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Speaker 1: Splond Montage is the Twin Cities premier salon and spa

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Speaker 1: spolon dot com.

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Speaker 2: What a world win weekend it was, as the Vikings

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Speaker 2: wrapped up the NFL Draft with seven fresh faces ready

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Speaker 2: to bring the heat in propland gold this upcoming season.

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Speaker 2: Today on the Minnesota Vikings Podcast, we're diving headfirst into

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Speaker 2: the Vikings' first round draft pick JJ McCarthy with an

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Speaker 2: exclusive interview with his high school coach, Billy Miller. We'll

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Speaker 2: uncover how JJ's talents kept the winning tradition alive at

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Speaker 2: IMG Academy and why he's destined to leave the charge

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Speaker 2: as the future quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. Buckle up

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Speaker 2: as we dissect JJ's journey and all the excitement surrounding

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Speaker 2: the twenty twenty four draft picks and undrafted Right here

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Speaker 2: on the Minnesota Vikings Podcast, Let's dive in. The fun

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Speaker 2: finally begins as the Minnesota Vikings have officially locked in

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Speaker 2: their selections for the twenty twenty four NFL Draft. What's

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Speaker 2: going on Proporanation, Welcome inside the TCO Radio studio. This

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Speaker 2: is the Minnesota Vikings Podcast presented by PEPSI. My name

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Speaker 2: is Gabe Henderson. I am alongside the team as always

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Speaker 2: Tatum Everett, Jay Nelson and our producer Eric Davidson. Guys,

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Speaker 2: today we get a chance to dissect how these guys

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Speaker 2: that were just drafted this past weekend will fit into

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Speaker 2: THEIRS Karen roster. But before we talk about how they fit,

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Speaker 2: let's give a brief rundown of who these seven guys were,

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Speaker 2: starting with JJ McCarthy, in whom the Vikings acquired with

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Speaker 2: the tenth overall selection via trade with the New York Jets.

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Speaker 2: After JJ, the Vikings made another trade, this time with

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Speaker 2: the Jaguars, to acquire Dallas Turner, the outside linebacker from Alabama,

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Speaker 2: with the seventeenth overall selection. After two picks and the

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Speaker 2: first round, the Vikings did not have a selection until

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Speaker 2: round four and where they selected defensive back Kyrie Jackson

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Speaker 2: out of Oregon, and that was the first of five

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Speaker 2: selections for the Vikings. On Day three, we rounded out

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Speaker 2: the draft by selecting Oklahoma, offensive tackle Walter Rousse kicker

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Speaker 2: Alabama in the sixth round, followed by offensive guard Michael

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Speaker 2: Jurgens from Wake Forest and defensive lineman Levy Drake Rodriguez

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Speaker 2: from Texas A and m Commerce. Both of those guys

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Speaker 2: were selected in the seventh round. Today, we're going to

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Speaker 2: start with a guy in whom many experts and fans

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Speaker 2: mocked to us in the pre draft, and that was

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Speaker 2: JJ McCarthy, the quarterback from the University of Michigan and Tatum.

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Speaker 2: When you look at how the Vikings were able to

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Speaker 2: acquire Jj without trading away many future assets, what stands

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Speaker 2: out to you that is.

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Speaker 1: That was my point that I really wanted to make

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Speaker 1: during a lot of our pre draft analysis was you know,

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Speaker 1: don't overreach and let them come to you if that's

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Speaker 1: if that's how it is, and I think that's really

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Speaker 1: how it's shaped up.

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Speaker 3: I mean, it's very rare. You don't see the training in.

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Speaker 1: The first like five six picks because teams understand like, oh,

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Speaker 1: I can get so much value for this and and whatnot.

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Speaker 1: And you just didn't see it until we traded to ten,

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Speaker 1: which was just out of you know, safe safety of

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Speaker 1: not being able to get our guy, and so I

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Speaker 1: I really like the pick. I like the way it

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Speaker 1: fits into the scheme. I like how excited everyone is.

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Speaker 1: I was thoroughly impressed with J. J. McCarthy as a

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Speaker 1: human being, as someone who you know, these these adult

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Speaker 1: men are going to have to follow, and obviously he'll

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Speaker 1: grow and learn.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, I thought it was I thought it was,

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Speaker 3: you know, at least an.

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Speaker 1: Ideal situation for what you what you got and what

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Speaker 1: you gave up.

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Speaker 4: I think when you look at kind of what we

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Speaker 4: were talking about here, the pre draft process, and everyone speculates,

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Speaker 4: everyone wants to be right, but at the same point

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Speaker 4: they're throwing you know, darts at a dartboard a little

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Speaker 4: bit to try to figure out what is going to happen,

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Speaker 4: and like you said, there's some sort of move up there,

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Speaker 4: but it just didn't happen that way. And I think,

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Speaker 4: you know, I don't think it's for lack of trying.

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Speaker 4: I think there was probably a bunch of teams that

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Speaker 4: saw a ton of value. I think the quarterbacks were

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Speaker 4: a huge deal in this draft, and we all saw that,

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Speaker 4: you know, having six to go in the first twelve

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Speaker 4: picks and just the amount of offense that went on

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Speaker 4: the front end there of the first round, I think

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Speaker 4: it was a big deal. But to be able to

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Speaker 4: stand pad basically move one pick up just to guarantee

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Speaker 4: you're gonna get what you're gonna get, and after kind

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Speaker 4: of the wildcard of what Atlanta did at eight, being

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Speaker 4: able to get JJ there at pick number ten with

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Speaker 4: that minimum movement and be able to not only retain

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Speaker 4: your first round pick this year, but also your first

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Speaker 4: round pick next year. I think it was a great

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Speaker 4: move for the front office to be able to do that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, just to you guys's point, the fact that the

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Speaker 2: Vikings still have assets for next year. Granted they did

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Speaker 2: lose some of those assets trading for I mean trading

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Speaker 2: with the Jacksonville Jaguars for Dallas Turner. But in the

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Speaker 2: pre draft process, when everyone was saying the Vikings will

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Speaker 2: have to draft up to poss will be the fourth

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Speaker 2: overall selection to get JJ McCarthy, the Vikings and Kevin

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Speaker 2: O'Connell trusted their gut and basically said, we're going to

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Speaker 2: let our guy fall to us. So I'm so excited

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Speaker 2: to see how that will work out. I believe this

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Speaker 2: is an opportunity for JJ to come in and learn.

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Speaker 2: There's already three quarterbacks in the quarterback room right now,

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Speaker 2: but there's so many great opportunities and resources for him

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Speaker 2: to be successful as an NFL quarterback, a starting NFL

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Speaker 2: quarterback for the future. But moving on down the list,

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Speaker 2: Dallas Turner with the seventeenth overall selection, what were your

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Speaker 2: thoughts when you found out that the Vikings got the

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Speaker 2: guy that they wanted right there?

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Speaker 1: I think my reaction was just like Kevin O'Connell's when

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Speaker 1: Casey Lixaban said Dallas Turner's come in here, which was Wow,

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Speaker 1: I cannot believe a Atlanta did not pick them him

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Speaker 1: at eight and that he dropped to seventeen.

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Speaker 3: That's just incredible.

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Speaker 1: And I think, you know, you walk away from the

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Speaker 1: draft with two franchise defining players. I think that that

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Speaker 1: is your I mean, that's end goal right there, right

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Speaker 1: like and on each side of the ball.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, super excited about this kid. Again.

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Speaker 1: I think he's just very mature and why is beyond

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Speaker 1: his ears. His football acumen is super high, and the motor,

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Speaker 1: the length in his arms, all the above.

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Speaker 3: I'm just I'm really excited to see these guys in action.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and I'm super excited about the fact that they're

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Speaker 4: both they were juniors, they're about twenty one years old,

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Speaker 4: and again, like we were just you know, Tatum just

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Speaker 4: brought up the idea of having both these guys as

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Speaker 4: potential cornerstones won an offense, one on defense for the

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Speaker 4: next potential decade is a huge deal. And for a

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Speaker 4: guy like Dallas Turner, who was supposed to be I

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Speaker 4: mean a lot of people would have projected him in

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Speaker 4: previous drafts with all all the quarterback stuff.

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Speaker 2: Top five pick maybe selection.

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Speaker 4: To have him slide to the mid round here in

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Speaker 4: the first I just I think, you know, you talk

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Speaker 4: about value picks all the time. You know, that is

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Speaker 4: a guy that I think being able to get him

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Speaker 4: at that point I don't even think was you know,

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Speaker 4: fathomable for a lot of teams.

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Speaker 2: And the fact that it just kept going that way.

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Speaker 2: I applaud the fact that.

