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Speaker 1: You know, we've come a long way in the last

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Speaker 1: twelve months. We think about where we were some of

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Speaker 1: us last year at this time and where we are now.

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Speaker 1: It's a lot of change, but a lot a lot

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Speaker 1: of challenges, but we're on the right pace, right, We're

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Speaker 1: going in the right direction. Hey, everybody, Chris Hary with

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Speaker 1: you on Chargers Weekly. That was general manager Tom to

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Speaker 1: Let's go at his end of season press conference and

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Speaker 1: a bit later we're gonna play that presser for you

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Speaker 1: and its entirety. But first, Dan Woiky of the La

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Speaker 1: Times joins me to recap the twenty seventeen season with

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Speaker 1: a look towards the off season. All right, Dan Wokey

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Speaker 1: joins me on Chargers Weekly as we close the books

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Speaker 1: on the twenty seventeen season, And Dan, I can't believe

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Speaker 1: the season's over. Man. Did it go by fast for you?

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Speaker 1: Your first season on the beat? Yeah, I mean it

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Speaker 1: really flew by. I think, you know, I'm thinking back

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Speaker 1: to being in coast to Mesa, the training camp, and

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Speaker 1: even you know, driving down to San Diego for OTAs

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Speaker 1: and stuff like that. Um, it is pretty wild that

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Speaker 1: it's it's all over this quickly. I mean, I guess

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Speaker 1: when when you build every week towards you know, because

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Speaker 1: both both of us, I mean we we've done other

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Speaker 1: sports before. We know the NBA actually like that when

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Speaker 1: when there's eighty two games, it you're all just the

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Speaker 1: games to start to run together and run together, and

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Speaker 1: you forget which day of the week it is. You

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Speaker 1: don't know what town you're in. Um, this I think

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Speaker 1: is like because every week it kind of builds to

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Speaker 1: an event and resets. I don't know, I think that

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Speaker 1: made it go by faster. I think the fact that

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Speaker 1: the Chargers were in it made it go buy faster.

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Speaker 1: And um, you know, I think, uh, you know, I

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Speaker 1: didn't feel like it dragged. I don't know, how did

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Speaker 1: you feel like it? Once? Pretty quickly I didn' feel it.

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Speaker 1: I mean, in fact, I feel like we were just

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Speaker 1: at that Jack him at sports complex for training camp.

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Speaker 1: I mean it it felt you know what it felt like, Dan,

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Speaker 1: It felt like a couple of mini seasons for me

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Speaker 1: kind wrapped up into one because he had that Owen

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Speaker 1: four and you know, we talked about basketball and Owen

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Speaker 1: four start in the NFL is the equivalent to like

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Speaker 1: a ten fifteen game losing streak in the NBA, you know,

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Speaker 1: so that felt a little bit longer than the rest

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Speaker 1: of it. But you know, these guys, they closed the

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Speaker 1: year in a high note. They beat the Raiders thirty ten,

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Speaker 1: but they didn't get the help they needed to get

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Speaker 1: in the tournament. I think that's the most disappointing part

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Speaker 1: of it all, is because these guys won nine of

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Speaker 1: their last twelve games. And I can tell you this,

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Speaker 1: other than the Patriots and Steelers, I don't think there's

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Speaker 1: any team in the AFC that was as hot as

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Speaker 1: the Chargers, even the Chiefs. You know, the Chiefs beat

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Speaker 1: the Chargers twice, but the Chargers were clicking at the

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Speaker 1: right time. And I would have loved to see these

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Speaker 1: guys get in the postseason. Well. I think it would

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Speaker 1: have been good for them too, just to kind of

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Speaker 1: get into one of those other, like really kind of

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Speaker 1: big game scenarios, because you know that that was something

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Speaker 1: this year. I talked to Antonio Gates about this, that

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Speaker 1: you know, they really didn't do very well this year.

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Speaker 1: Are kind of playing from in front, you know, it's

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Speaker 1: and it's they never really were actually in front per se.

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Speaker 1: But you know, there were expectations at the start of

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Speaker 1: the season and they struggled. There were expectations after they

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Speaker 1: won three and Ozero and then they struggled again. I

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Speaker 1: think there are expectations as they went into Kansas City

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Speaker 1: and they struggled, and they kind of made it too

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Speaker 1: big of a thing. I think it would have been

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Speaker 1: kind of good for them as a as a as

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Speaker 1: a team to kind of go into a one and

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Speaker 1: done situation, you know, even if you lose, but just

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Speaker 1: to kind of have that experience I think would have

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Speaker 1: been beneficial moving forwards, because this is a team that

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Speaker 1: I think is kind of built to be playing big

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Speaker 1: games here for a little while. You know. Certainly, I

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Speaker 1: think next year it could line up where they'll be

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Speaker 1: playing some some really big football games, and I think

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Speaker 1: having that playoffs experience would really help for them to

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Speaker 1: kind of get to where they needed to go. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: I agree with you. They just you know, they did

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Speaker 1: kind of what they could. But this is going to

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Speaker 1: be a year that they'll look back and I think

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Speaker 1: they'll feel at about nine and three. But ultimately, Chris,

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Speaker 1: I think they'll be kind of kicking themselves for the mistakes,

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Speaker 1: no pun intended, um kicking themselves, but for them for

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Speaker 1: the mistakes that happened early in the year. Um, the

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Speaker 1: mistakes in Jacksonville. UM, those to me are kind of

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Speaker 1: the unforgivable sins when you kind of when you look

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Speaker 1: at twenty seventeen and say, you know, why is this

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Speaker 1: team right home right now? Well, they didn't get the

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Speaker 1: help from other teams, and you know week seventeen, but

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Speaker 1: they didn't get the help from themselves in kind of

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Speaker 1: those situations too. Yeah, you got to look back to

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Speaker 1: Week one. You get the field goal block, big mistakes,

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Speaker 1: big mistakes, it's mine. Yeah, I'll even go back. Let's

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Speaker 1: go let's go back even further. Um. In week one,

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Speaker 1: a play that I at the time I wrote about

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Speaker 1: I thought was the biggest playing the game was in

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Speaker 1: the first quarter on Denver second drive, was Casey Hayward

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Speaker 1: dropping would have changed that higher game Dan exactly. That

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Speaker 1: that's a vivid, vivid memory from the from the season

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Speaker 1: Casey played as well as any quarterback played in the

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Speaker 1: league this year. That's the one play that probably would

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Speaker 1: have changed that game and maybe the course of the season.

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Speaker 1: You know, again, it come it came down with some

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Speaker 1: kicking issues in those first two games. But man, that

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Speaker 1: that's the play that's gonna stick out with you on that. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: To me, that was one where you know, I think

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Speaker 1: early in that game they've kind of the starters that

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Speaker 1: played with such good momentum um in the preseason that

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Speaker 1: that was kind of like, here's the carryover of all

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Speaker 1: of that. Um, this is a group that's gonna be

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Speaker 1: way dangerous. Let's you know, and I take Trevor Simmon

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Speaker 1: got confident after that. He ended up having a good game,

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Speaker 1: which he didn't have very many of those. Um. I

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Speaker 1: think it kind of you know, kept the crowd in

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Speaker 1: the game, which I think bothered the offense um totally.

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Speaker 1: You know, maybe you don't want to say there's a

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Speaker 1: season changing play. Um, you know, three drives into the season. Um,

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Speaker 1: that's one that stuck out to me. Obviously the kicks

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Speaker 1: at the end of the game that Van Shose was

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Speaker 1: able to get that time out in that young way

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Speaker 1: coup um you know, Um, well it really wasn't his fault,

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Speaker 1: I don't think, because he made the first one right

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Speaker 1: and they called the time. Yeah, he makes the first one. Um.

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Speaker 1: Denver is able to kind of put Dan Fini, you know,

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Speaker 1: playing in this first program and able to kind of

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Speaker 1: slip past him and block a kick. I think you

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Speaker 1: know that, I think hurt young ways confidence going forwards.

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Speaker 1: It really there's there's so many things just kind of dominoed.

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Speaker 1: Earlier in the year. Um. I wrote about this on Sunday,

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Speaker 1: you know, because I watched that game against the Raiders

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Speaker 1: and and I it was an impressive winning. I probably

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Speaker 1: should have written about that, but I don't know. But

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Speaker 1: I couldn't help but I couldn't stop thinking about the past,

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Speaker 1: you know what I mean, And Sunday and kind of

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Speaker 1: the reasons why they didn't get there, These little mistakes

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Speaker 1: over the course of the season that I think ultimately

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Speaker 1: they they add up and they put you in a

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Speaker 1: position where you have to rely on other people. And um,

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Speaker 1: you know, the Chargers weren't able to get kind of

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Speaker 1: all the outcomes that they needed. Um, you know, it

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Speaker 1: was just too much the razor thin margin. You know,

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Speaker 1: we talk about all those plays at the beginning. Head

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Speaker 1: Let's say the Ravens had lost an extra game the

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Speaker 1: head to head against the Buffalo Bills would have got

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Speaker 1: you in the playoffs, you know. I mean, that's that's

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Speaker 1: how close they were to getting into this tournament. And

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Speaker 1: it was emotional after the game. If you haven't seen it,

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Speaker 1: I suggest people go check out the postgame message coach

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Speaker 1: Lin gave to the team. But on that Monday, Dan,

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Speaker 1: I think you probably saw the same thing. I saw

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Speaker 1: a coach that looked pretty confident and optimistic and really exciting,

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Speaker 1: excited Rather entering the off season, well, I mean, they're

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Speaker 1: going to bring back virtually the same team in a

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Speaker 1: lot of ways, um, you know. I mean, I think

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Speaker 1: there'll be some kind of competition for Gus bar adelaide

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Speaker 1: defensive coordinator. I think they'll be teams that want him,

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Speaker 1: you know, And if it's a head coaching job, I

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Speaker 1: think the Chargers will say, you know, go have fun,

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Speaker 1: good luck. If it's another DC job, I think the

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Speaker 1: Chargers need to fight to keep him. To me, that's

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Speaker 1: that's one big area. But you know, you look at

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Speaker 1: the up and down the roster. I mean, Antonio Gates

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Speaker 1: is is a really showy free agent. But you know,

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Speaker 1: if we can remove some sentiment, you know, he's a

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Speaker 1: backup tight end, um a really good one, probably as

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Speaker 1: good of a backup tight end as there is in

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Speaker 1: the NFL. But the futures hunter, Henry at that position. Um,

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Speaker 1: you've got guys up front, Kenny Wiggins and Matt Slawson. Um,

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Speaker 1: but you also have for slamp. You know, who should

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Speaker 1: be able to you know. And I think, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: had a chance to talk to Kenny Wiggin. He wants

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Speaker 1: to be a Charger, but he also understands that the

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Speaker 1: team has for a slamp and they drafted for Slamp

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Speaker 1: kind of to play that position. So I think there

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Speaker 1: there's you know, some questions there. On defense, Adrian Phillips

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Speaker 1: is an important free agent. Um, you know, will he

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Speaker 1: be back? He was super important what they were doing

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Speaker 1: on defense. Um, you know, but we're but we're not.

