WEBVTT - Ep. 64: Significance of Position Flexibility and Rule Changes | Jags A.M. Podcast 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:17.400 Hexam. 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:19.880 I'm Pennannie Stevens. We are hearing from head coach Doug 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:22.680 Peterson for the first time since free agency as the 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.800 NFL holds their annual league meetings in Orlando. We'll have 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:27.440 a live report a little later in the show as 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:29.400 John Oser checks in with us and tells us all 0:00:29.440 --> 0:00:32.360 he's learned so far at the meetings. Brian Sexston is 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:35.080 here with me in studio. We also have a special guest. 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:36.919 We're going to start off with Big Thing one now, 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:40.480 been there and done that. In regards to those free agents, 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:42.480 a lot of them coming from winning teams, had coached. 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:45.040 Doug Peterson said that was kind of the goal in 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:46.000 who they were targeting. 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:50.640 This is the culture that I want to establish in Jacksonville. 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:52.440 And then this is the reason why you go get 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:55.400 guys like Mitch Morris and Eric Armsteads and the Darnell 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:57.520 Savages and the guys that have been to the postseason. 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.440 These guys have been captains on their team and you know, 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:02.720 they've been to Super Bowls, They've they've been to AFS 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:03.840 Championship games. 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:07.200 You know, so these guys know. 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.120 How to win, and that's the that's kind of the 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.040 influx of talent that we want to bring on to 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:14.200 this our young roster, the guys that have. 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:17.560 Been there, done that, been there and done that. 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:19.880 Brian, this is something we discussed a lot in the 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:21.960 off season, even the back end of last season. You're 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:23.840 setting a culture here, but you also want that winning 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:26.000 culture as well, and these guys know what that, know 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:26.959 what it means to win, you know. 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:29.200 Kyle, We've talked about it a lot since last November. 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.600 You remember when the Jaguars lost to the San Francisco 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:33.800 forty nine ers. It was a disheartening loss, thirty four 0:01:33.800 --> 0:01:36.880 to three, and after the game, Doug Peterson said, we 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:40.920 haven't done anything yet. And the resounding thought from his 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:44.080 coaching staff, bringing Ryan Nielsen and all the guys they 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:46.760 assembled there to the free agents that they've brought in 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.200 has been about the quality of person and the quality 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.520 of their experience, whether they've been to Pro Bowls, Super Bowls, 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:56.360 been on winning teams. Doug has tried to reinvigorate his 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:59.880 locker room and his coaching staff with people of renown, 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:01.920 people who have gotten things done. So I'm going to 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:04.120 introduce you to somebody who got things done around here 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:07.440 for ten years, and you all know him. Jaguars center 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:11.080 Brandon Linder, now retire, joins US today. Hi Brandon, how 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.160 are you? I'm doing well and you are a spelt 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:15.400 two hundred and fifty pounds. You're getting it done at 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:16.120 home now. 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.800 I am yep, a lot of cardio and just eating 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:19.840 protein and veggies. 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:20.880 Do you miss the game? 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:21.399 Oh? 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:24.040 Yeah, of course, of course I miss it, but it 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:25.920 was time for me to move on, and I couldn't 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:26.440 be happier. 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.680 We're going to talk about what you're doing and what 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:30.480 you think of the Miller Electric Center. And by the way, 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:32.920 it was wow which we walked through it. But you 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:35.080 heard Doug. You know the guys that he brought in, 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:37.560 and you know some of them, Mitch Morris and Eric Armstead, 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:41.240 guys who have proven themselves on the field and off. 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:43.519 You've been in the locker room a lot. Give me 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:45.160 a perspective of what it means to bring guys like 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:45.440 that in. 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:49.160 Yeah, that's a real exciting to see that you guys signed. 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:53.519 Mitch Morris, heck of a player, great feet, very quick, 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.640 brings his hips on contact. You'll see that throughout the year. 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:59.240 Great in the past game, great in the run game. 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:01.560 So that I mean, and that's where it starts, right 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:03.760 at the center position. And he's a smart dude too, 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:08.320 so relaying the calls obviously he'll figure out the plays. 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:12.640 And then Eric Armstead, lengthy guy, has a heck of 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.840 a bull rush, can swim off of it, can go 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:19.120 under as well. So now you're just adding another tool 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:20.280 there in the d line. 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:23.040 Two guys like that who are accomplished come in and 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:25.120 have an impact in the locker room in terms of 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.880 their leadership style or because they're coming into it an 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:29.880 established team, is that more difficult. 