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Speaker 4: They were as aggressive as they were to be able

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Speaker 4: to go get a guy like that, because again, I

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Speaker 4: just think they saw him sitting there and said, you know, yeah,

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Speaker 4: we're going to give up the assets because this guy

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Speaker 4: could be another one of those players that is a

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Speaker 4: generational type player for the Vikings, and you.

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Speaker 2: Never know, because you brought up a really good point there,

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Speaker 2: you're going to risk some future assets because you know

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Speaker 2: he's a game changing player. And understanding that, Quaycy did say,

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Speaker 2: you know, the reason why we made a trade like

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Speaker 2: that because we don't know if we're going to get

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Speaker 2: some compensatory picks next year. We don't know how that's

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Speaker 2: all going to weigh out with some of the guys

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Speaker 2: in the roster last year being on another team. So

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Speaker 2: clearly Quacy is already a step ahead when it comes

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Speaker 2: to trying to figure out this roster.

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Speaker 4: But all I was going to say is, you know,

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Speaker 4: it kind of reminds me of two thousand and eight,

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Speaker 4: when you know, people were lamenting the fact that we

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Speaker 4: gave up a first round pick, but you brought in

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Speaker 4: a Jared Allen and he was an absolute culture change

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Speaker 4: for this team for a very long time. And so

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Speaker 4: if you're able to, you know, potentially get even remotely

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Speaker 4: close to a Jared Allen production out of a guy

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Speaker 4: like Dallas Turner, it is a huge deal because it

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Speaker 4: just makes all of that effort to give up that

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Speaker 4: kind of capital worth it in order to have somebody

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Speaker 4: who is that impactful.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. I remember speaking of the pre draft process,

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Speaker 2: we did this show in Vikings dot com Tatum, myself

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Speaker 2: and Paul Allen. Then Tatum pose the question what is

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Speaker 2: best case scenario for the Vikings in the first round

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Speaker 2: of the draft, and everyone had some really good points,

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Speaker 2: but I feel like I got a lot of flak

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Speaker 2: for minds, like both inside of the building and on

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Speaker 2: social media. I was like, look, best case scenarios for

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Speaker 2: the Vikings to let their quarterback fall to them and

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Speaker 2: then be aggressive with that second overwhol that twenty third

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Speaker 2: overall pick, and everybody was like, dude, that is the

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Speaker 2: worst case scenario and seeing how it kind of like

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Speaker 2: how you.

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Speaker 3: Wanted to get to the second round. That's what the

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Speaker 3: flack was from.

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Speaker 2: So people were saying you had to trade up forget

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Speaker 2: about the second round. They were like, you got to

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Speaker 2: trade up to get JJ, And I'm like, let your

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Speaker 2: guy fall to you and then if you want to

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Speaker 2: be aggressive, like yeah, maybe go get a guy in

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Speaker 2: the second round, or you can move up to get

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Speaker 2: the guy that you really want. But I think when

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Speaker 2: you look at what Quaci and Kevin did, this was

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Speaker 2: best case scenario for them. Because they ultimately ultimately the

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Speaker 2: board fell where there were no defensive players taking off

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Speaker 2: the board until pick number sixteen, I believe, so that

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Speaker 2: is that's never yet, That's never happened in NFL history.

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Speaker 2: So I'm interested to see how things would have shaken

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Speaker 2: out if another guy was taken in the top twelve

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Speaker 2: or top ten, So to see how how the first

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Speaker 2: round shaped out. And being at the draft party, I

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Speaker 2: would say, every time we got closer and closer to

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Speaker 2: pick number ten and it wasn't JJ McCarthy's name that

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Speaker 2: was selected, everyone like the chairs just got a little

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Speaker 2: bit louder. And then of course we had the eleventh

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Speaker 2: overall selection, and then we traded with the New York Jets,

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Speaker 2: and when the Bears at number nine drafted Romo Doons,

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Speaker 2: everybody went nuts. So it was last week when it

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Speaker 2: comes to the first round. I mean salute to all

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Speaker 2: the fans that were at the middle of light draft

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Speaker 2: party and all of the crew that helped that on.

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Speaker 2: But that was a really cool sight to see, and

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Speaker 2: I think many people are excited about what the Vikings

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Speaker 2: did in the first round.

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Speaker 4: What it also just shows you, you know, how, for

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Speaker 4: lack of a better term desperate. A lot of teams

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Speaker 4: were to get their quarterback because they were prioritized it

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Speaker 4: as quickly as they did. There's still teams that were

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Speaker 4: sitting behind us that we were nervous, We're going to

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Speaker 4: try to leap progress that are sitting there, And I've

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Speaker 4: seen it online people saying, all right, so what are

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Speaker 4: we going to do at this point? And I think

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Speaker 4: it just kind of shows the nature of yeah, there

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Speaker 4: was urgency, and yeah, you at times you have to

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Speaker 4: overpay whatever that means in order to go get your person.

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Speaker 4: But if you get what you want, then your set

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Speaker 4: and you don't have to worry about it for the future.

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Speaker 4: So I'd rather have them be aggressive and go get

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Speaker 4: those kind of players than you know, sit back and

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Speaker 4: then kind of cross their fingers that maybe they got

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Speaker 4: it and maybe they didn't. And there's always an an

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Speaker 4: angle of that a little bit within the draft. But

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Speaker 4: when it comes to the fact that they were able

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Speaker 4: to go and identify and get McCarthy at ten the

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Speaker 4: way that they did, I think it was out of

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Speaker 4: necess and I think they did a great job.

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Speaker 2: Gotcha. Well, we all know the Vikings didn't have any

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Speaker 2: selections on Day two However, they started the fourth round

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Speaker 2: with the number one eight, one hundred and eighth overall

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Speaker 2: selection by drafting defensive back Kyrie Jackson defensive back, I guess,

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Speaker 2: cornerback out of the University of Oregon. Jay, We'll start

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Speaker 2: with you on this. When you when you look at

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Speaker 2: that pick, what are some things that stand out to you.

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Speaker 4: He's long, He's very long, and he's got a good

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Speaker 4: pedigree at having been at Alabama and then going to Oregon.

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Speaker 4: He's got a crazy origin story of you know, in

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Speaker 4: and out of football a little bit working at a deli,

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Speaker 4: got employee of the month, thought about esports, and then

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Speaker 4: kind of went, no, I'm gonna I'm gonna focus on football.

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Speaker 4: And I think the the I think what they see

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Speaker 4: in this guy is an absolute outlier when it comes

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Speaker 4: to the size and and and footwork.

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Speaker 2: And that kind of thing.

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Speaker 4: I think he's going to be a guy that that's

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Speaker 4: going to be very interesting to see, if you know,

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Speaker 4: kind of that diamond and a rough kind of a guy.

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Speaker 4: But overall, I think, you know, one of my favorite

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Speaker 4: things and I still think about, is the fact that

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Speaker 4: we got done with the draft and Tatum felt targeted

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Speaker 4: with all the Alabama players that.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I do, but show like to blame Henry Schneider

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Speaker 1: for that one. You know, he joins the staff as

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Speaker 1: a former as a Bamba fan himself, and all of

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Speaker 1: a sudden, we're just truckful.

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Speaker 3: No, they're always very talented. I think it's Uh.

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Speaker 1: I spoke to someone on the staff who was talking

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Speaker 1: about Kyrie and just the attitude that he has is

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Speaker 1: so that of like a true old school trash talking cornerback,

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Speaker 1: which is something that maybe this room is lacking a

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Speaker 1: little bit of, and so it's great to see that

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Speaker 1: type of player in there to kind of like give

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Speaker 1: the give that room a little bit of an edge, get.

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Speaker 3: Him hyped up at practice.

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Speaker 1: I mean, they have to go against JJ and Jordan Madison,

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Speaker 1: you know, every week, so it's like those guys feed

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Speaker 1: off of that as well. So I think that, uh,

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Speaker 1: that's an exciting part of that puzzle. And I do

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Speaker 1: believe he's such a good value pick. I think he

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Speaker 1: had like a round three projection, So you're getting him

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Speaker 1: around later and someone who they obviously really liked and

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Speaker 1: were comfortable enough knowing that if we don't go corner

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Speaker 1: in the first round, we know we can get this

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Speaker 1: guy who is Nick Saban thought he was the top,

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Speaker 1: if not the top corner man cover corner.

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Speaker 3: In his room when he was at Alabama.

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Speaker 1: You know, it didn't work out from there, but hopefully

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Speaker 1: it works out for him here.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I think the fact that he only gave up

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Speaker 2: one touchdown PAC twelve last year, that that says a

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Speaker 2: lot as far as just understanding. I mean, rest in

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Speaker 2: peace to the PAC twelve that that was.

