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Daryl Ruiter details where credit lands for Deshaun Watson, Browns; Shedeur Sanders' trade potential
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00:00Daryl Ryder joining us now.
00:01Daryl, what's going on?
00:03You're not playing end of the road right now for the Guardians
00:07like the White Sox did for them this afternoon?
00:09No, not actively playing for it,
00:11but the White Sox might have the right read on that
00:13if we're being 100% honest.
00:15What a brilliant troll by them.
00:18Yeah, it was good.
00:19Unfortunately, I mean, I don't like it,
00:21but I just respect where it's due
00:24and that's a pretty brilliant troll on their part.
00:29No, I mean, it's really good, especially...
00:31Listen, they have every...
00:33Basically, if they want to have the ball in their court,
00:35ball's in their court.
00:36The Guardians have no response right now.
00:38I mean, Daryl, we can start with the Guardians.
00:41We'll get to the Browns at some point during this too,
00:43but this team has just come out in back-to-back days,
00:47basically put together no life on offense.
00:50Is it even a question for you where you place blame
00:52for this team being down 2-0?
00:55Well, I mean, I feel like we've watched this movie before, right?
00:58And y'all just listen in in the break there,
01:01the promo with Ken and Anthony and Lima
01:04just kind of talking about the overall organizational strategy.
01:08I agree with Lima.
01:09I stopped the presses, but I do agree with him.
01:12Just with the way the Guardians do business
01:15and have to do business or feel that they have to do business,
01:19you know, it's about getting into the postseason,
01:23winning the division if they can,
01:25getting into the postseason,
01:27and then you hope they're hot at the right time.
01:29You thought they were going to be hot at the right time.
01:31They won 9-11 before they had that week off,
01:33and I feel like that week off just totally wiped out
01:36whatever momentum that they had.
01:38And conversely, you look at the White Sox, right,
01:40who were jockeying back and forth with the Guardians
01:43throughout the month of September.
01:44They have to play the wild card series.
01:47They sweep the wild card series.
01:49Now they win the first two in this series.
01:51I feel like the White Sox are the ones that have the momentum
01:55and will most likely advance to the ALCS,
01:59and you have the Guardians where, like,
02:02just offensively for whatever reason,
02:04everybody disappears.
02:05And look, I know Joe O'Dell had the RBI triple
02:09off the top of the wall in left center last night,
02:12and it was about five feet away from tying the game.
02:17But, like, they got shut out in game one, had three hits,
02:22loaded the bases twice with two outs, couldn't do anything, right?
02:24They had a couple opportunities last night,
02:27couldn't do much with them outside of that first inning.
02:31And, you know, at least they scratched a third run across
02:35thanks to Adele, but, like, just collectively,
02:38their approach at the plate has been uneven.
02:42I would argue it's sometimes downright sloppy.
02:45I mean, Steven Vogt even said last night at the ballpark
02:48that, you know, some of the at-bats could have been better,
02:51which is manager speak for, yeah,
02:53the plate appearances weren't all that great tonight, right?
02:56So, but we've seen, we just, we see this movie before with them,
03:00and I understand why fans get frustrated,
03:04but you know what?
03:06It sure beats them just burning it down
03:09and being completely non-competitive year in and year out.
03:13So, yes, it's frustrating.
03:16Jose Ramirez is not 100%.
03:18He never recovered from that handmade bone surgery,
03:24the removal or whatever, okay?
03:26He came back too fast.
03:27God love him.
03:28He wanted to play.
03:29He wanted to contribute down the stretch.
03:31But the fact of the matter is,
03:32Jose Ramirez didn't do much in the month of September
03:34for the Guardians,
03:35and he's not done anything for them so far
03:39in two postseason games either.
03:41But he gets a little bit of a,
03:43I don't want to say a pass,
03:44but like I feel like there's an asterisk next to that
03:47because he's not 100%.
03:48He's not letting you down defensively.
03:50Just at the plate,
03:50he's not the same player right now
03:52that we've come to expect.
