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Speaker 1: We're back for another edition of Big Blue Kickoff live

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Speaker 1: right here on giants dot Com. Meato Schmelke you at

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Speaker 1: two O one four five one three. We're here until one.

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Speaker 1: We'll say goodbye, and then Lanton Feels will wrap up.

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Speaker 1: UM have two consecutive days to wrap up our week

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Speaker 1: on Thursday and Friday. A couple of guests coming your way,

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Speaker 1: work Stroud and a couple of minutes covers the Bucks

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Speaker 1: for the Tampa Bay Times. We'll have him as we

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Speaker 1: continue our team matchup series throughout the only a couple

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Speaker 1: of teams left, the Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. Will

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Speaker 1: not knock those off Thursday or Friday, and then we

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Speaker 1: rolled towards training camp the selective Veterans and rookies or

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Speaker 1: Port on Sunday. They have a couple of practices that

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Speaker 1: are not open to the media, but we'll be there

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Speaker 1: from Monday through Wednesday. I have a little report on

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Speaker 1: Wednesday about kind of everything I saw across the three days.

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Speaker 1: We'll kind of condense it into one report, and then

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Speaker 1: the veteran Trump on Wednesday after conditioning test, and we

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Speaker 1: have UM everything starting on Thursday. Then the close out

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Speaker 1: today's show will be joined by Tim Lestern. Interview Lance

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Speaker 1: and I recorded yesterday. He was Sam Beale's head coach

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Speaker 1: at the University of West in Michigan. So a lot

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Speaker 1: coming your way today. In between those two guests, we'll

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Speaker 1: try to squeeze in a couple of calls at two

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Speaker 1: oh one, four, five one three or on Twitter at

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Speaker 1: hastag Giants Chat if you would rather participate that way.

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Speaker 1: In Lands, we open the Monday show talking about the

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Speaker 1: franchise tag. We didn't really have a chance to discuss

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Speaker 1: it after the deadline passed, but none of those four

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Speaker 1: players did in fact sign a long term deal. They'll

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Speaker 1: all play under their tag this season. Yeah, and we

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Speaker 1: discussed this on Monday with respect to Levian Bell probably

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Speaker 1: of all those four players, at least the urgency factor

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Speaker 1: there for the Steelers to try to lock him up,

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Speaker 1: and Corny d and Rabbit Port of the NFL Network,

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Speaker 1: they had offered him a deal which was in the

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Speaker 1: ballpark of five years seventy He decided he did not

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Speaker 1: want to take that. How much guarantee that thirty guaranteed

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Speaker 1: was the report, but part of the ra mistake at

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Speaker 1: least from his age. I agree. I think it's gonna

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Speaker 1: be very difficult for him to get that offer if

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Speaker 1: he tests the market. Next season will be another year

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Speaker 1: older and all that stuff. Fourteen and a half million

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Speaker 1: is the franchise tag. That offer comes out to an

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Speaker 1: average about fourteen million per year if you go over

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Speaker 1: the course the five years. I mean, it all depends

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Speaker 1: how it's structured to with where the guaranteed money is.

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Speaker 1: How easily you can't see what was get out of

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Speaker 1: that contract. So I get it depending on how it's structured,

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Speaker 1: but running back just don't get a lot of interest

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Speaker 1: in the fraging market. Is kind of just the ways

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Speaker 1: offually that type of money we're talking about. If he

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Speaker 1: would have taken that contract, it would have been the

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Speaker 1: highest paid running back average anual salary in the NFL

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Speaker 1: right now. So I mean that puts things in perspective.

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Speaker 1: But he's banking on himself, which I mean, I respected something.

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Speaker 1: He's not really banking on himself. I mean, he can't

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Speaker 1: do any better. I mean, he's almost the best running

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Speaker 1: back in football. But remember we talked about this on Monday.

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Speaker 1: He only played one season of sixteen games, so there's

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Speaker 1: another season where he could prove his durability. I think

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Speaker 1: he's more bidding on the market to develop running backs

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Speaker 1: because we have we haven't seen that yet. We see

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Speaker 1: it in the draft a little bit. We haven't seen

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Speaker 1: it in the free agent uh pool yet, which is

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Speaker 1: different as running backs got older, things change anyway. UM,

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Speaker 1: we'll talk about that a little bit later and take

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Speaker 1: your calls at two one four, five, one three, But

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Speaker 1: for now we'll say hello to our first guest on

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Speaker 1: today's show. That's Rick Stroud. He covers the Bucks in

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Speaker 1: the Temp Today Times and he joined us on Big

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Speaker 1: to kick off Live. Ricky got John Schmilk and Lance

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Speaker 1: Meadow up here and he's Weatherford, New Jersey inside the

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Speaker 1: Giants training facility. Thanks for joining us. How are you today?

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Speaker 1: I'm doing well, guys, Thanks for having me. Well, we're

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Speaker 1: about a week left where all of us actually have

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Speaker 1: lives that we can identify before the season starts and

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Speaker 1: we all kind of grind it out for seven days

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Speaker 1: a week. Um, big picture Tampa Bay, Rick, Before we

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Speaker 1: get into some of the nitty gritty details on the players. Um,

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Speaker 1: the impression from the outside looking in is this is

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Speaker 1: a do or die season for this Bucks hierarchy. Do

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Speaker 1: you think that's true. And how good does the team

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Speaker 1: have to be for both the general manager and the

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Speaker 1: head coach to be back next year? Well, I mean, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it is. It is do or die, I think for

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Speaker 1: both of them. And uh, Dirk Cutter and Jason Light.

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Speaker 1: Jason's you know, going into his fifth year. Look, this

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Speaker 1: team hadn't made the playoffs, you know, in ten seasons.

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Speaker 1: So um, there are always expectations. And I think that

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Speaker 1: you know, a lot was put on them last year.

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Speaker 1: They got over their skis a little bit. Hard knocks

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Speaker 1: probably didn't help a whole lot, but the injury to

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Speaker 1: Jamis Winston was a real thing. You played hurt three weeks,

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Speaker 1: you missed three weeks, and now you know, the whole

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Speaker 1: season comes down to whether they can survive this suspension

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Speaker 1: or not. I think in many ways, Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: Jamie's gonna miss the first three games for violating player

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Speaker 1: conduct policy. That means Ryan Fitzpatrick will be their starter

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Speaker 1: most likely. Their first three games are brew at New

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Speaker 1: Orleans home against the world champion Eagles, and then the

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Speaker 1: Money Night game against Pittsburgh in Tampa. That's cownfall too

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Speaker 1: far behind in the NFC South. Those are three teams

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Speaker 1: that made the playoffs and all have either m v

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Speaker 1: P or Super Bowl quarterbacks. It's gonna be tough. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: The NFC South is extremely deep. I think it's arguably

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Speaker 1: the deepest division in the NFL. So I think that's

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Speaker 1: a real good point. You must hope you just get

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Speaker 1: one out of those three of Fitzpatrick's the quarterback. That

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Speaker 1: is a tough situation before you get into the meat

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Speaker 1: and potatoes divisional schedule. On the topic of Jamis Winston Rick,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned he was hurt last year for three games,

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Speaker 1: out for the first three games this season. I know

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Speaker 1: Ryan Fitzpatrick helped them get to two in one last

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Speaker 1: year by missing those three games, But what is the

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Speaker 1: mindset of the organization about Winston for the long term?

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Speaker 1: You know, are they down on him? Is this a

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Speaker 1: red flag or do they feel they can overcome this

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Speaker 1: and still believe he's the franchise quarterback. Well, they're disappointed

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Speaker 1: for sure. I mean, this is the scenario that they

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Speaker 1: were you know, we're hoping would not occur. I mean,

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Speaker 1: they did a lot of due diligence. You know, I

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Speaker 1: will maintain this with a lovely Smith pick more than

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Speaker 1: a Jason Light pick. But um, you know that that aside.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's the guy that's had you know, acccuizations

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Speaker 1: of this nature, you know, twice in four years, and

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Speaker 1: then this one occurred right after his rookie season. Now

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Speaker 1: you know, he has shown signs of turning his life around.

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Speaker 1: I guess you would say, at least from an optics standpoint. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, he had a son, he's gonna get married. Um,

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Speaker 1: he does a lot in the in the community with

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Speaker 1: his Dream Forever foundation. Um. You know, working out and

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Speaker 1: being ready to play has never been an issue. But

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Speaker 1: you know, if you read his statement, Um, he indicates

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Speaker 1: that there was a problem without the hall and then

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Speaker 1: he's he's quick drinking. He's gonna have to submit some

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Speaker 1: kind of counseling. Um. So there are there are concerns,

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Speaker 1: and not the least of which is you know, they

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Speaker 1: picked up his fifth year option, so that means, you know,

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Speaker 1: next season two thousand nineteen, he's under contract for almost

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Speaker 1: twenty one million dollars, but it's guaranteed only against injury. Well,

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Speaker 1: if you play him, uh, and he goes out there

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Speaker 1: and tears his a c L, you know you're on

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Speaker 1: the hook for that. So do you try to, you know,

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Speaker 1: sign him to a more cap finely contract. You know,

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of questions about Jams. I think the overall,

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Speaker 1: you know, the the ownership really likes this guy. Um,

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Speaker 1: they're not forgiving what he did. But you know, by

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Speaker 1: the same token, he still has a chance. He has

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Speaker 1: a chance to to play better. He's gonna have to

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Speaker 1: play lights out in my opinion when he comes back,

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Speaker 1: and he will have missed a month, so that won't

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Speaker 1: be easy. Um, he'll have one home game in the

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Speaker 1: first nine weeks, as it turns out, So you know,

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Speaker 1: a lot is still on him. But you know, if

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Speaker 1: he if he's able to you know, to post or

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Speaker 1: help him get a winning season and or into the

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Speaker 1: playoffs somehow, that only they would move forward with him. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and I think hidden in the Bucks frankly bad record

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Speaker 1: last year. They're only three intend of the games Winston

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Speaker 1: played in, he played pretty well. His completion percentage drop

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Speaker 1: went up again to almost He's still the eleven interceptions.

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Speaker 1: But if you look at some of the metrics on

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Speaker 1: on his making big time throws down the field and

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, yards per temp, yards per completion,

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Speaker 1: those went up again. Uh, from years past, which is

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Speaker 1: usually a pretty telling sign of how well a quarterback

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Speaker 1: is playing. Do they see the progress they want to

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Speaker 1: see from him on the field, taking all the off

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Speaker 1: the field stuff off the table for a second in

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Speaker 1: terms of growing as a quarterback, being more efficient, making

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Speaker 1: big plays, but at the same time protecting the football, Well, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think they do. I mean he's gotten better every year,

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Speaker 1: and I think you know you said it. It's decision

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Speaker 1: making and protecting the football. You know, the interceptions weren't

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Speaker 1: um as prolific as his earlier seasons, and yet he

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Speaker 1: still had a lot of really critical fumbles. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: hanging onto the ball. And look, this will be the

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Speaker 1: best football team he's ever played for here. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: they've done some things on the offensive line. They wouldn't

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Speaker 1: got Ryan Jensen from the Ravens. They're moving to mar

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Speaker 1: pet back to guard. You know. The big difference for

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Speaker 1: the Bucks has to be the running game. They didn't

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Speaker 1: have one last year. I mean they average three point

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Speaker 1: seven yards to carry. Doug Martin is out of here.

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Speaker 1: They bring in Ronald Jones, who is the second round

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Speaker 1: pick from USC that's a home run hitter. They had

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Speaker 1: no explosive plays in the running game a year ago.

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Speaker 1: This gives them a chance to do that with Peyton

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Speaker 1: Barber who can run tough inside. Um, you know they're

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Speaker 1: hoping that they can, you know, come close to maybe

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Speaker 1: matching what the Saints have and mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Um,

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Speaker 1: and then you know you look at their weapons, I

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Speaker 1: mean offensively, Um, you know you've got guys all over

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Speaker 1: the field and Mike Evans de Sean Jackson should be

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Speaker 1: better in his second year. They hope he's not getting younger,

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Speaker 1: but he still is fast. Um, Chris Godwin is a

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Speaker 1: player that I think is going to be a force

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Speaker 1: in this league as a number one or two receiver.

