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Speaker 1: Lifetime, the official athletic country club of the Minnesota Vikings,

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Speaker 1: has something for every member of your family. Get your

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Speaker 1: family going today at Lifetime, Dot Life, Forward, Slash Kids.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you hear about it, but it's just awesome to

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Speaker 2: be part of it now.

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Speaker 3: Just everything is true.

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Speaker 2: I mean, the workouts, the nutrition, the food, everything here

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Speaker 2: is just top of the line.

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Speaker 4: I know that offensive line was always the group that

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Speaker 4: you're like, Nope, they are supposed to be together there

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Speaker 4: they work as one and I think over the years

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Speaker 4: there were a couple of veteran players that really solidify

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Speaker 4: that and pushed it, and I just think it's carried

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Speaker 4: on and so it's great to see those guys working

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Speaker 4: together and kind of spending that time.

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Speaker 1: This is the Minnesota Vikings Podcast pre Draft episode. We

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Speaker 1: have one week as we record this today on Thursday,

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Speaker 1: April twentieth, we have one week away from the NFL Draft.

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Speaker 1: TikTok ttik tic tick tick. That's Jay Nelson. Eric Davidson's

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Speaker 1: also here in the TCO Radio studios. We are without

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Speaker 1: Gabe this week. He'll be back next week for all

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Speaker 1: of the fun draft coverage. But again, fun draft coverage.

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Speaker 1: I feel like I blinked, and here it is not.

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Speaker 3: It's great.

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Speaker 4: The draft is always one of my favorite times, purely

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Speaker 4: because it really is the unofficial official. We always talk

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Speaker 4: about the unofficial kickoff during free agency and everything. The

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Speaker 4: draft is the analogy of opening presents on Christmas Day.

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Speaker 4: It's kind of like you don't know what you're fully

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Speaker 4: going to get.

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Speaker 1: And that's a good analogy.

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Speaker 4: Everyone finally gets to start looking at the promise of

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Speaker 4: new talent, people that they've paid attention to that are

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Speaker 4: big college football fans. And even then on the pro side,

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Speaker 4: you're starting to realize, you know, here's some of the

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Speaker 4: different holes that everyone says we need to fill. They're

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Speaker 4: making moves, they're trying to get better at certain positions,

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Speaker 4: and you're hoping that you know, the people that you're

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Speaker 4: adding to this roster and we contributors hopefully as soon

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Speaker 4: as possible.

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Speaker 1: As soon as possible. The way that they've the front

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Speaker 1: office has approached free agency, I believe they're looking for

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Speaker 1: those types of players who need to make immediate impacts.

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Speaker 1: I think between the salary cap and the guys that

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Speaker 1: they've either released or or brought back and vice versa.

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Speaker 1: You know, I think I think definitely. I think this

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Speaker 1: is where they're looking for those people to make to

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Speaker 1: make immediate impacts. And a lot of times, I think

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Speaker 1: a lot of draft experts look at rounds one, maybe

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Speaker 1: rounds two, kind of fringe round three for those guys. However,

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Speaker 1: the Vikings only have two picks in those first three rounds.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's the thing you think about. We lost

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Speaker 4: the second round pick, but that was for TJ. Hockinson

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Speaker 4: worth it. Yeah, So if you can it's the thought

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Speaker 4: process would be if TJ. Hockinson worth the second round

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Speaker 4: pick in this draft, I think everyone, given his production

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Speaker 4: he's had so far.

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Speaker 1: Say and it's proven talent as opposed to even if

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Speaker 1: you draft the guy in the second round, will it payoff?

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Speaker 1: This has proven talent.

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Speaker 4: Which is why some teams have the mo of we're

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Speaker 4: not we don't even care if we have first or

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Speaker 4: second round picks. We're going to trade them for proven talent.

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Speaker 4: The difference is then you got to pay them on

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Speaker 4: the back end because they're proven talent. So I think

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Speaker 4: as the front office, whether it's Quasi and coach and

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Speaker 4: everybody else scouting department, you know there has been the

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Speaker 4: change last season you saw some of the moves that

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Speaker 4: had happened. They drafted eight players last year, you know,

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Speaker 4: the younger guys that some of them did play, and

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Speaker 4: some of them had injuries or whatever. I think they're

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Speaker 4: relying on the thought that those guys will contribute this year.

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Speaker 4: This is year or two of kind of changing over

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Speaker 4: the roster to fit what they want to do. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: and the draft is a huge component of that. So

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Speaker 4: I will be curious to see what's going to happen

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Speaker 4: with the first round pick, what's going to happen with

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Speaker 4: the third round pick, because of how important that third

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Speaker 4: round pick is going to be at this point, I wouldn't.

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Speaker 1: Be surprised if there's another pick mashed in between there.

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Speaker 1: I feel like there's going to be a lot of movement,

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Speaker 1: a lot of wheeling and dealing. I think I would

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Speaker 1: be more surprised if we stay at twenty three and

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Speaker 1: we stay with our five picks. Then I would be

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Speaker 1: if puts players on the table for trading, if he

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Speaker 1: trades out of round one or up in round one,

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Speaker 1: like I would be more surprised if we were if

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Speaker 1: we just stayed.

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Speaker 4: We saw last year he was willing to make those

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Speaker 4: kind of deals even within the within the division with

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Speaker 4: you know, a couple of teams, So he's not risk

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Speaker 4: averse there, and that's something that he's always talked about

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Speaker 4: as well as if you're risk averse, then you're missing opportunities,

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Speaker 4: it feels like, and I feel like those guys have

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Speaker 4: been able to go through and just kind of calculate

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Speaker 4: as much as they can. And this whole thing is

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Speaker 4: a moving organism. On draft weekend, you know, pick by pick,

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Speaker 4: you don't know what other teams are typically doing. You

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Speaker 4: might get inklings as to oh, because you might be

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Speaker 4: within a trade deal, and some they're like, well, we're

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Speaker 4: leveraging you guys against this other team. You know, who's

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Speaker 4: going to make the move and who's going to give

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Speaker 4: us the best deal. And sometimes they have a deal

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Speaker 4: and sometimes they don't. And I think for them, the

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Speaker 4: idea is just to be as sound as possible with

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Speaker 4: their evaluations, setting up their draft board from top to

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Speaker 4: bottom so that they feel like they an accurate description

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Speaker 4: of if we get into a decision making point, do

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Speaker 4: we take player A or player B. You know who's

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Speaker 4: going to possibly fall, And they're trying to anticipate that

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Speaker 4: as much as possible. I mean, everyone who does fantasy

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Speaker 4: football loves the idea of doing their own mock drafts.

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Speaker 4: Imagine being in that draft room and having to do

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Speaker 4: all those scenarios. So that's the thing for them. It's

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Speaker 4: almost second nature and you're just kind of reacting to

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Speaker 4: what's happening.

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Speaker 1: I hope its session nature. I mean, I tell you what,

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Speaker 1: I was trying to think the other day about something

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Speaker 1: that I can compare what maybe maybe like as normal

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Speaker 1: people go through, Like is there anything in life where

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Speaker 1: you're having to do that much research on the front end,

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Speaker 1: making split second decisions that decide the fate of your career.

