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Speaker 1: I actually was handed the Lombardi Trophy after they won

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Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. As a beat writer, you're not a

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Speaker 1: fan of the team, but you do become invested in

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Speaker 1: people's journeys, seeing what it looked like before they were

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Speaker 1: quite there, and then seeing everything that went into as

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Speaker 1: a journalist, as a writer, as a storyteller. It's just

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Speaker 1: it's why, it's why you do it. You hope for

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Speaker 1: opportunities like this. You're listening to the Minnesota Vikings podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm your host Tatum Everett alongside Gabe Henderson Jay Nelson

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Speaker 1: enjoying some much deserved time off either way, we have

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Speaker 1: a jam packed podcast for you today, opening up the

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Speaker 1: mailbags for it might be the first time, Gabe, first

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Speaker 1: time ever. That's exciting. We're going to answer some of

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Speaker 1: your fan questions where you know, we had a lot

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Speaker 1: of options from Pick six and we didn't get to

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Speaker 1: every single question obviously in the show, but a lot

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Speaker 1: of questions and a lot of really good ones this week,

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Speaker 1: so we're gonna answer those in just a bit. But

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Speaker 1: we also have a very special guest this week, Award

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Speaker 1: winning journalist Jordan Rodrigue, who is currently the RAMS beat

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Speaker 1: writer for the athletic. Obviously, she just followed the Rams

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Speaker 1: and that Super Bowl run, and she's got some good

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Speaker 1: insight into several of the new vikings. Coaches like that

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Speaker 1: is the pinnacle of what we do, right, I mean,

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Speaker 1: of course it's the pinnacle of what players do and

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Speaker 1: coaches to get to the super Bowl, but to be

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Speaker 1: able to cover a team that actually made it to

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Speaker 1: the super Bowl and want it. I saw a picture

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Speaker 1: on her Twitter of her like hoisting the Lombardi Trophy

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Speaker 1: and I'm like, dude, this is like the pinnacle to

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Speaker 1: have a moment. Of course, we have to be professional

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Speaker 1: in everything that we do, but those ten seconds you

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Speaker 1: can tell she enjoyed those ten seconds of oh, shoot,

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Speaker 1: this actually happened. So I'm excited to talk to her

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Speaker 1: with you. Yeah, I mean, that's like the first question

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Speaker 1: I want to ask her. It's just like, as a

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Speaker 1: kid growing up loving football, like, what's it like to

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Speaker 1: cover a team like that? Because even think of all

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Speaker 1: the all the storylines that happened for the Rams all

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Speaker 1: season long, as far as like Matthew Stafford getting there,

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Speaker 1: a lot of the big free agent even mid season

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Speaker 1: signings that they had and building this like super team

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Speaker 1: you know, she had something unique, you know, these big

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Speaker 1: names that she'll remember covering for the rest of her life.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, I'm excited to get into that as well

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Speaker 1: as hearing her insight on Vikings new head coach Kevin O'Connell,

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Speaker 1: offensive coordinator West Phillips, and quarterbacks coach Chris O'Hara. So

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Speaker 1: that should be really fun. But you know, it's post

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Speaker 1: Combine and you were just there crazy time. But then

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Speaker 1: all of the real action this week is almost like

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Speaker 1: trumping that because yeah, you've got major quarterback roulette going on.

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Speaker 1: All the combine was for a lot of these teams

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Speaker 1: that made these blockbuster deals, where all right, how good

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Speaker 1: is this quarterback class right now? How do they talk?

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Speaker 1: Will they fit this team? And what is their personality?

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Speaker 1: Like maybe some guys didn't fit. But even with some

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Speaker 1: of these teams that are making some big moves, like

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Speaker 1: the Commanders and the Broncos, I still think, well, the Commanders,

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Speaker 1: being that I worked there a few years ago, I

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Speaker 1: still think they draft a quarterback in this class. Maybe

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Speaker 1: not in the first round, but this has been an

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Speaker 1: interesting week to say the least. Yeah, which is the

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Speaker 1: most surprising for you so far? Carson Wentz just being

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Speaker 1: that I saw somebody tweet is Carson Wentz the most

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Speaker 1: traded quarterback in NFL. And it looks like it right

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Speaker 1: because the Eagles traded up to get him in the draft,

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Speaker 1: and then they traded him to India a few years later,

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Speaker 1: and then Indy just traded him to Washington and he's

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Speaker 1: got a big deal, and if it doesn't work out

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Speaker 1: in Washington, I can see them trading him again. So

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Speaker 1: the fact that he played for the Eagles, he played

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Speaker 1: against Washington twice a year for his first three or

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Speaker 1: four seasons, Like, it's like, Okay, well he's actually going

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Speaker 1: there now. And we knew they were looking for a

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Speaker 1: quarterback and they didn't land the Russell Wilson that they

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Speaker 1: wanted to the Jimmy G's of the role had solder surgery.

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Speaker 1: So the fact that Carson Wentz this was the last

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Speaker 1: name I was expecting to get traded traded there at least.

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Speaker 1: So I'm like, okay, how does he fit. All Washington

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Speaker 1: needs right now is a good game manager, and I

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Speaker 1: think he fits the mold. It's interesting that the Colts

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Speaker 1: are really moving on from this obviously didn't work out

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Speaker 1: for them. But this is their fifth different He was

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Speaker 1: their fifth different quarterback in five seasons, and so they're

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Speaker 1: gonna take their chances. I know a lot of the

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Speaker 1: rumors or that it's Jimmy g headed to Indian and

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Speaker 1: so that that's all really interesting. But I was always

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Speaker 1: kind of curious watching this Russell Wilson deal because I

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Speaker 1: know for a long time he has been vocal or

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Speaker 1: at least the last couple of seasons that he doesn't

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Speaker 1: want to be there anymore. Yeah, and to you know,

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Speaker 1: once Rogers side with the Packers, the Broncos needed to

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Speaker 1: make their move and that's who they obviously targeted. And

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Speaker 1: it's it's a big trade. That's a big trade, but

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Speaker 1: still the Seahawks. I think the Seahawks won that trade

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Speaker 1: the fact that they got two first rounders, two second

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Speaker 1: rounders that people are talking about, and then another I

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Speaker 1: think in the fourth round. Like they remember they traded

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Speaker 1: their two first rounders to the New York Jets for

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Speaker 1: Jamal Adams. So the fact that they got that back,

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Speaker 1: it's like, okay, cool. But the two second rounders of

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Speaker 1: what surprised me because you can find so much talent

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Speaker 1: the second round. It's like, oh, shoot, especially in this draft, right,

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Speaker 1: I mean they could they could find a quarterback and

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Speaker 1: then have Drew Locke just throw go routes to d

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Speaker 1: dk Metcalf every play, but still have a quarterback in

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Speaker 1: the waiting trying to figure the pieces of the puzzle lost.

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Speaker 1: So I honestly think that the Seahawks won that trade.

