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Speaker 1: And now Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to move to this podcast. I'm Bucky Brooks and

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Speaker 1: I'm joined with my man l Z Lancer Line, who

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Speaker 1: does anything and everything in the media world. He is,

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Speaker 1: let me know, just their radio host. He does. Let

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Speaker 1: me he's Houston's finest everything. Whatever you want, l Z

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Speaker 1: can deliver. What's up, man, how you doing good? Good?

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Speaker 1: I got some barbecue people. You need a patio. I

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Speaker 1: got a guy that can build a patio. I got

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Speaker 1: a new plumbing guy started speaking for so you know,

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Speaker 1: you gotta have a list. Don't act like you don't

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Speaker 1: have a list in California, don't act like you don't

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Speaker 1: have a list. I do have a list, but I

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Speaker 1: gotta get to this before you. Last time you're on

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Speaker 1: the pot, I think it was right before the Astros

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Speaker 1: or I think they call him the trash trash Trashtros

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Speaker 1: came out to l A. I actually went to the

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Speaker 1: first game, um to the kids and stuff to see,

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Speaker 1: and let me tell you, I've never seen I have

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Speaker 1: seen anything like it in terms of just the level

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Speaker 1: of disruption that the Astros calls when they get onto

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Speaker 1: the field. But here's the thing. I think they've kind

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Speaker 1: of stepped into the villainous role and they're okay with it.

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Speaker 1: I think in the first year kind of complaining like hey,

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Speaker 1: it's not I think Dusty Baking Company, they just are like,

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Speaker 1: hey man, we are what we are and they go

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Speaker 1: get it a little. All two day is that they'd

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Speaker 1: be in the villa Korea and those guys. But let

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Speaker 1: me say, you man, uh it was very interesting and

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Speaker 1: the Astros are legit, They're they're good. Yeah, they can play,

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Speaker 1: and um, I think one of the things that I

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Speaker 1: think one of the things that really surprises some people

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Speaker 1: is that the Astros are so good at just as

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Speaker 1: you mentioned, basically, um, becoming being comfortable with who they are.

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Speaker 1: Basically they're like, okay, well you want us to be

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Speaker 1: the villain, Well now we're gonna be the villain. And

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Speaker 1: so I think that's you know what, and I think

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Speaker 1: that's what's important in sports. Um, some times you have

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Speaker 1: to it's not necessarily who someone else defined you as,

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Speaker 1: but there comes a time where you can't let things

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Speaker 1: like that define you. And so you know, I say

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Speaker 1: that as we lead into you know, the meat of

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Speaker 1: the football stuff, we're gonna talk about. I think it's

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Speaker 1: important really for players and teams in any sport. At

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Speaker 1: some point you can't worry about what they're gonna say

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Speaker 1: about you. You just have to be you. Because I

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Speaker 1: remember there's a quarterback way back in the day, uh

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Speaker 1: slash Cordell Steward who I think Cordell was too worried

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Speaker 1: about what people thought of him, you know, being a

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Speaker 1: running quarterback and not being a pocket pastor. And I

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Speaker 1: felt like he tried to fit into the mold of

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Speaker 1: what he thought it thought maybe other people wanted him

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Speaker 1: to beat, maybe even who the Chicago Bears wanted him

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Speaker 1: to be. And there are times where you have to

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Speaker 1: just say I am this and you lean into it.

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Speaker 1: And for the Astros, you know it bothered him last year,

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Speaker 1: I can tell you that they played like it bothered

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Speaker 1: him last year. This year they're like, whatever, We're just

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Speaker 1: gonna go at it. And if if you want us

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Speaker 1: to be the bad guys, will be the bad guys.

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Speaker 1: That's fine. But you gotta be you at some point

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Speaker 1: and stop worrying about letting other people to find you.

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Speaker 1: It's funny that you bring it up, because it's gonna

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Speaker 1: lead to a natural transition. But I'm gonna say this,

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Speaker 1: and I had a coach had me this a long

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Speaker 1: time ago. When you play to your strength, you have

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Speaker 1: no weaknesses. So once you identify what you're good at

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Speaker 1: and the style of play that works for you, no

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Speaker 1: matter what people say, you just continue to lean into it.

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Speaker 1: Because if you always can find a way to get

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Speaker 1: the game where you're playing to your strong suit, you're

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Speaker 1: gonna have far more success than not in doing it.

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Speaker 1: And so when I think about this in terms of identity,

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Speaker 1: Hard Knocks just premier with the Dallas Cowboys, and there's

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Speaker 1: been a lot of conversation about how the Cowboys were

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Speaker 1: portrayed with the cameras being there. Mike McCarthy, is this

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Speaker 1: this real personality is a fake d Q with all

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Speaker 1: the cursing and all the other stuff, and then the

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Speaker 1: players and the personalities that appeared. Uh, what would your

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Speaker 1: takeaway on the Cowboys? Like the premiere episode of Hard Knocks?

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Speaker 1: Did you have you ever take on it? Yeah? You know,

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Speaker 1: it's a show that I've loved for years and years.