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Speaker 1: Like all of that is just it's very overwhelming, and

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Speaker 1: I know, like when you're in the year you start

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Speaker 1: to like really understand it and you kind of get

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Speaker 1: into it and stuff. But I think I'd melt. I

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Speaker 1: think i'd absolutely melt under pressure.

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Speaker 4: I think this is where Quasi's background doing, you know,

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Speaker 4: stocks and everything else, or the analytics side of that piece.

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Speaker 4: That is the closest thing I can think of. If

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Speaker 4: you do and day trading or whatever, and it's your money,

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Speaker 4: it's not like funds and mutual funds and stuff like that.

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Speaker 4: You're dealing with other people's money. If you are doing

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Speaker 4: stuff with your money, you're literally watching it. You're trying

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Speaker 4: to anticipate, You're trying to do your research, You're trying

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Speaker 4: to figure out where's an opportunity here. Is this going

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Speaker 4: to work?

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Speaker 3: Is it not?

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Speaker 4: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And you know, I

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Speaker 4: think when it comes to the draft, it's just as

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Speaker 4: high profile as it is. And I think you have,

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Speaker 4: you know, millions of armchair quarterbacks who always think they

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Speaker 4: could do better, but hopefully when it comes to the

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Speaker 4: process and the group that we have, I think there's

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Speaker 4: a ton of trust within this building that you know,

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Speaker 4: that is their life. They've been dealing with this stuff

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Speaker 4: basically since July or the year before, the year before that,

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Speaker 4: trying to identify a year, two year, three years down

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Speaker 4: the line, whose potential draft picks that that are going

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Speaker 4: to be somebody that would be available for the Vikings

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Speaker 4: when they get their opportunity. So picking at twenty three

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Speaker 4: it's a little different, yeah.

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Speaker 1: Because they say, well, the impact players usually like up

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Speaker 1: to like pick thirteen fourteen, kind of like the sweet

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Speaker 1: the immediate playmakers.

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Speaker 4: But the thing about it is being in that twenty

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Speaker 4: three even think about draft weekend and you have your

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Speaker 4: Kuiper's and mcshay's and everybody else who has gone through

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Speaker 4: all their mock drafts and everything. Everyone's like they're the experts.

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Speaker 4: They know everything, they know what's going to happen, and

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Speaker 4: they're constantly putting out these mock drafts and here's your

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Speaker 4: three round mock draft. If they get half of the

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Speaker 4: picks correct in the first round, they're seen as geniuses.

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Speaker 4: So that's how dynamic and crazy this whole thing is.

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Speaker 4: And I just anticipate there being a ton of trades

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Speaker 4: that has become more than norm the last few seasons,

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Speaker 4: and I just feel like there's going to be so

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Speaker 4: many trades across the league, especially especially if you see

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Speaker 4: those quarterbacks either going super early or some start to fall,

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Speaker 4: then there's going to be a rush on corners. There's

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Speaker 4: going to be a rush on dns. And something that

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Speaker 4: always happens, whether it's an alignment group, a wide receiver group,

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Speaker 4: a cornerback group, as soon as other teams start to

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Speaker 4: see the top candidates they thought sliding going all of

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Speaker 4: a sudden, there's like we got to get our wide receiver.

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Speaker 4: We're going to lose out on him. That kind of

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Speaker 4: stuff happens all the time, so I when it comes

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Speaker 4: to the draft, that's the fun part for me is

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Speaker 4: to see all of a sudden, one goes, and then

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Speaker 4: you see a second one, and then maybe somebody else goes,

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Speaker 4: and a third one goes and you're like, oh, here

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Speaker 4: comes the run on exposition. That's what's fun for me

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Speaker 4: is just watching the psychology of the draft as you

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Speaker 4: love that.

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Speaker 1: It's like the ultimate surprise for most people. For most people,

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Speaker 1: it's the ultimate surprise, like you're like, oh, my gosh,

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Speaker 1: who are they going to pick?

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Speaker 4: Well, even think about you know the footage that came

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Speaker 4: out a couple of years ago when Justin Jefferson got picked. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: Philly goes after Jalen Rager and we all, you know,

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Speaker 4: they had assumed that Justin Jefferson was going to go,

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Speaker 4: oh yeah, and then when he was there, they were like,

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Speaker 4: holy smokes, you know, we didn't think this was going

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Speaker 4: to happen. And they're the draft experts, so yeah, there's

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Speaker 4: just craziness that happens. The Raiders were always a team

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Speaker 4: that would always reach for somebody and you're like, wait,

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Speaker 4: they're they're doing a kicker in the first round and

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Speaker 4: then come to find out he's a Hall of Fame kicker.

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Speaker 4: But those kind of moments that there's a lot of

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Speaker 4: teams that and a lot of fans are always raising

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Speaker 4: eyebrows going holy cow, can't believe this happened?

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Speaker 1: For sure. And of course the first round of the

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Speaker 1: draft kicks off on Thursday night, April twenty seventh, and

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Speaker 1: you can attend with all of your biking spans where

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Speaker 1: having the draft party. It's making its return to us

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Speaker 1: being stadium. There are still general mission tickets available. That's

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Speaker 1: Thursday night at seven, that's when the draft starts. But

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you can get there a little early.

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Speaker 4: I believe doors are going to be at either five

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Speaker 4: or five thirty. So just double check the website.

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Speaker 1: You've missed all of your friends, all of your close

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Speaker 1: I guess people maybe you sat next to in the stadium,

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Speaker 1: and all of your friends locally and all that stuff

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Speaker 1: you need to You definitely want to check that out

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Speaker 1: because I think there may be some player appearances. KFA

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Speaker 1: will be broadcasting from there, They'll be playing the draft

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Speaker 1: on all the video boards, yep, and.

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Speaker 4: You can run around the field. There's going to be

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Speaker 4: skull line and cheerleaders. There's going to be I believe

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Speaker 4: they're doing some of the garage sale type thing where

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Speaker 4: they've got some of the different stuff that helps benefit

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Speaker 4: the Children's Fund. There's going to be you know, some

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Speaker 4: gear and some different stuff that's going to be available,

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Speaker 4: you know, vendors, DJ There's just going to be a

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Speaker 4: ton of stuff to do and just come hang out

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Speaker 4: with you know, as they have done in the past.

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Speaker 4: The building that holds what sixty seven thousand of your

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Speaker 4: closest friends, come hang out on the.

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Speaker 1: Field, right not your average Thursday night. Absolutely well, we're

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Speaker 1: looking forward to that. I hope you guys go to

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Speaker 1: the website and get your tickets again. Like I said,

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Speaker 1: general mission tickets are still available and if you follow

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Speaker 1: me on Twitter, I will be giving away two tickets

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Speaker 1: very very very soon with some other goodies, so just

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Speaker 1: you know, be on the lookout for that. I got

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Speaker 1: to do a shameless plug and then Jay. This week

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Speaker 1: has been obviously very busy on top of the draft

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Speaker 1: because we had players report for involuntary team activities, team workouts,

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Speaker 1: and it's just been a nice little buzz. Like you

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Speaker 1: we're getting ready for the draft and is still an

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Speaker 1: empty building, and now you're getting ready for the draft,

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Speaker 1: and there are several players who are here reporting and

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Speaker 1: doing workouts with the team in househich. I think is

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Speaker 1: just speaks volumes to coaching staff.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, this is the voluntary side of it. And you know,

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Speaker 4: the nice thing for those players is they're getting back

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Speaker 4: into some of that routine.

