Green Light with Chris Long - What Eagles Fans Can Expect from Jonathan Greenard

Episode Date: April 30, 2026

One of the newest Eagles, Jonathan Greenard, joins Chris to cover his trade to Philadelphia, the passion and style he brings to the Eagles dline room, his motivation going into his 7th season and the facetime he received from Chris (via a friend) a few weeks ago. (00:00) - Intro (01:53) - Trade to Philadelphia (06:15) - Vic Fangio & Brian Flores' Defenses (11:35) - John's Style of Play (16:34) - Veteran Prescense (23:30) - Edge Rushers Contracts (31:57) - Philadelphia Eagles (39:15) - NFL in Europe (40:38) - Playing Caleb Williams (45:22) - What Number Will John Wear? 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 presented by Zone Nicotine and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open: ‪[phone]‬ Head to https://nicokick.com/zone and use code GL20 for 20% off at checkout. Check out 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

At this point, I'm going into year seven. I've played a good enough ball at this point. Now it's time to put some hard with him. For a Philly fan who has a scene you play, can you describe your style of play? My style of players is dirty. Listen, I'm just going in and trying to dominate and take over a game. You're going to see I fit right in and you just get that burst of energy. I run into your friend at a bar.

Yeah. At 1 a.m. I'm in Nashville. He goes, you know John? I'm like, yeah, I know John. So we end up on FaceTime. I don't know what I'm screaming in the phone. I literally was thinking I'm getting a call from him.

And pick up the phone. I'm like, bro, what in the world is going on? It is official. Jonathan Grenard is a Philadelphia Eagle. I couldn't be more happy about that. And now he's on the show. Welcome to the show, J.G. What's up, dude? Man, what's happening?

What's happening? I appreciate you all having me on. It's great having you on. We've talked before. And, you know, you're somebody who's game I really like. So make no mistake about it. I was angling for it. I was pulling for this to happen. Matter of fact, small world, I run into your friend at a bar.

Yeah. At 1 a.m. I'm in Nashville at Lane's wedding. He goes, you know John? I'm like, yeah, I know John. So we end up on FaceTime. I don't know what I'm screaming in the phone. I think I'm like, make it happen. Yeah.

But that was so funny, dog. That was one of my buddies there. I went to school and in college. And like I said, bro, Liddydy was thinking I'm getting a call from him. And pick up the phone. I'm like, bro, what in the world is going on? He's in Nashville. I'm just like, bro, what is?

And like you said, bro, you really can't hear nothing. All you can hear is, man, you can happen. It's like, oh, man, it's like all muffled. We're just like, I think he put his Sequin on something like that too. Man, I don't know who was all. But it was just so funny because I was out with my boys too. But I'm here in Georgia. But just seeing that, I said, bro, what are you doing with Chris, dog?

Dude, it's a small world. And I'm super happy we got to chat. Then seeing the news come down was awesome. Like, take me through that whole process. Does your agent tell you, hey, like, Like, hey, they're shopping you, and then is there a waiting game? And were there other teams that you suspect that were involved? Yeah.

I mean, we knew that we were going to come to this point, obviously, dealing with the contract. You know, had no more guarantees left. So ultimately, we knew that we had to come back to the table of something. Whether it was a good year, bad year after the second year, we knew we were coming back to it. But ultimately, we just did whatever it was told to us, you know. We sought, we had a number of mine and wanted to see how, you know, we could get this done.

Obviously, you know, whether it was in Minnesota, we hope it would have been there at the time, but obviously, you know, things like that. We understand these things happen, go back and forth. You know, they have a little pushback. You know, you try to go back. So I kind of stayed out of that and just let my agent handle that. And he just kind of relate that stuff to me. But, yeah, I mean, I knew eventually that once we kind of got a little pushback,

that there was going to be a possibility of somehow. We're probably going to have to, you know, go elsewhere. So I stayed up there in rehab the entire time until I kind of knew that something may happen. So I was like, you know what, let me just go back home. I've been rehabbing here in Georgia. Just to kind of get my mind out of there, I was still, like I said, I've been there since December. I mean, anybody knows being in December to March in Minnesota, that weather ain't the most friendly. So it's literally gray skies that day.

So most times, like, I was just trying to just get a breath of fresh air, you know, just going back to see the family in Georgia. And then obviously leading up into that, you know, once we try to get to that number, we seen that was the pushback, we kind of went to see other teams to see if they were, if I was worth what I was asking for, honestly. That was really the main thing that throughout this process, say, listen, after three, set year, whatever it is, you know, obviously come off the shoulder surgery. You see what teams is going to value at that. And now just, you know, we're seeing who actually stepped up to the plate on that. And it was just a lot of back and forth about compensation at that point.

My age was to keep continuing to fill me in, but it got to the point where it did get a little dead and where he was like, listen, just worry about, you know, rehabbing and things of that sort. Whenever this conversation comes back up, you know, the only way it could possibly happen is for draft pick. So we knew that it was going to come around around this time, obviously with draft time. And sure enough, it was a lot of rumors at that time, and we already knew Philly was in the picture. We knew a couple of other teams were there as well.

I think they obviously just went in different ways once they seen what the compensation would be and understanding that they'll have to still get a new contract. Made no mistake, everybody knew that it wasn't about me not wanting to be in Minnesota. That was not big at all. We knew that it was strictly about contract and money at this instance. And myself, being an edge guy, we understand how much we can affect the game. And, you know, whenever I see that my worth is, you know, not going to say, not viewed the same, but yeah, it's kind of essentially that.

