 This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Get a quote at FBHP.com, Farm Bureau Health Plans, celebrating 76 years of providing Tennesseans with high-quality health coverage at an affordable rate. With Amy Wells, I'm Mike Keith, and we're joined in the Snickers Hot Seat today by the newest member of Titan's Radio, Ramon Foster. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you both. Welcome to the Snickers Hot Seat. I see them over my left shoulder. I was wondering where they real, where they real, they are 100% real. If I want to grab one like Amy did last week, I could. Yeah, you could. I could. You should. I should. I think that there should be more eating and less talking on this show. Show. Yeah. That's your policy? That's my policy. Well, but we want to talk to Ramon Foster because we're excited to have him as part of Titan's Radio. Absolutely. How has he done in his first three games on the sidelines? How would you grade him? Oh, phenomenal. It's, I mean, this is not just me talking because he's sitting right here and he's a very big dude. Really, truly, it's been fantastic to listen to. You seem like you've been doing this forever. And the insights that Ramon has are so interesting. He sees the game in a completely different way than I have ever seen the game. However, then I would think a lot of people see the game. Just the things that you notice on the sidelines are so different than what I notice. And it's really interesting to listen to and your voice just fits in very well with the group. And that's a real thing. That is a thing. It fits. I appreciate that because I knew there was a lot of pressure. Amy has held it down. And of course, following her up, being a part of you guys' crew for so long, I was thinking to myself, don't mess this up. Just get Amy's approval, okay, after game one. And a part of everything that I've done so far has been because our conversation we had was really good before I took the sidelines for the first time. But you guys might keep you, Coach Mack, Brad, just everybody involved, Phil Noel, Brad, everybody's just been a part, have welcomed me in to make me feel that comfortable to where I could just do my thing on the sideline and see those things that you guys maybe up top don't see. And it's been a real cool experience so far. I appreciate that. You played 11 years for the Steelers. You're only four years removed from being an active player. How different is the sideline view as a quote unquote member of a radio team compared to being on the sideline as a player? It is slightly different. Just because I have the opportunity to see everything now, the defense makes a mistake, I can see that more clearly now. The conversations between the coaches and the players on the sideline is something that you don't see because you're so locked in as a player. So getting an opportunity to always wonder what that was like and actually being able to do it now on the sideline is the reason why I'm so engaged. I have to tell myself sometimes talking to Philip in my ear, I gotta shut up because I'm calling out everything that you guys are already talking about because I'm so into the game because as a player, you was always told if you're not actually playing, watch what's going on at the field so that you can digest stuff and so that you can communicate what the coach is something they may miss. So my first year in NFL reserve role for the most part. So watching the right tackle and the left tackle at the same time was always something that was on my hit list to make sure that we didn't miss anything. So now I'm being able to watch the floor of the game or understanding blown down and distant situations. Well, they're probably more likely to throw the ball right here or looking at the way the stances of players are. I can tell when they're going to run the ball. I can tell when they're going to pass the ball and just being alert for that, especially in a matchup situation. I'm watching Danico Autry this past weekend and seeing the way the tackle set against him or the way he set his feet up. I figured it was going to end up being a pass rush and it was. Or third and one and watching Danico attack the tight end split and split both of them for TFL. Like I enjoy watching the process of a play developing, which is why I want to lend my expertise to you guys. One of the things that's so interesting to me is that five different people can watch a football game and they all see completely different things. And it depends on the perspective that you're coming from. So I watch a lot of football with Mike Keith, obviously, because we work so close together. And the way that you watch a play develop or the way that you watch a football game is very wide because you are used to calling a game. And so you see the whole field when you watch with a former player. A lot of times you see that position and they are so locked in in the intricacies of how a certain position or a certain side of the ball plays. When you watch with a coach, you get more not strategy, but you get almost more minutia when it comes to a specific play or like that broke down or this guy was supposed to go there. And they see in a very different way. It's