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Speaker 1: We're not talking about Lovin Ingram or Joey Bosa or

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Speaker 1: Casey Hayward um or Julia Laedi. Treve Buston is probably

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Speaker 1: someone we should mention. Um, he's important, I think to

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Speaker 1: their defense. He turned out to be a nice fine

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Speaker 1: and I think he'll probably command a pretty good paycheck

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Speaker 1: this summer. And you know, whether or not it fits

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Speaker 1: the Charger's budget, Um, that remains to be seen. But

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Speaker 1: you know that the core pieces, it seems to me,

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Speaker 1: are all kind of there, and UM, I think that's

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Speaker 1: why there's some excitement kind of moving forwards, knowing that

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Speaker 1: you know, they can tweak things. They're going to add

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Speaker 1: a kicker, Um, you know they well they have to

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Speaker 1: add a kicker, probably four or five, you know, And

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Speaker 1: I think it's like, how one of those guys all

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Speaker 1: seven rounds, um, you know. I think, yeah, you'll do that.

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Speaker 1: The team will get better than the draft. Um. This

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Speaker 1: is a team that this year didn't get a lot

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Speaker 1: out of Mike Williams, their first round pick, who was unhealthy.

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Speaker 1: So that the hope is is that, you know, between

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Speaker 1: him and for a Slam comeback next year, it's almost

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Speaker 1: like having two extra draft picks. Um, you know. So

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Speaker 1: I think that's kind of you put all those things together.

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Speaker 1: I think that's why there's some confidence moving forwards that

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Speaker 1: this team is more the nine and three version than

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Speaker 1: they were the Owen four version. And I tend to

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Speaker 1: believe that too. You know what, Danny, you got to

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Speaker 1: give to LESCo in the personnel department a ton of

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Speaker 1: credit for somebody's fines. I mean, we talk about Trevor

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Speaker 1: Williams being thrust into action after week one in the

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Speaker 1: job he did on the other side of Casey Hayward.

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Speaker 1: I mean that's the other one. Jason Rrett will be

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Speaker 1: back next year, yes, yes, And then then we also

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Speaker 1: talk about Desmond King, you know, a fifth round pick

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Speaker 1: who was great. I think Gus Bradley in that defensive

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Speaker 1: coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for finding the

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Speaker 1: perfect place for him. And then Nicol and just his

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Speaker 1: contributions both on defense and special teams. To your point,

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Speaker 1: when you don't have guys like Mike Williams right away,

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Speaker 1: and then Forrest lamp goes down your high draft picks

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Speaker 1: to get contributions from some of these you know, mid

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Speaker 1: round guys and even undrafted guys. We can talk about

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Speaker 1: Trevor Williams. I mean, I think that was a really

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Speaker 1: underrated part of the season. Yeah, I mean Austin Neckler gosh.

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Speaker 1: But but you know, I think as someone who will

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Speaker 1: be a part of their offense in the future. Um,

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Speaker 1: they they've they've kind of found these people, and I

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Speaker 1: think they did do a good job kind of filling

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Speaker 1: in a roster. I think, um, you know, obviously signing

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Speaker 1: Russell o'coum turned out to be a really good smart move,

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Speaker 1: you know, able to play fifteen to sixteen games. UM

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Speaker 1: really stable over there, and I think a good leader

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Speaker 1: for that offensive line. Dan Feeney was a guy UM

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Speaker 1: as a rookie who stepped up by thinking and the

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Speaker 1: people I've talked to offensive line plays always kind of

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Speaker 1: hard for for people like me to judge, but the

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Speaker 1: people I've talked to feel really confident about him moving forwards,

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Speaker 1: that he's a guy who's just going to continue to

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Speaker 1: get better and better and better because of how smart

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Speaker 1: he is and how tough he is and how much

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Speaker 1: he really enjoys kind of the grind, I think, and

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Speaker 1: him having half season and Matt Slosson to kind of

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Speaker 1: teach him what it's like to be an NFL player

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Speaker 1: I think was invaluable. UM. But yeah, I mean there's

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Speaker 1: a lot of those guys I think. I think the

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Speaker 1: staff does get a lot of should get a lot

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Speaker 1: of credit for, especially and that, like you mentioned, the

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Speaker 1: de sensive side of the ball, Um, the development I

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Speaker 1: think at the the young interior defensive linement and Darius

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Speaker 1: Pilon and Damien Square, I think we're really important pieces

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Speaker 1: to this defense getting better this year. Um. You know,

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Speaker 1: I think one area christ where they'll need to get

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Speaker 1: better is I think they need more talented linebacker. I

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Speaker 1: think they would admit that more depth, certainly that this

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Speaker 1: was a team went dental pairman went down um while

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Speaker 1: they kind of fought the good fight, I think they'd

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Speaker 1: like to kind of be a little more talented there.

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Speaker 1: You know again at you look around, but I mean,

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Speaker 1: we're also the big holes on defensive. It really doesn't

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Speaker 1: feel like, you know, maybe this was a group that

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Speaker 1: overachieved a little bit because of the system, and I

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Speaker 1: think adding talent will help. But just you know, I

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Speaker 1: kind of like, I kind of like this defense's attitude,

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Speaker 1: and I don't really see any reason why I wouldn't

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Speaker 1: be look similar next year, especially if you can keep

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Speaker 1: the continuity, like you mentioned, keep Gus Bradley unless he

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Speaker 1: gets an attractive head coaching offers somewhere. And I should

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Speaker 1: mention we're taping this in the middle of the week.

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Speaker 1: Tom Tillis is going to speak late in the week,

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Speaker 1: so he may answer some of these questions or may

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Speaker 1: talk about some of these things. What does that guy know, Chris, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: what is there talking? Yeah? But you know you mentioned

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Speaker 1: the offensive line too, And it's no coincidence that Philip

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Speaker 1: Bervis had one of his best years, he was sacked

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Speaker 1: thirty six times. Last year, Dan cut that in half.

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Speaker 1: This year he was sacked only eighteen times, his lowest

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Speaker 1: interception total since two thousand and nine. Just ten six

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Speaker 1: of them came against Kansa City Chiefs. And I think,

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Speaker 1: perhaps most importantly, he started six years old and he

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Speaker 1: showed really no signs of slowing down. Yeah, no, he

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Speaker 1: I mean that was I think it was as big

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Speaker 1: for him as it was I think kind of for

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Speaker 1: the charges this year. I think that um, you know,

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Speaker 1: he had mentioned to me after the Dallas game, we

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Speaker 1: kind of had had a talk, just two of us

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Speaker 1: in the locker room, and kind of said that, yeah,

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Speaker 1: he had kind of hurt sort of the people were

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Speaker 1: maybe trying to retire him a little bad, you know, um,

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Speaker 1: whether it was going to be this year soon. And

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Speaker 1: I think he kind of proved some people, um that,

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Speaker 1: you know, and he proved himself that he was able

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Speaker 1: to still be really productive. Obviously, those two Chiefs games

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Speaker 1: I think will be tough for him to get over.

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Speaker 1: And that was I think there was, especially in the

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Speaker 1: second Chiefs game, a little bit of regression for him

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Speaker 1: in terms of trying to do a little too much.

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Speaker 1: But I think that was to me was kind of

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Speaker 1: the the big takeaway from watching Philip play this year

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Speaker 1: was that you're very controlled and confident in his playmakers,

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Speaker 1: confident in Keenan Allen, um getting the ball to guys

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Speaker 1: in situations where they you know, they didn't have to

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Speaker 1: take tremendous risk. You know, you get the ball quick,

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Speaker 1: you don't worry about taking sacks. Um, you don't have

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Speaker 1: to fit it into the tightest windows. Um. You just

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Speaker 1: kind of let your skill guys go. And I think

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Speaker 1: that's why, you know, the interceptions were solo. Um they did,

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Speaker 1: they were you know, and then when you take your shots, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, the defense is a little softened up. And

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Speaker 1: I think, especially as the season went on, un more

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Speaker 1: and more careful with the football. And I think the offense,

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Speaker 1: you know, played better in those situations than they did

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Speaker 1: earlier year when maybe they were a little looser I think,

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Speaker 1: and maybe taking more chances. This was a group I

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Speaker 1: think that was trying to figure out how much of

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Speaker 1: Anthony Linz kind of think your prints should be on

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Speaker 1: this offense, how much of it childy ten whizz and hunts.

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Speaker 1: I think that kind of got them off to a

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Speaker 1: little bit of a slower start. I think on the whole, Chris,

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Speaker 1: I feel like this offense, ultimately, and it's weird to

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Speaker 1: say this did maybe underachieve a little bit, certainly didn't

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Speaker 1: score as many touchdowns as kind of the yardage would suggest,

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Speaker 1: and I think that's something they need to address this offseason.

