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Speaker 1: Everybody. Chris Harry with you on a new episode of

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Speaker 1: Chargers Weekly. CBS Sports senior writer Pete Prisco's my guest

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Speaker 1: this week. Pete's covered the NFL for thirty years. We

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Speaker 1: get into all of the changes around the league this offseason,

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Speaker 1: as well as his thoughts on the twenty eighteen Chargers.

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Speaker 1: Pete also gives us one bold prediction for the upcoming year.

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Speaker 1: A lot of good information during some downtime this offseason.

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Speaker 1: We hope you enjoy. CBS Sports Senior writer Pete Prisco

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Speaker 1: now joins me on Chargers Weekly. Pete, appreciate your time, sir.

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Speaker 1: How's the off season treating yet? What off season doesn't

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Speaker 1: exist right? Yeah? This time of year you can sneak

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Speaker 1: away a little bit, but you know, training camp right

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Speaker 1: around the corner, and you guys know that it's what

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Speaker 1: six weeks or five weeks away, so you know, you

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Speaker 1: got squeezing a little off time and then get ready

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Speaker 1: to Europe for twenty eighteen seasons. Pete, you've covered the

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Speaker 1: league for thirty years. Can you remember an off season

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Speaker 1: with as much at activity is this one? It's been crazy.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you know, in a lot of different ways,

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Speaker 1: you see John Gruden coming back to the sidelines. You

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Speaker 1: see guys holding it out. You know, you see a

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Speaker 1: lot of movement free agent, big free agent movement, quarterbacks

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Speaker 1: moving quarterback salaries, uh, you know going crazy, Guys like

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Speaker 1: Jimmy Garoppolo getting paid, Matt Ryan getting paid. And then

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Speaker 1: you know, then you have the Andrew Mutt situation kind

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Speaker 1: of hanging over at the Indianapolis Colton and the rest

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Speaker 1: of the anfcity. So there's been a lot of stuff

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Speaker 1: going on. You have rules changes, you have to you know,

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Speaker 1: the what's the new helmet on helmet rule going to be?

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Speaker 1: Like what about you know, covering kickoffs? How will that

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Speaker 1: impact that the league would be a lot more big players. So, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's been a very very newsy off season. You know,

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Speaker 1: we've talked so much about the quarterbacks from her cousin's

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Speaker 1: going to Minnesota, Alex Smith is now in Washington. You

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Speaker 1: mentioned John Gruden to Oakland. That's dominated headlines. Is there

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Speaker 1: an underrated storyline this offseason that caught your eye that

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Speaker 1: we're not necessarily talking about. That's a good question. Underrated storyline?

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Speaker 1: You no, in your own division. I think case Keenum

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Speaker 1: is going to be better than people think, I really do.

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Speaker 1: I think that's one to keep an eye on. If

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Speaker 1: the Broncos can get him to play quarterback like he

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Speaker 1: played a year ago, and this kid plays with a

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Speaker 1: little bit of a swagger. I know you've seen a

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Speaker 1: lot of big money quarterback deals the Broncos. A lot

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Speaker 1: of people expect him to take a quarterback, but they

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Speaker 1: were convinced that Keen can be their guy. I think

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Speaker 1: that's one to keep an eye on. I mean, look, obviously,

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Speaker 1: when you look around in this landscape, you know, the

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Speaker 1: Browns are a major story. We see them draft a

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Speaker 1: six foot quarterback number one overall, and now there's talking

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Speaker 1: might not play this year wild That's an interesting story. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's an interesting storyline and one to keep an eye

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Speaker 1: on as well. You know, Pete, you mentioned case Key.

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Speaker 1: I think the familiarity that Gary Kubiak had with him

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Speaker 1: at the beginning of his career. I think Van's Joseph

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Speaker 1: was in Houston at that time as well. I hear

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Speaker 1: so many varying opinions about Keenum because the sample size

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Speaker 1: is so small from last year. But you're right, I

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Speaker 1: think just the fact that they're familiar with Keenum, he

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Speaker 1: can come in. They're giving them the keys to sign up.