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Speaker 1: The Broncos got what they got. They wanted a quarterback

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Speaker 1: and they got a pick also, So we'll see how

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Speaker 1: that plays out. But still the Broncos are still in

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Speaker 1: the arguably the best division in football. Like everybody's talking

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Speaker 1: about the Chiefs, the Raiders who just made the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: and then the Chargers with Justin Herbert, so like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's a great move, but he's still going to an

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Speaker 1: even tougher division, the NFC West. Yeah, I mean, yeah,

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Speaker 1: he's kind of used to that, isn't he exactly? And

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, I wonder how much that played

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Speaker 1: into Rogers wanting to resign with the Packers because the

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Speaker 1: NFC's quarterbacks compared to the AFC quarterbacks, it's it's light

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Speaker 1: years better in the AFC. There are so many young, tough,

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Speaker 1: talented quarterbacks in the AFC and the NFC is almost

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Speaker 1: like free for the taking, and you see Rogers kind

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Speaker 1: of maybe eyeing that. I mean, that was a lot

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Speaker 1: of the conversation in this off season for sure. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and I guess what's next is Jimmy g getting traded

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Speaker 1: to Indianapolis and then Tom Brady going back home to

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Speaker 1: the San Francisco forty nine ers. He's from California, he's

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Speaker 1: from Sanford. You just retired game. Did you listen to

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Speaker 1: his He listened to his last interview where he was like,

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Speaker 1: you know, he can't hang it up, Kenny. He counted

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Speaker 1: his weeks. He said, you know, I've always wanted to

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Speaker 1: spend time with the family, and now that I have

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Speaker 1: five weeks in spending time with the family, I have

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Speaker 1: now had time to reassess. I'm like, dude, you count

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Speaker 1: it the days that you've spent time with your family. Okay,

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Speaker 1: he's coming back. So it has been an interesting golfseason

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Speaker 1: to say the least. That is definitely a funny point though. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: anything goes at this point, it really does. And speaking

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Speaker 1: of that, we took your fan questions this week and

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Speaker 1: we kind of let you guys take control of the

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Speaker 1: mail bag and Gabe tweeted it out and I was

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Speaker 1: just shocked. Within a matter of hours, you had so

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Speaker 1: many good questions You'd either slackening your text him. I

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Speaker 1: was like, hey, you got some good questions, let me

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Speaker 1: know what you want to pick. And I had not

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Speaker 1: checked my mentions before that, so I opened my phone.

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Speaker 1: I was like, oh, shoot, so that fans are I mean,

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Speaker 1: we knew fans would be in tune this time of

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Speaker 1: the year. There's no football going on, it's all speculation,

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Speaker 1: but the reactions, especially with these tweets, I'm excited to

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Speaker 1: get into it definitely. So we're going to switch things

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Speaker 1: up and open up that fan mail bag and Gabe,

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Speaker 1: I think we're going to start with let's do question one,

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Speaker 1: all right, This is from g Symbols. How could a

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Speaker 1: team project it to be in the red and handcuffed

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Speaker 1: by several very expensive contracts compete in free agency? Well,

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Speaker 1: I think the easiest question is to restructure a lot

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Speaker 1: of salaries, and a lot of a lot of people say,

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Speaker 1: you know, when it comes to extending guys or pushing

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Speaker 1: contracts down the road is like kicking a trash can

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Speaker 1: down the road, because eventually you're going to have to

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Speaker 1: address it, but unlike trash cans and players, trash cans

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Speaker 1: don't age or you know, depreciate like players do when

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Speaker 1: they get older. So there's still opportunities to push things

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Speaker 1: down the road. But still when the NFL just announced

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Speaker 1: its new salary cap for twenty twenty two, NFL teams

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Speaker 1: are twenty five more million dollars, which means which means

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Speaker 1: the Vikings as we speak today Thursday, March tenth, at

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Speaker 1: eleven forty five am, they're only fifteen minutes, I mean

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Speaker 1: fifteen million over the cap. So there is room to

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Speaker 1: restructure and gain some cap space. I don't think, just

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Speaker 1: from talking to a lot of experts last week at

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Speaker 1: the combine, I don't. I don't think there'll be that

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Speaker 1: aggressive in free agency versus the draft, but I think

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Speaker 1: there will be a lot of wiggle room when it

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Speaker 1: comes to addressing some free agents that the Vikings need,

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Speaker 1: especially on the defensive side of the ball this year.

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Speaker 1: Rob Razinski has so much experience restructuring contracts and making

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Speaker 1: this financial salary cap issue work for the Vikings year

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Speaker 1: in and year out. I think he's a great tool

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Speaker 1: and resource for new general manager Quacy at Dopomenza and

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Speaker 1: I think they have a lot. They will have a

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Speaker 1: lot to choose from, a lot of tough decisions to make.

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Speaker 1: But as you mentioned, there are several free agents and

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Speaker 1: even guys on this team that signed bigger deals who

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Speaker 1: our team guys they're going to see the big picture

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Speaker 1: and want to play a part. So yeah, no, that's

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Speaker 1: a that was a great answer. I'm going to move

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Speaker 1: on to Mateo Potato fourteen ninety only because of the

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Speaker 1: subject matter. He says, hope we continue to draft LSU

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Speaker 1: players since the two best players on the team are

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Speaker 1: both LSU players, and Derek Stingley would look great in

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Speaker 1: Vikings Purple. Also finally to have a corner to play

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Speaker 1: the ball, something we haven't had in so long. I know,

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Speaker 1: talking with you, Gabe, you like the idea of drafting

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Speaker 1: Quarner in the first round. So do you think Stingley

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Speaker 1: would be a good fit. I think he will be

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Speaker 1: there if the Vikings want to select them. I think

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Speaker 1: I think it all depends on where what the Vikings

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Speaker 1: look at as what's the best player available versus what's not.

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Speaker 1: When it comes to Stingley, I think he's primed for

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Speaker 1: the NFL. Think about it. The past two to three years,

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Speaker 1: he guarded Justin Jefferson every day in practice and Jamar

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Speaker 1: Chase every day in practice. Look at what the those

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Speaker 1: two guys are doing in the NFL. If if you

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Speaker 1: want to say somebody's NFL ready or played against NFL

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Speaker 1: players in college, it's Derek Stingley junior. Granted he was

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Speaker 1: hurt this past year. But if he's there, whoever drafts

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Speaker 1: him is getting an NFL ready player. Granted he didn't

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Speaker 1: work out out at the combine. I think he's having

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Speaker 1: like he has yeah, I said liszt Frank Uh yeah, injury. Um.

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Speaker 1: For me, the concern is you're getting a guy it's

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Speaker 1: it's a bit of a risk because you haven't seen

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Speaker 1: him perform recently. In the last two seasons, he really

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Speaker 1: hasn't played all that much. And granted, I mean he

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Speaker 1: was the best corner in college football in twenty and eighteen.

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Speaker 1: He's a great, great a man coverage. It's just you

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Speaker 1: just don't know at this point where he stands. But

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Speaker 1: you you know you went to LSU anytime a guy,

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Speaker 1: I guess the opportunity were in number seven, like used

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Speaker 1: to duct he had that he was blessed with the

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Speaker 1: number seven going into last year, and granted he got hurt,

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Speaker 1: so he's he's a battler. Like he can he can

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Speaker 1: make plays. And like I said, he's played against the Alabama's,

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Speaker 1: the Jerry Judy's and the every every single Jamison Williams,

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Speaker 1: all the guys and that that that will be in

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Speaker 1: the NFL, or that's already in the NFL right now.

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Speaker 1: So I'll bring up one other point real fast. The

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Speaker 1: assistant defensive backs coach Ronta Jones. Uh. Well, Derontay Jones

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Speaker 1: was with Stingley last season with Steley didn't play, but

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Speaker 1: Roy Anderson was the lead defensive analyst for the twenty

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Speaker 1: nineteen National championship brunt at LSU, so he knows Stingley

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Speaker 1: as well. So not saying that's we have some inside

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Speaker 1: knowledge on that, but they at least know what he's

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Speaker 1: capable of. So you don't, you know, have as maybe

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Speaker 1: as many question marks as you thought. But Drontay Jones

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Speaker 1: coached him last year too. Yeah, I don't think he

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Speaker 1: played very often. I think he played in a couple

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Speaker 1: of games last year before getting injured. So I'm not

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Speaker 1: gonnade to you. I didn't follow it as much as

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Speaker 1: as much as I'm just thinking of like, that's an

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Speaker 1: off season, that's a full off season, that's a full

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Speaker 1: spring game, that's a full Yeah, he's been around him.

