Green Light with Chris Long - Domonique Foxworth! Best NFL Training Camp Stories & Predicting NFL Team Win Totals

Episode Date: July 28, 2025

Domonique Foxworth! Chris is joined by Domonique for a little double feature. We have a great football conversation on Green Light that covers amazing training camp memories and stories, NFL team win totals, new coordinators and players NFL emulated when they entered the NFL. You can catch even more of Chris and Domonique's football convo on the Domonique Foxworth Show, linked below: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nfl-misconceptions-for-the-2025-season-with-chris-long/id1642566714?i=1000719472012 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5H4ywoBFnNXCY8gD82fyoh?si=hjSZ53a1QNGcIxG-umjnHA (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:00) NFL Training Camp Memories: Fights, Pranks & Champ Bailey's House Parties (00:34:00) Examining New NFL Coordinators (00:50:25) NFL Win Totals Bryan Braman's GoFundeMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-bryan-bramans-healing-journey Have some interesting takes, some codebreaks or just want to talk to the Green Light Crew? We want to hear from you. Call into the Green Light Hotline and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open. Green Light Hotline: ‪[phone]‬ Also, check out our paddling partners at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Appomattox River Company ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to get your canoes, kayaks and paddleboards so you're set to hit the river this summer. Green Light's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can catch all the latest GL action: Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was there anybody that young Dominique Foxworth tried to emulate? I wanted to be like Champ Bailey. I tried to do the things that he did on the field for all of two days. It was a short-lived experiment. He's holding Jerry Rice. Like, no, I'm not. I'm trying to pay my rent. And Jerry Rice happens to be in the way.

And all of a sudden, Finnegan comes out like a fucking leprechaun and smacks the fucking me. That's why I appreciate you because you're a man of the people. Welcome to the Greenlight podcast presented by BetMGM. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code Greenlight, and you'll get up to a $1,500 first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code Greenlight. Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game.

If that bet loses, you will receive up to $1,500 in bonus bets. Just make sure you use bonus. bonus code green light when you sign up. Welcome to the Greenlight podcast. Thanks for tapping in today. We've got a great episode, Chris and Dominique Foxworth, run through some NFL topics. They've reminisced on some great training camp stories. Pranks, welcome to the NFL moments, the whole nine.

It's a blast in half. Then we talk which new NFL coordinators are going to have the toughest and easiest jobs heading into this season. And we end with win totals. We take a look at the team win totals for this season, which ones are juicy, which ones we like to roll with. And we have a blast. It's a double feature of sorts. Chris also went on Dominique Foxworth Show.

Check that episode out. The link is in the description. And we'll catch you later this week. Today I've got Dominique Foxworth. Dom and I are doing a home and home. That's right. You can catch me on the Dominique Foxworth show and you can catch Dominique Foxworth on the Greenlight podcast with Chris Long. All right?

That's what we call a home and. home. As two dudes helping each other out on a weekend. We got a lot going on. You know, we got kids and shit. So sometimes getting it done, getting an easy show done, getting in the hopper for Monday is the way we want to do it. This is a special release.

I'm taking my kids, I'm taking my wife and kids camping tomorrow. So this really helps, not having to drop a show for a Tuesday release. Check out DFS. Enjoy Greenlight. We're going to talk a lot of NFL, a lot of training camp. Tell some stories. Foxworth joins us on the show and we got a lot to talk about training camp um training camp is upon us and i think i'm at the stage in my post career life where my first couple years out dom i used

to like stare at the tv and be like yeah ha ha they're at camp i'm at home now i'm just like i'm like man i kind of feel shitty sitting here i kind of miss football you know what i mean like when you get so washed where you're like man we had it good yeah football camp i mean training camp was always really miserable. The worst days. It was like how you felt at the end of a weekend when school was about to start times one million. And then you get there and the wild part was not realizing,

at least for me, I didn't realize how different Kent was for the vets, like the real, real vets. That it was for like me. And this is, we had two days back in the day. They don't have that now. But it was, they tried, it didn't feel like it was helpful.

It was like every year they wanted to see if we lost, lost our heart or something. Like, no, we still got heart. Like what? But you know what? Honestly, and we still got heart. You're still tough. I'm still tough. I'm mentally tough. All that shit, resilient. But it takes an unnatural amount of mental toughness and resiliency and physical toughness and like to be in that mindset. You don't realize until you get out of the game. They really do have to, they have to reorient you to the situation. You know, like even a couple months off makes you go back to human nature. So what I was going to open up with was the best and worst parts of camp, little things, things you remember, like, because there were things that I actually

liked. Like, I'd get in camp and it's kind of sick. Like, I'd actually like, I'd get into the camp thing. I was like, all right, this is not so bad. Like, you know, some things I hate it, but you're like, you're like a prisoner. Like, you got to jail. I didn't want to say institutionalized. It's like one of those people who get out. It was like, man, I got to get back in the joint. I got three huts in a cat, baby. I'm comfortable a day. I'm the man. Three hots in a cot, dude, I was like, and honestly, the fucking dinners after practice were

one of my favorite things because it did feel like, remember in Goodfellas when they cooked their own dinner and they sat down for dinner finally and it was like they were just, they were riding high. Like, that's what it felt like when you get out of a really hard practice and the day was behind you and you ended up. Like, those dinners were some of the best dinners I ever had in my life. Some of the biggest laughs. I couldn't stop smiling, dude.

Like, that has to be said about training camp. So the training camp dinners, it was only fun because we were all in there making jokes and you didn't have practice anymore, so it felt like the day was over. The dinners weren't all that special, but I really liked ice cream snickers. The first dinner, though, you know when you get in there and they're like, hey, welcome to camp. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're dapping everybody else. They're like, we're going to give you a couple doses of CTE over the next month, but enjoy some shellfish. And you know it was never good shellfish in bulk.

Like you can't get 100, you can't get 200 lobsters and they all be good. They're not selling them like that. Dudes are taking lobsters back to the room. Like we're like, we know they're not giving us lobsters anymore in camp. So take all the good shit and eat as much as you possibly can. That's another good thing about camp. Do you guys have the toll house? So like in Denver, my training camp, I would always get the toll house ice cream sandwich

cookies like after practice and that would be the thing I look forward to and then in Baltimore it was ice cream snickers after practice did you guys have a specific dessert go-to no so well honestly the most memorable one uh no'll you're gonna like this was Rita's water ice in Philly where like it was hot as hell and you know your kids show up this is later my career so now those kids and you know you can walk them over and and and get some water ice and and I don't know man like it was just whatever you wanted to eat like pizza 10 p.m., no problem. I don't even eat pizza anymore because I'm so old and my metabolism slow down so much.