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Speaker 1: But think about the teams that include I mean, it's

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Speaker 1: an air raid conference.

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Speaker 2: I mean so many, so many really good Yeah, Michael,

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Speaker 2: I mean so many good quarterbacks in that conference that

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Speaker 2: you know is no longer with us anymore. But I

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Speaker 2: know you talked about Alabama. I was looking at our

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Speaker 2: roster last year on opening day, we had zero players

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Speaker 2: from the University of Alabama. Alabama led all FBS schools

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Speaker 2: when it comes when it came into having at least

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Speaker 2: one player on every roster this last year. So there

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Speaker 2: were fifty seven players on fifty three man rosters in

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Speaker 2: opening weeks last year. This upcoming year we could possibly

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Speaker 2: have too. So the fact that you know, maybe maybe

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Speaker 2: that's where we're trending right now with Henry Snyder.

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Speaker 5: Uh.

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Speaker 2: I can't think of his title right now, but Henry Snyder.

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Speaker 3: Coaches right hand a good good thing.

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Speaker 2: That's how we know him. That that is I believe

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Speaker 2: that's a recipe for success. And another recipe for success

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Speaker 2: is when you look down the line and you get

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Speaker 2: a guy and Walter Rouse, the offensive tackle from uh

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Speaker 2: the Oklahoma University, that is, in my opinion, a very

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Speaker 2: valuable pick because he can play so many positions. He

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Speaker 2: can play one tackle or their other tackle, or both

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Speaker 2: guard positions. Tatum, just that selection alone. What were your

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Speaker 2: thoughts when the Vikings got him in the sixth round?

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Speaker 1: You know, I like, I like that smart, big offensive lineman,

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Speaker 1: who can who can learn. I mean, you you need

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Speaker 1: you needed to fill a swing tackle, depth role, and

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Speaker 1: this this is kind of the guy that I think

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Speaker 1: they were picking.

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Speaker 3: You know, I talked to.

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Speaker 1: Quasi adopha mensa today and he mentioned this guy's ability

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Speaker 1: to finish. He just naturally has that ability to finish plays.

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Speaker 3: And yeah, I'm excited to see what he can do.

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Speaker 1: You know, these these guys, I think, these later round

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Speaker 1: offensive linemen, you see them drafted pretty often. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's a it's a play It's a position of premium

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Speaker 1: value when you go to like the first and second round.

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Speaker 1: When you get these guys in the back, they have

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Speaker 1: a lot to prove and a lot to work towards,

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Speaker 1: and they can be in the league for a really

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Speaker 1: long time. You need a ton of depth. So I'm

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Speaker 1: excited to see what he can do. A couple of

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Speaker 1: my notes on him, Sorr, I have like eighteen thousand

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Speaker 1: word documents open. Yeah, right right, It's just it's just

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Speaker 1: that he is able to keep keep those defensive linemen

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Speaker 1: in arms length. He has a very explosive body, and

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Speaker 1: you know he does the job of keeping the quarterback

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Speaker 1: up right for you know, the few seconds that.

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Speaker 3: They that they need. So yeah, I'm excited about Walter

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Speaker 3: Good o'd Walt Well.

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Speaker 4: And I think the thing for me is knowing that

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Speaker 4: we've had a group of former players who have come

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Speaker 4: from Oklahoma at that offensive line position, and Oklahoma has

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Speaker 4: always kind of been known as a little bit more

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Speaker 4: of the road grater type offensive line with your guys

348
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Speaker 4: like your fill Oad Holts and some of those other

349
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Speaker 4: players that have been here. But to see a guy

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Speaker 4: like this be able to come here at the size

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Speaker 4: that he is and kind of the role that they're

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Speaker 4: looking at. I don't necessarily. I mean, we both know,

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Speaker 4: we all know that we have a pair of bookend

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Speaker 4: offensive tackles at this point. It's not something that you

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Speaker 4: immediately say we have to fill a role and he

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Speaker 4: has to get in right away. It's more of a

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Speaker 4: possible depth play and then just kind of evaluating to

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Speaker 4: see what he's got at that kind of interior guard position.

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Speaker 4: And for me, it's something that you know, over the

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Speaker 4: last how many seasons we've seen the amount of at

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Speaker 4: times injuries that have come at those those areas, and

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Speaker 4: so just being able to plug guys in and go

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Speaker 4: next man up, Being able to have a guy like

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Speaker 4: this added to that death position is going to be great.

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Speaker 2: Six foot six three and twenty five pounds. Sometimes you

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Speaker 2: can't coach size, you can just coach the talent, and

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Speaker 2: wi Walter Ross is the perfect example of that. When

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Speaker 2: it's speaking of talent. Will Riker, the kicker from Alabama.

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Speaker 2: The Vikings selected him with the two hundred and third

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Speaker 2: overall selection in the sixth round, and a lot of

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Speaker 2: people are high on him. When you just look at

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Speaker 2: the number alone, I believe he leads the NCAA in

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Speaker 2: all time career points five hundred and forty seven career

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Speaker 2: point like that is that is crazy. He is the

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Speaker 2: leader in fifty plus yard field goads for the University

376
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Speaker 2: of Alabama. Tatum, what was the quote that Dallas Turner

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Speaker 2: said on k.

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Speaker 3: He's a cold blooded sniper.

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Speaker 1: Awesome, And that's what you want to hear when your

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Speaker 1: defense from a defensive player who watches him walk out

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Speaker 1: on the field. There's even some plays where I think

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Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell talked about him after.

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Speaker 3: He makes a kick.

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Speaker 1: He's kind of like mouth and awful, but mouth and

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Speaker 1: off just a bit a little bit of fun, you know,

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Speaker 1: I will say. And if you don't, we did just

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Speaker 1: did a draft grade recap show. We had Alex Lewis

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Speaker 1: from the Athletic on and I loved his point of like,

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Speaker 1: as a Bama fan, you are not confident when your

390
00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,040
Speaker 1: kicker goes on the field, but they were actually confident

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Speaker 1: when when they when.

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Speaker 3: Riker made it on the field.

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Speaker 1: And I agree because I after watching so many SEC

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Speaker 1: games for a very long time, when a kicker wrent

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Speaker 1: on the field, I was like, all right, I got

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Speaker 1: this game. Because there was always it there was always

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00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:35,399
Speaker 1: some weird, weird kicking thing that happened with an Alabama kicker.

398
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Speaker 1: But riker has definitely been not not that, not that,

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00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,240
Speaker 1: and been an issue for several teams for the past

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Speaker 1: few years.

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Speaker 2: And I think that's the thing.

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Speaker 4: You know, Vikings fans for very long time have always

403
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,360
Speaker 4: had a little bit of angst whenever the kicker walks

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Speaker 4: out in the field.

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Speaker 1: Vikings fans kind of relate to that sentiment. So maybe

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Speaker 1: that will all also change for them with with Will

407
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Speaker 1: in the building.

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Speaker 4: So that's the thing is I think honestly, it was

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Speaker 4: actually one of those picks where a bunch of people

410
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Speaker 4: texting me saying, man, we drafted a kicker. I'm like, yeah,

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Speaker 4: this guy looks like he's stone cold.

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00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:06,919
Speaker 1: I mean, the last time that the Vikings drafted kickers

413
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Speaker 1: Daniel Carlson. Look how that turned out for the not

414
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Speaker 1: the Vikings exactly.

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Speaker 2: That's why I'm hoping history doesn't repeat itself there.

416
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Speaker 4: But that's the thing for me with in making this pick,

417
00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,160
Speaker 4: at least it shows you, you know, they valued him

418
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Speaker 4: where they did. You know, there's there's always special teams

419
00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,280
Speaker 4: players that get picked, unless you're the Raiders picking Sebastian

420
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Speaker 4: Janakowski in the first round. Typically you're you know, trying

421
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,439
Speaker 4: to figure out when that's going to happen. And so

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00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,120
Speaker 4: for the Vikings to be able to kind of rip

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Speaker 4: the bandit off there in the fifth round, I'm all

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Speaker 4: for taking that position. At that point, I forgot about

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00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,840
Speaker 4: the Ganakowski. Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's again. I brought

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Speaker 4: it up in the previous podcast saying there's always a

427
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Speaker 4: weird team that makes a weird move, and the Raiders

428
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Speaker 4: in the past have done it, and when you know

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Speaker 4: they weren't this year.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you could technically argue after drafting Michael Maher

431
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Speaker 1: last year that maybe you don't need brock Bowers. But

432
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Speaker 1: I think Atlanta took that title this year away from

433
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Speaker 1: the Rage exactly.