so fascinating to me. And it's one of the things about sports that I think is so cool. And I think is kind of unique to football in that there's so much happening on a single play. There's so many things to digest. I just think that that's an incredible thing. And being able to have that on Titans Radio, having the coach's perspective, the player's perspective and the overall perspective of what's happening in a game. I mean, what more could you want? And that's fascinating you say that. And I've always communicated with you guys where I'll be at on the field. I like to watch the team that I'm reviewing the type from behind the offense, put me behind the offensive line. That's my lane right there. So I can see this team go down the fence because that's always how I played the game. If I'm watching the defense, I get behind the defense. That way I can see the front line. First, the linebackers make their plays. And if something happens on the back end with the secondary, always my perspective. And you're right. Coach Meck watches this from an up top view. And when he breaks it down, he'll see the entire field. I'm seeing it by phase. Front line, secondary line, and then the back end. And it's always fascinating to see what I see first. It usually starts up front. And then I watch the linebackers make a play. And then the safety's come down. Offensively, if it breaks down up front for the O'Lale, then I'm going to know it immediately because that's where I start to work my way back and outside. With that, you're 100% correct. It's different watching the game from that perspective. Keith Bullock, we had on recently. And he watches it from the linebacker position first to the D line to the secondary. It is a different perspective that way. Ramon Foster, the challenge, at least one challenge for the Titans in this camp, has been trying to pull the offensive line together to make them a cohesive unit. In terms of how you do that, what are the intricate parts that have to go on and the things that you have seen as they have tried to develop that? I would say this, and it's gonna sound weird saying it, but failure, you have to have some bad moments. And those bad moments, it forces us to communicate. What do I need to do to service you better? What do you need to do to help me out better? That's always gonna play a part as far as developing a group. If it was all peaches and cream from the get go, guess what? We wouldn't have an opportunity to talk about anything because everything is perfect. And we know the game of football is too many moving pieces for it to ever be a perfect game. So that's where I would start. And then having those guys communicate on the sideline, hey, in this situation, I saw this guy tip his hand or I saw the linebacker say a word to him. Anytime we hear this, let's do it. It's always a small finite things that really builds a team up. And the inner moving of players too always plays a part in it. We've seen some reserved guys come in in these preseason games and of course a breakdown will happen. And you say to yourself, well, this is why we're more successful with this group as opposed to the second group that we had in because you see what works in those situations. It is a beautiful process to watch five guys work at one. It's the only position on the field where five individuals have to be on the same page discussing levels as far as protections, discussing run blocking, whether I'm going, if I'm stronger going to my right as opposed to my left than knowing that I have to ask for help also. That's always a big part of offensive line play. You're known as big dudes that are super tough but you always ask for help because me talking to you about what I need helps us as a group be better. I've seen the offensive linemen and I've been a part of a group. All five of us are wrong as far as the play goes. But as far as the assignment and completing it with no sacks, 100% right on it. And you score in plays like that because from left to right, as long as you're on the same page, you're gonna be more right as far as the outcome of the play than not. So in terms of developing the cohesion of say who's going to be the starting five for the Tennessee Titans at the beginning of the regular season, it was actually really good per Ramon Foster that throughout the preseason we saw some different kind of phases of this offense develop. So in the first preseason game, we saw them come out. They did played what a series, two series, something like that. One series. One series. That was it, yeah. Right down the field. And then they were done because it was a great opening drive to start the game. In week two, they played for an entire quarter because there was a lot of three and outs there in that first quarter. What you're saying is that something like that is really good. That's the natural flow of the game right there. Everybody, every offensive coordinator has a script and that script is beautiful until you get punched in the mouth. In Minnesota, that crowd was loud. It was an on the road environment indoors. And it was a little hot. Even though it was indoors, you felt the heat presence of it too. And also having noticed that it was going to be