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Speaker 1: And you know they're tight ends or Cameron Bray No.

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Speaker 1: J Howard had six touchdowns East last year. So they've

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Speaker 1: got weapons. It's just a matter of can they take

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Speaker 1: the pressure off the quarterback. He is getting better, Um,

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Speaker 1: can he make better decisions? And like I said, he's

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Speaker 1: got to overcome not being in the building for four weeks,

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Speaker 1: which is obviously key to stay focused on the offense

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Speaker 1: and you know, be ready to come back and also

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Speaker 1: watch what the team is doing in his absence. You

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Speaker 1: brought up the running game, Rick, you know, and you

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Speaker 1: mentioned they brought in Ronald Jones through the draft. Last year.

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Speaker 1: It was like a merry go round in the backfield.

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Speaker 1: Part of it was injuries, part of it was because

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Speaker 1: Doug Martin was sidelined. How important is it for them,

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Speaker 1: you know, not just to have better play out of

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Speaker 1: the offensive line, but to have some continuity with the

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Speaker 1: personnel in the backfield, which also I believe was a

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Speaker 1: factor and why the running games struggled so much. Um, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's it's it's certainly that. I mean, you know, we

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Speaker 1: started last year with Doug Martin miss in the first

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Speaker 1: three games suspension, So that's part of the part of

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Speaker 1: the lack of continuity you talk about. Doug Martin was

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Speaker 1: a disappointment on and off the field. I mean, you

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Speaker 1: know after you got the contract. Um, you know, he

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Speaker 1: really didn't do much. I mean three out of the

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Speaker 1: last four years he failed to rush for even five yards.

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Speaker 1: You know. The other guys, Chuck was Rogers as a journeyman,

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Speaker 1: you know, occasional third down back play, special teams, kind

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Speaker 1: of a prose pro. Charles Sims has been nicked up.

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Speaker 1: He can he can play on third down. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: it takes a village down here, it seems to run

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Speaker 1: the football. But I think you know, offensive line has

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Speaker 1: has been an issue too. They just weren't very physical

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Speaker 1: a year ago, and that's why they went and got

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Speaker 1: guys like Ryan Jensen, who you know plays beyond the

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Speaker 1: the echo of the whistle, and um, you know, they

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Speaker 1: drafted a kid named Alex Kappa, um you know from

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Speaker 1: Humboldt State, Um, who you know is a big, physical,

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Speaker 1: aggressive player as well. Um, so they're trying to re

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Speaker 1: establish some of that upfront. But I think you guys

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Speaker 1: know that how much an elite running back and getting

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Speaker 1: explosive plays in the run game can open things up

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Speaker 1: for you. And um, you know, if Ronald Jones can

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Speaker 1: can do what I think they think he can do, UM,

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Speaker 1: it can change your offense. You know, I've seen lesser

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Speaker 1: backs down here in in Cadillac. Williams you know who

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Speaker 1: you know, had some some good games early in his career,

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Speaker 1: carry a team with Brian Greasy to a four and

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Speaker 1: four and one five and one record. So you know,

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Speaker 1: it just depends on how you play. And then overall,

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Speaker 1: you know, running the football helps your defense and really

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Speaker 1: the defensive side of the balls where this team has

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Speaker 1: has has spent most of their off season and and

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Speaker 1: you guys are very familiar with Jason Pierre Paul. And

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Speaker 1: they get Benny Curry and bow Allen from the Eagles

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Speaker 1: and mitche On Ryan from the Bears. So they've rebuilt

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Speaker 1: that defensive line and they're hoping that that's what's gonna

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Speaker 1: gonna drive the bus. I want to follow up real

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Speaker 1: quick on Ronald Jones. Do you see him as a

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Speaker 1: bell cow? You know, he came out of USC. I

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Speaker 1: think if he didn't hurt his hamstring in the you know,

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Speaker 1: the post season pre draft process, I think he could

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Speaker 1: have been a first round pick. That's so much. I

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Speaker 1: liked him at USC. You know, he doesn't weigh a lot,

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Speaker 1: He's not a heavy back, but he carried the load

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Speaker 1: at USC. Do you see him as a guy that's

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Speaker 1: going to get twenty carries a game or is he

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Speaker 1: gonna be somebody that they maybe only give the workload to.

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Speaker 1: How do you think that's gonna work. I think some

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Speaker 1: of that will be on him. You know, whether he

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Speaker 1: can play third down? I mean, you know, um, in

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Speaker 1: this league, that's the biggest transition for running back to

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Speaker 1: his past protection and you don't want him to, you know,

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Speaker 1: to miss on that. Um. If he can stay on

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Speaker 1: the field, I think he will be their primary back.

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Speaker 1: Uh you know initially, UM, you know, they may have

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Speaker 1: more of a distribution of carries. But look, you don't

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Speaker 1: take a guy like that, um if you if you

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Speaker 1: don't think he can handle the load. And he runs

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Speaker 1: even though he's not the biggest guy in the world,

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Speaker 1: he runs bigger than in his actual measurements and behind

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Speaker 1: his pads, and he's more physical than I think most

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Speaker 1: people realize. So you know, they're hopeful. I mean, we'll see,

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Speaker 1: you know when they when they when they play the games.

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Speaker 1: I mean sometimes it's shocking to those guys to see

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Speaker 1: how fast and how hard they hit in the NFL. UM.

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Speaker 1: But you know, but they have they have high hopes

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Speaker 1: for Ronald Jones, and I know, I know Dirk Cutter

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Speaker 1: wants to run the ball and get back to being balanced.

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Speaker 1: That's what you have to do. I have one more question,

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Speaker 1: Rick on the offense before we uh switched gears a

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Speaker 1: little bit the Giants and it's been more than in

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Speaker 1: New York. So much has been made about Eric Flowers

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Speaker 1: and left tackle and how much he struggled, And I

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Speaker 1: feel like it's not identical, but I think it's it's

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Speaker 1: a little similar how Donovan Smith was kind of foisted

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Speaker 1: into that left tackle spot maybe a little bit before

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Speaker 1: he was ready. And I think he's had some bumps

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Speaker 1: on the road along the way. How has he progressed

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Speaker 1: since his rookie year. And how confident are the Bucks

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Speaker 1: in him protecting Winston's and Fitzpatrick's in the first three

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Speaker 1: games blindside this year. Well, they're one way more confident

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Speaker 1: than the fans are. I can tell you Donovan. Donovan,

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Speaker 1: for whatever reason, has gotten a lot of grief. And

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, the the advent of pro football

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Speaker 1: focus points out every pressure you give up, so um,

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Speaker 1: you know that's that's that's part of it too. But

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Speaker 1: you know when you talk to George Warhop, their offensive

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Speaker 1: line coach, and and you know, maybe it's his guy

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Speaker 1: and that's why he says it, but he he thinks

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Speaker 1: this guy is going to be one of the best

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Speaker 1: better left tackle in the NFL. UM Now, you know,

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Speaker 1: he's got to prove it. He's going into his fourth year.

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Speaker 1: I think they're gonna you know, This will tell too

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Speaker 1: if they sign him to an extension, which I think

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Speaker 1: is probably in the card. Some people think he should

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Speaker 1: play another position. All I know is that he shows

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Speaker 1: up and plays every snap, um, you know, and that's

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Speaker 1: hard to do against the elite pass rusher every single

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Speaker 1: sunday of an NFL career. And he has gotten better,

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Speaker 1: you know, he's he's he's still not you know, a

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Speaker 1: top you know, hand left tackle necessarily, Um, but but

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Speaker 1: that they have they have a ton of compidence in

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Speaker 1: him to the to the you know, to the extent

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Speaker 1: that they haven't drafted anybody, um really to come in

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Speaker 1: here and play tackles. So I think he'll I think

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Speaker 1: he'll get better and um, and I know they like

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Speaker 1: the fact that he's there every Sunday. We're all with

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Speaker 1: Rick Stroud, who covers the bucks of the tamp Bay times.

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Speaker 1: I know John alluded to us switching the defense. I'm

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Speaker 1: actually gonna throw one more offensive questioned your way, Rick

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Speaker 1: related to the offensive line, the tight end position which

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Speaker 1: you brought up and Cameron brad and O. J. Howard

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Speaker 1: I thought, and you touched on this really provided a

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Speaker 1: nice one to puncher Jameis Winston. Last season. Howard to

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Speaker 1: me is still intriguing because if you look at his

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Speaker 1: numbers from last year, rick not a huge sample size

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Speaker 1: twenty six receptions on what thirty nine targets, but as

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Speaker 1: you mentioned, he had six touchdowns. How much do you

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Speaker 1: see his role expanding this season given the fact that

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Speaker 1: he didn't have a lot of targets last season. Well,

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Speaker 1: I mean, I think there's a there's a lot that O. J.

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Speaker 1: Howard can get better at. And um, you know, certainly,

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Speaker 1: you know, running routes, catching the ball, getting open is

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Speaker 1: part of it. He's their inline blocker too, so you

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Speaker 1: know they put a lot on his plate as a

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Speaker 1: rookie and he struggled, you know, with technique and he

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Speaker 1: has to improve really in all areas of the game.

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Speaker 1: But I mean, you know, the guys, the guys that

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Speaker 1: force of nature. I mean, he's six six, he can

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Speaker 1: he can you know, run a four or five. I

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Speaker 1: mean he um, you know, is can out can out

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Speaker 1: leave people in the red zone. He had six touchdowns

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Speaker 1: last year with just the twenty six catches are um

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Speaker 1: and you know, amazingly in a few players they lost

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Speaker 1: them all together. He just kind of came out of

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Speaker 1: the backfield, and and uh, I think that the Giants actually, yeah,

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Speaker 1: and when I watched practice and I see what they

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Speaker 1: do with him, you know, they're they're running tight end

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Speaker 1: screens there, you know. Uh, they're putting him, you know,

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Speaker 1: all over the field, and um, you know, I I

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Speaker 1: think if he goes from you know, twenty six to

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Speaker 1: forty five catches or so, you know, the problem is

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Speaker 1: you only have one football. And we've talked about Ronald

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Speaker 1: Jones and Mike Evans and the Sean Jackson and Chris

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Speaker 1: you know Godwin and Cameron brad who's you know, had

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Speaker 1: fourteen touchdowns in the last two seasons himselfs So you know,

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Speaker 1: they have sort of some some riches on the offense.

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Speaker 1: But to me, I think you guys said this guy

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Speaker 1: is going to be a special player. In my opinion,

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Speaker 1: he's a young player. He's a guy that you know,

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Speaker 1: played at a small high school. We know saving could

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Speaker 1: have used him more probably in the passing game in Alabama.

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Speaker 1: So you know, when he learns to read coverages and

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Speaker 1: catch palls and traffic and touch you know, trust his

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Speaker 1: hands and things like this, I think he's gonna be

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Speaker 1: one of the best tight ends in the league. All right,

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Speaker 1: I'm want to switch gears to the defense now. And boy,

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Speaker 1: it's hard not to love on paper what the front

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Speaker 1: seven looks like for the Tenda Bay Buccaneers. JPP Gerald McCoy,

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Speaker 1: Vita Vea, who everyone thinks it's going to be a

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Speaker 1: dynamite defensive tackle, Vinny Curry, uh Kwan, Alexander Lavante, David

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Speaker 1: and Noah Spends is your third pass rush her. I

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Speaker 1: mean you talked about them trying to get back to basics,

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Speaker 1: run the ball on offense. It looks like they're trying

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Speaker 1: to win the trench battle on defense as well, because

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Speaker 1: they got said heck of a group of players in

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Speaker 1: their front seven. Yeah, That's that's where they spent their time.

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Speaker 1: And I think they got fortunate because when the off

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Speaker 1: season began, you know, no one could be sure that

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Speaker 1: Jason Pierre Paul will be available in the trade or

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Speaker 1: Vinny Curry uh, you know, would would become a free agent,

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Speaker 1: and so you know they wanted to get bigger inside. Um.

