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00:00So, as far as hype, okay, we have three questions about the Detroit Lions hype train.
00:09Question one, are we hearing more about Ennis Rakestraw than Taryon Arnold?
00:16We are this week.
00:18Last week it was all Taryon Arnold.
00:19This week it feels like there's a lot of Rakestraw love, hearing that he runs with the ones every
00:25once in a while.
00:27That's kind of cool.
00:29We knew going into it that this was a highly thought of defensive back, and I love hearing
00:33it.
00:34I want to hear that all these defensive backs are doing it, and we are, actually.
00:37You're hearing about Carlton Davis.
00:39You're hearing about Rakestraw.
00:40You're hearing about Arnold.
00:43I saw that Dan Miller did an interview with Amik Robertson, and that was kind of cool
00:48to see where his head's at, and then we're hearing, hey, look who's back at practice.
00:51Here's, you know, Branch is back.
00:54It seems like the secondary is the group that is getting a lot of love in the early part
00:59of the training camp.
01:00Brad Holmes' second round picks, Levi Onzareke, Josh Paschal.
01:08I'm sorry, Levi Onzareke, one of the best, right?
01:11One of the best so far in camp.
01:14Levi Onzareke, Josh Paschal, Sam Laporta, Brian Branch, and it's Rakestraw.
01:23You know, I mean, first of all, they're all still here, although Onzareke, if he gets
01:29hurt again, might not be, but hopefully he stays healthy.
01:32He's had a great camp so far.
01:34It is early.
01:37Josh Paschal was coming off an injury, and Josh Paschal has had some ups and downs and
01:42started to make some plays last year.
01:45Sam Laporta and Brian Branch look like home run second round picks.
01:49And it's Rakestraw, we'll see, but based upon Brad Holmes' track record, we shouldn't be
01:58shocked at all if both Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw make it.
02:02And we are getting a ton of Ennis Rakestraw hype of late.
02:05Yeah, I expect it.
02:07I mean, this is a guy that had first round grades by a lot of people.
02:11So I think there is going to be a lot expected out of him.
02:15Ken, your thoughts?
02:16Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw get more buzz this week?
02:19I love it.
02:20I told you guys before, I want to hear more positive things from the defensive side of
02:24the ball than the offensive side of the ball, as far as camp goes and preseason.
02:28Because I'm ultra confident in the offense.
02:31With everyone coming back, essentially, the offensive line, Ben Johnson, of course, Goff,
02:36and most of the weapons.
02:37I feel like they're going to be one of the best offenses in the league.
02:40The defense is what was lacking last year, and I needed them to take a step, if not a
02:44leap.
02:45And I feel like the more good things we hear, the more confidence it instills into me as
02:50a fan, and hopefully to the players back there.
02:53Because they're going against a really good offense, by the way, too.
02:56It would be easy for them to get smoked every day in practice, because like I just mentioned
03:00on the offensive side of the ball, those guys, they've got some elite playmakers and a great
03:03offensive line.
03:04All right, hype train question two, and a quote on DetroitLions.com, Lions Offense Coordinator
03:11Ben Johnson says of Jamison Williams, quote, haven't seen anything that he can't do.
03:17We started feeling it towards the end of last year, and he's taken that to another
03:20level in the springtime, and so far here in training camp.
03:24He prides himself on being some juice to the offense, and we certainly feel it out there,
03:28both in the passing game, making explosive plays, but he also wants to be a dynamic blocker
03:33as well, which we really value.
03:36All the JMO hype at any point can get to be too much, and you start thinking, tap the
03:42brakes.
03:43I mean, when you keep hearing the same reports coming in on the same player, at some point
03:52you start to believe it, and do I want to keep hearing it?
03:56I mean, would I rather hear it than not hear it?
03:59Yes, you'd rather hear it.
04:03And it just building up the expectation more and more of what we want to see from Jamison
04:08Williams.
04:09I'm buying it all.
04:11I really am.