0:03:30.280 --> 0:03:32.840 No, I think when you come in as an established player, 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:34.880 you can definitely have an impact on the locker room. Right, 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:37.520 You've been other places, you've done it, you have a 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:41.520 resumeated show for so guys, especially younger guys, right, they're 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:42.960 going to look at that. They're going to lean on 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.240 those guys, so they can definitely have an impact right away. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:47.640 The kay sounds like Doug Peterson's counting on that. 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:48.480 He sure is. 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:50.720 He's also counting on the fact that the way they 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.440 finished last year will motivate this team going forward. Our 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:56.600 second big thing is fuel to the fire, specifically talking 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:59.080 about cornerback Trevor Lawrence does. So we've been in touch 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:01.840 with them obviously in the and he feels like the 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:04.480 way they finished is going to motivate Trevor going forward. 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:11.040 Now he's playing meaningful games, he's playing he's taken the 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:14.840 last two years our team to the right there and 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:16.920 now we got to push through that and and so. 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:19.720 And now it bothers him. 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:22.560 That part bothers him, right, football bothers him. 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:26.440 And and that's a good thing. Brian. 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.359 We always talk about how Trevorson's very even keeled, but 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:32.120 Doug saying, you know, the way things finished got him bothered, 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.200 which is what you want to hear. You certainly don't 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:36.080 want to hear that he's fine with it. Will this 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:37.280 be the motivating factor. 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:37.839 For him going forward? 0:04:37.960 --> 0:04:40.159 Well, it certainly seemed that way on the day that 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.279 they cleaned out their lockers at the end of last season, 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:45.720 just to look at his eye and my kids would say, 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.159 Trevor's chill, right, We'll get Brandon's thought on that. You know, 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:51.760 he's relaxed. He does it get too wound up. He's 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:55.760 he's level. But you could tell that day in the 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:58.839 locker room back in January that it was something that 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:00.960 bothered him. Brandon, you and I talked a lot about 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:03.680 Trevor in the last couple of months when we've connected. 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:08.280 You think his upside is incredible. How do you see 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.839 something like the last six games of last year when 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.600 nothing seemed to go right, taking a young player and 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:14.560 pushing him forward. 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:18.800 Yeah, I mean his upside's tremendous. And what happened last year, 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:21.359 you know that was a shame how it fell apart. 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.839 I have been a part of that, and it's not fun. 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:27.320 When I was with Trevor, I mean, he is so 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.640 invested in this team. All he wants to do is win. 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:33.560 That's all he's ever done in high school, college. So 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:36.000 you're going to see a guy that I believe. You know, 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:38.440 he's working, doing everything he needs to do this offseason, 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:42.400 and he's motivated. He's ready to come in and put 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:44.440 forth the effort like I know he's going to. And 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:47.280 it just it takes the right parts, and I think 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:49.279 I think they have it. I think they've gotten it, 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:50.400 especially in free agency. 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:52.160 Don't let me put words in me rout, but I 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:55.599 think you maybe said you thought twice about retiring because 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:57.800 you wanted the chance to play with this caliber of 0:05:57.839 --> 0:05:58.360 a quarterback. 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:01.880 No, you're correct, and you know, I sometimes think, like man, 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.920 I wish my career would have aligned with Trevor's because 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:08.800 he is that special and you know that center quarterback connection, 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.840 it's it's a special connection. So yeah, I mean, I 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:14.120 definitely would have liked to have played more years with Trevor, 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:15.200 but that's not the case. 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:15.840 And that's all right. 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:17.600 We got enough good years with Blake, that's right. 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:19.280 Yeah, And that's one of my best friends to this. 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:21.400 Day, one of the fun guys we've had around Jacksonville 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:21.719 in the years. 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:21.960 Kay. 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:25.520 Our final big thing today is going to be position flexibility. 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.680 That was something Doug Peterson hammered home yesterday about being important, 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:30.719 whether it's in terms of free agents that they brought 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:32.200 in or who they're looking at in the draft. 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:38.440 You're starting to see more guys with position flexibility, you know, 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:40.800 just like you would offense a lineman, right. You know, 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.880 guards that can play center, tackles can play both sides. 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:48.000 You know, receivers you can move receivers around. I just 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:51.360 think it's a It just helps your overall team and 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:55.400 if you do have an injury at a position, you 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:56.640 can plug and play a guy. 