I'm not viewed the same as I think in my head from that team. I mean, we have to kind of see who is going to value at that point. And like I keep going back to Philly was that team and shit. I get the call, was it Friday? Friday around like two. And they're like, yeah, it's happening. And I'm like, oh, I literally taking a nap. My son was knocked out.

Like, we're literally, me and my wife, we're just literally taking a small, quick nap and get the phone call. And it's like, hey, listen, it's happening. So it's 2 o'clock my time. I had to get on the flight at like 425. I'm already an hour and some change from my airport. Like, yeah, the next flight you got to be at 425. You know they close the doors at like 20 minutes before.

So, bro, I'm literally booking it. Like, I literally wake up and I'm literally hitting it. And literally, shoot, made a mistake I got on that plane. So it was for me. And now we're here. That's amazing, man. Yeah. What a weekend.

Crazy. Crazy. And you get to go to Sixers game? I did. I did. Literally pulled up, did all the physical stuff. As soon as I got off the plane

and then, we had enough time, I think it was like third quarter, walked in there, man, I'm just sitting there. Smitty was right next to me. Man, it was crazy.

I'm just like looking at the environment there. It's like, man, for this to be, you know, basketball, you know, obviously I've been to other stadiums, men, stuff like that. I mean, arenas. But fans are already there.

I mean, you know that you can feel the energy as soon as you walk in there. You understand that, like, this is no bulletin. Obviously, it's playoffs is heightened, but at the same time, you just can tell, like, listen, there ain't no bullshit going on. Like, we, we want this championship culture to sustain. And I think that's the part where you can just feel that throughout the building. Dude, it is.

I was going to say, you know, if there's one thing I miss from playing, it's, it's third and eight in the second half. It's at home. Yeah. You know, just putting your hand in the air and doing this and fucking 60, 70, 70. thousand people and it was loud in Minnesota. Yeah. Make no mistake about it. You all had a really good home field advantage.

But you just mentioned that basketball vibe. You got that championship kind of vibe. It's going to feel incredible in the link. I'm just telling you. I don't know if you have it. If you played in the link before, I think you missed the Minnesota played there in 23. Yeah, yeah.

Yep. But have you just kind of caught yourself daydreaming a little bit about what that's going to be like playing in that stadium in front of Philly fans, which it just, it's a little different. Yeah, yeah. I think that was the main part where, you know, it kind of sold me. I mean, throughout the process, when Philewis even first mentioned that,

that's a possibility going there, I'm as interested, all I could think about is like, dude, championship, you know, crazy environment, you know, the culture in general. I mean, I think that's one of the biggest differences, like I say, it's more so, you know, sometimes you hear stuff about the fans and this and that, like negative side of the positive. That's negative positive side to any fan base. But where I get at it is the passion. I see that, like, listen, if they're not push you to be a championship team, I mean,

or accepting anything less than that, then what are we doing here? So I think that that's the part where at this point, I'm going into year seven. I've played a good enough ball at this point. Now it's time to put some hardware on there. I think that that's the main part of when you get to this point, you can attest to that. I mean, your body started to be hurting and stuff like that. It's all right, listen, I need to have some show for it now.

Like, you can sit here and keep making plays or, you know, the money aspect, all that stuff. Everybody know me that knows, truly knows me. They know what I'm trying to win the ring. Like, they know I'm really trying to play. I love football. So the money and all that stuff that comes with it. That's the part.

We know the guys with, man, I don't care about the money. Nah, that's the part of it. And I'm not going to see it in Lottie, all of it. But ultimately, I love to make the plays and hopefully get this thing, get the ring. No, that's what it's about, man. You're going to have a great chance there. Sure. You know, you, listen, you guys in Minnesota were really good two years ago.

100. Last year it didn't work out. But they have been there and done that. And I saw, I felt for you because they were twisting your quotes up. You know, I saw some, somebody. Nowadays, with the internet, it's like you can get aggregated and misconstrued a hundred different ways. And I saw you kind of go through that with Minnesota.

And I don't want to speak for you, but it was that kind of, as you're, as you're walking out the door, you're really excited about the new chapter. But that doesn't mean you didn't like the old chapter. 100%. Yeah. I mean, like I said, anybody that knows me truly, they know that any place that I'm playing for right in that present moment, y'all getting 100% of me. I'm just, I don't look in all the way.

I'm not looking over the fence to see what's going on in somebody else lane. Like, I was in 10 toes even when we were down bad last year. And I've been a part of losing seasons before. So it's not like, you know, I've been in Houston times when we only had, what, three wins, four wins. But I was still 10 toes in that. Like, it was never at a point in time where I was like, man, I got to dip off of something better. Like, nah, like, I love that place to death. I appreciate it because they continue to get me to this point.

I mean, I wasn't able to even look at this opportunity if I wasn't granted the opportunity to start there in Minnesota. So, yeah, I mean, when I seen the court come, I'm like, hey, listen, I just know how this stuff goes around. Let me go ahead and get in front of that. At no point in time I'm sitting here trying to shit on Minnesota at any point in time. What was said is just the truth, honestly. They asked about, hey, what is the court they're referring to?