You know what I mean? Like, but you could eat whatever you wanted. And I would fall for stupid shit like the punt machine day off trick. Oh, it's the best. Every time, dude, yeah, feed me. Oh, oh, I mean, for the people who don't know what that is, it's like we would do, they would do a punt or a field goal or something if we catch it or if you make the field goal, we get the day off. It was always like a planned day off or like the surprise bowling trip and we all would act surprised. We were so deprived. It would feel so good. It felt like you again, to go back to the theme, it felt like being out on work release, I would imagine. And, you know, honestly, it's akin to me giving my dog like a cow ear. Like in the moment, it's the best thing I could have ever done for the dog, like the dogs in heaven. But it really doesn't change the dog's circumstances at all. When Spags took us to see Invictus, which was not a good.

movie. And I'm sitting there like, and I'm like, thanks, bags. Like, I could be off, but I'm sitting crammed between Cliff Ryan and like Orlando Pace at a movie or something, like for three hours. Listen to you guys. Did you guys? Were you on a prank team? Like, I had different teams and some teams were prank guys. You see, I feel like that's a D-Line thing. It was like O-Line D-Line is prank guys. The rest of us are like, get out of it with your bullshit prank. No, it was the D-Bs and I. Cortland Finnegan was a big prank. guy so was so me and court had a truce where we didn't fuck with each other but everybody else was at war like all his buddies were fair game all my buddies were fair game but don't mess with my stuff and we had a lot

of pranks the one time me and william hayes james laroni laranitis was the uh signal caller he was the mike linebacker he got us lined up and he was truly a great guy he we knew he was a soft target like He was a real Christian. Like, like he was really, and it was from the other cheek. And one day we were bored during that stupid fucking break that they give you for 75 minutes, where you're like,

go back to the hotel, take a 20 minute nap. Like, please, I don't want that. Let's just get out of here earlier. So me and Will on one of these days with a building empties out, we're like,

let's go get some packing peanuts and pull James's car in the indoor. And fill it with packing peanuts. Wrap it up in saran wrap. No problem. Like, just run of the mill shit. We get down to the fence. Betta Expot and we hear crickets.

So me and William Hayes naturally are like, what's up with the crickets? They said there's a bait shop down the road. The guy gets here at one to pick him up. Why? I go, man, can I wait around and talk to this guy? He's like, yeah. So the guy shows up. I said, let me get like 10,000 of those things. He goes, I'll take some

tickets. So I said, we traded tickets for crickets. And me and William took the crickets back to the indoor and filled James's car with crickets. Oh, God. But what went wrong is the damn crickets died in the vents. And he had to trade the Audi back in, dude.

And we almost got away with it if we weren't for CCTV, like one of those security cameras in the indoor. Fucking our security guy snitch. So we had a lot of pranks, dude. Let me ask you this. So you played for three teams total. Same as me. who were the, who were the scariest training camp vets and who were the, like, the good training camp vets where you were like, this guy's benevolent, like, it could be a lot worse. We, I mean, I didn't really have, so I got drafted, and there were two other corners drafted in my same draft.

Both were drafted ahead of me. So I was, I, no one really messed with me. And I, like, surprised him and was like, good. So everybody was really cool with me. And I, I complied. So, like, what? You want me to pay for dinner? Sure.

And you want me to carry your bags? Sure. And we had one that wanted to be a tough guy. So I didn't have any of the issues that everybody was cool with me. And so I paid it forward to next year. I was cool to all the rookies that we had. So everybody was really great. And champ just being like, hey, he was a great guy.

He just wanted to have a good time and play football. So he didn't spend much time messing with us. So let me ask you this. And what constituted being a tough guy about, you know, like just? I'm not. Just, yeah, yeah, just saying, I'm not going to do that. You can't cut my hair. You can't, I'm not going to carry your pads.

I'm not going to pay for a rookie dinner. Like, I'm not doing none of that stuff. It's stupid. I agree it's stupid, but it's ritual. I'm going to go ahead and participate in all these sorts of things. Dude, I was a compliant son of a bitch, dude. I was like. Yeah, you had to name too.

So they just wanted you to fuck up. I'm sure. Yeah, they wanted me. Exactly. Thank you for somebody finally saying it. Like James Hall, who ended up being one of my best buddies, hated me for a year, dude. Like, we didn't talk.

I'd ask him for the call in camp and he'd be like, you think I'm going to give you the call? Like, Leroy Glover would yell at me. He's also an awesome dude, but, you know, I was a rookie. Like, that was the old NFL. And if it came time to get your haircut, we got, you got your haircut. By the end of my career, dude, and admittedly, I wasn't trying to cut people's hair that hard. But, like, we were probably batting 500 on hair cut. You know, like, nah, I'm good.

Players were so empowered that they were like, no, I'm not getting my haircut. But then try cutting Aaron Donald's hair, dude. Nah. Nah, I mean, if you go to see, Mr. Donald, could I please? Would you like a shape up, sir? I didn't line that up. They get the eyebrows. You got to, not to nitpick, but one of your eyebrows is.

I've been tried. You told one story, but I wanted to tell one that you made me think of when you said that Cortland and you would go where, like, the prankster guys. So in Baltimore, we had like an ongoing, you know, like through the course of the season, you have like foolish little games or whatever. So we had like a war between the D-line and the D-Bs. And if you catch a D-Lyman in the hallway, we would jump them or something like that. And the same thing for the D.B. So I've told this story on my show before.

So this is new to you guys. But we had one D.B who left the meeting room to go to bathroom break or whatever. He's in the locker room on his phone. and the D-Line got out of their meeting. They got let out of meeting. So they caught him in there by himself. And we just hear him start yelling. And so we all run out of the meeting to go in there to see what's going on.

He is butt-naked with all the D-Liamman surrounding him. He's like, they wasn't going to jump me. So I took all my clothes off. He just dick out. It's like, you know what he's going to stop from jumping me? That was quick thinking. They started to reach and grab him, whipped it all along.

I'm like, yep, they're not going to get me. Yeah, we're going to get you tomorrow, dude. Don't let me catch you with clothes on. Like, that's just crazy, bro. That's a crazy evolutionary tactic for a young DB, man. He would survive. He would survive, though. Well, the other thing was we did have something called smack cam where, like, if dudes,

if dudes were wearing issued gear out anywhere but like on the field or in the weight room, you come up and dudes will put shaving cream on a plate and just smack the fuck out of it. So one time they woke me up early to do like an NFL network hit, and I hate waking up early, and I did not like doing shit for the... I was nice to the media people, but I was like, come on. So they really need you. Julia said, hey, put this shirt on. I wasn't thinking it was like 6.45 in the morning.

I'm on live TV. and all of a sudden Finnegan comes out like a fucking leprechaun, skips across the back of the dark locker room. And you can see him in the background of the interview and smacks the fucking of me and I look like I just got like

I don't even want to say. It feels, yep, there it is. And my reaction's like I didn't have any issue gear on. My reaction is like I didn't have any issue gear on. You got to be kidding me. He had to jump to him. I mean, that's a good prank.

Yeah, it's a good prank. And everybody was involved, but, like, you know, nothing pisses a guy off, like, in the middle of August to get smacked in the face a little too hard. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so we're talking about things we hate and love. I'm going to, the things I hate, wet pads, okay?

Back in the two-a-day days, you come back, the feeling in the afternoon when you're putting on your wet pads. It's one of the most, like, just, yeah, Nolan, Nolan remembers even from college, man, probably. Well, it's so funny. I mean, I didn't get anywhere near a professional football field, but hearing you guys are saying, talk about that problem.

Like, I just know, like, high school and, like, small school college football, but, like, y'all shit stinks. Like, at the pros, they don't have to deal with this shit. And you guys are putting on the wet pads like everybody else. The wet cleats, the wet pads, you know, the whole thing. Field turf, I think, is one of the worst things that ever happened in training camp. Hate it.

It raised it. We never played on, though, like, all of my training camps were on grass. I was lucky. but yeah we wouldn't have to if it was like rainy or something we had to go to the indoor turf that shit was awful the wet pads are terrible I also like I hated the cold tub I hated the cold tub really yeah I knew you were gonna say you liked the cold tub I hated the cold tub because practice was hard and I'm hurting and I would like the pain to go away and like practice is done so all the pain is over like nah get your ass in this in this trash can full of ice you that might have staff in it Get yourself and this infected trash can for lies. Yeah, the guard that weighs 360 was in here right before me. The worst, though, probably for me was a drug test. And it's not because I was doing drugs.