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Speaker 1: It's a two year deal, and they didn't draft a quarterback. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and you know what, I like tase Keenum and when

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Speaker 1: he came out of school, I actually remember spend the

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Speaker 1: time with him at the combine and had a little

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Speaker 1: chat with the rote of column saying his kid should

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Speaker 1: be on a roster and they should get drafted. And

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Speaker 1: never in my wildest dreams, and I think he'd be

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Speaker 1: able to do what he did a year ago with

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Speaker 1: the Vikings. So he plays with a squagger, he's got

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Speaker 1: a chip on his shoulder. He's always out to prove

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Speaker 1: people wrong. And you know, he's an upgrade from what

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Speaker 1: the Broncos had, there's no question about that. To be

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Speaker 1: better on offense because of it. Yeah, and they got

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Speaker 1: some playmakers for him in the draft too, when you

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Speaker 1: talk about Hamilton from Penn State and Sutton from SMU

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Speaker 1: Royce in the backfield. So it's going to be an

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Speaker 1: interesting offense in Denver. Pete. I asked Sharene Williams this

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Speaker 1: last week, and I want to get your take on

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Speaker 1: this as well. You look at the sixteen teams in

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Speaker 1: the NFC, I don't remember a conference being is up

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Speaker 1: in the air as this one really because I think

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Speaker 1: you look at ten teams, wouldn't shock me to see

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Speaker 1: in the super Bowl next year in Atlanta. What do

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Speaker 1: you make of this NFC in how competitive it is? Well,

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Speaker 1: I think if you look at West, I think the

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Speaker 1: Rams are the favorite in that division. I don't think

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Speaker 1: there's any question about that. You know, the Cardinals, the

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Speaker 1: forty nine ers, and the Seahawks are you know, interesting,

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Speaker 1: but I don't think they'll be competing with the Rams.

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Speaker 1: But you never know. Who've seen that put before. I

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Speaker 1: think the NFCON South is a great division. I think

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Speaker 1: top to bottom it's the best division in the NFC.

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Speaker 1: You know the Falcons clearly. You know two years ago

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Speaker 1: they were close to the super Bowl. Last year, if

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Speaker 1: they complete a fourth down play in Philadelphia, they had

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Speaker 1: first to go with the ten, they win that game

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Speaker 1: and who knows what happens Carolina playoff team. A year ago,

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Speaker 1: the Saints had you know, Hail Mary against the Vikings,

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Speaker 1: the Stefan display that kind of kept them out of

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Speaker 1: the advancing even further. And I think the Bucks gonna

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Speaker 1: be one of the most approved teams. So I think

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Speaker 1: the Nfcon South best Division Packards get Rogers back that

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Speaker 1: Vikings will be in the mix with Cousins on. The

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Speaker 1: Lions will be you know, decent, I don't know how

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Speaker 1: good they'll be, and the Bears will be improved. And

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Speaker 1: then you go to the East. I think that thing

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Speaker 1: is clearly Philadelphia, and then three other teams will be

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Speaker 1: scrambling to get into two. But you're right, I mean

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Speaker 1: it's a good NFC. You look at the AFC, I

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Speaker 1: think it's a much smaller group in terms of teams

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Speaker 1: that can dethrone the Patriots. In your eyes, who are

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Speaker 1: those teams that you think can compete with the Patriots

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Speaker 1: who've had an interesting golf season to say the least themselves. Well,

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Speaker 1: Jacksonville in Pittsburgh the first two that come to mind.

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Speaker 1: And I was in Jacksonville last week. I was up there,

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Speaker 1: you know, since I used to live there for thirty

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Speaker 1: years that I moved to Fort Ordersdale because the CBS

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Speaker 1: Sports HQ and I was up there last week for

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Speaker 1: their mini camp, and they are loaded from top to bottom.

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Speaker 1: I mean, they're a better football team this year than

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Speaker 1: they were a year ago. And I don't think it's close. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: They've improved the offensive line. Andrew Norwell will help them

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Speaker 1: greatly upfront. I think Cam Robinson the second year will

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Speaker 1: be better. Leonard Fournette will better be able to run

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Speaker 1: the football. People always point through the receivers. Even I

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Speaker 1: own a guy named Keelan Cole. He's you know, he

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Speaker 1: was a little bit of of a factor last year,

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Speaker 1: but he's that much better this year. I think he's

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Speaker 1: going to be a factor. And you know, Austin Sperry

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Speaker 1: Jenkins has been fantastic for him this offseason. So offensively,

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Speaker 1: they're going to be better. Defensively, they are loaded. I

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Speaker 1: mean they have six, seven, eight guys that could start

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Speaker 1: anywhere in the league. So I think they're one team.