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Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of documentaries. Um, I think HBO

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Speaker 1: does an exceptional job. I got to be here watching

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Speaker 1: I actually had the executive producer producer of Hard Knocks

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Speaker 1: reach out to me before they came to Houston, you know,

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Speaker 1: several years ago, but two thousand fourteen, when bill Um

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Speaker 1: Bill O'Brien took over as head coach and and I

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Speaker 1: think someone told him that they should reach out to me,

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Speaker 1: that I had some good, you know, help in terms

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Speaker 1: of storylines, and so I gave them some players I

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Speaker 1: thought they would be interested in that would make for

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Speaker 1: good documentary material and some storylines to look out for. Uh,

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Speaker 1: the insiders might here, might might know about. And so

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Speaker 1: watching the whole thing take place and how they cut

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Speaker 1: it up and how they edited and everything, I thought

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Speaker 1: it was really fascinating. UM. I liked what I saw yesterday.

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Speaker 1: I've been a big fan of Hard Knocks, but I

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Speaker 1: felt like we got a good look at Dak the

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Speaker 1: person and what he's going through. I think we gotta

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Speaker 1: look at Zeke a little bit in terms of UM.

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Speaker 1: I don't know that they gave us any great insight

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Speaker 1: into it necessarily. UM, but you know you've been in

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Speaker 1: those rooms, Bucky, so you've seen it. You know what

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Speaker 1: looks authentic, you know what looks and authentic I think

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Speaker 1: guys knowing their mike up nowadays on hard knocks, I

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Speaker 1: can say that. I do think a lot of players

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Speaker 1: know when they're miked up and they play to that um.

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Speaker 1: But I think we're gonna be off to a pretty

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Speaker 1: good hard knocks. I think this is gonna be good

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Speaker 1: with the Dallas Cowboys. I'll tell you what really struck

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Speaker 1: me is Jerry Jones starting to get choked up at

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Speaker 1: that press conference because you sense that he's a He's

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Speaker 1: a guy who knows I don't have a lot of

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Speaker 1: time left here realistically with the Cowboys and trying to

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Speaker 1: win another title, and he came right into the league

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Speaker 1: and won a bunch of titles and it seems easy.

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Speaker 1: And now here we are twenty six years later, and

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Speaker 1: he just has never gotten even a taste of something

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Speaker 1: like that again. So I'm not saying he's he's UM.

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Speaker 1: I think his urgency, his level of urgency really kind

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Speaker 1: of popped off the TV screen yesterday. He knows he's

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Speaker 1: got to have Dack back, he knows he's got to

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Speaker 1: have him healthy, and I think he sees that opportunity

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Speaker 1: potentially slipping away if they don't capture it right now.

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Speaker 1: At the talent they have on the roster. Yeah, it's

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Speaker 1: funny that you brought that part up, because when I

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Speaker 1: look at uh the Cowboys and Jerry Jonesen haven't been

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Speaker 1: up to camp a few different times. Really impressed with

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Speaker 1: what I've seen from the team. And I know people

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Speaker 1: say like it's only privor is what can you really

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Speaker 1: get out of privae I will say this, the tenor

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Speaker 1: and the tone of the team appears to be a

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Speaker 1: lot different than it was last year. And not having

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Speaker 1: been previous to seeing how they operated under Mike Loland

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Speaker 1: and the defensive staff, I will tell you, and watching

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Speaker 1: Dan Quinn the guys um, the emphasis on effort, the

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Speaker 1: attention to detail when it comes to the fundamentals, and

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Speaker 1: just kind of getting everybody on the same page. I

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Speaker 1: think you can sense that. And it's hard to, you know,

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Speaker 1: make strong proclamations based off of preseason work and those

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Speaker 1: things in the Hall of Fame game like they end

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Speaker 1: up losing six three, But I would tell you they

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Speaker 1: appear to be a much better product. The one thing

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Speaker 1: that came out of that or that has come out

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Speaker 1: in recent days, uh Dak Prescott going to have another

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Speaker 1: m R I and I know people saying like, oh,

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Speaker 1: it's not a big deal, but I know this lance,

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Speaker 1: I just don't walk around on the planet Earth and

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Speaker 1: the side. You know what, I think I'm gonna m

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Speaker 1: R I today unless there's something that's going to go on.

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Speaker 1: So I think that is a situation to just kind

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Speaker 1: of monitor because I would get worried him getting the

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Speaker 1: second m R on a shoulder issue. And the fact

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Speaker 1: that they consulted the rangers and some other people, to me,

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Speaker 1: that appears to be a very serious deal that they're

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Speaker 1: trying to avoid. You know, it's funny, and when you

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Speaker 1: say that, it's got me thinking back to Jerry Jones's

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Speaker 1: response to Mike McCarthy's response, They're all they're both you know,

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Speaker 1: you didn't get the feeling that they were um that

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Speaker 1: this whole thing was an abundance of caution. Is that

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Speaker 1: you know, their their person, their medical staff, you know what,

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Speaker 1: We're doing this out of an abundance of caution. And

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Speaker 1: I just kind of bought into it and just kept

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Speaker 1: it moving. But you do get the sense when I

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Speaker 1: think back about how the owner and how the head

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Speaker 1: coach reacted, they're very concerned as well as they should be.

