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Speaker 1: Everybody. Chris Hary with you on our free agency edition

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Speaker 1: of Chargers Weekly. A bit later, we'll break down the

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Speaker 1: biggest moves in the AFC West with the Kansas City

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Speaker 1: Stars Brooke Prior, the athletic Denver's Nikki Jabula in the

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Speaker 1: Bay Area news groups match Schneidman. But first, Shawn Merriman

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Speaker 1: joins me to discuss the Chargers free agency editions, including

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Speaker 1: a fellow member of his two thousand and five NFL

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Speaker 1: Draft class. All Right, Chargers great in big time. In

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Speaker 1: front of the program, Shawn Merriman joins me, and Shawn,

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Speaker 1: free agency is wilder than ever in twenty nineteen. Before

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Speaker 1: we get into the moves of the Chargers, in what

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Speaker 1: ways has this process changed from when you were playing?

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Speaker 1: Besides the size of the checks, uh, you know, but

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Speaker 1: also just you know, kind of the publicity of it. Right, Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, God get traded and uh, you know kind

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Speaker 1: of moved around a lot. But I don't think we've

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Speaker 1: ever seen to this magnitude. You know, guys in prominent career,

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Speaker 1: you take Odell back and moving over to Cleveland. Um,

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Speaker 1: you see some of these guys the goal and this

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Speaker 1: team per day and come back and resign with their

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Speaker 1: original team. I mean, it's a lot of moving parts.

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Speaker 1: I don't think it was this much in the public

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Speaker 1: eye before when I was playing. Sean, Let's go back

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Speaker 1: to two thousand and five, right, two thousand and five drafts.

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Speaker 1: You were drafted number twelve overall by the Chargers. Two

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Speaker 1: selections later, a linebacker named Thomas Davis, twenty two years old,

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Speaker 1: he was drafted fourteen overall. You fast forward fourteen years,

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Speaker 1: Thomas Davis now a Charger. How would you assess this move? Sean?

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Speaker 1: This was this was great for many different reasons. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, and before I jumped to the experiencing him,

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Speaker 1: just bringing knowledge of the locker room. I want to

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Speaker 1: acknowledge this guy can still play, right, because I think

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Speaker 1: that whenever we see a veteranos who one is older,

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Speaker 1: you just think they're coming there to be a leader.

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Speaker 1: A guy in the locker room is going to help

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Speaker 1: the young guys. Know Thomas, Thomas is still gone, he

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Speaker 1: can still play, So that being first and foremost, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, him bouncing back from the injuries he's had

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Speaker 1: in his career. Um, just him being able to get

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Speaker 1: back to a high level or a plan. I mean

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Speaker 1: I've had the knee injuries and it's so hard to

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Speaker 1: come back from and perform the way you did before.

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Speaker 1: He's final a way, not want to get back on

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Speaker 1: the field, but performing at a high level um and

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Speaker 1: going you know, now going over to the experience and

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Speaker 1: acknowledge he's bringing into the locker room. I mean, these

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Speaker 1: these young guys, you know the dive Periman's uh derwins

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Speaker 1: and you know, in the rest of me nuo suit.

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Speaker 1: These guys shouldn't live literally live by Thomas Davis locker

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Speaker 1: wherever he's, whatever he does, wherever he how we watch

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Speaker 1: his film How We Warmed Jeff for practice and takes

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Speaker 1: care of his body post post practice. These guys would

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Speaker 1: literally literally be walking around with the notepad right behind him.

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Speaker 1: Because I take it back to my earlier days you

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Speaker 1: playing career. They have Donnie, Donnie Ords and Randall Godfrey.

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Speaker 1: Dad was invaluable for a young guy like myself and

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Speaker 1: coming into the locker room. These guys knew south so

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Speaker 1: much about the game. They knew how to take care

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Speaker 1: of their bodies. You know, I just I got around him,

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Speaker 1: and I lived around Donnie and Randall, and I watched

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Speaker 1: how they practice I watched how they prepare because you

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Speaker 1: think you know, but you don't know. You you get

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Speaker 1: around guys with that much experience. So if I would

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Speaker 1: tell any any one of the young guys in the

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Speaker 1: locker room, you know, find Thomas Davis and you stay,

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Speaker 1: you stay next to him, showing just a piggyback off

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Speaker 1: the production comment. Three of the last four years he's

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Speaker 1: been in the Pro Bowl. He was the first team

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Speaker 1: All Pro in twenty fifteen. So he can absolutely play.

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Speaker 1: And then I think the one word that comes to

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Speaker 1: mind for me is just tough and toughness. I mean,

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Speaker 1: he he had that broken arm in the NFC chantship game,

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Speaker 1: got some screws putt in it, and played in the

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Speaker 1: Super Bowl. You mentioned the ACL injuries. I mean, this

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Speaker 1: is just a tough dude. And you know, if you're

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Speaker 1: out of practice in a random October and somebody's sitting

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Speaker 1: out for maybe something that you could play through, you

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Speaker 1: look at Thomas Davis and you're like, ah, I better

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Speaker 1: get on the football field, right. No, No, absolutely, I mean,

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Speaker 1: but the toughest company of mentality. His mentality was to

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Speaker 1: get back in the field. You know, people get hurt

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Speaker 1: and injured all the time, and you have these things

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Speaker 1: as your career goes along, but his mentality is not

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Speaker 1: going to sit him out. That mentality is going to

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Speaker 1: be used not only on Sundays, but the overall team.

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Speaker 1: You see a guy like that, and even if you're

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Speaker 1: on the offense side of the bar and you're looking

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Speaker 1: across and you see that this guy has been through

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Speaker 1: and he has so many years under his belt and

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Speaker 1: he's still able to go after them practice, you still

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Speaker 1: get ready in games, and he's still mentally and physically

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Speaker 1: prepare to put himselves to more battles. There's so many

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Speaker 1: things that that that comes from just Thomas Davis and

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Speaker 1: how he's now part of this organization and in a

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Speaker 1: positive just going to rise from him, you know. Talking

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Speaker 1: to Denzel Perriman on our Backstage podcast, we were talking

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Speaker 1: about how Thomas Davis is really kind of like the

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Speaker 1: Philip Rivers of the defense, And speaking of Denzel, he

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Speaker 1: comes back on a two year deal and to start

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Speaker 1: the season his nine starts, Sean the charges for seven

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Speaker 1: and two. In those wins, they only allowed sixteen point

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Speaker 1: one points per game. So when Denzel is healthy and

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Speaker 1: he's in there, he's a force and I know a

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Speaker 1: lot of people are happy to see him back. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: include myself. I'm also happy. I thought that that was

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Speaker 1: a guy that should keep around. For one. He's anchor, right,

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Speaker 1: He's anchor that defense and anything between the tackles, anything

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Speaker 1: that someone's going to come up and put the helmet

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Speaker 1: on football, it gets him. He always plays downfield. I

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Speaker 1: think he's the most explosive, one of the most explosive

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Speaker 1: linebackers in national football. Definitely the most explosive linebacker on

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Speaker 1: that team. So just having a guy like him of

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Speaker 1: being a force, really someone to come up and step

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Speaker 1: up if you know you're not going out and running

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Speaker 1: the football because he's out there and you gotta look

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Speaker 1: at find out where he's out of replay. So I'm

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Speaker 1: glad they brought him back. I think he's gonna do

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Speaker 1: tremendous for that defense. Sean, you've done this before in

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Speaker 1: terms of the free agency game, and Denzel and I

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Speaker 1: were talking about just the fact that it was peace

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Speaker 1: of mind just to know that he's going to be

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Speaker 1: in the same place with a lot of the same

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Speaker 1: teammates and the same coaches. I don't know if you

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Speaker 1: could speak on just how important it is for somebody,

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Speaker 1: you know, entering your fifth year to have that continuity

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Speaker 1: around you, knowing that you don't have to learn a

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Speaker 1: new system, you don't have to move to a new place,

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Speaker 1: you don't have to introduce yourself to new teammates. You

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Speaker 1: can just play ball. It's it's everything because you can

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Speaker 1: play fast. Now oftentimes the league moves around it. You

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Speaker 1: have coordinated coming. There are different coaches that like things

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Speaker 1: a certain way, but now you can come and you

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Speaker 1: know everything like the back of your hand. Now you're

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Speaker 1: just reacting and planning. And if that's taking us a

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Speaker 1: split second or two off of your first step, now

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Speaker 1: you can add that back to your uptore and get

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Speaker 1: to the off faster because you're not worried about you know,

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Speaker 1: thinking of the play call and worried about it. If

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Speaker 1: a stronger weak side, that's going to squitch and what happens. Now,

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Speaker 1: Now you're just going out and playing football, and that's

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Speaker 1: what this defense needs to do. You know, free agency

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Speaker 1: a lot of it is taking care of your own guys,

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Speaker 1: and the Chargers did that on Wednesday with Brandon Meban.

