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Speaker 1: Hey, everybody. Chris Hayry with you on a new episode

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Speaker 1: of Chargers Weekly. Coming up by conversation with general manager

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Speaker 1: Tom Telesco before the start of training camp. But first,

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Speaker 1: former Chargers great Sean Merriman breaks down the entire camp

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Speaker 1: experience through the eyes of a player. We also talked

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Speaker 1: past rushers, the longevity of Philip Rivers, plus Sean shares

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Speaker 1: some valuable advice for the rookies. All right, well the

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Speaker 1: wait is finally over. Training camp starts this weekend, and

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Speaker 1: joining me now to break it all down Chargers Great

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Speaker 1: Sean Merriman, Sean, how are you, my man?

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Speaker 2: I'm going well, man, I'm about to see.

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Speaker 1: Doing very well. I heard we were just talking offline.

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Speaker 1: You had you had a good summer, right, a couple

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Speaker 1: of vacations.

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Speaker 3: I did it.

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Speaker 2: I did it my first time in probably a little

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Speaker 2: over two years. Got a chance, went out of to Loan, Mexico,

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Speaker 2: and I went to leave the Stained So uh, probably

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Speaker 2: two of my favorite trips of all time. Now full on,

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Speaker 2: back to work.

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Speaker 1: That's good, but it's always good to reset, and obviously

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Speaker 1: training camp starts on Saturday. You know, as a player,

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Speaker 1: I'm always curious what's the week leading up to trading camp.

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Speaker 1: Like for a player, is there excitement is their nerves?

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Speaker 1: What are the emotions there?

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Speaker 2: It's it's a little bit of both. It's exciting because

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Speaker 2: now that the season is about to start back over.

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Speaker 2: But uh, you know, one of the one of the

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Speaker 2: things to run your head a lot on. One of

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Speaker 2: the things that you do that final week is see

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Speaker 2: all your family, your friends, relaxed, you know, probably your

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Speaker 2: last time for the next with six or seven months,

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Speaker 2: and get ready to hit it. Because once you step

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Speaker 2: on that football field, once you check into training camp

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Speaker 2: that first day, you are NonStop all the way until

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Speaker 2: the end of the season. So it's it's nice man,

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Speaker 2: it's a it's a great feeling. You're obviously gonna get

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Speaker 2: a chance to see some new faces, the fans get

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Speaker 2: excited again, so walk It's just a great experience.

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Speaker 1: You know, what's it like for a rookie as opposed

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Speaker 1: to a vet like I'm curious, like put yourself in

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Speaker 1: Derwin James's shoes and then put yourself in a guy

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Speaker 1: like Phillips shoes, a guy who's been doing it for

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Speaker 1: fifteen years. Was there a difference for you that first

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Speaker 1: year versus you and your fifth sixth year in the league.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean the rookies coming in, their heads are

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Speaker 2: going to be spinning, right. They have to watch their excitement.

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Speaker 2: They have to watch, you know, just being really, really

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Speaker 2: impulsive because they've been waiting the whole time to get

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Speaker 2: on the field to show people what they can do.

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Speaker 2: That can help you early on, but later on it

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Speaker 2: can go against you. You have to slow things down

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Speaker 2: and realize this is a long season. It's not college anymore.

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Speaker 2: So walking in with this excitement being on the field

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Speaker 2: and see your teammates in locker room for the first

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Speaker 2: time is great, but you have to understand it's a

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Speaker 2: long season, a long learning curve, and you have to

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Speaker 2: just slow things down.

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Speaker 1: It's almost like taking a deep breath, right, because I

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Speaker 1: imagine a lot of these guys, especially talk about Derwin

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Speaker 1: and Chenna and Kausier White, Justin Jones's guys that were

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Speaker 1: picked early in the draft, They're gonna want to make

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Speaker 1: an early impression and impress the coaches. But you want

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Speaker 1: that to work to your advantage, right, Youre going to

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Speaker 1: take a deep breath and take each rep as opposed

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Speaker 1: to thinking that big picture.

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Speaker 2: Oh no, doubt about it. When you come in, first

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Speaker 2: of all, you want to just make an impact, make

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Speaker 2: your presidence felt on the field. But one thing you

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Speaker 2: have to understand is these coaches aren't looking for what

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Speaker 2: you do on day one the best. They want to

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Speaker 2: see consistency. They want to see you being you know,

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Speaker 2: persistent and being able to understand what's going on and

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Speaker 2: pick up on the game fast and understand all what's

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Speaker 2: going on around you. You know, coming in very hyper

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Speaker 2: and very energetic is great, but the poachers want to

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Speaker 2: see that for the entire camp. They want to see

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Speaker 2: the progression from the start to finish leading up into

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Speaker 2: the preseason. So just having that your minds the rookie

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Speaker 2: is something that they're all going to have to learn

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Speaker 2: pretty early.

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Speaker 1: Well, Sean, can you look back and think of like

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Speaker 1: a favorite camp memory that you had, because when you

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Speaker 1: came in, I mean you're with LT and Philip Rivers yet. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: so many you know, Hall of Fame caliber players and

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Speaker 1: a lot of characters on teams throughout your career. Do

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Speaker 1: you have a favorite memory that sticks out?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, coming in for one, I just remember walking

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Speaker 2: in locker room and c N LT Philip Rivers Antonio Games,

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Speaker 2: Lorenzo O'Neal, and I just still there. I still in

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Speaker 2: the litter of locker room because we're talking about Hall

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Speaker 2: of potential, Hall of Fame guys will LTI being a

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Speaker 2: Hall of Fame already, but guy that you're gonna have

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Speaker 2: their press like guys, you're gonna have to uh live

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Speaker 2: up to their standards. And I always wanted LT to

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Speaker 2: call me, to call me like God and he did

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Speaker 2: the chills the first time of the season really uh

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Speaker 2: so that yeah, yeah, you know it was against the

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Speaker 2: Kancity Cheese. I always I was like, man, I wanted

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Speaker 2: you know, Eli Chie just called me fifty six. I mean,

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Speaker 2: when these guys get in, these rookies, you are a

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Speaker 2: Jersey member. You have to prove yourself. You have to

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Speaker 2: be reliable, and these guys have to understand that you're

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Speaker 2: with the team. You'll do whatever you whatever it takes

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Speaker 2: for you for them to win. And until then, you're

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Speaker 2: just a rookie. You have to earn your stripe staying.

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Speaker 2: They got a lot of work to do.

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Speaker 1: Oh wow, So so LT made you earn it When

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Speaker 1: you heard your nickname for the first time, how did

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Speaker 1: that feel?

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Speaker 2: It was great? Man. I mean, you know, just coming

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Speaker 2: in locker room and pays on a team with these

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Speaker 2: guys and being you know, just recognized, right. I mean,

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Speaker 2: I've been called lights out since I was a kid

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Speaker 2: in high school, in college, and then you get up

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Speaker 2: to the pros and you have guys like LT and

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Speaker 2: all these you know, Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers who

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Speaker 2: won't call you lights out. So I earned my stripes

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Speaker 2: and I did that, and these guys are gonna have

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Speaker 2: to do the same thing walking in. It doesn't matter

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Speaker 2: what where you were drafted or what you did in college,

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Speaker 2: You're going to have to earn your stripes. And this

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Speaker 2: is the time of do it doing training camp.