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:00.440 Brian We saw a lot of musical chairs tally on 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:03.160 the offensive line last season. But there are players now 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:05.279 that they're bringing back they can play but multiple positions, 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:07.560 whether it's Ezra Cleveland or others. And also he's talking 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:10.040 about the defense, you know, bringing in a Darnell Savage 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:13.520 who can play different positions on defense, possibly with different schemes. 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:15.560 Is it more about having a good player that can 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.000 also play other positions or someone that's kind of decent 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:18.560 at everything. 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.800 Well, I'd like to have a really great player that 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:24.160 can do multiple things, but you'll take a good player 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:27.120 that can do that as well. And in particular, this 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:30.840 line of thought goes to Darnelle Savage and Antonio Johnson 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:34.000 because both guys can play nickel. In fact, Antonio Johnson's 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.080 a guy that's probably that big nickel that's more in 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:39.400 run support, but Savage can do that as well. We 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:41.920 have the perfect guy here in Brandon to talk about 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.520 positional flexibility because he came in as a rookie in 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:48.560 twenty fourteen and started at right guard. Kicked and domik ensues. 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:51.880 But if I recall in Week two against Miami and 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:54.640 that was Sue's debut with the Dolphins and he was 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:57.000 the highest paid free agent in history. Not to lay 0:07:57.000 --> 0:08:00.560 that at your feet, but I remember the day. So 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:03.800 the value in being able to do multiple things, and 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:05.720 not just in terms of your contract, right, but in 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.200 terms of on the practice field, in the meeting rooms, 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:09.440 in a pinch, in a game. 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:10.440 Oh, that's everything. 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:12.360 And as a player, all you're trying to do is 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.720 add value, right, you want that next contract extension, You 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:18.320 want to start and have play as many years as 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:18.640 you can. 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:18.920 Right. 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:21.840 To do that, it's adding value to be able to 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:23.600 And I'm just going to speak on the offensive. Sure, 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:25.400 if you could play center, if you could play guard, 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:28.680 left guard, right guard, normally that's how you swing in 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.320 the inside and then tackle. If you can play both 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.679 sides and play them both at a high level, it's everything. 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:36.920 I mean, you can really add value to yourself and 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:39.160 you prolong your career in the NFL. 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:41.080 So we've talked a lot about Mitch Morse and they 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:42.760 didn't sign him to coming to be the backup. He's 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:44.600 going to come in and be the starter, which means 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:46.760 that now Luke Fortner has a chance to learn to 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:49.360 play a couple of different positions. How hard will it 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:51.920 be for him to go from playing center to learning guard. 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:53.240 Do you think he can be effective at that? 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:55.559 Yeah, of course I could. I think he can be effective. 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:58.520 And it's funny like going from left guard to right guard. 0:08:58.600 --> 0:09:00.440 It's not as easy as you would think because it's 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:03.040 a completely different stance, completely different mechanics, right, You got 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:03.800 to switch your brain. 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:05.360 But you can learn that. 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:07.480 You can develop that in the offseason, develop that in 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:08.640 o Ta's training camp. 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:09.439 That's what that's for. 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:12.120 So ky when you bring in a guy like Mitch 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:15.200 Morse and you take Luke Fordner and move him around, 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.160 he's got thirty three thirty four regular season starts underneath 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:21.400 his belt. Now you create depth as well as versatility, 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:24.240 which gives Phil Rousher even more to work with in 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.679 that offensive line room when we get started here in 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:27.839 a couple of weeks. 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.000 Maybe adding in the draft as well. So we'll talk 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:31.680 a little bit more offensive line a little later in 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:33.640 the show, but stay with us here on Jagzam. Coming 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:35.320 up after the break, we'll have a report from John 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:50.120 Oser at the league meetings. Jaguars Fans Europe at fanatics 0:09:50.120 --> 0:09:52.319 dot com with all the latest Jag styles. You can 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.360 shop now and get today's special offers. Fanatics dot Com 0:09:55.400 --> 0:10:06.240 officially licensed Everything seasons Welcome back to jag zam ozone. 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.160 Ditch just last week he his own vacation now was 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:09.840 ditch just again, but this time is a good reason. 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:12.720 He's at the annual League leading John. I know you 0:10:12.760 --> 0:10:16.240 were there talking hearing from Doug yesterday. That's the first 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.720 time we've heard from him since free agency. So what 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:20.240 was kind of a tone from him and what was 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:21.640 the overall method from him. 