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Speaker 1: Meban is back in the mix. He's not only going

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Speaker 1: to help that defensive line rotation. But you talk about

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Speaker 1: leadership and just to a man, everybody respects branding so

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Speaker 1: much in that locker room. When is the meed to

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Speaker 1: have Brandon back. It's just that you have a veteran

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Speaker 1: guy that's walking in there. Uh. What it's the credibility

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Speaker 1: is he's done it for so long. He's another one.

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Speaker 1: You know, if you're a deal lineman and you're trying

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Speaker 1: to make it in this league, you're getting after me

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Speaker 1: bank and you find out what he's done on and

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Speaker 1: off the field to have the kind of respect and

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Speaker 1: credibility happen so long. Um. Also he can go you know,

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Speaker 1: he's a guy that that uh, that's gonna go out

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Speaker 1: there and and clag up some holes and uh and

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Speaker 1: draw attention to himself and taking the pressure off Melbourne

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Speaker 1: and uh and both of you know, those guys can

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Speaker 1: go now and play because they know that Brandon Valley,

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Speaker 1: Brandon Newmain is gonna gonna step up and take the

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Speaker 1: attention and do what he needs to do to make

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Speaker 1: that defense goes Sean two more for you, Tyrod Taylor.

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Speaker 1: I'll tell you, I think this is a great move

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Speaker 1: for the Chargers because when you have a team like

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Speaker 1: this that is on the verge of doing really big things.

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Speaker 1: I think it's it's so important to have security at

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Speaker 1: the most important position on the football field. And we

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Speaker 1: know that Philip is an iron man and will likely

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Speaker 1: continue to be. But to have a guy with forty

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Speaker 1: six starts the last four years, made a Pro Ball

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Speaker 1: appearance of twenty fifteen those coach Lynn, I think this

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Speaker 1: is a perfect fit. Tyrod Taylor and the Chargers absolutely,

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Speaker 1: m you know, always tyroders um, you know, kind of

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Speaker 1: been into a couple of bad situations, but he's also

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Speaker 1: shown when he has been a started he can go

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Speaker 1: out and produce. Um. There's never been another Filip Rivers

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Speaker 1: as far as uh, you know, just his longevity, what

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Speaker 1: he brings to the tables. There's only one Phillip. But

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Speaker 1: you love to have a guy like that in the background.

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Speaker 1: And I played with a guy who came in like

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Speaker 1: Billy Volick, you know, back to quarterback Filler went down

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Speaker 1: one univer and uh, you know, Billy Volick stepped into

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Speaker 1: the game and you know, he probatically won the game

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Speaker 1: for us. And to have that kind of reinforcement and

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Speaker 1: assurance that you got a guy back in no matter what,

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Speaker 1: who can coming to get things done if you need

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Speaker 1: to really make the offense feel good. So our last

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Speaker 1: thing this your initial reaction to all the moves that

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Speaker 1: we are seeing specifically in the AFC West. We'll start

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Speaker 1: with the Raiders. You and Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, who

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Speaker 1: we know very well here in La goes to the Raiders,

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Speaker 1: LaMarcus Joiner, Trent Brown for the Patriots gave him record

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Speaker 1: setting money. Joe Flacco and Denver Tyrn Matthew in Kansas City.

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Speaker 1: Your initial thoughts on just all the shake up and

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Speaker 1: where you see the Chargers fitting into this whole picture. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know, for one thing, the Chargers went out and

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Speaker 1: took care the on guys, right because we have a

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Speaker 1: team with that must talent. You don't have to go

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Speaker 1: and and and fish too much out in the free agency.

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Speaker 1: You want to take care of the guys. Uh, that's there.

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Speaker 1: Everybody's familiar with each other. There's a brotherhood and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know kind of a just a cohesiveness you have

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Speaker 1: that locker room with the guys you have there. Uh. Secondly,

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Speaker 1: as far as the guys and people move around, I mean,

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Speaker 1: the league has now gotten so competitive that they're making

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Speaker 1: the moves, big moves anyway, so they can instantly getting better,

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Speaker 1: get better. You're not you're not seeing teams, you know,

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Speaker 1: kind of uh, setting up shots so they can be

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Speaker 1: got the next two or three years. No, they're going

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Speaker 1: out and getting a bit quarterback. They're going to get

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Speaker 1: a big wide receiver because they feel like those are

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Speaker 1: the missing links they need to win. Right now. Everything

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Speaker 1: is about right now. Sat about setting your team up

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Speaker 1: two and three or four years from now. I mean,

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Speaker 1: people want to go out and win a championship, So

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Speaker 1: they're going out and getting the talent that's necessary putting

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Speaker 1: to move forward. In our next segment, we go around

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Speaker 1: the AFC West with some beat writers to get their

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Speaker 1: perspective on the Chiefs, the Broncos and the Raiders and Sean.

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Speaker 1: I can't thank you for your time, man. We will

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Speaker 1: see you soon. Thanks man, thanks for having mean. I

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Speaker 1: appreciate it. All Right, A quick disclaimer before we get

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Speaker 1: into my interview with Brooke Prior of the Kansas City Star.

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Speaker 1: We taped hours before Eric Berry was released, so we

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Speaker 1: talk a little bit about Tyrann Matthew and Eric Berry

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Speaker 1: and what may or may not happen there. Brooke was fantastic,

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Speaker 1: some great insight, But just a disclaimer. We do talk

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Speaker 1: about Eric Berry a little bit, and this was tape

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Speaker 1: before he was released on Wednesday. All right, now joined

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Speaker 1: by Brooke Prior of the Kansas City Star on Chargers Weekly.

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Speaker 1: Brooke hard at work free Agency. We were just talking.

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Speaker 1: He had to listen to that Levion Bell mixtape at

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Speaker 1: midnight just to confirm that he wasn't going to Kansas City, right, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: And you know what, Thank goodness, Adam Schefter saved us

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Speaker 1: onlehood and let us know that he was going to

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Speaker 1: go to the Jets before we all had to get

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Speaker 1: very far that mixtape. So I bless him that. That's

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Speaker 1: quite how I wanted to spend my diet at midnight. Seriously, Well, hey,

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Speaker 1: it's been madness so far all around the league, I mean,

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Speaker 1: from Odell Beckham to Levion Bill. But let's concentrate on

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Speaker 1: the Chiefs. Tyrn. Matthews agreed to terms three year deal.

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Speaker 1: What can you tell us about this move and how

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Speaker 1: he fits into this new Steve Spagnolo defense. You know,

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Speaker 1: I think this was a huge move for the Chiefs

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Speaker 1: and started for quite a while and they've taught offseason priority.

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Speaker 1: That's who they've been targeting for quite a bit because

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Speaker 1: of how he fits in this scheme. You know, we

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Speaker 1: don't really know right now. An Marry still you know,

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Speaker 1: under contract with the Chiefs. All indications are that he'll

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Speaker 1: be back. And so if so, if an Berry is

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Speaker 1: indeed back and they don't decide to free up that

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Speaker 1: money and designate him as opposed to first cut, the

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Speaker 1: combination of Matthew and Barry works out really well. They'll

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Speaker 1: put Barry Moore in the box and let Matthew kind

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Speaker 1: of be the center fielder's and they don't really have

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Speaker 1: a guy on the team before this Matthew Mine that

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Speaker 1: could do that and do that efficiently and effectively. I

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Speaker 1: think that adding Matthew is kind of that missing piece

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Speaker 1: that they didn't have for a lot of us. They

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Speaker 1: didn't have a guy that they could rely on, and

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Speaker 1: so at him is a huge kind of cornerstone back

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Speaker 1: there in the secondary and area that was kind of

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Speaker 1: the biggest weakness on the defense that was maligned every

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Speaker 1: single week. And so getting him, I think what his

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Speaker 1: own opening up this this legal tampering period and when

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Speaker 1: he gets signed officially later today that will be there'll

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Speaker 1: be a huge first step and kind of revamping this

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Speaker 1: defense to Taylor to Bagnol. Once you deal, well, I'll

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Speaker 1: just go ask you, Brooke, what does this mean for

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Speaker 1: Eric Barry? And you said, you know, all intentions are

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Speaker 1: you keep both. That's a lot of money into one position.