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Speaker 1: Well, let's talk about camp. Let's talk about defense specifically

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Speaker 1: on paper showing loaded with talent. We can start with

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Speaker 1: your specialty, getting to the quarterback. I think it's safe

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Speaker 1: to say Joey bos and Melvin Ingram the best pass

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Speaker 1: rushing duo in the league right now. What makes them

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Speaker 1: so special when you look back at what they accomplished

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Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen, Well, what makes.

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Speaker 2: A special is they feed off of each other more

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Speaker 2: than anything else. Obviously they have in talent, they can

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Speaker 2: get to the quarterback, they can make big things happen.

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Speaker 2: But in order to have somebody on the other side

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Speaker 2: of you, that's great, you have to fill the energy

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Speaker 2: and be able to play up to the level as

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Speaker 2: a guy on the opposite side. So if he goes

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Speaker 2: out and make a play, you have the other guy

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Speaker 2: to make a play. If he may, you play vice versus.

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Speaker 2: So they have that. This year, it's gonna get harder

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Speaker 2: for them because they're coming into the NFL, like you

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Speaker 2: just said, with everybody knowing who they are. So they

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Speaker 2: have to take their game up to a whole nother

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Speaker 2: level because coming into a football game this year, an

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Speaker 2: offensive coordinator no two guys on that defense that they

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Speaker 2: don't want to get close to the quarterback, and that's

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Speaker 2: Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. So how do we stop them?

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Speaker 2: So now these two guys have to figure out a

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Speaker 2: way to play chess. What are we gonna do this

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Speaker 2: year in order to not let these offensive coordinators stop

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Speaker 2: us from getting to the quarterback.

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Speaker 1: You know, Joey Bosa just turned twenty three years old.

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Speaker 1: How much better can he get? Sew when you look

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Speaker 1: at what he's done over his first two years in

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Speaker 1: the league. I have to imagine twenty three, you really

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Speaker 1: just scratching the surface.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think he's even scratching surface, And I'm

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Speaker 2: thinking that he's just starting. You know, the older you

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Speaker 2: get and the more you understand the game, you started

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Speaker 2: to learn just that much more. And what I mean

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Speaker 2: by that, you start to recognize offenses. You started to

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Speaker 2: recognize pass as by offensive tackles or knowing when the

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Speaker 2: guys want to come in motion, and you start to

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Speaker 2: understand your surroundings. So when you start to understand your surroundings,

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Speaker 2: you can start you can react that much faster. By

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Speaker 2: him taking up another year of experience, it's going to

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Speaker 2: be really exciting to watch him play the ship.

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Speaker 1: I see a lot of parallels. I just go back

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Speaker 1: to the two thousand and six Chargers team year. You

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Speaker 1: had seventeen sacks. I think Sean Phillips had eleven and

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Speaker 1: a half sacks. I mean, you guys combined for twenty

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Speaker 1: eight and a half sacks in that secondary. I want

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Speaker 1: to say Kramarti was a was a rookie. You had Florence,

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Speaker 1: you had Quittin Jammer. You look at this secondary and

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Speaker 1: the two Pro Bowl corners in Casey Hayward and Jason Vverett.

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Speaker 1: You got Trevor Williams and Desmond King behind those guys.

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Speaker 1: Could you tell when you were out on the field

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Speaker 1: that the quarterbacks were locking up the receivers because you

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Speaker 1: were able to get to the quarterback maybe a half

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Speaker 1: a second or or a second quicker than normal.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt about it. Without that secondary that we

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Speaker 2: had when I was playing the guys you just mentioned

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Speaker 2: a seventeen sacked seasons, It's not possible. Same thing was

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Speaker 2: gonna happen with Joey Boltsma and Melvengla this year and

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Speaker 2: that in those front four without those guys back there.

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Speaker 2: Jason Murrett, Uh god, I mean you can go on it.

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Speaker 2: It felt like the list wasn't gonna stop. Yeah, but

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Speaker 2: they have so much they had you need to keep

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Speaker 2: going on that that less they're so deep in the secondary. Uh,

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Speaker 2: the problem is you're gonna have to find a way

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Speaker 2: to get for everyone to get on the field because

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Speaker 2: they're so talented now. But it works. It worked both ways.

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Speaker 2: The guys up front they do their job, and the

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Speaker 2: guys and the secondary do their job. They're gonna get

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Speaker 2: some interceptions and some incomplete passion of pvus because the

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Speaker 2: front four and vice versa. They're gonna get some sacks

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Speaker 2: because of the secondary. So, uh, it's a very exciting year. Honestly,

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Speaker 2: if you can't get excited for this season, you don't

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Speaker 2: have a pall. I just I feel that way. If

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Speaker 2: you can't get excited about this team this year, you

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Speaker 2: don't have a pause.

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Speaker 1: No doubt. And you know, Derwin James is a guy

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Speaker 1: that you know, I said this a couple of weeks ago.

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Speaker 1: I think before every snap we're going to be looking

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Speaker 1: at number thirty three to see what he does next

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Speaker 1: on the football field. What do you think of Derwin James,

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Speaker 1: the addition to him on this defense and him really

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Speaker 1: fall into number seventeen overall in the draft.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Daryl James is the impact guy, no, no doubt

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Speaker 2: about it. He's going to have a little bit of

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Speaker 2: a learning current trying to understand the playbook and pick

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Speaker 2: everything up. By him being on the field, his presidence,

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Speaker 2: he's going to force a lot of caning overs. He's

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Speaker 2: going to force a lot of people to stay away

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Speaker 2: from him and pay attention to him. That's going to

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Speaker 2: free a bunch of guys up, so he's going to

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Speaker 2: play fast. That's the thing about him. He plays fast.

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Speaker 2: He finds a football and guys who will play makers

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Speaker 2: just find a way to make big things happen, even

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Speaker 2: when he's not caught up to speed yet in the

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Speaker 2: playbook and understand the NFL speed and just trying to

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Speaker 2: catch up with everything. His prejudice on the field is

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Speaker 2: going to make everyone else better.

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Speaker 1: What do you think of him as a pass rusher too?

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Speaker 1: I mean, coming off the edge, this is a guy

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Speaker 1: that I think really can do it all. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think he's gonna help stop in the run. And

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Speaker 1: then another guy, you Chennon Nuosu had nine and a

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Speaker 1: half sex for USC last year. I'm curious to what

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Speaker 1: a sack expert like yourself thinks of those guys, because

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Speaker 1: I think that they're going to really help Joey Bosa

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Speaker 1: and Melvin Ingram get to the quarterback even.