It was because they wake you up. You remember how this works, Dom? Yeah. It was like random. And it was my physician group. And they wouldn't tell you. They just come knock on your door and wake you up. So every night before you go to bed, you're like, is this the night?

that I'm going to get woke up at five in the morning, like to a loud knock at the door. When I'm tired as fuck, you got to go outside, forget, you always, they're like, hey, don't pee right when you wake up. First thing you do, walk in the bathroom, take a leak. So you're out there in the hallway in a line of like eight. The vets come in, they're jumping you. They're like, sorry, Rook. And so you got 15 people in front of you. You're trying to go back to bed, the whole thing.

I hated that. And then the worst was probably for me was coaches competing to let their room out. out the latest. You know what I mean by that. Yeah. They're out there trying to be kiss asses, teachers' pets. Yeah. It's the worst.

So I don't know about the wake-up drug tests. I got off easy there. We would do. So I only had in Baltimore, I only had one year of away from home training camp in the NFL. So we would get to work and find out that. our position group was up for testing. And so we never had the wake up. I never had that experience where they're like in the dorms and it's like, hey, wake up,

do your piss test. Well, they did it at the hotel for us. Didn't have to be in dorms. So you're telling me, you didn't have to go to, you went to a hotel for training camp. I went to a hotel for training camp as a rookie in Denver. And then the next year they let us stay home. And then I got traded to Atlanta after training camp. So, and then in Baltimore, I had, we had two seasons in Westminster at the college dorm,

and I tore my ACL on day one of the second season. So, and then after that, it was back at the facility. So I didn't have, the, the funny thing about the drug test day was, it was a little celebration for some people, because, you know, in order to, you had to stop smoking a month before. Yep. And everybody was like, man. We're two weeks. I don't know the rules, man.

I was, I know. You're good, you're good, I know. You got your life under control, dude. Some of us who don't, like, we would have to wait. And then some guys, and I swear they were, like, stereotyping us by our position. Because, like, the quarterbacks would always get drug tested like first because they want us, the D-line would always be, like, last.

It would be like the D-line and the D-Bs would be last, bro. Like, so most guys, they've already been tested by the time they go home for summer break. And so we're sitting there in the sauna like with a cranberry juice enema or something, which I got like all the stupid ways that people try to actually flush their systems. It was always our positions, man. But yeah, the other thing was if you go to camp, if you don't go to camp and you camp at home, you don't get that feeling of realizing how great your life is when you come home. Yeah, yeah.

You know the movie, It's a Wonderful Life? Mm-hmm. Okay, my dad used to make me watch it like every year. And after a while I was like, I get it. And I think it was like Christmas or something. We used to watch it. But you know the feeling when the guy goes home and he's like, I love you. And he's like all over his wife.

And he's like, oh my God, it's my dog. It's my couch. It's my bed. Dude. I used to come home every year and be like, I will never complain again for 48 hours. And then 72 hours in, I'm like, yo, fuck this. You know? I believe that there was a certain subsection of women in the city that,

are waiting for camp to get let out too because as soon as camp get let out these guys are not these guys us guys are like anything moving will be my girlfriend for the next week or so the young guys the young guys we used to give them shit and call it we call it camp eyes yeah camp eyes for sure basically like you've only seen men for like 10 days straight you might not see like a until open practice you might not see an outsider dude

all of a sudden you'll hear somebody make like an offhand comment about something and I'm like you think you sure that's about your camp eyes dude yeah no this is we're definitely getting too close to topics that we can't talk about because I know exactly what you're saying and I remember that too yeah I'm talking about they see something on TV or something you know and I'm like really exactly exactly something on TV that's right yeah all of a sudden like amy schumer's not just funny He was watching Ellen during the break. Like, I mean, I'm kind of bad. I always like a sense of humor.

She's a politicalist. Oh, gosh. Anyways, and the other funny story is like, I don't know, my rookie year, I only went away once, and it was to Concordia, Wisconsin, which, like, was a dorm thing. And I remember, like, Adam Carrier, by the way, they were like, like, okay, let's put the two white guys together.

And, um, yeah, and we had nothing in common. Even though Adam's cool, we just had nothing in common. And then, and then, um,

you're sleeping a little dorm, but we, we, obviously as rookies, the first thing you do when you get there is like scope out. Whereas, what's the entertainment when we get a day off, right?

Like, what are we going to do? And we were like, we're going to go to Milwaukee, dude, as if we know what the fuck's in Milwaukee or there's anything worth driving an hour for. But we were all rookies and we wanted to get shit-faced. And we go to Milwaukee and we sit in the room,

we're pre-game in and we're getting fucked up and we're going to go to this bar we're going to that bar next thing you know i wake up in the morning with my clothes on to go out i never made it off the couch i look around the room there's three other dudes sitting in chairs that's perfect because we're so damn tired dude yeah that is perfect my own you just go home when you get a day off it was way before training camp it was um like our first mini camp not the rookie minicamp but our first minicamp with the vets I got there. And, like, I was really fortunate

because, like, Champ and I became really close friends and were still friends. And he looked out for me a bunch. But my first experience was the second night I was there, Champ had a pool party at his house. And I remember thinking, like, yeah, it's NFL, but it's not like TV. It's not like the movies.

It is like the movies. Yeah. People ask me, it was my first welcome to the NFL moment. It was going to a real pool party. And I showed up, like, with a bottle something vodka or something like I brought a goddamn party gift and champ looked at me like I was an idiot I put that over there I walk I walk in like I'm going to a damn dinner party as women running through the kitchen with no clothes on jumping in the pool I'm in the basement there's a pool

table with a stack of money on it that had to be hundreds of thousands of dollars guys playing dice with that money on the table there was other stuff that when we're not recording I'll tell you I was like this is this feels like like a real like a movie and it was this my second night in Denver it was too incredible I never got those experiences we played in St. Louis nothing against St. Louis we didn't really have anybody who was like made like that you know like we had some we had some great players but like and maybe it's also the timing yeah it's the timing but yeah like we we us us guys on the St. Louis D line mostly just went over the bridge which if you where that is.

There's a window. So if you're a high enough draft, especially back then, your money was high. So maybe not your rookie year, but second or third year. But Champ was obviously champ. And so he had been there for a while.

His money was right. And he also was re-entering the world. I think him and his wife were breaking up at that point. So he was, it was just perfect timing. Yeah, it was good time for Don Foxworth to be a young player. And it was in Denver.

too, which is underappreciated because it's like, it's not on either the coast. So, like, if you're on the East Coast, there's, like, a bunch of major cities. Where Denver is, everybody who, like, yeah, they would all, like, the hottest and most attractive and most talented people from all of the middle states. And there's so many. Yeah. New States. It was coming to Denver.

It was like, oh, because I, I mean, I grew up in Baltimore. I was like, I'm going to Broncos. was like snow every day. I got there. I was like, no. The weather is fantastic. The people are gorgeous and this is fun. So is it like the inverse of College Park, Maryland? No, college. That's where all the like, no, stop it. Stop it. You, it's not a fight that you want to have. You were in school in Charlottesville. I waged this fight all the damn time, dude. It's a public school with a bunch of losers that wear ties anyway. You guys set couches on fire and shit.

Anytime you do anything, which I guess is not that uncool. But you guys wear sports coats to football games. I'm not on that, by the way. I took a stand on that on my podcast recently. Good. I mean, in that. I'm getting looks around town. That's the nicest thing about that.