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Speaker 1: You know clearly, you know Vitaa enable them to do that,

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Speaker 1: especially in the run game. You know, to be a

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Speaker 1: good pass rush team, you gotta stop the run. Um.

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Speaker 1: They didn't do that consistently. That's and they were horrible

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Speaker 1: on the edges, you know, and that's why you end

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Speaker 1: up with sacks or something like that. Last year which

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Speaker 1: was which was just awful. And so you know, I

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Speaker 1: do think that this is the best. Again, it's all

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Speaker 1: on paper. I talked to Gerald McCoy, and you know,

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Speaker 1: everybody's prone to say, well, they finally got you help,

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Speaker 1: they finally got you help, to quit saying that it's

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Speaker 1: it's you know, the Bucks have help. It's not about me, um,

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Speaker 1: but we know it's kind of about him, because everyone's

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Speaker 1: still gonna double team Gerald McCoy. But if you've got

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Speaker 1: if you think you're gonna block, you know, only put

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Speaker 1: two hands on Vita Vea. It's gonna be a long day.

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Speaker 1: You know. This guy's this guy is enormous and he's

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Speaker 1: quick and and so they have the ability to rotate

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Speaker 1: much like the Eagles did. They got two Eagles players

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Speaker 1: that played in that system, you know, and we're used

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Speaker 1: to coming off the bench in different schemes with bow

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Speaker 1: Allen and Benny Curry. Noah spense of his shoulder is

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Speaker 1: right finally after two surgeries, can be you was probably

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Speaker 1: the way he needs to be, which is a designated

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Speaker 1: pass rusher. And look, you guys know more about Jason

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Speaker 1: Pierre Paul than I do. All I know is he

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Speaker 1: played over a thousand snaps last year. Um, he had

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Speaker 1: eight and a half sacks which were to let this team.

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Speaker 1: And he's back in Tampa where he went to u STFF.

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Speaker 1: He seems motivated. He'll have to get himself in a

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Speaker 1: really good shape. He knows what it takes to play

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Speaker 1: in this heat. Um. But if you can have a

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Speaker 1: legitimate edge rusher to go with Jerald McCoy, you got

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Speaker 1: a chance and you're Ricky just real quick on JPP.

427
00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:30,240
Speaker 1: One of his strengths, And frankly, I think he's a

428
00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,800
Speaker 1: better run stopper than he's ever been. A pass rusher.

429
00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:34,560
Speaker 1: His his his sacks, and I'm not sure if it

430
00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,040
Speaker 1: will be the case with the Bucks. Have always kind

431
00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,040
Speaker 1: of coming bunches like he O have a couple of

432
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:39,880
Speaker 1: games with two or three sacks, but they don't maybe

433
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,600
Speaker 1: go six or seven weeks where you don't You don't

434
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,320
Speaker 1: really see a lot from him on the edge, but

435
00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,240
Speaker 1: he was even with the hand, he was a pretty

436
00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,040
Speaker 1: darn consistent edge center. If they're really trying to stop

437
00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,040
Speaker 1: the run up there with their defense. Eve ents he'll

438
00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,520
Speaker 1: be a real big help with that. Yeah, I would agree.

439
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,800
Speaker 1: I think they're excited about that and they need to

440
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,240
Speaker 1: stop the run. And teams attacked them a lot on

441
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,919
Speaker 1: the perimeter. They attacked them everywhere actually, and you know so, um,

442
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,720
Speaker 1: I mean I think that they I think that's the

443
00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,199
Speaker 1: biggest difference in their football team. And look, you know,

444
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,399
Speaker 1: football hasn't changed a whole lot. I mean, we know

445
00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,240
Speaker 1: it's a passing league and the rules and all that, um,

446
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,360
Speaker 1: but you still have to have to control the line

447
00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,600
Speaker 1: of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And it

448
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,160
Speaker 1: was embarrassing last year for them, and um, I think

449
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,680
Speaker 1: Mike Smith had seen enough and and so they've gone

450
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,080
Speaker 1: all in and we'll see if it pains off well.

451
00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:28,920
Speaker 1: As you mentioned, a lot of changes in the front

452
00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,760
Speaker 1: seven the secondary for the most part, though Rick seems

453
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,880
Speaker 1: to be returning from last season. Brent Grimes, I mean,

454
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:37,919
Speaker 1: I hate to use the cliche Rick, but like a

455
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,320
Speaker 1: fine wine, he seems to be getting better with age

456
00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,160
Speaker 1: every time I watch him produce a different team when

457
00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,640
Speaker 1: he's on the field versus when he's missing time, how

458
00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,600
Speaker 1: much more gas does he have in the tank, And

459
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,280
Speaker 1: you know, how much younger do they potentially need to

460
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,560
Speaker 1: get in the secondary, which it seems they did through

461
00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,240
Speaker 1: the draft a little bit. Yeah, I mean Grimes is

462
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,000
Speaker 1: the guy they really wanted back and they signed him

463
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,119
Speaker 1: to a one year deal, and he is like guy

464
00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,720
Speaker 1: that plays much younger than what's gonna be thirty five.

465
00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,360
Speaker 1: I mean, he has an unbelievable athletic ability. If you've

466
00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 1: ever seen this guy jump or play basketball, it's crazy. Um.

467
00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:11,919
Speaker 1: So you know when he's on the field, there are

468
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,320
Speaker 1: different defense in terms of the way teams can attack him. Now,

469
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,040
Speaker 1: he did miss three games and last year, I believe,

470
00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,919
Speaker 1: and you know, if you've been around the league, you

471
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,000
Speaker 1: know that players rarely get healthier and then more athletic

472
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,920
Speaker 1: as they get older. So, um, you know that's that's

473
00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,520
Speaker 1: always a concern where they need to get better. Um.

474
00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,879
Speaker 1: You know, Vernon Hargraves needs to be better. He was

475
00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,840
Speaker 1: a first round pick that's had one career interception so far.

476
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 1: He got injured, had a anstring issue all last year.

477
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,720
Speaker 1: He's gonna get a chance to start outside when they

478
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,480
Speaker 1: go to three wide or nicol He's gonna move inside

479
00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,600
Speaker 1: to the slot kind of the way Randy Barber used

480
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 1: to do it. And that's when the rookie's got to

481
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,240
Speaker 1: make a difference. They got Carlton Davis from Auburn, who's

482
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,520
Speaker 1: a who's a long player six ft one somebody they

483
00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:59,080
Speaker 1: don't have that body type. He's been really really impressive,

484
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,199
Speaker 1: um in in the off season so far, picked up

485
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,200
Speaker 1: things really quickly. Either him or m. J. Stewart who

486
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,040
Speaker 1: came on late in the in the many camps and

487
00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:12,600
Speaker 1: and such, another rookie, Uh will battle it out and see,

488
00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,879
Speaker 1: you know who can be that third corner. Uh. And

489
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,040
Speaker 1: then you know if they're if they're a little light,

490
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,760
Speaker 1: it's probably at safety. I mean, they really loved Justin

491
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,399
Speaker 1: Evans and what he did as a rookie at A

492
00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,040
Speaker 1: and M last year. He's got tremendous range, sidelined the sideline,

493
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,800
Speaker 1: you really covered the field. Um. But you know the

494
00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 1: other safety position is still you know, we're looking at

495
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,720
Speaker 1: Chris Conte and Keith Tanny who's a journeyman and you know, uh,

496
00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,400
Speaker 1: they drafted a kid, so you know it's it's not

497
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,160
Speaker 1: a complete secondary, but you know, the guys up front

498
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:42,840
Speaker 1: can make their jobs the hell of a lot easier

499
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:44,639
Speaker 1: than it was last year, you know, Rick, It's funny

500
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,000
Speaker 1: when the Giants drafted Eli Apple, there was a large

501
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,720
Speaker 1: segment of Giant fans that were really upset they didn't

502
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,080
Speaker 1: take Vernon Hargrave's because for the most part during that

503
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,800
Speaker 1: draft process, serious during that draft process, Uh, he was

504
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,320
Speaker 1: generally rated ahead of Apple. Now he's a smaller guy

505
00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,040
Speaker 1: apples to the longer corner. But I really think for

506
00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,440
Speaker 1: both these guys, ironically enough, this year, I'm not gonna

507
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,520
Speaker 1: say make or break, but it's gonna go a long

508
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 1: way to determining what the right you both these guys

509
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,440
Speaker 1: careers are heading and they need to play better in

510
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,480
Speaker 1: your number three. Yeah, and you know this, I mean

511
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:17,320
Speaker 1: they you know, some guys take longer or you know,

512
00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,160
Speaker 1: whether it's on the field off the field. I don't

513
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,399
Speaker 1: know that. And I don't have any empirical evidence of this,

514
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,040
Speaker 1: but I don't know that it was a good thing

515
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,640
Speaker 1: that hard Grapes came home. He's from Tampa. Um, sometimes

516
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,400
Speaker 1: when you come home, you need you need to maybe

517
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,240
Speaker 1: be away from your guys, you know. Um, I don't

518
00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,880
Speaker 1: think he took football, you know, as serious as maybe

519
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,439
Speaker 1: he needs to. I've talked to him a bunch of times,

520
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,680
Speaker 1: and he does not you know, pass the buck. I mean,

521
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,040
Speaker 1: he knows that he has not played up to expectations. Um.

522
00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:45,600
Speaker 1: He has worked hard this offseason. He's had some off

523
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,800
Speaker 1: field embarrassing things that showed up on Instagram for we

524
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,880
Speaker 1: don't know how long ago. Um, but you know that

525
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,160
Speaker 1: he knows the spotlight is on him. And if he's

526
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,560
Speaker 1: got any pride, you know he'll he'll ball is fist

527
00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,480
Speaker 1: up and play better. I mean, I'm not going to

528
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:01,560
Speaker 1: make this parison because this guy might go to Hall

529
00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,720
Speaker 1: of Fame one day. But Roddy Barber was the worst

530
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,399
Speaker 1: corner I ever saw when he was a rookie. I'm

531
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,080
Speaker 1: not lying about that. I mean he just was, um.

532
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,600
Speaker 1: And you know, we know what kind of career he had.

533
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,920
Speaker 1: So you know, some players, um, whether it's the lifestyle

534
00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,280
Speaker 1: or you know, they find out real quick how much

535
00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,760
Speaker 1: they love football, or they love being in the NFL

536
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,280
Speaker 1: more than they love you know, being great. I mean,

537
00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:24,680
Speaker 1: all that is a part of this game. And this

538
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:26,520
Speaker 1: is the year that Vernon and I would think Eli

539
00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:29,199
Speaker 1: Apple have to decide, you know, is this something you

540
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,080
Speaker 1: think you can make a career or you just kind

541
00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:32,840
Speaker 1: of hanging out for three or four years. Rick the

542
00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,199
Speaker 1: final question for me, and then I'll the landstaping the

543
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,159
Speaker 1: rest of the way. Boy, I'm sure you have the

544
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,399
Speaker 1: number because it's been etched into your brain and your soul.

545
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,359
Speaker 1: But how many games has place kicking costs to Tampa

546
00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,280
Speaker 1: Bay pucketeers over the last two or three years? And

547
00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:55,320
Speaker 1: do they finally have it figured out? Um? I don't

548
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 1: have that number off the top of my head. Too many.

549
00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:02,439
Speaker 1: I stopped counting probably about three seasons ago. Um, you know.

550
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,520
Speaker 1: And it's funny because it's almost like you can go

551
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,359
Speaker 1: this far back. It's the curse of Matt Bryant, to

552
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,560
Speaker 1: be honest with you. I mean, you know they they

553
00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,400
Speaker 1: let him go one year, uh and you know for

554
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 1: Nugent and it it went south. And Matt Bryant's like

555
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:17,880
Speaker 1: a hundred years old and still making field go for Atlanta.

556
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,560
Speaker 1: So you kind of chased the kicker thing. And that's

557
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,919
Speaker 1: that's where some organizations are. You know. It's like the police.