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Speaker 3: That much more.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, you know one I think about Darren James. I

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Speaker 2: watched him college. I've seen what he what he's what

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Speaker 2: he's done on pass rushing opportunities to offensive linemen, getting

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Speaker 2: on in their show the pad and being able to

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Speaker 2: be a force. And you don't see that type of

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Speaker 2: stack too often. You don't see guys being able to

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Speaker 2: do that. He didn't really just because he played on

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Speaker 2: the college level, He's going to be able to do

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Speaker 2: that on the pro. What's what that also is going

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Speaker 2: to help is taking a lot of attention off of

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Speaker 2: Males and England and Joey Bosa. Which that's what you want,

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Speaker 2: that's what you ask for. I would say this team,

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Speaker 2: actually it is the closest his team, if not maybe

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Speaker 2: even better in some aspects to some of the teams

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Speaker 2: that I played on, just because they're so equipped all

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Speaker 2: the way around the board. So it could be very

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Speaker 2: interesting to see how because the talent, they have so

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Speaker 2: much talent on the field, how they're going to find

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Speaker 2: a way to keep everyone on the field. I'll keep

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Speaker 2: everyone involved because that they just have a lot of

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Speaker 2: talent all around the ball.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you go back to two thousand and six. I

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Speaker 1: agree with you. I don't think that there's been as

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Speaker 1: much talent on defense as this team is, at least

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Speaker 1: on paper. And then one of the guys who was

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Speaker 1: one of your teammates and know six Philip Rivers, he's

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Speaker 1: still doing it. Seawan one hundred and ninety two regular

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Speaker 1: season starts. If you put Patrick Mahomes, Case Keenum, and

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Speaker 1: Derek Carr's starts all together, combine them up, there's still

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Speaker 1: ninety one starts short of Philip. Why do you think

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Speaker 1: he's been playing at such a high level for so long?

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Speaker 2: One thing about Philip, Phillip has something that athleticism and

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Speaker 2: what you can throw a pass and do whatever, it

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Speaker 2: doesn't matter as much. You know, he brings his passion

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Speaker 2: to the game that it doesn't matter what year he enf.

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Speaker 2: He can throw the ball off his back leg sixty

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Speaker 2: yards down the field, it doesn't matter. He has a

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Speaker 2: passion to win. And when you have that it you

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Speaker 2: know it doesn't matter what you do on the field

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Speaker 2: necessarily because you just want to win, so you do

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Speaker 2: whatever it takes. You know, he'll he'll Phillip is going

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Speaker 2: to lead that team.

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Speaker 4: Man.

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Speaker 2: He's going to take a lot of the young guys

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Speaker 2: around them, mold them and almost in a sense force.

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Speaker 2: I mean, when you see someone willing to lay it

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Speaker 2: out in the line that much. He forces guys to

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Speaker 2: get better. You're gonna have to play under Phil's ability,

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Speaker 2: and you're going to almost, you know, feel bad because

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Speaker 2: you know he's going to put you in the best

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Speaker 2: situations to win, so you want to go out and

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Speaker 2: be successful for Philip. So Uh, they couldn't have a

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Speaker 2: better leader to take them to the next level this.

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Speaker 1: Year, Sean. I have to imagine you and Philip had

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Speaker 1: battles in training, Kip going back and forth. I remember

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Speaker 1: watching last year him chirping back with Casey Hayward. I

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Speaker 1: have to imagine you guys had some some epic back

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Speaker 1: and forth back offense FIRSUS defensive training camp.

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Speaker 2: Oh, we had a lot of them, and we had

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Speaker 2: we had times. I can't even really say who was

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Speaker 2: on a winning end of it, but it was fun.

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Speaker 2: And every day you have a guy that's going to compete.

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Speaker 2: Even if he didn't have his best day, you know,

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Speaker 2: he gave his best effort. Uh. And that's what it's

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Speaker 2: gonna take. It's gonna take someone that's willing to fall

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Speaker 2: down some times and no matter what, bounce back up

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Speaker 2: and leaders take his team of victory.

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Speaker 1: Seante. So many people in the media, I think, have

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Speaker 1: picked the Chargers to to make the playoffs to win

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Speaker 1: the AFC West, And you know that's a lot of

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Speaker 1: outside noise. As players as coaches. You know, I remember

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Speaker 1: your first three years in the league. I mean there

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Speaker 1: were high expectations set. How do you manage those expectations

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Speaker 1: in camp? Kind of keep that outside noise outside the

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Speaker 1: building and just focus on the task at hand.

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Speaker 2: Well, the media include myself because now I'm on the

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Speaker 2: media side, right, we had we have a job. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: we have a job to talk about who we things

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Speaker 2: is gonna win. What they have to do is they

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Speaker 2: have to drop all the outside noise when they come

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Speaker 2: and work every day. They have to put the plan

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Speaker 2: and the goal together and stick to it and whatever

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Speaker 2: happened when lose a draw, they have to stay together.

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Speaker 2: Anybody outside doesn't matter to what said. Do they should

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Speaker 2: they win up the AFC West, Yes? Do they have

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Speaker 2: the time one paper, yes, But it's really up to

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Speaker 2: them to go out and accomplish that because they have

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Speaker 2: to set a goal from day one and stick to it.

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Speaker 1: I think we saw this last year too, especially when

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Speaker 1: they started zero to four. You know that's when everybody's

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Speaker 1: against you, right, they stuck together. Coach Lynn really rallied

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Speaker 1: these guys and everybody believed that they were much better

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Speaker 1: than an oher and four team. You know, case in point,

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Speaker 1: you win nine of your last twelve, So I think

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Speaker 1: this team already has that DNA, no, no.

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Speaker 2: No question about it. And you know what, last year

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Speaker 2: showed a lot of character, not just how to coach

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Speaker 2: Land and not just how the players all about everyone.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you know, moving to a new stadium up

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Speaker 2: and moving up and making a big move like they did. Uh.

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Speaker 2: It took a lot for everybody to get back on

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Speaker 2: the same page to feel normal again, right, I mean

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Speaker 2: there's a big move all the way around. You started

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Speaker 2: awing four and send us the way you did. That's

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Speaker 2: a character building. Now what can we do this year

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Speaker 2: to not fall under that again? Because we know we

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Speaker 2: can't do when we're clicking. How can we not fall

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Speaker 2: into the things that we fell into last year? That's

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Speaker 2: that's why this team is one year better. So it's

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Speaker 2: gonna be interesting, it's gonna be exciting. The fans and

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Speaker 2: anybody coming to the game should should feel excited about

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Speaker 2: this team this season and just come support.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we can't wait to see the fans out of camp.

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Speaker 1: Look forward to seeing you out of camp, Sean. Finally

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Speaker 1: you're back with ABC seven this year, right, the whole

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Speaker 1: crew Kurt Ashley, Rob, you'll be doing a lot of

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Speaker 1: the preseason pregame postgame tell us about.

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Speaker 2: That, Yes, sir, I'll be on loud and Clear so

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Speaker 2: on Saturday nights at prime time talking Charges football on

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Speaker 2: a little college as well. Uh, It's it's gonna be

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Speaker 2: a fun year for me too because I like to

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Speaker 2: bear on the game. It's like we've ben a former

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Speaker 2: player and you'll see me some time on the side

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Speaker 2: lines off somewhen and I can't move. I'm facing around

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Speaker 2: because that's I'm just such a fan of the game

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Speaker 2: still and I just really like to be involved so

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Speaker 2: me get a chance to talk about it as an analyst,

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Speaker 2: but also still kind of being around the team of

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Speaker 2: watching guys closely, watching it pass rush, move, watching offense linemen.