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Speaker 1: I mean, they're a completely different team without Dak Prescott.

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Speaker 1: I think what it gets to is that we always

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Speaker 1: have to remember is there there's been a sense of

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Speaker 1: I think a lot of fans see that Adrian Peterson's

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Speaker 1: come back from a knee injury and go for two thousand.

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Speaker 1: That guy's a cyborg. He's a robot. That's not real life.

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Speaker 1: What Adrian Peterson does has nothing to do with you

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Speaker 1: or me or any other living humans. He's a different cat.

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Speaker 1: And that's that you do have to worry about. They

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Speaker 1: talked about trusting, getting the mind to trust the body,

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Speaker 1: and I think Joe Burrow is going through that sum

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Speaker 1: right now in Cincinnati, which is something else we can

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Speaker 1: hit on at some point. But I think um coming

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Speaker 1: back from injuries not a percent guaranteed coming back the

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Speaker 1: person you were before. It's not always, especially with lower

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Speaker 1: leg issues or with with the shoulder mechanism, for a

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Speaker 1: passer um, or for a picture, whatever the case may be.

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Speaker 1: You can't just put it in the books as a

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Speaker 1: lock that okay, after eight months, twelve months, everything's good,

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Speaker 1: not always, not always. No, and and and I think

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Speaker 1: that is that is a great point that you bring

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Speaker 1: up about how they played it off in terms of

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Speaker 1: like out of an abundance of caution, but then it

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Speaker 1: appeared to be a little more serious in nature and

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Speaker 1: maybe the distress that was kind of conveyed or expressed

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Speaker 1: by owner Jerry Jones and then hey coach Mike mccarthur.

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Speaker 1: And I think a lot of it goes back to

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Speaker 1: the backup quarterback situation. If you've been out here, you've

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Speaker 1: been up to ox and I had a chance to

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Speaker 1: see uh Cooper Rush and Gary Gilbert throw it around.

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Speaker 1: There's not a lot of not a lot of confidence.

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Speaker 1: Um and what happens in four A team that fell

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Speaker 1: apart when Dak Prescott went exodus stage left a year ago,

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Speaker 1: I think it has to be some concern. I think

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Speaker 1: that is why you're hearing the reports of them trying

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Speaker 1: to really take a super cautious approach to make sure

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Speaker 1: they understand exactly what's going on and how the best treated.

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Speaker 1: Speaking speaking of like we were talking about quarterbacks and

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Speaker 1: not been available in the preseason, I gotta hit you

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Speaker 1: because you're in Asia. What in the world? What what? What?

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Speaker 1: It is? It's a weekly thing. What's going on with

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Speaker 1: Deshaun Washston Texans. What what what are we doing? So

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Speaker 1: I brought up the Bucky Brooks comment on my show

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Speaker 1: the very next day. Well, Bucky said, too bad, you're

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Speaker 1: you're in Texas, Texas just well, they just play him,

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Speaker 1: They just play him. At my radio partners said, you

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Speaker 1: tell Bucky like, um, you know, to refresh people who

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Speaker 1: didn't hear it. You talked about the fact that you know,

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Speaker 1: Deshaun is under contract. Deshaun Watson, if he wants to

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Speaker 1: get paid, will play for the Texans. If he doesn't

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Speaker 1: want to, he won't play. But it's really things are

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Speaker 1: starting to get a little tricky with the Texans. So

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Speaker 1: here's the latest for people who haven't heard yesterday. The

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Speaker 1: Texans try to shut down practice like okay, we're done

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Speaker 1: with can't we're going into regular season mode. They haven't

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Speaker 1: even played their first preseason game. By league rules, you

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Speaker 1: can't do that until August. You can't go to regular

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Speaker 1: season rules, which basically would shut the media out after

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Speaker 1: the first twenty minutes. And the thought from some of

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Speaker 1: the Houston media members, some of the veterans who have

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Speaker 1: been around, like John McClain, etcetera, etcetera, was that this

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Speaker 1: was a chance to potentially prevent people from being out

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Speaker 1: there to continually monitored Deshaun Watson talk about Deshaun Watson

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Speaker 1: ask questions about if you're not there and you don't

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Speaker 1: know what's going on, the questions are gonna slow down. Well,

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Speaker 1: obviously the media got that shut down where no, you

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Speaker 1: can't just shut us out and say you're going a

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Speaker 1: regular season mode. And then this morning, as we take this,

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Speaker 1: Deshaun was walking off the practice field at one point

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Speaker 1: and he basically told the person who's filming him with

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Speaker 1: a little iPhone or whatever, why do you keep filming me?

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Speaker 1: It's the same bleep. You know, I don't even know

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Speaker 1: what you're doing. Why are you filming this? That's as

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Speaker 1: salty as I've ever seen Deshaun Watson. Deshaun is pretty

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Speaker 1: much always the smile on the face guy, easy to

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Speaker 1: get along, you know, get long to go along. It's

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Speaker 1: not a problem. But I think what we have now

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Speaker 1: is there's a player who's checked out on playing in

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Speaker 1: the city of Houston. He's checked out on playing for

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Speaker 1: the Houston Texans. In his mind, he's never going to again.

