here to pull back the curtain. For context, I am a fine dining chef in the Boston area and have perfected the salad dressing recipe over years of R D so you don't have to. But a little Find dining chef Maddie Bones in Boston. Here's the recipe for everyone who will get a pen, get a piece of paper, a pen. I'm gonna try this out for sure. One half cup balsamic vinegar or any other vinegar you have laying around , not white vinegar. One tablespoon, Dijon mustard. So there you go, to ZB's point earlier. Half clove of garlic smashed. One tablespoon of honey, pinch of salt, couple cracks of black pepper , quarter teaspoon, dried thyme , half cup extra virgin olive oil, half cup avocado oil, or other natural oil, blend for 45 seconds and store it in a mason jar, shake before using. She'll if you try this and get hooked. I can share my French dressing recipe as well, which is a game changer. Upgrade your salad game and get out from under the boot of big dressing, the ringer Philly's official chef signing off, Maddie Bones. How about that? Cliffy too. We've got the fine dining chef coming in with the balsamic vinaigrette reci pe. Seems like we might have to take a trip to Boston see wherever his restaurant is, man. You know? Like that. Go to take a little Fenway action in, you know what I'm saying? Little Six or Celtics road trip, right? Hey, not a bad idea. TD TD Garden doobie rocking. So that'd be fun to get in that that opposing uh that opposing team environment. All right. I'm gonna I'm gonna try that out, T B. Now if I if I make the dressing and drop it off , will you try some of my balsamic vinaigrette on your next salad? Yeah, for sure. For sure. Okay. But this is the thing: if I'm eating the salad, like I'm probably trying to go healthier. So that's why I I'm not putting all the other things. Yeah, the honey in there adds a little sugar. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, but it sounds delicious for sure . It sounds delicious. All right, there you go. Listen, I got to uh I have a heart out today, so this is on me. So we're going to cut the mailbag a little bit short here. Uh, Z B, we can read all your work in the athletic before we uh before we uh get to the mock draft next week, right? Correct. I have this approval column coming out Friday. I have a mock draft coming out Monday and a number of other material as well. All right, there you go. So I do have one more email, but I wanted to uh say goodbye to ZB because this has to do uh with his company and his former colleague there. So I didn't want him in an awkward spot, but I will get to this one email and then we'll wrap it up. Jose says, hi all. I'm disappointed that the crew hasn't addressed the rumors surrounding Mike Rabel and Diana Rossini. While I understand she's a colleague of ZB's, you spend hours analyzing players' personal lives. It feels inconsistent to ignore this story. We shouldn't overlook unf proessional behavior just because it involves reporters or coaches. Furthermore, it adds a different perspective to her previous reporting on players like AJ Brown. No one should get a pass. I'd like to hear the show's take on this. Go birds and shout out Sizza. All right. Thank you, Jose, for listening. First of all, thank you for writing in, being respectful like a normal human being asking uh us to address this here. So to be honest, this has been a hard story to have a real take on, other than the obvious take. You know, I like to judge people based on my personal interactions with them. Diana Rossini has always been nice, kind, friendly. Uh, you know, I don't like know her super well, but just in professional uh interactions at the Super Bowl or other league events. And I have defended her reporting in the past and have said she is good at her job, which is, you know, her job was to obtain, report relevant, and accurate information about what's happening in the NFL. Now, obviously, having said that, if she was having a romantic relationship with a source and she's resigned and the athletics still doing an investigation, obviously, if that's the case, it's wildly inappropriate to have a romantic relationship with a source if you're a reporter and it will cost you your job and it will cost you your reputation. Like I don't think anyone's, you know, zagging there and taking the other side that no, that's actually okay. And it, you know, it's no big deal. So that's why, you know, I think that's a take that everybody would have, and that's a take that I have as well. So again, it's been hard to be like, all right, well, what is the analysis beyond that? So in the past, in reference to her reporting on AJ Brown, I said it's lame to attack reporters when you don't like what they're reporting on your team. And zooming out, I still feel that way. I still think that that's lame just because you don't like what a reporter is saying about uh, you know, your team or a player you like that you uh attack that reporter. I don't think that that is appropriate. And so that's why I have said that certainly in the past. So I don't think she was trying to uh stir up trouble with AJ Brown and the Eagles so that she could get him traded to the Patriots so that she could help Mike Rabel. Like I don't think that's what uh happened here. I don't think that's what was happening. I don't think Howie Roseman's gonna get strong armed in a trade and all right, I don't have to give up uh anything now. No, I don't, I don't actually think that that's how it works. So there's been a lot of reporting from other sources on A.J. Brown. AJ Brown has not been shy about expressing how he has felt. And now we kind of just wait and see what happens in June with the AJ Brown trade situation. So uh this is a big story. I'm not downplaying it. Obviously, a lot of people are talking about it. It's been a big topic um in the NFL. I just think it's more of a media story than an eagle story. There's a lot of different angles to it. The press box with Brian Curtis, Joel Anderson. They had Nora Princiati on. I'm not finished that you know podcast, but I was listening to it this morning. They had a great discussion on a number of different angles. Um, you know, what it means to be an insider in the current media landscape, uh, what r woman reporters, their role, whether they're insiders or reporters and maybe stuff that uh they are privy to, that male reporters are not privy to. So they they tackled all these different angles. I would encourage everyone, go ahead and listen to that if you want more of the media analysis on this story. All right, there you go. That's the end of the Ringers Philly special. Thank you, Jose. Thank you to everyone who emailed in again. Email us in ringerphilly at gmail.com. Thank you to Ace Producer, Cliff Augustin. Thank you to Zach Berman of The Athletic. I'm Sheel Capate. We'll talk to you next time on the Ringers Philly Special. Twenty-one plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino, or eighteen plus and present in DC, Kentucky, or Wyoming, gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MYRESET. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut or visit mdgambling help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gambling helpline MA.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8 Hope NY or text Hope NY in New York for Louisiana. Call 1-877-770-7867 . Thought sweet green was just salads? Think again. There's a new way to do Sweet Breed. Wrapped and Ready, these handheld wraps pack bold flavor and 40 plus grams of protein into something hearty, satisfying, and built for life on the go, from cravable sauces to satisfying te xtures. 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