I mean, they asked about, hey, listen, how does it feel when you walk in this building and you see championships here And it's right in your face. Yeah, they asked you exactly how you answered. And I'm just like, yeah, I mean, shit, I've never seen this before. I mean, this is insane. I mean, the things that we dream about as NFL players is literally right here in your face. And you see that it's been done before.

And I've been in Houston. Like I said, I got drafted out there. But we all know that they were close as hell last year. Now, I can see them possibly being in that conversation as well. And hell, that's not the same. Minnesota can't be. Everybody gets a fresh slate every single year. As we know that.

No question. Even the defending championships, even defending champions, they still got to go back to the table and make sure that they're not trying to replicate what they're doing. They have to establish a new identity because everything gets new. You know what I'm saying?

So you got to continue to, you know, be innovative in this league and keep pushing. But yeah, at no point that I'm talking trash for trying to down there and just going off of what was actually in my face. It sounds like you've been talking to Howie saying, hey, when you win championships, you got to retool, you can't just try to do the same shit.

That's the stuff he used to say to me. Oh, for real. See, yeah, not. And he's just a smart guy like that and his evidence by making an aggressive move by bringing a guy like you, you know, the two years removed from a championship. I think it's going to be a lot of fun watching that D-Lyme play. From T-shots to game-winning goals and buzzer-beating baskets,

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Would you learn in B-flow scheme as a player, what were you able to develop maybe out of necessity? what were the more challenging aspects of it? And are you excited about seeing yourself in Fangio scheme? Flow is one of the most, I would say, creative coordinators I've been around. Probably the most aggressive one as well, which, like I said, I love that aggressive style. And I love Flo,

flow, man, and we have talks. That's my guy forever. Oh, man. His system definitely prepared you to always be on your toes because there's always so many checks. You ought to be really dotted on the game plan. understand personnel, understand who's coming in for what reason, what are we trying to take away. You know, he's kind of, you know, I think how I can equate him is, like, in basketball,

you try to take away your best, take away the team's best player. And if you're going to beat us, you got to beat us some other way. And with, you know, flow, that's one of his strengths. And at times, I felt like we could actually do a lot of these things, whether it's, you know, blitzing the hell out of them, playing straight up, throwing the type of crazy scheming So you always had to be on your toes. And I think that's the part where in VIX scheme, I've already seen it from afar and I've kind of started already diving into the playbook a little bit.

It's kind of similar in the aspects. And they both have their ways of obviously just letting it just go rushing for at times. But I'm excited to see what else he has up his sleeve. I mean, I've already been a part of, like I say, with flow system. And I'll be up, I'll call him when I first got there like 12, 1 o'clock in the morning. Like, yo, what do we think about here on display? Or what do you mean by when you're putting this play in or wanting us to do XYZ? So I'm all for it.

It's ball at end of the day. I think that they both know when to just let it loose and just let us play ball. And then obviously when that time, you know, that time comes, he's going to dial it up. So I'm prepared for it. I feel like, you know, flow has definitely prepared me for that. And obviously, just my years in the league so far has helped me. It's going to be easy for me.

You're right about that, though, playing a B-flow scheme. You've got to be listening right up to the snap. 100%. Like, I mean, we're checking. You're hearing it all. I mean, you can be locked in and put your hand in that dirt, but you might miss how he was to be dropping on his plate. But, yeah, like, it's going to be cool, man.

But I love flow, man, like, and, you know, there's definitely people have said different things about him, but in my experience with him, he's just real. And that's, in the NFL, it's funny people think everybody's so direct. A lot of coaches will walk around with a direct confrontation, or walk around giving you a message, I just walk 100 miles around it. And B-Flow is just going to let you know how he feels.

And I don't know if you had, like, a younger teammate from Louisville or something that was looking, you know, that had just joined the Vikings. And you were going to give this dude advice on, like, how not to piss B-Flow off. Like, what's the key to playing for B-Flow? What would you say it would be? Yeah, you know, he comes from that Belletect tree. You know, I was with Bill O'Brien and Houston, I got drafted out there. So one thing I'd say, they don't like rookies. I'm just getting it out there now.

They don't like rookies. However, if he know you can play and you're showing that in and out, as far as you just care about dominate your one-on-one, he can work with that. Now, he can get with obviously getting the plays, he's hearing a lot of stuff, you've got to go left, you got to go right. But one thing he knows, if you're going to go out there and dominate one-on-one, he can find a place for you.

So I think that's the main part going into it. And like you say, a lot of guys hear a lot of things about them. but flow is like you say as direct as they come i mean we didn't literally had flow no we know we know we didn't have some talks we didn't definitely went at it in the right you know i'm you know in the right tone understanding that we both want the same thing and that's the part about flow you know and with being in the league as well you know you can have conversations with some of these coaches and they take it kind of personal or different and it kind of can affect in a different way flow's the guy like we can go hash it out say whatever it is x y z and it's literally a switch as if

all was good like we're back to football and i think that's the part i appreciate it most because he doesn't try to suppress you unless you be yourself while still trying to achieve the same goal. You know what I'm saying? Like, we all grown here, bro. Nobody can be the perfect person to have the perfect emotions every single time when it comes to the conversation, especially it's about your craft. It's about the game that you put and everything into. So definitely credit to him for that.

