1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: I evay, let's go and start with the first overall 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: pick for Nana Mendoza seems to be the pick. 3 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 2: What do you think about that idea? 4 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I get asked this often are the Raiders? 5 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 3: Is there a possibility of one thousand percent for Nana 6 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:13,159 Speaker 3: Mendoza will be walking through the door. 7 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 2: They're going to hand a slip of paper to the commissioner. 8 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 2: And that's as easy as it's going to be. 9 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 3: And when you think about the good fortune of being 10 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 3: in that position, being able to just invest a piece 11 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 3: of paper in your quarterback and a rookie contract, rather 12 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 3: than having to go trade up to go get him, 13 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 3: or trade for him, or pay them forty five million 14 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 3: dollars to convince them to come to Las Vegas. None 15 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 3: of that is happening anymore. And now they can use 16 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 3: all their nine other draft picks and ninety six million 17 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 3: dollars in cap space and the equivalent in cash on 18 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 3: building a team around him. So this is these are 19 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 3: new days for the Raiders, and it starts with having 20 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 3: access to a what they think is going to be 21 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 3: a franchise changing quarterback. 22 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: Well in new days. 23 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 4: Indeed, this is the fifth head coach in five years. 24 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: I guess if you count in room, this one might stick. 25 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, we're a little bit more familiar with with Klink Kubiak. 26 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 4: For how has Raiders Nation received a he head coach 27 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 4: so far, I. 28 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 3: Gotta honestly say, and I've been covering this team since 29 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 3: twenty nineteen. You know, short of John Gruden, there was 30 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 3: a consensus for John Gruden, but even at that point, 31 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 3: there wasn't necessarily a consensus for Derek Carr. There was 32 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 3: like a fifty to fifty split of Raider fans on 33 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: their belief in Derek Carr. I've never seen Raider Nation 34 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 3: as unified as they are behind Clint Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza. 35 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: It's you know, they didn't like Josh McDaniels from the 36 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: get go. They didn't. 37 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 3: There was luke warm reaction to Pete Carroll last year, 38 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: believe it or not, and maybe for right reasons. Antonio 39 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 3: Pearce was linebacker coach for a year and a half 40 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 3: and he's going to be the head coach, so there 41 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: was some skepticism there. There is full belief in Clint 42 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: Kubiak and fred Nando Mendoza in a way that I haven't. 43 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: Seen before and we'll see if that changes anything. 44 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 3: But I think to your point, I think this one's 45 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 3: going to stick for a little while. 46 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: On Fernanda Mendoza for a moment, it seems like the 47 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: opinions on him, I would say, all over the place. 48 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: But there are some people that see the upside looks 49 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: like it could be there. He could be a long 50 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: time star in the league. And there's some people that 51 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: are maybe a little more tepid in their response. What 52 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: have you thought of that? 53 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was a little bit of a skeptic, but 54 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 3: then about midway through last year, I said, Okay, I 55 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 3: guess I got to start paying attention to Fan Mendoza 56 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 3: over at Indiana. I saw him a few times at Callan. 57 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: I felt like he was a pretty good quarterback there. 58 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 3: But I have to say that from when I caught 59 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 3: up with him maybe halfway through the season and from 60 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 3: that point on, he just kept getting better. He rose 61 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 3: to the occasion when they needed him to rise the occasion. 62 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 3: He was tough, he can make all the throws, he 63 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 3: was accurate. I felt like watching him play and talking 64 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 3: to people that know this way more than I do. 65 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 3: The fact that he was winning battles before this ball 66 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 3: was even snapped, understanding where to go with the ball 67 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: based on the coverage, I was really impressed. And for 68 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 3: me and talking to other people, he's as clean up 69 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 3: prospect as I've seen in a while. 70 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: Now. That doesn't mean that he has, you know. 71 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 3: The all world athletic ability that maybe some other players have, 72 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 3: or the all world arm that others have. But when 73 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 3: you combine his intelligence, his demeanor, his accuracy, his ability 74 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 3: to win at the line of scrimmage, you're talking about 75 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 3: a pretty clean prospect and somebody that there's really no 76 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 3: reason short of the Raiders failing him, there's really no 77 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 3: reason that he can't succeed at. 78 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: A high level. 79 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think everybody wh's ever met him loves him now. 80 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 4: You love him as a person, whether you love him 81 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 4: as a prospect or not. You know, another guy that 82 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 4: everybody was in love with last year was Ashton Janny. 83 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 4: It didn't really have the year I think a lot 84 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 4: of people thought he would have. Do you expect that 85 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 4: to pick up with Koonkubiak and could they go out 86 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 4: there and maybe pair him with a Kenneth Walker for 87 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 4: a nice one two punch for fro Nana Mendoza. 