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Speaker 1: You say involuntary, I did, Eric shaking his head. I

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Speaker 1: meant voluntary. That's totally true, because there are people who

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Speaker 1: aren't here.

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Speaker 3: You must be here.

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Speaker 1: No, that sounded like it. Yeah, so all of you

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Speaker 1: looking at me listening right now. Oh man, she's so stupid. No,

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Speaker 1: I corrected myself. I caught it.

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Speaker 3: It's all good.

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Speaker 1: I have like four brain cells right now. So that's

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Speaker 1: also part of it.

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Speaker 4: The thing about the voluntary side of it, though, is

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Speaker 4: it is always curious to see what veterans show up.

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Speaker 4: I know that given you have, you know, new defensive

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Speaker 4: coordinator in Flores, I'm sure there are different people that

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Speaker 4: want to try to get in here and get acclimated

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Speaker 4: not only to him, and you know some of what

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Speaker 4: that's going to entail. But I just think that there

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Speaker 4: are a bunch of players that go all over not

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Speaker 4: only the world, but kind of they're locales and work

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Speaker 4: out with each other in different spots. But I think

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Speaker 4: there is something too coming to the building, working with

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Speaker 4: the training staff, working with the white staff and doing

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Speaker 4: the basics and just kind of flexing that muscle again.

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Speaker 4: I think it's a good thing to get them back

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Speaker 4: in the building and feel that buzz. I know, over

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Speaker 4: the years leading up to the draft, it was fun

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Speaker 4: just having the guys back in the building because it

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Speaker 4: is quiet, you know, for a couple months, But once

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Speaker 4: you start to see them coming back, you're like, yep,

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Speaker 4: you know, we're getting back into the same seasonal, annual routine.

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Speaker 4: And there's some players that are here, there's some players

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Speaker 4: that are not, And just as you keep going month

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Speaker 4: by month by month, that just ramps up a little

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Speaker 4: bit more every time. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Most noticeably for me, it's a lot of the younger guys,

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Speaker 1: a lot of the first second year players that we

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Speaker 1: see walking around here. And I've seen i think the

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Speaker 1: entire offensive line room. Now I don't have that fully confirmed,

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Speaker 1: but I'm pretty sure I've seen every single guy from

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Speaker 1: the offensive line here, which I think is remarkable.

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Speaker 4: They are a ridiculously tight group. Yeah, and it's a

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Speaker 4: lot of fun to see that. I think it's a

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Speaker 4: good thing. I know that offensive line was always the

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Speaker 4: group that you're like, Nope, they are supposed to be together.

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Speaker 4: They are, They work as one, and I think over

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Speaker 4: the year there were a couple of veteran players that

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Speaker 4: really solidified that and pushed it, and I just think

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Speaker 4: it's carried on. And so it's great to see those

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Speaker 4: guys working together and kind of spending that time. And

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Speaker 4: I think it'd be kind of fun. You know, think

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Speaker 4: about if you were the guy who wasn't here, how

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Speaker 4: are you feeling fomo that there'd be fomo and how

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Speaker 4: much a hard time you'd be getting from the other

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Speaker 4: guys going hey, where you at?

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Speaker 1: True? That's true, And that brings us to one of

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Speaker 1: the guys that spoke this week here, Brad Berry. He

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Speaker 1: obviously signed a new deal with the Vikings this offseason

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Speaker 1: and continuity such a huge thing to him, and that

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Speaker 1: also kind of pushes that narrative as well. I mean,

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Speaker 1: those are his guys and he probably looked elsewhere, but

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Speaker 1: when it comes down to it, that's this is where

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Speaker 1: he wanted to be.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and he said O'Neill. He was talking to O'Neil,

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Speaker 4: and O'Neill was trying to be as impartial as possible, saying,

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Speaker 4: hey man, we just want what's best for you. But

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Speaker 4: at the same point he's kind of poking him, like

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Speaker 4: come back to Minnesota, come back to Minnesota, and so

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Speaker 4: oh yeah, for a guy like Garrett, it did sound like,

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Speaker 4: you know, he and his wife had talked about what

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Speaker 4: was their best situation and he just felt coming back

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Speaker 4: to Minnesota was that and having that appertunity seemed very

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Speaker 4: special to him. So again, like we said, that group

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Speaker 4: is super tight, and so it was great to hear

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Speaker 4: Garrett be happy about his situation and being able to

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Speaker 4: come back here and put another season in with the

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Speaker 4: Minsota Vikings.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Good to see a lot of familiar faces, I

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Speaker 1: think speak this week we saw kJ Osborne, who's got

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Speaker 1: a really awesome chance to try and work himself into

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Speaker 1: wide receiver two role this year. Harrison Smith spoke, which

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Speaker 1: I thought was hilarious because you know, he addressed his meme.

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Speaker 1: He said, Chris Thomason. I don't know if you guys

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Speaker 1: know this, but he sent that Prince meme to Chris

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Speaker 1: Thompson and he's asks, hey, man, are you re signing?

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Speaker 1: And Harrison was like, I mean, I don't even remember

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Speaker 1: doing it, but I knew he would do something with it,

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Speaker 1: and it definitely paid off.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, he said, he basically sent it to him and

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Speaker 4: kind of said, well, let's see what CT does with this,

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Speaker 4: and so of course it went viral.

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Speaker 1: Now it's on shirts. Yeah, the media made one for

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Speaker 1: Harrison and White and then in house media made one

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Speaker 1: for Harrison per so now he can wear both of them.

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Speaker 1: And I'm tempted to see if he wears it. I

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Speaker 1: feel like he will.

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Speaker 4: I think he's the kind of guy that definitely will.

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Speaker 1: He showed up in his Depaula Bagel and Bagel Shop

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Speaker 1: shirt for his presser, so I mean I wouldn't put

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Speaker 1: it past him.

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Speaker 4: Harrison's one of those guys that you know, he is

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Speaker 4: a long term veteran here. He is somebody that gets it.

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Speaker 4: He might not speak as often, but when he does,

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Speaker 4: it's very thoughtful and calculated and he knows what he's doing.

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Speaker 4: And so to see the smirk on his face when

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Speaker 4: that got brought up as a thing to talk about,

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Speaker 4: you just knew that that was something that he is

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Speaker 4: enjoyed the kind of everything that's come from that too.

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Speaker 4: So Harrison is it's great to have him, you know,

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Speaker 4: back here as one of the senior leaders at this point.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he's definitely one of I mean there's not

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Speaker 1: there isn't too many guys with that much experience and

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Speaker 1: maybe half that Yeah that this it's gonna be a

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Speaker 1: young defense. So solidifying his spot was huge for a

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Speaker 1: huge retainer retainer for Quasi and for Brian Flores, because

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Speaker 1: I know that that was a factor, and Harrison wanting

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Speaker 1: to stay as well.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, he said that he's kind of watched it from

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Speaker 4: afar and always kind of wanted to learn from it.