And I think if any younger guy could see that from afar and just understand that, listen, we're both trying to get to the same thing. But with him, there's no margin for error. There's no, oh, oops, my bad. He's tired of that shit. And that's just how he's preparing you for the league. So I'm glad that if any young guy is going to be there, you're going to learn very quickly the sense of urgency

you've got to have in this league to be able to be the best. And he's been it. He's won it. He's done it. He's done it all. It ain't going to bullshit you at all. So, yeah, much respect to flow, for sure. That's exactly a sense of urgency. And don't make the damn same mistake twice.

For sure. Which is easier said than done sometimes. For Philly fans, man, who might not have seen you play, you know, and I think there is this phenomenon where some people, you are still underrated. And, hey, you know, you're a year removed from 25 sacks over two years, which is really fucking impressive, two different teams. But Houston, not the biggest, it's a big market, but it's not a market where people

are going to see everybody play on the Texans. And, you know, Minnesota's same thing a little bit. Like, can you, for a Philly fan who has a scene, you play, can you describe your style of play, your style of, especially as a rusher? Yeah. Everybody knows the pretty guy don't always get the most notoriety. I mean, the way my style of players is dirty. I'm playing hard as ever.

Sometimes it's not going to look crazy. It's not going to look great. It's going to look unorthodox, but at the same time, the job's going to get done. You know, I'm going to 100 miles an hour. I'm about to be gassed after every single game. I mean, hell, even after every practice, I mean, I just go 100% every time.

And I think that's the main thing about it is I never try to be the pretty sack guy, the pretty TFL guy, all this and that list. And I'm just going in to try to dominate and take over a game. And I think that's a, Every time I've been in the game, I try to do that. And obviously, having, you know, this type of team now, man, it just lets me come in and just add to what I've been doing. I don't have to come in and be a new person to try to switch anything up.

I think that that's just, you're going to see I fit right in and you just get that burst of energy. I think that I have a really good repertoire, pass rush moves. Love stopping the run. Stopping the run is a want-to thing. I hate that we even speak on it. But as you mentioned, I had the sacks. But, I mean, I think I still had another double-digit. TFL season again, which would be three.

And I keep track of that shit. Like TFL is obviously the sacks is the stuff going to get you paid. But how many times is I'm affecting this run game so that way they got at least on first second down, they got to think twice about running their favorite run play. And they might want to switch it up and run a play action. Now you're playing on our terms.

So as soon as we can, I can get you all off the game in that aspect, I feel like my job is already done. And now we can really just pin our ears back and go. So I'm just going to bring that same mentality in, man. And if they don't know, they're going to see real soon. Well, the thing I always liked about watching you rush, and I think we talked about this before, is as a guy who had to be a power first rusher, you know, especially later in my career. And maybe you can speak to this, like, how your body changes as you get older. Like, you're not old yet.

But like, you got to switch it up. You got to adapt and that sort of thing. But I just love the way when you rush it feels like I'm sure you pre-plan some things, but not much is pre-planned. Like, you're an option rusher where you can take whatever the tackle. gives you. Yeah. And I assume it comes off of power. Yeah. Yeah. Because you got a great bull rush. Yeah, that's the main part. I mean, uh, everybody knows like as D-Line, it's like the first move you learn is a, it's a bull rush. And I think, um, when you see myself, you see I'm like more of a slender guy, lankier arms and this and that link your frame. Right. Exactly. So they're like, oh, man,

he's about to come out here with the craziest moves, which I have them. But, but the main thing is I'm going to still keep the main thing. And it's just power. Obviously, um, we can build a lot of things off of power once you get a guy to understand it. And it's not going to just be no finesse party. And I think that's one thing that I try to prop myself on is whenever I am making a divorce or any move I'm doing them just intentional with it to make sure that listen, it's going to be whether we're winning the rush now or we're setting some up for the next one.

But the mindset and intentionality still stays the same. So, yeah, I don't see myself switching stuff up. I think that's the main thing is just the fundamentals and the basics of plan D-line is obviously established stuff with power and then see what else you can get to after that but it's time and place for everything so whenever i do my scout and report some certain guys um it's not to switch my moves up based on them it's just basically changed my approach a little bit while still executing the same stuff so yeah it's definitely gonna be that do you ever have a hard time like with like sometimes coaches will show you film like the winds cut up right and everybody's so

different that like you know we used to watch like julius peppers and he'd be like see and i'd be like I can't fucking do that. You know, or like, you got to find certain guys that you think of as you, like, that are similar style guys. Do you ever find yourself kind of searching for those guys, like, you know, to kind of build your rush plan off of? Or do you just go into the game plan and take every rush you see on that win cut up into account?

Yeah, a little bit of both. But before, like, when I first, like, my third, fourth year in the league, I used to watch the kind of guys and me, you know, we were in that four, three, system obviously in Houston where it was just go, go, go. And then obviously a couple years before that, I was with Lovie Smith and that kind of four three where it was not as aggressive as going, but we still had to watch the same film. So I was watching the Julius Peppers.

I'm watching these guys like, I can't do that. These guys are literally freaks, a freak of nature, just off of their bill. So I have to switch my approach up. But yeah, no, I look at guys, you know, Ryan Kerrigan. You know, he was a guy who, and a lot of times, too, it's kind of weird, too. I think about a lot of pastoral moves in hell. I even work on my wife sometimes. We just hear just talk.

I'll tell you, she'll literally be sitting. I'm like, hold on, shoot the hand real quick. Now I'll just be like. I need low hands. I need high hands. Literally. She can see it. Vertical set, please.