Like, we could get into the, we, I would let you off the hook for you guys affinity for small for small torches for now well I heard a lot of those people came down from Maryland nobody came down from Maryland not down there not you guys yeah I like I like my host Charlie and I want to keep my host Charlie and those people would not like my host Charlie next topic you started it you started Maryland dude all right the the next thing I want to get into well the last thing I don't like about camp is something escalating could happen in front of your family. And it never happened to me,

but it was just something I was always acutely aware of is like, man, you know, your kids come to work and like, you might see your dad get beat up or you might see your dad, like, get running. My first camp experience was Jerry Rice was in our camp at like 45 years old. And I looked up to Jerry Rice when I was a kid. and it was the opposite situation where Jerry just wasn't quite Jerry anymore but I was a third round pick

I needed this job so I got my hands on Jerry and the fans were pissed that my mother's in the crowd arguing with people because they're like he's holding Jerry Rice like no I'm not I'm trying to pay my rent and Jerry Rice happened to be in the way yeah Jerry Rice is in the way of me

supporting said family you know what I hate though I hated joint practices I know some people love joint practices. Hate it joint practices. It was a way to steal a game. Y'all's stealing a game. I got it because when it's with your team, it's a different environment.

I'm out here. They brought the Cowboys out there and I got a guard. Terrell Owens, big, strong ass. Like, that's a payment. I need to get paid for this shit. This is a real high-stakes situation where people are looking at me

and sneaking up these practices just ain't fair. Get a money. It was always interesting, like the first day of, joint practice like walking out on the field and seeing other people like in your house and like you're like

as a big D. Lyman like we're all walking out together and we're like hey they shouldn't be out here like you know it's like that kind of reaction and it's also like seeing people in person totally different thing right because you're like damn that dude's bigger than I fucking thought or

like damn like I you know and then and then you get into the one on ones and honestly for D Lyman it does help because Because we get, I don't know how you feel about this as a defensive back, but you get in the same battle over and over again with the same guy every day. So your techniques, if you want to try a different technique, it might not be the appropriate technique to use on the guy you're competing with.

And then your game kind of stays in the same place a little bit. So I like the variability of playing a different guy, but they are stealing a game there. I agree. I mean, the thing about it is everybody trying to, it's a little bit higher state. Like it's higher stakes, at least to me, it felt like higher stakes than a preseason game. Because preseason games, we all run out there. We run like standard stuff.

Guys are trying to get a first down. This is different stakes. It feels like almost more intense, especially for the guys who, like a couple guys got injured. So I was running with the ones as a rookie. I guess that was my, yeah, as a rookie, I was running with the ones with a joint practice. And the one-on-one period, everyone's trying to get a goddamn highlight. So like I'm going to tear my. groin off the bone trying to run with these assholes and that's and usually at that point in practice

you're trying to you know warm up or get into the you know get into the floor and and like the team when you're against your own team they're going to run some slants and outs every now and there yep when it's a joint practice they're like nah yeah we're going we all we're doing seven eights and nines baby the other thing is uh this Aaron rogers roommate with D.K. Metcalf thing have you seen this? Yeah like the PeeP what does he got a Pee? outside what happened so there's a tweet from jury epstein when aaron

rogers realized the toilet in his and dk's sweet flushed loudly he told him at night if we got a piss just don't flush the toilet 9.30 Wednesday night DK texted you asleep yet Aaron wasn't and he said bet I'm about to flush the toilet

so are they in a suite or a room they're in a sweet it's not like a sweet with a chair bathroom I guess but like what in general I'm just kind of to like listen I understand that we're we're pampered enough in a lot of ways but like two grown men that have to share a bathroom like you're paying them how much money but like and I know you go to latrobe or whatever it is and that's like a tradition but I'm just not a big like if I were running a team I think the good lord I am not I would have them in a situation as conducive to getting rest

and not having to make decisions like Aaron Rogers walking in and D.K.'s pissing is bubbling in the toilet at 7 in the morning. That's why I appreciate you because you're a man of the people, because you found the way to put the blame where it fucking belongs. I think that most people's reaction to this is like, Aaron Rogers, stop being a prima Madonna. No, this sleep is important. I agree.

If you're going to wake me up, if you got to pee at 1 a.m., fine. You're hydrated. Congratulations. But don't wake me up. But you're right. Why are we putting these people whose sleep is so important in a situation where they have to a share bathroom. I should be able to sleep in peace and I should be able to shit in peace. I shouldn't have to be like concerned that my shit is going to disrupt somebody. Like or that or that the toilet

the toilet is warm. I don't want to put my butt cheeks on it. I, dude, I've walked I've walked for 35 minutes at a time around a facility to find like a secret bathroom before like I don't want to go in there and have there be a warm. And also I did learn this from a roommate. This is what I had a roommate in college who told me. He goes, man, if you want to take a shit, the shower. He goes an old trick. He says it's a trick. So, so that was like a big trick I learned. And then that's not that same roommate, another college roommate. He snored so bad I had to sleep in the tub. So like, it's just stupid, dude. Like, it's stupid the things that sometimes football players have to do when they're dog tired. And I understand some people listen are going to be like,

get over it. Y'all are paid well. But that's the point. We are paid well. So like, let us sleep. And the secret bathroom That's miserable, man That's miserable, I hate a bed check It's so miserable And on the road like that Just general of bed check But you brought up the secret bathrooms

In the facility That was important maneuver Is to know where the bathroom was We had, I think the Ravens have changed The facility now But with the Ravens you had to go Over to like the business part Like there was a door between

Like the football side And like the community relations and media relations and HR and travel, like all them were on a different side. Oh, yeah. Your bathroom is getting lit up by me. Oh, yeah. And on one of the teams I played for through the wall,

there was like a private practice, like, for something. And so, like, you know, that was fair game. No, I'm not going to say where. But, like, people were probably in there, had no idea that, like, their favorite football player just blew this thing up. I think they knew. I think they do.

They went in there. They was like, yeah, that's not Carol smell. That was a 300 pound. Through the wall there. Anyways, yeah, I think it should be, yeah, I think it should be much better with the roommate situation. Okay, let's get into some real nuts and bolts here, Nolan, some football. I think what's really interesting, and we've touched on in Pod's past,

when I've remarked on, like, Cincinnati having a really important camp. For all the reasons that are obvious, Dom, like, they start slow every year. Like, we got to get that fix. Joe needs reps. Al Golden, who's been a college coordinator. He's got a hell of a hard job in front of him, and he's replacing the guy that was there for a while, and both your edge rushers.

Well, one of them just showed up to practice, but the other ones nowhere to be found. So, like, that's a high-stakes camp, right? They're all high-stakes, but some are higher than others. And I wonder, as we look around the league, what we think are the highest-stake installations going on this August. You know, where you talk about new coordinators that are trying to either completely revamp a scheme or just continue to move in the same direction a la like a Detroit.

You know, where it's like, hey, this guy was here in 22. He's been in Denver for two years, but we're not trying to change too much. What do you all think? Probably makes sense start with Chicago. You have different play colors on both sides of the ball there. Dude, I think we talked about this earlier with the defense, man. like there's there's um there's going to be a little bit of variation for the guys up front you know it's not going to be as simple um and and i think we we pay a lot of attention to the offense we

did just another reminder we did just talk about this on the dfs dominique foxworth show she's one of the best shows out there which i'm also on this is a part of a home and home another reminder there uh what did we talk about when it came to that offense because i think this is something that people are going to be paying a lot of attention to too darn. Yeah, now I think they can go over there and check out our

offensive talk. Like, I think that we did a good job over there. We're going to do it twice and go ahead. Talk to us. Like Dennis Allen

take out of the defense, though, I think, having a former head coach in a coordinator's situation, I always think is beneficial. And they have talent. That's the thing about both sides of ball for them.