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Speaker 4: And so having that opportunity to learn from a guy

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Speaker 4: like Flores and to kind of flex his muscles and

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Speaker 4: figure something else new. I think, you know, when you're

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Speaker 4: in a system for as long as he has been,

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Speaker 4: maybe things get a little stagnant. If it's you know,

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Speaker 4: season after season of the same thing, you get comfortable,

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Speaker 4: but then when you see something else that's kind of

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Speaker 4: a shiny new toy that's available. I think for him

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Speaker 4: it's even a challenge at this point in his career

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Speaker 4: to be able to have that opportunity to work with

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Speaker 4: Brian Flores, I think was really attractive, so it was

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Speaker 4: great to hear him excited about that opportunity.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there's also a couple of guys that recently signed

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Speaker 1: with the team, a few off season acquisitions that have

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Speaker 1: been in the building. Byron Murphy has been here as

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Speaker 1: well as Josh Oliver, who is joining TJ. Howkinson in

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Speaker 1: that tight end room. And now he's going to be

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Speaker 1: our guest in joining us here on the Minnesota Vikings podcast.

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Speaker 1: And now for the first time, we are welcoming in

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Speaker 1: Kings tight End Josh Oliver to the Minnesota Vikings Podcast.

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Speaker 1: You've been here in a short amount of time and

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Speaker 1: you may have been the fastest we've ever gotten on

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Speaker 1: the podcast.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: No, we're excited to have you. And I know that

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Speaker 1: the weather hasn't been too friendly for you welcoming and

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Speaker 1: you here. Yeah, it's been kind of all over the place.

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Speaker 3: It was crazy.

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Speaker 2: When I came in, it was ninety degrees, so it

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Speaker 2: was warmer than California, so I didn't know what to expect.

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Speaker 2: And then it turned it thirty four. It just started snowing.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you got.

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Speaker 4: That fall spring going on. Yeah, it was kind of like, hey,

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Speaker 4: this is what it's going to be in a couple months,

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Speaker 4: but we're going to have to get there for a

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Speaker 4: little bit to make it normal.

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Speaker 1: This might be a silly question, but you you saw

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Speaker 1: snow in Baltimore like it was winter maybe.

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Speaker 2: Maybe two times, okay in the two years I was there. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: so this is new to me.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, because being a California guy, you probably enjoy the heat.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, oh I got used to it, but something else

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Speaker 2: to get used to.

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Speaker 1: It exactly well, and thinking of where you came from.

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Speaker 1: No knock on the other teams, but the nflp obviously

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Speaker 1: voting the Vikings number one across the like number one

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Speaker 1: spot players want to land right As far as like

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Speaker 1: the facilities and stuff. What are your impressions of everything

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Speaker 1: so far?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you hear about it, but it's just awesome to

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Speaker 2: be part of it now. Just everything, It's true. I mean,

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Speaker 2: the workouts, the nutrition, the food, everything here is just

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Speaker 2: top of the line.

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Speaker 1: You feel pampered, Yeah, definitely.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: Masters test spots in, who is a media personality. He

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Speaker 4: was here for a while and he saw the old

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Speaker 4: building and I'm going to be moved here in the

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Speaker 4: first time he was here. His comment was it's the

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Speaker 4: Apple Campus of the NFL. So his joke was just

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Speaker 4: how much this has changed from what we used to

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Speaker 4: have versus where we are now. It's a really great facility.

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Speaker 1: I'm glad that you noticed the difference. I guess my

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Speaker 1: question would be if you see a difference in like

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Speaker 1: workouts or like the nutrition, Like what is that difference

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Speaker 1: that makes the Vikings special?

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Speaker 2: They just cater to like everything you need and it's

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Speaker 2: I mean, anything you asked for and they go above

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Speaker 2: and beyond.

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Speaker 1: So it's just really cool anything in particular that helps

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Speaker 1: you get ready for the season while you're this far out.

437
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,320
Speaker 1: I guess us from training camp just like.

438
00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,159
Speaker 2: All the workouts nutrition side, just saw the supplements and

439
00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,040
Speaker 2: stuff they provide you with and just anything you really

440
00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:10,520
Speaker 2: need they provide it.

441
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:11,360
Speaker 3: I mean yeah.

442
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,879
Speaker 4: And so coming from Baltimore, you know you're at a

443
00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,600
Speaker 4: team you're with like a Mark Andrews and some of

444
00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,880
Speaker 4: the other guys there. It sounded like from press conference

445
00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:21,639
Speaker 4: and everything, you just talked about how much you had

446
00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,479
Speaker 4: learned while you were in Baltimore and having come from

447
00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,160
Speaker 4: Jacksonville prior. Is there anything in particular that really stands

448
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,639
Speaker 4: out to you now that you've kind of separated from

449
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,480
Speaker 4: Baltimore that was a huge building block for you during

450
00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:34,200
Speaker 4: your time there.

451
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:36,320
Speaker 3: Nothing in particular.

452
00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,320
Speaker 2: It was awesome just to be part with Mark and

453
00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,160
Speaker 2: Nick Boyle and stuff. They took me under their wing

454
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,200
Speaker 2: and kind of showed me the ropes. And now I'm

455
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,639
Speaker 2: working with another great tight end, t J. Hawkinson and stuff,

456
00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:47,840
Speaker 2: So it's just awesome to be a part of both sides.

457
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,040
Speaker 4: I know that Greg Roman was an advocate for you

458
00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,119
Speaker 4: after you had, you know, earned your job and everything,

459
00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:53,920
Speaker 4: and just kind of said, you know, he's a guy

460
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,480
Speaker 4: that just flat out wanted job. What is it about

461
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,680
Speaker 4: your kind of work ethic and learning style that really

462
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,000
Speaker 4: made you solidify your time there when you're in Baltimore.

463
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, my first two years in Jacksonville, I went through

464
00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,800
Speaker 2: a couple of things with injuries and stuff and not

465
00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,240
Speaker 2: being able to play ball. So whenever I get the

466
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,399
Speaker 2: opportunity or just a chance to be on the field,

467
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,480
Speaker 2: I just try my hardest. And when I'm in that

468
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,560
Speaker 2: weight room, I go my hardest. So you know, I

469
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,080
Speaker 2: just never take a situation lightly.

470
00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,199
Speaker 1: Se Have you always been like that, like when you

471
00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,399
Speaker 1: played sports as a kid and growing up and growing

472
00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,679
Speaker 1: up obviously in a very sports centric family with brothers, Like,

473
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:27,640
Speaker 1: how was that?

474
00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:29,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was always the youngest brother, so you know,

475
00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:34,399
Speaker 2: I always had to live to my oldest brothers, you know,

476
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,320
Speaker 2: step in their shoes and stuff when I came on

477
00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:39,080
Speaker 2: the canvas or came into high school and stuff. So

478
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,640
Speaker 2: it was tough, but you know, it kind of put

479
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:42,680
Speaker 2: that chip on my shoulders.

480
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,600
Speaker 4: So, yeah, being an oldest brother, it's always the younger brothers.

