WEBVTT - Chargers Camp with Mike McDaniel and Cameron Dicker 0:00:04.519 --> 0:00:09.400 Welcome to NFL Daily, where we've got your favorite football 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:12.560 hipster's favorite coach with us. To start the show, I'm 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:16.000 Greg Rosenthal. I'm with one of those football hipsters, Jordan 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:20.000 rod Rieg and yes, Mike McDaniel, the offensive coordinator of 0:00:20.560 --> 0:00:24.239 the Los Angeles Chargers, opening up the show with us. 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:30.720 Are you aware of that your your football hipster popularity? 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:33.560 Yes, I know. 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:39.600 I think being yourself allows you vulnerable or of vulnerability, 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:44.400 to have both people that cheer for you and and 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:47.040 other people that hate you. So you know, you kind 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:49.960 of I kind of entered in when I decided to 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:52.240 be myself. I kind of know what the stakes are, 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:54.680 so I appreciate that this is part of the population 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:55.480 that isn't. 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:58.279 Hating on me for now. 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:00.440 Another way to say football hipster would just be like 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.080 people that love ball, but like Jordan Rori, who you're not, but. 0:01:03.360 --> 0:01:06.280 You're the people who love football's favorite football coach. That's 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:08.880 how I would have probably introduced you. Yeah, that's what 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:10.920 chose a different one. 0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:14.959 I don't want to like you too much, Yeah, which 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:17.399 was cool. I think you know you don't want to 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:19.240 just start off just building you up. But what we'll 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:20.920 be doing that you. 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:25.679 That's a both were great elite compliments I very much appreciated. 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:27.280 We're happy to have you here, Mike. 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:32.120 You you've been here now a minute, Southern California. You know, 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:35.640 you you had the interview for this job, and I'm 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:39.000 I'm thinking watching you know, Herbert throw some dimes out 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:42.839 there today about what it was like for you as 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.160 a coach, looking at all those plays which you would 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:48.560 you have talked about before you took the job, and 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:52.600 watching what Justin Herbert did last year and what stood 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:56.000 out the most to you that you could you could 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:58.040 potentially take advantage of as this coach. 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:01.520 Oh, I thought, uh, you know, it was just such 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:06.040 an incredible opportunity, one that I had never had professionally. 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:08.359 Where wait, I can you. 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:11.959 Know, just the opportunity to coach these guys in particular Hymn, 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:18.000 you know, is something that you know, I really appreciate having. 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:22.560 You know, there's not many talents like that in all sports, 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:24.200 you know. 0:02:24.240 --> 0:02:27.240 Whether it's quarterback position or or regardless. 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:31.000 And you know, I'm just glad that I've been chopping 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.200 would you know for twenty years in this league before 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:35.520 I had the opportunity to do that. 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.119 So I wouldn't have regrets. 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:41.240 So it's it's a I mean, I was it was 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:45.680 a weird situation because you're on the heels of you know, 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:48.440 I only know one way to attack a job, so 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.919 my expectation is that, you know, I do a good 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.680 enough job to keep it and then when you you'd 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:57.920 think that you'd be pretty down when you when you 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:00.840 lose a job, but you know, right in front of me, 0:03:00.880 --> 0:03:07.840 it was this opportunity to really do something that you know, uh, 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:11.160 you're very blessed to even get the opportunity in your 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:11.959 entire career. 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:13.960 So yeah, it was. 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:18.400 You know, I think I said this before, but I 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:25.040 feel I felt fortunate that I was prepared for the opportunity, 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.520 you know, because it's, ah, this is uh, it's something 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:32.040 that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.720 I if I wasn't ready for the moment. 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:36.680 So it's it's it's been awesome. 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:39.839 I'm glad you alluded to to some of like how 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:43.200 you approach the job and how you approach I think 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.640 football in general. Just covering you for for a couple 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:49.000 of years, Mike, like, I always appreciated where you find 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:52.400 ideas and how you think about doing new things within 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:56.440 you know, really understanding who your players are and trying 0:03:56.480 --> 0:03:58.800 to do new, interesting things with them. And you're you're 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:00.720 sort of like, you don't you don't really care where 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:02.960 the net is cast. You just want to find cool 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:06.320 stuff to do when you're watching these clips and you're going, 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:08.800 I saw the quote where you went over every single 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:12.720 one of Justin's plays and the concepts and all of that. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.520 Was there anything that really sparked or anything he does 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:18.640 specifically that sparked an inspiration for you or got you 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:21.680 thinking about how you want to design things, or really 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:23.360 kind of got that juice flowing for you. 