They have a ton of talent. I'm interested, though, in the lion situation. Yeah. Because it's, I know you mentioned it. I am one who's, You hear people talk about how you should get an offensive-minded head coach so that your quarterback never loses this guy.

I kind of disagree with that as a matter of principle. It's like at some point your quarterback will take over. So like I think I'm rooting for the Lions because this speaks to one of the theories that I have and I stand by. So I'm looking forward to seeing what they do. Replacing Ragnow in the middle is going to be tough. But they have two new coordinators on both sides, guys who have a history there. But yeah, I like the Lions situation. I find that interesting.

I do. I think Nick Cayley, for reasons that we mentioned with Houston in your show, that's a big deal. I mean, like, number one, the offensive line's a big deal. And then number two is just like getting C.J. Stroud back on his eyes on the right stuff. Because when you're beat up as a quarterback over a course of time, your eyes start going in the wrong places, even the best quarterbacks. And so that's going to be a big project there. I got a question for you. Yeah. New England, like with the young really impressive or at least physically talented quarterback who had a promising first year and they have handed it over to Vrable, they are given the offense to Josh McDaniels, who I would say has had a checkered history, I guess, as far as coordinated, like him being under Rable and being back in New England, does that give you some confidence? Is there something about the McDaniels history?

Because that was a curious hire. for a young talented quarterback. It's like Brable's going with a guy he knows and trust, but I'm not sure that there was like some clamoring to get Josh McDaniels to tutor your young quarterback. I'm not going to act like I'm so plugged in there, just haven't been there for a year, but I feel like obviously everything is,

there's a level of like wanting things to be comfortable for Robert. And, you know, Vrable is some version of that. What I like about Vrable is he is a New England guy, but he's not a like he's a bill guy in all the ways he's not a bill guy like and he's not anti bill but he's just not going to try to be the same fucking guy which i think is what gets all these guys into trouble and i think it's what's gotten josh in trouble as a coach the coach josh mcdaniels like the head coach the guy i hear about is totally different than the guy that i experience as a coach not only in new england but in st louis when he actually helped bradford play one of the best

seasons he had under his belt and not and i always liked him around the building so like the guy i hear about as a head coach has not been the guy that i've you know been privy to to get to know as a player as a coordinator and so i think that's what they're banking on that like listen this guy we know him well um i i like drake uh i like new england's defensive line the best at anything they got going there i'm really looking forward to that group you know we we had big milton on met Keon White at the Sacks Summit. That was awesome. That dude's a fucking stud.

You know, they got a bunch of guys up front. And I'm looking forward to watching them play. That's fair. Like, we don't, at least I don't. It's not my nature to assume that coaches can get better, but it's good to remember that also coaches can get better. I remember that, like, Harbaugh, I got there in Baltimore on his second year there. And I think there was still some insecurity about him taking over the reins there,

especially with all the Hall of Famers there. And I remember he gave us a speech before camp saying that he wanted a team of snitches. And we were like, what? And the point that he was saying was he wanted us to be accountable to each other. And he was like, you should call each other out. And I just remember, like, the message. Yeah, I know. He was just like, you got to hold each other accountable.

And it was like, there's some things about coaching that I think come with a little time and security. Maybe Josh is finding that, but yeah, Jim or John's turned into quite an impressive coach. But I just remember looking at him like, huh? Yeah, well, you can't walk into a room and be like, hey, I'm not going to be able to get control of this room. Y'all got to go to all of it. You know, like, you have to lay, you have to set the culture to where that exists and then you can put it on autopilot. He was fortunate, though. He was fortunate, though, because the guys there were, you know, they knew how the game work.

It wasn't nobody. everyone was holding each other accountable and there was the players who worked really hard were obviously the best players too and so like you felt like an idiot like anybody feel like an idiot cutting corners when you're looking over at ed and sugs and ray and then like working and ass it off no question i'm looking at you know another another group that's probably not going to be as impactful a group but indies defense you know that team's probably not going anywhere fast but um you know that that's a big difference schematically because going from Gus to Lou, Bradley to Anirumo. You talk about just when I think about studying, all the things that you have to know when you play in a Lou Anirumo defense, at least from watching it, it seems like it's a layered defense with a lot of different things that even defensive linemen have to be aware of, pressures, movement, where Gus is a little bit more hit it and get it,

and you're going to play zone coverage, and they're going to man up more. So you think about, like, being a player in the NFL, like having to adjust what you do every year and the runway being shorter than ever now there's just a lot that goes into August and for some of these more impactful situations like the Eagles who have

okay like Jalen Hertz we've been talking about a lot of Jalen Hertz stuff this week and I kind of hate the way we always get to it like it's always but Jalen Hertz is on like coordinator number what it's been a different one over year since

I think it's first year of college. Five or, I think it's five, dude. Like, and, and, you know, ironically, we're doing the whole thing. So, so that to me is just, just as a side note, like, whatever you think of Jalen Hertz, man, like, I think he's earned being one of the guys. But you're not, you're not going to be able to convince me or a lot of people that he's better than Mahomes or Burrough or Al. It's just the way it is, dude. Like, I'm sorry.

It's like, for some people, they respect the fuck out of Jalen and think he's one of the guys, but he's probably not one of those guys. But what I will say is, I've just been so impressed with the way he's handled himself in big games, but also every year hitting the curveball with a new guy he's got to work with, and a new guy calling plays. Like, that's not easy. You know, like, there's a lot that we count in his column as far as how good his team is, and that shit is dead true.

But the thing that people don't pay enough attention to also is every year he's had to change situations. One of my classmates from middle school used to, like, he was probably one of the smartest kids in our section, but he wouldn't, like, grades wouldn't all that great. But he used to talk about how he wished that he would get graded on the distance that he traveled in a short period of time, rather than on all the work, because he would not come to class, not pay attention, not do anything, then the night before the final, he would do, he would cram it all late and knock it out. It's like, if you measure for that, I am actually the best student in this class. And that reminds me a little bit, not completely, but a little bit of Jaila Hertz,

not because he's lazy, but because if you think of the distance that that man has traveled, like it feels almost asinine. And I get the offseason, we have to do these comparisons. We're trying to make these conversations interesting. I mean, by all means, I get it. We've got to figure this out. But when you look at that, it seems so crazy to think about the guy who got his job taken in college. The second round pick has gone all this distance to being a Super Bowl MVP.

And for some reason, we are continually, or not for some reason, we do this to all of them, where we continue to move to goalposts. It's like, is he a quarterback? Yeah, is it going to be a starter? Yeah. It's true. And also, you mentioned the distance he's traveled. The distance he travels within a.

season, like the improvement that you see. I think it's reductive to call him Eli Manning, but I would mean it as a compliment, right? Like, because Eli Manning was when it came time to make a big throw, he was making the big throw. Like, now, defense helped out a lot there too. You can argue that the Eagles roster is great and everything. But Hertz was out there slinging the ball around the yard in the Super Bowl. Both times that he's played Patrick Mahomes.