03:54And hopefully,
03:54whenever they play baseball in 2027,
03:57he comes back and he's back to form.
03:59But yeah, we see this all the time with them.
04:01The offense just completely vanishes in October.
04:05And it certainly is frustrating.
04:08And, you know,
04:10I don't really have much of an expectation
04:12that all of a sudden they're going to have
04:14a eureka moment
04:15and the offense is just going to wake up
04:18all of a sudden
04:18and start knocking the ball all over the ballpark
04:21as credit to the White Sox.
04:22This bullpen game nonsense
04:24that they're throwing out there,
04:27unfortunately, it's working.
04:28It's working really well.
04:30Daryl, when we talk about Jose,
04:32obviously, like,
04:33we know what this year is.
04:34Does it feel like,
04:35because most of the time we talk about Jose
04:37as kind of this almost untouchable figure
04:40for the Guardians, right?
04:41He gets praise.
04:42He signed here for less.
04:42He's a perennial MVP candidate.
04:44He's probably going to be a Hall of Famer.
04:46He's earned the grace.
04:47He's earned the latitude, right?
04:49I mean, he's got the resume to back it up.
04:51Sure.
04:52It just feels like now people may be
04:55willing to go to that well
04:57and a lot more people pointing out
04:58that the fact that
04:59Jose Ramirez in the postseason,
05:01his career in October,
05:03he really hasn't been that great.
05:06Like, he's a career 231 hitter in October.
05:07He's got just four home runs
05:09in 47 games in the postseason.
05:11Like, it feels like now more than ever
05:14following the injury,
05:15people are maybe opening their eyes
05:18or wanting to believe more
05:20that Jose Ramirez maybe not always cracked up to be,
05:23at least when we get to October.
05:24Yeah, and again,
05:25I certainly understand that
05:27when the offense,
05:28again,
05:29they've got seven hits this entire,
05:30but in two games combined.
05:32Like, I understand the criticism
05:34and I'm not here to sit here
05:35and say that Jose Ramirez is,
05:37you know,
05:38absolved from it or immune,
05:39you know,
05:40to it.
05:41But I also believe that he's,
05:42he's earned a little latitude here
05:45and a little grace,
05:46especially because he's not 100% right now.
05:49So it's,
05:50you know,
05:50the fact that he's playing right now,
05:52I think is great.
05:54And he's,
05:54again,
05:55not allowing it to affect his play in the field.
05:58He's just not swinging the bat
06:00the way that's needed this time of year.
06:03Even with Steven Vogt putting him in the two hole
06:05to try and squeeze an extra at bat in there for him,
06:09which we saw that earlier in the year
06:10before the lineup kind of settled down
06:12and then he bumped them back to the three spot.
06:14Well, here,
06:15you know,
06:16Steven Vogt recognized that,
06:17got to get him back up to the two hole.
06:20Because of that.
06:21So I get,
06:22I get it.
06:23But,
06:24you know,
06:24I'm not going to sit here and say
06:25Jose Ramirez is,
06:27is a bust.
06:29Look,
06:29they've got him at a,
06:31at a 50% discount.
06:32They got a 50% coupon on him.
06:35And that was by his choice.
06:38Jose Ramirez has chosen to play here.
06:40And yes,
06:41I understand making $25 million a year.
06:44You're expecting a little more October production,
06:47but,
06:48you know,
06:49if he was a hundred percent healthy,
06:51I,
06:52maybe I think I'd be a little more receptive to that conversation right now,
06:57Jake.
06:58But,
06:59I just think it's,
07:01it's,
07:01it's a cruel coincidence.
07:03It's not just Jose Ramirez that isn't getting it done.
07:06Right.
07:06Steven Kwan isn't getting it done.
07:09You know,
07:10Joe O'Dell,
07:11Joe O'Dell.
07:12Okay.
07:12He contributed there,
07:14but I mean,
07:15he's been a little inconsistent here.
07:16Struck out six of his first seven at bats in the postseason.
07:19Like,
07:19like the whole lineup.
07:21And it's a young lineup too.