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:26.159 Well, you know, I think with the breath of. 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:30.200 The example, you know, I did not want to just 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:33.200 take a leap of faith and base stuff on assumption. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.240 So watching it, you know, watched. 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:38.320 All of his passes from his whole career, and I found, 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:44.560 you know, plenty of examples where he was playing, he 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:48.360 was distributing the ball with conviction early in the down, 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:52.200 and then I saw so there was there was things 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:56.440 you know that you know, in the in the years 0:04:56.440 --> 0:05:00.280 past that have been a staple of the offense that 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.720 I could see that he could do. And then, you know, 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:10.839 there was just he has a spatial awareness, a feel. 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:12.960 You know, I was really taken aback with all the 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.200 things that he could he could do extending plays and 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:18.280 making plays and then just you know. 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:20.560 There's some crazy crazy. 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.560 I watched all of his passes, so you got you 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:28.880 got about fifteen you know, fifteen throws sixty seventy yards 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:33.159 down the field that you know you're not sure is possible, 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:38.080 and to see the clip, so you know, I think 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:45.279 for me it was the feeling has just been both 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:51.640 excitement and focus because you know, I think the like 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:55.040 I said before, you don't get these opportunities and I 0:05:55.080 --> 0:06:00.640 and you know, I think it got me me watching 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.320 all the film got me super motivated to make sure 0:06:04.120 --> 0:06:06.640 that I worked with Jim and and the t's were 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:10.480 crossed and the eyes were dotted on the staff because 0:06:11.000 --> 0:06:13.320 I figured, Okay, well, if I can get all the 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:19.680 right position coaches to to really buy in and push 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:24.920 and teach and create relationships with these guys, it will 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:27.560 be an opportunity to you know, I love football. I 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:32.800 love creating competitive advantages for players, and you know it's 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:36.800 something that you know, I looking at the you know, 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:41.280 professional athletes that this is a game about them and 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.919 they work their whole lives to get a finite window 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:48.840 and you have, you know, you're blessed with this opportunity 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:49.640 and pack them. 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.840 And I wanted to make sure that, you know. 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.280 I was in the best space to do that, and 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:58.440 I thought, I think it started with the staff, obviously, 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:03.640 with Jim, Joe and John Spanos all being supportive, and 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:08.720 you know, it's I think we put together an unbelievable 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:13.040 offensive staff which is really allowed. I mean, there's been 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:19.480 how I would say, probably five things a day over 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:22.760 the last five practices that you know, we've been able 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:27.080 to try that I've never done before, you know, And 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:32.920 you know, I think it the the It really opens 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:37.400 your eyes to a lot of different schematic things and 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:41.880 just different opportunities. That makes I mean, I'm living the 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:42.600 dream right now. 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.040 Can I ask you about that too? When you come 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:47.320 out here, you look at this roster every every time 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.960 I'm out here, I see, first of all, the size 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:52.600 of all of this players. Even your skills are like 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:54.760 some of the Omar and Hampton is like one of 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:58.320 the most giant humans ever. And you know, but you 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:01.200 also have speed, and I'm looking at the personnel options 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.120 you have. You could play with a fullback, you could 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:05.360 play with multiple tight ends, you could do all these 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:07.760 different kinds of things, and you have speed, and you 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:11.640 have the quarterback. And I'm wondering, like, where do you 0:08:11.760 --> 0:08:14.200 go when you start to build with these players? What 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:18.280 options do you see in terms of you mention it yourself? 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:21.480 You like to create advantages, whether it's personnel or concept 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.680 with these players, but also their ability and exploit space. 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:26.720 So where does your mind go and can you kind 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:28.960 of take us through how you think about putting these 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:30.000 guys in those positions? 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:34.440 Well, I think the most important thing, you know, the 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:38.000 thing that I don't think about is I don't think 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:42.640 about inventing stuff. If you stay true to your core 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:46.240 of what is your job and for me as I 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:51.480 see it, to create advantageous situations for all these players, 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:58.559 then your kind of solution oriented reverse engineering issues and 0:08:58.600 --> 0:09:01.040 what in this time of year, what what's really cool 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:04.839 is we you know, I'm just trying to facilitate all 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:10.240 different personnel groups and be able to you know, like 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:15.199 like we we are very confident in ultimately being able 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:19.760 to play in whatever personnel group is. Uh, you know, 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:24.559 you're not dictated by we can be dictated by the personnel, 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:28.960 the defense and what guys do we want to exploit, 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:30.920 what guys do we want to stay away from? 