558
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,679
Speaker 1: You don't think about it till you need one. But um,

559
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,240
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's been it's been a curse and

560
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:35,880
Speaker 1: they try drafting revero while and that was a mitigated disaster.

561
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,399
Speaker 1: And you know, they brought in Nick Folk and he

562
00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,320
Speaker 1: caught the disease as well, and they went back to

563
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,479
Speaker 1: Patrick Murray. He did okay, but he's not a big,

564
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 1: strong Lake guy. And so you know, now it's gonna

565
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,720
Speaker 1: be Kennon Zaro, who you know has has shown great ability, um,

566
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,560
Speaker 1: you know wherever he's been with Philly and and and

567
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,280
Speaker 1: the Cardinals. Now you know he's he's got to do

568
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,680
Speaker 1: it in the in the elements down here. Um, you know,

569
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,879
Speaker 1: there's no snow, but it can get pretty windy and

570
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 1: rainy and all kinds of things. And he's got to

571
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:07,480
Speaker 1: stay away from whatever it is that they have in

572
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,040
Speaker 1: that special teams meeting room. That's that's making these guys

573
00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,640
Speaker 1: miss field goals. But you know it's, uh, it's a problem.

574
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,720
Speaker 1: I mean, these games are too close to come down

575
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:19,320
Speaker 1: to one score extra points, and you know, so they

576
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,280
Speaker 1: hope they have to figured out. But we all know.

577
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,600
Speaker 1: You could just hear the natural skepticism just bleeding out

578
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,960
Speaker 1: of Bike's eyes as he's like, I just don't want

579
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,320
Speaker 1: to have to watch this again so bad that I mean,

580
00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,160
Speaker 1: how many guys did it practice in shark field goals.

581
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 1: I mean, we do that. How bad become It's like,

582
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:38,760
Speaker 1: you know, hey, oh they're kicking, now, let's see how

583
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,560
Speaker 1: many they met. You know, it's it's it's just gotten

584
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,480
Speaker 1: to that level. Yeah. Well, it's funny because I remember

585
00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:46,480
Speaker 1: the Giants Bucks game. We were talking about the O. J.

586
00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 1: Howard play. Rick and Nick Folk had a very rough

587
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,440
Speaker 1: game and then he wins it at the end. But

588
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,000
Speaker 1: that was one where you aren't even confident it was

589
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,480
Speaker 1: gonna go through the upright, because it just you know,

590
00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,760
Speaker 1: and I'm looking at the schedule seven game. The Bucks

591
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,399
Speaker 1: lost Rick last year by six points or less. So

592
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:05,760
Speaker 1: you know, you go back and you look at that. Listen,

593
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,200
Speaker 1: I'm sure you've watched the games much closer than we did.

594
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,040
Speaker 1: Not every game necessarily came down to kicking, but you know,

595
00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:13,360
Speaker 1: you're talking about maybe four games, you hit a field goal,

596
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:14,960
Speaker 1: maybe you got over time, maybe you win the game,

597
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,639
Speaker 1: maybe it comes out differently. Well, and that's it. I

598
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,920
Speaker 1: mean they were three and seven, uh, in the in

599
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: the games that were decided by one score or less.

600
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,480
Speaker 1: And you know the Atlanta Falcons were six and four

601
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,720
Speaker 1: and made the playoffs. Yeah, I mean, that's that's really

602
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,120
Speaker 1: the margin of air right there, you know, in those

603
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,320
Speaker 1: same in those same one score games, and so it is.

604
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,200
Speaker 1: It is a huge part of the game. And and

605
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,480
Speaker 1: you're gonna play close games in this league and you

606
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,840
Speaker 1: have to have confidence in the guy and it changes,

607
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 1: you know, whether you go for it on fourth down

608
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,520
Speaker 1: or you've got a chance to you know, put three

609
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:45,439
Speaker 1: points up here there early in the game. I mean,

610
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,119
Speaker 1: they all add up in the end. But I think

611
00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:50,480
Speaker 1: about the Patriots game when the Bucks were firing in

612
00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 1: the end zone, you know, in the last play instead

613
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,480
Speaker 1: of kicking a field goal to win it, because they

614
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,320
Speaker 1: missed three kicks in that game. I mean, you can

615
00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,960
Speaker 1: go on and on and and you know, seasons have momentum,

616
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,920
Speaker 1: games have momentum. Uh And I think when you when

617
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:07,960
Speaker 1: you lose some games, especially early because of some missfield goals, um,

618
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,639
Speaker 1: it can really set you back. We're talking to Rick Stroud,

619
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:12,880
Speaker 1: who covers the Bucks of the Tamaide Times. Rick, before

620
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,480
Speaker 1: we let you go just big picture perspective, and you

621
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,359
Speaker 1: mentioned how strong and deep the NFC South is. You know,

622
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,440
Speaker 1: John and I have had a lot of conversations. The

623
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,919
Speaker 1: NFC just looks like a gauntlet this year. You've got

624
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,280
Speaker 1: three teams in your division that you cover that made

625
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,720
Speaker 1: the playoffs last year? What do you make of the South?

626
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,720
Speaker 1: Do you see anybody falling off? For Do you think

627
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,080
Speaker 1: those three teams that got to the postseason are just

628
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:38,200
Speaker 1: gonna be as strong as they were in two thousand seventeen. Boy,

629
00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,400
Speaker 1: it's tough to know who's who's gonna be not good?

630
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,320
Speaker 1: You know. Um, I think that I think all those

631
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 1: teams improved themselves. And you know, I mean the Saints

632
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,280
Speaker 1: have had some tough early goes of it. You know,

633
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,000
Speaker 1: they lost their first two games last year. They're not

634
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,800
Speaker 1: gonna have mark Ingram early. You just keep wondering, you know,

635
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,680
Speaker 1: when when the expiration date comes up on Drew Brees.

636
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: But um, you know, Cam Newton is still a force. Um.

637
00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,040
Speaker 1: You know, it's a matchup thing. It's it's interesting. It's

638
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,600
Speaker 1: like sometimes you know, the Carolina doesn't match up the

639
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,479
Speaker 1: Atlanta to match up well Carolina, but the Bucks matchup

640
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 1: you know, okay with the Saints and but maybe not

641
00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,800
Speaker 1: with Atlanta. You know. So this is just the division

642
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,080
Speaker 1: they're in. And I don't see any drop off with

643
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 1: those quarterbacks though, I mean you know, I'm not betting

644
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,040
Speaker 1: against Drew Brees not throwing for five or six thousand yards,

645
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,000
Speaker 1: and I'm not betting against you know, Cam Newton not

646
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,200
Speaker 1: finding a way to get to get the ball in

647
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,560
Speaker 1: the end zone. So um, you know, if I had

648
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,360
Speaker 1: to guess, I mean, I would still say that. You know, overall,

649
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,240
Speaker 1: Atlanta might have, you know, top to bottom, you know,

650
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,920
Speaker 1: the best program going right now, but they're going all

651
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:44,920
Speaker 1: in with Sean Payton. You know, you look at what

652
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,240
Speaker 1: they've done in the offseason. They know that Breeze has

653
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,560
Speaker 1: not got that many years left, and I think the

654
00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,280
Speaker 1: Saints are gonna gonna make a big run for it again. Rick,

655
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,320
Speaker 1: great stuff, We really appreciate it. Fantastic stuff. We'll see

656
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,600
Speaker 1: you on November. That might be your first taste of

657
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,280
Speaker 1: some old weather during the football year. Hopefully it won't

658
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,240
Speaker 1: be too bad for all our sakes, and we look

659
00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:05,800
Speaker 1: forward to seeing you up here in New Jersey. Thanks

660
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,719
Speaker 1: a lot, Rick, you're looking forward to coming to New

661
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,280
Speaker 1: York guys. Take care, Yeah, we're talking down the road. Appreciated.

662
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:13,120
Speaker 1: Rick Stroud Temp Big Times does a great job. Um,

663
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,200
Speaker 1: really good information there out of the Bucks. And if

664
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,200
Speaker 1: they were just not in the NFC, sad, I feel

665
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,040
Speaker 1: really good about them, you know, having a chance of

666
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,960
Speaker 1: making a playoff. Rhum. They're just in such a tough division.

667
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:26,920
Speaker 1: And now with I mean he rattled up those first

668
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,280
Speaker 1: three games without they're not gonna have Chamis Winstay good

669
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,400
Speaker 1: luck winning one of those games now, Listen, Compared to

670
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,920
Speaker 1: other teams, I'm not trying to get anybody excited. It's

671
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,080
Speaker 1: better to have Ryan Fitzpatrick than a lot of others.

672
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,600
Speaker 1: So it's not a terrible position to be in. But

673
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 1: you're right, it's it's a tough schedule off the bat,

674
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,520
Speaker 1: and you know, as Rick mentioned, you dig yourself in

675
00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 1: a one two hole in oh three hole really doesn't

676
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:48,560
Speaker 1: matter how great you do the rest of the season.

677
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,280
Speaker 1: That could very well be the difference between missing and

678
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,040
Speaker 1: making the playoffs. So the margin for error is minute

679
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,520
Speaker 1: non existence for the Bucks in the early stages of

680
00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,719
Speaker 1: the season. And I agree, you know, I look at

681
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,200
Speaker 1: that division. Every single one of those teams has an

682
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,320
Speaker 1: answer at quarterback, which means you can't expect them, you know,

683
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,520
Speaker 1: of course, barring an injury for things that just dramatically

684
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,920
Speaker 1: fall off. And we were looking at some of these

685
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,240
Speaker 1: other divisions and who's likely to get a wild card

686
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,080
Speaker 1: and you know, NFC South could very well have three

687
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,280
Speaker 1: teams again in the playoffs. Heck, Lance, take a look

688
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:18,960
Speaker 1: at the whole and again, by the way, our phones

689
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,600
Speaker 1: are open at two one, five, one three, and about

690
00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:23,560
Speaker 1: eight minutes, we're gonna talk to Tim Lester, head coach

691
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,560
Speaker 1: of Western Michigan. He coached Sam Biel, the Giants third

692
00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,560
Speaker 1: round supplemental draft pick this year. And that'll close out

693
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,160
Speaker 1: the show. But we got about eight minutes with now

694
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:32,720
Speaker 1: and then if you want to get in we'll squeeze

695
00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:36,080
Speaker 1: in some calls again two five one three or Twitter

696
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,400
Speaker 1: if you want to go to hashtag Giants chat Lance

697
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,320
Speaker 1: and I will navigate that um as well. If you

698
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,040
Speaker 1: go through the entire NFC here at Lance, you tell

699
00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,600
Speaker 1: me the team that in their own mind doesn't believe

700
00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,160
Speaker 1: they're starting they're starting quarterback this year is also their

701
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,880
Speaker 1: franchise quarterback within the NFC. Yeah, go through the whole conference.

702
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:04,360
Speaker 1: Eagles check, Cowboys check, Redskins check, Giants check, Vikings check,

703
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:09,479
Speaker 1: Lions check. Packers check. We don't know about trupian Cy yet,

704
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:13,080
Speaker 1: but they believe he's their franchise quarterback. That we just

705
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,160
Speaker 1: talked about those four teams. And in the West, go

706
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,720
Speaker 1: check Wilson Seahawks. Check Garoppolo. They just gave him a

707
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,080
Speaker 1: bazillion dollars. Check in the Cardinals with Rods and they

708
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,600
Speaker 1: trafted Josh Rosen. So pretty much everybody. I mean, when's

709
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,560
Speaker 1: the last time in the NFC we saw that overall

710
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,240
Speaker 1: level of quarterback play. And if you look at the guys,

711
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,680
Speaker 1: they're not even that old, I mean old than that group.

712
00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,800
Speaker 1: You have Drew Berrees who's a little bit old, but

713
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,760
Speaker 1: not Eli and I guess Alex Smith is the third

714
00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,760
Speaker 1: oldest guy. Is anyone else even over thirty? Stafford and

715
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,800
Speaker 1: Rhine are close there and there they might be thirty

716
00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:54,680
Speaker 1: and they both have a decade in front of them

717
00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 1: and playing football. So boy, and look, it's more than

718
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,520
Speaker 1: just a quarterback. I get that, but it's a big

719
00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,000
Speaker 1: part of it. So the NFC right now is in

720
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,040
Speaker 1: real good shape. And just compare it then to the

721
00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,040
Speaker 1: a f C. We got a lot of teams that

722
00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,640
Speaker 1: still have a lot of questions at quarterback down the line.