04:13I mean, I don't have any reason not to.
04:16This has been the most credible coach, GM, line staff we had in our lifetime, and if
04:21they tell me something, I believe it, and I do think they don't blow smoke up everybody's
04:25channel.
04:26I think they tell you when somebody is struggling or whatever, you know what I mean?
04:30Yeah.
04:31Kang, do you ever think too much on JMO?
04:34Yeah, sometimes.
04:35It crosses my mind.
04:36As a guy who's always been a JMO supporter and thought that he would eventually come
04:40It gives me a little pause as how far away he was last year, though, and maybe when he
04:44came in.
04:45Because if he's getting this much hype now, I feel like there was a significant gap, you
04:49know?
04:50Maybe he wasn't as far as long as I thought he was, but if he's going to hit that stride
04:53this year, then all good.
04:56I'm all aboard.
04:57So I am a little cautious, but it makes me think like, wow, maybe he wasn't as close
05:02as I thought he was.
05:03But as long as he hits stride now, we're good to go.
05:05All right.
05:06Let's reframe question three, getting good reviews on the defensive line, Levi Onzareke
05:10and Marcus Davenport, both getting hype.
05:13If you had to bet on one, which would you bet on, Onzareke or Davenport?
05:19I would bet on Davenport.
05:21Okay.
05:22And why is that?
05:24Well, he's actually been able to play in his career.
05:28But he's not one of the best.
05:33I think that, you know, he's working at a position on the outside that he'll get one
05:38on one as opposed to double teamed.
05:42So I think that there's that advantage.
05:45I don't know.
05:46I just more of a hunch.
05:48And I don't want this.
05:49I know this week when those comments came out of Dan Campbell talking about Levi Onzareke,
05:54that makes it seem like I don't like Levi Onzareke.
05:57That's not the case.
05:58I know.
05:59I know what you're doing.
06:00You're just skeptical.
06:01I'm skeptical.
06:02It makes it seem like you didn't like Dan Campbell.
06:03Which is obviously not the case.
06:04I love Dan Campbell.
06:06But I just, I need to see it from Levi Onzareke first.
06:09I want to believe in it.
06:10I want to believe all the hype about him being worthy of the second round pick, about, you
06:15know, Brad Holmes dying to draft him, having to be held back from moving back up into the
06:20first round to take him.
06:21And I want to believe all that stuff.
06:22But he was damaged goods when he came to the Lions and then unfortunately he's been dealing
06:27with injuries.
06:28Now it seems like he's healthy.
06:30You're hearing all the good stuff about him.
06:32Great.
06:33But I won't know until I see it.
06:34So it's got to see it to believe it.
06:36I feel like we've gone through a stretch over the last five, six years where they, it feels
06:40like they might have an answer at one of the rush end positions, whether it was Austin
06:44Bryan or Kerry Heider or Julius Acquah, Romeo Acquah or Charles Harris.
06:49There were all these guys that would show promise and you start to hope that they are
06:53going to fulfill that role.
06:55And then they don't.
06:57And, you know, in the case of on Enrique, look, I was a fan out of college, so I've
07:02clearly got some confirmation bias hoping that he will live up to being worthy of the
07:07draft pick.
07:08But I also have Brad Holmes bias.
07:10But yeah, I'd probably go with Marcus Davenport as well.
07:15He's had problems staying healthy himself, but he's done it in the league.
07:18Kang, which would you be more inclined to believe the hype?
07:20Well, I wouldn't put money on this, but I lean towards Davenport.
07:24I mean, just because we've we've seen him do it in real NFL action before in games that
07:30count and matter.
07:31We have never seen Levi do it.
07:33And as much as I want Levi to live up to all this, this praise he's getting right now,
07:37he's never shown he can show healthy.
07:39Davenport's coming off two injury seasons.
07:41But before that, he was healthy at some point in his NFL career.
07:45So I'll lean Davenport.
07:46All right.
07:47Two, four, eight, five, three, nine.