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Speaker 1: I'll do that self scouting and kind of all that stuff.

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Speaker 1: But you know, certainly was good enough I think to

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Speaker 1: be in the playoffs. Just kind of didn't work out.

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Speaker 1: But you know, yeah, I think Philip Rivers to me,

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, you kind of go in, you

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Speaker 1: go into this summer, I think still kind of on

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Speaker 1: the same same place you were last year, where you

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Speaker 1: do need to start planning for life post Rivers. But

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Speaker 1: I think there's a pretty good sense that, you know,

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Speaker 1: it's not like you have to do this right away.

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Speaker 1: I think that you can be pretty confident, at least

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Speaker 1: in the short term future, that you still got a

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Speaker 1: really productive quarterback on the roster. Yeah, and I think

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Speaker 1: coach Lynn talked about it on Monday. He said the

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Speaker 1: running game is not where it needs to be yet.

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Speaker 1: And we saw we saw Melvin Gordon have a really

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Speaker 1: good year's first time over a thousand yards rushing, and

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Speaker 1: he was great in the passing game this year, but

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Speaker 1: I think that there were some times where the running game,

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Speaker 1: you know, you were getting two three yards when you

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Speaker 1: should be getting five six yards. And I think that's

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Speaker 1: going to be something that I think coach Link can

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Speaker 1: kind of fine tune a little bit this offseason. To

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Speaker 1: your point, I think they started out a little bit

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Speaker 1: slow trying to figure out who they were going to be,

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Speaker 1: and I think they figured out that they should center

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Speaker 1: it around Keenan Allen because this guy man got one

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Speaker 1: hundred and two catches a single season franchise record. I

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Speaker 1: think he was second receiving yards in franchise history, just

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Speaker 1: to a Hall of Fame or Lance all Worth. What

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Speaker 1: can you say about Keenan Allen's You're coming back from

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Speaker 1: knee surgery and I think we saw it all kind

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Speaker 1: of click in the middle of the season. Yeah, No,

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Speaker 1: I mean he I think I think he was someone

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Speaker 1: who it's a great example of like being physically healthy

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Speaker 1: and then being like one hundred percent mentally healthy and

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Speaker 1: confident kind of and where you know, the knee was

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Speaker 1: at the way that he's had two you know, two

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Speaker 1: really freak injuries to end his last two seasons. I think,

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Speaker 1: first of all, to see him play sixteen games m

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Speaker 1: huge boost for everyone involved. But but yeah, I know,

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Speaker 1: he looked every bit the part of one of the

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Speaker 1: NFL's best receivers this year. And I think he does

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Speaker 1: it kind of in his own way, and it's with craftiness,

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Speaker 1: it's with quickness and precision. And I think kind of

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Speaker 1: midway through the season we really kind of saw all

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Speaker 1: of that sort of come back, you know, the Philip Rivers.

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Speaker 1: Another guy said that they swore that they saw it

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Speaker 1: earlier in the summer. I think it just took time

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Speaker 1: for Keenan to kind of figure it out. To me, he's,

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Speaker 1: without questioning, the comeback player of the Year. I don't

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Speaker 1: see that going to anyone else, I think even a category.

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Speaker 1: I was trying to figure that out, like who else

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Speaker 1: would get that award over Keenan, I mean over no,

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Speaker 1: But I mean like Philip Rivers would be somebody that. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I guess I think kind of you know, um, Josh

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Speaker 1: McCown would be somebody I think, um, But but really

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Speaker 1: it's I mean, come on, yeah, you know, it's it's

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Speaker 1: Keenan Allen, let's not over complicate this. And and I

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Speaker 1: think you know, moving forwards, I don't know that you

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Speaker 1: go into next season counting on sixteen games of Keenan Allen.

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Speaker 1: That still was the first time he's ever done it.

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Speaker 1: But I think now that you've seen him do it, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, you don't necessarily maybe worry quite as much.

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Speaker 1: And I think he's a guy still a young player.

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Speaker 1: I'm only going to get stronger again this summer. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, no reason to think he won't have another

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Speaker 1: really big year next year. Twenty five years old. You

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Speaker 1: know you don't think about that because, oh yeah, when

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Speaker 1: when a guy's in the in the league for for

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Speaker 1: four seasons. I don't know. I guess you think late

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty five years old. I mean, talk about it

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Speaker 1: Nucleus with him and Henry and Benjamin. And do we

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Speaker 1: think Keenan because Keenan listen to the podcast. I hope. So.

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Speaker 1: I think Keenan just looks a little a little bit

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Speaker 1: in twenty five we're gonna we're gonna clip this for

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Speaker 1: him for maybe maybe training camp next year. We'll get

400
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Speaker 1: him on and you say, hey, this is what Dan

401
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,080
Speaker 1: Woikee the La Times had to say about you Ken,

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00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,639
Speaker 1: I mean, like no, but I mean he just looks

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Speaker 1: a little older, doesn't he. Yeah, well he's got the

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Speaker 1: he's got the money beard, the slayer beard. You know,

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Speaker 1: I think that's what maybe gets you off guard a

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Speaker 1: little bit. The long beard, the bald head. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, again, like it feels like, you know,

408
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Speaker 1: people have been drafting him on their fantasy team since

409
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Speaker 1: like nineteen ninety seven. It does feel like he's been

410
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Speaker 1: around a really long time, and it's like, oh wow,

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Speaker 1: only twenty five. It's unreal, man, It's uncrazy. It's crazy. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know, everybody's looking at the off season, but we

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Speaker 1: got to look into the future a little bit more.

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Speaker 1: You know, two years down the line, we're gonna be

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Speaker 1: at this new stadium. You gotta four of it today, right,

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Speaker 1: I did. I was able to able to see it. Um,

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Speaker 1: it's really big, I think. Um that's my expert opinion

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Speaker 1: on it so far. You know, yeah, breaking news, it is.

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Speaker 1: It is large. I think it's gonna be really cool,

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Speaker 1: and it's kind of it's in that process now where

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Speaker 1: I think as as people, most people, i mean people

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Speaker 1: get the cool thing about it is people get a

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Speaker 1: chance to look at it. Right anytime you fly into

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles and lax and if you're sitting on the

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Speaker 1: right side of the plane, you're probably gonna get a

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Speaker 1: pretty good look at it. I think you're gonna start

427
00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,199
Speaker 1: seeing more and more the shape of the stadium, and

428
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:39,760
Speaker 1: that's kind of where they're at right now. I mean,

429
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,560
Speaker 1: you can see where the fifty yard line is going

430
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,359
Speaker 1: to be. You have an idea of where the endzons

431
00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,520
Speaker 1: out of a tunnel, you know, the ramp down into

432
00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:48,960
Speaker 1: the tunnel for players before the games starting to kind

433
00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:54,400
Speaker 1: of come together. It's a really impressive project, and there's

434
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,520
Speaker 1: a lot of work left to be done. Obviously, two

435
00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,560
Speaker 1: years is a long time, but I know for me

436
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,240
Speaker 1: it's the big takeaway when I had there is you know,

437
00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,560
Speaker 1: a recent homeowner. I'm trying to figure out how to

438
00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:07,960
Speaker 1: hang string lights outside and I'm watching these guys put

439
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,240
Speaker 1: together a stadium, and I just felt like totally worthless,

440
00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,080
Speaker 1: Like I could not have felt I could not have

441
00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,320
Speaker 1: felt worse about my handiness. Listen, whatever you think you

442
00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,800
Speaker 1: are as far as being a handy person or not,

443
00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,199
Speaker 1: put me like ten knots is below you. Because I

444
00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:23,760
Speaker 1: can't do any of that stuff. Did you have to

445
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,760
Speaker 1: wear out hard Did you have to wear a hard hat?

446
00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,680
Speaker 1: I did? I did. And as soon as um Dean

447
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,920
Speaker 1: Spanos saw me wearing the hard hat, he just laughed

448
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,440
Speaker 1: because he saw how ridiculous I looked in it. He

449
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,359
Speaker 1: knew that he knew that there was no no business. Um,

450
00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:39,600
Speaker 1: you know, a bunch of newspaper guys had had, you know,

451
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,600
Speaker 1: playing dress up like construction workers. It's an incredible it

452
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,000
Speaker 1: is an incredible process though it is you know, it's

453
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,600
Speaker 1: one hundred foot it's one hundred foot deep hole in

454
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,600
Speaker 1: the ground. Um, you know, because they had to build

455
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,840
Speaker 1: the stadium into the ground because it's in these flight

456
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,600
Speaker 1: paths and it was part of the FAA regulations it

457
00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:00,000
Speaker 1: couldn't be that high. So it really is super interest

458
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:04,000
Speaker 1: and kind of to see how it's coming together. Um.

459
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,600
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be a really fun experience for people. UM. Obviously,

460
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,600
Speaker 1: you know this year, you know, we had the chance

461
00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,040
Speaker 1: to go to um At and T Stadium in Dallas

462
00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,439
Speaker 1: and kind of see that sort of one of like

463
00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,320
Speaker 1: the NFL's like sort of sticks your stadiums and there's

464
00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,000
Speaker 1: no reason to think that this isn't going to be

465
00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,440
Speaker 1: the you know, just the same um just as just

466
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,720
Speaker 1: as impressive, UM, you know, just as enormous, you know

467
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,719
Speaker 1: what I mean. I think being at one point so

468
00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:33,159
Speaker 1: that you know, you'll be able to fit three of

469
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:37,320
Speaker 1: them on the campus. It's gonna be jack. Yeah, it's huge.

470
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,680
Speaker 1: And I think, you know, ultimately we'll see what kind

471
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,920
Speaker 1: of the other parts of it, how it all comes together.