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:25.080 I think what you guys led with with the top 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.880 was the uh, you know, the money quote, if you will, 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:32.640 uh talking about bringing in veteran guys. And I think 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.480 even more than the veteran guy thing, even more than 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:38.200 the guys who've been winning teams. He talked a little 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.440 when he talked about that, about the swagger, and I 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:43.760 think in the last six games the last season, he 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:48.640 looked around and wanted guys to take control of the 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:52.640 situation and win, and you know, there were times that 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.840 didn't happen. So I think guys like Eric Armstead, guys 0:10:55.880 --> 0:11:00.000 you know, the six of the players brought in from 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:03.760 Green Bay, the Ravens, the Bills, those teams have made 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:08.240 seventeen postseason appearances. Over the last five seasons. I think 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:10.120 he wants guys who are going to walk out and 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.960 expect to win rather than hope to win. And there's 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:16.600 a subtle difference there. But I definitely think the money 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:19.760 quote yesterday was about the swagger and about the need 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:21.959 to feel like you're gonna win late in the season. 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:25.840 That's the defining thing of the off season of me. John. 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:29.040 I saw a lot of chatter of people interpreting what 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:31.440 Doug said right. Doug is one of those guys that 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:35.439 if you read between the lines, he tells you a lot. However, 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:40.360 when the conversation got to wide receiver or offensive line 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.720 and where this team felt like they could still get better, 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:45.320 where they might need to add players, where the focus 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:47.560 might be on the draft, I felt like Doug was 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:52.040 all in on every position, wasn't telling anybody anything. Did 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:54.200 you hear something that I didn't? Was he leaning in 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:56.640 one direction about where this team still needs to get 0:11:56.679 --> 0:11:57.480 better in April? 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:01.920 Not really. You get the feeling that they would like, 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:06.600 I think they have to get better at corner and 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:09.320 I don't think you know it wouldn't really ask specifically yesterday, 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:14.800 but they're still you feel like they have two guys 0:12:14.880 --> 0:12:18.600 who with big time experience, big time pedigree. You feel 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:20.680 like they still got one more somewhere in the first 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.880 couple of days. Beyond that, I think they'd like to 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:27.560 get better at receiver, but don't want to force themselves 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:31.920 into that situation. Probably that's true at most positions, right So, 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:35.480 I didn't get the idea that they are targeting a 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.200 certain area the sweet spot in the middle of the 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:40.920 first round. It seems like receivers going to be their 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.480 offensive line is going to be there. I think Doug's 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.720 looking at it on the lines of if somebody drops 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:50.280 to us, if the situations there, we'd love to get better, 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.440 but we can line up, which is probably the way 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.760 you want to be right now going into the draft, John, we. 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:59.040 Got some ozone questions for you because you got to 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:01.160 check in obviously. At the league meetings they do some 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:03.720 of those rule changes. So our first one is about 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.520 the one they hold it on yesterday, the. 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:07.360 Hip drop tackle. 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:10.440 So how can rest possibly enforce this new hip drop 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:13.600 tackle rule when it's I mean, they try to enforce 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:15.120 a lot of things, so I'm sure they'll find a way, 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.280 but this one seems a little bit weird as a defender, 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:18.800 What are you allowed to do at this point? 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:23.400 Oh, they'll enforce it. I mean, it's whether it's quote 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.719 unquote fair. You know, my life's not fair, son, You 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:29.319 know so, I think that's what you're telling some of 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:32.640 the defenders right now. How do you avoid doing that? 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.000 I guess it's probably the same answer that you had 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:38.840 to give to safeties a few years back when you say, well, 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:41.640 how do you avoid hitting receiver in a certain way? Well, 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.120 you just do it, and in some cases that means 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.120 sort of giving up a little more on defense than 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:51.120 you want to. I don't think it's great for the 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.480 quote enjoyment of the game. I think you'll see some 0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:00.760 clunkiness with it. I think defenders may be for things 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:03.840 they weren't fined for in the past. But this is 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:06.880 an era where the league has to continue to gear 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:10.200 toward player safety for numerous reasons. First of all, because 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:15.520 players should be kept safe. It's I can't sit here 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.439 and say that. I could look a defensive back or 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:20.440 a linebacker in the face and say, hey, the game's 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:24.680 getting easier for you. Now it gets harder, and it'll 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.240 be it'll be tough to adapt, but they'll enforce it. 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:29.240 I mean, they'll be penalties, and they'll be complaints, and 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:33.640 they'll be outrage on Twitter, because there's always out always 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:34.800 outrage on Twitter. 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:36.360 And I saw something as Twitter. It just a quick 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:38.520 thought on that. By the way, you know, remember when 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:40.280 they had to rule two years ago with the running 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.200 back and they were going to hit the running back 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.800 for lowering his head into contact. I haven't seen a 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:49.080 whole lot of that the last couple of years. You know, 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.400 every once in a while, when it's blatant, they'll call it, 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.600 and I remember there was a great hue and cry 0:14:53.680 --> 0:14:55.800 about it. How in the world can you do that? 