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Speaker 1: But at the same time, that quickly becomes arguably the

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Speaker 1: best safety tandem in the NFL. When you talk about

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Speaker 1: all pros who you know, have had a lot of

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Speaker 1: success in their career, and then you look at the

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Speaker 1: Chiefs and just the explosive offense. To have two guys

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Speaker 1: like that that can make plays, it's a big dealing

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Speaker 1: casey Yeah, exactly. I mean they're spending right now the

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Speaker 1: way the roster structure, they're spending about thirty million in safeties,

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Speaker 1: and that's obviously a lot of money. But if you're

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Speaker 1: paying for Eric Berry the way he was playing a

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Speaker 1: couple of years ago before the injuries, then it's worth it.

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Speaker 1: Then you're right, that is the top safety janem in

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Speaker 1: the league. And I think that it makes a huge

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Speaker 1: difference in what the Stevens is able to do, and

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Speaker 1: maybe it's what gets into the Super Bowl next year.

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Speaker 1: But if you're paying that much money for an eric

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Speaker 1: Berry like we had last season, where you know, he

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Speaker 1: was day to day for literally the entire season, played

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Speaker 1: there right at the end, and he made some good

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Speaker 1: place but he wasn't the eric Berry that he used

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Speaker 1: to be. I'm granted, you can't really aspect him to

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Speaker 1: be given the injuries that he's had and given everything

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Speaker 1: that he's gone through. So I think that if so

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Speaker 1: they evaluate it, and you know, they've told us that

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Speaker 1: he's going to be ready for this season. He's not

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Speaker 1: having surgery on the store heel that kept him kind

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Speaker 1: of in and out through all the last season. If

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Speaker 1: they believe that he is going to be ready and

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Speaker 1: he is going to be able to play, yes, that

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Speaker 1: money's or that. But if they determined, hey, you know

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Speaker 1: we can use this money better Designated was a post

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Speaker 1: June first cut. Keep a guy like Jordan Lucas Rams,

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Speaker 1: a young safety who played really well last Austin, another

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Speaker 1: safety that has played well, that has done some good

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Speaker 1: things and who will be significantly cheaper, and let Matthew

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Speaker 1: kind of be the star of that secondary, but surround

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Speaker 1: him with some good, solid players. I think that also

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Speaker 1: works a little bit more than seven million of Eric

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Speaker 1: Berry's deal become guaranteed on Friday, and so I think

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Speaker 1: that if he's on the roster through Friday, he'll be

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Speaker 1: on the team next year. But if you know, if

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Speaker 1: I think that Friday is going to end up being

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Speaker 1: kind of that cut off date, that but you've got

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Speaker 1: to outside what him before. Then, So let's say Barry's

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Speaker 1: own to roster. Still a lot of change, especially up front,

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Speaker 1: justin Houston released after eight seasons and then d Ford

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Speaker 1: was franchise just traded to the San Francisco forty nine

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Speaker 1: or so, two best edge rushers from last year department.

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Speaker 1: What does this mean up front, Brook and where do

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Speaker 1: you expect the Chiefs to find those replacements? You know,

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Speaker 1: it means that there it is going to look a

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Speaker 1: lot different next year. Um, I think that there was

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Speaker 1: a spot for dfod in this defense, but I think

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Speaker 1: that he can't. He's ex gave me to undersized to

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Speaker 1: be in every down week side defensive end, and so

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Speaker 1: I think that they didn't want to spend the money,

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Speaker 1: the fifteen million that it would have been with him

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Speaker 1: franchise to keep him around in you know, in a

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Speaker 1: situation where he won't, and so I think in this

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Speaker 1: new setup, I think a the Chiefs are going to

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Speaker 1: need to add another edge rusher. But B I think

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Speaker 1: that you're going to see a guy like Brilin Speaks

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Speaker 1: draft pick last year, got something playing time when Justin

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Speaker 1: Houston was injured. This year, I think he's going to

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Speaker 1: step up. I think he is a much better fit

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Speaker 1: in this system. M He looked lost at times last

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Speaker 1: year trying to figure out where he was supposed to be,

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Speaker 1: what he was supposed to be doing, whether he should

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Speaker 1: drap back in coverage or manage the run game when

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Speaker 1: he was in the outside linebacker spot. So I think

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Speaker 1: that he's a much more natural fit up there at

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Speaker 1: defensive end. And I think that they're just kind of

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Speaker 1: gambling now that they want to go younger and build

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Speaker 1: around a guy like Chris Jones there, who you know,

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Speaker 1: had a bunch of sad last year, was a really

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Speaker 1: key piece of that defensive woman. I think that they're

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Speaker 1: going to try to compliment him and what she's able

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Speaker 1: to do. Two more notes on the defense. Steven Nelson

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Speaker 1: goes to Pittsburgh on a three year deal, and then

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Speaker 1: the Chiefs signed Damien Wilsons a lot of Damian's on

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Speaker 1: the Chiefs. So, Damian Wilson from the Cowboys linebacker, just

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Speaker 1: your thoughts on those two moves and how it affects

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Speaker 1: the d Yeah, you know, I'm not surprised that they

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Speaker 1: let Stephen Nelson, that they didn't want to resign him

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Speaker 1: and let him go to Pittsburgh. He's getting paid a

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Speaker 1: lot more than what the Chiefs were paying him last year.

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Speaker 1: I believe he made just over seven hundred thousand last

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Speaker 1: year with the Chiefs and he's getting a much bigger

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Speaker 1: deal in Pittsburgh. You know, he had a good season,

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Speaker 1: he had foreign reception. I think that the Chiefs maybe

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Speaker 1: wants the most size there, and I think that that's

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Speaker 1: a position that they're going to end up targeting in

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Speaker 1: the draft, maybe a guy like Joe wad Johnson from

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Speaker 1: Vanderbilt who measured and performed really well at the combine.

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Speaker 1: So I'm that move does not surprise me. Damian Wilson

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Speaker 1: adding him. From from what I've been told, the Chiefs

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Speaker 1: didn't have a strong side linebacker or a guy that

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Speaker 1: they liked that could fit a strong side linebacker on

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Speaker 1: their roster right now, and so adding one was a

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Speaker 1: top priority. They get a guy from the Cowboy, someone

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Speaker 1: who is familiar with a four three like Anthony Hitchens

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Speaker 1: who came over what last year I believe, And so

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Speaker 1: they're going to have, I believe, put Anthony Hitchens at

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Speaker 1: week sides, put Reggie Raglan at middle, and Indamian Wilson

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Speaker 1: and strong. And I think that that that, you know,

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Speaker 1: may not hold up for the entire season because you've

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Speaker 1: got a guy like Dorian O'Daniel, who I also think

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Speaker 1: would be really good in that system, particularly at week side.

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Speaker 1: There maybe slide Anthony Hitchins over to middle and leaves

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Speaker 1: Reggie rack Damian Wilson I think is going to come

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Speaker 1: in and be a guy that's, you know, day one starter.

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Speaker 1: He's a guy that didn't play a ton in Dallas

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Speaker 1: last year only twenty eight percent of the defensive snaps.

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Speaker 1: The Cowboys use Nickels so much and he was the

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Speaker 1: odd man out in that package. But I think that

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Speaker 1: it's gonna work out much better in Kansas City. So Brooke,

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Speaker 1: you flip it over to offense, really don't need to

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Speaker 1: change much. But there are two pretty big moves that

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Speaker 1: occurred over the last week. Carlos Hide now in the Fold.

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Speaker 1: It sounds like a combination of Hide and Damian Williams

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Speaker 1: they'll probably roll with in the backfield, and then Mitch

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Speaker 1: Morse Patrick Mahomes center headed to Buffalo. How do those

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Speaker 1: two changes effect? But they're going to do offensively, and

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Speaker 1: I think the Carlos Hide edition is a good one.

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Speaker 1: They obviously feel competent and comfortable with Damian Williams when

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Speaker 1: they gave him the extension last year. Adding another veteran

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Speaker 1: back there, I think is another move that he make

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Speaker 1: anticipating that Spencer Wearing is not around again. He's a

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Speaker 1: fo to Indric West, also a free agent, so I

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Speaker 1: think that they wanted another veteran presses back there in

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Speaker 1: the running backgroup, and Carlos Hide is a good guy

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Speaker 1: to do that and add in there. I think he

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Speaker 1: compliments Damian Williams really well. And then as far as

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Speaker 1: center goes, they felt comfortable letting Mitch Morse walk because

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Speaker 1: they knew what they had. An Austin writer, he's another guy.