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Speaker 1: And then Pittsburgh Obviously, when you have Ben Roethlisberger, Levian

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Speaker 1: Bell and Antonio Brown, you start there. Their offensive line

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Speaker 1: solid as well. I think defensively there are some questions.

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Speaker 1: If they can six those will be in the mix again.

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Speaker 1: You know, I read your your thirty two question piece

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Speaker 1: on cbssports dot com. I think it was last month,

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Speaker 1: and for the largers, you simply asked the question I

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Speaker 1: think a lot of people were asking of the last

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Speaker 1: several years is this the year that they can finally

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Speaker 1: get over the hump, win those close games and get

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Speaker 1: to the playoffs. It didn't start well pete oh and four,

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Speaker 1: but you look at the last twelve games, if you

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Speaker 1: use that sample size, I think Anthony Lynz really tried

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Speaker 1: to change the culture here. They did win a lot

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Speaker 1: of close games towards the end of the year, and

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Speaker 1: they have a little bit of momentum going into twenty eighteen.

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Speaker 1: I'm a big, big, big believer in the Chargers because

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Speaker 1: I'm one of those guys that still think Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: plays at a very, very high level, and I'm a

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Speaker 1: Philip Rivers fan. I think he's been fantastic throughout his

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Speaker 1: entire career. One of the pro's pro in the National

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Speaker 1: Football League. I mean from the way he handles himself

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Speaker 1: to the way he acts. I love the fact that

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Speaker 1: he's one of the five nicest guys in the NFL,

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Speaker 1: and when he gets on the fields, he's one of

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Speaker 1: the five eating that's a compliment to him, and I

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Speaker 1: think that's great. You know, Melvin Gordon got it going

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Speaker 1: last year. I think the offensive line will be better,

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Speaker 1: getting pouncing in the middle, you know, having healthy guards,

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, with good guards with you know,

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Speaker 1: Phoene and Lampus, those guys are the two. I think

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Speaker 1: that's that's good for them. Upfront, Uh, you know, Keenan

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Speaker 1: Allen busted out last year and had his great season.

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Speaker 1: I think they've got to get Mike Williams going, but

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Speaker 1: there are weapons there as well. And then you go

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Speaker 1: to the defense. I mean, you start with the best

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Speaker 1: pass you know, Russian combo in the league, and that's

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Speaker 1: who they are. Botha and Ingram are the best pass

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Speaker 1: Russian combo in the league. That's a nice way to start.

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Speaker 1: Hayward fantastic corner. You know. If they can ever get

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Speaker 1: Barette going, I think, you know, and then you have

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Speaker 1: you know him and there. I think desild King did

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Speaker 1: some good things last year. I think that defense and

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Speaker 1: Gus Bradley will have a good plan. Adding Derwood James

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Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense. I think the linebackers, for me,

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Speaker 1: those guys you know who's just the smallest linebackers have

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Speaker 1: to be a little bit better. They got to be

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Speaker 1: better against the run. But I think all in all,

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Speaker 1: I think that's the talented team. They are the favorite

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Speaker 1: in the West for me. You know, Pete the defense,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned it and you mentioned the linebackers. They went

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Speaker 1: defense with their first four picks in the draft. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: Darwin James was the first pick, number seventeen overall, they

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Speaker 1: got a couple of linebackers and you channing Duosu and

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Speaker 1: Kaiser White. I think what's so intriguing about this defense

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Speaker 1: the interchangeable parts, the hybrid positionless players that they can

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Speaker 1: put out on the field. We've been talking about it

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Speaker 1: for the last month. If Jason Rhet's healthy, this team

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Speaker 1: can go four deep at the cornerback position, something that

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Speaker 1: you don't see in the NFL. I don't think many

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Speaker 1: teams can go three deep yet alone four deep. No,

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Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's a big plus. When you can

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Speaker 1: have that, those kind of cover people are valuable to you.

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Speaker 1: That's outstanding. I mean, you know, you mentioned King and

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Speaker 1: I think William has played very well last year from

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Speaker 1: as well. I mean, that's that's a good group back there.

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Speaker 1: James I would imagine will end up being the starter

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Speaker 1: at one spot. But who starts at the other one.