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Speaker 1: He's been around him. That's I mean, however, many games

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Speaker 1: he played last year, and Drontay Jones has a great

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Speaker 1: track record of developing young talent. He did it with

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Speaker 1: Cameron Danselers rookie year, and then he had another rookie

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Speaker 1: that was coming on towards the end of the year.

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Speaker 1: So Deron say Jones, whoever this young rookie cornerback is

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Speaker 1: going to be, I'm sure he's gonna be excited to

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Speaker 1: be able to coach him. All Right, We're gonna get

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Speaker 1: to the next question from Antoine Michaelangelo, being that we

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Speaker 1: have many needs on the roster. If we drafted a

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Speaker 1: QB prospect with first round pick, like a Malik Willis

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Speaker 1: or Kenny Pickett, would that be more indicative to you

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Speaker 1: prepping for future seasons after Kirk Cousins are prepping for

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Speaker 1: an immediate Kirk Cousins trade. Oh, that's a great question.

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Speaker 1: I think, no matter what you do, draft a quarterback

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Speaker 1: this year, and I think simply because it's a quarterback

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Speaker 1: driven league, and when you have a quarterback driven league,

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Speaker 1: you want the best competition you can get to that position.

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Speaker 1: If Kirk is still on this roster, I don't think

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Speaker 1: a quarterback, a young quarterback in this draft class. It's

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Speaker 1: just my opinion, a young quarterback in this draft class

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Speaker 1: we'll beat Kirk out for that starting job week one.

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Speaker 1: So with that said, do they come in and then

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Speaker 1: force a trade? I personally don't think so. But I've

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Speaker 1: seen crazier things happen in this league. I'm just thinking

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Speaker 1: about Russell Wilson when he got drafted as a rookie.

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Speaker 1: I think he was drafted in the second round, and

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Speaker 1: but they had they had a quarterback that he had

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Speaker 1: just extended. I'm trying to think of his name is

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Speaker 1: talking about the fly and Russell Wilson basically beat him out.

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Speaker 1: So we've seen crazier things happening like that, but I

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Speaker 1: just can't see that happening in this situation. It's interesting

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Speaker 1: because you have two quarterbacks in the roster right now,

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Speaker 1: Kirk and Kellen. Mind you drafted Kellen Mond last year. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, we don't know what he's capable of. Really,

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Speaker 1: we've seen him in a very few snaps during the

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Speaker 1: regular season, and snaps that frankly weren't really mattering at

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Speaker 1: that point. Um, So that's a big question mark there.

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Speaker 1: If you do go to the draft, it's not a

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Speaker 1: very deep class. So do you take a quarterback in

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Speaker 1: those earlier rounds despite having several needs at other positions

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Speaker 1: and knowing that you have Kirk Maybe if the stend him,

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Speaker 1: if he's in their long term. Um. I mean, there

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Speaker 1: are a lot of free agent qbs that could come

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Speaker 1: in and be solid backups to Kirk, or even give Kirk,

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Speaker 1: you know, at least some competition. I wouldn't say they

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Speaker 1: would start over him, but you know you've got Andy Dalton,

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Speaker 1: Ryan Fitzpatrick, apparently risky Tyrod Taylor Taylor, Like, there are

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Speaker 1: a number of free agents on this rock. I mean

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Speaker 1: a number of free agents right now that could be

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Speaker 1: a really good backup in the NFL. I'm just thinking

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Speaker 1: of Taylor. Heineke in Washington, they get rid of him.

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Speaker 1: But if Kirk is on this roster and he's extended, there,

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Speaker 1: there's no way there's a quarterback competition. You're you're clearly

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Speaker 1: making it known that Quirk is the quarterback of the future.

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Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell and Quasi Dopomnsa have said, we want Kirk

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Speaker 1: to be here. We want to build a franchise here

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Speaker 1: with Kirk as as our starting quarterback. So I probably

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Speaker 1: wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first and second round,

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Speaker 1: especially when you have all those discrepancies on defense. So

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Speaker 1: if it is best player available in their a quarterback there,

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Speaker 1: but you need a cornerback or a defensive end and

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Speaker 1: kirkus extended, that's when you trade back and you're just like, Okay, well,

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Speaker 1: somebody else needs this corner and we can get more

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Speaker 1: value for from moving back with that second or first

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Speaker 1: overall picking it. Well, first round pick in the NFL draft,

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Speaker 1: all right. I think we were going to get to

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Speaker 1: a couple more before we bring Jordan into the podcast.

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Speaker 1: I like this one from Jeremy Casperson. Do the Vikings

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Speaker 1: target an offensive guard or center? If they do well,

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Speaker 1: they target larger Brad Childress era players over the recent

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Speaker 1: smaller and more athletic Kubiak era lineman. Well, I think

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Speaker 1: you definitely have to address interior offensive lineman, right, whatever

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Speaker 1: that looks like. But before you address that, I think

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Speaker 1: you have to see how how far along is why

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Speaker 1: at Davis. Why Davis had an interview earlier this week

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Speaker 1: and he basically said he's not letting this happen again

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Speaker 1: where he doesn't play an NFL snap or play a

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Speaker 1: snap for a team ever, And we knew how how

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Speaker 1: high everyone was on why Davis his past draft. So

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Speaker 1: I think you address that situation. Is he mentally, physically,

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Speaker 1: emotionally ready to play canny, get the job done and

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Speaker 1: then go from there. But I think you still have

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Speaker 1: to address the interior offensive line. Death is always good

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Speaker 1: in the NFL. You can never have too many offensive linemen.

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Speaker 1: So um, just just based off of the McVay structure

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Speaker 1: the past couple of years, their interior linemen have always

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Speaker 1: been agile and ready to move, I mean and being

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Speaker 1: able to move. And I think when it comes to

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Speaker 1: like the Bratch Childress air of just like big stocky linements,

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Speaker 1: I don't I don't think that fits with this inside zone.

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Speaker 1: You need the athletic guy. So um, I think they

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Speaker 1: they lean more towards that. That's the new age of football. Yeah, No,

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Speaker 1: I mean, what was the well that was a defensive

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Speaker 1: lineman that ran up four five But I mean, but you.

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Speaker 1: But you see these offensive linemen, they're quick. Now you

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Speaker 1: see there are forty times I think if you compare

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Speaker 1: them will probably very different. These guys are they're they're big,

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Speaker 1: they're big, but they they're agile and that's what they

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Speaker 1: look for. And and you know the Viking have the

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Speaker 1: tackles that they want. Zor Cleveland is a is really

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Speaker 1: coming too his own as a guard. So it's those

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Speaker 1: two spots. Gared Bradberry's still proving himself season after season,

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Speaker 1: and then you've got that extra guard, which, like you said,

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Speaker 1: could be a Ya Davis. So yeah, I mean I

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Speaker 1: definitely think you don't go a draft and not pick

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Speaker 1: up an offensive lineman. You got to pick up a

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Speaker 1: couple of one or two offense. Yeah. I mean, like

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Speaker 1: people say you draft a quarterback every two years, you

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Speaker 1: definitely draft a lineman every year, every year, every year.