Listen, and give me why hands. Mick Clamper or some shit like that. So, but yeah, like I literally sometimes I watch these guys to make sure I'm not tripping. Make sure that like, you know, I'm thinking the same things or, you know, these things happen randomly. You know, you may have to play off of a different. foot to go inside or, you know, it's not going to be as perfect as it is when you're going off with bags and stuff like that. So I watch all types of rushes just kind of show that, listen,

this is an unorthodox position. You know, sometimes it's going to be pretty. Sometimes it's not. A lot of guys aren't going to be your 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6,000, these guys, some guys are going to be 660 or 250 and they're going to have a shorter arm. So I don't never discredit or look down or anybody based off of how they got the sack. As we know, you look at those certain sack tapes, you know, some guys are running high and just, hey, listen, it's a good day in office, you know. Yeah, but I hate how coaches never... By the way, you got 34 and 7 eighth inch arms? Shit, yeah, I mean, I ain't fucking kidding me, dude.

I ain't heard that number in a long time. Dude, because I'm in combine mode, draft mode, where everybody's got those guys arm short. You got long-ass arms, dude. Yeah, I got blessed with that. That makes sense. That's why you can get the power going. That's why you can get some before.

I can get some... That's pretty good. A little beforehand, but yeah, I mean, I was with, you know, obviously in Houston my last year, so we was with that 4-3 system with D'Amico Burke, you know. You know, now being talking to Washington. Now we kind of talk about the same things. But that was my main thing is just playing with lymph

and getting off the ball and just kind of getting to these guys before they can get to me. So that's kind of like the same mindset I've taken since then. Washer's a great coach, man. Just being around him at practice, not getting the chance to play for him. But great coach, great dude. You talk about coming into a situation where you're 28 years old, and I remember when I was young in the league,

28 was still young. There were a bunch of vets. When I walked in my first locker and we had three, four guys over 30 years old and that's changed a lot where there's not as many vets involved. You're going to be a big vet, man. Like, you know, I've kind of heard you talk about it,

but what goes into being that veteran presence and especially on a new team where you kind of, you know, people probably already know what you're about, but I always had the mindset of, well, shit, I got to prove myself too. 100%. As silly as that sounds with a decade under your

belt or whatever. Yeah. You know, there's still that process, too. So what, what, what is that process like for you getting in the building kind of, you know, feeling where you can throw your weight around a little bit? Yeah. I mean, it's kind of crazy to say that. Because, I mean, I'm 28 and they start calling me unc.

So I'm like, dude, that's early for the unk. I'm like, damn. But I mean, like, I'm unk, bro. That's what I said. I could have swore 30s. Fucking 41, dude. And even 30s is crazy. It's like, bro.

I mean, if you get in the real world, we know that's not old. But I get it. What is the year that we call unk? What's the uncutoff? It has to be, I think they, well, if they're calling me, now,

I feel sorry if you walk in the locker room. They just call me triple OG or something. They're going to, they might come up some new stuff nowadays, but yeah, I mean, I kind of got a little taste of it

when I first went to Minnesota after the new contract when I first got there. And I was going in the year five and, you know, they're kind of looking at me and saying, you know, you're kind of the vet-ish.

And I'm like, wait a minute, I could have swore I was like the new young guy, if that makes sense, like the new older young guy, but I got a little taste of that and understanding

how much power you have with your words, you know, everything you're doing, everybody's kind of watching how you kind of carry yourself because ultimately, younger guys in that building want to get to that second contract

like you have or that third contract, ultimately. So they're going to watch everything, understanding that your stuff has power. And that was the part now, just I'm doing the same thing as well. Just spilling all the knowledge that I have to these younger guys

or guys that come and ask me about my journey or anything about the league, man, I love that. I think that anyway, I can kind of just tell my journey or ways that I've been able to get through this league and stay in the league, which is the hardest part. And still kind of still excel. I think that's the part where I like to kind of, you know, drop knowledge in that aspect. But at no point I ever walk around like, man, you need to come asking me and my word is bond.

Like, like, no, like, listen, if you come ask me, cool. If you don't, cool. I mean, I understand that we deal with a lot of different types of players. But I'm always going to be there. I'm an open book. Man, I ain't got shit to hide. Definitely whether, whether to talk about football, life, financials, you name it. I just like to be another person that can just help out another guy that struggling at a time or just kind of trying to figure it up.

That's a really, I mean, like that's so cool, man. I used to, I used to love like being a vet. It's like a privilege. It's like, man, I worked really hard to get here. And now I get to enjoy the fact that, you know, I can help younger players. And, you know, a rookie that does soak things up or ask questions, like, I'm not going to be the vet that's like, fuck you. You might pick my job one day. Well, hey, that's reality.

but while you're here, we need your help. I'm going to help the rookies. And I remember the pride you feel when your rookie gets paid or something like that, Josh Sweat got paid. He was my rookie. You seeing Will Anderson get paid. I was just with him. Like stuff like that.

Even when I knew, like, that's a great example. I mean, we literally was my last year in Houston and he gets drafted. Obviously, we know that we needed a D.N. We knew a guy to come in to play. But the things we just dropping out talking about ball, you know, talking about past rush,

grabbing hands, you know, stuff like that, just the things about all the intricacies about football and D-Line, to see him get paid now, when I tell you, we just,

I was just at his little celebration he had this past weekend, and we got the biggest hug. We're just sitting there just talking like, man, like, I told you this was going to happen. Like, Mind you, he's so humble. He just was like, man,

so humble. I didn't know. He was like, I said, Will, I'm telling you. Like, it's so funny, he probably got mad at me telling me, I told him, I said, listen,

I think it was, about like two months, like a month and a half ago, I sent a message and say, listen, like this message if you're about to make $50 million a year. Like the message. And he looked at me like I was crazy. And he just like, he just said, bro, I'm just playing ball. And it's just such a will answer. And literally when I seen him, man, we gave the biggest hug.

