 What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the falcons final whistle podcast Y'all haven't heard that intro in a couple weeks because Tori and I I'm Scott bear that story Mack Laney We've been on summer vacation and it has been awesome I went to Key West with the fam had a blast saw a shark while I was snorkeling actually here in the The swimsuit right off me basically It was like wait, that's a 10 foot shark very close to my six year old son That's not a good situation Do you know what I did Tori? I didn't pay well shark I just moved a few other strangers closer to the shark and me farther away So the shark would want them not me I don't think I mean person, but what's the saying like if a bear is chasing you like you just have to be faster than the slowest Same principle you just have to be faster than other people in the water. Yes That is exactly right So we are pre-recording this when I went to Key West Tori has gone to Tybee island. There's a Jamaica trip Coming up. I think you will be on your Jamaica trip when this podcast comes out I think if I'm doing the math right, you've got to be stoked for that. I cannot wait I'm going with one of my friends who is from Jamaica. So we're doing the true Jamaican experience because we're staying with her grandmother for a couple of nights So it's gonna be it's gonna be fun Will there be any time for you to have a cocktail with a tiny umbrella in it though? Oh, that'll be so we're staying at an all-inclusive resort like the first three nights that we're there So I will only be drinking things if they have a tiny umbrella. I feel like that's essential because Heading into training camp our lives formally end and we turn ourselves over to the Falcons machine as they try to Improve and continue building in Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith's second season. How about that for a transition? We we're heading into this training camp, which I think I don't know what you think I think is intriguing as heck, right because there is so much competition. How many times have we heard prove it? You know earn your role, right? There's gonna be I think there's more training camp competition than any Camp that I've covered whether it was the Falcons or the Raiders or the 49ers in several years And I think there are several intriguing Areas where there's gonna be a lot of drama, right that we really don't know who's gonna start Who's gonna have these bigger roles and over the course of the next 15 20 minutes? We're gonna talk about Those specific areas that the three kind of big storylines that Tori and I are focusing on as we head into training camp Oh, and by the way, we've got some freaking awesome stuff coming up during training camp. We're talking about live podcasts We're talking about player guests so much fun stuff coming up on the Falcons final whistle, but Before we get to that we have to talk about what's coming up and Tori What's what's what's a storyline that you're gonna have your eye on? As we start to get into late july and august and we move towards the regular season I think this isn't a very, uh, I don't even know what the word is It's not like a very sexy answer to say the line of scrimmage and offensive line and defensive line but i'm gonna say it because I think Every good thing that could happen for the Falcons To me it starts it begins and ends at the line of scrimmage and I can't look at this 2022 Falcons team and not look at this line of scrimmage and Hope that there is significant improvement from 2021 to 2022 Both on the offensive and defensive line for the offensive line. It's protecting the quarterback whoever it may be though I'm saying right now. It's gonna be marcus mariotta, but you know don't come for me but It's protecting him. It's making sure that he has time in the pocket It's all of these things that we we need to see an improvement on then with the defensive line I know we're going to talk about it. It's getting after the quarterback It's getting the guy off of his spot and not letting him leak out the sides. I mean that's These are all things that are very important to Any success the Falcons may have in 2022? Yeah, and I look at it This team has a bunch of intriguing skill players I want to see what Tyler Algierre can do. I want to see what Drake London can do and Kyle Pitts in his second year And I think Brian Edwards is on the verge of a breakout year. None of those guys can do anything if If they are not protected, right? And I think Here's the weird thing is that we talk about competition competition competition challengers, right? It's possible It's possible that we go into 2022 with the exact same offensive line that we That the Falcons had last year. Yeah, it's possible. But Matt Hennessy is going to be challenged at center Jaylin Mayfield will be challenged at left guard Kayla McGarry will be challenged at right tackle. And I think if they go earn it Then they deserve the right to maintain their jobs But I think the fact that there will be challengers veteran challengers Jermaine Effetti First round pick right up and down sort of career to this point He wants to start right drew Dalman didn't Come here to be a backup Right at at center and I think that competition is going to be good. So if we end up with the same start of five Okay, cool, but they have earned it where last year I think they were giving it a little bit, right? Yeah, I think it was more of a We are just patching this up to get through the first few weeks and then you get to a point where it's like, okay You can't necessarily take jail. You can't take Jaylin Mayfield out of this. I mean, I think I think people forget that The offensive line was set differently Before last year's training camp than what it actually ended up being I think Josh Andrews was supposed to play a much bigger role and then he goes and gets injured A couple weeks into training camp and that to me changed the whole scope of the offensive line Because of that now We're looking at a different group altogether And I think that you're absolutely right that there is I've said this before I think I've said it on tv But like the offensive line competition I think is going to be it should be the nastiest competition on the field This training camp bar none in my opinion. They should be Beating each other up to to earn that starting role and and and going back to the storyline We're we're on the offensive line, but you said line of scrimmage and I think once we get pads on which is