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Speaker 1: I mean that's kind of a job that's open, right,

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Speaker 1: I mean, will Phillips start well, who will be the

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Speaker 1: other starter over there. Yeah, I mean Jalil to Die

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Speaker 1: I think is probably pencil did at this point. And

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Speaker 1: what's interesting is, you know a Die had played free

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Speaker 1: safety earlier in his career, as he played strong last year,

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Speaker 1: started sixteen games. I think Darwin James can probably play both.

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Speaker 1: And it's just a matter of Gus Brodley getting creative

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Speaker 1: and actually finding spaces for all of these guys in

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Speaker 1: the secondary because you can't play them all at once. No,

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Speaker 1: And that's a good thing. And Gus is is a dark,

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Speaker 1: good defensive coach. He'll do he'll do a good job.

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Speaker 1: Here's the question I have for you, who's going to

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Speaker 1: start at middle lineback? Well, I guess, I mean would

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Speaker 1: it be Denzel, Denzel, Perriman, Hayes Pillard. I think the

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Speaker 1: linebacker situation is going to work itself out. But that

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Speaker 1: was when Perriman wasn't in there. That's where they struggled,

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Speaker 1: especially against a run last year. Yeah. I like Perriman.

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Speaker 1: He's not a big guy, so you got to be

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Speaker 1: concerned about that. And and you know Brownn is not

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Speaker 1: a big guy. He can run. I look, the bottom

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Speaker 1: line is they got a lot of talent. They gotta

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Speaker 1: be better up front too. I mean, if the down

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Speaker 1: player's got to be better than what they were a

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Speaker 1: year ago. That's part of the reason why they were

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Speaker 1: able to run the football as well too. So, but

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Speaker 1: again it's a passer and pass rusher league and a

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Speaker 1: cover league. Somehow Varette can get back too close to

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Speaker 1: me and what he used to be before the injuries.

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Speaker 1: And you have Hayward and Hayward and Varette, and then

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Speaker 1: you have the two pass rushers in both and Ingram,

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Speaker 1: and then you have the quarterback and Philip Rivers. Well,

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Speaker 1: you got the pieces in place, and then you just

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Speaker 1: supplement around them and good coaching, We'll get you there.

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Speaker 1: So they obviously got to stay healthy. I mean that's

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Speaker 1: been kind of a problem for them, you know very well,

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Speaker 1: very very well. It makes it tough two peek to

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Speaker 1: throw the football in the division. And we talked about

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Speaker 1: the advantage of quarterback. You had two new starters. We

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Speaker 1: talked about case Keenum. Patrick Mahomes is going to make

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Speaker 1: his second career NFL start against the Chargers Week one,

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Speaker 1: and then obviously Derek Carr has shown flashes. He's twenty seven.

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Speaker 1: The guys had four head coaches and three offensive coordinators

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Speaker 1: so early in his career. So you mentioned it, there's

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Speaker 1: a distinct advantage under center in the West. Oh. I

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Speaker 1: don't think there's any question about that. And I'm a

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Speaker 1: big Patrick Mahomes guy. I was at in Kansas City

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Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago, and I think he's going

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Speaker 1: to be a very very good player. But this is

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Speaker 1: a National Football League. When you're a quarterback, it takes

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Speaker 1: them adjusting. I mean, it takes a little bit of time.

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Speaker 1: And I think he's eventually going to be, you know,

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Speaker 1: a big time star quarterback in the NFL, but it

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Speaker 1: might take him a little adjusting. And you know, you

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Speaker 1: mentioned Keenom being new in Denver and then you know

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Speaker 1: the car situation. You know, Gruten is back on the sidelines.

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Speaker 1: But it's a little bit of a different game. I

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Speaker 1: think he'll adjust very well, but you never know. So

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Speaker 1: you're right, those teams are in transition a little bit

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Speaker 1: at the quarterback position, whereas you got the stability of

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Speaker 1: having Philip Rivers, which I think is a big advantage

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Speaker 1: to the charter. Can you put your finger under Raiders, Pete.

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Speaker 1: I've talked to everyone I've talked to really over the

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Speaker 1: last few months like the ultimate wildcard team. Some people

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Speaker 1: think that they could compete to win the division. Others

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Speaker 1: think that they're going to be a six win team.