And we always say, like, hey, to beat the best or be the best, you got to beat the best. just him out there, but I do want to make that point, like, that we do count a lot in his column and we should as far as, like, how his life has improved for where he is. But he's also been kind of like a guy who every year has got to figure it out. And so I want to give him his props there. Also, ironically, the guy Jalen's getting de facto compared to, which is the dumbest conversation ever. Like, why are we comparing? I know why, but like, does somebody, do we have to do this with Cam and Jalen. Cam was the opposite where

in 2015, he took that team to the Super Bowl, 15 and 1. We're going to talk about win totals in a second. Eight and a half was their win total. Look at that roster. People have made

this point. I also think the point's been made in completely because the defense was really good. They had a lot of veterans on the defense. And they weren't all guys that were in their primes for like having that group. got guys to play big. Just an interesting sidebar. I love going back and talking about that year because it is one of the most incredible feats I've ever seen a quarterback accomplished, regardless of how he played when he got in the Super Bowl. So in that way, kind of inverse, where Galen hasn't always

been spectacularly in the regular season. But when he gets in the big game, he does it. And so, you know, just as an aside, he's got a new coordinator this year. And he's got to do it again. And the last time he got a new coordinator, things got ugly for a second. And they had to get rid of it. Like, they had that great season. And then everyone, Stiking got a job in Indy. And then he got a new coordinator. And it seemed like they had no idea what to do when he got blitzed.

And everyone seemed confused. I don't know whose fault it was, but it didn't work out. And then he bounced back, which is, again, like, that's a testament to him. There's nobody else who's doing it the way that he's doing it as far as bouncing back from those major setbacks. Resilient. And this is the time where I have to ask you for the Philly, Intentency. How have you rehabilitated your image since you told him he was too pretty? I mean, I can't. He is too pretty. I can't. I mean, what am I supposed to do with it?

Man is so goddamn handsome. It makes me uncomfortable. And I just thought, I don't know, man. How could you be so good at football and like a legitimate model level attractive? It's funny how those things catch on, man. It's just you never know because like we do get up and like sometimes we're serious and sometimes we're joking and obviously that's a joking segment and then it's just so fun to talk about it gets clipped and that everyone's like oh whoa everybody's like I'm gonna burn your fucking house down

Dominique like you got real it wasn't an insult I was like here's where I push back I think dudes hate on the dudes that are so it's like it's almost like there's more there's an ugly privilege in my opinion

have you ever considered that that's fair I like it and I don't want to I don't want to say any examples of who I think gets under the privilege. You can't bring it up without name and name. I hadn't thought about it on purpose. Yeah, no, that's fair. I, I am married to a black woman, lots of black women in my life, and my algorithm combines the fact that I'm married to a black woman and I play football.

All my timeline is filled up with is fat asses and Jalen Hertz's, handsome. Like, that's it. That's what I got the timeline, guys. It's what I got the timeline. And I thought it was a funny joke to make. Y'all didn't like it. It's fine. I still think it's funny. And my wife still tells me how attractive Jalen Hertz is on a regular basis. I can't. It doesn't make me insecure or anything like that. It's humbling to be in sports media, bro. That's why, hey, listen, I'm always, hey, you know what I mean? I don't want Cam Newton starting to read my accolades or fucking, you know, like, hey, I just wanted to point out, I want to take a second to point out that Cam Newton carried a team to 15. They probably shouldn't have made the playoffs.

So, you know. Put me down for pro Cam Newton also. I'm pro everybody, dude. I don't want to be in cams crosshairs. I don't want to piss off RC. I don't want nobody mad at me. Hey, guys. You know, I'm going to piss off RC.

I've got to work with RC. You know, really enjoy RC. He's my buddy. You know, can we all just get along? Marcus Spears, phenomenal athlete, two sport athletes. He's great. All you guys. I love you so much.

Also, All one except for Dan, Dan, Dan. Who I found out today is 41, dude. Okay. And when I said to Nolan, I said, if I had guessed his age, it wouldn't have been one year older than me. I didn't mean it like he looks young. No, Dan got some old man energy, though.

He's got an old man energy. He carries himself. Yeah, he carries himself like he'd been through some shit. But that's the life of being a quarterback on the Lions back in the day. I think it puts some years on him, man. Dude, I just thought it's nothing against. Dan, I have like age dysmorphia, you know, where you think you're younger than you are. Yeah.

But, uh, but yeah, no, I thought Dan was a couple years older than me, but like, we're, we're damn near peers. It's a baby. You got, I mean, you should have something to come and he, I think you played at UConn. You played at UVA. It's same level of talent there. That's good. Now we're just, now we're just, we're throwing shit at the wall and hoping that's good. Compare basketball schools out there.

Ralph Regions not walking through that door, brother. Let's go over under. Show us the over unders here, Noel. Yeah. Yeah, we got them here. We got them, got them group just by the number. So we kind of just roll through it by the number. Who stands out too high?

Go number by number and we'll stop you when we see something surprising. 11.5. Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles. None of that surprised me. You? It's not like, I don't think it, yeah, no. Nothing there. All right, 10 and a half.

Lions and Niners. The Niners is so like, we just talked about it on DFS, all right? Like, which is a great show. Go watch that show as well. But like the Niners are just so, it's so dependent on things that we have no idea. Like McCaffrey's Health, a bunch of guys we haven't seen playing the pros before on defense. You know, you've got injuries outside where guys are coming back from things. Like, I think the Lions are a little, that's a little bit rich.

Like 10 games, I know it's a 17-game schedule, but 10 games is not like, it's not that easy to win 10 games. I don't, the schedule sucks. Supposedly the schedule's easy. Everybody sucks on the schedule, but that's always based on last year's win percentage. I don't think that's necessarily a metric. So. I mean, both of them are in tough divisions, too. I think it might not be as easy as it sounds even for the 49ers who I think has an easier schedule.

Yep. So your nine and a half group We got a bunch Bengals, Broncos, Packers Texans, Chargers, Rams, Bucks, and commanders. So, I mean... It's tough number.

I think the Rams and the commanders jump out as teams that are interesting for me, for us to talk about. I'm not sure that the number is wrong, though. But this is one of those numbers that is like nine and a half. Like, yeah, that seems about right

for most of these teams. But the commanders have this. quarterback that played at MVP level last year. And they've obviously made some moves with getting Laramie Thompson and Debo Samuel and going kind of all in. So I think their expectations, the expectation, I live in D.C., the expectations are higher than nine and a half, given how well they showed in the playoffs last year towards the end of the season. And we're getting all the great offseason stories about Jayden Daniels getting more muscle and all that stuff. So it's exciting. I think that if you ask any commanders fan, which Charlie, my producer, is nine and a half seems low.

Well, if you ask any commanders fan, they'll always tell you it's their year, even though a lot of times, for a long time, there wasn't evidence of that. And there's evidence now. I mean, like this, and tonsils there. You know, I believe in Dan, man. I do, and obviously more than anything, I believe in this quarterback. I'm also, I think the bucks are just, I think the bucks are just, I think the bucks. have like bad branding because they should always be talked about as as one of the toughest teams in league what they've kind of turned into sticking the landing on post Brady um you know baker

surprised a lot of people down there obviously they got changed coordinator this year with with cohen going down to jacksonville but when you watched their offense last year fox i felt like they were one of the most efficient and explosive offenses like at the same damn time dude and the run was at times like overpowering. Bucky Irving's a beast. I love the Bucks, man. I love the Bucks. I might just play that just for the ride.