I don't know five days into camp something like that. I think it's going to be intense, right? and I think the Those one-on-ones the the 11 on 11 stuff I think is going to be fascinating and I think it can transition talking about the line of scrimmage can transition to Another storyline that that I really am keeping an eye on and it revolves around the number 18, right? The number 18 was the number of sacks the falcons had last year tj watt had more Okay, that's not good They I know sacks aren't the be all end all right, but I think that's an indicator Those are game changing plays sacks can come with strip sacks sacks can force a punt sacks can change the course of an offensive series In addition to the fact that the falcons weren't very good at doing the basics, right? containing mobile quarterbacks keeping guys in the pocket forcing errant throws getting your hand up and knocking the ball down right basic stuff that needs to get better so With the defensive line we're kind of We the falcons are hoping for better from the same right great jared to quangram marlin davidson Potential hasn't been realized yet has to get better off the edge lorenzo carter I will not stop talking about this dude. I think he's poised for a breakout year I know it kills torey because I give him so many compliments that she doesn't have a chance to Here's the thing with lorenzo carter I feel like I could add so much to the conversation But scott just keeps talking about him that I feel I feel the need like I can't talk about him because then like we're both talking about him and then it's overkill You know, it's like there's a there's a fine line. So I will let you have Your lorenzo carter soapbox. I I give it to you. All right. Well, then let's transition to the rookies then What do you what do you expect? What are you looking to see during training camp from arnold ebba katie and de angelo Malone the third round bit. Yeah, I I want to be able to see obvious Improvement and I'm not saying that in in any way to say like that. I didn't see them do well in mini camp That's not what I'm saying at all Me but I think there is a misconception that mini camp you can learn a lot from mini camp and I can sit here and say You don't learn a dang thing in mini camp. Thank you Thank you Because you you are not seeing these guys go Even 75 percent like there aren't there aren't pads on no one's hitting there's no tackling There's no running like and so you don't get to see These guys really get after it in the way that you Need to see in order to understand what they need to do and improve on so for training camp purposes I want to see exactly like what we're talking about with the offensive line. I want to see arnold ebba katie de angelo malone ade ogende g lorenzo carter I want to see them get after it. I want to see them be able to make some things happen When they are playing in those more live settings And I do believe that we are going to learn a lot more when we get into the joint practices with new york and jackson bill I think those Those four practices to me are the most important days of training camp And I would hope that by the time we get to week one That we see a guy like arnold ebba katie. Maybe he's not starting in the very first Package or the very first rotation, but he should be in In that rotation, you know, like he should be a big part of it And I think like the expectation for a guy like arnold ebba katie isn't necessarily to start Day one week one of the season. It's to develop into That guy. I'm okay with not seeing him be a full-time starter until halfway through the season because I want to see him Improve I want to see I don't want to see a linear line. I want to see it go up I want I want to see the production go up as the year goes on That's that's the hope That I have for arnold ebba katie's year and de angelo malone too I don't want to not talk about him, but mainly arnold ebba katie Yeah, I think if you're being a negative nancy You would say That arnold ebba katie is a one-year wonder right that that he had a great year at penn state some decent years at temple There are some draft nicks that thought he was a first-hand pick that he belonged in that Elite class I think he has all the tools. I think he has the right mindset guys once you get to know him You're gonna dig him. He is just a cool dude personality plus and Comes with a great backstory that we'll have features about But but but nonetheless, I think it's gonna be interesting for him. I think de angelo I just want to see him as that like Rabbit dog being held by the leash and then somebody just like let's go of it right like I want him to do that I want his one job to be like see that quarterback right there Go tackle that dude. Well, that's what he was. That's what he was in uh at western kentucky. I mean, I talked to Scouts and assistant coaches if you read my rookie series like, you know, that was de angelo malone's role at western kentucky They were just like de angelo Sick of that That's literally what ed monetino said they did with him and so Translating that to the league. I completely get what you're saying. Yeah, so I think if if they can up the number of Game altering plays Whether it's strip sacks or whether it's quarterback pressure that forces an air and throw a jay terrell would appreciate some quarterback pressure That leads to lame ducks that float up that he can snatch out of the air Um, and there are some good defensive backs here. I I'm pretty confident that the secondary will be a strength Yeah, I think I think jaylon hawkins. He he's in my lorenzo carter camp I think we could have breakout season material from him So I think there's a lot of intriguing things to look at line of scrimmage offensive line We talked about the past rush But we got to talk about the quarterbacks, right? I do it I think I'm 100 in agreement with you that marcus mariota is gonna start the year as the starter Yeah, I mean doesn't ridder according to reports was talking in the pre-drive process saying how he was going to unseat a veteran, right? He's got I don't know. He just He got he has he has something that he's got a thing, right? That's really intriguing to me, you know Um, and I want to know what that's about and I think he's going to push He's 44 and six was his collegiate record. The guy's a winner. He just has a thing He never lost at home. I don't think no, he never lost at home. I love those stats. I love that Yeah, that was something that I kept talking to