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:32.360 What what things? 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:36.840 You know that sometimes base defense is way different than 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.320 nickel for when you're playing an opponent or vice versa. 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:45.120 So I think, for me, I'm not trying to I'm 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:49.079 just trying to, UH with the coaching staff, make sure 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:53.839 that we are at the top of UH our our 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:58.679 game from a technique and fundamental standpoint across the board, 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:02.719 whether we're doing ten personnel or thirteen, you know, and 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:07.680 just to give ourselves some options as we you know, 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:10.760 go into the regular season, because that's what I see 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:11.439 from this group. 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:12.959 And what's been so cool is. 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:17.520 Your you have a lot of solution or you have 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.840 a lot of solutions on the roster, and it's going 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:24.040 to be a lot more difficult for I could be 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:26.920 as varied as I've ever been. 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:31.559 In personnels, which which makes you harder to. 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:35.480 Practice and prepare for as an opponent and hopefully creates 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.559 more of those advantageous situations for all the guys. 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:39.240 Do do you have a hand in that in that 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.760 team building, because you know, you look on the offensive line, 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:43.960 there's a guy called Strange that comes along with you 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:46.439 from Miami. And then you just look just watching practice today. 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:49.199 Obviously a lot of variety, but you know, Charlie Kohlar 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:51.560 is in the mix. Of course Djoku is in the 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:55.040 mix there. It's just it's a big team out there, 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:57.760 and I'm thinking, like, is this do you have a 0:10:57.800 --> 0:10:59.760 big hand in that vision of what happened? 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:04.959 Well, you know, fortunately the powers that be, both Jim 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:07.440 and Joe allow my voice to be heard. 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:08.520 Now. 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:10.720 I will say that one of the reasons this this 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:14.520 place was so attractive to me personally was because of 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:19.240 you know, uh, most specifically the last couple of draft classes. 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:22.480 You know, the players they're drafting or the players that 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:25.079 on the other side of the country I was targeting, 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:27.920 and and you know, and and so I knew there 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:30.360 was a lot of like minded. 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:33.640 Uh you know, really evaluation. 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:37.400 And then you know, I don't I'm not the general 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:38.680 manager or head coach. 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:39.800 Uh. 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:43.640 So I'm very fortunate that they want to hear me. 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:50.120 And we're all fortunate because we were very uh consistent 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:55.240 with in and there was a lot of agreement in 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:57.199 this off season when it came to the free agency 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.520 and draft, uh and so I think that, you know, 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:02.640 it's one of the reasons I feel very fortunate to 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:09.800 be here, and one of the reasons this team has 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.640 a great chance to be successful is because you have 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:15.920 everyone moving in the same direction, which is one thing 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:19.839 that I knew was a non negotiable for me in 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:20.800 my next opportunity. 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:23.439 So it yes and no. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:28.160 I mean, they don't have to ask and they don't 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:32.079 have to listen. And you know, I think it wasn't 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:36.800 like I was standing on a soapbox preaching. It was, 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:40.240 you know, I'll have conviction with my opinion, and they 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:43.120 happened to share it. So it's been a tremendous off 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:43.880 season that way. 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.640 I had this theory last year there was a lot 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.600 of injuries, and obviously seems knock on wood, of course, 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:52.000 seems like things are going really, really well in camp 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:55.280 so far in terms of health here. I thought that 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:57.920 the Chargers were because of that roster building and because 0:12:57.920 --> 0:12:59.520 of some of the things they were willing to try 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.280 offensively and defensively, a really great combinationation of where football 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:05.400 is going right now and where it was like thirty 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:08.400 years ago too, at the same time, all in one place. 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:10.920 Can you speak to that a little bit, and what 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:14.000 you think this team is that's so representative of where 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:15.319 football is right now. 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:19.079 Well, I think you have, you know, all three phases. 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:20.640 You have. 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:29.400 Systems that you know, are coordinated in a evolution, always 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:30.800 evolving fashion. 