472
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,680
Speaker 1: But I mean, this has a chance to be a

473
00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,479
Speaker 1: real hub for the NFL, UM a real hub for sports.

474
00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,359
Speaker 1: You know, this is a place that's gonna have Super Bowls,

475
00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:55,240
Speaker 1: It's gonna have um NCUBA tournaments, final fours, it'll have everything.

476
00:22:55,280 --> 00:23:00,000
Speaker 1: And I think the Olympics. It's gonna have the opening ceremony,

477
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,240
Speaker 1: it's gonna you know, the open closing ceremonies to track. Uh,

478
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,440
Speaker 1: it's gonna be really cool for Los Angeles, and it's

479
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,919
Speaker 1: really cool for for Englewood, you know, for for that

480
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,399
Speaker 1: town to have you know, all of this kind of

481
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,040
Speaker 1: in one place. It's gonna be a little bit different

482
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,440
Speaker 1: from subhub, right Oh yeah, no, it is. UM it's

483
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,640
Speaker 1: gonna be um stubhubs all at once. And and I think,

484
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,640
Speaker 1: you know, stuffup has been kind of a it's it's

485
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,840
Speaker 1: a fun not all teas in the right word, but

486
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,520
Speaker 1: but it's it's so unique that it is always really

487
00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,280
Speaker 1: enjoyable to be there. Um. And I've loved covering games

488
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,119
Speaker 1: there because of the intimacy. I've loved watch kind of

489
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:36,320
Speaker 1: the players interactions with the crowd and the crowds interactions,

490
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,320
Speaker 1: you know, the fans for both teams, kind of interacting

491
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:40,880
Speaker 1: with one another. Um. I think some of that will

492
00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,080
Speaker 1: get lost when you go into a place like this,

493
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,399
Speaker 1: but you'll gain sort of the awe factor of watching

494
00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,560
Speaker 1: it and seeing, you know, a roof that isn't attached

495
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 1: to the stadium. You know, it's like it's it's all

496
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,120
Speaker 1: separate thing. It's like it'll be um. You know, it's

497
00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,720
Speaker 1: like the word they use is like an indoor outdoor experience,

498
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,160
Speaker 1: and that's what it's gonna It's gonna be crazy, very

499
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,840
Speaker 1: Los Angeles. I think a lot of money, a lot

500
00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,280
Speaker 1: of man hours have gone into this already. Obviously two

501
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,760
Speaker 1: more years of it, and I don't know it's it

502
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,560
Speaker 1: would be a different drive to work, that's for sure,

503
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,040
Speaker 1: no doubt about that. Dan, get you out of here

504
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,480
Speaker 1: in this man like we talked about at the top,

505
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,600
Speaker 1: it kind of felt like two or three seasons intertwined

506
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,479
Speaker 1: in one year. The Owen four start, they dug themselves

507
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,440
Speaker 1: out of it. They won four straight Keenan Allen really

508
00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,840
Speaker 1: the right in the middle of that success three and

509
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,199
Speaker 1: one to end the season. How are you going to

510
00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:37,879
Speaker 1: remember this twenty seventeen Chargers team as a team at

511
00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,639
Speaker 1: probably should have been in the playoffs ultimately and and

512
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,680
Speaker 1: then don't want to be negative on the way out,

513
00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,960
Speaker 1: but I just think that this was a team that

514
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 1: was playoff talented, and you know, particularly the defense. I

515
00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:51,919
Speaker 1: think that's so much to kind of put them in

516
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,240
Speaker 1: positions to be a dangerous playoff team, and the early

517
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,040
Speaker 1: season special teams for problems some really weird stuff in Jackson,

518
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,879
Speaker 1: they'll kind of think, you'll you'll look back him this

519
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: year and wonder, you know, especially if things go a

520
00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,840
Speaker 1: little weird in the playoffs, you'll wonder like, could this

521
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,560
Speaker 1: have been a chance for the Charger. It's just because

522
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 1: they did have sort of a lot of the pieces

523
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,159
Speaker 1: um that you would want and kind of a contender,

524
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,919
Speaker 1: and I think ultimately that'll be high look back on

525
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,280
Speaker 1: it um in the short term, but the good news

526
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:23,800
Speaker 1: is is that you get to you know, this all

527
00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,080
Speaker 1: starts again so soon, you know, pretty quick here, Chris,

528
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,160
Speaker 1: it'll be you know, it'll be looking that first round

529
00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,560
Speaker 1: picks and trying to figure out what direction the Chargers

530
00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,280
Speaker 1: are gonna go in the draft, and then it'll be

531
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,920
Speaker 1: off season and getting those all fly by again. As

532
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:42,199
Speaker 1: you were learning about the NFL. Dan, it's a stops man.

533
00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,200
Speaker 1: We'll be the Combine next month and Senior Bowl and draft.

534
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,879
Speaker 1: It's it's pretty nuts, man. What's what's next for you

535
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:50,720
Speaker 1: this off season? I know you'd be doing Charger stuff.

536
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,639
Speaker 1: You can be kind of bounce around to doing some

537
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,920
Speaker 1: other stuff. Yeah, Chargers a little bit, helping on a

538
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 1: little bit with the Rams playoff run, and then uh,

539
00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,480
Speaker 1: you know, probably popping on some of the the NBA

540
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,560
Speaker 1: stuff in town two, um, and just kind of you know,

541
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 1: get my toes back in the lake or clipper water

542
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 1: and see what's going on with those guys. But you know,

543
00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,360
Speaker 1: obviously I think there's gonna be a lot of other

544
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,520
Speaker 1: stuff to kind of keep keep an eye on as well. Um.

545
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 1: You know, we'll see I'm not anticipating any stuff this offseason. Um,

546
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,080
Speaker 1: but that uses the kiss of death, so we'll see

547
00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,760
Speaker 1: what comes back. Quiet offseasons are the best ones. Dandy

548
00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:25,640
Speaker 1: did an awesome job on the beat this year. Man,

549
00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,080
Speaker 1: I will I'll see you tomorrow and look forward to

550
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 1: catching up throughout the off season. Brother all right, man

551
00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:36,440
Speaker 1: sounds good? All right? In his promised at the top.

552
00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,680
Speaker 1: Here's Tom Tolesco at his end of season press conference.

553
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:44,879
Speaker 1: Happy New year. First of all, um, obviously disappointed that

554
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:46,800
Speaker 1: we're doing this press conference today. We're not on the

555
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,520
Speaker 1: practice field, so that's uh um. Like, our our goal

556
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,400
Speaker 1: is to win a championship, and you know, in order

557
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 1: to do that, you have you're the one win your

558
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,879
Speaker 1: division or two secure a wildcard spot. So obviously we

559
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,359
Speaker 1: did not win the division this year, had enough wins

560
00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 1: for a wildcat spot, but obviously lost on the tiebreaker.

561
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:09,000
Speaker 1: So um, so here we are. But I will say

562
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,199
Speaker 1: I am I am very proud of the players and

563
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,160
Speaker 1: coaches this year, especially for how we finished the last

564
00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:19,720
Speaker 1: three quarters of the season. You know that probably the

565
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,440
Speaker 1: one thing that really stuck out to me as far

566
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,760
Speaker 1: as the difference from this year from twenty sixteen is

567
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,800
Speaker 1: I really saw like a high level of gritten in

568
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:34,280
Speaker 1: determination that we just lacked last year, and I credit

569
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,520
Speaker 1: Anthony Lynn for that. Anthony hasn't stilled that in this

570
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 1: football team. I think we saw it week after week.

571
00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:41,680
Speaker 1: I think we saw it after our own four start.

572
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,560
Speaker 1: You know, that was some tough times right there. We're

573
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:46,800
Speaker 1: talking about, you know, a team in a new market

574
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,520
Speaker 1: and a new stadium try and get used to their surroundings.

575
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,239
Speaker 1: We start off poorly at Owen four. All right, now,

576
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,320
Speaker 1: what are we going to do about it? And our

577
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,240
Speaker 1: head coach never flinched once. And I think our players

578
00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,560
Speaker 1: saw that. I don't think I know our player. I

579
00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:02,600
Speaker 1: know our players saw that and reacted well to that,

580
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: um and then started playing better football, got on a

581
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:07,919
Speaker 1: role at the end of the year. So but obviously

582
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,720
Speaker 1: it wasn't wasn't quite enough to get it done this year.

583
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,520
Speaker 1: But you know, we've come a long way in the

584
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,119
Speaker 1: last twelve months. We think about where we were some

585
00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,040
Speaker 1: of us last year at this time and where we

586
00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,159
Speaker 1: are now. It's uh been a lot of change, but

587
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:26,080
Speaker 1: a lot um a lot of challenges, but but um,

588
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,760
Speaker 1: we're on the right pace. We're going in the right direction.

589
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,240
Speaker 1: And uh, I can tell you that the commitment and

590
00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 1: the support from Dean and John and ag are a

591
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,360
Speaker 1: big reason why we've been able to navigate these last

592
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: twelve months and you know, get us in position for

593
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,080
Speaker 1: next year. So um, and then just real quick, I'll

594
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,680
Speaker 1: touch on our on the football team. Um. You know,

595
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 1: offensively this year, we had two goals coming into this year,

596
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,800
Speaker 1: we had a lot of goals, but two points of

597
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:56,560
Speaker 1: emphasis where we had to cut their turnovers down and

598
00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:00,360
Speaker 1: got to protect the quarterback. And I think we definitely

599
00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,880
Speaker 1: did that. I mean, Philip did a great job protecting

600
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,320
Speaker 1: the football this year at the quarterback spot. I think

601
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,000
Speaker 1: we're a third or fourth in the league and Lisa

602
00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,200
Speaker 1: Bonny giveaways overall, we are plus twelve in the turnover ratio,

603
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,520
Speaker 1: which is one of the most important stats for correlating

604
00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,280
Speaker 1: the wins, something we've been stressing and trying to get

605
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,160
Speaker 1: to for years. We got there this year as far

606
00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:24,480
Speaker 1: as creating turnovers on defense and not turning the ball

607
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,800
Speaker 1: over on offense. And I think everybody did a great

608
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 1: job with that. Our skill position guys did a great

609
00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,760
Speaker 1: job protecting the football this year, and we protected the quarterback.