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Speaker 1: So for sure, all right, we're gonna hit sandwich Man's

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Speaker 1: question with how poorly our two minute drill defense played

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Speaker 1: last year. What will Kevin O'Connell do to change that

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Speaker 1: from losing games to potentially pulling out wins. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think kind of comes from like the mindset, the culture, right,

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Speaker 1: that's all it is because they they talk so much

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Speaker 1: last year about not playing to lose and playing to win,

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Speaker 1: and it's just a mindset change. Yeah, And it is

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Speaker 1: more emphasis on two minute drill too. I know every

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Speaker 1: Thursday team does two minutes. You spend two periods, which

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Speaker 1: is about eighteen minutes on two minutes, like stopping the

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Speaker 1: two minute drill. And of course I think we gave

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Speaker 1: him ninety six points in the last two minutes of

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Speaker 1: the first half the show. It's really really bad and

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Speaker 1: saying I don't think crazy to hear you say that again,

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Speaker 1: because it really is just mind blowing that that happened,

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Speaker 1: and I don't think that'll ever happen again. And it

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Speaker 1: might be one of those stats you like look up

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Speaker 1: in the record books and you're like, this is not changing, insane.

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Speaker 1: So I think there will be a point of emphasis

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Speaker 1: on not letting teams score touchdowns or score field goals

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Speaker 1: in the last two minutes. Like granted, that's where you

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Speaker 1: make your most money if you're if you're quarterback in

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Speaker 1: those last two minutes. I saw your radio on the league.

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Speaker 1: Can you win those close games? Can you win when

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Speaker 1: when the game's on the clutch, that's how Aaron Rodgers

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Speaker 1: has gotten his name. So as a defense, we get

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Speaker 1: our name from stopping to Aaron Rodgers and stopping the

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Speaker 1: guys who make their money on the two minute drill.

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Speaker 1: So that's that's very important to do so, and I

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Speaker 1: think Kevin O'Connell will do a lot to change that

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Speaker 1: narrative of closing out games and closing out halves. Okay,

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Speaker 1: we got two more minutes, Gabe, so we're on the clock.

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Speaker 1: With this last question, Brendan Fitzpatrick says the likelihood the

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Speaker 1: Vikings go best available at twelve or do they draft

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Speaker 1: for need? He says, I know they need a lot,

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Speaker 1: but if a top receiver drops to twelve, is it

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Speaker 1: out of the realm or is it the best QB

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Speaker 1: or safety. Well, I'm just going to go back to

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Speaker 1: last year's draft, because we were at fourteenth overall and

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Speaker 1: then we trade it back because the lineman that a

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Speaker 1: lot of people say we wanted wasn't there. It got

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Speaker 1: drafted earlier who ended up being a pro bowler or

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Speaker 1: for the LA Chargers. Yeah, so we drafted back, and

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Speaker 1: then when we drafted back, we saw Mac Jones get

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Speaker 1: to lected at fifteen, So I'm sure he was next

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Speaker 1: on the board, but we didn't need him, so it

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Speaker 1: was like another team needs him. We need to address

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Speaker 1: what we need to address before make an impulse decision

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Speaker 1: to draft a quarterback that we don't need. And I

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Speaker 1: think that's probably going to be the same thing this

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Speaker 1: year if a wire receivers there or are running back, like, well,

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Speaker 1: why why I draft a running back? He's the best

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Speaker 1: player available when you need someone that's still on the

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Speaker 1: board that you can get more value, more picks from,

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Speaker 1: and maybe you get another first round pick if you

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Speaker 1: if you do so. So, I think the Vikings will

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Speaker 1: go needs over best player available when it comes to

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Speaker 1: that twelfth overall pick. But well, we'll see what they're thinking.

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Speaker 1: But I mean a QB I would yeah, I mean, well,

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Speaker 1: the Vikings, they haven't had a top fifteen picks since

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Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, so and there's a lot of value at

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Speaker 1: this twelfth pick in this particular draft. I wouldn't be

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Speaker 1: surprised if they make some moves. But I think the

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Speaker 1: most interesting thing this offseason is that it'll be hard

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Speaker 1: to predict what Quacy will do because we don't have

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Speaker 1: sixteen years of you know, of the research of the

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Speaker 1: numbers that you know, you see what work Spielman did

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Speaker 1: and you you kind of understand as mindset or his strategy.

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Speaker 1: But this is a wild card. We're not going to

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Speaker 1: really know what we're going to get, so it should

426
00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,600
Speaker 1: be a really fun time. Well, like you said, we

427
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,600
Speaker 1: don't we don't know. They haven't made any moves just yet,

428
00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,159
Speaker 1: and it's just like you said, it's a wild car.

429
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,400
Speaker 1: So it's like, Okay, well will they do this, will

430
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,480
Speaker 1: they do that? Have they done this? Have they done that?

431
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,119
Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell has been on two teams that have been

432
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,560
Speaker 1: all in and then Quasi dopel Minta has been on

433
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,480
Speaker 1: teams that's both through the draft. So how does that mesh?

434
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:14,919
Speaker 1: Where do you go in the future and what does

435
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,560
Speaker 1: the future outlook for the Vikings look like. I mean

436
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,520
Speaker 1: we're less than where. We're a month and a half

437
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,119
Speaker 1: away of seeing what it looks like. I mean, if

438
00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,199
Speaker 1: you talk free agency, we're a week away. So we'll

439
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,480
Speaker 1: start to get some answers here soon. That's right, We're

440
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,320
Speaker 1: gonna get some answers on this new Vikings coaching staff.

441
00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,960
Speaker 1: From our next podcast guest, she is Jordan rodri Will

442
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:37,960
Speaker 1: bring her in now Vikings fans, let's welcome in award

443
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,399
Speaker 1: winning journalist RAMS Beat writer for The Athletic Jordan rodrig Jordan,

444
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,159
Speaker 1: first of all, Gabe and I talked about this in

445
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,960
Speaker 1: the beginning of the podcast. But you've been covering the

446
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:49,920
Speaker 1: Rams for a couple of seasons. How was it though,

447
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,600
Speaker 1: covering this team this year where they ended it all

448
00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 1: with the Super Bowl championship. Oh, it's why you do

449
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,520
Speaker 1: it right, Like it was. It was such a remarkable

450
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,240
Speaker 1: season and you know, so chaotic also, but that was

451
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,720
Speaker 1: kind of that sort of became the calling card of

452
00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,200
Speaker 1: this RAMS team, was that in whatever chaos was happening,

453
00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,200
Speaker 1: whether it was self inflicted or whether it was incidental

454
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:17,399
Speaker 1: or environmental, they sort of thrived in that and it

455
00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,000
Speaker 1: almost like made them stronger and more prepared for sort

456
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,239
Speaker 1: of the enormous possibility of whatever could happen as they

457
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,240
Speaker 1: made their playoff run. And in that sense, you know,

458
00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:32,080
Speaker 1: you never had a quiet day, but you don't realize

459
00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,280
Speaker 1: that when you're in it. You realize perhaps after and

460
00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,560
Speaker 1: you're ready to sleep for seventeen years, but then after,

461
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,880
Speaker 1: you know, you don't realize while you're in it, because

462
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:44,120
Speaker 1: it is just so adrenaline fueled, and so many really

463
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,680
Speaker 1: amazing people that poured everything they had into building this

464
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,720
Speaker 1: and and you know, executing the plan and getting through

465
00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,160
Speaker 1: some of the adversity they went through, and to get

466
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,880
Speaker 1: to capture it on a daily basis, and to get

467
00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 1: to see what it looks like, you know, seeing what

468
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,800
Speaker 1: it looked like before they were quite there, and then

469
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,320
Speaker 1: seeing everything that went into pushing forward and breaking through

470
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,640
Speaker 1: that final level. Um, it's just as a journalist, as

471
00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,639
Speaker 1: a writer, as a storyteller, it's just it's why, it's

472
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,080
Speaker 1: why you do it. You hope for opportunities like this.