Malik's game. So now they have an opportunity to hone in on the quarterback and that makes your job a little bit harder too, specifically because we had to figure out what Malik was going to be capable of at the quarterback position. They made it their job early on to stop the run, which is why they had to go three and out and back on the field. Those types of situations are always good because not every game is going to be perfect. You can't average, and they did later on in the game, you can't average 10 yards of carry in the first quarter more times and not just absolutely no possible way that's going to be the case for offensive line in four teams who in preseason. So seeing them go for a quarter and go to the sideline and finally pick it up. They chipped at the rock until Tajé got the big run and that right there built that cohesion, that belief that, look, even if it's not working early, let's just keep doing our job. And they did and finally had that big break with Tajé. Continue with Ramon Foster on the OTP momentarily after we remind you it's always game on with Duncan. So grab a coffee and kick off the action, whether that's drinking a cup of coffee on your way to the game or grabbing one to go before watching the game at home. Duncan is always there to help you get your game on just like the pros like Ramon Foster. We need to be at our best come game time, which is why Duncan is the most important part of your game day ritual because it's always the best call for football. America runs on Duncan. Two part question Ramon Foster as we continue about Aaron Brewer. It has been said by several people who know ball that he is a better center than he is guard. A, do you believe that? And B, if so, why? Do I believe that? Yes, I do. Just size doesn't really matter a whole lot, but it's certain body frames and types that work better at certain positions. I could play tackle in the NFL, but I'm better off as a guard. Body type fits it, arms, thighs, all those things matter. I look at Aaron Brewer and said this, this trace as far as being a starting center in this league, most of them are not really big. They hold between as far as being six, two, six, one, all the way up to six, four. I wouldn't put a six, six center in the game at all. I know there's one around the NFL. I wouldn't do that, just the height difference of it. You know, as far as the quarterback seeing him and leverage too, he's strong, he's quick. He moves well side to side. He can pull around trash is what we've seen, not trash, but around the guard tackles and tight ends. We've seen him do those things and he doesn't have to carry the blunt of having a one-on-one each and every play. Most times he line up, he will have a shade or he'll be uncovered. The, his biggest task that he's gonna get is having a linebacker trying to run through his face or if they go a solid five down, meaning they'll have a man over him and two guys over at both center, I mean, both guards. That's his only adversity he's ever gonna have to have and just he's smart, that always plays a part. And the center probably has to be the second smartest guy on your team, aside from the quarterback. He should know almost everything that the quarterback does except for the wraps potentially. Shelves, coverages, defenses, strong weak, seeing safety shift down. I know he's capable of doing those things because he's still here on this team and he's been around and know the system. He may be one of the five best overall athletes on this team. Does that make a big difference in his success at that position? He does. On that Tajay run we speak about in Minnesota, if he isn't limber enough, athletic enough to cut off that big nose tackle, that play is dead. When I saw that, I pointed to people at my job in the morning show and said without Aaron Brewer, this play is dead because that tackle is gonna, that D tackle was going to tackle him. He was strong enough to cut him off and quick enough to wall him off so that he could take that leaping run for the touchdown. Those types of things is what make you great. Let's go to Kelsey in Philadelphia. He's a guy that we rave about because why he's great in space and he's quick and he's tough. You have a guy just like that in Nashville and Aaron Brewer and I say this, I'm cautiously optimistic about what he could be because all it takes is the way we get noticed often as a lineman is being good in space. If Derek or Tannenhill or Traylin or DHOP have a screen down the sideline and he's running up the sideline making blocks, that's where the conversation is, this guy's a stud, which we'll know that but the rest of the world will see that and that's when he starts to get in the conversation of Pro Bowl and top centers in the league and that's where you get noticed when you play a position like that. So yes, Mike, his athletic ability is gonna do nothing but great things for this team considering, of course, staying healthy, keeping his strength and staying on top of his game. Well, Andy can do a back flip. Well, that's what I'm talking about. It's crazy. I mean, they utilized him at one point in the backfield when he first got here because he does have some unusual skills. Let me ask you about