610
00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,000
Speaker 1: I think, you know, you lead the league and lisas

611
00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,160
Speaker 1: allow that's that's pretty good. And our new offensive line

612
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,640
Speaker 1: coach Pat Myer did a great job with the group

613
00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:44,840
Speaker 1: working there. You know, I know Melbourne had a great

614
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:46,440
Speaker 1: year running the ball, but we still have some work

615
00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:48,280
Speaker 1: to do in the running game. Obviously, I feel good

616
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:52,040
Speaker 1: about that with Anthony and his staff moving forward. And

617
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,280
Speaker 1: you know, we had some struggles on offense scoring points

618
00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,120
Speaker 1: earlier in the year. I think we saw that kind

619
00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:58,400
Speaker 1: of getting the group as a year went on. So

620
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,440
Speaker 1: and then defensive, the most important stat on defense is

621
00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,200
Speaker 1: points allowed. You know, we're third in the league in

622
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,400
Speaker 1: points allowed. That was a big improvement in prior years.

623
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,680
Speaker 1: Second most important status third down conversion rate. There we

624
00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:14,320
Speaker 1: need some work. I think we are in eighteen or

625
00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,960
Speaker 1: eighteen or nineteen the league there. I think we have

626
00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,640
Speaker 1: some pieces to get that down lower, but but we

627
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 1: have some work to do there. And then third most

628
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,600
Speaker 1: important status red zone defense. And we're first in the league.

629
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,320
Speaker 1: And that's another thing that we've been trying to get

630
00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:30,560
Speaker 1: better at here. And now the guys did a great

631
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 1: job and you know, the defense starting to get that

632
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,080
Speaker 1: vision of having some pass rushers, having some guys who

633
00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,760
Speaker 1: can cover. They both work hand in hand. The pass

634
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,200
Speaker 1: rush helps the coverage. The coverage helps the pass rush,

635
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,640
Speaker 1: so we saw that this year. The guys played with

636
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:48,080
Speaker 1: a lot of enthusiasm. It was I'm not a big

637
00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,400
Speaker 1: fan of the celebration rule, but I love the fact

638
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 1: that when our defense makes plays, they celebrate together. It's

639
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,200
Speaker 1: not just individual, it's about we, it's not about me.

640
00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,480
Speaker 1: And you saw that throughout the whole year, how those

641
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,200
Speaker 1: guys play really on both sides of the ball. But

642
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,360
Speaker 1: you certainly see it on defense when those guys are celebrating.

643
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,680
Speaker 1: So that's good to see. Special teams wise, I thought

644
00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,960
Speaker 1: our part in return game really improved this year. I

645
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,200
Speaker 1: thought our coverage units did a nice job improving from

646
00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,520
Speaker 1: the year before. Obviously, our kicking game was was not

647
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,560
Speaker 1: NFL quality this year. If there's probably h you know,

648
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:24,480
Speaker 1: one of my biggest regrets this year is that I

649
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,760
Speaker 1: just do I did not do a good enough job

650
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:29,840
Speaker 1: addressing that position, and I kind of put our head

651
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,680
Speaker 1: coach Anthony in a in a tough position as far

652
00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:38,280
Speaker 1: as managing the football game. So you know, it happens,

653
00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:41,160
Speaker 1: I'm not really happy about it. We'll kind of assess

654
00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,080
Speaker 1: where we were and and we'll get a fixed. I'm

655
00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,120
Speaker 1: very confident we'll be able to get that fixed. But

656
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:48,360
Speaker 1: obviously that that just had to get better this year

657
00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:50,840
Speaker 1: and I did not do a good enough job there,

658
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,360
Speaker 1: but we'll get that addressed. So that's just real quick

659
00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,080
Speaker 1: on our As I said, quick overview on the football team.

660
00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:58,680
Speaker 1: I'm just kind of opened up the questions right there.

661
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,520
Speaker 1: Accompunity to love in Anthony earlier this week, did they

662
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,120
Speaker 1: both expressed kind of a desire for continuity. How how

663
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:09,480
Speaker 1: on board is that for you to kind of keep

664
00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,240
Speaker 1: as many people involved with this team move boards and

665
00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,280
Speaker 1: if you can touch on me the status of the

666
00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,000
Speaker 1: coordinators kind of going boards. Sure, yeah, you'd love to

667
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,240
Speaker 1: keep continuity um with players and coaches. To be honest

668
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,840
Speaker 1: with you, it's just it's hard to do in this league.

669
00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:26,040
Speaker 1: UM our coaching staff, Yeah, we we'd love to keep

670
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:30,320
Speaker 1: all three coordinators after plan that we're expecting to do. Um,

671
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,280
Speaker 1: we're gonna lose one coach. We're gonna lose James Craig.

672
00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,680
Speaker 1: He's gonna go to LSU as their head offensive line coach.

673
00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,440
Speaker 1: So it's hard to keep your exact same staff year

674
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:46,960
Speaker 1: after year, especially nowadays. But that's our plans the season

675
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:48,720
Speaker 1: that Michael Waves had just given that he's kind of

676
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 1: innoutable line. Now, well, um, please, he got back on

677
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,480
Speaker 1: the field because you know, early on during training camp

678
00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:58,880
Speaker 1: we just didn't know. Um, he worked really hard to

679
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,560
Speaker 1: get back, so you know that was that's good just

680
00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,680
Speaker 1: for the learning part of it. Um, he has some

681
00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,200
Speaker 1: receivers in front of him that A played real well

682
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,120
Speaker 1: and stayed healthy and and Mike was he was way

683
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,800
Speaker 1: behind it. That's it's receivers a tough position to come

684
00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 1: in this league as a rookie and play right away.

685
00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:16,400
Speaker 1: It's even harder when you miss all of OTAs and

686
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 1: all of training camps. So, um, we gradually got him

687
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,600
Speaker 1: in there. He did learn a good amount this year.

688
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,080
Speaker 1: It's going to take this off season of working with Philip,

689
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,520
Speaker 1: working with the quarterbacks. Uh, he knows the offense, but

690
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:29,440
Speaker 1: there's a difference between knowing the offense in a book

691
00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,000
Speaker 1: and actually applying it on the field. Getting used to

692
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,000
Speaker 1: the timing and reupts with the quarterbacks. Um, that will

693
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,480
Speaker 1: all come this off season. So at least we got

694
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,120
Speaker 1: them back on the field and got some work. But

695
00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:48,479
Speaker 1: you know, we're expecting more next year, especially with secondary Traderstone. Now,

696
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 1: I thought the secondary did a really, really good job. Um.

697
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:53,520
Speaker 1: I know they gave up the one big play against

698
00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,400
Speaker 1: Oakland this past weekend. Um, but all in all, we

699
00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,040
Speaker 1: did not give up very many big plays this year.

700
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,200
Speaker 1: I thought the corners did a great job. Safety's played

701
00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,640
Speaker 1: really well. Um. You know, as far as free agents,

702
00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 1: you know all of it. The season just ended, we'll

703
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:08,800
Speaker 1: kind of assess where we are. Talked with the coaches.

704
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,160
Speaker 1: A lot of questions you have to be answered still, um,

705
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,800
Speaker 1: but I was really pleased with that group. I was

706
00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,040
Speaker 1: pleased with how Trey stepped in. And you talk about

707
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,440
Speaker 1: the enthusiasm and my defense. I mean, you guys have

708
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,400
Speaker 1: around Trey that that's him and he brings that to

709
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:21,960
Speaker 1: you too when he played, you know, play some really

710
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,960
Speaker 1: good football for us. Yeah, is going to be are

711
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,480
Speaker 1: you back? You know, we'll probably let some time go

712
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 1: a little bit after the season now and then sit

713
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:35,839
Speaker 1: down with Antonio and uh and just kind of talk

714
00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:37,640
Speaker 1: to him and see what his thoughts are, what he's thinking,

715
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,399
Speaker 1: see what our thoughts, what we're thinking. And I don't

716
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,520
Speaker 1: have an answer for that right now, but I mean

717
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,720
Speaker 1: he is I mean, obviously he's one of the greatest

718
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,719
Speaker 1: chargers of all time. UM. And to see a Hall

719
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,600
Speaker 1: of Famer this year, you know, really accept a secondary role.

720
00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,560
Speaker 1: You don't see that very often, and still mentoring our

721
00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,400
Speaker 1: young players on the practice field, still playing at at

722
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,799
Speaker 1: at a really good level. And we saw that. And

723
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:03,560
Speaker 1: we've got two weeks to go in the season where

724
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,160
Speaker 1: we have to win two more games. We really need him.

725
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,279
Speaker 1: He steps up and plays at the same level as

726
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:13,840
Speaker 1: he had before. Um that he's he's a special, special guy.

727
00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:19,960
Speaker 1: Does that mean to maybe be over possibility that it's

728
00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:22,879
Speaker 1: I shouldn't say it's rare how we handle it because

729
00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:24,920
Speaker 1: we shouldn't be surprised the type of person he is.

730
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:27,759
Speaker 1: But he really did handle it well. And like I said,

731
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,279
Speaker 1: he's tucked up and played played really well those last

732
00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:34,360
Speaker 1: two weeks. Um, he's he's a it's a unique situation

733
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,359
Speaker 1: with players like him. They just don't come along very often. Um,

734
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:38,839
Speaker 1: and there's a reason why he's going in the Hall

735
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,920
Speaker 1: of Fame. But you know, I don't have any answers

736
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,040
Speaker 1: right now moving forward, but what we'll get there. You're

737
00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:53,319
Speaker 1: eligible for hards again in this season. Would I'll tell

738
00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,560
Speaker 1: you what. So we have a really good relationship with

739
00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,480
Speaker 1: NFL Films and and Ross kad Over and his staff.