481
00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,080
Speaker 4: They are always the ones that have to excel because

482
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,120
Speaker 4: they either learned from what the older ones have done

483
00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,879
Speaker 4: or they've had to run the gauntlet of dealing with

484
00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,960
Speaker 4: those brothers. And so you know, for somebody like yourself

485
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,720
Speaker 4: to have seen that, I'm sure that was a kind

486
00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,200
Speaker 4: of a cheat code in order to help get where

487
00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:01,560
Speaker 4: you were, but you still had to put in the work.

488
00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:02,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt.

489
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,040
Speaker 1: What's the most competitive You remember your brothers and you

490
00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,240
Speaker 1: being competitive about something that wasn't sports.

491
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:11,360
Speaker 3: We were competitive about everything.

492
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,639
Speaker 2: I mean, anytime we had an argument or something, we

493
00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:15,800
Speaker 2: get the boxing gloves out in the front yard and stuff.

494
00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,919
Speaker 2: So it was always a moment going on in the

495
00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:19,760
Speaker 2: Oliver household.

496
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:21,560
Speaker 1: It's amazing. I'm sure your mom loved it.

497
00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:23,280
Speaker 3: Yeah she did.

498
00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,040
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's like John Jones, you know, the UFC light

499
00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,639
Speaker 4: heavyweight champion. He's the youngest brother and both of his

500
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,439
Speaker 4: brothers are in the NFL. So he just kind of

501
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,240
Speaker 4: looked at a guy like that and said, there's a

502
00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,439
Speaker 4: reason he's the champ because he's always cided. I had

503
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,480
Speaker 4: to deal with my two brothers, whether it was football

504
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,960
Speaker 4: or any other competitive things, and now he's like, I

505
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,840
Speaker 4: go to the UFC and it's basically easy because I

506
00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,320
Speaker 4: had to deal with those two crazy guys.

507
00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:45,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can see it.

508
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,440
Speaker 1: When did you ever play baseball? I know that your

509
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,639
Speaker 1: dad played in the majors for a little bit. You

510
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,480
Speaker 1: have a cousin that played, Like, was it ever something

511
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:55,239
Speaker 1: that you liked to do?

512
00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, there was definitely. Like my second cousin, Darren All

513
00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,920
Speaker 2: and then my first cousin, Bob Oliver, they were both

514
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,280
Speaker 2: in the majors for a long time. Darren Oliver played

515
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,960
Speaker 2: like eighteen years and Bob Oliver played around I think

516
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,320
Speaker 2: five to eight. It was someone I watched playing, but

517
00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,840
Speaker 2: the sport of baseball is just a little too slow

518
00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,960
Speaker 2: for me. I liked basketball and football. Those were my

519
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:16,360
Speaker 2: top two.

520
00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,080
Speaker 1: How did you make the decision between the two to

521
00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:19,679
Speaker 1: focus on.

522
00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,119
Speaker 2: I got my first offer on football, and from there

523
00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:23,560
Speaker 2: I just kind of focused on football.

524
00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,159
Speaker 1: What was the first offer do you remember?

525
00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:26,480
Speaker 3: Yeah?

526
00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,439
Speaker 2: It was I want to say, either air Force or

527
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:30,000
Speaker 2: Sex State.

528
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,080
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, very cool.

529
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:32,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

530
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,879
Speaker 4: You had commented on back in draft day that you

531
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,400
Speaker 4: had basically three offers and you chose San Jose's stay.

532
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,720
Speaker 4: Was there something about San Jose State that really stuck

533
00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,320
Speaker 4: for you as this was the right decision.

534
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:43,880
Speaker 3: Yeah.

535
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:45,800
Speaker 2: It was close to home, but far enough to where

536
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,040
Speaker 2: I could get away from my parents.

537
00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,520
Speaker 1: So you know, that's my answer every time someone asked

538
00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:50,440
Speaker 1: me why, I want to tell us.

539
00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,640
Speaker 3: You Oh yeah, yeah, you would have an.

540
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,400
Speaker 1: Arms distance length the way you exactly, But you don't

541
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,280
Speaker 1: want to be right next time, right, Yeah.

542
00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,600
Speaker 2: So it was it was an easy choice. I didn't

543
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:00,920
Speaker 2: have too many choices of the time.

544
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,199
Speaker 1: So is that something that you think about though, like

545
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,520
Speaker 1: not having those choices and like here you are now

546
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,440
Speaker 1: with a three year deal in Minnesota.

547
00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely added to the chip on my shoulder and stuff,

548
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,600
Speaker 2: just going throughout college and stuff. Always being the underdog,

549
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 2: I know, something I probed myself phone.

550
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,040
Speaker 4: And that time at San Jose State, you know, it

551
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 4: felt like you really were a bigger part of that offense.

552
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:23,359
Speaker 4: You had some really good numbers when you're in San

553
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,119
Speaker 4: Jose State, get drafted by Jacksonville, and then when you

554
00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:27,640
Speaker 4: were in Jacksonville, like you said, you had a couple

555
00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,320
Speaker 4: of seasons that were kind of you know, injury laiden

556
00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:33,560
Speaker 4: at the time. Is it something when you reflect on

557
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,560
Speaker 4: that time at Jacksonville, you know, was there was kind

558
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,399
Speaker 4: of the bright lights of I just got drafted in

559
00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:40,640
Speaker 4: the third round, and then was there a moment where

560
00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:42,520
Speaker 4: You're like, now I'm in the NFL and now I

561
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,159
Speaker 4: got to go to work. Is there anything that you

562
00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,040
Speaker 4: saw as like a transition period from what was your

563
00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,880
Speaker 4: draft experience like to now you're in the NFL.

564
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:50,320
Speaker 3: Yeah.

565
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,600
Speaker 2: I mean when you get drafted, everybody's cheering, everybody's celebrating,

566
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,520
Speaker 2: and then you get to training camp and it's just

567
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,280
Speaker 2: full go. So definitely a learning curve and I had

568
00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,920
Speaker 2: my bad with injuries early on, and so it was

569
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,280
Speaker 2: some stepping stones I had to go through. But I

570
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,000
Speaker 2: mean too much as give them much as tested.

571
00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,840
Speaker 1: So sure, Yeah, So the NFL Draft obviously is next week,

572
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,560
Speaker 1: and you were there what three four years ago? So

573
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,359
Speaker 1: like take us into the mindset of a guy. The

574
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,119
Speaker 1: Vikings have only one first round pick and then they

575
00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:19,919
Speaker 1: have a third round pick. You were a third rounder.

576
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,760
Speaker 1: So when you watch all these guys get off the

577
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,639
Speaker 1: board and you're this kind of like, you know, second

578
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,040
Speaker 1: day guy, what's your mindset those on that day?

579
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,119
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're just I mean you're nervous, you don't know

580
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,040
Speaker 2: what's going on. Your agent gives you a draft selection

581
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:34,919
Speaker 2: of like their slots of where he thinks you're going

582
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,320
Speaker 2: to go and stuff, and Minnesota is actually one of them.

583
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,199
Speaker 2: I took a visit here back in twenty nineteen, i

584
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,320
Speaker 2: want to say, and they were one of the teams

585
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,680
Speaker 2: that were on the board too. Ended up going to

586
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,879
Speaker 2: Jacksonville with the sixty ninth pick, and everybody was elated

587
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:50,720
Speaker 2: and family was related. I was just excited to have

588
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:51,280
Speaker 2: the opportunity.