I like the Bucks too. I think, well, we're going to talk about Liam, I think. Liam Cohen at some point later in this, because I'm excited to see what he's going to be able to do in Jacksonville with Trevor Lawrence at some point. But yeah, the Bucks are right. They're a solid team that feels like they have a higher ceiling than I think we're willing to extend to them

because of some residual Baker question marks. I think. Charlie says that the Bucks have ugly privilege. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I think I know what Charlie's saying. Charlie is saying that like the team, there are certain teams that go ahead, Charlie,

you can explain for yourself. We've had this conversation before. Privacy. The whole NFC South gets privacy. If the Bucs won seven games this year, we would ignore it. Even when they're good, we're also going to ignore it.

We're going to talk to the Eagles. That's true. That's true. They get an ugly privilege. And then sometimes it gets slugged. because they're actually good. The next number is eight and a half where I think some people might be surprised that I don't know if you're surprised that the Cardinals are sitting there at that number.

I do know that some guys in my group texts were surprised about the Patriots and I said, how would you all play this total? And they were all like under. And I go, well, that tells me where it's going to go. Going over. Steelers too. I think it depends on who you talk to, but I think by and large,

most people think that Aaron Rogers is an upgrade over Russell Wilson. So I think most people would assume that 8 and a half is low for the Steelers. But I'm not sure that Aaron Rogers is that big of an upgrade at this point. I could be convinced either way depending on the day of the week, honestly.

I think he's an upgrade, but only if he's the best version of his older self. I don't want to say best version of himself because that would make you think like MVP Rogers, but just come in with a mindset that's different from what it's been the last couple years, man, like wipe the slate clean. You know, it's easy. We get up here and beat Rogers up and all this stuff.

And a lot of times I feel like he deserves it. But, you know, all you got to do is, is show up and be a dude and people are going to follow you because you're a Hall of Famer, bro. Like, and if he can just show up and buying it, and this is the thing I like about the Steelers situation is, they've had a thing for a while. He's not bigger than Pittsburgh. You know, when you go to New York and play for the Jazz, like, holy shit, Aaron Rogers is here. You know, you got some of that in Pittsburgh,

but Tomlin's not going to, he's not going to lay down for anybody. Like, I really do think, I really do think there's a universe where they win enough games to get in and might win a playoff game, but I don't think they're like contenders, no. It's funny. Brooke prior to our, at ESPN, the reporter. for the Steelers talking about how the fans there are mixed on Aaron Rogers. It's a lot more of considering a team that's kind of been in quarterback wilderness for a while,

even towards the end of Big Ben's career, he wasn't really healthy or playing well. You would think that they'd be excited, but she was saying that there was, I think she made the point that someone told her that they would not, they had season tickets and they're not going to any games until Aaron Rogers is benched because they don't believe in him. And it wasn't about anything broader than just they don't think he's good. And then there obviously are plenty of Steelers fans who are excited about him. So I think the situation is going to be interesting.

He plays well early, of course. Everyone's going to jump on the band. It's going to be good TV, man. And then we've got Seattle at eight and a half as well. And I think that's a tricky one. I think I was impressed with the way their defense played down the stretch, man. I think they got the bones of a very good team there. A lot of it's going to come down in the quarter.

back. I love Seattle on defense. They, um, it took a second, which it normally does to get everything in sync with the new head coach and new defensive frame, but like that defense was one of best in football. And I think, uh, assuming that Darnold is going to be closer to what he was last year than what he's been for the rest of his career, I think this team, yeah, could definitely do more than that. But then, like, was that just a fluke for Darnold in the right situation with Jefferson and Addison and O'Connell. And if that happens to, if they take a step back, of course, the win total is really affected by how good your quarterback plays.

No question. We've got another one where seeing Pennix at the end of the year, it probably affects the way most people look at this total because I'm bullish on Pennix and everything. Seven and a half is a total for the Falcons, for the Dolphins, for the Colts and the Jags. Some interesting teams in here. To put the Colts in the same level as the Falcons,

right now. What is Vegas doing? Because the Falcons to me seem like a team that has some excitement, right? Like because they're turning the page. And the Colts to me seem like a total question mark because they don't even have a quarterback. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I guess this must be a strength of schedule thing. Because I normally, when the line is a little off, I assume that it's off in favor of like a popular public team, like the Cowboys or somebody like that. But like I don't think the

Falcons are a team that moves, that gets loved just because they're the Falcons. And, or excuse me, it would be the other way around in this case. It would be the cults getting more loved just because they're cults. That doesn't seem like. No, they're not a public team. Yeah. So it's not like they don't raise any alarms there. I think Jacksonville is very interesting, man.

I think they were such a bad football team last year. And a lot of it was just the way they unraveled mentally. And, you know, the way they, they put game plans together. the way they hustled to the football. I'm not saying they were a good team that played bad, but they weren't as bad as they played, if that makes sense. And so there's a reclamation project in there. I don't know how far they can get year one with Cohen,

but to me, their ceiling is higher than the Colts. You know what I'm saying? No, I would certainly agree. And they have the excitement of Ed and Travis Heiner, of course. We're not exactly sure. what he's going to do, but I think it's hard to imagine that he doesn't at least make the team somewhat better. I'm not sure if he's going to make the offense or the defense or both better. But yeah, Trevor Lawrence, you would assume Trevor Lawrence was a better player coming out than Baker-Macon-Mayfield.

Of course, there could be different factors than we could have been wrong from the beginning. But you could assume that Liam Cohen is going to be able to work the magic that he worked in Tampa with Baker with Trevor Lawrence, because they have a young talented receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. And also, like, assuming Hunter is going to go on the other side, another receiver over there to balance this thing out. So I think the offense will be pretty good. Hopefully, like, I think what the thing about Trevor Lawrence is we get, like, flashes of it.

It's just not consistent. Then there's, he'll sway the ball. Drops and stuff, yeah. So we'll see what happens with that team. But that's another kind of page turning situation where you should be optimistic as a fan base, with exception in a way that he said, Duvall. Yeah, that was bad. That was rough.

Travis Hunter question for Dominique. As a former DB, I keep hearing people say, oh, well, Travis will be full-time offense, and then you can just put them out there on third down. Like, is it that easy? I think it's the other way around. Like, I think it would be easier because, like, defense is so reactionary. And, like, you have to be comfortable with reacting to the things that you're seeing. And if it's man coverage, even if it's just man coverage, that would be the easiest thing to ask him to do.

But even if it's man coverage, like there's a ton of prep that goes into understanding what they like to do in certain situations, understanding what players run what routes and the alignment that tells you the things that they're going to do. Like that stuff on defense, I think, requires a lot more attention to detail. And then it's also like blitzes with motion. That shifts everything over there. And then it's the zones where if number two goes flat, you do this. if they shift the formation. Like there's just so many more like changes to demons.

I think playing defense is tougher mentally for a DB. A receiver, like, and that's like that's the way that it's always been done too. And I think it's because of that reason. Like we rarely see receivers who moonlight at DB. We see great corners who we're like, all right, go run this route. Because if we draw up the offense, like, you're running this route. Yeah, you run this route. It might change based on leverage the guy in front of you or something that's easy.

to see but I feel like on defense y'all are passing shit off you're rocking and rolling you're you're doing all that shit that I used to hear behind me I'm like what the fuck are they doing right up to the snap after the snap you know and so I'm with you man

like I just I think people made it sound too easy to play like both sides of the ball bro I love this kid I'm I think he's going to be special he just got that vibe about him that you know I don't I don't say this about rookies a lot but for whatever reason I'm just really rooting for him.