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Speaker 4: And that's the thing is is there was that one,

435
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,800
Speaker 4: that one team that made that one weird move and

436
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,960
Speaker 4: then everything else just kind of fell the way it

437
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,399
Speaker 4: did to help us out. And you know, luckily for us,

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Speaker 4: the weird move happened just ahead of us instead of

439
00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:10,080
Speaker 4: behind us.

440
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:10,280
Speaker 5: Yea.

441
00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,639
Speaker 4: But for me, the whole point on this one is

442
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,840
Speaker 4: just to say, like, you know, be having and using

443
00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,159
Speaker 4: draft capital to go get special teams players. A lot

444
00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,399
Speaker 4: of times people think of as an afterthought. You know,

445
00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,680
Speaker 4: you're taking a flyer on something. This does not feel

446
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,479
Speaker 4: like a flyer. This feels like you had a position

447
00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,239
Speaker 4: of need, you had an open spot that you were

448
00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,640
Speaker 4: trying to address, and it just feels like they had

449
00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,000
Speaker 4: identified this guy as this is possibly the best player

450
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,560
Speaker 4: at that position available and they went out and got him.

451
00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,879
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, just speaking of you know this the

452
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,320
Speaker 2: kicker and the new kickoff rules. I know, Special teams

453
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 2: coordinator Matt Daniels said that, you know, with the new rules,

454
00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,399
Speaker 2: there may be offensive linemen on kickoff or on kickoff return,

455
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,080
Speaker 2: and maybe that's our next pick in the seventh round.

456
00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,320
Speaker 2: Michael Jergens, the guy from Wake Forest who a lot

457
00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,320
Speaker 2: of people reject him as a future center, but Michael

458
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,240
Speaker 2: Jurgens was probably the highest player on the board when

459
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,600
Speaker 2: it came to Ryan Grigson's draft board. And of course

460
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,760
Speaker 2: you know Ryan Griggson, former college lineman. He always is

461
00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,119
Speaker 2: going to draft well, at least look at the lineman first.

462
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,880
Speaker 2: Like he believes you got to build the offensive defensive

463
00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,440
Speaker 2: line before you build everything else. And he says, Michael

464
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,320
Speaker 2: Jurgons can be a starting offensive lineman in the league

465
00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:22,879
Speaker 2: one day for the Vikings to get him in the

466
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,080
Speaker 2: seventh round. What were your thoughts on that?

467
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,119
Speaker 4: Jim biggest thing for me was the fact that he

468
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,560
Speaker 4: had center experience and had played guard as well. Was

469
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,440
Speaker 4: and the reason why I love that is because typically

470
00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 4: when you are somebody who has played the center position,

471
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,199
Speaker 4: you have to be basically the smartest offensive lineman. You

472
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,600
Speaker 4: have to be the one that can remember everything, be

473
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,600
Speaker 4: able to figure out, you know, protections, and be able

474
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,400
Speaker 4: to assess what's going on. So for somebody like him

475
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,560
Speaker 4: to have that background, I think is a huge boon.

476
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,280
Speaker 4: And that just means that he has played guard as

477
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:53,800
Speaker 4: well as center, so it means that he can kind

478
00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,960
Speaker 4: of play any of those three positions up in the middle.

479
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,480
Speaker 4: And again, like we talked about before, you know, the

480
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,240
Speaker 4: idea of having depth in that offensive line room is going.

481
00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:01,600
Speaker 2: To be great.

482
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,359
Speaker 1: I really like we talk about JJ McCarthy being a

483
00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,919
Speaker 1: proven winner, but Michael Jurgens was extremely successful in high school.

484
00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,639
Speaker 1: He went to Wake Forest, It's such a great academic institution.

485
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,119
Speaker 1: I'm sure that was top on his mind before anything else.

486
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,760
Speaker 3: But he won a youth super Bowl.

487
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:21,000
Speaker 1: Champion He's a three time state championship winner in high school,

488
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,880
Speaker 1: never lost a varsity game in high school. It's amazing

489
00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,679
Speaker 1: as a starting center for them. So I think he

490
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,840
Speaker 1: comes with a specific pedigree and intelligence that is a

491
00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:31,679
Speaker 1: good combination.

492
00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:33,080
Speaker 3: I love the.

493
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:38,399
Speaker 1: Idea of him maybe floating more towards his center capabilities,

494
00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,719
Speaker 1: so that you know you've got a center coming up

495
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,679
Speaker 1: with a quarterback. You've got like the next gen of

496
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,639
Speaker 1: what's to come in the Vikings organization together and so

497
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,399
Speaker 1: someone like JJ and Michael Jurgens together, learning their tics,

498
00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,639
Speaker 1: learning their playing style, how they can be buds. I

499
00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,680
Speaker 1: guess you can say I like the idea of them

500
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 1: coming up together.

501
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,440
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, it's going to be a very bright

502
00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,639
Speaker 2: future for all of these draft picks. But when you

503
00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,320
Speaker 2: round out the twenty twenty four NFL Draft for the

504
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:13,960
Speaker 2: Minnesota Vikings, they selected Levi Drake Rodriguez, who was prospect

505
00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,879
Speaker 2: x AKA, the most overlooked player in the twenty twenty

506
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 2: four NFL Draft, according to the Athletic Tatum, We'll start

507
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,120
Speaker 2: with you when it comes to Levi Drake Rodriguez. Your thoughts, Well.

508
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:26,159
Speaker 1: You know I'm about to do a one on one

509
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,600
Speaker 1: with him. And I have eighty five notes having anice interview.

510
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,119
Speaker 1: It might be thirty minutes long, who knows. I'm just

511
00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,359
Speaker 1: excited about this guy. He's got one of the best stories.

512
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: If you haven't checked out the Prospect X feature on

513
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,000
Speaker 1: him on the Athletic, I highly recommend that you do.

514
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,800
Speaker 3: He just seems to have a great energy about him.

515
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,560
Speaker 1: I love the idea of pairing him in the defensive

516
00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,200
Speaker 1: tackle room with Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard and Jerry

517
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,320
Speaker 1: Tillery and having that type of energy. He's a guy

518
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,399
Speaker 1: you want to root for, you know, for someone to

519
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,680
Speaker 1: come from a Southland Conference school in FCS too, it's

520
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,120
Speaker 1: Division one, but you're not getting any of the publicity

521
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,320
Speaker 1: really that most guys do. For him to catch fire

522
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 1: sole late, I can't imagine what the last six months

523
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,240
Speaker 1: have been like for him, and I think that he

524
00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,680
Speaker 1: really has a legitimate chance of making the roster.

525
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:14,600
Speaker 3: This coaching staff is super.

526
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,439
Speaker 1: Excited about him, and I think the main story of

527
00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,399
Speaker 1: that is, you know, scouting Day three or excuse me,

528
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,520
Speaker 1: Day three of the draft is for the scouts, and

529
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,200
Speaker 1: so this is I think one of those wins where

530
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,159
Speaker 1: you're like, way to go blameing Grammara down in you know,

531
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 1: the southwestern region on getting your guy and advocating for him,

532
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:36,000
Speaker 1: because now he is in Minnesota Viking, and it.

533
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,000
Speaker 4: Feels like, just from all of the interviews and things

534
00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,119
Speaker 4: that have been done, he's extremely excited about the prospect

535
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,600
Speaker 4: to be able to do this, and he just feels

536
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,159
Speaker 4: like one of those energy guys. And I truly feel

537
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,080
Speaker 4: like if he's got the physical skills to match the

538
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,800
Speaker 4: enthusiasm for what he's doing at this point, like this

539
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,160
Speaker 4: is a guy that's going to be a potential culture guy,

540
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:58,320
Speaker 4: especially for that defense. He just feels like he's very enthusiastic,

541
00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:00,520
Speaker 4: very excited about the chance, and I don't feel like

542
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,440
Speaker 4: he's gonna waste it. So it's going to be an

543
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,240
Speaker 4: interesting to see what happens here with the Rookie Weekend

544
00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,560
Speaker 4: coming up next weekend. But he is an awesome, awesome

545
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,600
Speaker 4: story And if you know, I plugged it before, but

546
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,800
Speaker 4: the idea of go watch his press conference, watch you know,

547
00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,280
Speaker 4: Tatum's interview that she's gonna have with them, I think

548
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,160
Speaker 4: you're going to be impressed with this guy. And kind

549
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,160
Speaker 4: of just the energy that this guy oozes whenever he's

550
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 4: on camera and just you can feel it. So I'm

551
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,640
Speaker 4: hoping when he actually gets here and is able to,

552
00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,760
Speaker 4: you know, put on the shorts and the cleats and everything,

553
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,879
Speaker 4: get out there and show them what he's got. I

554
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:34,879
Speaker 4: think he's potentially going to be one of those really

555
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,200
Speaker 4: fun long term stories Diamond and the rough kind of guys.