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:32.600 There's a lot of. 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:37.600 Unique players on this roster in all three phases that 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.199 have skill sets that allow you to do things that 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:41.440 are different. 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:41.840 You know. 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:44.640 The the first thing that comes to mind is you 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:48.840 have a player like Derwin James, you know, and there's 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:52.839 a He's able to play three to four different positions 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:56.400 in different personnel groups in all situations. 0:13:56.760 --> 0:13:59.040 They can play light, they can play big on defense. 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:04.160 You know, I think uh coach Ficken has been as 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:07.040 good as they've they get in the return game and 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:09.960 he has a lot of a lot of juice there 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.120 to be multiple and do some creative things. 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.400 And then you know, we're not pigeonholed into. 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.360 We have a lot of really good players that you know, 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:22.640 the my job is to make sure that they're maximized 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:26.160 and that they're all involved. And you know that's my 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:29.760 my type of problem solve problem solving party. You know, 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:31.520 like that's that's. 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:32.760 Sounds like a good time. 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:34.240 Yeah, it is a good time. 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:38.560 You know, I think you know the you're not a 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:42.480 football team, a football offseason, a football season is not 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:47.600 You're not searching for all roses and no problems. 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:49.680 It's actually the opposite. 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:55.360 You want a situation where people can thrive by flourishing 0:14:56.200 --> 0:15:00.440 together in times of turmoil. And I think that you 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:05.040 know this, this team is really hungry, and it's you know, 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.800 I'm not sure if the team's more more hungry than 0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:09.760 I am or vice versa, but that's it was a 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:12.680 great fit in that way because, uh, there there was 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:13.840 a lot of uh. 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:16.800 Like ambition moving forward. 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:21.240 So I think, uh, you know this, this group of 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:25.240 people has a great chance to be their very best 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:32.080 version of themselves in December and January by stacking days. 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.560 You know, just by the nature of the leaders on 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:37.400 the the best players on this team are elite human 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:43.400 beings that are the that are the the benchmark for 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.960 how you want your star players to act. So I 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:50.080 think that gives us an opportunity to uh continue to 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:54.800 chop wood and be our best football team when we 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:55.160 need to. 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:56.920 Be, and all that variety in multiplicity. 0:15:56.960 --> 0:15:58.320 It gives you a chance to just mess with all 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:00.880 the fantasy football players a little more love that all 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:02.160 all the people out there. 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:08.640 Yeah, no, I I feel like I feel like I 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.920 said something about fantasy and my press conference simply because 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.400 I've learned over the years that if there's an off 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.720 season question about running backs, it's always the same thing. 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:23.880 But realistically, like, uh, no, one has to worry. If 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.160 a players playing really well, I'm not going to take 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:26.520 them out. 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:28.960 It's a good, good idea. 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.480 That's why business, that's why he's the football hipster, his 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:36.440 favorite coach. I appreciate you, Mike McDaniel and my favorite 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.160 football hipster, Jordan. 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:38.960 Thank you. 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.360 You guys are top tier and that's why I'm in 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:44.200 the sea It talk to you guys because you guys 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:46.040 really care about what you guys do. 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:48.080 And I appreciate that. Appreciate that, Mike. 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:49.520 We appreciate you again. 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:53.120 Appreciate Mike McDaniel joining us. That made me so happy 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:55.800 checking that off the bucket list. Just one of those 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:59.960 guys I wanted to wanted to interview, and I love 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:04.160 that he is comfortable city and awkwardness. That's my that's 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.760 my happy place. Yeah, I felt it in making other 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:10.320 people awkward. I mean even when we first said hi 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:13.200 to him. I shook his hand. I'm like, hi, Greg Rosenthal. 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:15.680 I don't think we've ever really met. Maybe we said 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:18.239 hello once and he was like, of course you are 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:26.760 in educated reporter of facts. And I was like, okay, 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:27.399 I'll take that. 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:28.640 Greg. 0:17:28.760 --> 0:17:30.640 Greg's astis al to just call him this now. 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:35.280 I'm putting that on the business card, educated reporter of Facts. 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:38.840 So we're gonna have Cameron Dicker coming up after the break. 