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Speaker 1: And I think he's gonna have to guard against his

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Speaker 1: frustrations a little bit, and the Texans are just gonna

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Speaker 1: have to deal with it. He's at camp, They're gonna

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Speaker 1: have to deal with questions. They're not gonna be able

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Speaker 1: to New England their way out of it. You know

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Speaker 1: that nicissarial move that felt like a Bill Belichick New

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Speaker 1: England move right to say, Okay, that's it, we're shutting

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Speaker 1: down practice. WHOA. You don't have a bunch of Super

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Speaker 1: Bowls here with Houston, Texas. You can't just make these

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Speaker 1: wide sweeping rules like that. I think this situation continues

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Speaker 1: being indictment on the lack of leadership in Houston. The

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Speaker 1: front office and those things agree for as long as

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Speaker 1: this is played out, because it's not like this happened overnight,

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Speaker 1: Like this is a situation that happened at the early

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Speaker 1: part of the off season where you knew Deshaun Boston

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Speaker 1: when DIGGI seals in and having an issue. Now the

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Speaker 1: tables flipped when the lawsuits came um in the spring,

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Speaker 1: and that changed it where it kind of from old

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Speaker 1: people assumed that Deshaun Watson had to leverage to Now

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Speaker 1: the Texas are trying to figure out how they're going

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Speaker 1: to handle it, and now what you have is I

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Speaker 1: would say a full scale mess on both hands, because

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Speaker 1: for the Houston Texans to not have a plan for

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Speaker 1: how they were going to handle the Shaun Wasson when

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Speaker 1: he came to training camp, that is on them. For

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Speaker 1: the Shaun Wasson, this is a situation where in essence,

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Speaker 1: I hate the same but I'm gonna use it. He

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Speaker 1: wants his cake and he wants to eat it too,

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Speaker 1: meaning he wants to show up and avoid the fines,

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Speaker 1: but he doesn't want to do the work, and he

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Speaker 1: still wants to get paid when the regular season comes,

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Speaker 1: his salary, but he doesn't want to play for the Texans.

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Speaker 1: Hey man, it doesn't work like that. You're under contract.

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Speaker 1: If the Houston Texas, if Nick Cassario really had the nerve,

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Speaker 1: I would be like, you're either playing or we're gonna

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Speaker 1: suspend you and send you home. But I'm not paying

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Speaker 1: you to kind of be around and not get anything

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Speaker 1: out of you. I don't know where that works. And

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Speaker 1: because the NFL hasn't stepped in with the commissioners exemption lists,

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Speaker 1: they need to make a decision. And so what I

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Speaker 1: do wonder is when they eventually shut the media out,

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Speaker 1: are they going to continue to do this dance with

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Speaker 1: Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback or at some point,

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Speaker 1: are they're gonna get to Sean Watson ready to play?

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Speaker 1: Because I just know if I'm if I'm McNair, I

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Speaker 1: just have a tough time writing that check every Monday.

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Speaker 1: Or a person who is, as you said, has checked

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Speaker 1: out and it's not giving anything to get it now.

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Speaker 1: I um, I think he's checked out. And here's something else.

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Speaker 1: I think once push comes to shove, if you start

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Speaker 1: to push him in that direction of actually playing, we

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Speaker 1: could see some injuries pop up. Take it for what

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Speaker 1: it is they said today already he was already getting

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Speaker 1: his leg looked at. I'm like, from what from walking? Oh? No,

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Speaker 1: I understand that because also understand the way this plays out,

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Speaker 1: because like we've seen situations like that when Jim and

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Speaker 1: Ramsey had the back injury and those things like those

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Speaker 1: injuries that you can't detect. Well, we're gonna have to

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Speaker 1: We're gonna have to see those things play out. But

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Speaker 1: I think I think this is crazy. This is important though,

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Speaker 1: because you mentioned Jalen. This is the first high profile

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Speaker 1: quarterback where you've had a situation where he signed a contract,

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Speaker 1: and before he played a game under the new contract,

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Speaker 1: he's asking to get out of town. I think how

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Speaker 1: the Texans deal with this, either positively or negatively, is

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Speaker 1: going to be a learning experience for another team at

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Speaker 1: some point for something they're gonna have to deal with.

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Speaker 1: And I think other teams are gonna look at this

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Speaker 1: and try to say, Okay, if this happened to us,

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Speaker 1: we would not do that. Oh you know what. They

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Speaker 1: had a good point here, Maybe we would do this

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Speaker 1: if we ever had to deal with this, because this

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Speaker 1: is not gonna be the last time this ever happens

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Speaker 1: in the league. This is gonna happen again. No, it's

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Speaker 1: not gonna be the last time. And I think owners

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Speaker 1: ownership is also looking not only the Texans, but ownership

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Speaker 1: around the league. They're like, and how the Texas handled this,

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Speaker 1: because the reason they flipped the language in the c

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Speaker 1: B A is because they wanted to prevent holdouts. Well,

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Speaker 1: in essence, what we're doing is we're getting a bunch

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Speaker 1: of hold INDs guys that are in camp but not

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Speaker 1: practicing with that defeast to purpose, Like if t J.