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Speaker 1: Young guy got an extension last year and stepped up

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Speaker 1: and played. I believe he started four games when Midmores

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Speaker 1: was out with the concussion. You know, wasn't perfect by

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Speaker 1: any means, but a guy good enough with how he

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Speaker 1: performed that he can step in and take over for

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Speaker 1: Mitch Moore's. But that is a huge loss because of

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Speaker 1: the relationship that Patrick Paul and Mitch Moose developed, and

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Speaker 1: you know, Mitch Moore's now the top paid center in

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Speaker 1: the league. He's definitely earned that, and it is going

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Speaker 1: to be a loss for the chief but not one

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Speaker 1: that I don't think they can recover from, and that

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Speaker 1: one that I think is going to end up having

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Speaker 1: a really significant negative impact on this offense. All right, Brooke,

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Speaker 1: last thing, as we head towards the end of this

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Speaker 1: first wave of free agency, what do you think the

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Speaker 1: Chiefs needs are as we get into second and third

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Speaker 1: wave and then couple that with the draft. I know

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Speaker 1: they picked up that extra second round pick from the Niners.

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Speaker 1: What do you think the Chiefs canna be focused on?

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Speaker 1: You know, I think kind of that they traded d Ford,

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Speaker 1: you know, only getting a twenty twenty pick. I think

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00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,320
Speaker 1: that the urgency that they showed their signals to me

430
00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,280
Speaker 1: at least that they're going to try to make another

431
00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,720
Speaker 1: splash signing and free agency and maybe get either a

432
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,320
Speaker 1: corner and edge rush or They've freed up about fifty

433
00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 1: million in additional cap space, and so I would expect

434
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,440
Speaker 1: that to be done pretty quickly, Like I said, just

435
00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,399
Speaker 1: given kind of the urgency with which they created d Ford,

436
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 1: and then going forward, you know, I think that this

437
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,600
Speaker 1: emphasis is still going to be on defense, whether that's

438
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,159
Speaker 1: what they address in the draft or free agency. I

439
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,200
Speaker 1: think both their top needs right now in the draft

440
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:48,920
Speaker 1: corner defensive line. Although also I could see them adding

441
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,480
Speaker 1: a tight end because they lost Dumitrius Harris he signed

442
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,800
Speaker 1: with the Browns this morning. They need another blocking tight

443
00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,639
Speaker 1: end to kind of compliment Travis Kelsey. So I can

444
00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,760
Speaker 1: see them going after another one of those running back

445
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,159
Speaker 1: because they signed Carlos Hide and maybe that wait till

446
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,800
Speaker 1: day five. They could potentially look to fortify that offensive

447
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,600
Speaker 1: line a bit more, but I still would put, you know,

448
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,800
Speaker 1: the premium here on edge rushers and on corners to

449
00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:16,760
Speaker 1: kind of help revent this defensive and make it fit

450
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,960
Speaker 1: to see Sagnalo's scheme. Brook prior Kansasity star Brook, you

451
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,399
Speaker 1: do incredible work there. You're all over this spat and

452
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,760
Speaker 1: I know it's a busy, busy week for you, so

453
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,240
Speaker 1: I appreciate you spending a few minutes with us. Absolutely,

454
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,399
Speaker 1: I'm happy to help. Thanks for having me on. All right,

455
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,640
Speaker 1: let's jump over to Denver, where the weather is pretty wild.

456
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,760
Speaker 1: Right now, Nikki Javola of The Athletic Friend of the

457
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,200
Speaker 1: podcast joins me and Nikki first put the meteorologist cap

458
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:50,440
Speaker 1: On explain the bomb cyclone. Yeah, it's quite a name, huh. So,

459
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,920
Speaker 1: let's sixty degrees yesterday in Denver and today we woke

460
00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,600
Speaker 1: up and it's a blizzard with forty mile an hour

461
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,960
Speaker 1: winds and it's already dropped by eight inches of snow

462
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,359
Speaker 1: and it's still going. So yeah, all the roads are

463
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,200
Speaker 1: set down, all the flights are canceled. We're in the

464
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 1: middle of this bomb cycle. That's great, that's insane. So

465
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,760
Speaker 1: I take it that's gonna have a damper on a

466
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,840
Speaker 1: potential press conferences for free agents. Then, as we tape

467
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,560
Speaker 1: this on a Wednesday, I'm wondering. I haven't heard officially,

468
00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,400
Speaker 1: but there's no way to get in or out of Denver,

469
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,120
Speaker 1: so I don't know how they're gonna make it here.

470
00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:31,840
Speaker 1: Let's start with what we've known for a long time.

471
00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:37,199
Speaker 1: Joe Flacco, officially of Bronco case Keenum goes to the Redskins.

472
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 1: I don't know if you have any new thoughts on

473
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:45,440
Speaker 1: Flacco officially being in the mix another starting quarterback in Denver. Yeah, no,

474
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,600
Speaker 1: It's it's interesting to me because it feels like we're

475
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,760
Speaker 1: kind of spinning the same narritis every year as they

476
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 1: try a new experiment a quarterback and ship somebody else out.

477
00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:59,320
Speaker 1: It certainly feels like John Ellie has a tight when

478
00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,200
Speaker 1: it comes to quarterbacks. He like some taller He likes

479
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,720
Speaker 1: primarily pocket passers. He likes guys that have proven success,

480
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,240
Speaker 1: be it, you know, just in facing adverse year the postseason.

481
00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,800
Speaker 1: So this year, the narle Joe Flacco is um. He's

482
00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,080
Speaker 1: a proven veteran, he's wont to ring, he's a super

483
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:21,040
Speaker 1: Bowl MVP, he has a what kind of five record

484
00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,840
Speaker 1: in the postseason. We loved his mentality and you know,

485
00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,000
Speaker 1: if you if you go back to around this time

486
00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,200
Speaker 1: last year, that's many of the things they said about

487
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,159
Speaker 1: case Keenum minus you know, the super Bowl and you know,

488
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:36,160
Speaker 1: postseason record. But they loved his mentality, they loved the leadership,

489
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,560
Speaker 1: they loved who he was. So here we are again

490
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,520
Speaker 1: kind of you know, pumping up a new quarterback who

491
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,320
Speaker 1: they think will be the right fit, and maybe he will.

492
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,680
Speaker 1: That would be great. They meet this this offense. So

493
00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:53,360
Speaker 1: I'm kind of holding out to see how this season goes,

494
00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,480
Speaker 1: especially with a new offense under Rich Gangrello, who was

495
00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,879
Speaker 1: the first time offensive coordinator Vic Fangio for time head coach,

496
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,000
Speaker 1: which is kind of amazing given how long he's been

497
00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 1: in the league. Yeah, and Joe Flacco, and you know,

498
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,919
Speaker 1: they've added a couple other pieces around them, but they

499
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:13,520
Speaker 1: still have more holes to fill. So with Flacco, he

500
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,359
Speaker 1: had great success in Baltimore when Kubiak was the OC.

501
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,480
Speaker 1: Or are we seeing kind of a mentality in Denver

502
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,920
Speaker 1: to say, hey, if we run this type of offense,

503
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:28,119
Speaker 1: we think we can prolong Joe's career and he'll be

504
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,920
Speaker 1: an upgrade from Case Keenom Because just a year ago,

505
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,159
Speaker 1: I mean, we saw Case Keenum go from Minnesota win

506
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,200
Speaker 1: a bunch of games, and I think the expectation was

507
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,520
Speaker 1: Case was going to come in he had that familiarity

508
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,520
Speaker 1: with Kubiak as well and win games. I'm just wondering

509
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,320
Speaker 1: what you think the Broncos are envisioning with this change

510
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,840
Speaker 1: from Keenom to Flacco. Yeah, I think it will look

511
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,720
Speaker 1: quite a bit like the offense they ran in Baltimore

512
00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,400
Speaker 1: that one year when Gary Kubiak coms their offensive coordinator.