556
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:38,919
Speaker 1: And Quasey said it was like one of the best

557
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,080
Speaker 1: Top thirty visits he's had since he's been here.

558
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, he said he lit up the entire room when

559
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,600
Speaker 2: when he walked into the building. So hopefully that that

560
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,679
Speaker 2: reverberates the entire locker room and that energy has felt

561
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,080
Speaker 2: because when you have seven overall draft picks too in

562
00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,360
Speaker 2: the first round, that gets a lot of fans excited.

563
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,120
Speaker 2: We all know they're excited about all the draft picks,

564
00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,240
Speaker 2: but all eyes are going to be on JJ McCarthy

565
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,240
Speaker 2: when he's steps foot on tcopc's campus. And a guy

566
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,200
Speaker 2: who knows what day one looks like with JJ McCarthy

567
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 2: is his high school coach, Billy Miller, who joins our

568
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,879
Speaker 2: podcast today. Let's check it out. Well, it is a

569
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:17,280
Speaker 2: special privilege to be joined by Billy Miller, the head

570
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,760
Speaker 2: coach at IMG Academy in Bradington, Florida. If you don't

571
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,520
Speaker 2: know who Billy Miller is, you need to do your research.

572
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,439
Speaker 2: But the reason why he is on our podcast today

573
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,320
Speaker 2: is the fact that he was JJ McCarthy's coach in

574
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,680
Speaker 2: high school at IMG Academy. And we always talk about

575
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,200
Speaker 2: this Billy being a former high school player, high school coach.

576
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,119
Speaker 2: That is that level of football, that is when you

577
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,640
Speaker 2: really get to know who a player is just as

578
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,040
Speaker 2: a person because he's still trying to figure out his body,

579
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,840
Speaker 2: figure out what he can be. And you've had that,

580
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,439
Speaker 2: I guess, intimate time with JJ McCarthy just get fans

581
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,760
Speaker 2: just an insight on who he is as a person

582
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,320
Speaker 2: because on the field, we know he is a really

583
00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,119
Speaker 2: really good football player. Yeah.

584
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,679
Speaker 5: So first it's one of the thanks for having me

585
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,199
Speaker 5: on today. You guys do a phenomenal job, and you know,

586
00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:11,359
Speaker 5: it's an honor to be on be with you guys.

587
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,800
Speaker 5: You know, JJ is a great kid. You know, he's

588
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,720
Speaker 5: so bubbly, is a great personality, right, He's fun to

589
00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 5: be around. He's a great kid. He loves football. He

590
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,120
Speaker 5: does a great job of you know, bringing his teammates

591
00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 5: together and motivating guys and he's a guy that really,

592
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,320
Speaker 5: you know, set our franchise in our organization apart from

593
00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:34,639
Speaker 5: a lot of people, just because of how you know,

594
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,359
Speaker 5: dedicated he was to the game of football, and you know,

595
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,240
Speaker 5: his character traits of being a young kid.

596
00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:40,560
Speaker 2: Yeah.

597
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,400
Speaker 1: I mean, I think if you if you follow high

598
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,960
Speaker 1: school recruiting or especially in the South, because you guys

599
00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,760
Speaker 1: are out of Brandon in Florida, you know about IMG

600
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,240
Speaker 1: Academy And I was just reading about you guys, and

601
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 1: I did not even realize that it was It was history.

602
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,440
Speaker 1: They set a program record with two alumni selections in

603
00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,320
Speaker 1: the first round of the twenty twenty four draft, with

604
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 1: j See Latham and JJ McCarthy. I found that fascinating

605
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: because you guys seem to pump out talent so often,

606
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,440
Speaker 1: McCarthy being the highest quarterback picked from UH from IMG Keney.

607
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:11,400
Speaker 3: How much pride do you.

608
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,520
Speaker 1: Guys take and being able to, you know, make these

609
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,719
Speaker 1: players NFL ready early early on, because I mean college

610
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,080
Speaker 1: ready obviously, but even more so nflready.

611
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,480
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's an extreme honor. You know, our number one

612
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:29,360
Speaker 5: job is to develop these kids both athletically, academically and socially.

613
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,600
Speaker 5: So when a kid like JC Latham or JJ McCarthy

614
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,119
Speaker 5: comes here at a young age, right and has a

615
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,960
Speaker 5: goal and the dream one day of playing in the

616
00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,080
Speaker 5: NFL and then actually seeing it happen. You know, you

617
00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,560
Speaker 5: get two guys drafted in the first ten picks of

618
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,720
Speaker 5: the NFL Draft, Like, you know, we had a team meeting,

619
00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,400
Speaker 5: you know, Thursday night and had all our guys in

620
00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 5: there being able to watch it and kind of just

621
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,760
Speaker 5: reassures our kids that are currently here, like why we're

622
00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,760
Speaker 5: doing what we're doing pays off, you know, so just

623
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 5: to process and keep going. But to see our guys,

624
00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,760
Speaker 5: our alumni get drafted and fulfill their dreams and you know,

625
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,880
Speaker 5: help self their families up for generational wealth for years

626
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,400
Speaker 5: to come is an extreme honor that we get to live.

627
00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,240
Speaker 2: How would you describe just the the journey that players

628
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,120
Speaker 2: take when they they go to IMG Academy. And I

629
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,920
Speaker 2: preface that by you know, when you think of JJ McCarthy,

630
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 2: he spent two years at a previous high school, I

631
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:29,400
Speaker 2: believe Nazareth High School, and then he transferred to you

632
00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,160
Speaker 2: guys at IMG Academy. And usually when you hear about

633
00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:35,800
Speaker 2: guys transferring to IMG Academy, there's a different level of

634
00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,320
Speaker 2: players that come out of that. So how would you

635
00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,800
Speaker 2: describe that process of guys coming to IMG Academy and

636
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,960
Speaker 2: then ultimately going to a big time school which ultimately

637
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:46,920
Speaker 2: gets those guys to this point of being drafted.

638
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,479
Speaker 5: Yeah, just like the NFL, you know, everyone has their

639
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,560
Speaker 5: own journey and the reason for their why.

640
00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:52,040
Speaker 2: Right.

641
00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:56,640
Speaker 5: So, like J c. Latham's journey was different than JJ McCarthy.

642
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,200
Speaker 5: Like JC came as a fifteen year old junior, right,

643
00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,440
Speaker 5: and JJ came as a COVID senior. Right, So they

644
00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,840
Speaker 5: weren't playing football where he was from, so he transferred

645
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,760
Speaker 5: down here because we were playing football. So for our goal

646
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:11,719
Speaker 5: is to develop these kids, like I said, right, And

647
00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 5: our goal and our job is to bring in the

648
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,280
Speaker 5: best talent year after year. Right, So we are you know,

649
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,280
Speaker 5: we want to make our practices harder than what it

650
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,880
Speaker 5: is going to be like on Friday nights. Right. So JJ,

651
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:25,720
Speaker 5: you know, playing quarterback, whether it's seven on seven to

652
00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,200
Speaker 5: one on one or in team settings, you know, we

653
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,560
Speaker 5: had to put him in the position that our defensive

654
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,880
Speaker 5: backs and our linebackers, right, were the best group that

655
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,920
Speaker 5: he would face day in and day out. Right, how

656
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,440
Speaker 5: do you come how do you overcome adversity? You know,

657
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,720
Speaker 5: how do you deal with success?

658
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:43,040
Speaker 4: Right?

659
00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:45,840
Speaker 5: And JJ, as you can see, does a great job

660
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,400
Speaker 5: with the mental side of football in life, right, you

661
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,680
Speaker 5: see him before games now, you know, with his meditation practice, right.

662
00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,640
Speaker 5: So really developing these kids, you know, learning how to

663
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,800
Speaker 5: deal with failure, how to deal with success. Going against

664
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,360
Speaker 5: create competition day in and day out is really helping

665
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,160
Speaker 5: these kids be prepared. So when they go to college,

666
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,520
Speaker 5: they're used to it, right, They're used to competing for

667
00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:11,920
Speaker 5: a job. Right. They understand that you're going to go

668
00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,640
Speaker 5: against top tun in practice. So and then you're gonna

669
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,840
Speaker 5: be successful on Saturdays. Right, So now is leading the

670
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,360
Speaker 5: guys being successful on Sundays as well.

671
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:23,200
Speaker 1: When JJ McCarthy arrived, what kind of a kid was he?