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Speaker 1: Watt is refusing to participate in team drills, Jamal Adams

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Speaker 1: and Dwayne Brown are refusing to participate in practice, but

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Speaker 1: their in camp. To me, players are trying to run

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Speaker 1: an in run around the rules, and at some point,

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Speaker 1: if you show up, you have to show up willing

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Speaker 1: to participate or you have to count that as a holdout.

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Speaker 1: Like you can't have it both ways. It just is

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Speaker 1: what it is. And look, I'm pro player player, but

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Speaker 1: at some point, man, business is business and it works

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Speaker 1: both ways. If you get the big contract, I mean,

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Speaker 1: I'm not wonder the old man Alona, Hey, you're gonna

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Speaker 1: honor the contract. But in the Shaun Watson's case, you're

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Speaker 1: signed a big deal last September. What has changed now

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Speaker 1: that you're like, oh no, no, no no, no, I can't

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Speaker 1: play for them. But you already you look you took

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Speaker 1: the direct deposit. M hmm. Yeah, so they got the

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Speaker 1: routing number and everything, right. So my thing, if I'm

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Speaker 1: using this, okay, just give us you give us some money.

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Speaker 1: Bat Well, yeah, it's that's not happening because now the

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Speaker 1: Texans are paying for the legal defense. Fun that's gotta be.

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Speaker 1: That can't feel good for coal McNair, you know, I mean,

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Speaker 1: like that's that's it. So it's Look, it's just it's

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Speaker 1: just interesting to see how it. Let's move on because

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Speaker 1: you know, it's funny we're talking so much about the

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Speaker 1: Texans and all this other stuff. Within the division. There

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Speaker 1: are a couple of teams that are shaping up to

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Speaker 1: be Super Bowl contenders, Like we can talk about the

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Speaker 1: NUP Skolls when they win and get Carson wins to

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Speaker 1: tense Titans have been on the cuss. But I want

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Speaker 1: to use those teams to kind of start a conversation

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Speaker 1: about who are the teams that you believe are the

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Speaker 1: dark horse contenders, the teams that maybe we're not talking

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Speaker 1: enough about but could emerge as one of those teams

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Speaker 1: that could be at the standard last team standard, you know,

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Speaker 1: I try to reach out and find a true dark horse. UM,

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Speaker 1: I try not to get a second tier team. I

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Speaker 1: want somebody to make you think a little bit. And

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Speaker 1: I'm looking through the a f C and a team

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Speaker 1: that I came up with because I think there's enough change.

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Speaker 1: There are the Chargers UM adding Chris Harris, getting Derwin

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Speaker 1: James back healthy and playing uh Corey Linsley at center,

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Speaker 1: Rashawn Slater at left tackle, a legitimate I think a

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Speaker 1: legitimate left tackle guy that I think is gonna be

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Speaker 1: a pro ride off the bat over there, if you

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Speaker 1: can avoid the sophomore slump for Justin Herbert, you've got

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Speaker 1: wide receivers. I like the dual threat running. I think

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Speaker 1: the running back position could be a little deeper on

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Speaker 1: the depth chart, but I know they like who they

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Speaker 1: have over there. The offensive line got better for sure.

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Speaker 1: And remember this is a team who lost a lot

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Speaker 1: of close games. They were their own worst enemies defensively,

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Speaker 1: um latent games and lost a lot of close games.

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Speaker 1: If you can flip some of those to go the

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Speaker 1: other way for you, you're in the playoffs. And if

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Speaker 1: the Chargers get into the playoffs and you catch a

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Speaker 1: hot hand with a pass rusher and Bosa, you have

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Speaker 1: good wide receivers who create matchup problems. And then you

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Speaker 1: have a quarterback who, once again I'm talking about, if

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Speaker 1: Justin Herbert can can take the next step and not

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Speaker 1: step on the pothole like a lot of second year

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks do, then that could be an interesting dark horse candidate. Now,

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Speaker 1: when I say dark horse candidate, you know most people

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Speaker 1: would see it as unlikely, but I do see enough

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Speaker 1: there from a pass rush standpoint from a defensive you know,

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Speaker 1: from the secondary getting better and of course tightening up

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Speaker 1: the offensive line. There's enough there for me to say,

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Speaker 1: you know what, maybe four of those losses can turn

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Speaker 1: into four wins on the flip side for the Chargers

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Speaker 1: this year. Yeah. I like the conversation. I'd like to

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Speaker 1: pick the person that I say is under the most

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Speaker 1: pressure to make that happen is Joe Lombardi, the new

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Speaker 1: offensive coordinator, because we've seen what this offense looked like

402
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Speaker 1: with Justin Herbert year one, and people can take shafts

403
00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,399
Speaker 1: to Anthony Lynn and all the other of stuff, but

404
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Speaker 1: the offense moved well with Justin Herbert. Joe Lombardi, I

405
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Speaker 1: think people need to understand the last time we saw

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Speaker 1: him as an offensive coordinator, it wasn't a great look

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Speaker 1: in Detroit. So what does he learned from that situation?