513
00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:01,200
Speaker 1: Remember that Gary Kubiak comes from the Mike Shanahan tree,

514
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,240
Speaker 1: Rich Gangrello comes from the Tile Shanahan tree, which is

515
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,320
Speaker 1: pretty much all the same three except for some you know,

516
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,560
Speaker 1: slight tweaks. They get it up to date, so I

517
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,840
Speaker 1: think it will be a lot of the same thing,

518
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,359
Speaker 1: and they feel like if they can surround him with

519
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,800
Speaker 1: the right pieces, then he can replicate his success. But again,

520
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,119
Speaker 1: like you mentioned, that was the exact same narrative with

521
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 1: Kate Keenum. We loved what he did in Minnesota. If

522
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,440
Speaker 1: we can surround him with enough pieces, he should be

523
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:30,960
Speaker 1: able to do the same thing here, if not exceeded.

524
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,200
Speaker 1: The problem last year, of course, was the transition was

525
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,840
Speaker 1: a little shaky with case and they never really did

526
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,680
Speaker 1: surround him with enough pieces or anywhere close to the

527
00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,440
Speaker 1: you know, the type of pieces he had in Minnesota,

528
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,520
Speaker 1: and then injuries just took a toll on both sides

529
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:51,320
Speaker 1: of the ball. So, you know, if their tension is good,

530
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,280
Speaker 1: but can they fully execute it as a question, because

531
00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,280
Speaker 1: ever since Kate Manning retired, they haven't been able to

532
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,840
Speaker 1: do it on a well, Nicky. First things first is

533
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,320
Speaker 1: he got to protect Joe Flacco, and then Mike Munchak

534
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,000
Speaker 1: he comes in the mix, probably the best offensive line

535
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,520
Speaker 1: coach of football. It looks like Juwan James is coming

536
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,600
Speaker 1: in four year deal, a lot of money, but Matt

537
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,639
Speaker 1: Paradise goes to Carolina. So this kind of a puzzle

538
00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: piece here where you lose Paradise, but you get Munchak

539
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,680
Speaker 1: and you get James. What are your thoughts on this

540
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,639
Speaker 1: offensive line protective Flacco? Well, I think Munchak was certainly

541
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,000
Speaker 1: the biggest edition, and the hope there is that he

542
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,120
Speaker 1: can have, you know, some of the same same success

543
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,800
Speaker 1: here that he didn't Pittsburgh. Granted he had to really

544
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,600
Speaker 1: find players in Pittsburgh. Here, they just signed Town James.

545
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:42,720
Speaker 1: As you mentioned, he's gonna be the highest paid right

546
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:44,399
Speaker 1: tackle on the league. It looks like they're going to

547
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,280
Speaker 1: keep him on the right side. Garrett Bolls, I hope

548
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,040
Speaker 1: there's you know, that he can reduce from them penalties

549
00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,120
Speaker 1: that he's had and continue to improve on the Munchaku.

550
00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,320
Speaker 1: I would imagine Connor mcgovernn is first in mind at

551
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,400
Speaker 1: center unless they draft somebody or bring in another veterans.

552
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,480
Speaker 1: And then you got the guard positions that are still

553
00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,640
Speaker 1: coming up in the air. Ron Leary They're left guard

554
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:08,119
Speaker 1: is coming off Achilles injury hasn't been cleared yet, and

555
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,960
Speaker 1: right guard they just lost Max Arcia and Billy Turner

556
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,560
Speaker 1: as well, so they got an opening there. So they've

557
00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,840
Speaker 1: lost more people than they've gained on that line, and

558
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,399
Speaker 1: they got to figure out how they want to go

559
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,760
Speaker 1: on the holes and how they want to add depth

560
00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 1: to the front five, because yeah, it's when you bring

561
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:29,639
Speaker 1: in a guy like Black, or when you bring an

562
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,679
Speaker 1: any quarterback, but especially when with the contract aside to Blaco,

563
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,560
Speaker 1: and if you're intended to have them play more than

564
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,800
Speaker 1: one year, you've really got to bolster that line and

565
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,440
Speaker 1: protect them and keep the run game going. So, you know,

566
00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,000
Speaker 1: I think James was a good signing. Hopefully it works

567
00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,479
Speaker 1: out better than you know, many of the other right

568
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:54,000
Speaker 1: tackle attempts. But they got to continue to add I

569
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,480
Speaker 1: was on Twitter a couple of days ago and I

570
00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:01,040
Speaker 1: think somebody was joking about just whoever might Munchak wants.

571
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 1: John Elway will be like, you know what, bring them in,

572
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,640
Speaker 1: whether it's a guy in the draft, or even maybe

573
00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,880
Speaker 1: a second or a third tier offensive lineman in free agency.

574
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,600
Speaker 1: Just the fact that Munchak can develop some of these

575
00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,800
Speaker 1: guys that you don't have to necessarily go get high

576
00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,640
Speaker 1: priced guys at all five positions, if that makes sense,

577
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,560
Speaker 1: that Munchak can kind of develop maybe some of the

578
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 1: young guys currently on the roster, and then they can

579
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,000
Speaker 1: bring in some second, third tier free agents and maybe

580
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,320
Speaker 1: continue to build the line in the draft, right right,

581
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,400
Speaker 1: And I think that you know, the Bronchs have never

582
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 1: had one year where they've really in both free agency

583
00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,080
Speaker 1: and the draft. Typically it's been John has really not

584
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,640
Speaker 1: the Parking free agency, but his draft picks. A North

585
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,680
Speaker 1: came out last year was a reverse long draft class.

586
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,719
Speaker 1: But the free agents never really came out. I mean,

587
00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:58,600
Speaker 1: market King didn't last. The defensive line, it didn't work.

588
00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,320
Speaker 1: I mean, they didn't have a ton of free agent signings.

589
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,640
Speaker 1: They got a couple of trades for veterans to come apart.

590
00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,680
Speaker 1: So this is one year, This is probably the most

591
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,960
Speaker 1: important year for John Lay, I think to really get

592
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 1: it right, and he has to get it right in

593
00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,720
Speaker 1: both areas to really get this team a chance. Defensively,

594
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,760
Speaker 1: it's almost like a trade. Kareem Jackson comes in three

595
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,920
Speaker 1: year deal. Bradley Roby was an unrestricted free agent. He's

596
00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 1: going to Houston, So it just seems like Kareem Jackson

597
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,760
Speaker 1: maybe a better fit for what Fangio wants to do.

598
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,640
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on Robie heading to Houston and

599
00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 1: then Jackson coming into Denver. Yeah, I think the Robe

600
00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,400
Speaker 1: that was pretty much guaranteed. As for the Jets game

601
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,800
Speaker 1: when he allowed three touchdowns, that was probably his worst

602
00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:49,520
Speaker 1: pro showing, so I think it was guaranteed. Then they

603
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,840
Speaker 1: still have a huge hole at cornerback though. You got

604
00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,000
Speaker 1: Chris Harris Jr. Who was essentially playing on a one

605
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,960
Speaker 1: year deal and they isn't getting paid much as a

606
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 1: number one cornerback, you know, relative to other top corners.

607
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,400
Speaker 1: And then you got Isaac Gaham, who will be a

608
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,800
Speaker 1: second year player coming off shoulder surgery and he was

609
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,560
Speaker 1: on and off last year. You know, it wasn't the

610
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,240
Speaker 1: easiest transition for him. And there's really nobody else. You've

611
00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,400
Speaker 1: got a couple of guys who haven't you know, who

612
00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,760
Speaker 1: haven't played at all for the Broncos or future signings.