723
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,719
Speaker 1: You know, you think of all the rookies got drafted,

724
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,880
Speaker 1: the Bills, they have Alan and the Browns they have Mayfield,

725
00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,600
Speaker 1: the Jets, they have Donald. All those guys went to

726
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:24,160
Speaker 1: a f C teams. So I'm telling you the NFC

727
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,280
Speaker 1: is gonna be really tough for a very long time

728
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,480
Speaker 1: unless some of these quarterbacks just implode. And that's why,

729
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:31,800
Speaker 1: you know, we're trying to think about is nine and

730
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:33,920
Speaker 1: seven gonna do it? Is ten and six going to

731
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,440
Speaker 1: do it? And this could very well be a year

732
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,960
Speaker 1: where you've got to win at least ten games to

733
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,360
Speaker 1: get into the postseason. It would not surprise me one

734
00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:43,880
Speaker 1: bit if you look at last year to two wild

735
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,640
Speaker 1: card teams Caroline and Atlanta. Carolina won eleven games last year,

736
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:50,840
Speaker 1: John and was one of the wild card teams in

737
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,240
Speaker 1: Atlanta one ten. I'm expecting it in all likelihood to

738
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,040
Speaker 1: be the same exact thing this season. I don't think

739
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,800
Speaker 1: nine wins is going to do it, mainly because of

740
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,000
Speaker 1: how deep this conferences or as you mentioned, their stability

741
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,880
Speaker 1: at quarterback across the board, well, the depth of the

742
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,480
Speaker 1: conference and the fact that it is so good flatten

743
00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:10,680
Speaker 1: out the records. Well, because they're gonna beat each other up.

744
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,239
Speaker 1: You're saying, but you know what, I probably could have

745
00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:14,319
Speaker 1: made the same argument last year that they were gonna

746
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,400
Speaker 1: beat each other up to there were a lot of

747
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:20,439
Speaker 1: teams that had answers at quarterbacks, especially in the NFC South.

748
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,640
Speaker 1: Nothing was changed in the NFC. Sounds feasted on the Giants,

749
00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:26,000
Speaker 1: they feasted on the Bears. Aaron Rodgers got hurt, which

750
00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,440
Speaker 1: hurt the Packers. Obviously the Bucks had all sorts of issues.

751
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,560
Speaker 1: We know that. So teams did clean up some you know,

752
00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,520
Speaker 1: cheap on those guys. But yeah, I mean, but I

753
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:39,920
Speaker 1: guess what I'm looking at is New Orleans, Carolina in Atlanta,

754
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,839
Speaker 1: John Rowland, the same division last year they each one

755
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,960
Speaker 1: ten games, because yeah, but that's difficult to do for

756
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,560
Speaker 1: three teams. Was one division at least ten games four

757
00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,320
Speaker 1: and two, three and three and four and two, and

758
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,279
Speaker 1: the Bucks were one in five, so they got five

759
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,200
Speaker 1: wins courtesy in the Bucks, and they kind of split

760
00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,160
Speaker 1: their games between the other three teams, so to your point,

761
00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 1: they beat each other. But still two teams had winning

762
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,279
Speaker 1: division records, which is not easy to do, especially when

763
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,120
Speaker 1: you look at what's happened with the NFC East every

764
00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,360
Speaker 1: single year. It's hard to go forward too in the division.

765
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,040
Speaker 1: I'd have to go through it, and I don't think

766
00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 1: there's a way for me to look this up. I

767
00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,280
Speaker 1: wish there was, but I think it's an interesting nugget.

768
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:19,719
Speaker 1: What do you think the NFC as a conference, Their

769
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:21,840
Speaker 1: record was against the a f C last year, So

770
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,680
Speaker 1: you're talking about one conference against the other. I bet

771
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:29,359
Speaker 1: you the NFC did really really well. Well, let's see,

772
00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,280
Speaker 1: the a f C had one, two, three, four teams

773
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,600
Speaker 1: that won at least ten games. The NFC had one, two, three, four,

774
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:40,520
Speaker 1: five six. Based on that, I'm gonna take a fairly

775
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,319
Speaker 1: good guests that I think the NFC had a winning

776
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,200
Speaker 1: record against the a f C, considering they were double

777
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,560
Speaker 1: the amount of teams essentially with double digit victories. So

778
00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,319
Speaker 1: you figure some of that was a result of out

779
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,560
Speaker 1: of conference games and how they fared. And if you

780
00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,640
Speaker 1: look at the NFC E actually, this is pretty easy

781
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,960
Speaker 1: to figure out where the continent we have conference nonconference record,

782
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,120
Speaker 1: So that'll think that'll do it. So UM in the

783
00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,799
Speaker 1: NFC East, NFC East teams finished two games over five

784
00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:11,520
Speaker 1: against the a f C. UM NFC North teams finished

785
00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,640
Speaker 1: four and four, six and six, ten and six against

786
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:17,680
Speaker 1: AC t UH. The NFC East, by the way, was

787
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,480
Speaker 1: nine and seven. Just for accuracy, sake, and that was

788
00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:25,280
Speaker 1: the West last year. Yeah, the NFC South was seven

789
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:29,480
Speaker 1: and one, eight and four, ten and six against a

790
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:32,319
Speaker 1: FCC got two divisions. You won at least ten games,

791
00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: So you have ten and six and ten and six.

792
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,919
Speaker 1: That's twenty and twelve plus nine and seven. You're twenty

793
00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:39,520
Speaker 1: nine and nineteen right now. And then in the West,

794
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,160
Speaker 1: oh boy, it gets worse. Just remember that for me. Okay,

795
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,560
Speaker 1: in the NFC West three and one, three and one,

796
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:52,759
Speaker 1: six and two, tenant two, twelve and four. Well, I

797
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:59,640
Speaker 1: think we have our answer. Forty one and forty losses.

798
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:08,080
Speaker 1: You're ready to NFC. That is domination. That is domin nation.

799
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,400
Speaker 1: So you wonder how that's going to affect the conference.

800
00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,760
Speaker 1: You're gonna have some teams that I think could challenge

801
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:20,680
Speaker 1: for divisions in the a f C, not make the

802
00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:23,600
Speaker 1: playoffs in the NFC this year. That's my prediction. And

803
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,600
Speaker 1: now there's no way to prove that. But you're just

804
00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,160
Speaker 1: talking about record and how things play out. Absolutely, I

805
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,440
Speaker 1: just think talent wise, I mean, well, if you're in

806
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,520
Speaker 1: New England, you feel pretty good about you, If you

807
00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:36,520
Speaker 1: feel if you the Steelers, you feel pretty good about it.

808
00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:38,680
Speaker 1: Do you feel good and if you're the a f

809
00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:42,040
Speaker 1: C South, I think multiple teams feel good. Jacksonville, of course,

810
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:44,000
Speaker 1: is confident that it could pick up where it left off,

811
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,520
Speaker 1: but you know, Deshaun Watson's coming back. If you're Houston,

812
00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:50,080
Speaker 1: that's encouraging. Andrew Luk's back, that's encouraging, and Marcus Mariot

813
00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,080
Speaker 1: is still a young quarterback. I think all three of

814
00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:53,960
Speaker 1: those teams should feel at least better than how they

815
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,080
Speaker 1: finished last. If you took any of those a f

816
00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,800
Speaker 1: C South teams, and I'll let you put them in

817
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:02,400
Speaker 1: any NFC vision, would you consider them the favorite to

818
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:10,879
Speaker 1: win that division? Any NFC division? If I put hmm,

819
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,120
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that Jaguars don't have a shot, but

820
00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:17,840
Speaker 1: would I make them the favorite? I don't think so.

821
00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,160
Speaker 1: I wouldn't make him the favorite in the North. I

822
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,600
Speaker 1: wouldn't make them the favorite in the East, and I

823
00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:24,560
Speaker 1: would certainly not make them the favorite in the South.

824
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:26,160
Speaker 1: I think if you're gonna make a case for them,

825
00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:29,360
Speaker 1: maybe in the West. I love the Rams, but I

826
00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,800
Speaker 1: love Jacksonville's defense. And by the way, same deal for

827
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,239
Speaker 1: the a f C West. I'll let you take any

828
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,480
Speaker 1: a f C West team. Can you put them in

829
00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,760
Speaker 1: an FC division and tell me that they're the favorite

830
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,520
Speaker 1: to win the division. Well, I don't feel as good

831
00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:42,040
Speaker 1: of any of the a f C West teams as

832
00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:45,279
Speaker 1: I do the Jacksonville Jaguars in fairness and therefore, and

833
00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:47,680
Speaker 1: I like the Chiefs. But rookie quarter well, second year

834
00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:51,359
Speaker 1: quarterbackience talking about one regular season start and the only

835
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,040
Speaker 1: reason why he started the game was because the Chiefs

836
00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:55,000
Speaker 1: already clinched the division. And I like the jack I

837
00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:56,680
Speaker 1: think that, you know, I was all over the Chargers

838
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,239
Speaker 1: last year. They were my like surprise sleeper team and

839
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 1: they were one damn win for making the playoffs, and

840
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:03,440
Speaker 1: I think they could have made some noise in the

841
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:05,800
Speaker 1: playoffs too. But I think the Chargers are gonna be

842
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:08,200
Speaker 1: very dim a very talented team. If Philip Rivers canna

843
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:10,239
Speaker 1: stay healthy and continue playing at a high level, I

844
00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:12,319
Speaker 1: think they'll be pretty darn good. That Hunter Henry injury

845
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,040
Speaker 1: is gonna hurt them. It is, and we'll see what

846
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,000
Speaker 1: they choose to do with tight end, whether or not

847
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,799
Speaker 1: they go after Antonio Gates and try to bring him back,

848
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,239
Speaker 1: there's some speculation, or they just try to develop one

849
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,000
Speaker 1: of their young guys. I do obviously, like Melvin Gordon,

850
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,799
Speaker 1: I think their defense is a bit underrated. I don't

851
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,359
Speaker 1: think their defense gets enough respect their pass rushes when

852
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:30,799
Speaker 1: I have the best best in the league. But that's

853
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,400
Speaker 1: the problem. The problem is everybody looks at Ingram and

854
00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:37,000
Speaker 1: Joey Bosa and then after that they don't necessarily talk

855
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,080
Speaker 1: about the rest of the demon secondary actually was very

856
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,160
Speaker 1: impressive last year if you look at their numbers. So

857
00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,960
Speaker 1: I agree with you the Chargers. I probably would make

858
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,480
Speaker 1: a case that the Chargers should be the favorite despite

859
00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,359
Speaker 1: Kansas City. They are for me coming back in terms

860
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,160
Speaker 1: of winning the division, and Philip Rivers is still a

861
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:54,040
Speaker 1: veteran quarterback. And here's the other thing that people forget

862
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:55,800
Speaker 1: about the Chargers, John and I know you you know

863
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,640
Speaker 1: briefly touched on this in terms of them just missing

864
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:00,960
Speaker 1: out of the PLAYFFS. They start dreadful. Remember that game

865
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:02,799
Speaker 1: against the Giants while both teams are all in four,

866
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:04,920
Speaker 1: and then the Chargers finally won their first game of

867
00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:06,279
Speaker 1: the season, and then all of a sudden, l A

868
00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,960
Speaker 1: got hot and was knocking on the door. And then

869
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,839
Speaker 1: if memory starts to be correct, they lost in Kansas City,

870
00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:14,879
Speaker 1: A very rough game for Philip Rivers had a number

871
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,799
Speaker 1: of interceptions and that did it from how many take

872
00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:19,560
Speaker 1: a guess, I just did the math. How many a

873
00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,120
Speaker 1: f C teams out of the sixteen do you think