473
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,520
Speaker 1: Did you have a moment because I know we have

474
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,360
Speaker 1: to keep her professional, make sure the story's out there,

475
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:22,840
Speaker 1: make sure you know the audience or the people who

476
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,239
Speaker 1: weren't there. We're kind of able to experience it from

477
00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,520
Speaker 1: our perspective. So I know there's a there's a picture

478
00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:33,639
Speaker 1: of you online hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, But did you

479
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,960
Speaker 1: have a few seconds to like actually live in the moment.

480
00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,800
Speaker 1: So I was going to say that would probably be

481
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,760
Speaker 1: what I should say, Right is when I got I

482
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:46,640
Speaker 1: actually was handed the Lombardi Trophy at the RAMS after

483
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,360
Speaker 1: party after they won the super Bowl, and one day

484
00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 1: I will tell that story. It's phenomenal. But at the moment,

485
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,680
Speaker 1: in the moment, I am freaking out because I've just

486
00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:03,320
Speaker 1: been handed this precious cargo essentially, and it's I just froze.

487
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,359
Speaker 1: So I didn't even have a chance to process it

488
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,160
Speaker 1: in the moment. But I think, what when it really

489
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,639
Speaker 1: hit me was actually something so much quieter and smaller

490
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,200
Speaker 1: as actually speaking to a journalism class last week. And

491
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,879
Speaker 1: as you guys know, it's such a whirlwind. You you

492
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,960
Speaker 1: go to the super Bowl and then we can you know,

493
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,399
Speaker 1: you cover the parade. We can ask later. You're at

494
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,680
Speaker 1: the combine. Free agency is starting. There's no there's no

495
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,760
Speaker 1: time off, right. But I was speaking to a journalism

496
00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,920
Speaker 1: class over this past weekend, and I was wearing the

497
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,640
Speaker 1: same blazer that I wore to cover the Super Bowl,

498
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,920
Speaker 1: and I reached in my pocket because I was a

499
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,240
Speaker 1: little nervous. I was speaking in front of people trying

500
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:39,800
Speaker 1: to mold young minds, which is always a scar. And

501
00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,240
Speaker 1: I reached into one of my pockets sort of a nervousness,

502
00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,160
Speaker 1: and I had confetti in my pocket, and I pulled

503
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,399
Speaker 1: my hand out in my pocket and I looked at it,

504
00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,399
Speaker 1: and I was like, all right, you guys are just

505
00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 1: gonna have to bear with me hair because I'm about

506
00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,480
Speaker 1: to start bawling, just because of the impact and the power,

507
00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,959
Speaker 1: you know, covering a team as a beat writer, you're

508
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,960
Speaker 1: I'm not a fan of the team, but you do

509
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,399
Speaker 1: become invested in people's journeys and looking at that consetti,

510
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,320
Speaker 1: you just it all just comes crashing down right in

511
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,280
Speaker 1: such a simple moment. Probably the worst timing also, but

512
00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,000
Speaker 1: such a simple moment to have the full impact in

513
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,320
Speaker 1: the weight of what it was. It leaked out my

514
00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,080
Speaker 1: eyes a little bit. I gotta say it honestly sounds

515
00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:25,760
Speaker 1: like it was staged. I know, I know. I was like,

516
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,720
Speaker 1: who'll put that there? Come on? Yeah, Well, speaking of

517
00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,800
Speaker 1: people's journeys, you've had a front row seat to this

518
00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,720
Speaker 1: Rams offense last two seasons under offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell,

519
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,520
Speaker 1: now new Vikings head coach. There's a couple other guys

520
00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,760
Speaker 1: joining him here in Minnesota, new offensive coordinator Wes Phillips,

521
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,280
Speaker 1: also from the Rams. What can Vikings expect from these

522
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,080
Speaker 1: two guys? Yeah, So I'll start. I'll start with Kevin.

523
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,040
Speaker 1: So because Kevin and I sort of joined sort of

524
00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:58,800
Speaker 1: came into our experiences with the Rams around the same time.

525
00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:03,200
Speaker 1: And when you come to a place like that from

526
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,240
Speaker 1: a different place or or from you know, bringing in

527
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,639
Speaker 1: all of your learned experiences with you. The culture and

528
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,720
Speaker 1: the environment is really what the first thing that sticks out,

529
00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,720
Speaker 1: and people who are in Los Angeles sort of saying

530
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,399
Speaker 1: it wraps around you. It's almost a sentient thing that

531
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,879
Speaker 1: that enfolds you, engulfshoe and you become a part of it.

532
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,760
Speaker 1: And it was so clear immediately with Kevin how much

533
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,280
Speaker 1: that mattered to him to understand what it was, but

534
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:31,560
Speaker 1: also how it works. And I think that's a theme

535
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,600
Speaker 1: that's going to emerge as you'll cover Kevin over the

536
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,920
Speaker 1: next couple of years and even weeks and months. It

537
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,879
Speaker 1: is that that's something that's so important to him as

538
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,920
Speaker 1: the why and not just understanding it, but understanding it

539
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,119
Speaker 1: to where he can also teach and explain it. There's

540
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:48,920
Speaker 1: been a lot of talk, as there should be, about

541
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,639
Speaker 1: his personality and about how he's very positive and very

542
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,439
Speaker 1: calming presence, which was certainly mattered for the Rams as

543
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,399
Speaker 1: they went through such massive changes in their offense and

544
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,680
Speaker 1: at quarterback over the last couple of years and all

545
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 1: of that, all of what is brought with that. Um.

546
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,280
Speaker 1: But I think the comment most common theme that I

547
00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,000
Speaker 1: just could kept seeing from him is how do I

548
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,200
Speaker 1: know this at its core? How do I understand why

549
00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:16,840
Speaker 1: this is happening or what other people's why is as

550
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,720
Speaker 1: they experience it. How do I wrap that all together

551
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: and then communicate that effectively and teach that? And it's

552
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,680
Speaker 1: almost an obsessiveness. And you hear a lot about Sean

553
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,760
Speaker 1: McVay about how obsessive he is with football in a

554
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,560
Speaker 1: positive framing, obviously, but Kevin, I think, is that way too.

555
00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: Except I think he's he's obsessed with understanding. And I

556
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,760
Speaker 1: know that sounds like a line. I know, I get it,

557
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:45,280
Speaker 1: my kidne Wow. It honestly sounds like yeah, no, no, no.

558
00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,119
Speaker 1: It honestly sounds like something that attracted him to the

559
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,000
Speaker 1: new GM here as well. Jordan's yes. And that's what

560
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:52,840
Speaker 1: I was going to say, is, Um, you know, I

561
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,239
Speaker 1: got to sort of be around Quacy a little bit

562
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,639
Speaker 1: at a couple of some of these coaching incubators that

563
00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:03,560
Speaker 1: happen over the course of these off seasons, and immediately

564
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,880
Speaker 1: when I learned that Kevin was a candidate for this job.