613
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,040
Speaker 1: So you need a number two and you need a

614
00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,120
Speaker 1: solid number three cornerback, and you know, if they used

615
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,800
Speaker 1: Kareem Jackson at corner, there's probably your number two. But

616
00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 1: they haven't come out right and said that yet if

617
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 1: they're going to make him the corner or safety, because

618
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,720
Speaker 1: they also really staring at Stewart, so they have still

619
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,040
Speaker 1: a huge hole on the secondary, and whoever else comes

620
00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,000
Speaker 1: in is going to affect Harris because at some point

621
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,040
Speaker 1: you're either going to have to extend them or not

622
00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,560
Speaker 1: extend them, and it's going to be pretty awkward if

623
00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,040
Speaker 1: your number one corner is making less than your number

624
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,400
Speaker 1: two and number three guys. So they got issues. To

625
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,520
Speaker 1: put it lightly, we'll get you out here on this, Nicky,

626
00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,840
Speaker 1: the second third wave of free agency. I'm sure you're

627
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,560
Speaker 1: going to see this defense continue to get bolstered. What

628
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,920
Speaker 1: are your expectations, What do you think John always going

629
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:08,520
Speaker 1: to do here for the next couple of weeks? And

630
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,600
Speaker 1: then really just couple that with the number ten overall

631
00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:16,040
Speaker 1: pick in the draft, it's defensive line heavy, but it

632
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,800
Speaker 1: sounds like maybe linebacker and corner obviously, as you mentioned,

633
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,680
Speaker 1: big needs for the Broncos. Yeah, I'm kind of curious

634
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,680
Speaker 1: if they try to trade back and get more picks

635
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:30,000
Speaker 1: because they have a lot of holes that though, they

636
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,480
Speaker 1: need depths, and I think if you straight back in

637
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 1: the first round, you could you get another pick or

638
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,760
Speaker 1: sell and still be able to get a quality guy

639
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 1: on the defensive line. So I keep wondering if they'll

640
00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,000
Speaker 1: do that. But I think in this next wave of

641
00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,960
Speaker 1: free agency, perhaps they look at tight end. You know,

642
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:48,920
Speaker 1: they got to make a decision on what they do

643
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,560
Speaker 1: with Jeff Hireman, who's the free agent. Do they pass

644
00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 1: on him, do they wait to the draft because it's

645
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,320
Speaker 1: pretty low to draft class for the tight end. Flacco

646
00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,880
Speaker 1: loves the tight end too, Nikki, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean,

647
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,160
Speaker 1: and that was a staple of Kabe. I can you

648
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,360
Speaker 1: can never really replicate that here. I mean, never had

649
00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,840
Speaker 1: the production from tight ends and they wanted. They never

650
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 1: really have a production from tight ends since Julius Thomas

651
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,640
Speaker 1: left and that was four years ago. So that's one position.

652
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,479
Speaker 1: They need another receiver defensive line, as you mentioned, they

653
00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,880
Speaker 1: need another linebacker. The name book and free agency, perhaps

654
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,120
Speaker 1: Zac Brown who was let go by the Redskins, or

655
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,360
Speaker 1: do they go to the draft where you got Devin White,

656
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,960
Speaker 1: who's probably gonna be gone by number ten Devin Bush.

657
00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:36,320
Speaker 1: So they got a lot of areas. It kind of

658
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,200
Speaker 1: remains if you've seen which one they're going to try

659
00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,480
Speaker 1: to tackle. In free agency, they don't have a ton

660
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:44,360
Speaker 1: of cap spaces left, so I think these next the

661
00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,840
Speaker 1: next guy or guys they sign on the open market,

662
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,040
Speaker 1: they're going to be, you know, for deaths or short

663
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,440
Speaker 1: term guys. Well, Nicky, one thing I've learned this week

664
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 1: doing a podcast during free agency is that the shelf

665
00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:01,520
Speaker 1: life is very, very short. Because I'm sure as people

666
00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:06,240
Speaker 1: are listening to this tomorrow or Thursday, maybe some moves

667
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,719
Speaker 1: have been made in Denver, but I can't think. You know,

668
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:10,880
Speaker 1: for your time, you always do great stuff for the

669
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:16,280
Speaker 1: athletic and keep safe during this bomb cyclone in Denver. Thanks,

670
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:20,440
Speaker 1: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on. All right,

671
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,280
Speaker 1: it's been an eventful time up in Oakland. We're taping

672
00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: this right after the Antonio Brown press conference with the Raiders,

673
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,759
Speaker 1: joined by Matt Sneidman of the Bay Area News Group. Matt,

674
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,760
Speaker 1: I appreciate the time. Man. Let's just start by getting

675
00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,760
Speaker 1: your initial reaction to this ab pressor. Yeah, he was pretty,

676
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:43,759
Speaker 1: you know together, no blonde mustache. First thing I noticed. Yeah,

677
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,480
Speaker 1: I think he presented himself well. I think everyone expected that.

678
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 1: I don't think we expected the erratic, you know, comments

679
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,919
Speaker 1: and behavior that he has exhibited in the past couple

680
00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,200
Speaker 1: of weeks. Um. I was impressed with kind of how

681
00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,719
Speaker 1: he presented himself. He preached accountability, how he's going to

682
00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,040
Speaker 1: hold everyone accountable. He talked about Derek Carr, you know

683
00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:08,400
Speaker 1: how they went and worked out at a local park yesterday,

684
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:13,760
Speaker 1: why he likes him, and really just exuded the professionalism

685
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,439
Speaker 1: that that most have I don't want to say most,

686
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,680
Speaker 1: but that some have questioned in the past couple of weeks.

687
00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,920
Speaker 1: Maybe it's because he was really trying to force his

688
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,279
Speaker 1: way out of Pittsburgh. But I was pretty impressed with

689
00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:31,759
Speaker 1: the impression he gave off today. Just overall, just by

690
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,719
Speaker 1: watching this team last year, Matt and knowing the personnel

691
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,399
Speaker 1: around Antonio Brown, starting with Carr, How do you think

692
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,360
Speaker 1: a b is going to transition in twenty nineteen and

693
00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,320
Speaker 1: do you think we'll see the same exact version of

694
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,120
Speaker 1: Antonio Brown that we saw with the Steelers the last

695
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,959
Speaker 1: nine years? Yeah? I mean John Gruden was asked today

696
00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,440
Speaker 1: does he think he's going to have to change his

697
00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:00,360
Speaker 1: offensive system to fit Brown, and Gruden bluntly say, you know, no,

698
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:03,439
Speaker 1: he will be a star in any system. And Brown

699
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,720
Speaker 1: kind of talked about called Gruden and offensive guru, Gruden

700
00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,960
Speaker 1: grinder that whole sort of thing. I think you can

701
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:13,400
Speaker 1: expect similar numbers from Antonio Brown, and Gruden said today

702
00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:15,800
Speaker 1: he wants to have the best wide receivers group in

703
00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:17,440
Speaker 1: the NFL, and to do that, he has to get

704
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,920
Speaker 1: some of the best wide receivers. And he said emphatically

705
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,759
Speaker 1: he thinks Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in

706
00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:25,719
Speaker 1: the NFL. You know, I asked, I asked Brown, you

707
00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:27,239
Speaker 1: know how many how many years do you think you

708
00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,279
Speaker 1: have left as a number one wide receiver in this league.

709
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,720
Speaker 1: He'll be thirty one by the time training camp starts.

710
00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:35,120
Speaker 1: He says he wants to catch Jerry Rights. He wants

711
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:37,239
Speaker 1: to keep gone for a while. And I think you're

712
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:41,520
Speaker 1: going to see similar numbers put up as he has

713
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,240
Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh the last six seasons. You know, NFL record

714
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:46,960
Speaker 1: six straight seasons with one hundred plus catches. If the

715
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,279
Speaker 1: Raiders can add some guys behind him, you know, man,

716
00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:54,719
Speaker 1: I think we've gotten a clear view of the quarterback situation.

717
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,400
Speaker 1: I think over the last week. When a team has

718
00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,800
Speaker 1: three first round picks in a new code, you're not

719
00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,520
Speaker 1: one hundred percent sure what's gonna happen, especially when you

720
00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:06,440
Speaker 1: see you guys like Mac and Cooper leave his car next.

721
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:10,919
Speaker 1: But it looks like everybody's on board, from Antonio Brown

722
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,880
Speaker 1: to John Gruden with Car in twenty nineteen. Yeah, I

723
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:15,880
Speaker 1: really do think so. I mean, there was there are

724
00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 1: reports out there, even one as recent as today, that

725
00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:21,800
Speaker 1: Gruden and Mayok will meet with Kyler Murray again privately

726
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,560
Speaker 1: before the draft. I really think it's all a smokescreen.

727
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,239
Speaker 1: They are sold on Car for twenty nineteen. I won't

728
00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:29,880
Speaker 1: say beyond that because I think this is a big

729
00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:32,879
Speaker 1: prove it year for Derek Carr, but I do think

730
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,040
Speaker 1: they are sold on Derek Carr as their quarterback for

731
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:38,520
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. They've been big on emphasizing we need to

732
00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:40,920
Speaker 1: surround him with more. You know, their offensive line was

733
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:44,280
Speaker 1: terrible last year. Jordy Nelson was their number one receiver

734
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,760
Speaker 1: for the latter half of the season after they traded

735
00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,440
Speaker 1: Amari Cooper. Jordy Nelson isn't a number one wide receiver,

736
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,840
Speaker 1: and now they gave him a number one wide receiver

737
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:56,440
Speaker 1: in Antonio Brown number two and Tyrell Williams, who they

738
00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,760
Speaker 1: haven't officially announced, but he that news came out today

739
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,320
Speaker 1: and then they be fuck the offensive line with the

740
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,759
Speaker 1: signing of Trent Brown and they're putting the pieces around him.