874
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:27,359
Speaker 1: had a positive point differential positive point differential? And I'm

875
00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,879
Speaker 1: gonna ask you the same question for the NFC. Let's see,

876
00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:36,759
Speaker 1: out of the sixteen teams, I'll say I'll go with eight, six, six,

877
00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:39,480
Speaker 1: how many of you think in the NFC had a

878
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:47,600
Speaker 1: positive point deferential? I'll go with nine. That's correct. I

879
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,520
Speaker 1: mean I would have been stunned if it was less

880
00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,080
Speaker 1: than that, because, like I said, six teams won at

881
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:54,400
Speaker 1: least ten games, you would figure that they had a

882
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:59,040
Speaker 1: plus positive point differential and it certainly reflected that, no

883
00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:01,680
Speaker 1: question about it. All right, folks, thanks for joining us. Um,

884
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,320
Speaker 1: we're not quite saying goodbye, but the live portion of

885
00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,160
Speaker 1: the show is going to be over. Um. Yesterday, Lance

886
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:08,799
Speaker 1: and I both and we would thank Rick drab By

887
00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: the way for joining us at a great job in

888
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:12,719
Speaker 1: the Tim Bay Times. Yesterday, Lance and I a chance

889
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:16,000
Speaker 1: to talk to Tim Lester. He was Sam Beale's, the

890
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,279
Speaker 1: Giant's third round pick in the Supplemental Draft. His head

891
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,440
Speaker 1: coach at the University of Western Michigan. Here's our interview

892
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,279
Speaker 1: with him. The Giants have a new addition to the

893
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,440
Speaker 1: roster as they took Sam Beale, cornerback out of Western

894
00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:29,920
Speaker 1: Michigan in the third round of the Supplemental Draft. And

895
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,319
Speaker 1: we are now joined on Big Blue Kickoff Live by

896
00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:34,319
Speaker 1: a very special guest, the man who has worked very

897
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:36,440
Speaker 1: closely with Sam Bale throughout his junior year, and that

898
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,279
Speaker 1: is Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. Tim, you got

899
00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,600
Speaker 1: Lance Meadow, John Schmulk with you here on Big Blue

900
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:48,160
Speaker 1: Kickoff Live. Giants dot Com appreciate the time. How's everything well.

901
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,640
Speaker 1: One of the reasons why we wanted John the program coaches,

902
00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:53,400
Speaker 1: because you know Sam Bill better than most. What are

903
00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:56,200
Speaker 1: the Giants getting in a player like that who has

904
00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:59,640
Speaker 1: three years of experience in college? You know, the biggest

905
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:01,840
Speaker 1: thing I've I think you're gonna find with Sam is

906
00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:04,719
Speaker 1: here a swimmer as a cover guy goes. I mean,

907
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,720
Speaker 1: he's about as good as I've ever seen in the business.

908
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:11,399
Speaker 1: I mean his speed, his hips, I mean, he's he's long,

909
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,759
Speaker 1: he's a six footer. He can he can run, he

910
00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:16,560
Speaker 1: can change direction. I mean when we knew, when we

911
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,239
Speaker 1: put him in man coverage against the best receiver around

912
00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:21,120
Speaker 1: the other team that it was it was a lock.

913
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:23,560
Speaker 1: You know, no one knowing what. It didn't matter whether

914
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:27,359
Speaker 1: the USC didn't matter. Uh, he was a guy that athletically,

915
00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:31,200
Speaker 1: with that length and speed could cover anybody. Now, coach,

916
00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:32,880
Speaker 1: taking a look at the tape and based on what

917
00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:34,399
Speaker 1: you just said, we know you used him a lot

918
00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,200
Speaker 1: in that press man and that's where he's most comfortable.

919
00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:40,920
Speaker 1: How much did you ask him to play off coverage,

920
00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:43,640
Speaker 1: play some zone or is that something If he's asked

921
00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:45,640
Speaker 1: to do that in the pros, he's gonna have to

922
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,439
Speaker 1: adjust to it and and maybe figure out a little

923
00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:51,319
Speaker 1: bit along the way. Yeah, it's not something he's done

924
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,080
Speaker 1: a ton. Now, he he did a good job of it.

925
00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:55,160
Speaker 1: You know, when you have a guy that that is

926
00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:58,160
Speaker 1: covers a percent, no one ever catches a ball on

927
00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:00,920
Speaker 1: him and he gets into zone and he we misread

928
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:03,160
Speaker 1: one or two zones in practice and it's like the shots.

929
00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:06,960
Speaker 1: He's never made a mistake, but we don't do it

930
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:08,799
Speaker 1: at a time. We'll we'll press and bail him every

931
00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:10,520
Speaker 1: once in a while, but our defense, he's he was

932
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 1: pressed shoot of the time. And then when we did

933
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:15,839
Speaker 1: back him off. We get into third down and long

934
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:17,120
Speaker 1: as you back him off and let him get his

935
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:18,719
Speaker 1: eyes on the quarterback. And he did a good job

936
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,120
Speaker 1: at that too. But definitely his bread and butter is

937
00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:23,520
Speaker 1: right up in your face and covered him coach. In

938
00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:25,800
Speaker 1: addition to his coverage skills, obviously a big part of

939
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,520
Speaker 1: playing the cornerback position in the National Football League is

940
00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:30,680
Speaker 1: being able to help with the run game and stopping

941
00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,080
Speaker 1: the run. What jumps out to you about his ability

942
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:36,600
Speaker 1: to contribute to that facet of the game. A lot

943
00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:39,520
Speaker 1: of that part, especially with secondary guys, is just a

944
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,440
Speaker 1: willingness to throw the head and he has zero problem

945
00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,520
Speaker 1: doing that. I mean, he is a tough kid. He's

946
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:47,040
Speaker 1: one of the probably if not the hardest worker on

947
00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:48,520
Speaker 1: our team, one of them. I mean, he's a guy

948
00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:50,239
Speaker 1: that can run for days and you can push him

949
00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:52,279
Speaker 1: and push him and he responds with a big smile

950
00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:54,839
Speaker 1: on his face. I don't think I've ever seen him tired. Um,

951
00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:56,840
Speaker 1: but he has a willingness to stick his nose and

952
00:43:56,880 --> 00:43:59,040
Speaker 1: then we had to come set an edge. He has

953
00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:02,160
Speaker 1: zero issues issues doing it. Sometimes he was we went right,

954
00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,560
Speaker 1: so he was to the field. Sometimes when he was

955
00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:08,480
Speaker 1: in the boundary. He was more aggressive than our corner

956
00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,200
Speaker 1: who went to the Cincinnati Bengals. He's he's way more

957
00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:13,640
Speaker 1: of a hidden I think he enjoys that part of it.

958
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: You know, coach Um. When he played for you, I

959
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:19,160
Speaker 1: believe he was listening around the hundred and ninety or

960
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:21,040
Speaker 1: so pounds, maybe a little bit more. But his pro day,

961
00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:22,759
Speaker 1: I think he came into a hundred and seventy eight,

962
00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,040
Speaker 1: which is pretty light for a corner in the NFL.

963
00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:27,719
Speaker 1: Um is that something that you think that he's gonna

964
00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:28,960
Speaker 1: have to work on his body a little bit, get

965
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,560
Speaker 1: a little bit bigger to survive the rigors of playing

966
00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:35,120
Speaker 1: a sixteen game NFL schedule, No question. I mean that's

967
00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:36,719
Speaker 1: something we've talked about with him. And we had him

968
00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,839
Speaker 1: up to a hundred eighty nine. We got him over

969
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,400
Speaker 1: one nine. At one point he was shocked. If you

970
00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,440
Speaker 1: should see his face when he was in at one second,

971
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,440
Speaker 1: I know it was it was a he looked like,

972
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:51,719
Speaker 1: I haven't been eating. I have been eating a lot.

973
00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:54,040
Speaker 1: I'm kind of mean he's been. It was a weird

974
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,360
Speaker 1: pro day. It was a one man show with forty

975
00:44:56,400 --> 00:45:00,080
Speaker 1: two members of the NFL there and UH and I

976
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:01,719
Speaker 1: think he was a little bit nervous because it kind

977
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:04,160
Speaker 1: of all happened really fast. And uh, I bet he's

978
00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:07,000
Speaker 1: right now already up to about because he normally flips

979
00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,040
Speaker 1: racing the high one eighties while our goals again to

980
00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,800
Speaker 1: one and he can definitely carry it. Uh, he just

981
00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:16,280
Speaker 1: needs the time, you know, to be in a nutritional

982
00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:18,800
Speaker 1: program that they'll feed him and he'll I'm I'm guessing

983
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:23,759
Speaker 1: he'll he'll end up playing for the Giants that we're

984
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:26,520
Speaker 1: talking with. Tim Lester, head coach of Western Michigan coach

985
00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:28,880
Speaker 1: Sam Bill, who the Giants just acquired through the supplemental

986
00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:31,000
Speaker 1: Draft his junior years. So, coach, you came in in

987
00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:34,840
Speaker 1: two thousand seventeen, right before Sam Bill's junior year. What

988
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,920
Speaker 1: were your first impressions of Sam and how much do

989
00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,000
Speaker 1: you think he developed over the course of the one

990
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,960
Speaker 1: season you coached him all the time. My first impression

991
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:45,879
Speaker 1: with him was, I was, I was just in all

992
00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:48,759
Speaker 1: of the athletic ability. You know, when you see a

993
00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:50,520
Speaker 1: guy with that length move like that. I mean, we

994
00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:52,680
Speaker 1: have two dbs at our level, they normally don't move

995
00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:55,759
Speaker 1: like those, the shorter ones you know, and then the

996
00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:57,520
Speaker 1: ones that have both of the ones that are playing

997
00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,400
Speaker 1: on a Sundays and Um, so that was probably the

998
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:03,000
Speaker 1: first thing. And then and then he had really good coach.

999
00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:06,759
Speaker 1: I think it's technique he did rely before this year.

1000
00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:09,120
Speaker 1: He I think he just relied on his speed l scrimage.

1001
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:10,880
Speaker 1: He didn't use his hands as a weapon much at

1002
00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:13,040
Speaker 1: the line of scrimmage. And I think that's where he

1003
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,920
Speaker 1: made his biggest improvement. Where I mean, yes, you're not

1004
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:17,759
Speaker 1: like enough to make all the moves and adjust to

1005
00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:19,320
Speaker 1: the receiver A want, I just beat him at the

1006
00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,440
Speaker 1: line of scrimage and then jobs easy and watching him,

1007
00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:25,239
Speaker 1: you know, throwing his hands and punching into the line

1008
00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:27,719
Speaker 1: of scrimmage in the last you know, twelve months has

1009
00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,279
Speaker 1: been amazing to watch him where he's winning a lot

1010
00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:33,120
Speaker 1: before we're even getting the roots. Yeah, coach, I know

1011
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,000
Speaker 1: you're only coaching this previous year. But when he came

1012
00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:37,279
Speaker 1: to Western Michigan, he was a converted wide receiver and

1013
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:40,000
Speaker 1: obviously he's made a lot of progress. Um, where do

1014
00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:42,440
Speaker 1: you think the arrow is still pointing up for him?

1015
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:44,960
Speaker 1: Where is he's still developing And what's the next step

1016
00:46:45,040 --> 00:46:47,719
Speaker 1: he needs to take in that development? I think that

1017
00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:49,560
Speaker 1: I think you hit him. I mean it's it's pretty

1018
00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:51,640
Speaker 1: easy when you see him. He's got to get his

1019
00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:54,120
Speaker 1: laid up, you know, because he has no problem hitting people.