07:23That's the other part of this too.
07:25Like it's a young team.
07:27Like this team isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
07:29They're going to be back next year.
07:30Assuming again,
07:31they play baseball next year and they should be in it the year after that and year
07:35after that.
07:35And so again,
07:39I understand the frustration of guardians fans right now,
07:43completely get it.
07:44But this team is going to have more opportunities here with this young nucleus.
07:50That's been assembled to be competitive.
07:54They're going to be able to,
07:55you know,
07:55this isn't a,
07:56they made the playoffs this year.
07:57Now they're not going to hear,
07:58you're not going to hear from,
07:59from the next five years type situation.
08:01They're going to be in the running for the postseason for the next couple of
08:05years here in my,
08:06at least from my standpoint,
08:07and these young players are going to get better.
08:10And hopefully these experiences that they're getting like Travis Bazzana and
08:13others on hell Martinez,
08:15like hopefully that is going to help them.
08:18So when they're in October again,
08:20they will be a little more productive at the plate than they have been.
08:24There's no doubt.
08:25All right,
08:25Daryl,
08:25let's talk to a team that has this feeling pretty good.
08:28And it doesn't make the playoffs very often.
08:31This is true.
08:32Yes,
08:33but they're playing well there.
08:34I don't know how many times a year I get to say the Browns are the ones that,
08:37you know,
08:38giving us a good feeling and the guardians are disappointing us.
08:41Yeah,
08:41they're in first place.
08:42The Browns are in first place.
08:43Let's give them their flowers.
08:44All right.
08:45They are facing a little bit of a conundrum,
08:47just in the quarterback room in general right now,
08:50Dylan Gabriel.
08:51They got 21 days.
08:53Yes.
08:53He's been designated to return.
08:54They have the 21 day practice window.
08:57That thought process has to be coming up.
08:59But what do you think the Browns likely do to figure out a four man quarterback room?
09:04I still say should or Sanders could be traded.
09:07I still say it.
09:08I know what the team told me yesterday.
09:10Okay.
09:11And they,
09:12you know,
09:12there's,
09:12there's,
09:13there's nothing to that.
09:14There's no smoke there.
09:15Nothing whatsoever going on,
09:18but they're not,
09:19I just,
09:20I don't see a world that they carry for quarterbacks.
09:22So you got three weeks to figure it out.
09:24Okay.
09:25Either Deshaun just falls off a cliff and you got to bench him and play Shador or play Dylan Gabriel,
09:30or you're going to have to move one of these guys.
09:33I'm not convinced.
09:34I know there are some that are speculating.
09:36Yes,
09:37they could get tailing green through waivers.
09:39I completely disagree.
09:40I think tailing green gets snatched up in a blink of an eye.
09:43And I don't know that you want to give him away.
09:46Cause by the way,
09:46tailing green has all the physical attributes you want in the quarterback.
09:50He's got the size you want.
09:52He's got the arm strength you want.
09:53He just got to,
09:54you know,
09:55you got to develop him.
09:56Okay.
09:56He's got to refine the game.
09:57And I don't know that you just want to give that type of a player away.
10:00I know he's a sixth round pick.
10:02I get that.
10:03But I don't think that the Browns have the luxury of risking giving him away.
10:07So I just feel like something's got to give in the next three weeks in that quarterback room.
10:12And it most likely because of the landscape in the NFL will involve a trade.
10:17And to me,
10:18the most attractive player they have to trade right now would be Shador.
10:23So,
10:23um,
10:24you know,
10:25I,
10:26that,
10:26and again,
10:26that's just my opinion.
10:27And I'm just doing the math and looking at the situation and where they're at.
10:32We'll see.
10:33Okay.
10:3321 days.
10:34We're going to find out if they've got the stones to keep four quarterbacks on the active
10:39roster.
10:39I don't think they do.
10:41Daryl,
10:42I obviously all of this conversation right now,
10:44because Deshaun is one healthy to playing really well.
10:47Uh,
10:47well,
10:48I mean,
10:48better than we would have expected.