672
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:27,440
Speaker 1: And watching him at Michigan, how how did you evaluate

673
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:27,880
Speaker 1: just like.

674
00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,720
Speaker 3: His journey from when you had him to to now.

675
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,000
Speaker 5: When JJ came in, he was so energetic and I

676
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,840
Speaker 5: don't think I've been around a guy that loved football

677
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:41,000
Speaker 5: more than JJ. Right, And he was a student of

678
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,520
Speaker 5: the game. He was always you know in the classroom

679
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,800
Speaker 5: learning you know, different defenses, different witches, different coverages, right,

680
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,960
Speaker 5: different keys of who we were going to read on

681
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:54,800
Speaker 5: certain plays, right, adjustment, situational football, two minutes, four minutes, right,

682
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,720
Speaker 5: whatever it may be. And then you see him go

683
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,800
Speaker 5: over to Michigan and just do whatever it takes to win.

684
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:01,160
Speaker 2: Right.

685
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,200
Speaker 5: The biggest thing I can say about our guys that

686
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,600
Speaker 5: they're team guys. Right, So whether JJ had to run

687
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,600
Speaker 5: the ball this many this percentage of players, or throw

688
00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,040
Speaker 5: the ball, whatever it takes to win, that's what our

689
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 5: guys will do, right. So you can see that in Michigan.

690
00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,800
Speaker 5: You can hear that in his voys when he does

691
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,280
Speaker 5: his interviews. Now that he's a team guy. Team success

692
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:24,560
Speaker 5: obviously breathed individual success, but he's a team guy, very

693
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,320
Speaker 5: chasmeric and you know, full of energy.

694
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:29,840
Speaker 2: I kind of want to just rewind back just a

695
00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,040
Speaker 2: little bit because I think that you brought up you know,

696
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,560
Speaker 2: he came in as a COVID year guy and the

697
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,160
Speaker 2: fact that he missed a full year of football. How

698
00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:39,800
Speaker 2: do you feel like that year off of football helped

699
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 2: him when he got to IMG Academy, which ultimately got

700
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:42,960
Speaker 2: him here as a Viking.

701
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,600
Speaker 5: He literally missed football. He just they just weren't playing

702
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,760
Speaker 5: that year got to fall where he was from right.

703
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,680
Speaker 5: So I think just him being able to come down

704
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,480
Speaker 5: here and not miss out on the senior year, because

705
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,240
Speaker 5: there's a lot of kids in the country, right that

706
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,160
Speaker 5: did miss out on football that ball right, how to

707
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,160
Speaker 5: go you know into college and your high school football

708
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,720
Speaker 5: as a junior year. That's a big gap. Right. So

709
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,960
Speaker 5: if you think about how, you know, well JJ played

710
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,280
Speaker 5: here for us in that year, like what if he

711
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,360
Speaker 5: didn't have that, Like, would he have had as much

712
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 5: successical he did in Michigan? Probably because of the type

713
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 5: of athletes he is in the competitor he is, But

714
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:18,880
Speaker 5: there's a lot of kids that tied missed out on

715
00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:20,320
Speaker 5: opportunities like that.

716
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:21,440
Speaker 3: You mentioned it right there.

717
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,680
Speaker 1: What type of athlete are the Vikings going to get

718
00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:24,840
Speaker 1: out of JJ McCarthy.

719
00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,720
Speaker 5: My gosh, and you see it, you know, you see

720
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,160
Speaker 5: it on the film. I think, like coach Belatick did

721
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,200
Speaker 5: a great job, you know last Thursday night of You know,

722
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,200
Speaker 5: JJ can roll out of the pocket, right, he can

723
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:36,680
Speaker 5: make the throws on the run, He can sit in

724
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:39,160
Speaker 5: the pocket and be a drop back cancer, he can scramble,

725
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,080
Speaker 5: he can do the design quarterback runs, right, he can

726
00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,040
Speaker 5: extend plays, he can rush when they need to to

727
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,240
Speaker 5: go get a first down. He's a tough kid, he's gritty,

728
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,720
Speaker 5: you know, I just you know, I think the world

729
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:50,080
Speaker 5: of them.

730
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,680
Speaker 1: Do you think that the his his draft stock was

731
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:57,400
Speaker 1: affected by the amount of times Michigan wanted him to

732
00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,880
Speaker 1: use his arm and maybe you know, the whole game

733
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,000
Speaker 1: manager title may have held him back a little bit.

734
00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:03,520
Speaker 5: Oh, they get held him back and he's a top

735
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:04,360
Speaker 5: ten draft.

736
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 3: Pick, right, Yeah, you know that.

737
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:07,720
Speaker 1: As I said that, I was like, wow, that that

738
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:08,399
Speaker 1: wasn't the right way.

739
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 3: I was trying to say that.

740
00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,160
Speaker 2: I get Taylor's point because still, you know, like he's

741
00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:14,680
Speaker 2: still a top ten pick and a great class of quarterback.

742
00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,239
Speaker 2: But you know, he was the fifth overall selection. So

743
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,560
Speaker 2: how much do you think that kind of factored into that?

744
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 2: You know, Phil general that Jim Harball likes to call

745
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,480
Speaker 2: him versus field manager. That a lot of you know,

746
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:26,239
Speaker 2: experts like.

747
00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:27,799
Speaker 1: To say, Wow, I feel like I just like gave

748
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,680
Speaker 1: the ball to game and he just completed the player

749
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:29,920
Speaker 1: for me.

750
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:31,800
Speaker 2: Sometimes you got to throw the ball off the glass.

751
00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:32,800
Speaker 2: I'm not coming in that, sorry.

752
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,040
Speaker 3: Coach will answer the question.

753
00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:37,480
Speaker 5: Finally, all good. I think I think I think what

754
00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,640
Speaker 5: he did at Michigan proved that he'll be a great

755
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:41,680
Speaker 5: NFL quarterback.

756
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:42,120
Speaker 2: Right.

757
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,239
Speaker 5: I think sometimes in the NFL, no matter what you

758
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,680
Speaker 5: they're going to ask you to do whatever the coaches

759
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,480
Speaker 5: believe think is what's going to help them win the game. Right.

760
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,040
Speaker 5: I think JJ being a team guy, he's definitely going

761
00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,280
Speaker 5: to do whatever it helps the team win on Sundays

762
00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:01,560
Speaker 5: or Monday nights or Thursday nights or you know anything

763
00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,320
Speaker 5: like that. Game manager. I mean, come on, look at

764
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,360
Speaker 5: a look at the top quarterback that I've ever played.

765
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,279
Speaker 5: There's another Michigan man who is a six round draft

766
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,640
Speaker 5: pick that did pretty well for himself right at the

767
00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:12,560
Speaker 5: quarterback position.

768
00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,399
Speaker 1: So yeah, I don't like the way that that has

769
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:16,719
Speaker 1: become a kind of a like not a dirty term,

770
00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:17,759
Speaker 1: but like a negative you know.

771
00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:19,760
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree.

772
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:24,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, And Billy, just just understanding, you've you've seen JJ

773
00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:25,960
Speaker 2: since he was in high school, you coached him when

774
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:28,960
Speaker 2: he was in high school. Understanding, now, like, what what

775
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:33,480
Speaker 2: are realistic expectations now as you've seen JJ's career progress.

776
00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:35,520
Speaker 5: You know, I think the sky's will limit I think

777
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:37,719
Speaker 5: you know, what the Vikings will do with the personnel

778
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,400
Speaker 5: around him will obviously help him. You know, be successful.

779
00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,680
Speaker 5: I know that he'll go in there, he'll trush rookie

780
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,160
Speaker 5: minie cans, He'll learn the system, He'll he'll be the

781
00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,120
Speaker 5: first guy in the building the last one out. He'll

782
00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:49,520
Speaker 5: help make his teammates get better. He'll, you know, do

783
00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,880
Speaker 5: whatever it takes to help those guys win. And you know,

784
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,360
Speaker 5: I'm really just excited to see his journey at the

785
00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:55,960
Speaker 5: next level.

786
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,160
Speaker 1: He does seem like someone who is just wise beyond

787
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,840
Speaker 1: his years. Was that something that you saw at IMG?

788
00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,920
Speaker 1: And how can that pair with diving into an NFL

789
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,680
Speaker 1: style playbook and being around professionals who are you know,

790
00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:13,160
Speaker 1: he just turned twenty one, they're relatively older than him.