1020
00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:55,719
Speaker 1: So did his way up from the number one, and

1021
00:46:55,760 --> 00:46:57,719
Speaker 1: then that he just needs more a repetition in his

1022
00:46:57,840 --> 00:46:59,680
Speaker 1: own world, you know. And when he's in a team

1023
00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:02,320
Speaker 1: that after day is having a playoff, plays some squad

1024
00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:05,520
Speaker 1: and play them. And he's good at playing third and

1025
00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:09,319
Speaker 1: ron get points and playing press man because he's done

1026
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:13,000
Speaker 1: it a ton. Uh, he's just gonna need to develop

1027
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:15,920
Speaker 1: and understand that there's more coverages in the NFL, and

1028
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:17,759
Speaker 1: you're gonna have to do a couple more things. And

1029
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:19,600
Speaker 1: I think that every I think every book he has

1030
00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:21,200
Speaker 1: to do with that because there under many colleges that

1031
00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:23,880
Speaker 1: have those complex coverage schemes like they do on Sundays.

1032
00:47:24,320 --> 00:47:26,680
Speaker 1: So I think, uh, that's kind of the standard. He's

1033
00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:29,200
Speaker 1: got to adjust to that. And in college, the greatest

1034
00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:30,839
Speaker 1: thing is if they do have a coverage and then

1035
00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:33,279
Speaker 1: you want a guy to be covered, Uh, they got

1036
00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:35,120
Speaker 1: a guy that can do that for sure, because some

1037
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,759
Speaker 1: some colleges are prest to do that and we're just

1038
00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:39,759
Speaker 1: we're just one of those ones that live them up

1039
00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:41,279
Speaker 1: with the line of scrimmage, and they get pretty good

1040
00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:43,040
Speaker 1: at that part, you know, coaching, It's funny. If you're

1041
00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:45,480
Speaker 1: converted wide receiver, he's gonna have great ball skills. But

1042
00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:48,680
Speaker 1: the interception numbers were never there. Was that a product

1043
00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:50,960
Speaker 1: of a lack of ball skills or rather the fact

1044
00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,279
Speaker 1: that he was in that press man so much with

1045
00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,400
Speaker 1: his back facing the quarterback. It's just much tougher for

1046
00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:59,080
Speaker 1: a guy in that scheme to make plays on the ball.

1047
00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:02,560
Speaker 1: And that's the funny. That's so the people that don't

1048
00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:05,200
Speaker 1: understand football think that in man coverage you you you

1049
00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:07,920
Speaker 1: would get interceptions from that's exactly opposite. I mean he

1050
00:48:08,200 --> 00:48:10,680
Speaker 1: zone coverage, more eyes on the quarterback, more interceptions you get.

1051
00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:13,319
Speaker 1: So uh, he heared a couple of them. He's got

1052
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:14,920
Speaker 1: to work on high pointing the ball a little more.

1053
00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:17,160
Speaker 1: He's got good hands, but I mean literally, and the

1054
00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,960
Speaker 1: man coverage, let's turn around and the balls about two

1055
00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,640
Speaker 1: feet from yet you don't get to anticipate and then

1056
00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:26,120
Speaker 1: undercut something. And and that's he his hands are good.

1057
00:48:26,160 --> 00:48:27,759
Speaker 1: He showed that at his pro day. I thought one

1058
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:29,680
Speaker 1: he letting it into his body instead of reaching out

1059
00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:34,239
Speaker 1: and getting it um But yeah. I mean of his

1060
00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:36,000
Speaker 1: reps he was in man coverage and he didn't make

1061
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,320
Speaker 1: a couple of picks, and he's always in position, but

1062
00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:40,360
Speaker 1: it's always going to be a turn in a reaction

1063
00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:42,319
Speaker 1: to the ball coming screaming in there. So I think

1064
00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:44,239
Speaker 1: the more zone plays, I think those numbers will go

1065
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:48,160
Speaker 1: up to coach, giving his background and his versatility, especially

1066
00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:50,000
Speaker 1: given the fact that he's gonna be a rookie. Normally

1067
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:52,600
Speaker 1: those players have to contribute on special teams. I'm curious,

1068
00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:55,360
Speaker 1: number one, how much did you utilize him on special

1069
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,040
Speaker 1: teams and how much do you think his skill set

1070
00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:02,439
Speaker 1: translates over to contributing in that department. Yeah, we didn't

1071
00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:04,560
Speaker 1: use him a ton of and it wasn't because we

1072
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:07,320
Speaker 1: didn't want we didn't need him. I mean we didn't.

1073
00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:09,719
Speaker 1: He was a guy We had tons of depths, and

1074
00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:11,880
Speaker 1: that's kind of way we use at our level to

1075
00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:13,880
Speaker 1: develop the young guys. You know, there were times we

1076
00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:15,920
Speaker 1: started getting injuries, we started to them. I mean, the

1077
00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:18,080
Speaker 1: guy run down on kickoff that loves the tackle and

1078
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:21,080
Speaker 1: can fly, he'd be perfect and we'd use them here

1079
00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:23,600
Speaker 1: and there. But it was also a time we get

1080
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:25,879
Speaker 1: the young guys reps because we sure a SEC wanted

1081
00:49:25,920 --> 00:49:29,279
Speaker 1: Sam out there every defensive rep and uh and and

1082
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:30,960
Speaker 1: so they get their reps that they got were on

1083
00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:33,120
Speaker 1: special teams. That's kind of how we developed him here.

1084
00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:35,400
Speaker 1: But he has the skill set to do it. The

1085
00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:37,440
Speaker 1: biggest thing is his willingness to stick his nose in

1086
00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:40,560
Speaker 1: there and his ability to run down and avoid avoid blocks,

1087
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:43,040
Speaker 1: and then he was always involved and he just he

1088
00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,000
Speaker 1: only gives one speed. That's one of the things he

1089
00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:47,759
Speaker 1: reminds me of. I coached Western Michigan in the mid

1090
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:50,799
Speaker 1: two thousands and E. J. Biggers and Louis Delmas were

1091
00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:52,960
Speaker 1: two NFL players that we had, and they were the

1092
00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:55,680
Speaker 1: most fun to guys ever coached because they just loved

1093
00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:58,880
Speaker 1: playing football and competing every day. And Sam is exactly

1094
00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:01,000
Speaker 1: like them. That was the first I thought when I

1095
00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:02,800
Speaker 1: got to coach him as well. This guy reminds me

1096
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:04,839
Speaker 1: of those two who both spent on seven to nine

1097
00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:07,680
Speaker 1: years in the league and played very high level. So

1098
00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:10,080
Speaker 1: he will complete a lot of what you put on.

1099
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:13,000
Speaker 1: You put him in there as a hole that uh,

1100
00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,040
Speaker 1: that's just that's just his m O, you know, And

1101
00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:17,160
Speaker 1: that's that's fun to coach. Coach. How much did you

1102
00:50:17,239 --> 00:50:18,960
Speaker 1: use him in the slot. And and how does his

1103
00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,279
Speaker 1: skill set translate to the unique skills you need to

1104
00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,280
Speaker 1: be a slack corner. You have a two way release

1105
00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:27,280
Speaker 1: and it's almost more about quickness than speed at that position.

1106
00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:30,480
Speaker 1: And that would be good for the way he team

1107
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:33,440
Speaker 1: along transfer from receiver to dB, you know, in his

1108
00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:36,719
Speaker 1: lack of being able to punch, you know, punch hard

1109
00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:40,120
Speaker 1: with the inside and use the use the sideline as

1110
00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:43,279
Speaker 1: your second defender, Like you can't do that in yeah,

1111
00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:45,040
Speaker 1: I mean unless you know you have helped somewhere, you're

1112
00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:47,120
Speaker 1: gonna help to just sit there and turn and wrap.

1113
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,239
Speaker 1: And he did that for two, two or three years

1114
00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:52,319
Speaker 1: sometimes when he didn't need to playing an outside corner, like, hey,

1115
00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:54,160
Speaker 1: you don't need to do that, dude, you're making a

1116
00:50:54,239 --> 00:50:57,960
Speaker 1: harder on yourself. And uh so he has that ability,

1117
00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:00,120
Speaker 1: you know, and and he'll he'll learn them and put

1118
00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:02,719
Speaker 1: him in the slot. And hope helped to have to

1119
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:05,479
Speaker 1: know where his help is. And but just the pure

1120
00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:09,080
Speaker 1: reaction of the kind of how he played outside corner

1121
00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:12,040
Speaker 1: for his first two years and then we started letting him,

1122
00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:14,480
Speaker 1: you know, teaching him that the sideline was his help

1123
00:51:14,560 --> 00:51:15,920
Speaker 1: and go ahead and punch and be hard on the

1124
00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,840
Speaker 1: inside and then run and uh and he he became

1125
00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:21,799
Speaker 1: even even stronger out there. So I think watching I've

1126
00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:23,520
Speaker 1: seen him do balls. I don't know if he knows

1127
00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:26,440
Speaker 1: he's doing it corner or outside corner at the time,

1128
00:51:26,680 --> 00:51:28,880
Speaker 1: but he has skill set to dot it. Talk with

1129
00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:31,319
Speaker 1: Tim Lester, head coach of Western Michigan coach Sam Bill

1130
00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:33,960
Speaker 1: his junior year as Sam Bill was just selected in

1131
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:36,239
Speaker 1: the supplemental draft by the Giants. Coach. He's gonna be

1132
00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: to be entering a cornerback group that's got a mix

1133
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:41,799
Speaker 1: of veterans as well as young guys. What is Sam

1134
00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:44,040
Speaker 1: Bill like in the locker room? How well did he

1135
00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:47,200
Speaker 1: mesh with his teammates from what you observed, Yeah, the

1136
00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:49,160
Speaker 1: kids loved him. I mean he's he's not a he's

1137
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:52,080
Speaker 1: not a talker. He's not he'll be quient. He won't

1138
00:51:52,160 --> 00:51:54,320
Speaker 1: he won't talk unless he's him. I you know, I

1139
00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:56,480
Speaker 1: I used to love to you know, I'm an ex

1140
00:51:56,600 --> 00:51:58,799
Speaker 1: quarterback and so we're talking trash to the dvs all

1141
00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:00,920
Speaker 1: the time before p Well, I'm sure you did a

1142
00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:04,120
Speaker 1: lot of trash talking in the XFL. Coach. We did,

1143
00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:07,319
Speaker 1: We did, and uh, I'm I'm like, man, we are

1144
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:10,480
Speaker 1: coming after you today, Sammy, and he just smile. You know.

1145
00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:12,480
Speaker 1: He said he's not a big verbal guy. He does

1146
00:52:12,560 --> 00:52:15,200
Speaker 1: all his leading. I would say, use a leader on

1147
00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:17,719
Speaker 1: our team purely by the way he worked out every

1148
00:52:17,719 --> 00:52:19,440
Speaker 1: single day. People would watch and be like, hey, that's

1149
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:22,680
Speaker 1: one of our best players. He wins every single sprint. Uh.

1150
00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:24,359
Speaker 1: He always has a smile on his face. You can't

1151
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:27,080
Speaker 1: get him down. Um. But he won't be a talker

1152
00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:29,759
Speaker 1: and he'll probably end up he'll probably find his way

1153
00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:33,520
Speaker 1: towards the veterans and just let's just listen and uh

1154
00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:36,520
Speaker 1: and and trying to to replicate what they do because

1155
00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:38,160
Speaker 1: that's just his personality. He's not going to be a

1156
00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:40,960
Speaker 1: huge outgoing guy. Uh. He just likes to show up

1157
00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:43,280
Speaker 1: and work and and and has fun in a quiet

1158
00:52:43,320 --> 00:52:45,880
Speaker 1: win you know. Coaching. You mentioned the process, and it

1159
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:48,960
Speaker 1: was a strange pro day. And you don't get many

1160
00:52:49,080 --> 00:52:51,480
Speaker 1: high level players in the supplemental draft, and if you do,

1161
00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:54,160
Speaker 1: it's usually a guy that has some off the field

1162
00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:57,200
Speaker 1: issue that's screwed up their eligibility the following year, and

1163
00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:00,520
Speaker 1: that's why they're there. From all accounts, it's not the

1164
00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:02,840
Speaker 1: case with Sam he's a really good kid, no issues,

1165
00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:06,520
Speaker 1: no problems. How has he handled this whole process where

1166
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,000
Speaker 1: he's going into the suffimental draft and it's really something

1167
00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:11,160
Speaker 1: that a lot of kids don't know how to deal with,

1168
00:53:11,239 --> 00:53:13,080
Speaker 1: and they haven't had to deal with anything like that before.