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Speaker 2: I like to get up in there, man, I'm not

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Speaker 2: gonna joke about. I like to get up in there

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Speaker 2: and it just really fun for me. So I can't

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Speaker 2: wait for the season as well.

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Speaker 3: Sean.

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Speaker 1: I can't thank you for your time.

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Speaker 2: Man.

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Speaker 1: I will see you out of camp and then we'll

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Speaker 1: obviously see on ABC seven as well.

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Speaker 2: By man, you got it. Thank you.

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Speaker 1: So.

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Speaker 4: The Los Angeles Chargers schedule is out, and boy, it's

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Speaker 4: nice to finally know how we'll be spending our Sundays

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Speaker 4: this fall. How many Charger games did you make last year, Matt?

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Speaker 5: I mean twenty four preseason games in sixteen regular season

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Speaker 5: games last year.

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Speaker 4: Which are you circling for this season?

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Speaker 5: This season, I'll circle the Niners and Cardinals, says they

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Speaker 5: play the NFC West, and let's not forget about those

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Speaker 5: rivalry games. Pee you serious don't want to miss this.

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Speaker 4: Visit fight for La dot com or call eight seven

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Speaker 4: seven Chargers to share Matt's experience.

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Speaker 5: Season tickets on sale now.

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Speaker 1: All right on the heels of training camp. We're taping

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Speaker 1: this on a Thursday. Very pleased to welcome general manager

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Speaker 1: Tom Telesco to Chargers Weekly. Tom, We're back, love it.

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Speaker 3: We're here last year. I know we did this last year.

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Speaker 3: I don't know if it was before camp or during camp.

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Speaker 3: I remember almost in the same location we did this podcast.

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Speaker 1: It was almost exactly a year ago, and it's funny

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Speaker 1: to me, it feels like it was three months ago.

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Speaker 1: This has been such a whirlwind of a year for

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Speaker 1: the team, and I know in this profession, you're always

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Speaker 1: looking forward, You're always in the now, but last year

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Speaker 1: was a special circumstance. Can you compare just you personally

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Speaker 1: the last two off seasons.

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Speaker 3: Well, I know right now we're so far ahead today

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Speaker 3: than we were on this day last year. And probably

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Speaker 3: not something I really thought about at this point last year,

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Speaker 3: but the amount of work our equipment staff, our training staff,

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Speaker 3: our strength and conditioning staff, our groundskeepers, everybody that worked

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Speaker 3: on our building over in Coast and Mason and everybody

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Speaker 3: that's working here at training camp, John Hennick and James Collins.

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Speaker 3: It did a lot of work. That miss is a

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Speaker 3: brand new training camp site for us. We had to

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Speaker 3: build fields and put up fences and put up the bleacher.

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Speaker 1: Feels a gorgeous.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it looks great. And this is all work we're

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Speaker 3: still doing at this point. Last year and everything was

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Speaker 3: still new, where everything was how were we gonna get that,

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Speaker 3: How we're gonna shuttle the players over, where they gonna lift,

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Speaker 3: where they're going to change. So that was all things

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Speaker 3: were working on last year, and this year that's all done.

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Speaker 3: We have our process, we have a routine, everybody knows it,

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Speaker 3: we're all comfortable with it. So there's really there's no

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Speaker 3: excuses right now. This this is our home. This is

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Speaker 3: our routine that we know what to expect.

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Speaker 1: Well, the players know what to expect, and the fans.

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Speaker 1: I think the fans are going to be in for

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Speaker 1: a treat this year because last year was really cool.

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Speaker 1: But they've really enhanced this place. I mean, there's a

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Speaker 1: merchandise tent, there's an interactive zone behind the bleachers, this

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Speaker 1: autographed alley is is a little bit bigger for the fans.

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Speaker 1: So I think it's gonna be a great experience.

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Speaker 3: I'll tell you what. As a kid, my dad would

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Speaker 3: bring me to the Buffalo Bills training camps and they

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Speaker 3: were about forty five minutes away from Buffalo, and h

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Speaker 3: those are some of the highlights of my childhood was

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Speaker 3: going to training camp. I mean to to go out,

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Speaker 3: to walk up to the fence and be within like

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Speaker 3: five or ten yards of NFL players and watching practice.

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Speaker 3: And we used to pick up breakfast on the way down,

435
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:15,719
Speaker 3: and I used to love that. That was that was

436
00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,040
Speaker 3: that was that was big for me. And now it's

437
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,760
Speaker 3: so much different. I mean, with the interactive games that

438
00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,280
Speaker 3: have for the kids behind the bleachers and experiences just

439
00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:24,919
Speaker 3: just the bleachers alone and all we had was just

440
00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:26,880
Speaker 3: a stand around the fence. We've got bleachers here, we've

441
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,240
Speaker 3: got cooling missing systems to keep people cool. Obviously food

442
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,880
Speaker 3: and drink, but a lot of activities for the kids

443
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,720
Speaker 3: to do, to hang out and have fun. And it's

444
00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:37,679
Speaker 3: just a great thing. And it's all free, which is

445
00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,480
Speaker 3: even better. So and I know as a football team,

446
00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,760
Speaker 3: we love having people out here because if the players

447
00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,439
Speaker 3: makes a difference to the guys, they love to perform

448
00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,680
Speaker 3: in front of people, and the intensity level rises usually

449
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,320
Speaker 3: for two reasons. One, if you're one of the lights,

450
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,560
Speaker 3: which we're now we be practicing the morning here. Or

451
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,399
Speaker 3: two a big crowd, and we had some great crowds

452
00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,640
Speaker 3: last year, really through it throughout most of the camp,

453
00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:00,399
Speaker 3: and the players love it. I love but it it

454
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,280
Speaker 3: brings intensely level up a little bit.

455
00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,000
Speaker 1: Well, there's a lot of momentum for the fans, you know,

456
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,159
Speaker 1: coming off of last year, and as a GM I

457
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,760
Speaker 1: remember you saying this is one of your favorite times

458
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,520
Speaker 1: of the year. And there's so many landmarks for a GM.

459
00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,199
Speaker 1: You have the regular season, you have the combine, you

460
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,840
Speaker 1: have the draft. What excites you most about end of July.

461
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,160
Speaker 3: This is you know, this is about building a team,

462
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,919
Speaker 3: this is watching all the guys come together, and you know,

463
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,639
Speaker 3: they all stay in the hotel together, they're all in

464
00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,600
Speaker 3: meetings every day. I mean, training camp's long and it's

465
00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,480
Speaker 3: a grind, but this is how you put your team together.

466
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,919
Speaker 3: And all that work you did in the off season

467
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,000
Speaker 3: putting the team together, and then all the work the

468
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,680
Speaker 3: players in the off season as far as their own

469
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,320
Speaker 3: individual development and having our off season practices, and now

470
00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,720
Speaker 3: you see the culmination of that when they come into camp. Yeah,

471
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,119
Speaker 3: to see where we are. And this is where the

472
00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,200
Speaker 3: competitions are. I mean, during our off season practice, there's

473
00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,840
Speaker 3: not really so much about players competing with each other

474
00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,200
Speaker 3: for a role on the football team. But training camp

475
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:55,840
Speaker 3: is that that really is. So this is where we

476
00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:57,359
Speaker 3: see it. All this at the beginning of the season.