And I looked at him. He's like, bro, this shit is crazy. Like, really, I said, Will, I'm not going to bullshit you, brother. Like, you literally, you don't understand the power. you're not only a good person, a great student of the game, but you're a damn good football player, dude. Like, that's why I feel,

I feel like I've done my job. I never going to gas him up or let them get too high or too low. Hell, even I was in Minnesota, I still call and check and like, what's up? And we still talk as if we just left the building together. But at the same time, just making sure, listen, bro, these things are going to happen.

You just keep one of them bawling, and that's what I mentioned to you earlier, is the money is going to come. Those things happen when you just take care of the game and respect the game, it's going to respect you back. And I think that's the main thing where he just took pride in it and just took off and ran with it, man. So the next person up now is Dallas.

I'm sorry. I'm going to say it now, Dallas Turner. Oh, Dallas Turner. Yeah, he's going to get paid now. Did you see him kind of make the gains through last year? When he's on and he's died in on the game plan, I mean, the kid is a bottle of explosion. I mean, the guy is literally, like I mentioned before,

the 4-4 guy, and he's only just breaking the surface, breaking the surface of how he's going to be in this league. But that's who I'm taking care of next. You know, I'm watching real close. I'm still going to be talking to him the same way. Like, listen, X, Y, Z has to happen, or this is not going to happen. You know, just the little small things you've got to have, you know, when you're dealing with a young guy like that because they don't know.

I mean, as much as they are mature when you talk to them, they talk to a good game, they still don't know what they don't know yet. And I think that's the part where he's going to take this big, big step. You see him to kind of do a little bit towards the last season. And at this point, shoot, I said, it's time now. It's your time to show team. You need to go ahead and make that happen. So I'll be looking real close for him,

and I know it's going to get done because the boy dog, too. Shit, if he gets paid like Will, he's getting paid, dude. Because these guys, I mean, the numbers are just getting crazy. And I love to see it, dude. I love to see it. Y'all know I've been on the Create Gummies, and you know the positives. I've talked about this.

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but when we came to Minnesota to interview y'all a couple years ago, it was your first year in Minnesota. Yeah. I think you had just gotten there maybe. Yeah. But the one thing I noticed was like, and I don't mean this is a slight about the Vikings, but like every team's built different.

I'm so used to being around the Philly team. And I was like, man, the team's not that big. Like it's not a big team. team. I don't know if you have like, wait till you stand out there at the Novacare center and see these motherfuckers. Dude, the Eagles are a big-ass team. No, we played them last year. I was like, yeah, I can kind of see that. Like, these fuckers, I feel like they find the biggest, fastest person they can find

in their position. Like, it's like the standard. And if they can't find that, you better be a ball player. That's kind of like the next part to it. And I think that that's, I can see that instantly. When we played them, I just remember my first time playing those guys was, like I said last year, you see Malada and you see Lane. Lane was already kind of new, obviously, in his own way just because he's a vet. He's already, we know that. Malata isn't huge, but the same point is you look at the, I know when the team is a massive, like, team when the tight end is even, like, it's big. Like, when I see Garter is like you're a six, six, five, six, six already. And I'm like, I mean, if you look at across the board at all, like,

it's a minimum of six, five, six, six. Some big days, man. Yeah, no, for sure. I definitely can understand that and see that. But shit, even when I went into that game, I was like, shit, bigger they are, the harder they got to fall. Yeah, harder they got to fall. I was, I was looking, honestly, I was looking at my top.

I was literally had that game circle. I'm like, listen, I need this Philly game. Yeah. Well, I wish you had the game playing to win that thing. But also, yeah. It was a good game. Yeah, no, it was, it was great. A good game.

Trying to bull rush those two guys is tough. Yeah, you better figure out something else after a while. because I remember I mean like having a Rush Lane every day he's got the most like you wouldn't expect it because he's kind of like he's huge but he's not like a fat guy I know what you mean yeah

but he's got that underhand punch with the absorption and the really good late anchor I mean if you see him doing the on his Instagram doing pull-ups from way out here come on now that's people I think people really don't understand how hard that is like a freak show if you we

You barely can do that as our 250 and 270 range guys like that anyways. I'm past Unk. I can't do any of them, dude. I'm north of Unk, bro. What I'd say when I've seen that, I said, see, this is why they're great at what they're doing. So, but I look at that shit as a challenge. I'm excited about that shit. The dude, I can't wait to see.

We were just talking about rookies, you know, kind of get lost in the shuffle with the first round pick of Lemon and then the trade with you. But the UR. Bernard kid, have you seen this guy? Bro. I'm not surprised at, like, so my best friend. It's funny, I always joke with him. My best friend's Nigerian, and I remember sending him the video, and I'm like, what's going on here? Like, how are y'all continuously putting out builds like this?