791
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,200
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think age, you know, at this day and age,

792
00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:20,120
Speaker 5: I feel like, you know, when kids get here, right,

793
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,799
Speaker 5: they don't know coverages, they don't know cover one on

794
00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,480
Speaker 5: the cover two, they don't know inside zone, outside zone,

795
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:29,040
Speaker 5: whatever may be right. Our job and my job as

796
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,200
Speaker 5: a coach, is to hire great coaches that teach the

797
00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:34,839
Speaker 5: game of football right. So we have meetings every day,

798
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,240
Speaker 5: We have walk throughs every day. So when we teach

799
00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,080
Speaker 5: a kid something, he's going to see it on video,

800
00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,120
Speaker 5: he's going to walk through it. He's going to go

801
00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,240
Speaker 5: through to an individual period, a group period, a team period,

802
00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,680
Speaker 5: whatever it may be. He's going to learn that thing

803
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,640
Speaker 5: five or six times, you know, in one day. Right.

804
00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:52,200
Speaker 5: So I think with JJ being able to learn an

805
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,880
Speaker 5: NFL playbook, it's probably very similar to what they ran

806
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:58,080
Speaker 5: at Michigan with Coe Tarball being an NFL guy. Right,

807
00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:02,200
Speaker 5: the terminology may be different, right, you might call you know, kat,

808
00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:04,680
Speaker 5: they might call it cobra, whatever it may be. So

809
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 5: the terminology might be different, but football's football, right, the

810
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,200
Speaker 5: schemes are very similar. So I think Jdali have no

811
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:13,200
Speaker 5: problem learning and self playbooks.

812
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,320
Speaker 2: I think that that brings me to my next question

813
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:18,319
Speaker 2: of I mean, your former NFL coach, like you coached

814
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,080
Speaker 2: for the Buccaneers before getting the head head coaching job

815
00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,439
Speaker 2: at IMG. So has your I guess, have you given

816
00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,320
Speaker 2: him any advice as far as from an NFL perspective

817
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:29,680
Speaker 2: being his former coach, Like, what have your conversations been

818
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:30,279
Speaker 2: like with him?

819
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:30,839
Speaker 5: Uh?

820
00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,640
Speaker 2: Post being drafted by the Vikings last weekend?

821
00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,520
Speaker 5: Yeah, I just sent a quick message on Instagram just congratulate.

822
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:38,239
Speaker 5: I know he's super busy, but we haven't had a

823
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:39,279
Speaker 5: chance to catch up yet.

824
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:40,960
Speaker 2: Got it got it. Well, I'm sure he's looking forward

825
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,480
Speaker 2: to that conversation and I'm sure we'll have to get

826
00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:44,239
Speaker 2: that in front of him.

827
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:44,640
Speaker 5: Coach.

828
00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,600
Speaker 1: He said he had fourteen hundred unread text messages on

829
00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:50,719
Speaker 1: his phone after the day after the draft.

830
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:52,640
Speaker 5: Yeah, I can imagine he's probably got more even now.

831
00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:54,120
Speaker 3: I was like, I don't even think I know fourteen

832
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:54,880
Speaker 3: hundred people.

833
00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:58,000
Speaker 2: No, unless people are like sending him like congrats and

834
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,160
Speaker 2: you know, like one word at a time. Sure, I'm

835
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:01,680
Speaker 2: sure she knows fourteen hundred people.

836
00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,560
Speaker 1: Well, coach, we really appreciate your insight into who he

837
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,440
Speaker 1: is as a person and what the vikings are getting.

838
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:10,880
Speaker 1: And I and I'll preface this question with saying, like

839
00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:16,000
Speaker 1: he in his mind, he said, I'm here to win championships.

840
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,399
Speaker 1: That's what I do, and I'm going to get you one,

841
00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:22,680
Speaker 1: Coach O'Connell, how much of JJ's success in the NFL

842
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:27,360
Speaker 1: is determined on what situation he arrived in as opposed

843
00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,399
Speaker 1: to you know, sure he was the fifth taken over

844
00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,719
Speaker 1: taken overall, but he's in a situation where he has

845
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:35,959
Speaker 1: all these weapons in a and a what you would

846
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,919
Speaker 1: what you wouldn't call a volatile situation yeah.

847
00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,040
Speaker 5: I think at the end of the day, he's a

848
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:44,480
Speaker 5: top ten draft pick last week, right, JJ is not

849
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,319
Speaker 5: the type of guy that's going to consider himself the

850
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,560
Speaker 5: top ten draft pick. He's kind of he's going to

851
00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,640
Speaker 5: move past that. He's going to look at the future

852
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,359
Speaker 5: and say, how are they going to remember me now?

853
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:55,800
Speaker 5: As there's been a lot of top draft picks that

854
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:56,439
Speaker 5: haven't won.

855
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:57,200
Speaker 2: Right.

856
00:38:57,239 --> 00:38:59,279
Speaker 5: I think his main focus now is going to be

857
00:38:59,320 --> 00:38:59,760
Speaker 5: on winning.

858
00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:02,520
Speaker 2: I think going sixty and three since high school that

859
00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,560
Speaker 2: proves you're a winner. But as a lot of people say,

860
00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,320
Speaker 2: once you get to the league that the records in

861
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,120
Speaker 2: high school and college don't matter, but the pedigree is there,

862
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,000
Speaker 2: and I believe that started before you and it kind

863
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,520
Speaker 2: of got amplified by you when he was at IMG

864
00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:18,640
Speaker 2: Academy and hoping that continues to trend forward as he's

865
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,440
Speaker 2: here as in Minnesota Viking. So, Coach Miller, we appreciate

866
00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:22,080
Speaker 2: your time today.

867
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:23,719
Speaker 5: Thank you guys, thanks for having me on.

868
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:29,960
Speaker 2: Billy. You can tell the success of IMG is well

869
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,480
Speaker 2: connected to the coaches that are on that staff, and

870
00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,359
Speaker 2: now JJ McCarthy is just another guy that has come

871
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,239
Speaker 2: out of that system and along with JC Latham, is

872
00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:42,120
Speaker 2: a top ten pick in this twenty twenty four NFL draft.

873
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:46,480
Speaker 2: And just my quick takeaway is, I really hope everything

874
00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,920
Speaker 2: that coach Billy Miller said comes to fruition the silling.

875
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:53,560
Speaker 2: There is no silling when it comes to what JJ

876
00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,640
Speaker 2: McCarthy can be in the NFL. How he prepares, that's

877
00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,040
Speaker 2: very evident. His energy is very palpable, and hopefully that

878
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,200
Speaker 2: that affects our retire locker room. But Tatum, you know

879
00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:04,520
Speaker 2: you were a part of that interview also, Jay, you

880
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,800
Speaker 2: were doing some work. But Tatum, when you look at

881
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:09,839
Speaker 2: just someone or where you listen to some of the

882
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:11,840
Speaker 2: quotes that he gave us, what are some things that

883
00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:13,319
Speaker 2: stood out to you just.

884
00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,960
Speaker 1: His You just don't meet someone who has anything negative

885
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,120
Speaker 1: to say about JJ McCarthy. I think that that just

886
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:24,200
Speaker 1: kind of proved that that sentiment still reigns true. He

887
00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,600
Speaker 1: is such a believer in this academy and for one

888
00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:31,560
Speaker 1: season when he was, you know, a senior in high

889
00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:36,000
Speaker 1: school and he I think he just knew he was

890
00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:38,680
Speaker 1: could be successful, would be successful. And so I think

891
00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:43,440
Speaker 1: that just kind of hearing about his views on JJ and.

892
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:45,799
Speaker 3: How he was and how he can be and will

893
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,799
Speaker 3: be here was kind of my biggest takeaway for sure

894
00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:49,840
Speaker 3: Jay Just.

895
00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:53,120
Speaker 2: I mean you you're very aware of by MG Academy

896
00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,359
Speaker 2: and Sure just that system. I mean he talked about

897
00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,440
Speaker 2: kJ Osborne being a part of that system. Former quarterback

898
00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:00,879
Speaker 2: that was with the vice for a couple of years,

899
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,120
Speaker 2: Kellen Mont. So many names that have come out of IMG.

900
00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:05,600
Speaker 2: What do you think that means for JJ?

901
00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:08,040
Speaker 4: I think the biggest thing is that, you know, some

902
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,880
Speaker 4: people when they go through high school and even into college,

903
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,239
Speaker 4: they're kind of overwhelmed by the spotlight and overwhelmed by

904
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,320
Speaker 4: kind of what's expected of them when you're going through.

905
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,160
Speaker 2: A system like that.