740
00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:01,960
Speaker 1: They do really really excellent work and that show is

741
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,239
Speaker 1: really good because they give great access, um, you know,

742
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:07,880
Speaker 1: and I am I comfortable asking our players and coaches

743
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,040
Speaker 1: to work every day with microphones and cameras on them.

744
00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 1: Not entirely, um, I just think people work differently when

745
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,200
Speaker 1: you're under the microscope like that being filmed. But that

746
00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,000
Speaker 1: all being said, I realize there's also there's some benefits

747
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,920
Speaker 1: beyond football to being on that show. And we're pretty

748
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:27,319
Speaker 1: adaptable people here and if if it so happens that

749
00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:29,280
Speaker 1: we do it, then we'll make it work. We'll adapt

750
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:35,480
Speaker 1: to it. Um. But you know we shall see. I

751
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:45,880
Speaker 1: gave my answer and under the next season. You know,

752
00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:47,880
Speaker 1: those are the things you look at in this offices.

753
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,040
Speaker 1: Is not just you know you've talked about the free

754
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:52,200
Speaker 1: agents and you know when you look at where you

755
00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:53,799
Speaker 1: have cap space wise, you also have to take an

756
00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:55,799
Speaker 1: account any extensions you want to do. So those are

757
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,560
Speaker 1: discussions will have, you know, between now and going into

758
00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,319
Speaker 1: March kind of see where we are. You can give

759
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,479
Speaker 1: you to dissipated looking at Ventrians. You've done it before

760
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,120
Speaker 1: and you have ferent questions about I mean, we're gonna

761
00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,120
Speaker 1: look at everything. Yeah, young guys, veterans, we gotta we

762
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,560
Speaker 1: gotta get the right guy in here. Um, you know,

763
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:14,200
Speaker 1: just didn't work out the way we had planned it

764
00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:23,360
Speaker 1: this year. And maybe Kayser, you know, Drew showing in

765
00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,200
Speaker 1: the Dallas game that he can He's got a chance

766
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,919
Speaker 1: to kick off if he starts working out a little

767
00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:30,239
Speaker 1: bit more. Um, there's some kickers around the league that

768
00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,080
Speaker 1: have kicked a long time, you know, Adam Van Terry

769
00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:33,640
Speaker 1: being one of them. Off top of my head that

770
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:35,800
Speaker 1: you know, he's had a kickoff specialist as a punter

771
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,320
Speaker 1: that's been doing the kickoffs for a while. So certainly

772
00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:41,960
Speaker 1: something to look at. Um. It's like I said, there's

773
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:43,200
Speaker 1: a lot of different ways we can go. We got

774
00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:44,480
Speaker 1: a lot of work to do on it, but yeah,

775
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:49,520
Speaker 1: it's certainly an option. Sure, Phillips play this year changed

776
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,440
Speaker 1: kind of your timeline for him and your kind of

777
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,160
Speaker 1: in your mind for how long you think he can

778
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,799
Speaker 1: be successously you know, And I haven't really had a

779
00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:05,000
Speaker 1: timeline on him peru. You know, at that position, because

780
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,960
Speaker 1: it is obviously so important, you're always looking for who

781
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:10,920
Speaker 1: that next guy would be, So you're always prepared to

782
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,680
Speaker 1: do that if the situation arises. Even my first year here,

783
00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,280
Speaker 1: we scouted that position as hard as any other because

784
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,279
Speaker 1: if that situation arises, if you may have to go

785
00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:20,719
Speaker 1: that route, maybe the guy doesn't play right away, maybe

786
00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:24,560
Speaker 1: the guy sits for a number of years. But you know,

787
00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:28,600
Speaker 1: Philip is well prepared as anybody still playing at a

788
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,719
Speaker 1: high level. But I don't really have a timeline for him,

789
00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,200
Speaker 1: but I know he played really well for us this

790
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,319
Speaker 1: year and expect him to come back to the same

791
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:44,560
Speaker 1: thing next year. To drop a quarterback this year, Like

792
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:48,480
Speaker 1: I said, it's been a priority every year to have

793
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:51,080
Speaker 1: the next guy. I mean, you know, because obviously Kellen

794
00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:53,480
Speaker 1: is the backup. Kellen is older as well, so you

795
00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:57,000
Speaker 1: have to have a future plan and you just never

796
00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,719
Speaker 1: know when that that opportunity is going to be there.

797
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,320
Speaker 1: So you just can't sit back and wait and then decide.

798
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:03,520
Speaker 1: They go into one year and say, you know what,

799
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,279
Speaker 1: this year, run draft the quarterback. Because it may not

800
00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:07,000
Speaker 1: line up for you. You You don't go into draft. They

801
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,160
Speaker 1: can hey, this year, run draft the quarterback, running back, receiver.

802
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,960
Speaker 1: Never know how it's going to play out, So um,

803
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,600
Speaker 1: we'll be prepared whatever year it is. If they're right, guys,

804
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:18,480
Speaker 1: they're at the right spot. Then then we do it

805
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:20,920
Speaker 1: because as well as Philip's playing, we know, you know,

806
00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:23,480
Speaker 1: Philip's not going to be here for ten more years. Um.

807
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:25,560
Speaker 1: I hope here for a good amount of war years.

808
00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,319
Speaker 1: But you know, we have to have a plan for

809
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,880
Speaker 1: the future. That's part of our job. Yeah, that's awesome

810
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,839
Speaker 1: one of those guys. You know, we saw some great

811
00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,800
Speaker 1: tools this year and Anthony even mentioned it during the season.

812
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,120
Speaker 1: I mean he makes you know, two or three throws

813
00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:44,000
Speaker 1: each practice that really opened your eyes. Um. And now

814
00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:45,840
Speaker 1: we'll have at least, you know, the full off season

815
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,359
Speaker 1: of him getting to know the offense and then get

816
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:48,960
Speaker 1: a good look at him and in training camp in

817
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,719
Speaker 1: the preseason. He certainly has the skills to do it, so,

818
00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:53,520
Speaker 1: which is one of the reasons why we brought him

819
00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:59,359
Speaker 1: in recovering from surgery and kind of when you state

820
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:04,440
Speaker 1: in the everything is on on target. Um, hopefully at

821
00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,359
Speaker 1: some point in OTAs he'll work back inn. I mean

822
00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:11,359
Speaker 1: the positive him getting hurt early is that will he'll

823
00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,280
Speaker 1: be on the field earlier. So he got hurt in August,

824
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:15,799
Speaker 1: so at some point OTAs hopefully when he's on track.

825
00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:19,200
Speaker 1: The other rookie kind of great out over the course

826
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:25,920
Speaker 1: of the season. Full evaluations yet, But how did play? Yeah? Yeah,

827
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:29,800
Speaker 1: I thought Dan did a really nice job. He really did. Um.

828
00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:34,000
Speaker 1: I think like most rookies that later get in the year, UM,

829
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,360
Speaker 1: it gets tough. It's a long season, it's a grind.

830
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,080
Speaker 1: He battled through it. Um. But I think he's got

831
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:40,799
Speaker 1: a bright future. And I think Sam, when he's Sam

832
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:43,359
Speaker 1: stepped in, he held his own. Um. And I think

833
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,400
Speaker 1: Sam's got some developmental qualities to help us and whatever

834
00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,640
Speaker 1: rule that maybe, um, but it's good to have some

835
00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:52,640
Speaker 1: youth in there. We have Forrest lamp coming get coming back.

836
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,480
Speaker 1: I thought Russell o' coon did a really really solid

837
00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:57,160
Speaker 1: job for us at left tackle. I mean he was

838
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,000
Speaker 1: a rock for us over there as a team leader. Um,

839
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,799
Speaker 1: he protected the blind side from Philip and uh, you know,

840
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:06,919
Speaker 1: it's just really reliable for us over there. How would

841
00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,239
Speaker 1: you evaluating your job as a manager from when you

842
00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:14,359
Speaker 1: started so now that's usually your job, right right, evaluating

843
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:18,000
Speaker 1: my job? So look, we just got to get better. Um,

844
00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:20,200
Speaker 1: just gotta get better. I mean you can't. We can't

845
00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,279
Speaker 1: win a championship unless we're getting the playoffs. And like

846
00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,879
Speaker 1: I said before, there's only two ways in we got

847
00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:26,279
Speaker 1: to find a way to win the division. We haven't

848
00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:28,560
Speaker 1: won the division since I've been here, so that that's

849
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,319
Speaker 1: really starts there. Um. But you know, I think we're

850
00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:33,160
Speaker 1: on the right track. I wish we could get started

851
00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:35,360
Speaker 1: next year right now. As far as actually playing, we

852
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:36,920
Speaker 1: gotta wait for this season to end and then get

853
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:42,080
Speaker 1: ready to go very health wise and within coming back

854
00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:48,799
Speaker 1: on how much flexibilitate does that Ken an option for TV? Yeah? So, um, yeah,

855
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,480
Speaker 1: he's on track. He was even he was doing some

856
00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:54,040
Speaker 1: running yesterday on the grass. Um. I couldn't be more

857
00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:55,640
Speaker 1: excited to add him to the group. I mean, I

858
00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:57,799
Speaker 1: thought the secondary did a really great shot. I thought

859
00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:01,800
Speaker 1: Trevor stepped up. Um. It seems like he was very quiet,

860
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,560
Speaker 1: but he played really really good football. And obviously with

861
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:06,560
Speaker 1: Casey on one side, people are gonna start to target

862
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,759
Speaker 1: Trevor a little bit. Trevor stepped up every single time,