477
00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:59,520
Speaker 3: And I'd said before, you know, this is where all

478
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:01,879
Speaker 3: thirty two teams have hope this time year. Everybody feels

479
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,159
Speaker 3: good about where they are. But training camp is a

480
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:06,679
Speaker 3: grind and you got to work through it. And this

481
00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:07,879
Speaker 3: is we have. I know, we have a lot of

482
00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:09,159
Speaker 3: work to do these next four weeks.

483
00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,240
Speaker 1: Well, you go back a year ago, nobody knew who

484
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,960
Speaker 1: Austin Eckler was, Right, sixth guy on the depth chart.

485
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,200
Speaker 1: I know a lot of fans are excited about the

486
00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,520
Speaker 1: draft picks, specifically the first four on defense, but you

487
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,280
Speaker 1: have to be really jacked up to see all these

488
00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:25,840
Speaker 1: guys that are coming in here because the next Austin

489
00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,280
Speaker 1: Eckler is out here somewhere.

490
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,000
Speaker 3: Yes, there always is. And I remember a couple of

491
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,320
Speaker 3: years ago in training camp, I'm not sure when it was,

492
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,560
Speaker 3: maybe maybe week two, week three, Nick Zebner was a

493
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,520
Speaker 3: college free agent, really productive player at cal Poly. But

494
00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,560
Speaker 3: I was at cal Poly is not Alabama, it's not

495
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,359
Speaker 3: you know, not Oklahoma, but a really good player there.

496
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 3: And he comes into camp trying to earn a job,

497
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,640
Speaker 3: and he made a play and practice that we all

498
00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:52,560
Speaker 3: just opened our eyes. We're like, you know what, this

499
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,160
Speaker 3: kid has a chance to stick. He made the team

500
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,160
Speaker 3: that year, made it on defense, made on special teams,

501
00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,520
Speaker 3: and now he's one of our best. He probably is

502
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,520
Speaker 3: our best special teamer, does a great job on special

503
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,080
Speaker 3: teams for us. And every year that seems like there's a.

504
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:05,480
Speaker 1: Guy like that, and that's Trevor Williams.

505
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:06,960
Speaker 3: A couple of years with Williams, Yeah, and that's it's

506
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,600
Speaker 3: really a combination of three things won the scouting staff,

507
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,280
Speaker 3: you know, that's the scout in that area. Usually it's

508
00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,960
Speaker 3: multiple people that really saw something in one of those

509
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,040
Speaker 3: players that they have enough trace that you know, they

510
00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:20,800
Speaker 3: may not get drafted, but they have enough trace to

511
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,560
Speaker 3: make our football team and contribute. The second part is

512
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,320
Speaker 3: the coaching and the development part, not only not only

513
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,440
Speaker 3: the position coach, but you know, a strength and conditioning

514
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,000
Speaker 3: as well. And that third part, which really is the biggest,

515
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,159
Speaker 3: is the player. Sometimes players just need an opportunity to

516
00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,560
Speaker 3: show what they can do. And with Trevor Williams, he

517
00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,920
Speaker 3: took that on last year, played really good football. And

518
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,160
Speaker 3: Nick zubbnare and you know there's plenty of others too,

519
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:44,600
Speaker 3: but a lot of it is the player that takes

520
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:46,280
Speaker 3: it opportunity and it takes off with it.

521
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,240
Speaker 1: The theme of this offseason, I've said so many times

522
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,240
Speaker 1: on this podcast, has been continuity. You have a coach

523
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,000
Speaker 1: and Anthony Lynn, great leadership qualities. You have two coordinators

524
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,760
Speaker 1: that are former head coaches. Your quarterback position, Philip Rivers

525
00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,840
Speaker 1: enter his fifteenth year. There's a lot of stability on

526
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:04,760
Speaker 1: this team. And you look at the division, you look

527
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,879
Speaker 1: at the AFC West Denver BRONC has a lot of

528
00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,000
Speaker 1: new coaches under Vance Joseph. I think there's a new

529
00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:13,160
Speaker 1: coordinator in Kansas City, Oakland obviously a new coach coming

530
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,240
Speaker 1: in there. With the new offensive system. How important was

531
00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,920
Speaker 1: it to keep that continuity really in a league where

532
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,440
Speaker 1: that's kind of a rarity these days.

533
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, we have some continuity in stability this year because

534
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 3: we have confidence and those people, and that was the

535
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,400
Speaker 3: big thing. And it is hard this day and age

536
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,359
Speaker 3: to have a high level of continuity, not only on

537
00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,040
Speaker 3: your coaching staff, but obviously on your roster with free agency,

538
00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,080
Speaker 3: and it's built that way for a reason. But we

539
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 3: have a lot of confidence in those guys, and I

540
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,080
Speaker 3: think to have our you know, both coordinators plus our

541
00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,640
Speaker 3: special teams coach back, it helps our players, It really does.

542
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,040
Speaker 3: There's not as much learning of the playbook. It's more,

543
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 3: you know now, it's really trying to fine tune it

544
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,400
Speaker 3: and create an edge on the field. And I think

545
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,480
Speaker 3: we'll probably see that a little more on defense this

546
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,639
Speaker 3: year than offense. Is the offense it made some change it,

547
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,960
Speaker 3: but the defense was brand new last year, brand new language,

548
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,159
Speaker 3: brand new scheme. Gus had a lot of thoughts of

549
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:06,919
Speaker 3: how what roles players were going to be in and

550
00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,520
Speaker 3: the players had had to experience that. So but yeah,

551
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,199
Speaker 3: stability is very important. This league hard to find. But

552
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 3: we're happy with everybody we have right now.

553
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,399
Speaker 1: You mentioned this at the top, and I love it.

554
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:18,959
Speaker 1: This is why I love this league so much. As

555
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,000
Speaker 1: there's so much optimism around the NFL. There's thirty two buildings.

556
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,240
Speaker 1: You've been in a lot of them, Tom, Everybody works

557
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,119
Speaker 1: through tailoff, right, Everybody is hoping to get to that

558
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,440
Speaker 1: ultimate game, and only one team is satisfied at the

559
00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,359
Speaker 1: end of the year. When you look at this twenty

560
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:36,320
Speaker 1: eighteen roster and the position that you've put this Chargers

561
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,840
Speaker 1: team into, what excites you most about it?

562
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,520
Speaker 3: Probably it's more of an intangible than a tangible. But

563
00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,520
Speaker 3: our guys really do like to work. And the difference

564
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,960
Speaker 3: between between winning and losing this league is it's a

565
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,000
Speaker 3: razor thin edge. And the talent level from team to

566
00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,600
Speaker 3: team is very similar. You know, if you take the

567
00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 3: thirty second team in the league and the top team

568
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,680
Speaker 3: in the league, the talent level is that much different

569
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,040
Speaker 3: between those two teams. So you need some other ways

570
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 3: to gain an edge, sure, and one of them is

571
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,840
Speaker 3: just just really just just toughness and puer workout that

572
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,639
Speaker 3: can wind to work. And since everyone is talented in

573
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,240
Speaker 3: this league, if you come in and don't work, you're

574
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,960
Speaker 3: not going to improve, You're not going to get better

575
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,080
Speaker 3: as a player. You probably won't have a long career.