408
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Speaker 1: What does he learned from his experiences after that to

409
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Speaker 1: put him in a better situation to allow Justin Herbert

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Speaker 1: to flourish in the offense. I want to see that

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Speaker 1: My dark horse continue in the a f C would

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Speaker 1: be the Pittsburgh still is. And the reason why I

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Speaker 1: would say to Pittsburgh still is because I feel like

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Speaker 1: people have just kind of poured dirt on the Steelers

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Speaker 1: despite the fact that their defense is legit. Burger is

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Speaker 1: on and I know that they faded down the stretch

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Speaker 1: last year. I think people have to realize they're still

418
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Speaker 1: were twelve and four team a year ago, and Naja

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00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,959
Speaker 1: Harris is a dramatic and significant upgrade over what they

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Speaker 1: had at running back last year. Also, I believe Caylen Balage,

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Speaker 1: who popped up in the first preseason game, the Hall

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Speaker 1: of Fame game, gives them a little something to go.

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Speaker 1: And so anytime you're the Pittsburgh still iss you played

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Speaker 1: the kind of defense that they played, they should always

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Speaker 1: be in the conversation because that defense will get them

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Speaker 1: to ten or eleven wins. Ben Roethlisberger's guile and winning

427
00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,959
Speaker 1: ways could get them to twolve and thirteen. And if

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Speaker 1: you put that team in the tournament, and if Naj

429
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:17,679
Speaker 1: Harris emerges as a big time player, put money on

430
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:19,280
Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh steel as being one of those teams that

431
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,159
Speaker 1: we talked about in Frontal four. And I think Naja

432
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,240
Speaker 1: has to be That's the key. I mean, at some point,

433
00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,440
Speaker 1: Juju Smith Schuster has to get back on form, but

434
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,320
Speaker 1: I think Claypool is is a different kind of player.

435
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:33,680
Speaker 1: Like to me, Claypool is a big difference maker over there.

436
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,680
Speaker 1: If Deontae Johnson can find his hands and can catch

437
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,719
Speaker 1: a football, because we know he can make big plays,

438
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,080
Speaker 1: if Juju Smith Schuster can get a swagger back a

439
00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:42,680
Speaker 1: little bit, and I think a large part of that

440
00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,439
Speaker 1: is just Ben Roethlisberger staying healthy because they've always had

441
00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,840
Speaker 1: a pretty good rapport. But the guy you mentioned is

442
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:53,240
Speaker 1: the whole key, because we've seen quarterbacks later in their

443
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,040
Speaker 1: career have success when less was asked of them, when

444
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,639
Speaker 1: good quarterbacks had a little less on their plate, like

445
00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:00,920
Speaker 1: you know, we've saw it with Tony row Mo. Guys

446
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:02,960
Speaker 1: get better when you ask a little bit less of

447
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,840
Speaker 1: them when they're older. And the only way you can

448
00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:06,199
Speaker 1: do that is if you run the football well. If

449
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,159
Speaker 1: you run a football well, then the players aren't you know,

450
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:11,359
Speaker 1: behind the six stick, so to speak. You don't have

451
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,320
Speaker 1: guys pinning their ears back. A big problem for the

452
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,560
Speaker 1: Steelers the last couple of years. They have no juice

453
00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,320
Speaker 1: at running back. They've got the same type of running back,

454
00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:25,160
Speaker 1: you know, Benny snell Um uh the RBC, the running

455
00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,919
Speaker 1: back back community to everyone in the analytics world swears.

456
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:29,200
Speaker 1: But and it didn't work out for that. And it

457
00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,280
Speaker 1: didn't work out because I think James Conner and Benny

458
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,240
Speaker 1: Snell were too similar. They added McFarlane h from Maryland

459
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,280
Speaker 1: and didn't get him into the mix enough. What they

460
00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,840
Speaker 1: needed is a guy like Levian Bell, and they got

461
00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,960
Speaker 1: that with Naji Harris. Well, Naji can take some pressure

462
00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:45,840
Speaker 1: off Ben, which I think he's going to and if

463
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,560
Speaker 1: you can keep Ben up right, which they've done an

464
00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,760
Speaker 1: amazing job. I mean Ben, Ben Roethlisberger's I think, you know,

465
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,920
Speaker 1: my dad had to protect for Ben Roethlisberger back in

466
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,879
Speaker 1: the day two thousand seven through ten or whatever it was,

467
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,600
Speaker 1: two thousands six what over the years where he wan

468
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,040
Speaker 1: he won a Super Bowl with Ben Roethlisberger. But Ben,

469
00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,119
Speaker 1: you know, he's single handedly pulled them out of that

470
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,919
Speaker 1: Super Bowl against the Cardinals and made plays when that

471
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,440
Speaker 1: offensive line was all all beat to help. But Bend

472
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:13,879
Speaker 1: was also a guy that would hang on to the

473
00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,200
Speaker 1: ball for all the eternity and take too much pressure

474
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,960
Speaker 1: and too much uh and take too many hits. Todd

475
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,919
Speaker 1: Haley came in there, and he changed Ben's mentality and

476
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 1: Ben didn't like it, and Ben fought him. People may

477
00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,679
Speaker 1: remember that, but Ben Roethlisberger started getting rid of the

478
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,200
Speaker 1: ball quicker, and I think it's been I think it's

479
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,879
Speaker 1: really a lot of credits should be given to Ben

480
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,680
Speaker 1: Roethlisberger because it's hard for that tiger to change his stripes.