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.359 But we've watched all of practice. The interview took place 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:47.720 here in El Segundo at the Chargers facility, and then 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:51.200 we did the interviews, and I just thought we'd take 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:56.040 some takeaways from practice today. Anything that you saw that 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:57.000 that stood out to you. 0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:00.240 Yeah, it's Charlie Colar season. Yeah, honestly, I mean the 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:03.959 tight end, you know, he was. I think again, if 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:06.159 if you really love football, you'd be paying attention to 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:08.880 where football is going right now, or at least will 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:12.000 go in the next year or so. He was a 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:16.560 very very popular free agent signing. And it's clear that 0:18:16.720 --> 0:18:19.520 Mike McDaniel wants to use him all over the formation 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:23.840 and he gets open and Justin Herbert dots and dots 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:26.959 it on him. He it was it was Yeah, it was. 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:29.679 It was fun. He had one that he just dropped 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:31.639 right over the top of his shoulders as he was 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:34.360 getting a little bit of separation. Was covered fine by 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:37.919 the dB. Obviously a mismatch, but justin Herbert just dropped 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:39.840 it downfield over his both of his hands and he 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:41.960 caught it. It was it was the easiest thing. It 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.000 looked like the two had ever done. It was incredible. 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:47.399 I reference with with Mike McDaniel about that, the comment 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:49.800 he made about, you know, sharing the the carries at 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:53.280 running back, But I'm more can you know, thinking about 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:55.480 like how are they going to share this at tight 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:57.359 end in terms of how much each guy plays and 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:00.600 how are they used. I would personally be surprised to 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:04.400 your point, like if Colar isn't the most important one, Yeah, 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.440 because the way he moves at his size. I think 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:09.720 there's a feeling that Baltimore let one get away that 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:11.840 they never really took advantage. He has like four hundred 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:14.280 five hundred career passing yards and you see the way 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.520 he's moving today, and then you put him on the 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:18.920 field depending on how big you want to be within 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:21.959 Djoku who is out here today, and then Ronda Gadsdon, 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:24.040 who had a great rookie season, and you know it's 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.080 not gonna be as good of a blocker, but he 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:28.560 had an incredible catch, Like the best throw and catch 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:30.040 of the day was on a one on one roll 0:19:30.119 --> 0:19:31.280 from Herbert to Gadsden. 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:33.000 And like he moves incredibly. 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:35.359 We already know that, and so Colar to me, is 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:38.480 gonna be kind of the most important move piece that 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:40.479 that it's all built around. And he's in motion all 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.399 the time, Like this is gonna be a big Jordan 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:45.479 football dork tight edd. 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:48.360 I know, I'm starting to feel a little tingly, honestly, 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:52.119 because it's so cool to watch the emotions too, and 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:55.520 I like watching Mike McDaniel coach this offense, and Chris 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:58.320 O'Leary has been running I think a lot of very 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:01.200 so it looks like Jesse Minter's defense. You know, they're 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:04.919 rushing some of that Nascar package look with the extra rusher, 0:20:05.000 --> 0:20:07.480 and they're doing a lot of stand up alignment on 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:10.040 the outsides and and the you know, Derwin James is 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:12.320 everywhere as we would expect. But when I'm watching the 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:15.480 offense and I'm watching Mike McDaniel coach, he likes to 0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:18.880 stand in the back of the defense and make sure 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:21.720 that the timing of the motions are correct. And that 0:20:21.880 --> 0:20:24.000 was something I had eyes on today that was so 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:26.679 fascinating to me, because this is gonna this offense is 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.919 going to get people with timing too, and with some 0:20:30.000 --> 0:20:32.639 of the things that maybe break a defense's rules of 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:34.679 where they think they're going to align at a certain 0:20:34.720 --> 0:20:37.719 time in the in the pre snap motion. And then 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:39.800 obviously the gaps all change too if it's a tight 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:41.960 end or a running back going emotion like that, which 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:44.000 they are, and it's it's so fun to watch. And 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:46.399 something that Mike said that really stuck out to me 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.520 was every personnel is available to him. I mean, this 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:52.520 team also has fullbacks. Let's not forget this team. 0:20:52.320 --> 0:20:55.200 Has spot for Scott Matlock on the team. I don't 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:57.280 know for sure, he's become a little bit of an 0:20:57.280 --> 0:21:00.840 extra plays he's a fullback. By yes, they have Alecan. 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:03.640 They have Alecan Gold, who Mike brought with him from Miami. 0:21:03.760 --> 0:21:05.840 And then they have all these tight ends, and then 0:21:05.840 --> 0:21:09.240 they've got receivers who are dudes. Like they're really really positive, 0:21:09.640 --> 0:21:13.160 positive group and improved a lot last year in my opinion, 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:15.760 and what I love that he said was it anything 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:18.720 from ten to thirteen, And then you know he's obviously 0:21:18.720 --> 0:21:22.040 thinking about twenty one, twenty two as well, where it's 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.239 like anything. They can do anything they want, and I 0:21:25.280 --> 0:21:28.000 hope they get a chance to because health is always 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:28.960