576
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,119
Speaker 3: So you got to have a love for it, and

577
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,280
Speaker 3: you really have to want to work. And our players

578
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,040
Speaker 3: have shown that they'll work, and be honest with you,

579
00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:29,720
Speaker 3: the guys are shown that they want work. They're just

580
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,680
Speaker 3: not here anymore. But our guys will work and they'll

581
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,680
Speaker 3: put the time in a training camp and our coach

582
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,359
Speaker 3: will work them hard too. I mean he's he's tough,

583
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,440
Speaker 3: but he's fair and that's the kind of head coach

584
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:39,920
Speaker 3: that you want.

585
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,960
Speaker 1: Would you learn about Coach Lynn specifically after that zero

586
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,240
Speaker 1: and four start, because that's almost a turning point for

587
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,959
Speaker 1: a first year head coach. And he handled it with grace,

588
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,720
Speaker 1: he handled it with calmness, and I think that was

589
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,440
Speaker 1: when you knew this guy had the attention of everyone

590
00:25:58,480 --> 00:25:59,040
Speaker 1: in that Lockerer.

591
00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you just right there. The calmness and

592
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,520
Speaker 3: he really could put the blinders on and come in

593
00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,280
Speaker 3: on Monday morning and that after after we make the

594
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,720
Speaker 3: corrections from that Sunday game move on to the next one.

595
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,760
Speaker 3: And uh, when he shows the calmness, when he shows

596
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,879
Speaker 3: that ability to not flinch in adversity, the uh, the

597
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 3: players going to fall into that and follow right behind him.

598
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,480
Speaker 3: And that's what he did last year. Anthony just week

599
00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:24,760
Speaker 3: after week kept the team focused and actually those those

600
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,359
Speaker 3: first four weeks were were a challenge and uh, he

601
00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,560
Speaker 3: just never flinched and the players didn't either, and it

602
00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,359
Speaker 3: eventually got turned around, got turned around too late to

603
00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,040
Speaker 3: make the playoffs. But uh, you know, it showed the

604
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,440
Speaker 3: grit and the resolve that that team had last year.

605
00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,280
Speaker 3: So we need to, you know, re establish that this year.

606
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:43,080
Speaker 3: So it's a new year.

607
00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,720
Speaker 1: Let's get into some specifics. And you've been asked this

608
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,560
Speaker 1: ad nauseum. We're taking this on a Thursday training camps.

609
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,280
Speaker 1: The fluid situation, the tight end position. Is there an

610
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:53,560
Speaker 1: update on the tight end position?

611
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,119
Speaker 3: No, not right now. There's there's no changes there. So

612
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 3: we'll just see see where goes. I mean, we'll just

613
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:03,119
Speaker 3: see where it goes.

614
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,919
Speaker 1: That's good, fair enough, And I think with Hunter Henry

615
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,640
Speaker 1: it's just so unfortunate because he's one of the best

616
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,160
Speaker 1: young tit ends in the league an even better person.

617
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,360
Speaker 1: Have you talked to Hunter and how how is he

618
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,439
Speaker 1: progressing here in these early stages.

619
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,000
Speaker 3: I've not talked to him since we broke and I'll

620
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,880
Speaker 3: see him tomorrow when the players report. But he had

621
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,159
Speaker 3: a surgery. Everything went well. He got married this offseason,

622
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,760
Speaker 3: so that's so that that's good. But he he uh,

623
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,280
Speaker 3: it's it's hard. I mean it's hard anytime a player

624
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,080
Speaker 3: gets hurt, and it's hard for a player to handle it,

625
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:36,959
Speaker 3: but when you do it so early, and he has

626
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,480
Speaker 3: such big expectations for this year and he puts so

627
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,240
Speaker 3: much work into it. So but he's young, he's strong.

628
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:45,920
Speaker 3: I told him, hey, look, you're you're gonna you're gonna

629
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,000
Speaker 3: have a long career in this league. You know, look

630
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,520
Speaker 3: at this as a red shirt ear for you. When

631
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,240
Speaker 3: he came out of college, he was a very young player.

632
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 3: You wouldn't know it by the way he carries himself

633
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,520
Speaker 3: when he's so mature. But but age wise, he's very young. Uh,

634
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,000
Speaker 3: so that this will be a red shirt ear for him.

635
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 3: And as a football team, injuries are going to happen

636
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,840
Speaker 3: and you have to figure out a way a different way.

637
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,280
Speaker 3: Sometimes sometimes bringing in a different player. Sometimes it's not.

638
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,639
Speaker 3: Sometimes it's developing what you have. Sometimes it's maybe just

639
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,600
Speaker 3: kind of tweaking and changing your offense a little bit

640
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:12,639
Speaker 3: or your defense to kind of make up for somebody

641
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,919
Speaker 3: not being there. So there's different ways to go at it.

642
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,280
Speaker 1: I think this team's very fortunate to have a guy

643
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,440
Speaker 1: like Virgil Green on this roster. Forty nine career starts,

644
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,679
Speaker 1: Super Bowl champion. He's familiar with the division, and I

645
00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,040
Speaker 1: think he's primarily known for his run blocking tom but

646
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,359
Speaker 1: I was in Denver a couple of years ago, and

647
00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,480
Speaker 1: he's got some juice in the passing game as well.

648
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,359
Speaker 1: I think he was slated to be the Broncos starting

649
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,040
Speaker 1: tight end. I think he had an injury at the

650
00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,120
Speaker 1: beginning of that year. But this is a guy who

651
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 1: is a veteran, has been there, done that, and knows

652
00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:43,480
Speaker 1: what to expect coming into camp.

653
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,240
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly, it's very consistent. Like you said, he's a

654
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 3: very good blocker. He's very strong with the line of scrimmage,

655
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,400
Speaker 3: but he's also runs very well for a tight end.

656
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,160
Speaker 3: He's got excellent speed, so he can pull some coverage

657
00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:56,960
Speaker 3: his way when he's running down the field, and he

658
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000
Speaker 3: can at least be a threat there for us and

659
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,960
Speaker 3: not just being an on the lin scrimmage blocker. But

660
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,360
Speaker 3: he does he need to brings some some veteran leadership

661
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,200
Speaker 3: to that room too, which is needed. You know, it's

662
00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,760
Speaker 3: a young room other than as of right now, it's

663
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,440
Speaker 3: a very young room. Yeah, except for except for Virgil.

664
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,840
Speaker 3: So and like I said, I can't predict what's going

665
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,480
Speaker 3: to happen in the future at that position. But but

666
00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,960
Speaker 3: now Virgil was you know, he was a signing that

667
00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:21,440
Speaker 3: was important at the time, and now it's even more

668
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:22,160
Speaker 3: important right now.

669
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,760
Speaker 1: I talked to coach wizen Hunt specifically about you know,

670
00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,120
Speaker 1: how can you You can never replace the production of

671
00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 1: a guy like Hunter Henry, but there are pieces on

672
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,320
Speaker 1: this offense. You talk about really three running backs I

673
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,360
Speaker 1: can catch the ball to the backfield, Mike Williams coming back,

674
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,000
Speaker 1: added to that wide receiving corps, and then you got

675
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,320
Speaker 1: some younger guys under Virgil as well. You have to

676
00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,719
Speaker 1: be confident in the pieces that you have outside.