565
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,400
Speaker 1: It was like, oh, yeah, you know, they they they're

566
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: going to get in a room together and they're gonna

567
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,440
Speaker 1: have a conversation and they're basically they're just gonna geek

568
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,520
Speaker 1: out over the same stuff but with probably different approaches

569
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,040
Speaker 1: and wanting to know from each other what the other

570
00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,920
Speaker 1: person knows, because that's how that's how Kevin operates. And

571
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,800
Speaker 1: I think that became so important in the quarterback's room,

572
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,680
Speaker 1: not just with Jared, but also especially with Matthew Stafford.

573
00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,000
Speaker 1: Wanting to know what Matthew Stafford knew, but also how

574
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,280
Speaker 1: can you package this into something that's also a combination

575
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,040
Speaker 1: of what I know? And then we get into the

576
00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,640
Speaker 1: why we're doing it and explain it to the rest

577
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,040
Speaker 1: of the offense and and you know, collaborate in that

578
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,200
Speaker 1: regards and then roll the process forward that way. Um

579
00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,240
Speaker 1: and like somehow I'm in a like a remarkably good

580
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,400
Speaker 1: mood the entire time, which is insane to me. I

581
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:57,880
Speaker 1: still don't understand how sure always happy? Um And then

582
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,440
Speaker 1: and then West West is very similar in that way.

583
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,800
Speaker 1: West West Phillips. He's very teaching oriented. I think that's

584
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,000
Speaker 1: especially when a new coach goes into a new environment

585
00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,280
Speaker 1: and has to start building a foundation, a culture, and

586
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,840
Speaker 1: a core. Teachers are so important and a lot of

587
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 1: times people pull from the Sean McVay tree or the

588
00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,719
Speaker 1: Kyle Shanahan tree and you think, oh, they want the system,

589
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 1: they want the offense, they want the structure, they want

590
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,440
Speaker 1: the playbook. But what we're watching now, and you really

591
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,040
Speaker 1: saw this with Brandon Staley, You see this with Raheem

592
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200
Speaker 1: Morris especially. You see this, you know with a lot

593
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,000
Speaker 1: of people who are in this system, is now people

594
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,200
Speaker 1: understand you're pulling teachers. That's that's more important even than

595
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 1: just having a certain offense or a set of rules

596
00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,760
Speaker 1: that structure your offense and sort of that you live by.

597
00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,560
Speaker 1: It's how you teach it and how you let it

598
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,440
Speaker 1: become more of whatever it needs to be. And I

599
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:55,320
Speaker 1: think West is really malleable in terms of wanting to

600
00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:59,040
Speaker 1: let that happen and understand that and also teach it

601
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,280
Speaker 1: as it goes. And the work that he did with

602
00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 1: the Rams tight ends and like their fourth string tight ends,

603
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,320
Speaker 1: who's catching crucial third down passages in the Super Bowl

604
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:09,920
Speaker 1: after coming off the bench for the last two years.

605
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:14,120
Speaker 1: Those are proof right there in front of everyone on

606
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,200
Speaker 1: the highest stage of how much how important it was

607
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,560
Speaker 1: for West it teach all of the little things consistently

608
00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 1: every single day as it pertained to the evolution of

609
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:28,200
Speaker 1: this offense everybody equally, and then continuing to let that

610
00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,520
Speaker 1: unfold and evolve as they went. And I think the

611
00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,120
Speaker 1: two are a match for that reason. Yeah, I did

612
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,360
Speaker 1: owe that point with you. I had the opportunity when

613
00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,560
Speaker 1: I was working in Washington to be around both West,

614
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,240
Speaker 1: Kevin and Chris o'harror, who is the new quarterbacks coach here,

615
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,680
Speaker 1: and I just that was like the big thing that

616
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,120
Speaker 1: that stands out to me is how well those guys teach.

617
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,040
Speaker 1: And no matter how old these guys get or how

618
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,320
Speaker 1: much money these players get, you still need teachers to

619
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,120
Speaker 1: be able to put them in the right position to

620
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:56,800
Speaker 1: be able to make a play. You have to get

621
00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,160
Speaker 1: those guys to buy in. So now that Kevin is

622
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,000
Speaker 1: a new head coach, and we know what Kevin was

623
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:06,600
Speaker 1: to Sean McVay their relationship and pretty much Kevin shrunk

624
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,680
Speaker 1: their play bog down for Sean mcvayh to be able

625
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,640
Speaker 1: to call the offensive play. What does Wes Phillips role

626
00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,920
Speaker 1: consist of, Like, how does that evolve over time here

627
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,760
Speaker 1: in Minnesota when looking at what Kevin O'Connell did for

628
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,360
Speaker 1: Sean McVay and in La Yeah, I almost see a

629
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,040
Speaker 1: sort of a similar, almost an inversion of roles in

630
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 1: a way, like I still think that West will do

631
00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,320
Speaker 1: a lot of the design work that Kevin did so

632
00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:38,440
Speaker 1: much of with Sean. You know, not just just because

633
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,760
Speaker 1: you're not necessarily calling every play as you guys know,

634
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 1: you know, obviously, it doesn't mean you're not so heavily

635
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,440
Speaker 1: involved in things. And for less, I think it's similar

636
00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,880
Speaker 1: in that I think he'll be heavily involved in the

637
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:53,240
Speaker 1: structure of the passing game. And again, this offense is

638
00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,160
Speaker 1: still layered and everything sets up everything else out of

639
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 1: very simple pre snap looks and even sometimes the tops

640
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 1: of post snap looks before the play develops, just to

641
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,920
Speaker 1: make the defense think about more things, designing what the

642
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,360
Speaker 1: structure looks like, not just when you know, before the

643
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,440
Speaker 1: ball is snaps, but also as things continue to layer

644
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:16,040
Speaker 1: out as the play manifests itself. Those are all going

645
00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 1: to be so so important. It's what Kevin did, it's

646
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,920
Speaker 1: going to be what Wes does, and it's how you

647
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,120
Speaker 1: essentially turn you know, plus one places to plus three

648
00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,920
Speaker 1: plus four plays and getting from plus one to plus

649
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,400
Speaker 1: three plus four is obviously the key to building an

650
00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,160
Speaker 1: explosive passing attack and explosive offense. But I also think

651
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,600
Speaker 1: some of the inversion is possible. Where with Kevin, one

652
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,719
Speaker 1: of his traits that Sean looks for was someone who

653
00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,240
Speaker 1: can really identify with and communicate with the quarterback. Well,

654
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:47,960
Speaker 1: Wes is going to be able to do that, probably

655
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,480
Speaker 1: with the receivers and tight ends. But at the same time,

656
00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:56,160
Speaker 1: Wes's experienced in a structure, a coaching structure probably that

657
00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:01,040
Speaker 1: Kevin will run slightly similarly, is that he can take

658
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,200
Speaker 1: on sort of that leadership role at times if Kevin

659
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:07,600
Speaker 1: does want to continue to work more closely with the quarterbacks.