863
00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:12,279
Speaker 1: so um, and Desmond King gave us great snaps and

864
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,880
Speaker 1: a variety of different ways. We had Jason in that

865
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: group that that's very very strong and and this is

866
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:20,439
Speaker 1: a passing league. You have to be able to cover,

867
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:22,719
Speaker 1: and you need a lot of corners and you need

868
00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:25,920
Speaker 1: a lot of different styles sometimes too, So you know,

869
00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:27,920
Speaker 1: I'm glad to get him back in the mix. And

870
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:30,560
Speaker 1: he's he's one of our leaders, he really is. He's

871
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:35,200
Speaker 1: got some intangible leadership characteristics that are hard to find

872
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,560
Speaker 1: play at that position. Do you look to be a

873
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,160
Speaker 1: little flexible, maybe one of those guys able to play

874
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:47,000
Speaker 1: safety or yeah, I hadn't you know, I hadn't got

875
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:48,960
Speaker 1: that far yet. I just know you need a lot

876
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,720
Speaker 1: of corners in this league. We were really really lucky

877
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:55,080
Speaker 1: that our top three top four corners play sixteen games

878
00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:57,839
Speaker 1: this year, and the top three guys played all sixteen games,

879
00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:59,600
Speaker 1: So Michael Davis really didn't play a whole lot of

880
00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:07,200
Speaker 1: corner that rarely does that happen. So being more conservative

881
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:10,040
Speaker 1: with Jason working back in just because of last year

882
00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 1: and him aggravating when he didn't come back, I don't

883
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,080
Speaker 1: know about being more conservative, and you'd just be smart

884
00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:17,880
Speaker 1: with it. I don't think we were overly aggressive with

885
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:19,440
Speaker 1: the last year. It just kind of happened the way

886
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:23,400
Speaker 1: it did. So, Um, you know, this surgery wasn't you know,

887
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:26,040
Speaker 1: it wasn't an ACL reconstruction, which takes a lot longer.

888
00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:27,560
Speaker 1: So he'll be back in the in the off season

889
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,680
Speaker 1: program a little bit earlier, but we'll be smart with it.

890
00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:35,520
Speaker 1: This is maybe really big question. How does this seem

891
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:37,680
Speaker 1: to go about four and more points? It feels like

892
00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 1: you guys were you know, obviously had order back with

893
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,440
Speaker 1: you for tony yards. You have receivers at a time

894
00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,200
Speaker 1: tony yards and running back ran for over a thousand yards.

895
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,960
Speaker 1: But are you happy with the point totals? And what

896
00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:50,400
Speaker 1: does this need to do to get better? And the

897
00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:52,600
Speaker 1: resolve the way that question started, I thought it was

898
00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:54,520
Speaker 1: gonna be a really bad question, but it actually turned

899
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:59,200
Speaker 1: out all right. UM no, because it's it's it's it's

900
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:01,840
Speaker 1: an interesting question though, because you know, we moved the

901
00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:03,799
Speaker 1: ball a lot. I don't know where we end up

902
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,360
Speaker 1: in scoring, but it probably wasn't as high as you

903
00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:08,520
Speaker 1: would think. Um. A lot of that's just red zone offense. UM.

904
00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:11,120
Speaker 1: And obviously some missfield goals doesn't help either, but a

905
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:14,520
Speaker 1: lot of his red zone offense. UM, it's a situational

906
00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,359
Speaker 1: foot But if it's a passing league number one, it's

907
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,160
Speaker 1: a situational football league too. And we got to get

908
00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,280
Speaker 1: better in the red zone getting seven and not three. Um,

909
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:23,640
Speaker 1: we have the pieces to do that. You know, we've

910
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:26,480
Speaker 1: got we have Melvin, you know, Austin Eckler did a

911
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:28,360
Speaker 1: really nice job for us this year. We had the

912
00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:30,200
Speaker 1: tight ends, we had the receivers. It's just a matter

913
00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:31,520
Speaker 1: of trying to score them more in the red zone.

914
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:36,239
Speaker 1: I think it's there around a lot of receivers. What

915
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:42,200
Speaker 1: kind of year and had. Um. Yeah, I have a

916
00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:45,960
Speaker 1: hard time just you know, comparing, But the way he

917
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:47,560
Speaker 1: worked in the off season to come back from the

918
00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,200
Speaker 1: injury was was really impressive, like he was on a

919
00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:53,880
Speaker 1: mission to get back. And then once he got back, Um,

920
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,640
Speaker 1: I mean, he was just determined, determined to show what

921
00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:01,400
Speaker 1: he could do. And I know that there's there's obviously

922
00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:03,360
Speaker 1: other receiver in the league that great route runners. I

923
00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:05,239
Speaker 1: don't know if anybody's better than Keenan. There's some other

924
00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:07,960
Speaker 1: guys are pretty good too, but um, Keenan is He's

925
00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:10,120
Speaker 1: a great route runner and he just has a natural

926
00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:12,239
Speaker 1: feel for the game that I think he's just born with.

927
00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:14,839
Speaker 1: And he's got a great rapport with our quarterback too.

928
00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:18,759
Speaker 1: So um, I mean he was a tough cover for

929
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:19,880
Speaker 1: a lot of people this year, and a lot of

930
00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:21,560
Speaker 1: people knew we were going to him on third down

931
00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:33,799
Speaker 1: and he's still still produced for us the draft. Well,

932
00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,239
Speaker 1: I think with the prove in the running game is

933
00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:37,080
Speaker 1: more or less you know, working on what we have

934
00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:41,480
Speaker 1: right now. Um, I think the pieces are there, you know,

935
00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:44,200
Speaker 1: and Anthony Lynn comes from a background I really knowing

936
00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:46,879
Speaker 1: how to run the football. Um, so I'm confident we'll

937
00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:49,720
Speaker 1: get better there. You know that the numbers looked okay

938
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:51,200
Speaker 1: this year. I think we can be a lot better

939
00:45:51,239 --> 00:46:02,359
Speaker 1: there it was previous seasons. Yeah, you still a lot

940
00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:05,239
Speaker 1: of things that you get implemented early on led to

941
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,600
Speaker 1: the success of that, I hope. I mean it could

942
00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:10,520
Speaker 1: have been luck, right, it could it could have been luck,

943
00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:14,160
Speaker 1: but we did. We changed a lot in the off season,

944
00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:18,120
Speaker 1: and I gotta say some of us got to help

945
00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:23,440
Speaker 1: everything from nutrition to strength and conditioning to training to

946
00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:26,480
Speaker 1: even our practice fields and everything in between. And we

947
00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:28,879
Speaker 1: changed about ten eleven twelve things that try to make

948
00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:31,920
Speaker 1: a difference with injuries. And then you got the you know,

949
00:46:32,719 --> 00:46:35,120
Speaker 1: the other thing is always luck, but m and our

950
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:38,200
Speaker 1: players brought into it, they really did, and a lot

951
00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:40,359
Speaker 1: of it's just you know, there's a lot of actual

952
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:41,759
Speaker 1: work you have to do to keep your body ready

953
00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:43,319
Speaker 1: and a lot of it's on them too, but a

954
00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:44,920
Speaker 1: lot of it is the resources we can give them,

955
00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:47,120
Speaker 1: and we give them as many resources we possibly could

956
00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:48,520
Speaker 1: have a lot of study. Last year, I talked a

957
00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:51,200
Speaker 1: lot of different people, all some different things and there's

958
00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:54,000
Speaker 1: nothing magical, but we we've implemented a lot of different

959
00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:57,239
Speaker 1: things and it came out. I mean, we had some

960
00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:58,960
Speaker 1: guys that go down because it's going to happen, but

961
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:00,879
Speaker 1: all in all, I thought we were healthy football team

962
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:03,040
Speaker 1: this year going into the going in to the end,

963
00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:04,560
Speaker 1: which is another reason why you know, it would have

964
00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:05,880
Speaker 1: been nice to get in the playoffs to give us

965
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:07,160
Speaker 1: a chance here because I thought we had a pretty

966
00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:08,799
Speaker 1: good team going in, but we didn't do enough to

967
00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:16,800
Speaker 1: get there. Looked like for you when we'll definitely, I

968
00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,960
Speaker 1: guess probably threefold. One still assessing our current team, getting

969
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:23,200
Speaker 1: together with the coaches, talking about and some of that.

970
00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:24,680
Speaker 1: We got to take a little bit of time off,

971
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,000
Speaker 1: not time off, but step away and not do some

972
00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:29,799
Speaker 1: evaluations right away right after the season's over, because I

973
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:32,040
Speaker 1: know the coaches, it's a long year, it's a grind.

974
00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:35,520
Speaker 1: We're upset we didn't make the playoffs. Take a step back,

975
00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:37,440
Speaker 1: give it a couple of days, go back, look at

976
00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:39,799
Speaker 1: our players again, kind of assess what they did well,

977
00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:42,719
Speaker 1: what they didn't, some strengths and weaknesses, some needs for

978
00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:45,960
Speaker 1: next year. And then this month we also have some

979
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,160
Speaker 1: college All Star games to do, some college draft work,

980
00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:50,120
Speaker 1: our scouts to be at different all Star games. I'll

981
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:52,480
Speaker 1: try and get to a couple as well, and then

982
00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:55,719
Speaker 1: with the pro scouts as far as freednancy assessing, these

983
00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:57,680
Speaker 1: are some of our needs, what's out there, how's that

984
00:47:57,719 --> 00:47:59,680
Speaker 1: line up with our salary cap, those sorts of things.

985
00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:03,080
Speaker 1: So January is a pretty big planning month, except for

986
00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:05,120
Speaker 1: the college work. That's a little more scouting, and then

987
00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:08,440
Speaker 1: February is really a lot of the same thing. You

988
00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:14,719
Speaker 1: start implementing it in March. Offseason cap wise, are do

989
00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:18,800
Speaker 1: you foxibility? You feel like you guys need to get done?