589
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,879
Speaker 4: Were you somebody that was doing something to kind of

590
00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,080
Speaker 4: get the nervous energy out on draft day? Like some

591
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,159
Speaker 4: guys will do the I'm going fishing, I'm gonna go

592
00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,200
Speaker 4: hang out with, you know, let some friends or something thing.

593
00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:01,960
Speaker 4: Were you doing anything on draft a or was it

594
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,600
Speaker 4: something you were watching the TV just trying to see

595
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:03,800
Speaker 4: what was.

596
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 3: Going to happen. Yeah, I was watching the TV.

597
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,240
Speaker 2: I don't know, suppressing myself in my room, just staring

598
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:08,720
Speaker 2: at the wall.

599
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,160
Speaker 3: But no, I was just nervous.

600
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:11,600
Speaker 4: Man.

601
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:13,520
Speaker 1: I thought you would be on the front yard box

602
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:19,200
Speaker 1: and your brothers.

603
00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,000
Speaker 3: Probably had a couple arguments.

604
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:20,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, it really is an exciting time, and you know,

605
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,120
Speaker 1: and I wanted to ask you this question specifically because

606
00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:25,520
Speaker 1: I like to ask titands this question because you know,

607
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,919
Speaker 1: when you start out at college, you the game is

608
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,760
Speaker 1: really involved, especially in the NFL, from like the Titans

609
00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:34,359
Speaker 1: becoming more of a feature role in the offense. How

610
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,520
Speaker 1: how would you say that the evolution of the tight

611
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,600
Speaker 1: end has happened over the last four or five seasons.

612
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean Titans are asked to do everything in

613
00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,520
Speaker 2: the offense nowadays. They have to run, they have to

614
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,439
Speaker 2: run fast, they have to block, they have to catch passes,

615
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:51,520
Speaker 2: they have to do it all, and they have to

616
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:51,919
Speaker 2: know it all.

617
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,280
Speaker 3: So it's a lot to be challenged with.

618
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,480
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're basically having to learn two positions. You have

619
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,240
Speaker 4: to learn kind of all the receiving side of it,

620
00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,840
Speaker 4: and then you also got to understand the entire offensive

621
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,399
Speaker 4: line concept, and that's got to be like, you know,

622
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,720
Speaker 4: drinking from a fire hose at times. Is there anything

623
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:07,879
Speaker 4: on your end when you're trying to study and to

624
00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,000
Speaker 4: figure that stuff out that you found that has helped

625
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,520
Speaker 4: you over the over the years just.

626
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,600
Speaker 3: Just mastering the offense or trying to as fast as

627
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:15,920
Speaker 3: you can.

628
00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,680
Speaker 4: Are you like a on the field kind of repetition

629
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,280
Speaker 4: type guy or somebody that's a book learner and the

630
00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:22,200
Speaker 4: repetition is huge?

631
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:22,760
Speaker 3: Yeah? It helps.

632
00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:23,280
Speaker 2: Yeah.

633
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:24,720
Speaker 1: I mean, you got the book right in front of me.

634
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 1: It's taking everything. I'm not power not to go in

635
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:28,800
Speaker 1: there and kind of take some lile snapshot. I mean,

636
00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,920
Speaker 1: when you opened it up, are you what were your impressions?

637
00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,200
Speaker 1: I guess as opposed to what you've done in previous places.

638
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,840
Speaker 2: It's just exciting just all this different stuff they do

639
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,280
Speaker 2: in this offense and stuff and the things they asked

640
00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,119
Speaker 2: for the tight Ends to do. So I'm excited to

641
00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,880
Speaker 2: be part of it and just I'm just still very

642
00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,320
Speaker 2: early on in my learning process, but I'm excited.

643
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,040
Speaker 1: That's awesome. Is there has there been a player or

644
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,320
Speaker 1: someone in the building who's just been extra welcoming to

645
00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,600
Speaker 1: you that you've been like, okay, cool, like making me

646
00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:57,600
Speaker 1: feel comfortable here.

647
00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, all the tight Ends have been great, Johnny, Ben

648
00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 2: and Nick, They've all been great, just showing me the

649
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:05,600
Speaker 2: ropes around.

650
00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:07,159
Speaker 4: You seeing as how you play the Titan position. Is

651
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,639
Speaker 4: there somebody like historically that you've always admired or wanted

652
00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:11,920
Speaker 4: to kind of model your game after.

653
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:13,160
Speaker 3: Yeah.

654
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:17,639
Speaker 2: I mean growing up in California and just going to

655
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,920
Speaker 2: San Jose State, you always had Tony Gonzalez to look

656
00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,479
Speaker 2: up to. He went to col and Monster my one

657
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,199
Speaker 2: of my coaches, Dan for you know, he was a

658
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,200
Speaker 2: tight Ends coach. He coached them before, so he'd always

659
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,600
Speaker 2: showed me his footage and stuff. So I mean he's

660
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:29,720
Speaker 2: a great wood strive for.

661
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, he did everything and now he's kind of worked

662
00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:33,639
Speaker 4: his way into some of the commentary booth and everything

663
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,879
Speaker 4: like that. And like you said, it's probably a product

664
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,000
Speaker 4: of him having to learn everything about the offense in

665
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,400
Speaker 4: order to do that. He's just seemed like somebody who

666
00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,119
Speaker 4: really did things the right way. I think he's a

667
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,680
Speaker 4: great guy to model your game after.

668
00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,679
Speaker 1: I'm gonna end this on the most important question of

669
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,919
Speaker 1: the day. Has Snooped the Bernie Doodal arrived in Minnesota.

670
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:53,960
Speaker 2: No, he will make he will make his appearance surely though.

671
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:58,639
Speaker 1: Okay, good, Yeah, up here, he stays with you for

672
00:27:58,720 --> 00:27:59,960
Speaker 1: most of the most of the time, like most of.

673
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:01,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's with me all the time.

674
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 2: Sometimes he'll go up to my moms and hang out

675
00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,200
Speaker 2: with their dogs, but he's with me full time.

676
00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,400
Speaker 1: Well, I will tell you this. One thing I learned

677
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,320
Speaker 1: when I moved here to Minnesota is that they are

678
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,359
Speaker 1: a lot of doodles in this city, and I feel

679
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,200
Speaker 1: like he'll fit in perfectly.

680
00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:15,680
Speaker 4: Yeah.

681
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:17,359
Speaker 2: I think he's gonna love the snow. You know, he

682
00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:19,520
Speaker 2: gets warm fast, so I think the snow will be perfect.

683
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,399
Speaker 1: He'll let me be perfect for him. Well, we're excited to

684
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 1: have you and Snoop here in Minnesota.

685
00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm excited for it. Thanks for having me on

686
00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:25,880
Speaker 3: this podcast.

687
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:27,280
Speaker 1: Hey, thanks, Josh, appreciate it.

688
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:27,960
Speaker 3: Appreciate it.