677
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,959
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean we've got Sean Colchen and Braden Bullman.

678
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,040
Speaker 3: There are young players, but they showed a lot in

679
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,160
Speaker 3: practice last year for us, so they'll have an opportunity

680
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,360
Speaker 3: and and uh, you know, and like I said, we're

681
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,960
Speaker 3: not going to replace Hunter's production with one player. And

682
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:02,960
Speaker 3: we have a pretty strong receiver group. We've got a

683
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:04,680
Speaker 3: strong running back group that can catch the ball in

684
00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,280
Speaker 3: the backfield, so we can spread the ball around a

685
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,320
Speaker 3: little bit, you know, So it's not a bad problem

686
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:08,560
Speaker 3: to have.

687
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 1: You know, the first four picks were on defense, but

688
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,600
Speaker 1: you are getting a healthy Mike Williams coming into camp

689
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,800
Speaker 1: for SLAMP is expected to play this year. How excited

690
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,320
Speaker 1: are you to get those guys in the mix along

691
00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 1: with these rookies.

692
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,000
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean this is Mike williams first training camp

693
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 3: since he didn't take one snap and camp last year,

694
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,640
Speaker 3: so he's essentially a rookie coming in here. It's just important.

695
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,400
Speaker 3: It's hard to get better at football when you're not

696
00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:32,080
Speaker 3: playing football.

697
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 1: Well, I remember Philip said, and I remember very vividly,

698
00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:38,520
Speaker 1: the need for Mike to have a healthy offseason. He

699
00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,640
Speaker 1: said it in his final press conference of the year.

700
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:42,320
Speaker 1: And that's what we've seen.

701
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,640
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yeah, And it is that position is one

702
00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:47,640
Speaker 3: of the more difficult ones to come into this league.

703
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,440
Speaker 3: I will say, as the last couple of years, he's

704
00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,200
Speaker 3: probably seen more rookie receivers step in and play earlier.

705
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 3: You know, get some credit to the college game with

706
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,280
Speaker 3: how they're developing receivers and how much that they throw

707
00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,560
Speaker 3: the ball nowadays. But it's it's difficult to walk in

708
00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,880
Speaker 3: to fel team with the veteran quarterback. So it takes

709
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,320
Speaker 3: a lot of work. And uh, Mike put a lot

710
00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,200
Speaker 3: of work even when he wasn't practicing last year. He

711
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:08,760
Speaker 3: put a lot of work in with the playbook, and

712
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,040
Speaker 3: I think he knew the playbook pretty well. It's just

713
00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,880
Speaker 3: different when you're in the huddle, uh, and you get

714
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:15,840
Speaker 3: the play and you're processing what you're gonna do, and

715
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:17,120
Speaker 3: then you're then when when you're at the line of

716
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,200
Speaker 3: screamager be able to process that in real time where

717
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,600
Speaker 3: things may change on you. Coverage may change, the technique

718
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:23,640
Speaker 3: of the corner may change, the quarterback may change the play.

719
00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,440
Speaker 3: So and there's no substitute for just the repetitions of

720
00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,640
Speaker 3: doing that. He got a lot of those and and

721
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,320
Speaker 3: uh in OTAs this year.

722
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:36,200
Speaker 1: Sometimes the biggest offseason signings are the ones you don't expect. Right,

723
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 1: Mike Pouncy comes in here, Pro Bowl Center. What is

724
00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,800
Speaker 1: he going to mean? To this offensive line in both

725
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:42,840
Speaker 1: the run and the past game.

726
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 3: Uh, the centers is the key cog and and uh,

727
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,240
Speaker 3: I gotta say Spencer Pulley has done a really nice

728
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,080
Speaker 3: job for us. Again, it comes into as a college

729
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,520
Speaker 3: free agent, want a job, and then won a starting

730
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,280
Speaker 3: job and uh.

731
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 1: He started all sixteen games.

732
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's tough, he's smart, but when Mike Ponzi became available,

733
00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,680
Speaker 3: he's just a really high level player, high level person,

734
00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,320
Speaker 3: great leader, really loves I mean, he loves football. And

735
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,320
Speaker 3: as the more you guys get to be around him

736
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,560
Speaker 3: and talk to him, you'll see that pretty quick. This

737
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,640
Speaker 3: means a lot to him, which is important, especially when

738
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,200
Speaker 3: you're signing free agents. You know you guys are going

739
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:20,880
Speaker 3: to come in and fit with your team. It's more

740
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 3: than just having talent. And he hit it off with

741
00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,840
Speaker 3: the offensive line pretty quick. And that's the offensive live

742
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,680
Speaker 3: room is a pretty tight net group. And yeah, he

743
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,360
Speaker 3: meshed in really well, and so you know we're expecting

744
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,080
Speaker 3: big things out of him to help us up front.

745
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,400
Speaker 1: I think the importance is having that center like Spencer,

746
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,880
Speaker 1: who is familiar with Philip who started sixteen games. You

747
00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,640
Speaker 1: get a guy like that, so many valuable reps. If

748
00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,480
Speaker 1: he is thrusted into action for whatever reason, you can

749
00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:49,040
Speaker 1: countload him.

750
00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:51,480
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, Like I love Spencer and he's played some

751
00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,080
Speaker 3: guard for us too. And one thing, if you're a center,

752
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,120
Speaker 3: it does help versatility wise and roster wise if you

753
00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,760
Speaker 3: can play more than one spot, which Spencer can. So yeah,

754
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,120
Speaker 3: it's we have the potential upfront to be better and

755
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,400
Speaker 3: our depth is a lot better than we've had in

756
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:07,120
Speaker 3: the past as well.

757
00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,120
Speaker 1: Those defensive rookies, what have you seen from those guys

758
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,440
Speaker 1: starting with Derwin in mini camp and what would your

759
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 1: advice be to these guys. I talked to Sean Merriman

760
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,320
Speaker 1: right before this, and he was telling me the story

761
00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:21,240
Speaker 1: of you know, two thousand and five when he went

762
00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,880
Speaker 1: into locker room with Philip and LT and Antonio Gates,

763
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,240
Speaker 1: Lorenzo O'Neil, and you know, he said, your head's gonna

764
00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,720
Speaker 1: be spinning and you're going to try to do everything

765
00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,040
Speaker 1: really hard and really hyper the first couple of days.

766
00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,600
Speaker 1: But the key is really just trying to get better

767
00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,360
Speaker 1: each day because you're not being judged on day one

768
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:38,640
Speaker 1: and two.