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Speaker 1: What do you think the Raiders are in twenty eighteen? Well,

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Speaker 1: I think it has to do with, you know, that defense,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I think Paul Gunter will be a

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Speaker 1: knife addition to their coach and staff. He'll do a

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Speaker 1: good job with that defense. But are they good enough

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Speaker 1: from a talent standpoint? I mean, there are a lot

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Speaker 1: of turnover on that side of the football. They need

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Speaker 1: Conley to play very well at corner, you know, and

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Speaker 1: then one of the veterans or you know, maybe Leon

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Speaker 1: Hall or Worly or whoever to play at the other one.

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Speaker 1: Those are issues the secondary. The back deep end has

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Speaker 1: some issues as well. Reggie Nelson's up in the years,

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Speaker 1: Carl Joseph hasn't lived up to the expectations. So there

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Speaker 1: are issues on the back end. And then you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm a big Khalil Mac guy, but they need to

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Speaker 1: get help from other guys as well up front, and

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Speaker 1: their linebacker situation isn't the greatest in the world. I

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Speaker 1: did like what they did. I do like what they

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Speaker 1: did in the draft. I think getting First and Whole

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Speaker 1: and Key and Nelson on that side of the football

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Speaker 1: will help them a great deal. I think, you know,

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Speaker 1: if they hit on two of those four, I think

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Speaker 1: it's a good good for them and they'll be much

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Speaker 1: better on defense. But no, they got a lot of

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Speaker 1: veterans they brought into you know, like Frosty Rucker and

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Speaker 1: Taba Rubin and you know they mentioned Worally and and

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Speaker 1: Leon Hall is there, and I mean, they got a

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Speaker 1: lot of veteran players on that team. And sometimes that

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Speaker 1: could be a good thing, but sometimes that could work

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Speaker 1: against him. Pete, Who's an overvalued team this year? A

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Speaker 1: team that has those high expectations but you just don't

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Speaker 1: see it. Dallas Cowboys. Huh yeah, I just I'm not

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Speaker 1: a big believer in that team just yet. I think

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Speaker 1: they have some you know when you look look the

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks got to play better than he did a year ago.

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Speaker 1: You know, getting Elliott back for a full season will

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Speaker 1: help them. I take the offensive line receivers, Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: that's the biggest that's the biggest problem. You look at

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Speaker 1: that receiver position. You know, they don't have speed at all.

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Speaker 1: And now they traded for Tavon Austin, but I mean,

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Speaker 1: what does he add in terms of skied down the field.

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Speaker 1: But you look at their receivers, I mean, Alan Hearns

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Speaker 1: isn't isn't fast, Terrence Williams and Group and Beasley and

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Speaker 1: all of them. They don't run very well. So they

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Speaker 1: need some of the young guys. Michael Gallant needs to

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Speaker 1: play well for them. And then the tight end position,

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Speaker 1: and you know they drafted Dalton Schultz, but it looks

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Speaker 1: like Blake Joe and from last year will be there.

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Speaker 1: And then you go to the other side of the football.

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Speaker 1: I'd like some of their I like late Vanderis. I

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Speaker 1: thought that was a nice move on their part. They

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Speaker 1: got some transition in the secondary of any young players

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Speaker 1: to really take big steps forward. But they're the one

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Speaker 1: team for me when I look at them, I don't

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Speaker 1: just gonna be in a playoff team. Pete, get you

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Speaker 1: out of here on this. If you could give me

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Speaker 1: one bold prediction for the twenty eighteen season, something that

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Speaker 1: maybe fans aren't going to see coming this year because

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Speaker 1: it happens every year. Right we get to this point

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Speaker 1: of the year, everybody's talking about things that don't happen.

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Speaker 1: What do you think is going to happen? Miami Dolphins

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Speaker 1: are gonna surprise people make the playoffs. That's there. You go,

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Speaker 1: that's a big prediction. Yeah. I think cleaning house there

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Speaker 1: will be good for them. And by bad, I mean

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Speaker 1: getting rid of Jarvis Landry who was a problem, getting

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Speaker 1: rid of the Dominican Sue who was a problem, getting

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Speaker 1: rid of Jay a Gi a year ago, which was

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Speaker 1: a problem. I think that cleans out the building a

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Speaker 1: little bit. And Mike Pouncey's not in that group. By

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Speaker 1: the way, Mike Pouncey was a guy that they liked

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Speaker 1: a great deal. But then, you know, I think getting

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Speaker 1: Cannon Hill back, now he's been in the system for

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Speaker 1: three years, he was around all last year and he

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Speaker 1: understand it his first you know, this is only the

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Speaker 1: second scene when he come back and been in the

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Speaker 1: same system. Uh. You know. DeVante Parker, I think, is

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Speaker 1: going to be a guy who takes a step forward.