660
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,840
Speaker 1: And I think that that's really important because as we know,

661
00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,160
Speaker 1: that's going to be the most important you know, conversation

662
00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,520
Speaker 1: moving forward for pretty much any team, but especially as

663
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,440
Speaker 1: this new regime sort of settles in, is how do

664
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,040
Speaker 1: you either build around the quarterback, how do you continue

665
00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,120
Speaker 1: to evolve the offense, how do you communicate with the

666
00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:30,560
Speaker 1: quarterback at any phase of a quarterback's career. And that's

667
00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,040
Speaker 1: so important to Kevin and something that I don't think

668
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 1: he will just completely let go of for the sake

669
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,160
Speaker 1: of being a CEO. And when you want to do

670
00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:42,520
Speaker 1: something specific. In Sean's case, it's working and investing in

671
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,160
Speaker 1: some of that play design, and in Kevin's case, it

672
00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:47,760
Speaker 1: could be working and investing a little bit more time

673
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,000
Speaker 1: in that quarterback's room. You have to be able to

674
00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,400
Speaker 1: have other people sort of pick up the I don't

675
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,400
Speaker 1: want to say slack, but pick up the other space

676
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,560
Speaker 1: around you so that nothing is getting left behind. And

677
00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,640
Speaker 1: I think that's why you bring someone in like Wesson

678
00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,719
Speaker 1: who experienced doing stuff like that. There's definitely a lot

679
00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:07,080
Speaker 1: of familiarity with Kevin and his choices at coaches, a

680
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,719
Speaker 1: lot of and really Quacy too, a lot of carryover.

681
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,400
Speaker 1: They've all feel like they've all somewhat met each other

682
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,000
Speaker 1: at other stops. Now, someone though that most recently joined

683
00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,839
Speaker 1: the Vikings as the new team's sports medicine operation. He's

684
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,200
Speaker 1: the executive director of Player Health and Performance, is Tyler Williams,

685
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: who spent the last fifteen years with the Rams, as

686
00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:30,080
Speaker 1: you know, really the newest hire here in Minnesota. What

687
00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,920
Speaker 1: can you tell us about Tyler Williams? And before you

688
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,240
Speaker 1: answer that, because that's a great question, like how crazy

689
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,920
Speaker 1: was the cam Akers injury because he was in charge

690
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,080
Speaker 1: of I guess him coming back from that Achilles tear,

691
00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:45,040
Speaker 1: so like that that's insane. I feel like that's a

692
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,200
Speaker 1: still for us. Yeah. I told Reggie Scott, who's the

693
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,960
Speaker 1: director of Sports Performance vice president of Sports Performance in

694
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,080
Speaker 1: Medicine with the RAMS, I told him after the cam

695
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,640
Speaker 1: Akers story, after I wrote the cam Akers story, the

696
00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,400
Speaker 1: inside story of him coming back in the surgery and

697
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,960
Speaker 1: everything that went into it, as like, yeah, good luck

698
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:08,960
Speaker 1: keeping Tyler a secret. Now he led So first of all,

699
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:12,879
Speaker 1: for those unfamilar Cammakers towards achilles it last July came

700
00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,440
Speaker 1: back and played through the postseason for the RAND in

701
00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,960
Speaker 1: a way where he was playing healthily, not not you know,

702
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,480
Speaker 1: you know, you're clenching every time you get hit and

703
00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,479
Speaker 1: maybe at first, but then you realize, no, this guy's

704
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:27,160
Speaker 1: actually healthy. And actually they measured more explosive outputs in

705
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,400
Speaker 1: his injured leg than he did his healthy legs by

706
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,120
Speaker 1: the end of the playoffs. That's that's an example of

707
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,880
Speaker 1: part of it, right. So that's obviously a really arduous

708
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:40,279
Speaker 1: rehabits and innovative surgery. Um, it's it's a It was

709
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:42,279
Speaker 1: a whole in depth process, but planning it out in

710
00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:47,160
Speaker 1: its entirety and then also analyzing everything and studying every

711
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:51,040
Speaker 1: single output from Cam standing in line at the grocery

712
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,000
Speaker 1: store or filling up his car at the gas station,

713
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:59,080
Speaker 1: to him sleeping, to every single movement, every literally every

714
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,320
Speaker 1: single muscle out put through the entire thing. They built

715
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:06,840
Speaker 1: a database database about Cam. They built his leg in

716
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,800
Speaker 1: a computer essentially as it pertained to an already existing

717
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 1: body of data that they had because they measured again

718
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,640
Speaker 1: every single movement when he was healthy as a rookie player,

719
00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:20,080
Speaker 1: so they knew what to sort of juxtapose those new

720
00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,560
Speaker 1: outputs against and how they could study the patterns and

721
00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,200
Speaker 1: the trends moving forward and how he was healing. That

722
00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:30,600
Speaker 1: is first of all insane again, but at the same time,

723
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,920
Speaker 1: that's that's that's Tyler Tyler Is was the lead on

724
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,600
Speaker 1: building that programming. And something that the RAMS keep very

725
00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:43,960
Speaker 1: quiet is their unique sort of algorithmic programming that they

726
00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,200
Speaker 1: have with their sports science and how they measure all

727
00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,160
Speaker 1: of the different outputs that a player could possibly have

728
00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:55,960
Speaker 1: in any in any activity, any motion, how it correlates

729
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 1: to um, you know, what They're able to do workloads,

730
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 1: how they rest, how they know what they eat, even

731
00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,760
Speaker 1: how they travel, how they do all kinds of different

732
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,640
Speaker 1: things that you don't even really maybe think about necessarily

733
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,000
Speaker 1: in the course of a normal football league, and then

734
00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,920
Speaker 1: they reverse engineer it down into these programs that tell

735
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,480
Speaker 1: you all sorts of things that maybe need to be

736
00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,400
Speaker 1: addressed with players in order to help them stay healthy,

737
00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,000
Speaker 1: help them feel good, help them be at peak performance,

738
00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:29,000
Speaker 1: and sustain peak performance, and on a personal level, like

739
00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:34,440
Speaker 1: Tyler has. Tyler really developed some strong relationships within the

740
00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:38,640
Speaker 1: RAMS sports science department in there and their athletic training department,

741
00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:41,319
Speaker 1: And what a lot of people don't think about when

742
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,359
Speaker 1: they think of sports scientists and athletic trainers is how

743
00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 1: much space time they get with players every day. Reggie Scott,

744
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:51,719
Speaker 1: who directs the RAMS department, is probably the guy these

745
00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,040
Speaker 1: players see more than even their own families during the

746
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:57,640
Speaker 1: season and all of his staff. And so when you're

747
00:37:57,680 --> 00:37:59,360
Speaker 1: a coach and you're trying to figure out who's going

748
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,120
Speaker 1: to lead your to artment, you bring in somebody who

749
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,040
Speaker 1: you not only think players will trust, but in the

750
00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,160
Speaker 1: case of Kevin and watching Tyler for the last two years,

751
00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:11,560
Speaker 1: you know players will trust because they are They're entrusting

752
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,680
Speaker 1: them so so much with not just their well being physically,

753
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:16,879
Speaker 1: but a lot of times mental well being, and all

754
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,360
Speaker 1: of it ties together holistically. And so I think that

755
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,880
Speaker 1: this first of all, the Rams, the Rams I know

756
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,600
Speaker 1: are are are there, they will feel this loss. This

757
00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,239
Speaker 1: is a huge loss. I know players are sad to

758
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,279
Speaker 1: lose Tyler. There's a lot. I've reached out. You can

759
00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:31,799
Speaker 1: talk to a lot of players of the last day

760
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,600
Speaker 1: or so since the news broke, UM, and this is

761
00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:38,160
Speaker 1: this is a big loss, Um. And it's on the converse,

762
00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:40,760
Speaker 1: it's a huge game for a staff that's again establishing

763
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:43,319
Speaker 1: a culture. The culture that's developed in that training room

764
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,319
Speaker 1: is going to be a big part of measuring sort