Peter Skoronski. When the Titans took him at number 11, the whole world said massive win for the team. He's gonna be here for however many years. He's gonna be, he has the potential to be a Pro Bowl type player. What you've seen so far of Skoronski, does he meet the hype? You know the best thing about Peter Skoronski? Okay. We hadn't heard a word about him. Yes, he does. Mike, to get around that question, yes. He has to pedigree the smarts and the poise. I've watched him on the sideline, nothing excites him, which is good. He doesn't seem like he's a dear in the headlights whenever he lines up and he finishes and understand the game. Watching him and Andre Dill at work with each other, you can tell communication's been at an all-time high but not just at the confidence of it, too. He's going against somebody who's an all-pro here in Nashville and Jeffrey Simmons. That is, by far, one of the best tests any offensive lineman can have in his league is to battle him every day in practice of most days. I like what I see out of the young guy. The rookie's gonna have a huge challenge in front of him because if I was a D-limit, I'd try to run down this face, okay? Just to test him, just to see what he's capable of. But everything that I've seen so far in the pre-season, they've tried that and he's pushed back. And he is a name that you don't hear during our games, right? You don't mention him. And that's the best possible thing you can do. But this is also the case. His run blocking has been well, and his pass pro too. They run efficiently on left and right sides of the ball because that interior, that Brewer, Bronskill, and Peter, they have held their own up the middle. And I would say the young fella's a big part of that. You know, you touched on something that I was gonna mention, which is, the Titans are done with training camp now. They're getting into the flow of what a regular season's going to be like. And this team has come off of, this offensive line has come off of weeks of going up against the Titans defense. And there's a lot of strong defensive linemen on that side of the ball. How beneficial is that to them for their preparation, especially when you're developing that cohesion? You've got a lot of new faces. And you're going up against some dudes on the defensive side of the ball. And you're gonna see some in week one in New Orleans too. That is a very underrated defense. It is very underrated. They have outside, Russia's and guys up the middle that can get to the quarterback. It's on top of some, one of the best linebackers in the NFL too. But that's good though, Amy, on the status of, I know there was a lot of trash talking. I know they knew that they had to go push and fight and get the most out of this bunch. You gotta think of it. Other than Aaron Brewer, everybody on this offensive line is new or have low experience here in Nashville on how they play. And I know a challenge was probably pushed out to them. Hey, go make those guys tough. As far as from the defensive line, and they did. We heard early, of course, Dillard versus Arden Key being a thing. We, Jeff and Peter Skaransky going at it. It's not an easy day when Brewer has to take on Thierre. You know, all those things, and I feel like they've answered the call as far as this training camp suggests. Battle tested is one thing in practice. We've seen some of their fruits of the labor in these pre-season games. I'm confident that this group can be, can be the reason this offense is successful. Are they blocking things differently in the run game from what you've seen in the Tim Kelly offense so far than what you've seen them do in the past? What I've seen from this group is this, and I'm not sure if many people paid attention to it, their double teams are solid. The way I've seen Daniel Bronzko and Chris Hubbard engage to move a guy to the second level or watching Peter Skaransky and Aaron Brewer block on a backside zone plate. I don't think we've paid enough attention to the way their combination blocks have been up front. It's funny because we always send the NFL, you're not blowing people off the line of scrimmage. I've actually seen this group move the line. Coaches need one yard. I've seen sometimes in the run game, these guys get a yard and a half, two yards. Like the line of scrimmage moves forward and I didn't want to believe it because I'm like, this can't be possible in the NFL. You don't move bodies like this. You don't move the line of scrimmage. That's been one consistent phase that I've watched this group that I hadn't seen in years past, and maybe it's because Mike, Amy, those dudes are trying to prove themselves. Think about the way this group is set up. Sign Chris Hubbard early in the training camp. Andre Dill is on a prove it deal and essentially to be a starter. You've got a rookie who's got a lot of pressure on him, a center with a lot of pressure on him. On a franchise tag. On a franchise tag. And then you got Brown School coming from another team trying to prove himself too. It's fit to where you put a T-bone in the middle of a pack of dogs and say, y'all better eat. And they seem to be catching up to eating and making other teams pay for it. What's your concern that