689
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,920
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Josh Oliver, the newest Minnesota Vikings tight End,

690
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 1: for joining us on the Vikings podcast. Jay, what a

691
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,160
Speaker 1: great guy. Yeah, seems like he's you know, he's here,

692
00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,520
Speaker 1: he's reporting. He's in a room full of tight ends

693
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,800
Speaker 1: who are ready to go, and I'm excited to see

694
00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: how Kevin O'Connell utilizes his elite blocking skills.

695
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,120
Speaker 4: Yeah, well that's the thing. And I think a guy

696
00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,880
Speaker 4: like him you get known for doing specific things. And

697
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,000
Speaker 4: I think everyone says, while we have other guys here

698
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,200
Speaker 4: that are past catchers, and he's an elite blocking guy,

699
00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,120
Speaker 4: that's what he was good at. But that's not just

700
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 4: what he is. I mean, we've had multiple guys throughout

701
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 4: the years. A prototypical example is Jim clinsauser one of

702
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,080
Speaker 4: the old guys, but Jimmy was essentially an extra offensive

703
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,840
Speaker 4: lineman who then would run out and run routes and

704
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,480
Speaker 4: still could catch passes. Like having a guy that's dual

705
00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,040
Speaker 4: threat like that, I think is even better for us

706
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,480
Speaker 4: because then everyone would assume he might do more of

707
00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:24,880
Speaker 4: the blocking side, but when he does peel off into

708
00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:26,600
Speaker 4: a route, then he's even more dangerous.

709
00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,080
Speaker 1: Well, when you think about his story and dealing with

710
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,640
Speaker 1: injuries early in his career, than being under Mark Andrews

711
00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,520
Speaker 1: in Baltimore for a season, like this is a guy

712
00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,160
Speaker 1: who really hasn't even scratched the surface on like his

713
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:39,920
Speaker 1: full potential in an offense.

714
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:40,480
Speaker 4: For sure.

715
00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 1: I think back to a guy like Zadarius Smith. Where

716
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,719
Speaker 1: he was behind, I think was Suggs in Baltimore for

717
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,840
Speaker 1: a long time if I'm not mistaken, but he was

718
00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,360
Speaker 1: obviously behind someone who's very good and then gets to

719
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,040
Speaker 1: Green Bay and has this breakout season because he's finally

720
00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,360
Speaker 1: the guy. And I'm not saying he's gonna Josh Oliver

721
00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,160
Speaker 1: is gonna leap over TJ. TJ is the guy, and

722
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,240
Speaker 1: he probably knew that coming into this that TJ is

723
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,640
Speaker 1: the target, but having another one and going two tight

724
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,720
Speaker 1: end sets is more possible now with someone with his

725
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:09,240
Speaker 1: skill set.

726
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think that's what the offensive side is

727
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,400
Speaker 4: looking at and saying that you have then dual threat

728
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,160
Speaker 4: tight ends that can make you pay in multiple ways,

729
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:18,600
Speaker 4: whether it is staying into block or running routes. And

730
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:20,600
Speaker 4: I think a guy like Josh, you know, one thing

731
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,920
Speaker 4: that's been proven is that he has earned his positions

732
00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 4: where he's been, you know, Baltimore, he was listed as

733
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,400
Speaker 4: a bubble player coming out of camp and as we

734
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:33,800
Speaker 4: kind of cited before, Greg Roman basically flat out said,

735
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,720
Speaker 4: this kid outworked everybody and realized just how crowded that

736
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,520
Speaker 4: tight end room was and he earned it. And so

737
00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,280
Speaker 4: seeing a guy that knows how to work, has gone

738
00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,800
Speaker 4: through adversity and is now getting his opportunity here with

739
00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,840
Speaker 4: this organization. Feels like it seems like he's happy with

740
00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,000
Speaker 4: what he's seen so far and the interactions he's had

741
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:50,800
Speaker 4: with the guys. If you can get a guy like that,

742
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,320
Speaker 4: he's happy and he's willing to work, that's the perfect

743
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,240
Speaker 4: recipe for prototypical tight end in this league.

744
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,880
Speaker 1: I love it. Well. Speaking of hard workers, someone in

745
00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:04,960
Speaker 1: the Vikings organization recently retired. Dennis Ryan, longtime Vikings equipment manager,

746
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,560
Speaker 1: put nearly fifty years of his life into this organization

747
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,200
Speaker 1: and now he has hung up the cleats, the helmet,

748
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,640
Speaker 1: the equipment. Whatever you want to win analogy.

749
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,920
Speaker 4: Say, towels, yeah, whatever, all he was in charge of

750
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,280
Speaker 4: it all absolutely And you know, I know.

751
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:20,960
Speaker 1: You can speak more on this. You've known Dennis for

752
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 1: a very long time.

753
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:22,000
Speaker 3: Jay.

754
00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,600
Speaker 4: Dennis is the guy who basically he doesn't talk very much,

755
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,640
Speaker 4: but he just does it the right way. And he

756
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,880
Speaker 4: is the he used the word again, prototypical guy of

757
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,720
Speaker 4: just how do you want to do your job? What

758
00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:41,160
Speaker 4: is required of you, what is asked of you? He

759
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,120
Speaker 4: just put his head down and did it and here's

760
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,320
Speaker 4: the thing when you think about equipment manager, like, well,

761
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:46,680
Speaker 4: how hard is it to give a guy a pair

762
00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:48,960
Speaker 4: of cleats, or how hard is it to do guys laundry?

763
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:49,880
Speaker 1: Oh no, it's guys.

764
00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:51,240
Speaker 4: You do not understand this.

765
00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:56,160
Speaker 1: These guys are here before anyone and they leave after everyone.

766
00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:57,960
Speaker 4: Like everyone would be saying, I can't wait to go

767
00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,760
Speaker 4: home and crawl my bed after a game, and they're

768
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,840
Speaker 4: going going in on Sunday night, middle of the night

769
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,280
Speaker 4: to start doing all of the laundry and getting everything

770
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,760
Speaker 4: ready to be set for Monday. And it's the same

771
00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,200
Speaker 4: kind of thing I know in all sports that equipment

772
00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,560
Speaker 4: managers probably get overlooked a little bit and just kind

773
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,920
Speaker 4: of figure, well, somebody does it, and you know they're

774
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:18,360
Speaker 4: out there the next day for a game or the

775
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,440
Speaker 4: next week or whatever. But these are the unsung heroes.

776
00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,560
Speaker 4: And that's why immediately when it was put out on Twitter,

777
00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,640
Speaker 4: you saw guys like Randy Moss retweet and say, just

778
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,000
Speaker 4: tell me where the party is, because that's how much

779
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,320
Speaker 4: guys like Dennis Ryan mean to him. I know when

780
00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,640
Speaker 4: he came back the second time, the first person he

781
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,479
Speaker 4: walked in the door and with the giant smile gave

782
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,480
Speaker 4: a hug to was Dennis Ryan. Dennis is the lifeblood

783
00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,120
Speaker 4: that helped make this organization function on the football side,

784
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,560
Speaker 4: and that's why you have leadership in the front office

785
00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,760
Speaker 4: talking so highly about them. Everyone on Twitter, the media,

786
00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,680
Speaker 4: anyone that's interacted with this guy has positive things to say.

