00:00Good morning, 97.1 Jim Costa, Stoney in today, Heather, Gov and Greg behind the glass, ready
00:07to roll on a Friday.
00:08Tomorrow, we're going to see more of the Lions.
00:11That's right.
00:12Significant starters, but we will not see Sam Laporta or Ennis Rakestraw.
00:16They are both dealing with injuries.
00:18Yeah, I was actually at practice yesterday and you saw Rakestraw.
00:22It was a non-contact injury.
00:25He was defending against, I think it was Meeks, and he just went down and he was down for
00:32a while and everybody's sitting there, oh my God, here we go again.
00:35And he did walk off on his own power, escorted to the locker room by a trainer.
00:43I said he's not playing tomorrow.
00:45Is that confirmed?
00:46Well, I wouldn't.
00:47Rakestraw, there's no way.
00:48And Laporta might not be ready for week one.
00:50Yeah, and that's an issue because all these guys, Laporta, I love him.
00:56The guy's so freaking good.
00:57The running game, it wasn't just the offensive line that screwed up last year.
01:01It was the fact that he didn't play a lot of games and he was such a good blocker.
01:05He's so good.
01:07But he gets hurt all the time and it's just like, all right, they have to make a decision
01:12on him coming up.
01:13Don't forget.
01:14And God, I hope he's ready for game one because he's key to that offense, man.
01:19He really is, especially with a new offensive coordinator who's who featured tight ends.
01:24Yeah.
01:24Now, he's I don't think he's always injured.
01:27He had the back last year's first significant time.
01:29I think he had missed, right?
01:30No, I thought he missed some games early, like his second year, maybe.
01:34I don't know.
01:34Maybe, but I agree with you on the point.
01:37He was banked up heading into the playoffs in 23.
01:39Yeah, but he played.
01:41Yeah, because I'm looking at he played 17 games his first year, 16 games his second year.
01:45He played nine last season.
01:47And I agree with your point.
01:48Like, they did miss him as much as the injury, the offensive line let him down.
01:52They did not get what they needed out of the tight end position.
01:55And I don't have the numbers in front of me, but their record and their points scored
01:58with him versus without him, it was noticeable.
02:00Right.
02:01And in fairness, they didn't have Brock Wright at the same time last year, too.
02:04It kind of, you know, domino effect.
02:06Yeah.
02:07So anyway, no Laporta, no Rake Straw, no Jared Goff.
02:11Campbell has said it's going to be Dobbs, give him some extended run, and Altmeier's going
02:15to play, too.
02:15They're high on him as a young quarterback.
02:18I'd like to see Goff play a series, but if, God forbid, he would get hurt, I mean, is it
02:27worth it?
02:28No.
02:29Different coaches.
02:30We're seeing more and more this year of the starters playing a little bit around the league.
02:36Yeah.
02:37But, look, personally, I'd play him for a series, but it's no big deal.
02:42I'm not going to go crazy on him.
02:43So I'm going to just kind of rapid fire, throw out some names, and you tell me if you want
02:46to see them play or not.
02:47Goff.
02:49I'd like to see him play a series.
02:51Okay, you would.
02:51Jameer Gibbs.
02:53Yeah, I'd like to see these guys play one series.
02:56I'd like the first team offense, I want to see play one series.
03:00St.
03:01Brown, yes.
03:01Sewell, yes.
03:03Hutch.
03:04Yeah.
03:05Everybody for at least a series.
03:07Everybody for at least a series.
03:08Okay.
03:08Because, you know, everybody say, well, usually the joint practices, when they go against somebody
03:14else, or, you know, that's better than the preseason games.
03:18That's what they said.
03:19They said that.
03:20Now, have you seen what's going on around the league this year?
03:22Yeah, fights all over the place.
03:23The Cowboys and Saints got fined $500,000 each.
03:27Jerry Jones says he's going to fine some of his own players for causing them.
03:32Well, because it's a disruption.
03:35That's right.
03:35Dolphins, Giants had one yesterday, too.
03:37And maybe Campbell and company got out a year early at the right time, because this disrupts
03:43your practice, your flow.
03:44All the advantages go out the window if you can't actually practice.
03:46Right.
03:46But the point being is, if you're not going to have these, maybe it's good to let these
03:52guys play a series at least.
03:53Sure.
03:54If you were erring on the side of caution, which they are with Goff, I think I also would
03:58with Gibbs.
04:00Okay.