769
00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,120
Speaker 3: Correct. Yeah, for almost every rookie, not just the defensive guys,

770
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,360
Speaker 3: but it's always you know, less talk moral Listen, that's

771
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:46,800
Speaker 3: really what it is. You're trying to be as sponge

772
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:48,960
Speaker 3: learned as much as you can. A lot is thrown

773
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,520
Speaker 3: at them. They don't have to know it all on

774
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,120
Speaker 3: day one or day two, but you just want to

775
00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,240
Speaker 3: see a progression of work. And you know, the biggest

776
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,680
Speaker 3: transition for college players is when they get here is

777
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,080
Speaker 3: now this is their full time job. There's no more

778
00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,240
Speaker 3: classes to go to. They're not on scholarship anymore. This

779
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,560
Speaker 3: is what they do for a living, and it's competitive

780
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:10,000
Speaker 3: and people are fighting each other for jobs and they

781
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:11,920
Speaker 3: usually figure that out pretty quick. In training camp, did

782
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:13,680
Speaker 3: this is you know, this is what's what we do

783
00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,360
Speaker 3: for a living. This is professional football, not college. But

784
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:18,640
Speaker 3: the biggest thing is just to kind of be a

785
00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:22,560
Speaker 3: sponge and learn all these guys, all these rookies. You know,

786
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:24,839
Speaker 3: they're you know, great players in high school and great

787
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,640
Speaker 3: players in college and now that the talent level is

788
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:29,239
Speaker 3: a lot better here, and it takes more than just

789
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,200
Speaker 3: talent this level. It takes preparation and work. So that's

790
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,000
Speaker 3: that's what you want to see from the young guys

791
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:34,719
Speaker 3: in training camp.

792
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:40,000
Speaker 1: Two more for me, Tom Jason Verrett coming back, this secondary,

793
00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,600
Speaker 1: no really the ability to go four deep at cornerback.

794
00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:44,440
Speaker 1: When you talk about what Trevor Williams was able to

795
00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,240
Speaker 1: do last year, how Desmond King came onto the scene

796
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,960
Speaker 1: and has high expectations for his second season. What are

797
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,680
Speaker 1: your expectations with this secondary and how much better can

798
00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:58,120
Speaker 1: this defense be in year two of Gus Bradley Stephe's.

799
00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,680
Speaker 3: Well, I mean I learned a long long time ago,

800
00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:03,880
Speaker 3: probably when I first started scouting, that you can and

801
00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,240
Speaker 3: there's always this old adage you can never have enough corners,

802
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:08,719
Speaker 3: and that you means even more so now than it

803
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,960
Speaker 3: did twenty twenty five years ago because teams throw the

804
00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,360
Speaker 3: ball so much now than they used to, so you

805
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,680
Speaker 3: have to be able to cover. So we got guys

806
00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:16,759
Speaker 3: that we think and cover, and adding adjacent to that

807
00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,720
Speaker 3: group is obviously very positive. He's he's worked so hard

808
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,720
Speaker 3: to come back, you know, from from from his knee injuries,

809
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,440
Speaker 3: and uh, you gotta be pretty mentally tough too, and

810
00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,360
Speaker 3: he is. He's a mentally tough player.

811
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,280
Speaker 1: And how many teams have two Pro Bowl edge rushers

812
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:31,800
Speaker 1: and two.

813
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,359
Speaker 3: Pro Bowl corners. Well, if you can, if you can

814
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 3: rush the passer and cover that that's that's a pretty

815
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,920
Speaker 3: good combination that that's that's what you want to get to.

816
00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:41,200
Speaker 3: So but it's it's a group. Uh you know, we

817
00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:43,200
Speaker 3: do have some new faces on defense too, and so

818
00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,000
Speaker 3: we there's weren't some some work in training camp to

819
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,319
Speaker 3: kind of get everyone's role set of whatever one's gonna

820
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,920
Speaker 3: be doing what they're asked to do and kind of

821
00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:51,680
Speaker 3: put that all together.

822
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,759
Speaker 1: Tom last thing message for the fans. I mean, I

823
00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:59,200
Speaker 1: think there's a lot of excitement throughout this offseason, everything

824
00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:02,400
Speaker 1: that's happened, really everything we saw the back half of

825
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:05,359
Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. Message to the fans as they come out

826
00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,600
Speaker 1: here to JACKHAMBA to enjoy training camp.

827
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,040
Speaker 3: Well, my message would be to come out and watch

828
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:13,440
Speaker 3: us and get a fuel for our players. And you

829
00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,200
Speaker 3: can do that at training camp. Game day a little

830
00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,319
Speaker 3: bit more difficult, but at training camp. Being a great

831
00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,520
Speaker 3: feel for the guys and they're a fun group to

832
00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:24,160
Speaker 3: be around because they have a lot of energy. When

833
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,279
Speaker 3: you look at our defense, when they make a play,

834
00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,799
Speaker 3: they're all celebrating together and enjoying it.

835
00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:30,600
Speaker 1: It's infectious.

836
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:32,400
Speaker 3: It is. I mean sometimes for me it may go

837
00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,920
Speaker 3: a little bit over the line, but I love the

838
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,319
Speaker 3: fact that they do it all together. Sure, not one

839
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,359
Speaker 3: guy standing apart from from everybody else, but I think

840
00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,640
Speaker 3: we have some guys are just fun to watch and

841
00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,319
Speaker 3: some good energy and like I said, and they'll work.

842
00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:45,759
Speaker 3: I mean, that's what you want to see in your

843
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:48,879
Speaker 3: your professional athletes and your football team is guys will

844
00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:52,000
Speaker 3: really work at it, and I think we have that here.

845
00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 3: So you know, you come out the camp and see

846
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,520
Speaker 3: for yourselves, you know about our football team, and then

847
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,160
Speaker 3: you know, once the season starts. As much as we'd

848
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,080
Speaker 3: like to say, we'd like to have last year the

849
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:02,719
Speaker 3: end of last year, not at the beginning, but the

850
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,239
Speaker 3: end of last year carry over to this year, it

851
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,560
Speaker 3: just doesn't work like that. It's a new year. We

852
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:10,360
Speaker 3: have new faces, every team has new faces. Things change,

853
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,719
Speaker 3: so it's just you know, we have to get back

854
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:14,319
Speaker 3: and you know where it was zero on zero and

855
00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:16,040
Speaker 3: we came to City Week one, which is you know,

856
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:17,520
Speaker 3: the biggest game of the year right now is that

857
00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,760
Speaker 3: first game. It happens to be you know, a division

858
00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,240
Speaker 3: opponent that's been you know, the top of the division

859
00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,840
Speaker 3: for a long time. So it's exciting time. Like I

860
00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:27,080
Speaker 3: can't wait to get started tomorrow.

861
00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,080
Speaker 1: Tom always gracious with your time. Kid, Thank you enough

862
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:31,960
Speaker 1: and we'll see you on Saturday. So that's great, Thank

863
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,439
Speaker 1: you and that'll do it. A big thanks to Tom

864
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,960
Speaker 1: and Sean for joining me, and of course thanks to

865
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,799
Speaker 1: you all for listening. You can find us on Apple Podcasts.

866
00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,640
Speaker 1: Why you're there, please leave review. Helped spread the word.

867
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,080
Speaker 1: Remember fourteen open practices at the Jack cam At Sports

868
00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:49,759
Speaker 1: Complex and it all starts this Saturday. Visit chargers dot

869
00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:52,440
Speaker 1: com slash camp for all the details. We hope to

870
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,759
Speaker 1: see out there on Saturday. Make sure you say hello

871
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,360
Speaker 1: and until next time, I'm Chris Ayrey

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Speaker 4: Eight