Like, it's like a factory of bills that y'all have. Like, my buddy's kind of built similar, and he was, like, kind of the same way he was when he first, like, I seen a picture in 24, when he didn't look as big, but the frame was there. And I'm just like, listen, when I seen a new picture, I said, bro, this guy, and for him to run up, what, a 4-6 at 300 pounds, They put his measurables next to Miles Garrett. And it actually, usually I'd be like, yeah, that's stupid. But they were the same. And obviously, the guy's a blank slate, blank canvas. But how he's done this before with Jordan Milata,

and that's what made me think of it, was Jordan. I remember draft weekend sitting watching TV, finding out we're drafting this kid who's never played football before, and then having to two days later rush him, he wasn't very good his first day, but within two, three months was stout. He was incredible. And I feel like there's less to learn on the defensive line than offensive line. Right.

So this kid shows up. What's the first pass rush move you're going to try to sell teaching him? I'm going to try to tumble. There we go. I love it, dude. Definitely. All right. So there's a trend going around.

And you probably noticed this study and tape and shit. But L.A. did a lot where they're getting these 13 personnel sets. Yeah. And they're trying to throw out of it. And a lot more teams just use Chicago draft another tight end. like kind of you know it's the the the trend right now like what what goes into when you get a bunch of tight ends on the field like not slowing down and and what are the alignments that are the most uncomfortable because for me i thought like some of those gray area tight end detached chip looks

bothered me um the big wings can be tough depending on how tight they are yeah what do you what do you has a rush or take into account when you get all those tight ends on the field? Well, you know, you know one of them is not going to be, it's basically a big receiver. That's what kind of helps me in my mind is like, who's the big, who's the why, who's going to be the, and who's the you? Most times the U is going to be that blocker. You know, they try to switch it up and put that Y. I mean, you're not going to have your number one guy running the route from there most

times. But yeah, they all have their time and places. It's just more so of a situational thing like what down the distance it is. How's the game been going so far? Maybe they've ran it already before and they kind of seen something, you know, so they just want to go back to it. But me, once I kind of get the inkling of, hey, this is just kind of window dressing, one guy is going to give it away. I'm sorry. One guy, whether it's a stance, his eyes before the snap, he's looking, trying to see where is his work, you know, what covers they're in, some like, certain things like that.

I'm always paying his to those small stuff like that. And then obviously at the end of the day, we can always look at that tackle and be like, oh, we know exactly what type of player is going to be. you know, when he has that foot back, you know, they can try to hide it as well, but then their eyes get wandering to where their work is and stuff like that. So I pick up on that real quick, and I'm just like, okay, as far as an alignment aspect, I try to make sure I stay on my line as much as possible. Right. Even trying to weave through that a little bit, but just trying to stay on my line as much as possible,

even if I get chipped what that alignment looks like or what my angle looks like and stuff like that. So it really just depends. I'll be watching film and kind of see what type of guy is. He's a heavy chip guy? see a weak chip guy or is this guy usually the blocker in this sense? All of those things kind of go into it, but yeah, I have seen that a lot. And it kind of, they're trying to marry that with the run game. And you see a lot of these times these 13 personnel just creating that extra gap,

trying to do a lot of inserts. Sometimes that extra tight end is a fool back in the backfield. Yeah. They're using these lead draws or divide action to try to, like I say, create that extra gap to when he's coming back on that divide action and make his safety as a linebackers have to make some plays. But, yeah, you see it a lot. I mean, as you see, I mean, it's kind of a,

smart thing to do. At the end of day, you can kind of protect yourself in the play action game with those two guys or three guys. And in the run game, you can also be just as effective by having a bigger body in there to try to create an extra gap. Well, shit, you can run some games with those two big big dudes inside in Philly, man, like, run some T's and shit. Yeah, man, listen. Because those dudes are going to be moving bodies. You got to tell me twice. Those dudes are going to be moving bodies. Okay. Been really great with your time. I got a couple more for you just on last year. But like, you played in Ireland. Yeah.

What was that like? I always wanted to go to Ireland. I always wanted to play in Ireland. That's where my people are from. Give me the scouting report on playing in Ireland. You would actually, and I loved it. I think I didn't, I had a buddy, like my best friend I was speaking of earlier. His cousin stayed there, so he knew all the places to take us.

So it's a nice restaurants. You know, obviously it's a drinking city. I mean, I mean, that's a drinking city. The drinking area where we were at specifically in that city. I think it's a drinking city. qualifies as a drinking city. Yeah, I was like shit. I mean, ultimately, but that's the thing about it.

It's not like your obnoxious stuff like that. Yeah. Maybe at least where we were at. But man, the people were nice. I mean, the people were cool. The food wasn't bad. You know, I like, put it like this. I like the better than going to London.

So I was actually more surprised that I liked the Ireland trip a lot more. And hell, should I go back? I can do that one. Ireland wasn't bad. I definitely going back to, going there for the first time, I think it was pretty smooth. It wasn't as bad as, you know, I expected. And you played in London? Yeah, we played in London.

We were that team that had to play in Ireland that first week and go to London that next week. Oh, who'd you play in London? We played Cleveland. Cleveland. Cleveland, yeah, that game was a rock fight. Yeah, yeah, it was crazy. I thought about that. So the other one was Caleb Williams kind of came into his own last year.

And, you know, everybody watches the incredible throws and that sort of thing. But I watched the drop target. There is no pocket. Like, you're coming into a game against Caleb Williams, what are you saying? Because that dude is tough to get down. Man, we played him with the first game last year. Yeah. But he broke me off so bad.

