NFL Cover Zero: Free Agency continues and Browns CB Denzel Ward
KSR
iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790
4.7 • 4K Ratings
🗓️ 26 March 2026
⏱️ 25 minutes
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Summary
Drew Franklin and Billy continue watching NFL Free Agency with Joe Flacco signing with the Bengals. Should Matt Leinart let USC un-retire his number for an incoming recruit? What did we learn about the future of the tush push? Plus, we hear from Browns CB Denzel Ward about being on the same defense as Myles Garrett.
We're back next week with 49ers LB Eric Kendricks!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:04.5 | NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and I Heart Podcast. |
| 0:14.3 | Welcome into a new edition of NFL Cover Zero. |
| 0:21.6 | Drew Franklin here with Billy Rutledge. |
| 0:23.6 | As we keep bringing you more from our trip to San Francisco for the Super Bowl, we did a ton of interviews out there. |
| 0:29.6 | We are just trickling out releases of each one as the off season goes on, Billy. |
| 0:33.6 | And today we're excited about another one. |
| 0:36.6 | Denzel Ward from the Cleveland Browns, cornerback. We got a chance to talk with him on our last day out there in San Francisco. I can't remember. Is he one of the people that were picking on your quarter zip? Or was he one that played it pretty cool? He was the one that was a little bit nicer than most. He was the one that had diamonds in his hair. so it was very fashionable, but, you know, didn't throw me under the bus like Green Bay Packers, wide receivers did that week. I do like how we're just continuing to live through that Super Bowl week and get as much content in as possible. But Denzel was, I mean, a high-rated draft pick and a really good class in 2018 with all those quarterbacks, |
| 1:12.1 | and he's been pretty good for the Browns lately. And it was a great interview. We're excited to bring that for you coming up. It is almost April, and we're still bringing you things from that trip. That's how awesome the trip was, but we're not done there. We'll have more with Eric Kendrick's on down the road. We got other interviews coming. but for today today we're setting up the one with denzil ward i loved hearing about just behind |
| 1:29.2 | the scenes of the cleveland brown. You know, they've gone through a few coaches. They've gone through a few quarterbacks. And what I found most fascinating in the interview is what it's like sharing a locker room with a monster named Miles Garrett. They broke the sack record this year. I mean, the guy is just a beast of a human being when it comes to how big he is, Drew. I mean, can you imagine standing next to somebody like that? You'd look like a dwarf. Absolutely. We had fun hearing from him about what it's like playing with Miles Garrett on the same side of the ball. Lots of good conversations with Denzel Ward. But before we throw to that, Billy, it is been a busy offseason. I mean, we had a bunch of free agency signings. |
| 2:04.0 | We talked about... a good conversations with Denzel Ward. But before we throw to that, Billy, there's, it has been a |
| 2:00.8 | busy offseason. I mean, we had a bunch of free agency signings we talked about last week. I haven't checked in on the latest on Donna Kelsey's renovation. Maybe we're putting a new sconce in the bathroom. I don't know where we are on that, but that's been a big topic. A few news points today I wrote down that we could run through and maybe you could add to them but you know there's been some been some wild |
| 2:20.4 | stuff going on in But that's been a big topic. A few news points today I wrote down that we could run through and maybe you could add to them. |
| 2:18.8 | But, you know, there's been some wild stuff going on, including, I think we need to start with a name that we all kind of fell in love with last year. |
| 2:27.4 | Coming back, Joe Flacco at age 41, once more football. |
| 2:32.0 | I thought last year was going to be Flacco's last ride. It was already crazy. He's out there with a gray beard and winning games for the Bengals. And you know what? He said, I want to run it back one more time. At least one more time. We'll see. But Cincinnati, you're getting more Flacco behind Burrow. Last season seemed too good to be true, didn't it? He came in, didn't even know the playbook. He's telling receivers to just go straight and then left, and he's going to throw it to him. And then he was really good. Like, Cincinnati did pretty well with him. So that seemed like such a magical story. I don't know if there's enough magic to repeat that for old man Flacco, but I guess he's given all the older guys hope coming back, right? Yeah, and it's a good look for Cincinnati. |
| 3:23.8 | That's an organization that's been criticized a little bit for maybe some things behind the scenes, how they run it. Maybe not the top of the line and luxury behind the scenes. But Flacco, the reason he's coming back, he said, I love the building. I love the franchise. He wants to be a part of it another year. So good for the Bengals. That says a lot about them. |
| 3:24.2 | And, you know, sit behind Joe Burrow and throwing a Jamar Chase if you're called upon. |
| 3:28.6 | It's probably a fun gig as you're winding down your career. |
| 3:31.9 | Yeah, that'd be a fun quarterback room, wouldn't it? |
| 3:33.7 | I mean, Joe and Joe, you got to think that a Hall of Famer, a future Hall of Famer, |
... |
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