765
00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,880
Speaker 1: of the success of what happens next for Kevin and

766
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:51,640
Speaker 1: his staff. All right, so this is my last question

767
00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,600
Speaker 1: for you. UM. I feel like this is very fitting

768
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:59,400
Speaker 1: because precursor, a lot of people here in Minnesota understand

769
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,080
Speaker 1: that Kevin O'Connell or the Rams last year ran the

770
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:05,760
Speaker 1: most eleven personnel in the NFL, which is basically removing

771
00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:08,080
Speaker 1: a fullback from the game and replacing that with the

772
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,680
Speaker 1: wide receiver. You have a podcast, right now called eleven

773
00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,600
Speaker 1: personnel with Rich Hammond that you do every single week

774
00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:18,200
Speaker 1: or every other week, and understanding that and understanding what

775
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:22,040
Speaker 1: eleven personnel is and understanding how that, I guess it

776
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,520
Speaker 1: is going to be translated here to Minnesota. Do you

777
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,759
Speaker 1: think we will run do you think a fullback is

778
00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,680
Speaker 1: going to be in our offensive scheme next year? Understanding

779
00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,600
Speaker 1: that we have a fullback that is I would say

780
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,359
Speaker 1: top three in the NFL. And CJ. Hamm Sean really

781
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,200
Speaker 1: came into the league, into the head coaching job in

782
00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:43,560
Speaker 1: the league, and really wanted to run a lot of

783
00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,120
Speaker 1: twelve personnel. But the receivers he had and a lot

784
00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:48,279
Speaker 1: of people actually don't know that, and that's what he

785
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,239
Speaker 1: wanted to do. And a lot of the receivers he

786
00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,040
Speaker 1: had on the roster and brought in a free agency

787
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,239
Speaker 1: so he had you know, they went out and they

788
00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:56,680
Speaker 1: got Brandon Cups, and they traded for they brought in

789
00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,799
Speaker 1: Robert Woods, and then they drafted Cooper Cup. And then

790
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,120
Speaker 1: as they brought them in and understood what they were

791
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,480
Speaker 1: capable of, they realized, well, actually, we're an eleven personnel

792
00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:08,000
Speaker 1: roster and this is what we're going to do. And

793
00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,319
Speaker 1: here's how we're going to make it work. So, yes,

794
00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:13,239
Speaker 1: I do expect a lot of eleven personnel from any

795
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,759
Speaker 1: any branch of the Shanahan McBay tree. But I also

796
00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,840
Speaker 1: think that it's going to be more about catering some

797
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:23,000
Speaker 1: facets of this offense to what your best players do best.

798
00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:25,839
Speaker 1: And I thought one thing the other day, and I'd

799
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:28,560
Speaker 1: need a probably you guys to source on it, because

800
00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:32,400
Speaker 1: I don't remember where I saw it, but Kevin mentioning

801
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:35,439
Speaker 1: about how you know there are receivers on this roster

802
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,719
Speaker 1: who you know do have similar qualities in terms of

803
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:42,359
Speaker 1: like justin Jefferson, you know you could you could maybe

804
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:44,360
Speaker 1: he could do the things that Cooper Cup did this

805
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,200
Speaker 1: last season. And I think that what he means by

806
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,960
Speaker 1: that is I always joked with these guys the last

807
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,960
Speaker 1: two years is that, yes, Sean mcdah is running eleven personnel,

808
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,320
Speaker 1: But if you really look at the structure of the

809
00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,200
Speaker 1: route concepts and also the blocking concepts that Cooper Cup

810
00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,439
Speaker 1: and Robert Woods are running that unlock every other piece

811
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,520
Speaker 1: of this offense, they're running eleven and a half personnel,

812
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:11,960
Speaker 1: like a combination between eleven and twelve. Right, And so

813
00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:14,120
Speaker 1: I'm sitting there, and I'm joking with these guys are like, oh,

814
00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:15,759
Speaker 1: you're not an eleven personnel team, You're an eleven and

815
00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,760
Speaker 1: a half personnel team because you've got these two minutes

816
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,040
Speaker 1: or tight ends running around doing everything. But at the

817
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:25,040
Speaker 1: same time, it catered, they evolved and catered that those

818
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,879
Speaker 1: sort of simple straightboard concepts to what those players did best.

819
00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:31,840
Speaker 1: So in terms of fullback, you know, sure, you know

820
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,960
Speaker 1: you think as a fullback the traditionalist version, but what

821
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:36,800
Speaker 1: I would actually go so far as to say is

822
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:41,400
Speaker 1: you maybe can reimagine what's possible for that type of

823
00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:45,080
Speaker 1: player within an offense that will be sort of player focused,

824
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:48,720
Speaker 1: and also within its simplistic concepts and its simplistic looks

825
00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:52,640
Speaker 1: can sort of evolve and branch out into so many

826
00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:55,520
Speaker 1: different ways just based off of some of those foundational

827
00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:59,680
Speaker 1: principles of timing and route structure. Well, we appreciate you

828
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,200
Speaker 1: so much for being here, Dave Jordan. You are one

829
00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,960
Speaker 1: of the brightest football minds I've I've ever read. I've

830
00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:07,759
Speaker 1: been following you since you were at the Panthers, and

831
00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,200
Speaker 1: so we are just pumped to have you on here.

832
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:12,840
Speaker 1: You gave so much great insight into these guys that

833
00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:15,600
Speaker 1: we're just starting to get to know. Yeah, and you're

834
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,040
Speaker 1: a great follow because I love how you always give

835
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:20,359
Speaker 1: disclaimers at the end. You always like I think you're

836
00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:23,720
Speaker 1: one of your last sweets were like social media doesn't

837
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:26,879
Speaker 1: sign contracts. Teams do. And I was like, people need

838
00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,719
Speaker 1: to hear that. People need to hear that. So I

839
00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,440
Speaker 1: love your work. Yes, yes, it's awesome. You can follow

840
00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:35,200
Speaker 1: her at Jordan Rodrig on Twitter. You can catch all

841
00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:38,480
Speaker 1: of her great stories, all of the journalist I mean,

842
00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,480
Speaker 1: she's an award winning journalist. Guys, you're gonna want to

843
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:42,160
Speaker 1: go follow her at the Athletics. So thank you so

844
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,560
Speaker 1: much Jordan for being here on the Minnesota Vikings Podcast.

845
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,160
Speaker 1: This is totally my pleasure. Thank you guys. I'll be

846
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:49,439
Speaker 1: following along with great interests. You do a great job

847
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:51,719
Speaker 1: and I'm excited to see what's next to me. Guys

848
00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,160
Speaker 1: that will do it for us here on the Minnesota

849
00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:59,359
Speaker 1: Vikings Podcast. Big thanks to the Athletics Rams beat writer

850
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,000
Speaker 1: Jordan ro Drig and hey shout out to our own

851
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,680
Speaker 1: Vikings Entertainment Networks Gabe Henderson for taking on your fan

852
00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,080
Speaker 1: questions today. That was a lot of fun. That was

853
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:08,160
Speaker 1: That was a lot of fun. We got to do

854
00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:10,759
Speaker 1: that more often. We may just have to. So you

855
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Speaker 1: know what else is gonna be fun though, Gabe. This

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Speaker 1: week we've got the Free Agency Frenzy. It begins next week,

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Speaker 1: so stick with Vikings dot com and all of your

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Speaker 1: Vikings social media channels for the very latest. For now, though,

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Speaker 1: thanks for listening to the Minnesota Vikings podcast Skull