1169
00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:16,040
Speaker 1: He did a great job. I mean, he we we

1170
00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:17,799
Speaker 1: brought him in and it just got to the point

1171
00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:22,520
Speaker 1: academically where it was getting to the percentages where it

1172
00:53:22,640 --> 00:53:24,600
Speaker 1: was too too close that he wasn't gonna make it.

1173
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:26,680
Speaker 1: And you know, as much as I want to coach

1174
00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:28,600
Speaker 1: Sham again, my job is to do what's best for

1175
00:53:28,719 --> 00:53:30,560
Speaker 1: my players. So we brought him in that this is

1176
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,960
Speaker 1: your best right now. And and that hurt him all

1177
00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:35,600
Speaker 1: of it, because he wanted to come back, you know,

1178
00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:37,399
Speaker 1: and and and a lot of the scouts you're telling

1179
00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:38,680
Speaker 1: us that if he came back, he might have been

1180
00:53:38,719 --> 00:53:41,239
Speaker 1: a first round draft pick next year, you know. And

1181
00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:44,200
Speaker 1: and so that's why they said come back, because you're

1182
00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:46,279
Speaker 1: gonna you're gonna you're gonna just rise and right you

1183
00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:48,480
Speaker 1: get you and you play when we're here, and you're

1184
00:53:48,480 --> 00:53:51,680
Speaker 1: gonna you're gonna be a high, high guy. And chemically

1185
00:53:51,680 --> 00:53:54,560
Speaker 1: he didn't work out that way, and for for one

1186
00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:56,200
Speaker 1: month straight. I mean he had to try to get

1187
00:53:56,280 --> 00:53:57,759
Speaker 1: him with the work out boy, and most guys doing

1188
00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:00,359
Speaker 1: three months, he had to do it one month. And uh,

1189
00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:03,800
Speaker 1: and he decided he wanted to train at our school

1190
00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:06,839
Speaker 1: with our trainer, which was awesome, you know, because there's

1191
00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:09,120
Speaker 1: some familiarity there a long the guys would go ship

1192
00:54:09,239 --> 00:54:13,040
Speaker 1: off down to Arizona or Florida, and and uh, you know,

1193
00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:15,040
Speaker 1: he wanted to stay there with our guy. And and

1194
00:54:15,200 --> 00:54:16,840
Speaker 1: we had some help with some people coming in and

1195
00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:20,600
Speaker 1: some of the stuff, you know, working on all that

1196
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:23,839
Speaker 1: David nuances of the combined drills that you can drop

1197
00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:27,080
Speaker 1: a tent here. His numbers were unbelievable. Uh and he

1198
00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:30,319
Speaker 1: didn't even have to tans all those like the three

1199
00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:32,759
Speaker 1: cone and all the little things, the little nuances that

1200
00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:36,120
Speaker 1: uh you know. They made him redo one of his

1201
00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:38,600
Speaker 1: five ten fives because I guess his left hand hit

1202
00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:40,040
Speaker 1: the ground when he was touching with his right. I

1203
00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:41,680
Speaker 1: didn't you know that was illegal. And then he went

1204
00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:44,040
Speaker 1: up there and fixed it and ran the fastest time

1205
00:54:44,120 --> 00:54:47,920
Speaker 1: of anybody. And uh so he just was learning as

1206
00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:50,400
Speaker 1: he went, and he handled it very well. And and

1207
00:54:50,560 --> 00:54:53,719
Speaker 1: he decided on the opportunity. I know that well, coach,

1208
00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:55,839
Speaker 1: speaking of that short timeline that he had to deal

1209
00:54:55,880 --> 00:54:57,960
Speaker 1: with that you just talked about. I think it's interesting

1210
00:54:57,960 --> 00:55:00,839
Speaker 1: because now he's joining the Giants when they already had

1211
00:55:00,880 --> 00:55:03,680
Speaker 1: their entire spring off season program and they're gonna start

1212
00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:06,759
Speaker 1: training camp, so he hasn't had access to the playbook,

1213
00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:09,600
Speaker 1: hasn't interacted much with the Giants coaching staff. What is

1214
00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:12,560
Speaker 1: that transition going to be like for him, given the

1215
00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:14,920
Speaker 1: fact that he already had to deal with a quick transition,

1216
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:18,560
Speaker 1: as you mentioned, going through the supplemental process. Yeah, it's

1217
00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:21,320
Speaker 1: gonna be hard. I mean you talk about those those

1218
00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:25,000
Speaker 1: rookie minicamps, that's huge for those guys that so when

1219
00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:27,600
Speaker 1: the vets come in and and everything gets real here

1220
00:55:27,640 --> 00:55:29,560
Speaker 1: in a couple of weeks, that that you're ready to go.

1221
00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:32,520
Speaker 1: And that's so I told him, I said, hey, they

1222
00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:34,880
Speaker 1: picked you for a reason, you no matter before we

1223
00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:36,680
Speaker 1: knew where he was going, like, this is going to

1224
00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:40,000
Speaker 1: be difficult. People better and study, you know, And he

1225
00:55:40,239 --> 00:55:42,480
Speaker 1: he loves the ball and he's gonna study hard. And

1226
00:55:43,040 --> 00:55:44,800
Speaker 1: the good thing is he has the alexibility to go

1227
00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:46,960
Speaker 1: along with it, being a guy that tried to make

1228
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:49,440
Speaker 1: the NFL. I had to be perfect because I weaned

1229
00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:51,399
Speaker 1: the most talent. I couldn't just rely on my talent

1230
00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:54,719
Speaker 1: to give me through the first get practice, the first month.

1231
00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:57,680
Speaker 1: Everything had to be mentally on part because it wasn't

1232
00:55:57,680 --> 00:55:59,719
Speaker 1: gonna be the physical. There's a lot of guys like

1233
00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:01,880
Speaker 1: that that are just smart and they're always in the

1234
00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:04,680
Speaker 1: right place, and and he has the athletic tools that

1235
00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:06,920
Speaker 1: as he gets smarter, and as he gets more comfortable,

1236
00:56:06,920 --> 00:56:09,080
Speaker 1: and as he gets around the veterans, I think you're

1237
00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:12,160
Speaker 1: just gonna see his play just continue to spike up. Coach,

1238
00:56:12,560 --> 00:56:15,120
Speaker 1: final question from me, and I apologize, I'm I'm kind

1239
00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:16,360
Speaker 1: of put you on the spot, but a lot of

1240
00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:18,960
Speaker 1: times I feel like college coaches always have a good

1241
00:56:19,040 --> 00:56:22,880
Speaker 1: story or anecdote that kind of tells fans something about

1242
00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:26,239
Speaker 1: a player that you can't know from just watching him

1243
00:56:26,239 --> 00:56:28,239
Speaker 1: play football on the football field. Did you have any

1244
00:56:28,440 --> 00:56:32,120
Speaker 1: sort of personal experience with with Sam in that regard

1245
00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:33,880
Speaker 1: that can maybe give the fans and inside as the

1246
00:56:33,920 --> 00:56:37,160
Speaker 1: type of person that he is. Me and Sam and

1247
00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:39,800
Speaker 1: not not really. I mean I think of one story

1248
00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:43,360
Speaker 1: every time. It's and it's not anything major that happened.

1249
00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:47,600
Speaker 1: It's just watching him he has I brought I brought

1250
00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:50,080
Speaker 1: him in, but we have we have a young receiving

1251
00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:53,400
Speaker 1: court here Ester Michigan, and we're not the toughest and

1252
00:56:53,719 --> 00:56:56,320
Speaker 1: non goldest. Spring was to get tough, and so I

1253
00:56:56,440 --> 00:56:59,239
Speaker 1: told him I got like a mission on him that

1254
00:56:59,320 --> 00:57:01,919
Speaker 1: I wanted him to get in everyone's face and try

1255
00:57:01,960 --> 00:57:03,719
Speaker 1: to get every single one of my white eyes to

1256
00:57:03,800 --> 00:57:08,440
Speaker 1: fight him. He needed. Sam is the guy that he

1257
00:57:08,600 --> 00:57:10,879
Speaker 1: lives on that level, but he never loses his mind.

1258
00:57:10,920 --> 00:57:13,800
Speaker 1: He never got a personal file, but he also plays

1259
00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:17,120
Speaker 1: like he's ready to fight everybody. You know. That's that's

1260
00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:18,920
Speaker 1: fine line that all the great ones can play with,

1261
00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:22,400
Speaker 1: you know. And uh and it would be so I

1262
00:57:22,480 --> 00:57:27,400
Speaker 1: mean he would just a time and time again to

1263
00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:30,400
Speaker 1: just give back what he's given to him, you know.

1264
00:57:30,520 --> 00:57:32,360
Speaker 1: And then he would always turn around and look at

1265
00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:36,200
Speaker 1: me and smile wink and it was the funniest thing.

1266
00:57:36,680 --> 00:57:39,040
Speaker 1: And my guys, I mean, my guys are much tougher now.

1267
00:57:39,240 --> 00:57:41,440
Speaker 1: I mean, they get up and they shake hands at

1268
00:57:41,480 --> 00:57:43,840
Speaker 1: the end of every brawl that happens with the Nines,

1269
00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:46,920
Speaker 1: primit during one on one, and Sam would just smile

1270
00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:49,880
Speaker 1: and winking me every time. And it was it was

1271
00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:51,720
Speaker 1: he did a heck of job. That's a great coach.

1272
00:57:51,760 --> 00:57:53,200
Speaker 1: I love it. Well, if that's the case, I'm sure

1273
00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:55,080
Speaker 1: he's gonna love to start a training camp here with

1274
00:57:55,160 --> 00:57:57,480
Speaker 1: the Giants. But these guys are dying to hit each other. Hello,

1275
00:57:57,560 --> 00:58:04,720
Speaker 1: Odell Beckham Jr. Good luck. I want to I think

1276
00:58:04,760 --> 00:58:07,320
Speaker 1: Giants fans can relate to that as well. He is

1277
00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:10,040
Speaker 1: the head coach of Western Michigan. Tim Lester, coach, greatly

1278
00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:11,960
Speaker 1: appreciate the time in the inside. Thanks for joining us

1279
00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:14,200
Speaker 1: here on the program providing some great stuff on Sam Bille.

1280
00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:16,560
Speaker 1: All right, have a good one, guys. I appreciate it.

1281
00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:18,560
Speaker 1: Thank you, coach, you got it. So once again Tim

1282
00:58:18,640 --> 00:58:21,040
Speaker 1: Lester weighing in on what Sam Bill will bring to

1283
00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:23,080
Speaker 1: the New York Giants. A lot of great information and

1284
00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:24,760
Speaker 1: seems to be a player that's got a lot of

1285
00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:27,040
Speaker 1: competitive fire in him. Yeah. Absolutely, And I like the

1286
00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:28,920
Speaker 1: fact that he'll just put his head down and go

1287
00:58:28,960 --> 00:58:31,400
Speaker 1: about his business. And you know, said he's a hard

1288
00:58:31,440 --> 00:58:33,440
Speaker 1: worker and doesn't you know, talk a lot, which is

1289
00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:34,800
Speaker 1: always a good thing. And he is going to have

1290
00:58:34,880 --> 00:58:37,120
Speaker 1: to get right back to work as Giants training camp

1291
00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:39,320
Speaker 1: will be around the corner. So once again we thanked

1292
00:58:39,320 --> 00:58:41,280
Speaker 1: Tim Lester for weighing in here on Big Blue. Kickoff

1293
00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:44,080
Speaker 1: Live will be out and running again at noon Eastern

1294
00:58:44,120 --> 00:58:46,800
Speaker 1: tomorrow as we continue our previews of the Giants two

1295
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:50,000
Speaker 1: thousand eighteen opponents for johnsh Malcolm Lance Meadow. Enjoy the

1296
00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:51,960
Speaker 1: rest of your day right here on Giants dot com.

1297
00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:52,400
Speaker 1: I'm a going