906
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:22,440
Speaker 4: I mean for the local Minnesota people here, there's Shattock,

907
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:26,040
Speaker 4: Saint Mary's for hockey. There's different schools like that have

908
00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:29,319
Speaker 4: different expectations and different talent levels. And so for a

909
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,239
Speaker 4: guy like JJ to go through this to have those

910
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:33,480
Speaker 4: kind of accolades, and to me, what it means is

911
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,880
Speaker 4: that he's been set up for success when it comes

912
00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,799
Speaker 4: to matching the talent with kind of the expectations and

913
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,279
Speaker 4: so being able to come out of a place like that,

914
00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:44,879
Speaker 4: go to a school like Michigan. You know, he's won

915
00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:47,760
Speaker 4: titles at different levels he's had success at different levels.

916
00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,640
Speaker 4: To me, it NFL is a different animal when you

917
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,120
Speaker 4: get up here. But it also makes me feel like

918
00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:56,719
Speaker 4: he's been set up for multiple years to be able

919
00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,440
Speaker 4: to handle what's going to be expected. So I think

920
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,480
Speaker 4: having that kind of background at least high school wise

921
00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,160
Speaker 4: set him up for Michigan, won a title at Michigan,

922
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,480
Speaker 4: and now he's in the NFL. I expect for him

923
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,200
Speaker 4: to continue to have that kind of success and to

924
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:12,799
Speaker 4: kind of have that understanding of what it takes to

925
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:14,240
Speaker 4: really be a winner at every level.

926
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:16,959
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the first chance he'll get is our rookie

927
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:19,040
Speaker 2: Mini caamp next week, as we just talked about, and

928
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:22,239
Speaker 2: he'll get that. With the seven overall selections in the

929
00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:24,600
Speaker 2: twenty twenty four NFL Draft for the Vikings, as well

930
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:28,640
Speaker 2: as the seventeen undrafted free agents that the Vikings selected

931
00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:33,719
Speaker 2: this past weekend, we know how important those udfas are.

932
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,759
Speaker 2: When you look at a guy last year and Ivan Pace,

933
00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,319
Speaker 2: a guy who I believe he was supposed to have

934
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,920
Speaker 2: been drafted, maybe in the later rounds, but he went undrafted. Ultimately,

935
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,560
Speaker 2: the Vikings picked him up and he started Week one

936
00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:50,640
Speaker 2: finished finished seventh overall in defensive Rookie of the Year

937
00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,680
Speaker 2: voting last year as an undrafted free agent. So when

938
00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:55,560
Speaker 2: you look at this upcoming Rookie Minnie camp, we'll talk

939
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:57,839
Speaker 2: a little bit more next week about it, but Tata,

940
00:42:57,880 --> 00:42:59,319
Speaker 2: when you look at just some of the guys that

941
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,439
Speaker 2: are coming in for Ricky Minni caamb this upcoming week,

942
00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:04,239
Speaker 2: what are some things that stand out to you?

943
00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:08,320
Speaker 1: I think I chose Gabriel Murphy and Dwight mclothan junior

944
00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:11,359
Speaker 1: for our draft grade show for a reason. I think

945
00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,319
Speaker 1: that they could be something special. And I also just

946
00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:17,319
Speaker 1: want to keep manifesting my hot take of the year

947
00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:21,200
Speaker 1: of what my bold prediction. I think that you could

948
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:26,080
Speaker 1: find another high quality i'ven paced style undrafted free agent

949
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:28,759
Speaker 1: that could potentially become a starter for you because I

950
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:32,319
Speaker 1: think that there are I don't know, I feel like

951
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:35,080
Speaker 1: there's so much more talent out there than there has

952
00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:37,120
Speaker 1: been in years past. You're dealing with a lot of

953
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,560
Speaker 1: these kids that have been in school for six years.

954
00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:42,560
Speaker 1: It's like a weird time right now where a lot

955
00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:44,680
Speaker 1: of these guys have been in college for a while.

956
00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:46,279
Speaker 3: So there's just an.

957
00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:48,600
Speaker 1: Outward you know, there's a lot of talent out there

958
00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,719
Speaker 1: and there's a lot of preferred undrafted free agents, which

959
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:54,440
Speaker 1: is what those guys are, and so when I see that,

960
00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,680
Speaker 1: I kind of feel like, oh, you know, it seems

961
00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,200
Speaker 1: like they might be they could have been drafted. I know,

962
00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:02,480
Speaker 1: I think Mclothn had like a fifth to sixth round

963
00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:05,200
Speaker 1: draft grade on him. But a lot of these guys

964
00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:08,480
Speaker 1: maybe it's size, like an ive and pace. Maybe they're undersized,

965
00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:10,279
Speaker 1: so teams don't want to take a draft pick and

966
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,000
Speaker 1: a chance on them, and so.

967
00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:14,080
Speaker 3: They get as a they get in as.

968
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:17,040
Speaker 1: A preferred undrafted free agent and prove that you know,

969
00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:18,040
Speaker 1: I'm more than just.

970
00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:19,600
Speaker 3: My metrics, sure for sure.

971
00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:21,680
Speaker 4: And I think you know, you brought it up the

972
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,280
Speaker 4: fact these guys have been in school longer between COVID

973
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:25,960
Speaker 4: years and some of the other red shirt pieces that

974
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,000
Speaker 4: have come with them. That was the other thing. Between

975
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:30,839
Speaker 4: Day one of the draft and Day three of the draft.

976
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:33,040
Speaker 4: Day one of the draft, you grab two juniors who

977
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:35,320
Speaker 4: were twenty one years old. Day three of the draft,

978
00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:37,640
Speaker 4: everybody was a senior. And I think you're going to

979
00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:39,680
Speaker 4: see this play out over the next couple of years

980
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,319
Speaker 4: where those COVID years and everything are going to be gone.

981
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:44,320
Speaker 4: And that's where it's going to get really interesting between

982
00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:47,600
Speaker 4: anil COVID years going away that kind of thing. But

983
00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:51,360
Speaker 4: for now, there are a lot, like you said, a

984
00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:53,640
Speaker 4: lot of people that are kind of almost seniors or

985
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:57,080
Speaker 4: super seniors or people that were able that had you know,

986
00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:59,640
Speaker 4: one more year of eligibility that went out there as

987
00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:01,440
Speaker 4: they were and on their masters to play you know,

988
00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:03,759
Speaker 4: football for one more season that are coming out here.

989
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,759
Speaker 4: And so I think maybe that's part of it too,

990
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:07,680
Speaker 4: is the front office just trying to take advantage of

991
00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:10,800
Speaker 4: the situation where we currently are and what you're getting

992
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:13,080
Speaker 4: out of that is extra years in the weight room,

993
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:16,719
Speaker 4: get some extra strength and extra experience, you know, and

994
00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:19,400
Speaker 4: being able to utilize that. So kind of some of

995
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,799
Speaker 4: these guys at our udfas might have been mid to

996
00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,920
Speaker 4: late round draft picks, like you said before, in previous drafts,

997
00:45:26,239 --> 00:45:27,880
Speaker 4: and I think now they're just trying to, you know,

998
00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:30,560
Speaker 4: figure out what they've got between these guys and some

999
00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:31,799
Speaker 4: of the other people that they're going to bring in

1000
00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:33,799
Speaker 4: for rookie mini camp. So this is where we found

1001
00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:36,400
Speaker 4: our feelings in the past, our John Randalls, you know,

1002
00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:38,239
Speaker 4: where you start to identify some of those guys and

1003
00:45:38,520 --> 00:45:40,959
Speaker 4: it'll be fun to see who pops out of this group.

1004
00:45:41,239 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 2: I'm so happy the draft is over. Like we talked

1005
00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:49,200
Speaker 2: about something else yea months exactly, and I like the

1006
00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:52,239
Speaker 2: last three weeks it was all the same thing. So

1007
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,879
Speaker 2: the fact that we have our guys here and we

1008
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,239
Speaker 2: know what the future can look like for him and

1009
00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:00,440
Speaker 2: we can start figuring out how this offense, slashed and

1010
00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:03,520
Speaker 2: special teams fits each guy, I believe that makes for

1011
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:06,719
Speaker 2: exciting content. So for Vikings fans that are tuned and

1012
00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:09,880
Speaker 2: make sure you stay locked in on Vikings dot com,

1013
00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:12,880
Speaker 2: the Vikings app, and the Vikings social media channels. For

1014
00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:16,719
Speaker 2: Eric Davidson, who is our producer, Tatum Everett Jnelson from

1015
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:18,799
Speaker 2: Vikings dot com. My name is Gabe Henderson. Thank you

1016
00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:22,399
Speaker 2: guys again for tuning into this NFL Draft Recap edition

1017
00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:28,640
Speaker 2: of the Minnesota Vikings Podcast presented by Pepsi. Eighty seven

1018
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