good. Sunday evening, everyone on fletcher, Mackel and tonight we're
talking all about our city's pro sports teams after one of the more memorable
playoff runs in recent NBA history. The Pelicans are *** team on the rise that
has *** chance to become very special more on basketball in the big, easy in
just *** minute. We start with football in big shoes to fill New Saints head
coach Dennis Allen taking over for his former boss, Sean Payton in this
weekend. Making calls in welcoming his first draft class,
*** no nonsense Texan who's been described as mature and wise beyond his
years. It should come as no surprise the five players making up Allen's 2022
draft class all feature the same traits. Here's team, general manager mickey,
Loomis, tough smart, they're all seniors are all captains. The
headliners of the group are the two first round picks. Ohio state wide
receiver chris Olave in Northern Iowa, offensive tackle Trevor penning *** six
ft seven inch, 320 pounder penning has been described as mean and nasty in the
trenches. And Alan loves that if *** puppy doesn't bite when he's young,
he's not gonna bite when he becomes *** when he becomes *** dog. So I'd rather
I'd rather pull the reins back then have to kick him to get him going. So I
like that about him. As for Olave, the Saints gave up *** ton of draft capital
to move up and get him. That's something our jennifer Crockett asked
ESPN Mike Triplett all about. They paid *** lot to get chris Olave especially.
And really, I mean, you could, you could say they traded for both picks,
but in in *** big way they could have just stayed at 18 and taken Trevor
penning. So when I did the math, they really used *** total of five draft
picks to draft chris Olave. When you put those two trades together. Now, I
do definitely think that was the right position. He looks like he's the right
player. I've been screaming from the rooftops that they have to get ***
receiver above any other position. He looks like the right one. And I think
it was definitely worth the 11th pick, especially when you saw the run on
receivers that went on in round one and the run on receivers that's going on in
free agency in the trade market. *** lot of people keep saying if you're
gonna make *** deal like that, it has to be for *** quarterback, not this
year, it had to be for *** receiver this year. The quarterbacks fell, the
receivers were the hot commodity this year and the Saints needed one as bad
as any team in the league. So that was the right guy. But he's going to have
to be pretty special to live up to the price they paid to get him *** trio of
defensive players rounded out the 2022 draft Tennessee defensive back galanti
taylor app State linebacker, D'Marco Jackson, an Air force, defensive tackle,
Jordan Jackson who was actually *** bit surprised when Dennis Allen called him.
It was kind of just *** long day, *** little stressful not knowing when or
where I would go. And then I got that phone call actually when I got the
phone call I didn't think it was real. At first. I kind of thought I was going
to be *** joke. I told all my family and friends like it's it's like no it's
not it's not the real thing. It's not the real thing. And as I started
talking and I was like wait this is actually the real thing. So it's ***
crazy day. Huh? I feel blessed. I'm just so happy. It's surreal.
The Saints also signed 17 undrafted players. If you'd like to read about
all of those guys you can go to W. D. S. U. Dot com right now. And the Saints
aren't done adding players. E. S. P. N. S. Adam Schefter reports. The team is
making an aggressive push to sign local star. Tyrone Matthew the honey badger
is of course *** product of ST Augustine high school in L. S. U. ***.
Free agent after spending the last three seasons with the Kansas City
Chiefs. Matthew visited the Saints earlier this month. *** three time Pro
bowl in three time. All pro selection on paper. Matthew seems like he'd be
*** perfect fit with his hometown team now the basketball and the Pelicans
while most teams are usually doubt after *** playoff loss. This was the
scene friday at the pelicans complex. All staffers celebrating the players as
they entered the practice facility and the happiness is understandable.
It took *** historic effort from future Hall of Famer chris paul to knock the
Pelicans out of the playoffs. But *** core featuring Brandon ingram CJ,
mccollum, Jonas, valanciunas as well as *** rookie class. That may be the best
in the N. B. *** nose. It'll be back. I'm extremely excited. Um, words cannot
describe how excited I am. I'm ready to get right back to work. Unfortunately,
I can't, I gotta take *** little time off and the guys need some time to
recover. But we're all excited here and you know, my message to our team is
that there will be expectations. We won't sneak up on people. That's good.
That's that's what lets you know, you're *** good team. That's what we're
striving to become *** great team on the court and *** great organization
overall once looked at as an undesirable basketball outpost.
Executive Vice President David Griffin has worked hard to change the culture
and the perception of new Orleans and he's succeeding this organization has
been incredible since I got here. These people are great. Um you know, the fan
base is incredible.
You know, I would, I would love to make this *** permanent stay. It's nice when
players that have been in other teams and multiple other teams will tell you
that this is the best run group they've been around. They love the way our
organization functions. That's really cool. What would also be cool getting
back happy and healthy 21 year old all star Zion Williamson while the Pelicans
became *** ray of sunshine this season, Zion missing the entire year due to
injury and his perceived unhappiness with the team was *** dark cloud over
the franchise on friday. Zion met the media for the first time since
september to clear things up. I can't control rumors and how people feel
about certain things, but anybody, anybody that know me know I want to be
here. Uh, if they feel otherwise, I can't help that. But if you know me,
you know, I want to be here, I think his level of buying, he just told you
right. So I don't, I don't really need to describe that. I don't think, but
I'm, I'm, I'm grateful that he understands exactly what he's
witnessing and so we're grateful that he, along with the rest of the group
have bought into what we're trying to achieve. So if Zion is happy here in
new Orleans and the team is happy with him, will he sign *** long term
extension this summer? You're eligible for extension this summer? If they
offered you an extension, would you be willing to accept it? Of course, of
course
I wouldn't be, I wouldn't be able to sign it fast enough. I love that he
wants to be here, that he wants to be in the gym, um working towards getting
healthy, working towards being the best player he can be. We love anybody that
wants to be here in New Orleans, um with this community, with this culture,
that's what we want
And more good news for the pelicans. They'll have *** top 10 draft pick this
summer. The draft lottery is on May 17, so that's when we'll find out where the
selection lands and that's *** look at Sports Sherman back to you.