people about they're like Well, you talked to desmond ridder and he's a winner and he has a compared Uncompetitive spirit and et cetera et cetera. It's all good things, of course But then you actually talk to desmond ridder and it makes sense Like that's the thing is like I think that talking to him. I think he's very I mean I I think if you were to say like go up to desmond ridder and be like, hey man, like enjoy your backup role In 2022 he'd be like, I don't know what you're talking about. Like I'm gonna be the starter You know, like he just carries himself in that way in that confident way and I think that bodes really well for him and I think Something that I'm never gonna get over is arthur smith saying that from the neck up that desmond ridder is light years ahead of rookie quarterback studies worked with before I cannot That type of compliment to someone I don't know. I I don't know how else to like Pound it into people's brains that that is a very very important comment For arthur smith to make about a rookie quarterback Like if you go back to last training camp, right? And we were all there and we all saw kyle pits doing kyle pits things In practice in training camp. There are times where I mean, he's going over and above like he just He just his physical tools were Evident and then you go to the press conference and you be like, hey arthur Did you see kyle pits do that crazy athletic thing and be like, I don't know what you're talking about I didn't see nothing, right? He just wouldn't do it because he has a philosophy and um that You got to go prove it, right? Yeah, like in a game arthur smith talks a lot about Kyle made like a crazy one-handed Going one way the ball was going another way catch against tamper bay, right? And then after that he was talking to our pr director david bassidy and he was like The media's got to talk about that right that he's a lot of the compliment that type of behavior He went out and did it right so to have this doesn't back to doesn't ridder now I was wondering when you were going to go back maybe never So we going back to to desmond that's i'm trying to Give some context to the gravity of that comment, right? And going back to what you said before too, right that you can't learn anything in minicamp, right? Right don't chart his passes in minicamp. Okay. Don't do it Gives me insane, uh, but you can chart them in the middle of training camp, right? Yeah, and and I think that What it was interesting about the comment that I think it will be intriguing is So he's mentally getting it right will that translate into better physical play I think we need to see that we need to see the accuracy We need to see the the arm strength We need to see the commands which is pretty clear and I think that if we're if this is a competition That's the best way for desmond to make it a competition, right? Right, uh Again, I just I just look at marcus mariotta. He's 28 years old. Yeah He ain't that old man. Here's the thing about marcus mariotta There is I think there are very few people in the league that have an opportunity like what marcus mariotta has with the fathons in 2022 I think a lot of times when you have somebody of that caliber slip It's it's so hard to get back to where They were and to be given a chance to to show that hey, I'm still Starting quarterback caliber guy. I'm still that guy Marcus mariotta has a chance that doesn't come around very often if I really do believe that he is in this year specifically Looking at this opportunity like this is it for me. I've got to go out and prove we talk about proving it proving it proving it There is no one who better epitomizes that than marcus mariotta So I I know that everybody's talking about like desmond marcus desmond marcus Don't overlook the absolute like I mean just like inward competition that marcus mariotta has with himself to prove to himself That he is that guy and that he can go out in 2022 and still be that guy Yeah, it's gonna be a fast this guy's want to play off game, right? He was the number two overall pick He's been in the national spotlight for a long time And and I think so much of quarterbacking is you know, the old nature versus nurture argument. He's got the nature part He's got all the physical tools. Can he be nurtured in a way that allows him to thrive? I think if he he he talked about playing free if we're if we're dissecting comments, which I like to do Oh, that's what we get paid to do Good point. Thank you everyone for listening to Uh, but I go back to him talking about playing free and It was on it was chris sims was talking about marcus on a podcast on pro football talk or something like that and he talked about marcus previously being robotic and marcus has talked about being robotic in that He's reading sheet music, right? He's going through Going through his progressions And he's making what he thinks is the right choice and he talked a little bit about Playing free playing jazz man. Like like like you dig like like I'm losing my mind That's fantastic. I'm gonna need a shirt that just says you dig Yeah, so I just think that if he can play free and allow his physical tools to shine I think that could be a good thing for the falcons. Um, so keep an eye on you know I like that we added you added a competition to all these competitions, right? We we've got the spots on the offensive line. We've got the edge rushers We have the quarterback competition and then we have the marcus mariota competing with himself competition Which is a great point. It's something that I'm just totally going to steal your idea and write a whole column about it and give you zero credit I'm glad that I could be of service. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and steal it plagiarism at its finest But nevertheless, uh, keep an eye on that too. Um, and also keep an eye on The falcons final whistle podcast and what I talked about earlier. We're gonna be doing so much cool stuff Uh during training camp, please come out to training camp. Say hi to us. By the way It's gonna be really really fun and Another thing This is our last podcast with just two of us Um by the time that you listen to this you will have read the intro column from ashton edmonds Who is joining the squad? We are so freaking pumped We're so excited. So, you know rate review subscribe do all that fun stuff Um, as you're listening to this on july 26. Tori will be sipping a mai tai probably or a pink water And uh, and then after that we're gonna be on the grind