787
00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,040
Speaker 4: And you know, as a guy who's been here for

788
00:32:58,040 --> 00:32:59,760
Speaker 4: a while, and then you realize Dennis was here almost

789
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:03,200
Speaker 4: trip the amount of time that I've been here and

790
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,640
Speaker 4: seeing some of these guys that were here prior to

791
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,239
Speaker 4: me being here and then having them as kind of

792
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,600
Speaker 4: my I guess tent pole people to kind of look

793
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,720
Speaker 4: up to and understand, you know, what does it really

794
00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,000
Speaker 4: mean to work for this organization? What does it mean

795
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,360
Speaker 4: to be a professional. And to have some of those

796
00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,800
Speaker 4: people leaving, some of us were talking saying, yeah, you

797
00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,200
Speaker 4: just realized, like we kind of took that for granted

798
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:25,600
Speaker 4: a little bit in this organization. Other places have had

799
00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,840
Speaker 4: a lot of change over over the years, but a

800
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,200
Speaker 4: guy like Dennis Ryan was universally across the board between

801
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,880
Speaker 4: coaches and everyone just admired and loved, including Pete Carroll,

802
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:38,880
Speaker 4: you know, had a message on Twitter as well. It's

803
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,520
Speaker 4: all across the league. Whenever you've left here, a guy

804
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,320
Speaker 4: like Dennis Ryan has been kind of one of your stalwarts,

805
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,240
Speaker 4: and so to see him leave is bittersweet.

806
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,200
Speaker 1: And there's a really great piece on vikings dot com

807
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,920
Speaker 1: profiling Dennis's career, and there will be an audio piece

808
00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 1: coming out soon down the line that will be also

809
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 1: highlighting everything that Dennis has done, just to give a

810
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,400
Speaker 1: perspective and the honor and the do that he deserves.

811
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,400
Speaker 4: For sure, it's almost going to be pulling teeth because

812
00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,280
Speaker 4: Dennis is not somebody who likes to sit out.

813
00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:08,719
Speaker 1: But if we were talking about getting him on the

814
00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:10,640
Speaker 1: podcast and I was talking to someone who works in

815
00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:12,960
Speaker 1: the equipment with him and he's like, you really are

816
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:14,759
Speaker 1: going to get Dennis for a podcast? I don't know

817
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,759
Speaker 1: if he's going to talk. I was like, I think,

818
00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:18,120
Speaker 1: I think we're going to make it work. What won't

819
00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:18,560
Speaker 1: make it work.

820
00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,719
Speaker 4: We've had him in the past for different podcasts to

821
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:24,719
Speaker 4: talk about kind of the historical side and some of

822
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 4: the more personal relationships. So to get a guy to

823
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,480
Speaker 4: Dennis like Dennis to open up for things like that

824
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,640
Speaker 4: is important. And I just think it is important to

825
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:34,560
Speaker 4: give a guy like him, as Flowers and just to

826
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,360
Speaker 4: make him understand. I know he doesn't he's not comfortable

827
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,759
Speaker 4: with having everybody keeping praise on him, but he absolutely

828
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:42,319
Speaker 4: deserves it.

829
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 1: I could not agree more again, be on the lookout

830
00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:48,840
Speaker 1: for that podcast and you can go read the article online.

831
00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:52,520
Speaker 1: And speaking of online, as we mentioned, it is draft weeks,

832
00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,520
Speaker 1: so of course we're going to pub our draft content.

833
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:57,800
Speaker 1: We have a lot going on. We're going to have

834
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:02,240
Speaker 1: exclusive one on ones throughout the weekend with KOC and

835
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,680
Speaker 1: all of the draft picks that will be chosen throughout

836
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:09,680
Speaker 1: the weekend, rapid reactions from our local experts, the guys

837
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:14,880
Speaker 1: from KFN, Ron Johnson, Pete Bursich, all those guys. They'll

838
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:20,160
Speaker 1: be giving reactions to the picks as well as the podcast,

839
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,360
Speaker 1: so we'll have an audio version of those as well

840
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:26,360
Speaker 1: throughout the weekend. And an exciting thing for us, I

841
00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:28,520
Speaker 1: think a little bit something different that we're doing is

842
00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,799
Speaker 1: on Friday, right before the draft, we'll be doing a

843
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,480
Speaker 1: live show following the press conference for the first round

844
00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,880
Speaker 1: draft pick if we've done in the first round, and

845
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,000
Speaker 1: so that show, no matter what we do, will be

846
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,520
Speaker 1: pre draft on Friday, and so that should be a

847
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,600
Speaker 1: ton of fun too, and I hope you guys tune

848
00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,319
Speaker 1: into that because that will be very Viking centric coverage

849
00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,160
Speaker 1: as opposed to if you tune into the networks and

850
00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:53,919
Speaker 1: you see like the Umbrella cover.

851
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:58,480
Speaker 4: Yeah, the kind of national perspective versus versus the local exactly.

852
00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,399
Speaker 4: The draft has always been something that, like I said before,

853
00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,359
Speaker 4: I get excited about. And part of that was because

854
00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,399
Speaker 4: when I got hired here, it was one month before

855
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,520
Speaker 4: the draft started, and that was the Adrian Peterson Draft,

856
00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,080
Speaker 4: and so just the chaos and craziness of that always

857
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 4: kind of kicked it off. But because of that, one

858
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:15,799
Speaker 4: thing that we've always loved to do is provide the

859
00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,879
Speaker 4: best coverage possible that the fans want to hear and see.

860
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:20,759
Speaker 4: And so to be able to do all these one

861
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:24,120
Speaker 4: on ones, the rapid reactions, the live broadcasts, and then

862
00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,000
Speaker 4: the pods as well, it's so much fun because you.

863
00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:27,600
Speaker 1: Get the beast.

864
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,239
Speaker 4: Yeah, you react to what's already happened, and then it's

865
00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:34,520
Speaker 4: the preview of what may happen. And each day you're

866
00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,680
Speaker 4: just kind of giving more and more information and trying

867
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,520
Speaker 4: to filter through everything that has happened, not only nationally

868
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,400
Speaker 4: but locally. And I hope the fans love it. They

869
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,719
Speaker 4: always seem to respond to it online, and that's why

870
00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,520
Speaker 4: we do it. We love doing it for the fans.

871
00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:49,880
Speaker 1: Well, it's like the week before Christmas. Christmas Morning is

872
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 1: slowly approaching. I guess you could say, as the NFL

873
00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,920
Speaker 1: Draft is just one week away from us recording this podcast.

874
00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:58,000
Speaker 1: I'm going to go home and get some sleep because

875
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,040
Speaker 1: I have a feeling this week is going to crazy.

876
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,080
Speaker 4: I'm looking forward to my Christmas cookies coming in April.

877
00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:07,319
Speaker 1: There you go, Christmas in April. Love it. Thanks for

878
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,840
Speaker 1: listening to this episode of the Minnesota Vikings podcast. We

879
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,080
Speaker 1: will catch you talk about draft. Our latest draft pick

880
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Speaker 1: that's so exciting. Next time you hear from us, we

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Speaker 1: will have bepicked the first newest Minnesota Viking. That's crazy.

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Speaker 4: Looking forward to it and I cannot wait.