481
00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:42,960
Speaker 1: And yet Bi Ben has done a really good job

482
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,920
Speaker 1: of getting rid of the football, helping his offensive line out.

483
00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,560
Speaker 1: And I think when you take that into today's football

484
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,080
Speaker 1: in two thousand one, and you give him a running

485
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,640
Speaker 1: back and now you give him Claypool and Smith Schuster

486
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,760
Speaker 1: is back again, and you look at the entirety of

487
00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:00,359
Speaker 1: the Steelers. If that offensive line can stop up a

488
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,520
Speaker 1: little bit, you've got a good pick there on your hands.

489
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,680
Speaker 1: And with without Bud Dupree, for example, as a pass rusher,

490
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 1: I still think t J. Wats good enough to get

491
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,000
Speaker 1: it done. What about in the NFC give me a dark,

492
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,520
Speaker 1: risky dinner. You know I'm gonna stick with the team

493
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,560
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys. Um, obviously we talked about it. You you

494
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,679
Speaker 1: have to have Dak Prescott there, there's no getting around it.

495
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:21,920
Speaker 1: But I want to tell you something that I absolutely love.

496
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,399
Speaker 1: I love the fact that your offensive line looks like

497
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:28,000
Speaker 1: they're back intact. And then Zeke Elliott. Anytime you see

498
00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,800
Speaker 1: running backs who have been around for a while come

499
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,919
Speaker 1: into camp and their ten pounds lighter, UM, that's always

500
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,800
Speaker 1: a good sign because they recognize there's always a point

501
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,400
Speaker 1: in a running back's career where they get lighter, where

502
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,639
Speaker 1: veterans figure out, Okay, you know what I need to

503
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:46,040
Speaker 1: play lighter. I need it. It'll make me quicker. Um.

504
00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:48,959
Speaker 1: And and I think he came in in better shape.

505
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:50,760
Speaker 1: He came in lighter, which I think is going to

506
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,639
Speaker 1: affect his quickness, but it also shows me a mentality

507
00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 1: where he put time in to get to a certain

508
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,639
Speaker 1: point where he had a realization last year that it

509
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,200
Speaker 1: wasn't going in the direction he wanted it to. So

510
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,880
Speaker 1: what I'm saying is I think a rejuvenated um Zeke Elliott,

511
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,000
Speaker 1: which is what I think we're gonna see based on

512
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,280
Speaker 1: how he looks right now headed into the season. I

513
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,879
Speaker 1: think that's a big, big bonus because I have no

514
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,439
Speaker 1: doubt Ceedee Lamb is gonna take another step in the

515
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:20,080
Speaker 1: off season, and if Dak Prescott can stay healthy and

516
00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,520
Speaker 1: that offensive line is now together, and you got as

517
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 1: Zeke Elliott with a little bit more uh quickness and

518
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 1: a step. To me, that means that Dallas Cowboys should

519
00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:33,240
Speaker 1: be considered a serious contender for that dark horse category

520
00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 1: because when you look in the division, look, I don't

521
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,119
Speaker 1: think Philadelphia is gonna scare you. I don't think the

522
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,439
Speaker 1: Giants are gonna scare you. And Washington has got a

523
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,280
Speaker 1: great front. But I still have to see it from

524
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,560
Speaker 1: an offensive standpoint. So, um, you know, if Dallas can

525
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,720
Speaker 1: live up to the hype offensively, they might be able

526
00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,200
Speaker 1: to just outgun Washington. You know, quickly. I am going

527
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,720
Speaker 1: to take a team in the NFC West, I'm obvious

528
00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,640
Speaker 1: gonna say the San Francisco forty Niners. I believe Tree

529
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,960
Speaker 1: Lance Evncy gets that gig. When I think about trede

530
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,119
Speaker 1: Lands to running game, to defense and how they go

531
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,720
Speaker 1: about doing it, I think this team is well positioned

532
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:05,440
Speaker 1: to make a run. And the experience that they have

533
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,080
Speaker 1: a couple of years ago of going to the Super Bowl,

534
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,560
Speaker 1: I think it makes all the difference in the world.

535
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,000
Speaker 1: Give me the San Francisco forty nine is an NFC

536
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,200
Speaker 1: I think the other ones that can get it done. Yeah,

537
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,880
Speaker 1: I think they can win a Super Bowl. I mean,

538
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,159
Speaker 1: the question is gonna be you just brought it up.