88 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 3: That's interesting you bring that up, because we just got 89 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 3: finished talking to Klint Kubiak and he talked about how 90 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 3: he likes to share that load and doesn't want to 91 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 3: put everything on one running back. So it might be 92 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 3: something to keep an eye on for sure. And I'll 93 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: say this, it was nothing short of miraculous that Ashton 94 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 3: did what Ashton did last year. I mean, if you 95 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 3: look at the numbers, they weren't that bad, even though 96 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: it was the offensive line was beyond bad. 97 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: And there were a lot of different. 98 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 3: Reasons for that, injuries, coaching players that just weren't quite ready. 99 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: But he put together a pretty good year. 100 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: And I always go back to twenty sixteen, first year 101 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 3: that the Rams were back in Los Angeles. I was 102 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 3: covering the Rams at the time and they were just terrible. 103 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 3: Todd Gurley had like eight hundred something yards. I remember 104 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 3: in Los Angeles people were like, we waited twenty years 105 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 3: for this, Send it back to Saint Louis. Well, then 106 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 3: they went out and got Sean McVay, Then they went 107 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 3: out and got Andrew where they signed Robert Was, they 108 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 3: draft Cooper Cup and all of a sudden, Todd Gurley's 109 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 3: game in fifteen hundred yards and back to being Todd 110 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 3: Gurley Offensive Player of the Year. They win ten to 111 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 3: eleven games and win their division. So I feel like 112 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 3: Ashton genty is along those lines. I think he's a 113 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 3: future Offensive Player of the Year candidate. Just put a 114 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: better offensive line in front of him, a better coaching, 115 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 3: a better quarterback, and more weapons, much like they did 116 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 3: with Jared Goff and Todd Gurley in twenty sixteen to 117 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 3: twenty seventeen, and I think Ashton Jenty's is going to 118 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 3: be just fine. 119 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: All right, Last one for me, what's a successful season? 120 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: Sort of a super Bowl? Obviously all teams are rooting 121 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: and shooting for that. But you got a new coach, 122 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: you got a new quarterback. What are the expectations, I 123 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: guess in February of the Raiders. 124 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I do believe that they're taking a healthy approach 125 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 3: this season. It's very much less about twenty twenty six 126 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 3: in terms of wins and losses and much more about 127 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 3: twenty twenty seven and beyond. 128 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 2: But I think that for progress. 129 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 3: First of all, for Dando Mendoza needs to show that Okay, yeah, 130 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 3: this is a guy that you can truly build around 131 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 3: Clint Kubiak needs to be part of some solutions and 132 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 3: making an offense that has been morbid the last few 133 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: years acceptable. I mean, I remember when they were averaging 134 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: nineteen points a game with Josh McDaniels towards the end 135 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 3: of his tenure and Antonio Pierce like. 136 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: They can't get any Well, it got worse. 137 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 3: They average fourteen points a game last year, right, how 138 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 3: did that happen? So anyway, bringing the offense up to 139 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 3: some level of standard, and I think if they could 140 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 3: show that sort of progress, then the season can be 141 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 3: a success, even though I don't believe that it's going 142 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 3: to necessarily be shown and wins and losses. 143 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: That's one for me. 144 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 4: What is the Las Vegas Raider fan perception of bo Nicks? 145 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 4: I mean you look at the the Broncos fans. I 146 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 4: think they feel like he's disrespected nationally. What's what's the 147 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 4: indivision feeling on Bonix? 148 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 3: I think there's a respect for Bonicks, but I think 149 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 3: that I think Raider fans are looking at this as 150 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 3: they believe for Nanda Mendoza, for a lot of different reasons, 151 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 3: is a superior prospect. So if the Denver Broncos can 152 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 3: get to the NFC or AFC championship game with bo 153 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 3: Nicks as their quarterback. What's possible with a quarterback that 154 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 3: I think Raider fans believe is going to be better 155 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 3: than he is. So you're starting off at with a 156 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 3: better starting point potentially. Now it's again on the on 157 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 3: the organization to do right around him, much like the 158 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 3: Broncos have done around him. 159 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: And I'm curious from you guys' perspective, real quick. 160 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 3: Davis Webb, who who the Raiders kind of identified, right 161 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 3: I think they were the first team to reach out 162 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 3: to interview him for a head coaching job. How much 163 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 3: excitement is there for Davis web getting to call plays 164 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 3: because I would imagine bon Nick is pretty happy about this. 165 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: I think he is. 166 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 4: I mean, you could see on the sidelines a couple 167 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 4: of times last year bon Nick's gesturing over there, speeded up, 168 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 4: get the right, and you know he's in the huddle 169 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 4: looking back, things like that. So I think that there's, 170 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 4: at least from my end, I think there's there's a 171 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 4: general happiness that he's going to be doing that maybe 172 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 4: bring a little modernization to a well designed but maybe 173 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 4: a bit archaic and principal offense. 174 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 2: Did Sean was he asked to make this change or 175 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 2: I'm very curious about that I Sean. 176 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 4: Sean says, it's Shawn's idea. 177 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: All right, good for him, Right for Vittie. 178 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: Appreciate you, thank you, thank you, all right,