990
00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:22,560
Speaker 1: I think so, I think so. And uh. You know,

991
00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:26,400
Speaker 1: when you look at the cap number you have a

992
00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:28,359
Speaker 1: lot of times people think, well, that's how much money

993
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:30,279
Speaker 1: you can spend on free agents. It's not always a

994
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,359
Speaker 1: case you have your restricted free agent tenders will take

995
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:36,080
Speaker 1: up some spots. Obviously, you have to have a budget

996
00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,880
Speaker 1: for next year's injury reserve um, any extensions you do

997
00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:41,400
Speaker 1: is and take up space, but we think we have

998
00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:44,279
Speaker 1: enough space to do what we need to do. Heard

999
00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:51,040
Speaker 1: anything about Plan or United Kingdom, I have not yet.

1000
00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:53,719
Speaker 1: That's a that's more on the league level, and I

1001
00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:55,560
Speaker 1: think they'll probably have something out the next couple of

1002
00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:57,520
Speaker 1: weeks usually is when they announced the teams are playing

1003
00:48:57,520 --> 00:48:59,760
Speaker 1: in the International Games. But I don't have anything yet.

1004
00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:02,840
Speaker 1: Over your impressions of the teams first year, step outside

1005
00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:06,319
Speaker 1: and we won the last five games there, won five

1006
00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:11,240
Speaker 1: in a row at the end, so we finished twelve. Um.

1007
00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:14,800
Speaker 1: You know, I think the longer we're here, the better

1008
00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:18,960
Speaker 1: we play, the better the atmosphere will be. You know,

1009
00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:20,279
Speaker 1: I think it's a it's a pretty neat place to

1010
00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:22,680
Speaker 1: watch a football game. Um. But we know we're the

1011
00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:25,280
Speaker 1: new kids in the block and we got to show

1012
00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:27,120
Speaker 1: what we are so that we're exciting team to watch.

1013
00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:29,360
Speaker 1: You got to get in the playoffs and get people excited,

1014
00:49:29,719 --> 00:49:34,879
Speaker 1: and uh, there'll be more and more Charger fans there. Chiefs. Oh,

1015
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:38,880
Speaker 1: they had two losses to them this year. As the

1016
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:44,160
Speaker 1: talent man, you consider maybe chief specific trades that will

1017
00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,000
Speaker 1: help you get players who could beat them, or that

1018
00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:50,200
Speaker 1: too far down the line, there's something there that maybe

1019
00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:55,720
Speaker 1: you feel like you could address we'd like to beat them.

1020
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,200
Speaker 1: That is true. We were went two against them this

1021
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:00,239
Speaker 1: year and that they won the division. So there's to

1022
00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:03,400
Speaker 1: beat hard, to build your team to go beat one team.

1023
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:06,200
Speaker 1: We got all other teams we got to play, so

1024
00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:09,319
Speaker 1: but obviously they're they're leading the division right now. They're

1025
00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:12,560
Speaker 1: they're well coached, and they're they're talented, and we gotta

1026
00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:15,480
Speaker 1: beat them, and that's gonna do it. For this week's episode,

1027
00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:18,160
Speaker 1: by thanks to Dan Wicki for joining me, and thanks

1028
00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:21,000
Speaker 1: to all for listening. Be sure to download and subscribe

1029
00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:24,120
Speaker 1: to Chargers Weekly wherever you listen to podcasts, and please

1030
00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:26,239
Speaker 1: leave a review and iTunes. It helps us spread the

1031
00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:28,399
Speaker 1: word and move up the charts so we can get

1032
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:30,719
Speaker 1: this to as many Chargers fans as possible. And hey,

1033
00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:33,920
Speaker 1: even though it's the offseason, Chargers Weekly isn't going anywhere.

1034
00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:35,960
Speaker 1: We'll be here to get you ready for the Senior Bowl,

1035
00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:39,640
Speaker 1: to combine free agency, and of course the NFL Draft.

1036
00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:41,520
Speaker 1: We'll leave you with some of the best calls from

1037
00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:44,560
Speaker 1: twenty seventeen from Matt Money Smith and Nick Hardwick. And

1038
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:50,160
Speaker 1: until next time, I'm Chris Harry. Second and Goal now

1039
00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:54,080
Speaker 1: Rivers in the shotgun empty set Dates inside on the

1040
00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:55,880
Speaker 1: right again. Look at for Gates going to the end

1041
00:50:55,960 --> 00:51:02,280
Speaker 1: zone to stop CHARGERSO Dates get dead ball to Canton

1042
00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:06,800
Speaker 1: and grab Antonio's gold jacket while you're there. Is one

1043
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:09,960
Speaker 1: hundred and twelfth touchdown reception, the most ever by a

1044
00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:13,880
Speaker 1: tight end. He has become the most successful touchdown catching

1045
00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:17,839
Speaker 1: tight end in NFL history. He is mobbed in the

1046
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:21,200
Speaker 1: end zone by his teammates Melbourne Ingram without his helmet,

1047
00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:22,759
Speaker 1: ran all the way out to the back of the

1048
00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:25,959
Speaker 1: end zone and a Hall of Fame worthy reception there.

1049
00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:29,520
Speaker 1: Gordon in the backfield, Alan all alone on the latt

1050
00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:32,680
Speaker 1: just gets it in time, going underneath for Gordon has

1051
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:35,640
Speaker 1: the reception five to the quarter of the end zone. Touchdown.

1052
00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:40,360
Speaker 1: Chargers knock on Wood, Rivers to Gordon for the second

1053
00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:43,919
Speaker 1: time today. It's a ten yard touchdown pass. Black Hole

1054
00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:47,520
Speaker 1: is alive and waving their hands. Fans powerless to control

1055
00:51:47,600 --> 00:51:51,640
Speaker 1: this one snap hold, kick us up and it is good.

1056
00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:56,440
Speaker 1: Chargers win seventeen sixteen. They defeat the Raiders. Travis Benjamin

1057
00:51:56,560 --> 00:52:01,200
Speaker 1: set up at the charger thirty five to return take

1058
00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:03,879
Speaker 1: his away. It's low and it's Wopli takes a big

1059
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:05,680
Speaker 1: bounce into the hands of Benjamin at the forty five.

1060
00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:08,000
Speaker 1: Now at the forty to the forty five, fifty, still

1061
00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:10,480
Speaker 1: on his feet, forty five, forty, nobody in front of him.

1062
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:15,680
Speaker 1: Travis Benjamin on the numbers left sideline, touchdown Chargers. Travis

1063
00:52:15,719 --> 00:52:23,200
Speaker 1: Benjamin on the punt return sixty five yards, snap hand

1064
00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:25,280
Speaker 1: off the Gordon trying to stretch it to the right side,

1065
00:52:25,719 --> 00:52:28,600
Speaker 1: turns it up field twenty outside, thirty outside the numbers,

1066
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:33,200
Speaker 1: nobody in front of him, fifty forty thirty twenty Willie

1067
00:52:33,239 --> 00:52:38,200
Speaker 1: be caught at the ten five touchdown Chargers, Melvin Gordon

1068
00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:46,160
Speaker 1: eighty seven yards. What a run and it took emprey

1069
00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:48,480
Speaker 1: one of those yards to get Melvin Gordon in he

1070
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:52,760
Speaker 1: was being chased down from behind. Excellent job up front

1071
00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:56,880
Speaker 1: by Kenny Wiggins with a good key block and what

1072
00:52:57,040 --> 00:52:59,240
Speaker 1: a way to start the game off for the Chargers.

1073
00:52:59,239 --> 00:53:01,919
Speaker 1: On the offensive side of the ball down the five

1074
00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:04,319
Speaker 1: on the play clock. Rivers still resetting the play down

1075
00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:07,799
Speaker 1: to three two, takes the shotgun snap looking right, going

1076
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:10,840
Speaker 1: up top right for Keenan back to catch and touchdown.

1077
00:53:10,920 --> 00:53:14,560
Speaker 1: Dives in. Keenan Allen with his second touchdown grab of

1078
00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:18,000
Speaker 1: the season, a twenty one yard strike from Philip Rivers.

1079
00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:22,400
Speaker 1: Shotgun snap rose leaft Keenan Allen dives toward the end zone,

1080
00:53:22,480 --> 00:53:27,200
Speaker 1: signal touchdown. Rivers to Allen for the second time today.

1081
00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:31,160
Speaker 1: Trips lapped all the way out wide left is Williams.

1082
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:33,160
Speaker 1: It's a handoff to Gordon looking to get that right corner,

1083
00:53:33,239 --> 00:53:35,960
Speaker 1: uses a stiff farm five and steps into the end zone.

1084
00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:40,520
Speaker 1: Touchdown chargeherts Melvin Gordon. A ten yard run to the

1085
00:53:40,600 --> 00:53:44,880
Speaker 1: right corner clock at eight minutes in counting. Here in

1086
00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:48,719
Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, Chargers up forty seven seventeen hand off

1087
00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:51,400
Speaker 1: to Eckler, verse through the a gap to at ten five.

1088
00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:57,200
Speaker 1: Touchdown charge hurts Austin Eckler. I'll play that guitar in

1089
00:53:57,320 --> 00:54:00,800
Speaker 1: the shotgun. Two receivers left looking that way. Now rolls

1090
00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:03,960
Speaker 1: out under pressure and that passes picked off. Despond King

1091
00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:06,840
Speaker 1: twenty five thirty cuts inside of the thirty five forty

1092
00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:09,719
Speaker 1: forty five fifty no one in front of him. He's

1093
00:54:09,719 --> 00:54:11,680
Speaker 1: gonna go to the end zone. The rookie out of

1094
00:54:11,719 --> 00:54:16,520
Speaker 1: Iowa at the ten five ninety yard pick six despond

1095
00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:19,840
Speaker 1: King touchdown. Chargers knock on wood,