741
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,040
Speaker 1: So I think that really goes to show that they

742
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:10,800
Speaker 1: are sold on Derek Carr and it really is just

743
00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,640
Speaker 1: about surrounding him with the right pieces. Let's get to

744
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,799
Speaker 1: Tyrelle Williams because it's a guy that we know very

745
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 1: very well here in Los Angeles, and I'm very happy

746
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:24,440
Speaker 1: for Tyrrelle. I think he compliments AB very nicely and

747
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,960
Speaker 1: I take it the Raiders due too. Yeah, I think,

748
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,520
Speaker 1: you know, he's a big, fast guy, and not often

749
00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:35,120
Speaker 1: you get that combination of big and fast six to four.

750
00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 1: You know, obviously, as you guys know, can run around

751
00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:40,920
Speaker 1: a four to four, But the Raiders don't really have that.

752
00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:44,560
Speaker 1: They've had guys like Michael Crabtree, like Jordy Nelson, they

753
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:47,400
Speaker 1: drafted a guy last year and Marcel Aitman who are

754
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:49,560
Speaker 1: nice red zone targets, but they're not going to blow

755
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:52,200
Speaker 1: by anymore. And I think Tyrelle Williams can do that.

756
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:54,200
Speaker 1: The Raiders know that all too well from seeing him

757
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,160
Speaker 1: twice a year the past couple of years. But he

758
00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 1: is a guy who can really be a true number two.

759
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,960
Speaker 1: He might be getting paid closer to a number one

760
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:07,800
Speaker 1: level if the contract details that were reported are correct.

761
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:12,160
Speaker 1: But that's the kind of signing that really shows, you know,

762
00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:14,239
Speaker 1: John Gruden really means it when he says he wants

763
00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:17,600
Speaker 1: to have the best wide receiving corps in the NFL.

764
00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,960
Speaker 1: And you know, last year Tyrell Williams would have been

765
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:21,640
Speaker 1: a number one receiver on the Raiders and now he's

766
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,080
Speaker 1: a number two. And I think I'm interested to see

767
00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:26,040
Speaker 1: kind of how he fits in behind Brown, if he

768
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,560
Speaker 1: can take any of the attention off Brown, free him

769
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,319
Speaker 1: up a little bit. But I think that's another good

770
00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,960
Speaker 1: signing for the Raiders. The skill position players on a

771
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,080
Speaker 1: Raider starting to take shape. What about running back in

772
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,680
Speaker 1: tight end? Jared Cook was a loan Pro bowler last year.

773
00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:42,440
Speaker 1: He's still a free agent. And then Marshawn Lynch. It

774
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,600
Speaker 1: looks like maybe they could go to find another running back,

775
00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,720
Speaker 1: perhaps in the draft. Right we don't know if Marshall

776
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:50,920
Speaker 1: and Lynch is going to return or retire yet. You know,

777
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,600
Speaker 1: it's been a while now, since Ruden said it should

778
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,600
Speaker 1: be a couple of weeks until we know. I think

779
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,720
Speaker 1: they're just waiting to see really where he is physically

780
00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,239
Speaker 1: more than anything, because he missed the last ten games

781
00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:03,480
Speaker 1: the last season with a groin injury, had surgery on that.

782
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,040
Speaker 1: They don't officially know if they're going to play in

783
00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:09,200
Speaker 1: Oakland yet this coming season, and I think that really

784
00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:12,480
Speaker 1: matters to Lynch, an Oakland native who really only unretired

785
00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:15,880
Speaker 1: to play for the Oakland Raiders. Doug Martin's an unrestricted

786
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:18,960
Speaker 1: free agent. He kind of took over lead back duties.

787
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:23,239
Speaker 1: Chris Warren, who led the league in rushing yards last preseason,

788
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,520
Speaker 1: missed all last season with an injury. So they've got

789
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,880
Speaker 1: some options. I don't want to say they missed out

790
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,319
Speaker 1: on Levion Bell. They were making a push there, I'm told,

791
00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,560
Speaker 1: but didn't end up getting him. So I said, I

792
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,160
Speaker 1: would be surprised if they drafted someone at running back,

793
00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:41,280
Speaker 1: but you know, they've got some options in the building.

794
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,600
Speaker 1: And then Jared Cook. You know Gruden has said all along,

795
00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:45,840
Speaker 1: they're just waiting to see what the market is on

796
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,960
Speaker 1: him coming off a career year in his thirties. I

797
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,239
Speaker 1: don't know if the Raiders can afford what he might

798
00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:55,759
Speaker 1: be getting given what they've already spent. There's a couple

799
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,240
Speaker 1: of Iowa tight ends they might be targeting in the draft,

800
00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,479
Speaker 1: maybe a guy like Noah Fant later in the first round,

801
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,200
Speaker 1: but sure they've got some options. You know, could we

802
00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:06,759
Speaker 1: see Jared Cook Marshawn Lynch back again next year's shirt.

803
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,040
Speaker 1: But I also wouldn't be surprised if there are two

804
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,799
Speaker 1: rookies leading those positions. You spoke earlier about beefing up

805
00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:17,040
Speaker 1: this offensive line. Trent Brown gets record setting money for

806
00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:20,080
Speaker 1: an offensive lineman. Is he going to play right tackle?

807
00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,880
Speaker 1: Is that the plan right now? Keep Colton Miller at

808
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,960
Speaker 1: left tackle and Trent Brown at right? Yeah, we don't

809
00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:29,560
Speaker 1: know exactly yet. Obviously Trent Brown received left tackle money,

810
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:33,279
Speaker 1: but Gruden said at the combine he thinks Colton Miller

811
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:36,800
Speaker 1: can be an all pro left tackle one day, So

812
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:39,880
Speaker 1: we don't really know. Mike Mayock said today during Antonio

813
00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:42,440
Speaker 1: Brown's pressor that he's not going to address whether Trent

814
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:44,719
Speaker 1: Brown will play left tackle or right tackle. They'll be

815
00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:46,400
Speaker 1: starting at one of them, in Coulton Miller will be

816
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:48,480
Speaker 1: starting at the other. We just don't know which ones yet.

817
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,520
Speaker 1: I think if they moved Trent Brown to the left side,

818
00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,200
Speaker 1: that's kind of just admitting your twenty eighteen first round

819
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:58,200
Speaker 1: pick was kind of a mistake. Not a mistake, but

820
00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:00,680
Speaker 1: you drafted him to be your French left tackle. In

821
00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:03,640
Speaker 1: a year into his career, you're making someone else the

822
00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:07,040
Speaker 1: highest paid offensive lineman in history. That Yeah, it would

823
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,279
Speaker 1: kind of signify a little bit of regret with that move.

824
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 1: But we'll see. I mean, Trent Brown's a massive human being.

825
00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:14,640
Speaker 1: He could play either side, has played right tackle. Colton

826
00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,680
Speaker 1: Miller played some right tackle at UCLA. So we'll see

827
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,360
Speaker 1: where they put those two guys. Yeah, especially in a

828
00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:25,040
Speaker 1: division with pass rushers up and down the division Collectiossemily

829
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,920
Speaker 1: gets traded to the Jets, So this interior offensive line

830
00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:31,319
Speaker 1: for the Raiders, Matt, what are we looking at here

831
00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,719
Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen, I don't know exactly yet. You know,

832
00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:38,320
Speaker 1: we always knew Assemily was a cut candidate, had no

833
00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,759
Speaker 1: dead money against his You all screed up about ten

834
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:44,439
Speaker 1: point two million in cap space, and they were lucky

835
00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:46,560
Speaker 1: to get something back for him. I think a fifth

836
00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:48,600
Speaker 1: round pick from the Jets. I think now you're looking

837
00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:50,960
Speaker 1: at obviously Rodney Hudson at center. He's one of the

838
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,440
Speaker 1: best at center in the league. But then Gabe Jackson

839
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,959
Speaker 1: is their right guard, but he's naturally a left guard.

840
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:01,360
Speaker 1: They could move him over to left guard. Their backup

841
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:05,280
Speaker 1: left guard last year, John Feliciano is signing with the Bills.