I'm talking about, I'm talking about, it was like the first series. I mean, I beat the tight end on something like that. I'm like, oh, man. As a play action pass, you know, you beat the tight end fast. You know, the quarterbacks just turning around. Kill shot, right? Those are the toughest ones. Man, I felt the tight end on my hip, and I think he's about to step up.

So I'm about to spin off the tight end. Literally as I'm about in mid-spin, he takes the meanest step back. I know this one. Just sat me down. I'm talking about sat me down. I remember in that play in that moment, I said, oh, my God. Like, and I literally can feel like this is about to be one of the toughest seasons going through. If this is what it started like.

Yeah. Because this guy goes from, I think, what was it, the most sack quarterback the year before, to literally the least sack quarterback. There's not nothing to do, no disrespect. Well, it is a just better. It ain't because of the O-Line that's protecting the guy. He literally is making some Houdini stuff happening. His elusiveness in that pocket, man.

And then be, like you said, mentioned, be able to make any throw in the field. We knew early on, obviously, when I first hearing Houston, when he was a rookie, me in Minnesota, he was a rookie. And we're like, all right, let's go ahead and get all we can and tee off on this kid now before he figures the shit out. Because this guy is a problem. He's going to be a problem. Dude, that's exactly right.

I always say this. Like when somebody like that enters the league, I'm like, all the rushers in that division are like, fuck, dude. Two games a year, I might get nothing. You know, I'm going to try like hell. Yeah. But like if you're in one of those divisions with like for us, when Cap came along, it was like, damn, this is going to be tough. But, you know, or if you play in like Mike Vick's division back in the day, like, I'm just not going to get there much. But so we talked about K.

The other team, Detroit, where I've always respected Detroit. They got a great program. Very physical. You guys always play good games against them. What do you think made them, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, but they were more beatable last year. Like offensively, I felt like they lost a step. Now, they'll work like hell to get it back. They already are through the draft and that sort of thing.

But what made them a little bit more human offensively last year? Ben Johnson, respectfully. He's that common denominator. I think that Ben has a very good way of mixing that running past game well and making sure you're staying honest. That's the main thing about I respected about Detroit is because, or at least at that time I still respect them, but they were true to making you stand your gaps,

making sure that you're not trying to take an easy way out just because you may thought you've seen something. And they'll go back to it. We know in my first year when I played, when I was in Minnesota and we played those guys all I heard about. Detroit, Detroit, we got to beat Detroit, got to beat Detroit. But we also knew that this run game was insane. The way they're able to draw up schemes to insert certain guys

or understand how you play certain leverages and certain calls and certain defenses. I can see it literally how he literally would do intentional plays knowing that this is your responsibility or knowing that this is this guy's responsibility. And it just conflicts everybody's responsibilities. And I think that's the thing that he does the best is making sure that he's going to put pressure on all responsibilities, period. And I think that's the part where when we played them this past year, they still had a little element to that.

I'll give them that. It wasn't just straight up, oh, okay, they're in this, they're running this. But it was a lot more of that where if they're in this, they're running that. But ultimately, I think that that part that Ben kind of had on those guys, and they all bought into it. You can see whether it's carrying out a fake or doing certain things that, you know, like, oh, is he supposed to do that? But then they trick you next. Yeah, he was supposed to do that. Right.

The fake stumbles, the, what is it? That was crazy. Like, you know, those things like that. And you would think that, you know, he's only doing that because he's seen how you react to a fake boot the other time or something like that. So just a little small things I've seen was a major difference in that year one or two, obviously for me in Minnesota with playing in Detroit. But yeah, man, I think him having that run game. And as you see in Chicago, their run game is pretty damn good just because of how he continues to try to just window dress certain things. insert certain guys to take out certain guys.

I mean, that was a, I got much respect for him as a play college, the coach for the show. Yeah, you've got to have good eyes playing for him. Yeah, for sure. All right, last thing, number 58. Are you going to be 58 in Philly? We're figuring that out now. Is it open?

What's open? I think that it's a couple numbers. I'm about to pull it up. I don't know if, see, I literally just staring. We're still saying, we'll figure out when I come back because they're going to make it official. I won't file two again. I mean, I think that, I've been back then.

I was in that in Houston. So I think Jalick's already got 58. So I think he's good. I mean, I'm not the type of person. Hey, man, me. Let me go and get it up off you or text him and something like that. You don't want to do 57. Yeah, no, I think I'm on.

57's a little. I think 50, I think me, I ain't got no problem going back to 52. 52 is pretty cool. I mean, but you also got some 90s in there. You never liked the 90, huh? Because 50s is more of a, I'm fast. Yeah, I've been on the, I've been under 50 since college.

But the 90s, I said if I was like a little bit, if I was a bigger bill, yeah, I could do the 90s. I thought the 90 going to make me look like I got a nightgown on it. Yeah, some of these 90s are also just like big guy numbers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 91, 93. 99's open. But, but yeah, 52. Okay, all right.

Yeah, 91 ain't bad either. I ain't, I ain't see that. 91's pretty good. Yeah, I ain't. Somebody kind of whatever, fine, you know. Well, all right. Well, I'll look. Now I know it might be on the license place.

man, I'm excited to watch. And yeah, dude, super happy this happened and super happy you got to come on the pod. Thanks for your time, John. Yeah, yeah, man. Appreciate you anytime. Hit me up. Hey, y'all. It's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair.

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