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.240 And they haven't over enforced that. My guess is is 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:01.760 that when it'll all boils down, there's gonna be some 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:05.480 really obvious hip drop tackles where guys get hurt, right 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:07.800 like the one with them the tight end from the 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:11.720 Ravens against the Bengals, and that wonder will be so obvious. 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:13.560 But I'm not sure that this is going to be 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:15.280 as cold as you think. 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:17.960 We'll see how it goes. But it's a new rule, 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.280 so they always love to enforce the newest rules. John 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:23.600 also hasn't officially been done yet. They've been talking about 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:25.280 it as of yesterday. Dug weighed in on it. But 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:28.720 the kickoff changes. They didn't see many returns at all 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:30.840 on kickoffs last year after they changed the rules, so 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:33.240 they're kind of allegedly going to tweak it. They haven't 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:34.880 voted on it yet. Do you think that'll go through 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:36.920 and how much will it change things? 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:40.000 Yeah, they voted on it this morning and actually did 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:43.600 go through, So it seems like it's going to change 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.680 things a lot. And I saw somewhere it was called 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:49.120 one of the most significant rules change in NFL history. 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:52.480 I don't know if it's that, but it's it's going 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:54.560 to look different. I think the quote, I mean, I 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.160 think the stat was there were no kickoff returned to 0:15:57.200 --> 0:16:02.280 the Super Bowl. Some people about my old friend Pete Prisco, 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:06.680 who cares just to throw the ball in at the 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:11.560 twenty and line up. You know, I think you do 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:13.720 like to have kickoffs in the game. I think it 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.480 does add a level of excitement. This one's gonna be 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:20.280 interesting because if you kick it in a certain area, 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:22.560 they have to return it. If you don't kick a 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:24.680 certain area, you get the ball at the forty. It's 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.640 going to promote offense it's going to promote excitement. That's 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:32.240 what the league wants. It's definitely something to watch. It'll 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:35.320 keep some jobs open on special teams. It'll make it 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:40.360 more important, which I think matters to the NFLPA. So's 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:43.000 it's going to be a factor and and you're gonna 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:46.160 see that back in the game. I think you'll get 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.440 a few complaints from the old people like me. I'm 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:51.440 I'm gona complain about it, but I'm an old person 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:56.080 that it. It's gonna look sort of clunky at first 0:16:56.680 --> 0:17:01.600 because guys can't run at the on the kick. They 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:04.840 have to wait. So it's going to look different than 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:07.360 what some guy played in high school. Right, So it's 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:12.520 gonna ah, that's not football. But it'll promote the kickoff 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.320 return and it does seem to be a place where 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:19.480 they can find some middle ground with excitement and player safety. 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.639 And that's really the whole task of the league right now. 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:23.520 Last seven or eight years has been about trying to 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:26.520 make the game safer without losing the excitement, and this 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:27.520 is a move toward that. 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:30.320 For people who aren't familiar with it, just in round terms. Basically, 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:33.240 what they're going to do is have the kickoff coverage 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:36.160 team and the front line of the kickoff return team 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:40.000 line up five yards apart. Then they're not going to 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:43.760 be able to move until the ball is caught by 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:46.240 the return man. And as John mentioned, if you kick 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.280 it into the zone, then it will likely be returned. 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:50.679 If you don't kick it into that zone, then the 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.439 ball is twenty five yards up the field to the 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.720 forty yard line, so there's a penalty. They're really trying 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:59.639 to find a safe way to bring the kickoff back in. 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:03.879 I heard yesterday there was something like, oh, I don't know, 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:08.960 the forty five hundred kickoffs two years ago and then 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.439 last year when some rules changed, they dropped it to 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:15.560 thirteen hundred something like that. I mean, there's like a 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.280 third of the number of kickoffs returned in a third 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.840 of the number of yards, and they want to bring 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:24.159 it back. So you're going to see some of this 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:27.040 stuff showing up in stories when we have practice in OTAs. 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:30.000 As they practice it, it's not easy to envision because 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.560 it's completely different than anything we've seen in professional football. 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:34.520 That is going to be something to see for sure 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:36.760 when you explain it as physsically, what that's going to 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:38.240 look like when you're kind of frozen. 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:39.400