842
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:07,839
Speaker 1: And then they have a guy named Denzil Good who

843
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:09,960
Speaker 1: filled in at right guard for Gabe Jackson when he

844
00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,520
Speaker 1: was injured last year, who started a couple of games

845
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:17,160
Speaker 1: and was serviceable, no glaring mistakes, and they signed him

846
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:20,480
Speaker 1: to a one year extension. So those couple guys are

847
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:22,319
Speaker 1: in the mix. I wouldn't be surprised if they moved

848
00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:25,200
Speaker 1: Jackson back to the left side and went after a

849
00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,080
Speaker 1: guy like Oklahoma's Cody Ford late in the first round

850
00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:30,759
Speaker 1: with that number twenty four, number twenty seven pick. But

851
00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,960
Speaker 1: I would definitely expect them to address that interior offensive

852
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:36,960
Speaker 1: line with one of their four first four picks in

853
00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,560
Speaker 1: the first thirty five that they have this year. A

854
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,279
Speaker 1: lot of big moves early for the Raiders. LaMarcus Join

855
00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,040
Speaker 1: or another one a four year deal, and he has

856
00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:48,440
Speaker 1: a positional versatility to Matt He could play safety, he

857
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:51,240
Speaker 1: could play nicol Where do you envision join or fitting

858
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,680
Speaker 1: into this. Paul gunther D, I think, you know, he

859
00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,439
Speaker 1: could play a little bit of both. The Raiders free

860
00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,960
Speaker 1: safety spot really lacked last year, whether it was you know,

861
00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:04,440
Speaker 1: Reggie Nelson who's thirty five and i'd expect him to retire,

862
00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,920
Speaker 1: though that we don't know officially. Marcus Gilchris who's an

863
00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:11,440
Speaker 1: unrestricted free agent. Karl Joseph, who was their twenty sixteen

864
00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:15,320
Speaker 1: first round pick, really came on late in the season

865
00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,480
Speaker 1: after some early season playing time struggles and injury issues

866
00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:22,000
Speaker 1: and kind of really showed that guy who they took

867
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,160
Speaker 1: in the first round back in twenty sixteen. So I

868
00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:27,439
Speaker 1: think he's set at one starting position. Then Joyner could

869
00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,520
Speaker 1: start at free safety. He could play in the slot.

870
00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:31,839
Speaker 1: Last year, in the slot they had Leon Hall, who

871
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,440
Speaker 1: is also an unrestricted free agent well into his thirties,

872
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,480
Speaker 1: and Nick Nelson, who they drafted in the fourth round

873
00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,759
Speaker 1: last year. He really struggled, you know, because that slot

874
00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:42,920
Speaker 1: guy these days has to defend tight end and Nelson

875
00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,080
Speaker 1: is just so small and really struggled with that last year,

876
00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:50,160
Speaker 1: especially with guys like Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry will

877
00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,200
Speaker 1: be back this year. In Travis kelsey in the division.

878
00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:56,560
Speaker 1: So I know LaMarcus Joiner is only five foot eight,

879
00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:00,920
Speaker 1: but he has proven he can dutifully play that position,

880
00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:04,800
Speaker 1: either in the nickel or at free safety, and I

881
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:08,800
Speaker 1: think that's a welcome, welcome versatility the Raiders will have

882
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,760
Speaker 1: this season. Yeah, and Joyner played all of these teams

883
00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:14,360
Speaker 1: in the AFC West last year as a member the Rams.

884
00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:17,320
Speaker 1: Final thing for you, Matt, you read the tea leaves

885
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,839
Speaker 1: you have three first round picks the Raiders do. It's

886
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:24,320
Speaker 1: defensive line heavy, and they've made a lot of noise

887
00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:26,800
Speaker 1: on the offensive side of the ball and free agency.

888
00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:28,880
Speaker 1: It kind of leads you to believe that they're going

889
00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:32,319
Speaker 1: to continue to build this defense through the draft, right

890
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,640
Speaker 1: And Mike Mayock said at the combine, this is the

891
00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:38,319
Speaker 1: best group of defensive linemen, at least at the top

892
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:41,319
Speaker 1: he's seen in the past ten years. And he's met

893
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:43,680
Speaker 1: deep in the draft every year. So I definitely think

894
00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:47,160
Speaker 1: they use that number four pick on the defensive line.

895
00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:50,600
Speaker 1: And they would love if Kyler Murray goes number one,

896
00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:55,360
Speaker 1: because then they get either both Quinnon Williams or Josh Allen.

897
00:45:55,400 --> 00:45:56,800
Speaker 1: And I think they would love to have one of

898
00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,560
Speaker 1: those three guys, and then I would expect them to

899
00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:03,680
Speaker 1: address the linebacker need or secondary with one of those

900
00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:06,560
Speaker 1: two later first round picks, and then again at number

901
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:09,440
Speaker 1: thirty five. So I think out of those four picks

902
00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:11,560
Speaker 1: in the first thirty five, i'd expect three of them

903
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:14,520
Speaker 1: to be defense because as we've seen, their big spending

904
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:16,480
Speaker 1: has mostly been on the offensive side of the ball

905
00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:21,560
Speaker 1: with Antonio Brown, Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams here in free agency,

906
00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:25,200
Speaker 1: and I think Paul Gunther, their defensive coordinator, will will

907
00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:27,759
Speaker 1: be smiling year to year come draft night when some

908
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,160
Speaker 1: of those cards are put in with defensive players on them,

909
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:33,880
Speaker 1: no doubt. Matt, Actually one more for you. How do

910
00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,280
Speaker 1: you think these moves put the Raiders in the AFC

911
00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:40,160
Speaker 1: West when you talk about teams like the Chiefs and

912
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:42,359
Speaker 1: the Chargers who both went twelve and four this year,

913
00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:45,360
Speaker 1: and the Broncos who are trying to build something with

914
00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,879
Speaker 1: Joe flaccowender center. Now, yeah, I still think they're well

915
00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:52,440
Speaker 1: behind the Chiefs and the Chargers in that order. You know,

916
00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:56,000
Speaker 1: they've got a long way to go to be considered

917
00:46:56,360 --> 00:46:59,880
Speaker 1: a playoff contender. They still need almost everything on defense.

918
00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:03,040
Speaker 1: You know, you can't beat Philip Rivers and Patrick Mahomes.

919
00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:05,160
Speaker 1: If you get no pressure on the quarterback, which the

920
00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:09,680
Speaker 1: Raiders still don't have, and especially you saw that last

921
00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:12,440
Speaker 1: year with the four games they played against those two teams.

922
00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:15,600
Speaker 1: The offense is getting there, you know, still obviously not

923
00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:17,520
Speaker 1: up to up to the level of the Chiefs and

924
00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,160
Speaker 1: the Charters, but you know, the Raiders are inching closer

925
00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:22,239
Speaker 1: to a five hundred team. I don't think they're there yet.

926
00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:24,800
Speaker 1: Some people might want to jump to conclusions because of

927
00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,319
Speaker 1: these these splash signings they've made, but I'd say they're

928
00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:31,000
Speaker 1: they're third in the AFC. I just don't know why

929
00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:33,719
Speaker 1: the Broncos would would trade for Joe Flaca. I don't

930
00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:37,320
Speaker 1: think he'll get them anywhere. But I see the Raiders

931
00:47:37,360 --> 00:47:39,839
Speaker 1: as the third best team in the AFC West, still

932
00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:44,439
Speaker 1: well behind the Chiefs and Charters. Matt Sneidman, Bay Area Newsgroup, Matt,

933
00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:47,799
Speaker 1: great information, man. I appreciate you coming on, and we'll

934
00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:50,319
Speaker 1: have to have you on later on this offseason. Yeah,

935
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,000
Speaker 1: thanks so much. Appreciate you having me, and that's gonna

936
00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,480
Speaker 1: do it. My thanks to Matt Sneidman, Nikki Jabbalah, Rook Pryor,

937
00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:59,120
Speaker 1: and Sean Merriman for joining me, and of course thanks

938
00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,360
Speaker 1: to you all for listening. Don't forget. If you like

939
00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:03,239
Speaker 1: what you hear this offseason, be sure to give us

940
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:06,160
Speaker 1: a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Please help spread

941
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:08,640
Speaker 1: the word. We'll be back next week with more free

942
00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:11,839
Speaker 1: agency reaction. Have a great weekend, and until next time,

943
00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:13,000
Speaker 1: I'm Chris Harry