539
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,359
Speaker 1: The question is gonna be I have no doubt that

540
00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,200
Speaker 1: this offense can work with Trey Lance. Is Trey Lance

541
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,680
Speaker 1: ready to work with this offense right away? I mean

542
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,240
Speaker 1: I think to me that's gonna be the big question

543
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,119
Speaker 1: mark is can you get enough out of Tray Lance

544
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:38,439
Speaker 1: in year one? But the safe move is Jimmy Garoppolo.

545
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:40,880
Speaker 1: But the move with the higher ceiling and the higher

546
00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,160
Speaker 1: upside is Trey Lance. It's just a question of how

547
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,640
Speaker 1: quickly can he come around. That's a that's a good

548
00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,560
Speaker 1: it's an invitable spot to be and you've got two

549
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,160
Speaker 1: quarterbacks that you feel comfortable with, and you know, Nick

550
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,320
Speaker 1: Bosa getting back. I really haven't read a lot on

551
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,720
Speaker 1: what where he is right now in terms of how

552
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 1: healthy he looks in camp. But I mean, people forget

553
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,480
Speaker 1: they didn't have Nick Bosa. You get Nick Bosa back,

554
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:06,159
Speaker 1: and he's can singlehandedly wreck the protection in the in

555
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,000
Speaker 1: the scheme up front. So I think getting Nick Bosa

556
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,440
Speaker 1: back is gonna be a really really big deal, uh,

557
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,560
Speaker 1: for a team that frankly, you know, I don't even

558
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,879
Speaker 1: count what they did last year. Last year was irrelevant

559
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,159
Speaker 1: to me. It's the same thing two years ago when

560
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,560
Speaker 1: they weren't very good and they drafted Nick Bosa because

561
00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,679
Speaker 1: they had a high draft pick. Um they went to

562
00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:27,920
Speaker 1: the super Bowl the next year. I don't think it's

563
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,760
Speaker 1: crazy to think they're super Bowl team. You know. It's

564
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,080
Speaker 1: funny lands when we when we think about these team

565
00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,359
Speaker 1: and dark horse contenders, we know that we'll revisit this

566
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,320
Speaker 1: conversation in the middle of the season because there's always

567
00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,160
Speaker 1: a team that emerges. There's always a team that UM

568
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,399
Speaker 1: kind of finds the sea legs in the middle of

569
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,200
Speaker 1: the year, and it's always exciting to see those unknown

570
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,760
Speaker 1: teams come out of the back to to be like

571
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,399
Speaker 1: title contenders. So I can't wait to see what it

572
00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,080
Speaker 1: looks like this year. I think it's one of the

573
00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,320
Speaker 1: things too that uh, we all look forward to because

574
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,440
Speaker 1: it's great. But the seven team like with fourteen teams

575
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,280
Speaker 1: seventeens in inch conference and playoff format, I think it

576
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:05,119
Speaker 1: makes for a very very exciting time. Yeah, I'm looking

577
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,159
Speaker 1: forward to it. I do think there's some the bounceback

578
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: teams you mentioned San Francisco, UM, I'm really interested to

579
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,840
Speaker 1: see the bounceback storylines with Dak Prescott, with Joe Burrow, There's,

580
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,199
Speaker 1: there's and and really I think one of the biggest

581
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,639
Speaker 1: bounce back scenarios is gonna be is Carson Wentz Is

582
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 1: he done? I mean mentally is he? Is he checked

583
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,720
Speaker 1: back in? Um? Does he get his confidence back? And

584
00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,959
Speaker 1: Frank Reich be that guy to get him back? Um?

585
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,480
Speaker 1: Or did the Colts just trade for not literally damaged goods,

586
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,040
Speaker 1: but you know figuratively mentally damaged good Is he? Is

587
00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 1: he a guy that can get back to his confidence

588
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 1: level he had before? So I think the Colts are

589
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,080
Speaker 1: another one of those interesting teams as well. Yeah, be

590
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,840
Speaker 1: fun to play out. You got Chris Balley just got paid,

591
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,320
Speaker 1: So that's exciting. So I think that you have a

592
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 1: lot of confidence knowing that they're gonna be there to

593
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,160
Speaker 1: continue to be aild A program the way that they

594
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,280
Speaker 1: see fit. And one of the things that I'm excited

595
00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,720
Speaker 1: about talking about building man, I love building upon what

596
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,040
Speaker 1: we continue to do when you pop in, I love

597
00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,560
Speaker 1: our conversations, um, and I can't wait for you to

598
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,160
Speaker 1: come back and rejoin the Movies six podcast where you

599
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,360
Speaker 1: can share some more insight and knowledge in wisdom and

600
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,480
Speaker 1: some of the Ahetown flavor. But you just let me know.

601
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:15,880
Speaker 1: You just let me know. Hey, thanks so much for

602
00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,600
Speaker 1: joining the Movies six podcast. I'm Buck Brooks. That was LZ.

603
00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:26,560
Speaker 1: Tune in next week for some more podcast ye