But to play both sides of the ball, they made it sound too easy. Here's one for you. Two teams, because the other ones are kind of New Orleans, Tennessee, New York, Cleveland, they're all down here in the basement and I get why. For me personally, the other three actually, Carolina, Vegas and New York, the Giants, in varying ways, I feel it could be better than we're giving them credit. I think, Carolina, if you pay attention to Bryce Young, he was playing. and better ball.

And a guy like him picking up more confidence at the end of a season, that can be huge. I don't mean to boil it all down to the quarterback. Vegas, man. Chip Kelly and Gino could be a pretty good marriage. It really could. And Ashton Genty in the back field, yeah. And yeah, the tight end was probably the best in football. Unbelievable.

Yeah, that's that situation, I think, yeah, four, what they got them at? Oh, they got them at five? No, they got them at six wins. Yeah, they got it. They could do better than that. I think you mentioned the Titans. I think it's a Cam Ward question. We don't want to boil it down.

No, no, not the Titans. It's for me, it's the, it's the giant. I'm kind of wondering. Are the giants or the giants of Panthers, Raiders, and I also feel like, I don't know, I'm not there yet. I haven't made my final determination where you can hold me to a prediction. If I get some right in this show, I can't take credit for it either. But like the Giants, are they kind of fooling me a little bit,

making me think they're going to be a tough out some weeks? Like that defense is this is the D-Linman in you. This is what is it. This is the D-Line men that you're talking. They have the most exciting and interesting looking D-Ly in football that we haven't seen all come to fruition yet. So I like, and that's their history. Like their best teams were driven by crazy D-Line.

So I get why you're excited by them. All right. Well, last question of two. These are quick. We saw this, this rail. kid who obviously is a hell of a player at Nebraska and he kind of does everything like Mahomes seemingly intentionally and I don't want to make that sound weird because like I get it as a mindset for some people to like totally emulate somebody was there anybody and he went

as far as saying and I thought he was he was good about qualifying and he said I am not comparing myself to Kobe even having to say it feels weird but like He said it was like Toby and Jordan for him. Like the way Kobe used to like try to emulate Jordan and not in a weird way. Just like sometimes it was cool to see it because you were like, damn, dude, he really was. He looked like Mike right there. Like in his mannerisms, like the way he attacked the game, the whole thing. Was there anybody that young Dominique Foxworth tried to emulate?

Oh, yeah. So, I mean, I went to Maryland and when I was there, Champ Bailey was in Washington. So like I saw that. And then I got drafted in Champsworth. had just been traded. And so, yeah, I wanted to be like Champ Bailey. I tried to do the things that he did on the field for all of two days. It was a short-lived experiment because I can't do that shit. Like physically, he was like 190, 200 pounds, like six foot, six one and was the quickest, fastest could turn, could do all types of things. So like when I'm out there doing the drills and

then I watch him do a one-on-one and cover somebody by doing something. that I had never seen before. Oh, that's all you got to do. Cool. And that's the, that's real hallmark of, like, ridiculous athletes. It's not that they do something ridiculous. It's that they do something ridiculous and make it look easy. Make you think you can do it.

Yeah, I would go out there and do it and fucking rip my hip flexer. I'm like, nah, this ain't for me. Well, it's like, it's like you do something, your best play where you're like, damn, dude, that was a sick play. I remember that one. Like, they got a bunch of them like that. Like, where it's like, they just do that shit, like with the on the reg. And, like, sometimes not even.

and like some de lineman they just do it like where I've talked to some de lineman before that blew me away where they're like getting inside their head and thinking about how they rush I've heard guys say things like yeah I'd just be in cruise control for three quarters and then I wait till the fourth and just hit him with my best rush and I'm like dude was I fucking up because I was giving him my best rush every time you know like and that's the difference between good players and and hall of flameers dude and so you know and and I'm glad that's you didn't try to emulate champ with the house parties though because that would have been expensive i couldn't afford i was just i just walked around close to him just catch a little shrapnel

so i had a very i had a very uh very i guess it wasn't it was lofty because this guy was i was a huge fan of his but it was like more attainable for me and my dad was always good about being realistic with me like to the point where when i got recruited in high school he was like you should really work on your guard sets. Like, I don't know if you're quick enough. You know, like, like, you know, and, and, and it kept me humble. But I will say, he did give me one present one time, and it was a Kyle Vanombosh DVD. And this back in the DVD player days where he was like, take this and watch Kyle Vanibosh. And I tried to emulate in a lot of ways the way Kyle Van derbych played. And honestly, that for me was pretty good because I can do it physically. It wasn't like

dad was like here's julius peppers you know i ran into julius peppers and aspen a couple months ago and i think he got a couple snaps left in him i think he could be the best past rusher in the nfl for one week still dude he's also the most chill awesome dude like thank god he's so cool for everybody else he could be a huge asshole dude just a ifiably, but he is just the coolest. I was in Maryland early and was getting ready and everything was fine for when I was a freshman. And then our first game came around. And so people asked, like, were there ever any time you had doubt that you're going to make the NFL?

And like, no, I played well as a freshman. So, like, I never really had any doubt except for week one when Julius Peppers, we played home and the Tar Hills came to town. And Julius Peppers just walked in the stadium. And I was like, no. No. Like, no. That's not, he was bigger than everyone on the field and, like, faster and stronger to and quicker. Like, there was just, and he just looked. Yeah, it's, we talk about Cam Newton. It's like how Cam Newton looks in person. Like, no, that's not how people aren't made like that. That's like an action figure. That's how Julius Pepper's. No, no, no. And some people are like, man, like, you think if I did the same exercise as Miles Garrett did that I would look like Miles Garrett? No, just some motherfuckers are different. And you had me thinking, thinking about Maryland and playing UNC and the old, I actually like the old UNC uniforms and shit from those days, but like, were you aware when it happened of the Greg Jones's deputation of Dexter Reed? Dexter Reed. Yes. I do remember when he stiff-armed him into the back of someone else's and his helmet popped off. He stiff-armed him to China. You know how people think if you go down far enough, there's China.

Through the core of the earth. Yeah. He heard, he woke. He woke. up and heard did it did it do that was bad it was bad yeah I don't know if we played him after or before that but I remember seeing that and we had to we definitely had to play him look at this oh this is a good shot of it yeah Greg Jones was a bad dude man he played fullback for Jacksonville when I got a lot of respect for Greg Jones and when he came over on a on like one of those whams or whatever you want to call him like you had to buckle your shit it was awesome, dude. It was a beast.

It was not awesome. Hey, no, you know what? I'd chop people. I chop them. Yeah, well, you can't do that anymore. Yeah. No, I can't. I can't do, yeah, I'm talking to tackles.

You can't do it. Yeah, you can't do O. lineman, yeah, which is, that's a terrible rule. Can the D.Bs chop the O lineman anymore? No, not from outside. The rule is that you can't go outside in. I miss it.

I guess it's health and safety, but they don't care about about our health and safety because, yeah, so I got to go head up with a tackle. Yeah. Well, collapsed lung is better than, like, an ACL, I guess. So, hey, and we all know, like, offensive linemen are very important, you know. There's a bunch of TVs in every room. So you've got to have the TV.

Hey, Dom, I appreciate it. Thanks for coming on. Thanks for bullshitting with us. You know, I can't wait. We actually get some football, like, to analogs, dude. I can't wait. I'll be back and hopefully be back on my show, too. Appreciate it.

Thanks, Nolan. Go check out. Dominique Foxworth's show. It's like the same thing, but even better because his show is better.