hangs out there as you've seen this group now for over five weeks together? It's always the first live game, the first two or three live games, wondering how you can protect the quarterback. We've seen them do it in a good fashion for the most part. Some leakage here and there. But making sure that Ryan Tannehill stays up right, it's always gonna be the biggest question for almost any offensive line. But specifically for this one, they hadn't gone an entire game with doing that. You always worry about until you see it. And that's my only contingency when it comes down to this offensive line. Them seeing the stunts and games up front, that doesn't bother me. It is the finish of the play. If Ryan Tannehill wants to hold on to the ball or if he starts to scramble outside of the pocket, can you protect them long enough? But you're confident from what you've seen that this offensive line, barring injury, is going to be better than last year's Titans offensive line. Yes. I'll definitively say that. I do think they'll be better. And you know why? It's because you have that five that's kind of gone into that fox stand together to say this offense lies on our shoulders as far as us being successful. You have the running backs. You have the addition of DeAndre Hopkins. You have the same quarterback. Chick, we expect to be so much better this year too with some help. It falls on their backs, but I'm a firm believer that they can get this job done. More with Ramon Foster momentarily after we remind you that Seat Geek is now the official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans. If you haven't heard the name yet, get used to it because you'll be hearing it a lot more this season. Whether you're buying or selling tickets to Titans games or to any live event in Nashville, Seat Geek is the place to do it. Seat Geek, the new official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans. So Titans fans, Ken fan. Well done, Amy. Thank you. Ramon Foster, I guess we call it a bye week before week one. What do teams get done during this week? Small spurts of this week of the actual game plan. Week one issues that have to be hashed out. Look at the tendencies that New Orleans had last year. See what's the bread and butter that they're gonna go to. You get an extra jump on film study, which film is always big for pros. How can I watch those trench monsters that they have on the other side of the ball offensively? You probably go back and look at Las Vegas film to see what Derek Carr is all about. What kind of pressures did he fall victim to? Having the ability to figure out what packages will they use as far as what their offense could be. And it's really just breaking down the bread and butter and finding the tendencies and getting as much film as you possibly can this week before that pressure of week one open or jumps on you. How excited are you for week one? You don't understand how excited I am. I got in retirement and was like, I am done, y'all, I don't wanna do this football thing. And I find myself, thanks to you guys, being knee deep into paying attention to what the NFL is all about. And I am excited. I say all the time, we get four seasons throughout the year, right? Summer, spring, fall, and winter. Football should be included in that because it's that fun. And imagine how this city is gonna be when it's week one. Love it. And for you, do you almost appreciate your career more now based on the fact that you're doing this job, doing radio on 104.5, joining us for Titans Radio, doing sidelines. Does it make it even more, say, wow, I did that? And you know what? I had that thought in Minnesota because I was like, there's so many people on the sideline, I need room. But then I had to realize, there's a business outside of what I did that happens on the sidelines. And I'll even say this too. My pathway into which I got those 11, being undrafted, so I can appreciate the guys, you know, like Aaron Brewer. I can appreciate all those guys that's fighting for roster spots right now. Reggie Roberson's, I get their struggle. I get what's happening. And I just try to view it from that standpoint, literally from the bottom of the bottom as an undrafted guy to being a star in his league for double-digit years. Yeah, I get excited for the process of what this season is all about. That's awesome. He's pretty good. He's really good. He's pretty good. Now, Pittsburgh Week, I'm not sure what we're gonna do with him. Oh, he can't go. He can't even go. I don't, sorry. Sorry. He's not even gonna be allowed to go. I just don't have to put anybody on the sideline. You'll have to take a grey hand bus to... You know what? I'm getting threats on both sides of this. I might have to take, I've got people in Pittsburgh talking. I got people here. Well, I got news for you. They ain't paying you anymore. I know. We are, yes. We are so glad to have you as part of our team and so much fun to just talk ball with you. Have a Snickers. You've done a fine job in the Snickers, I see. You have earned it. Snickers really satisfies. It does. And he's handing one to Amy. I got to. How nice. I know. How nice. For Ramon Foster and Amy Wells, I'm Mike Keith. Thanking you for joining us for the OTP.