04:00Yeah.
04:01I don't think he'll play tomorrow.
04:02Um, Sewell, I think you do play because of continuity on that offensive line.
04:07Yes.
04:08Hutch for a series or two.
04:10And then I just want to play it safe with him.
04:15What do you want to see outside of health?
04:18Like, I just want to put that caveat so we don't get 5,000 texts.
04:22What do you want to see tomorrow that is not get out of there healthy?
04:26Well, it depends on the opponent, what Washington's thrown at him.
04:31Look, I want to see the secondary.
04:33I want to see how the safeties play.
04:35I mean, that's going to be the biggest concern going into this team, especially on the defensive
04:39end.
04:40Offensively, I'd like to have Blake Miller have another, you know, decent game.
04:45I want to see who's, is Scruggs going to be the center?
04:48I mean, or is they going to have Rattledge play a few plays?
04:51I mean, these are the things you need to see, especially you talk about continuity offensive
04:55line.
04:56The guard situation is so in flux with, you know, his mahogany and all these guys.
05:01Barch is in concussion protocol now.
05:03Yes, and look, and look, every team has a lot of tryouts, but there's obviously some
05:09concern at that position when you consider that they had former first round draft pick
05:15Laken Tomlinson and Will Hernandez, veteran, played for the Giants and some other teams
05:21Cardinals too.
05:22And for tryouts yesterday.
05:25Speaks to, hey, we need another body here because we're not super confident in the depth
05:28we've got.
05:28Yeah.
05:31Yeah, for me, the biggest thing is the offensive line and the defensive line because coverages
05:35are vanilla.
05:36I obviously want to see Tesla catch the football.
05:38I want to see some people make plays in the secondary, but the trenches, I think, is where
05:42you can get maybe the truest, honest assessment.
05:44You got someone lined up mano a mano.
05:46It doesn't matter if it's a vanilla play or not.
05:48Can you win your matchup?
05:49Can you be disruptive?
05:50Can you move the offensive?
05:52If you're the offensive line, can you move the line of scrimmage?
05:54There's going to be things to look for up front, both sides.
05:56I want to see Ozerake play.
05:59I want to see if he's, you know, legitimately back.
06:02I mean, no pun intended on his injury, but I'd love to see a flash from Tyleek.
06:07We're talking about a year or two for their first round pick.
06:10That would be awesome.
06:11Aleem McNeil continuing to build some confidence.
06:13I think a lot of this season hinges on if Aleem McNeil can be the player he was pre ACL.
06:17Yes.
06:18And he can't prove that on Saturday.
06:19But can I see a flash?
06:20Can I see a play?
06:21Yeah.
06:22Can I go?
06:22That's the guy I need.
06:23So I'm looking in the trenches.
06:25We're going to see Jaden Daniels.
06:26I don't think so.
06:27I haven't looked at any of the commander stuff.
06:29Maybe I'm a bad radio host.
06:30I have no idea.
06:32I'll go along through trenches thing in terms of I want to see physical dominance.
06:36That's what the Lions at their peak were.
06:39They would on both lines, but especially offensive line physically dominate.
06:42Are they going to be as good as that 2023 line?
06:45No.
06:46I want to see McNeil make a little bit of an impact.
06:50By the way, Laporte, I did look it up.
06:53They were six and three with them, three and five without them.
06:56Yeah.
06:57And I think the points per game, it might have been a full touchdown last season.
07:02And for his career, I think it's a whole field goal difference.
07:06They had their defenses.
07:07They struggled without him big time.
07:09Well, think about one of the things that we were critical of their inability to convert on those third and
07:14fourth downs.
07:14Because Dan Campbell is going to do it.
07:15He believes in it, but they weren't converting as often.
07:18And well, how valuable is a tight end when you're selling play action or you're trying to set the edge
07:23or get the extra guy blocked up in the front?
07:25That stuff adds up.
07:27And I think it really did hurt him.
07:28Yeah.
07:29I mean, you're thrown to Frisker, basically, if you can even do that.
07:31Remember him?
07:32Ferkser.
07:33Ferkser.
07:34Oh, sorry.
07:35Might as well have been Frisker.
07:40Stoney.
07:43248-539-97.
07:44We have some Dan Campbell stuff we want to pass along that's coming up at 6.50.
07:48Talking about the window and where it's at and the future of this football team.
07:52He was very clear on his position.
07:54We'll get to that.
07:54It's 97-1.