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Speaker 1: The offensive line will be better. Getting sitting and Daniel

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Speaker 1: Kilgore will significantly upgrade their offensive line. And then you

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Speaker 1: go to the defensive side of the ball. They got

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Speaker 1: five legitimate ends and I'm talking about Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn,

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Speaker 1: who they you know you got the trade from the Rams,

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Speaker 1: William Hayes, and then they Hill Charles Harris can you

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Speaker 1: know beat you go on his rookie season. Then you

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Speaker 1: go to the second there you got you know, you

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Speaker 1: had to make it. Fitzpatrick, Zavian Howard's pretty good back,

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Speaker 1: go to be a pretty good player for them at

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Speaker 1: corner where Shot Jones can still play. They got one

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Speaker 1: position and I think it's you know, the other corner

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Speaker 1: opposite Fitzpatrick. If somebody can step up there, they're gonna

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Speaker 1: be much better. And look, the division isn't very good.

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Speaker 1: Bet the Bills aren't very good, and you though they

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Speaker 1: were a playoff team a year ago, and the Jets

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Speaker 1: you know, might be starting rookie quarterbacks. True, and I

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Speaker 1: don't think they're very good. So you should get four

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Speaker 1: wins right there out of that division and then who knows.

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Speaker 1: I mean, they beat the Patriots last year, and so

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Speaker 1: if they can get one of those games, then all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden you at five five more in you

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Speaker 1: the postseason. Totally right about that, Pete, I can't think

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Speaker 1: it for your time, man, are you going to be

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Speaker 1: on the West coast at all during training camp or

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Speaker 1: during the season. Yeah, to be mapped out. Um, I

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Speaker 1: you know that last year I was at the RAMS

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Speaker 1: charters dual practices there and that worked out pretty well

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Speaker 1: for me. So I might try and do that again

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Speaker 1: this year, and again that will be at the at

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Speaker 1: the RAMS facility right there that there, Yeah, you know

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Speaker 1: what the head of the Rams. Yeah, they head at

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Speaker 1: the RAMS last year. As we taped this, the training

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Speaker 1: camp schedule has not been released. It's gonna be released

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Speaker 1: very soon, probably by the time people listen to this,

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Speaker 1: so we'll know more certainly. But I remember that joy,

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Speaker 1: I got a little chippy. Actually, I don't know if

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Speaker 1: you were there that day, we got a little chippy. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that got that a nice flight. I like that. That

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Speaker 1: was good. Stop. Yeah, that's why they're gonna work out

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Speaker 1: with the Saints, I think, right for sure. Yeah, definitely

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Speaker 1: here the Saints. Yeah, and that was yeah, I like

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Speaker 1: I like that facility that I was there, and then

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Speaker 1: I came I went to the RAMS Chargers when the

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Speaker 1: next day I came over to uh Orange Coach Community

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Speaker 1: College that park over there with a Chargers train that's right.

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I did awesome man. Well, Pete, I look

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Speaker 1: forward to seeing you here, hopefully in the next few weeks,

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Speaker 1: and enjoy the rest of your off season and get

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Speaker 1: some rest and we'll talk to you soon. Man. You

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Speaker 1: gotta take care. Man, that'll do it. My thanks to

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Speaker 1: Pete for joining me, and of course thanks to you

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Speaker 1: all for listening. You can find us on Apple Podcasts,

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Speaker 1: and while you're there, please leave review helps spread the word.

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Speaker 1: We mentioned training camp in the interview. The full schedule

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Speaker 1: has been released. There's fourteen open practices at the Jackhammet

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Speaker 1: Sports Complex. You want to visit Chargers dot com slash

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Speaker 1: camp for all the details, and we look forward to

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Speaker 1: seeing you there. We're off next week for the fourth

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Speaker 1: of July. We return on July twelfth with a brand

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Speaker 1: new episode. Thanks for listening and until next time, I'm

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Speaker 1: Chris Harry.