10:50He's playing.
10:50He's playing well.
10:51I,
10:51I,
10:51I wouldn't go so far as to say he's playing really well.
10:54He's had a lot of really,
10:57really close calls.
10:58Like,
10:58like let's,
10:59let's keep it in perspective.
11:00Give him credit.
11:01Yes.
11:01He's healthy.
11:02He,
11:02they're playing winning football with him.
11:04He's got three straight game winning drives.
11:05It's been a bit of a roller coaster with them.
11:08He's had some near misses and close calls and things like that.
11:12But overall they're three and one and T doesn't look like he's the worst quarterback in the
11:19national football league.
11:20How about that?
11:21Or he doesn't look like he's the 42nd of 42 quarterbacks.
11:25The Browns have fielded since 1999,
11:27which,
11:28Oh,
11:28by the way,
11:29there have been some times he has looked like that as well.
11:32So,
11:32uh,
11:33but no,
11:33it,
11:33it's,
11:34it's better than I think,
11:35uh,
11:36I,
11:36I will acknowledge.
11:37I thought I just,
11:39I,
11:39I didn't think he had anything left in the tank.
11:42Uh,
11:43but clearly he does.
11:44And we'll see if he can continue as the weeks go on to get better.
11:47And obviously,
11:48uh,
11:48you know,
11:49stay healthy to do so.
11:50Darrell,
11:50how much trust has he,
11:52he bought with you over the last three games?
11:54There is something sustainable here and the Browns can continue to play
11:57winning football with him at the helm.
11:59Trust is not the word that I,
12:01I understand why you asked that question.
12:03I just,
12:03I wouldn't use trust.
12:05I would say he,
12:06he's bought himself a little latitude,
12:08a little leeway.
12:09How about that?
12:10Like I'm not sitting here on a,
12:11on a throw by throw basis.
12:13Like,
12:13you know,
12:14start up.
12:14Nope.
12:14Bench him.
12:15Good throw.
12:15Start him.
12:16Bad throw.
12:16Bench him.
12:17Bad throw.
12:18Bench him.
12:18I'm not doing that.
12:19Okay.
12:20So he's earned a little bit of that.
12:23Like if you go three straight games where he's just awful,
12:26then we probably have to return to the conversation of what,
12:29what,
12:30what did they do a quarterback?
12:31But if he continues on this trajectory,
12:33right through for what?
12:34266 yards,
12:35something like that.
12:36268 yards against the Steelers.
12:38Right.
12:38That's one of his better games as a Cleveland Brown.
12:42I think that's a top three passing performance for him,
12:47sadly,
12:47but it was so yeah,
12:52he he's earned a little grace there from,
12:55you know,
12:55in my view,
12:56I wouldn't say that I trust him implicitly right now,
12:59but I'm a lot more open-minded as far as giving him a little longer leash
13:06and not trying to judge him throw by throw or determine whether or not he
13:13continues as the starting quarterback on a throw by throw basis.
13:17Daryl a quarterback play hasn't been greater across the league so far to
13:20start the year.
13:21If you had to take a random ballpark number kind of guess,
13:24where would you rank to Sean among quarterbacks in the NFL right now?
13:27I'd probably put them in the 15 to 20 range.
13:29Um,
13:30you know,
13:30he's not in the bottom third,
13:32but he's certainly not in the top half.
13:34Um,
13:35I think he's kind of,
13:36he's right now he's in the mediocre category.
13:39Okay.
13:40You got the,
13:40you got the elite,
13:41then you got the really good,
13:44then you got the good,
13:45then you got the,
13:46you know,
13:47the,
13:47the,
13:48you know,
13:49middle of the road guys.
13:50I think he's in the middle of the road,
13:52mediocre guys.
13:53He's not,
13:53he's not terrible.
13:54Uh,
13:55and he's not close to terrible.
13:57He he's,
13:57he's in the,
13:58he's reached mediocrity.
14:01We were begging for that last year,
14:02Daryl.
14:03We're happy with mediocrity.
14:04Well,
14:04it's a step up,
14:05right?
14:05I mean,
14:06you know,
14:06in fair,
14:07like let's look,
14:08I always call it the way I see it.
14:10And I've been really harsh on the Sean leading up to the season because he's not been good in camp
14:15in my view,
14:15but he he's been a lot better here in games when it's mattered.
14:20So I have to be fair and call it the way I see it.
14:23He's been better.
14:24So,
14:24uh,
14:25and he's certainly been better than I thought he would be.
14:27So,
14:28um,
14:28yeah,
14:29I,
14:29I don't think he is,
14:31uh,
14:31has been great by any stretch of the imagination.
14:34He's doing just enough to help the Browns win.
14:37And he's not doing,
14:39um,
14:41enough bad things to cause them to lose,
14:43if that makes sense.
14:44And so that,
14:45that gets you some Brownie points.
14:47Daryl,
14:48what about the guys blocking from up front?
14:49Obviously we knew a,
14:50it was five new guys.
14:51Obviously they were without Elton Jenkins on Thursday.
14:54Uh,
14:55I would say arguably,
14:56maybe inarguably played their best game as a unit.
14:59And that one was Thursday,
15:01maybe a little proof of concept of this offensive,
15:03offensive line starting to gel together and get it a little bit.
15:06Hope so.
15:07Right.
15:08I,
15:08and,
15:08and look,
15:09I,
15:09you know,
15:09after going back and,
15:11and,
15:11and watching the,
15:12the all 22,
15:13you know,
15:14the,
15:14the,
15:14the coaches,
15:14the end zone view and all that kind of stuff.
15:16I would agree with you.
15:17I thought the offensive line was better,
15:19um,
15:20than it's been might've been.
15:21I,
15:22I probably agree,
15:23probably their best game of the season,
15:24which is a good sign,
15:25right?
15:25Getting better as the weeks go by.
15:27That's the object of the exercise here.
15:30Um,
15:30so yeah,
15:31hopefully they can continue to get better.
15:33We'll see where Elton Jenkins is this week.
15:35Uh,
15:35obviously Tevin Jenkins,
15:37where he's,
15:37you know,
15:38at in his,
15:39uh,
15:39situation,
15:39but Austin Barber has been delightful.
15:42Uh,
15:42Luke Whipler,
15:43I,
15:43I,
15:44I thought,
15:44uh,
15:44fit in there,
15:45uh,
15:45pretty well.
15:46Not a surprise.
15:46We've seen Luke Whipler on,
15:48on the field for the Browns,
15:49uh,
15:50before,
15:50uh,
15:51Titus Howard was improved.
15:52That was real hard on him and deservedly so,
15:54uh,
15:55after,
15:56um,
15:57the game against Carolina.
15:58Uh,
15:59so yeah,
15:59I,
16:00I think that that,
16:00uh,
16:01offensive line group,
16:02uh,
16:03played pretty well against the Steelers,
16:05a very physical team,
16:06and they certainly were up to the challenge of meeting the Steelers physicality.
16:11All right,
16:11Daryl,
16:12we got to run.
16:12Always appreciate you setting aside the time.
16:14It's good to talk to you.
16:15And,
16:15uh,
16:16hopefully when we talk on Sunday,
16:17we'll be excited about a potential Browns four in one record to start the year.
16:21And the guardians in the ALCS,
16:23right?
16:23We can cross our fingers and hope we can certainly do that.
16:26Listen,
16:27the White Sox got the Pope on their side,
16:29so I don't know if there's enough church candles in Cleveland left to light for that one.
16:33I think we lose that battle.
16:36Daryl.
16:36Yeah,
16:36the Pontiff usually wins,
16:38right?
16:38I think so.
16:39Daryl,
16:39we appreciate you.
16:40You betcha,
16:41bud.
16:41Daryl Ryder,
16:42our Cleveland sports beat reporter with us there,
16:44courtesy of Scheiben Jewelers,
16:45Cleveland's premier jewelry store.